Staff Members
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Thomas C. Kinnear,
Ph.D.
Executive Director |
Phone: 734-764-1388
E-mail: tckinnea@umich.edu
Professor Kinnear is the Executive Director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. For many years, Professor Kinnear has served as an advisor, investor, and board member in start-up companies such as BlueGill Technologies, Avail Networks, and Network Express. He distinguished himself as the University of Michigan's former Vice President of Development and the Business School's D. Maynard Phelps Professor of Marketing. In 1997, he was awarded the Eugene Applebaum Professorship of Entrepreneurial Studies. Professor Kinnear holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's degree from Queen's
University.
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Timothy L. Faley,
Ph.D.
Managing Director |
Phone: 734-615-4425
E-mail: faley@umich.edu
Dr. Tim Faley serves as the Institute's Managing Director.
Most recently, Dr. Faley coordinated technology transfer activities
as the Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization
within the University of Michigan's College of Engineering.
He marketed research products to industry and created start-up
companies, based on the College's research and technologies.
Prior to coming to the University, Dr. Faley spent ten years
at Dow Chemical Company, where he focused on technology transfer
and new business development and served as the financial officer
of Dow's Technology Licensing business, dealing with licensing,
JVs, and alliances. Preceding his career at Dow, he worked on
the faculty of North Carolina A&T University, where students
twice selected him as the outstanding chemical engineering professor.
Dr. Faley earned his Ph.D. and MS in chemical engineering from
the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from Northwood University,
and a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois
at Urbana.
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David J. Brophy, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance |
Phone: 734-764-7587
E-mail: djbrophy@umich.edu
University of Michigan Professor David J. Brophy is director of the Center for Venture Capital &
Private Equity Finance at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and a Finance faculty member
at the Ross School of Business where he teaches venture capital and private equity finance.
Dr. Brophy serves as a director and advisor to banks, money-market funds and financial-services firms, including
Compass Technology Partners, Munder Capital Management, Continental Capital, River Pace Holdings and
General Motors Acceptance Corporation Wholesale Auto Receivables Corporation. He also invests in and advises
emerging technology-based firms. Dr. Brophy is the two-time winner of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies Research Award,
as well as a widely published book and journal author and a founding editorial-board member of three finance
journals.
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Thomas S. Porter
Executive in Residence |
Phone: 734-764-4551
E-mail: tporter@umich.edu
Professor Tom Porter is General Partner for Trillium Ventures
in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Professor Porter has a broad range of
experience in founding, managing and advising successful technology
growth companies. He co-founded and is a General Partner Emeritus
in EDF Ventures, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based venture capital
firm investing in early stage market driven companies in health
care and information technology. At EDF he served as interim
Chief Executive Officer for several health care companies in
the portfolio, and was a founder of five: Theragen, Inc.; Coagulation
Systems, Inc.; Matrigen, Inc.; IntraLase Corp.; and HandyLab,
Inc. He previously has held Board positions for numerous health
care and software companies and currently serves as chairman
of Incept BioSystems, Inc. and Better Rehab, LLC.
He is active in assisting Universities and leading research
institutions in commercialization of technology and serves as
Co-Chairman of the Michigan University Commercialization Initiative
("MUCI"), and as a member of the University of Michigan's National
Technology Transfer Advisory Board. Tom holds an MBA degree
from the University of Michigan. Professor Porter's bachelor's
degree is from DePauw University where he also serves as chairman
of the McDermond Management Center board.
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Paul Kirsch
Program Manager |
Phone: 734-615-4422
E-mail: pskirsch@umich.edu
As the Program Manager for the Zell Lurie Institute, Paul is
responsible for mentoring Ross students through the business
development process by creating programs that encourage students
to follow their entrepreneurial goals. In addition, he provides
external entrepreneurial experiences at intercollegiate competitions,
trips to entrepreneurial conferences, one-on-one consultations
with experienced entrepreneurs, and other events as they are
scheduled during the year. Before joining the Ross School of
Business, he contributed to the Tauber Manufacturing Institute's
early growth through student development, team-based internships
and recruiting, and building corporate relationships. Paul held
logistics and consulting roles for the automotive industry for
11 years prior to joining the University of Michigan. He graduated
with a BS in business logistics from Pennsylvania State University
(1989) and an MBA from Wayne State University (1999).
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Mary Nickson
Marketing Manager |
Phone: 734-615-4424
E-mail: mnickson@umich.edu
Mary is the Marketing Manager for the Zell Lurie Institute
and it's Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance
where she drives and executes the Institute's marketing vision.
She also serves as the program manager for premier symposia
and conferences which build networks among and engage leading
members of the global entrepreneurial, venture capital and private
equity investment community. These include the annual Entrepalooza
Symposium, Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, and the Michigan
Global Private Equity Conference, in addition to other activities.
After successfully employing her creative approach to her own
conference management and event business in the Ann Arbor and
Detroit areas, Mary came to the Business School in 2000. Prior
to this, she gained several years' worth of rewarding experience
at Yachting Magazine in New York. She received her BA in marketing
from Michigan State University.
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Marybeth Davis
Program Assistant |
Phone: 734-615-4428
E-mail: mbdavis@umich.edu
Marybeth serves as program assistant for event management activities
at the Institute. Before joining the Institute, Marybeth coordinated
the Annual Business Conference for the Business School's Alumni
Relations office. Previously, she led her own public relations
firm, worked as a product development specialist for Lovejoy
Tiffany's Incentive Division and served as a volunteer manager
for the St. Joseph Mercy Health System. Marybeth has also served
as the managing editor of two weekly Chicago newspapers owned
by Time, Inc. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism
form the University of Missouri.
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Carolyn M. Maguire
Administrator |
Phone: 734-615-4419
E-mail: cmaguire@umich.edu
Carolyn has more than 18 years of experience at the Ross School
of Business. Prior to joining the Institute she was academic
support for 12 faculty members across five departments and for
the CEMP program which has grown to become the ERB Institute.
Carolyn is responsible for all primary correspondence and communication
and for all University reporting and financial functions. Carolyn
has an Associates Degree from Washtenaw Community College and
has been pursuing her business degree at Eastern Michigan University.
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Rachel A. Ulrich
Program Coordinator |
Phone: 734-615-4423
E-mail: rachelul@umich.edu
Rachel serves as the Program Coordinator for the Zell Lurie
Institute where she supports the development and execution of
a wide range of student programs. Previously, Rachel was active
in Ohio politics where she served as a volunteer coordinator
for a political organization and was recruited as a legislative
aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. She received her
BA in psychology from the Ohio State University.