Team
As a startup, you are still trying to understand how your business model will work, who your real customers are, and how your product or service best functions. We've assembled a team that has successfully and repeatedly addressed these types of questions.
Meet our EIRs
Jim Counihan is a General Partner at Prism VentureWorks. Jim joined Prism in 2000 and runs the firm's software & services practice. Possessing a unique mix of legal, operational and technical knowledge, he is a director for White Sky, The Receivables Exchange, Mota & LifeCrowd, and is a board observer at Connotate.
Michael Gaiss is the Founder at ThinkB1G. Formerly with Highland Capital Partners, he spearheaded a number of key strategic market, portfolio, talent and entrepreneurial development initiatives at Highland. Michael was also responsible for the Highland Entrepreneur Center, a dedicated environment that has hosted 95 seed and early stage initiatives since 2001.
Meet our Staff
William Brah is the founder and Executive Director of the Venture Development Center. He has 25 years of experience in science and business, building award-winning programs such as venture funds, incubators, and research and development partnerships that help innovators succeed.
Susan Hanlon Daudelin is currently the Director of Industry Relations at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In this role, she identifies industry partners for university initiatives with commercial aspects. Another important university responsibility she holds is the management of intellectual property for the UMass Boston campus. In this role, she directs all patenting activity and advises on many aspects of commercial development, including industry and academic agreements. As part of the system-wide Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property group, she participates in judging system-wide technology development competitions in which seed funding is awarded to promising faculty researchers. Susan advises UMass Boston faculty and VDC resident business partners on many business issues including commercial potential, IP and team formation. Susan holds a BA in Biology and English from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, as well as an MBA from UMass Boston. Please contact Susan at 617-287-5710 or at susan.daudelin@umb.edu with any questions relating to how to work with industry or regarding intellectual property.
Edel Freitas supports the Venture Development Center as the Program Manager. She partners with the executive team to design, implement and track programs that facilitate the success of VDC startups, students and faculty interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. Edel has recently received her Incubator Management Certificate from the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), one of the world’s leading organizations advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship.
Aijan Isakova supports day-to-day operations at the Venture Development Center, making sure it runs smoothly and continuously. Previously, she interned at LG Electronics. She is a graduate of Arnhem Business School, the Netherlands, in international business and holds MBA from UMass Boston.
Isabelle Ribeiro is the administrative assistant at the Venture Development Center, welcoming guests and responding to client requests and questions of every variety.
