D. Teddy Zhang is the President and CEO of HUBS1. Zhang launched HUBS1 in 2005, introducing the next-generation global distribution system for the hotel market in China. The firm's web-based platform enables hotels to manage their booking process in real time. Hotels use the platform to adjust room rates, room types, availabilities and allotments, changes that are instantly reflected across all online and offline distribution channels.
Prior to founding HUBS1, Zhang was special assistant to the chairman and CEO of Thayer Lodging Group, a leading private-equity firm specializing in lodging investment. Zhang oversaw strategic planning and corporate finance at Thayer. Earlier, he held various executive positions for major international hotel chains including Accor, Marriott, and Hilton, both in China and the U.S.
Teddy Zhang graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Ewen is Senior Vice President in Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at Ardour Capital Investments, LLC.
Prior to joining Ardour, Ewen was portfolio manager at Bank von Ernst AG Liechtenstein where he focused on renewables and sustainability. Before that role, he served as Project Manager for New Business-Mining Sensing Systems at Hilti AG which led to filing of a number of German and international patents. Ewen has also worked as a Geophysicist at CGAS Exploration, Inc.
John Ewen holds a BS in Environmental Systems Technology from Cornell University and a MS in Geophysics from Ohio State University.
Kirsten Johnston Barker is President and Co-Founder of digital media company, Prendismo. In addition, she is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at KensaGroup,a conception-stage development group.
Barker has aggressively lead the operational and tactical efforts of Prendismo as it has transitioned from a ten-year academic research initiative within Cornell University called eClips to a high growth commercial enterprise.
Previously, Barker served as Chief Information Officer at NSF International, Senior Director at Solucient (a healthcare software company) and as a consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).
Kirsten Barker received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a M.S. in Business and Information Technology from Johns Hopkins University.
Jay Fluegel is Vice President of Product Development at Event Innovation. In this role, Fluegel shepherds the product roadmap and leads the development team. His responsibilities include crafting detailed product requirements, managing a team of over 50 developers, and defining the architectural direction of the company's platform and products.
Prior to Event Innovation, Fluegel spent ten years at Microsoft in product development, management and strategic planning roles for some of the largest online services on the planet. He played a primary role in architecting and launching "Windows Live", combining the best of MSN web and Windows PC experiences into a single offering. As an international suite of services, Windows Live caters to over 430 million users with 33 languages in over 50 countries including Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger, Spaces and Events. He led strategic partnerships enabling Ebay, ESPN, Citibank, Match.com and several others to achieve their primary goals and business objectives.
Fluegel began his career as Director of Business Operations at Jump Networks which developed the Web's first free, completely-connected calendar, email and address book service, and was later acquired by Microsoft to bring that technology to Hotmail.
Jay Fluegel obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and a MBA in Technology Management from The University of Washington.
Steve Gilfus is the Chairman and CEO of Event Innovation. Gilfus, together with Event Innovation's President Ron Dinwiddie, developed the idea and software design for Event Innovation, founding the company in 2007 to provide sports, entertainment and arts venues with better information about attendees and attendees with a better overall experience at events.
Gilfus is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and noted software designer and inventor. Prior to founding Event Innovation Steve was co-founder of D.C based Blackboard Inc. (nasdaq:BBBB). Blackboard's flagship products are used by millions of instructors and students across more than 3,600 institutions in 70 countries. He has been noted as being instrumental to the development of the eLearning market space and making Blackboard a leading provider of e-Learning software and services.
Steve Gilfus received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University where he was an academic scholar and founder of the Cornell Entrepreneur Organization.
Hans Pfister is the President and co-owner of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality.
He brings almost 20 years of experience in the hotel business in all capacities from trainee to General Manager, and currently focuses on marketing, finance, strategy and new projects. Born and raised in Germany, Hans' career began with the European tradition of apprenticeship as an introduction to the industry, rounding out his education and training with a degree from Cornell's School of Hotel Administration and experience in various properties in Europe, Asia, North- and Latin America.
Hans Pfister has been on the board of directors of the Costa Rican hotel chamber (CCH) for five years and served as representative of the private sector (CANATUR) in the Marketing Committee of the Costa Rican Tourism ministry (ICT) for over four years.
Hans Pfister received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Elizabeth Ngonzi is an entrepreneur who in 2001, founded Amazing Taste, leveraging her professional career in Corporate America, her global upbringing and personal commitment to making a social impact - all of which have directly influenced her business approach and philosophy. Since its inception, Amazing Taste has evolved into a recognized consulting firm dedicated to helping its clients achieve their strategic objectives through high-impact marketing campaigns, high-profile events, and ground-breaking educational - that demonstrate a commitment to Global Sustainability, Social Impact and Community Investment.
Amazing Taste draws from Ms. Ngonzi's unique perspective as a self-proclaimed "world citizen". Her mother was a diplomat and women's rights advocate, and her late father was a renowned African playwright, and a one-time director of the National Theatre in Kenya. Ms. Ngonzi obtained her primary and secondary education at the United Nations International School, where she studied French and Spanish, and has traveled throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean.
Ms. Ngonzi began her career with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as one of sixteen participants in its Marketing Development Program. She next went to work for MICROS Systems, Inc. - where she was ranked as one of its top-ten sales people. Prior to founding Amazing Taste, Ms. Ngonzi was a business consulting manager for Arthur Andersen, where she directed engagements for clients in the Hospitality, Telecommunications and Energy industries.
Elizabeth Ngonzi obtained a Master of Management in Hospitality degree from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.
Jeremy Knopow is a Senior New Experience Incubator at SC Johnson.
Prior to joining SC Johnson, Knopow was Design Manager at Fiskars, Inc and General Manager at Kohler Co.
Jeremy Knopow received a BS in Mech. Engr. from the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then a Masters and Masters of Fine Arts in Industrial Design also from the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Sean Neville was most recently was the CEO and Co-founder of Simply Audiobooks, a $7 million internet retailer focused on the rental and sale of audiobooks. Sean led the company from inception to becoming the world's largest audiobook rental company with offices in Canada and the United States. He received the 2005 Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award in Ontario for his efforts in building the company. Sean negotiated the successful sale of Simply Audiobooks to another Canadian media company in the summer of 2009.
Before starting Simply Audiobooks, Sean explored a variety of high-profile positions, from trading at Goepel McDermid and UBS Warburg to VP of Sales and Marketing at Concept Plastics. Before starting his business career, Sean was a nationally ranked figure skater in Canada, and two-time Ontario provincial champion.
Sean Neville holds an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University, a BAS from York University, and he has completed graduate studies at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.