Join us at Ben Franklin Technology Partners for the June 17th stop of The Road To LionCage!
We have a full lineup of great pitches from local entreprenuers and a panel discussion with out judges
Road To LionCage June 17th
Where: Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Address: 1600 Braod Street, Philadelphia, PA
When: 5pm - 9:30pm
Attendance is open to everyone, but registration is required.
CLICK TO REGISTER
Our Judges
Tom Burke
President & CEO of AOIC, LLC
Tom Burke is President & CEO of AOIC, LLC –a medical and scientific communications company providing content-driven initiatives for biopharmaceutical and non-profit organizations. AOIC shares i2n’s mission of innovation by advancing medicine and patient care; collaborating with healthcare professionals and biopharmaceutical companies to communicate clinical trial data to the research community. They also help nonprofit partners educate patients and caregivers about treatment advancements for specific diseases. Tom has a BS in Chemical Engineering and a Bennett S. LeBow College of Business MBA, both from Drexel University. He became President & CEO of AOIC in 2016, serving in several marketing and management roles previously. Prior to that, Tom spent 15 years in business and engineering management for several pharmaceutical drug delivery and chemical manufacturing companies including FMC, Colorcon, and Allied Signal. A native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Chester County, Tom has served in community service for West Whiteland Township, Chester County, and the state of Pennsylvania for 18 years. He serves on the Board of the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC). Tom also served on the Eastern PA Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was President of the Board. Tom is married to Sheri, and they have one son who loves sports, science, and math.
John Walker, Ph.D.
Venture Capital Analyst, Ben Franklin Healthcare Group
John Walker is a Venture Capital Analyst for Ben Franklin’s Healthcare Investment Group. He leverages 6+ years of expertise in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, stroke, and medical devices to evaluate and manage investments in early-stage companies in the healthcare sector. John’s primary motivations are to make the lives of patients better by translating research from the bench to the bedside and to foster prosperity in Philadelphia through economic development. Before joining the team, John completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the Drexel University College of Medicine. While there, he was a Coulter Fellow and conducted market research to assist in commercializing medical devices. John also holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from The Catholic University of America and is a member of the national engineering honor society – Tau Beta Pi
Prior to GiLi Solutions, Panthini held senior global leadership roles at Emerson, owning large commercial portfolios and leading cross-functional teams across the U.S., Europe, and India. Her career includes responsibility for $65M–$120M businesses and trusted executive relationships with enterprise customers including ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Dow Chemical, Bechtel, and Wood.
She holds an Executive MBA from Rice University and a B.S. in Marketing from DePaul University.
Kunci Szentes
Program Director of Nittany Angels
Kunci Szentes is Program Director of Nittany Angels, managing operations, fostering a collaborative investor community, and curating high-impact dealflow. Prior to joining Penn State, she spent eight years at the University of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, helping build its venture and investor network. As Fund Manager and Head of Investor Relations, she expanded the investor community and helped secure more than $3 million in funding for portfolio companies. She also served as an investor in the Notre Dame Bridge Fund, leading pre-seed investments and supporting companies as a board observer. Kunci holds an MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of Notre Dame and a BSc in Molecular Bionics Engineering from Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Hungary).