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  Management

Melinda Richter, Executive Director
Melinda Richter is the founder and CEO of Prescience International, a firm focused on the commercialization of science by creating and managing innovation centers in technology, clean energy and life sciences. Prescience International operates the San Jose BioCenter and the Environmental Business Cluster for which Ms. Richter serves as Executive Director. Prescience also co-founded and directs the University of California Berkeley BioExec Institute and the Cleantech Institute for which Ms. Richter serves as Faculty Director. Prescience provides consultation and business development services in science and technology commercialization to other incubators such as the US Market Access Center, international agencies such as JETRO, the Canadian Consulate and Finland’s Global Connexus. Prior to Prescience International, Ms. Richter created and directed the Life Science Incubator and Program for Astia formerly (the Women’s Technology Cluster). Prior to the WTC, Ms. Richter spent eight years at Nortel Networks throughout North America, the U.K., Europe, Central and Latin America, and Asia. Ms. Richter worked in acquisitions, strategic planning, marketing, contract negotiations, engineering and manufacturing optimization, world trade market development, and general management of an IT business unit. Ms. Richter left Nortel to start eTreasurer, a European online financial and accounting hub for CFOs. Ms. Richter currently sits on the governing board of the National Business Incubation Association and the boards of University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business BioExec Institute and San Jose State University’s Masters of Biotechnology Program.  Ms. Richter holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France.
Melinda@prescienceintl.com |

Evan Goldman, Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Evan Goldman manages the Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) and serves as its Entrepreneur-in-Residence, providing EBC "start-up" executives with mentoring and strategic counsel on corporate planning, funding and development. In addition, Mr. Goldman supports Prescience International as in-house Strategic Business Counsel. Mr. Goldman is both a California and Israeli attorney who has held numerous legal and business positions for U.S. and Israeli based technology companies and law firms. Prior to joining the EBC and Prescience, Mr. Goldman led the legal department of BrightSource Energy (utility-scale solar thermal power plants), where he negotiated preferred stock financings totaling over $160 million, processed a large DOE loan guarantee application, and was responsible for all strategic and commercial agreements. Before that, he served in corporate development and legal roles for InsureWorx (insurance claims and policy management systems), Virtual Ports (laproscopy systems), Magnolia Broadband (fabless semiconductor wireless solutions), Rainfinity/EMC (firewall and storage software solutions), Heller Ehrman (San Francisco and Silicon Valley based law firm), ViryaNet (mobile field service solutions), Shraga Biran & Co. (Israeli based law firm), Elop/Elbit Systems (electro-optics products and systems), Fried Frank (New York and Washington D.C. based law firm), and Bezeq (Israeli national telecommunications service provider). Mr. Goldman received his Masters in International Business Law from the American University (Washington, D.C.) and his Bachelor of Law from the Hebrew University (Jerusalem).
evan@prescienceintl.com

Erika Kula, Director, Business Development
Ms. Kula is responsible for the Business Development needs for Prescience International, San Jose BioCenter, and Environmental Business Cluster. Prior to Prescience International Ms. Kula was responsible for sales and management of corporate accounts at Equilar, Inc, the market leader for benchmarking executive and director compensation and providing corporate governance related information to over two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies.  In her capacity she was responsible for the management of over 200 accounts such as Eli Lily, AutoNation, and Capital One.  Ms. Kula holds a BA in Biological Sciences and Political Science from the University of Southern California and a Certificate from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Center for Executive Education for their 2008 Business Executive Program.
Erika@prescienceintl.com | 415.828.1498

Chelsea Hewitt, Marketing Director
Ms. Hewitt is the Marketing Director for Prescience Intl, a firm dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship for innovation centers in technology and life sciences. As a senior member of Prescience International, Ms. Hewitt is responsible for the marketing strategy of the Environmental Business Cluster and the San Jose BioCenter. Ms. Hewitt is also responsible for the marketing and co-organization of the BioExec Institute developed by Prescience International and the Haas school of Business at UC Berkeley Center for Executive Development. Ms. Hewitt has over 10 years of international marketing and project management expertise beginning with London-based multi-media incubator and investment firm, Illuminator Plc.; where she was responsible for the market analysis and due diligence to support the funding of prospective client companies. Prior to the San Jose BioCenter, Ms. Hewitt was the Marketing Manager for ASTIA (formerly the WTC), where she managed all marketing communications, oversaw external program development, and project managed the Annual Venture Conference; an emerging company showcase to over 400+ attendees. Ms. Hewitt was also awarded the ASTIA New Business Award for 2005 for her client and sponsor recruitment efforts. Ms. Hewitt has a BA in History from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Certificate from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Center for Executive Education for their 2004 Business Executive Program.
Chelsea@prescienceintl.com | 415.405.6385
  Innovation

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