Alison Bailey

Lecturer - Organizational Values & Ethics

Alison Bailey, PhD, is an organizational psychologist who specializes in executive coaching, organizational development, and improving internal culture by incorporating sustainable diversity and inclusion practices into the workplace. With twenty years of senior-level human resources experience in the non-profit field, Dr. Bailey has developed, led, and managed policies and practices centered on career counseling, strategic planning, hiring, diversity, and inclusion. Currently, she works at a south-central Michigan hospital collaborating with key stakeholders to develop, and deliver education to internal and community partners that support the hospital's mission, values and integrate intercultural development and strategies.

Education: PhD, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Capella University | MA, Communication Studies, Wayne State University | BS with honors, Psychology, University of Windsor.

Eric Bacyinski

Adjunct Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Hour

Eric joined the Center for Entrepreneurship in August 2015 to help cultivate partnerships between the university, companies, alumni and students. Over the past 10 years, he has held positions with the state of Michigan Attorney General’s office, International Joint Commission, and several others focusing on project management and relationship development. Immediately prior to coming to the Center for Entrepreneurship he served as the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s inaugural Relationship Manager implementing a campus-wide software system and stewarding the university’s corporate partnerships.

He has a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies with a concentration in Natural Resource Policy and Management from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Eric lives in metro-Detroit and enjoys traveling to the Pacific Northwest whenever possible.

Education: BA, Political Science and Natural Resource Policy & Management, University of Michigan - Dearborn

Ashlee Breitner

Adjunct Lecturer - Re-Imagining Companies

Ashlee Breitner is Managing Director of the Economic Growth Institute (EGI). Ashlee manages operations across all of EGI’s programs and initiatives to ensure EGI’s vision of equitable economic growth is the driving force behind all activities at the Institute. Ashlee works to ensure the team continues to be a trusted partner for communities and companies to address their ever changing needs. Ashlee teaches undergraduate and graduate level innovation courses in the University of Michigan College of Engineering Center for Entrepreneurship and is an Allovance Certified Decision Coach.

A native of and current resident in rural Michigan, Ashlee has a passion for working toward equitable access to resources for companies and communities across the state. Learning about the challenges Michigan’s companies and communities face drives her to seek and develop innovative solutions to help address their needs.

Prior to working at EGI, Ashlee managed global business operations for a variety of product and systems certification programs in the public health and safety sector. She worked with thousands of customers across the globe to diversify their businesses.

Outside of work, Ashlee spends time with her husband and 2 young children. She enjoys watching her children in their athletics and can be found on her free days at the lake.

Ashlee holds a BS in Education from Eastern Michigan University and a MBA from Wayne State University.

Amy Cell

Lecturer - Project Management and Consulting

Amy Cell is passionate about talent attraction, retention and development. She leads a talent consulting and recruiting firm to help employers and communities solve their talent challenges through innovative programs and approaches.

Prior to launching her practice in March of 2015, Cell was the Senior Vice President of Talent Enhancement for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. She directed talent programs for the State of Michigan where she developed and implemented many innovative programs including a job portal called Pure Michigan Talent Connect, a German model apprenticeship program, a career counseling program for high school students, and Community Ventures, which provides a career pathway out of poverty. While at Ann Arbor SPARK, Cell played a similar role where she developed and managed programs to help the technology community attract and retain critical talent.

Additional career stops in the talent space include the University of Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Stanford Research Institute and Applied Biosystems. She also worked briefly as a CPA for Plante & Moran before realizing that she liked people more than numbers.

Amy is a nationally recognized expert and innovator in the talent arena, and has been a resource for organizations including the Brookings Institute and the National Governors Association. She has a variety of community service and board experiences including the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan where she is also an adjunct lecturer. Amy received her BBA and MBA from the University of Michigan.

Education: MBA, University of Michigan | BBA, University of Michigan

Aaron Crumm

Lecturer - Intro to Innovation | Lecturer - Tech Inspired Business Models | Lecturer - Compensation and Funding

Aaron Crumm takes a very active role in the Center for Entrepreneurship’s programs and education as its first entrepreneur in residence. Beyond teaching courses, he serves as an advisor to student startups and especially supports projects looking to translate technology into the energy industry.

Aaron Crumm’s PhD work at the University of Michigan led to his founding of Ultra Electronics, Adaptive Materials, Inc. (AMI), an alternative energy market leader. His simple, yet radical, business proposition was to develop a portable solid oxide fuel cell system that ran off of readily available fuel. Aaron’s work has attracted more than $50 million in contracts to support the growth of AMI. His success in leveraging research grants as part of AMI’s business acceleration strategy was integral to the company’s ability to remain privately-held and focused on fuel cell product development.

The company was acquired by defense industry giant Ultra Electronics in 2010. AMI has been recognized for its dynamic growth with Ann Arbor SPARK FastTrack, Inc. 5,000, and Inc. 100 Energy Company awards. Aaron has also been individually recognized as an entrepreneur with multiple awards including Executive of the Year in 2011.

Prior to founding Adaptive Materials, Aaron gained insight into electric power generation as a nuclear engineer. He earned his bachelor of science degree in nuclear engineering from Purdue University and a PhD in material science from the University of Michigan. Aaron is a highly regarded and respected speaker at many alternative energy symposiums and fuel cell conferences.

Education: PhD, Materials Science Engineering, University of Michigan | BSE, Nuclear, Purdue University

Ted Dacko

Lecturer - Entrepreneurial Marketing | Lecturer - Organizational Management of Startups

Ted Dacko, the founder of Arbor Dakota Strategies, has more than 43 years of experience in executive-level management and leadership, including Sales, Marketing, M&A and the Chief Executive Office, principally in the area of software applications and solutions. As CEO, he has been credited with taking great ideas and turning them into great companies.

Ted was the CEO of HealthMedia® Inc., which he took from a small, near-death company to a $30M annual SaaS business. The company was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2008 and resulted in an 18 to 1 return on invested capital for Chrysalis Ventures in a six-year time frame and a 10 to 1 return on invested capital for Arboretum Ventures which invested a short time later. This was accomplished during the worst economic time in recent history.

He built HealthMedia Inc. employing a market disruption approach that utilized concepts from Blue Ocean Strategy, Competitive Strategy, Solution Selling, Ten Faces of Innovation, Positioning – The Battle for your Mind, Bang and Crossing the Chasm. The company was the Company of the Year in Michigan in 2008 and Ted was Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.

Ted is currently an independent consultant, mentor and board member to tech companies and serves on the board of meQuilibrium, Court Innovations, XLerant, GoNoodle, DNA Software, Connect Space, Spellbound and Possibilities For Change. He is an instructor at the University of Michigan in the Center for Entrepreneurship program and has authored a series of eBooks titled From Passion to Profit and is a frequent instructor at Ann Arbor SPARK and the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer. He has been the keynote speaker at numerous events. Ted holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Education: MS, Mathematics, The college of William and Mary | BS, Mathematics, Waynesburg University

Sara (Dari) Eskandari (they/them)

Adjunct Lecturer - Intro to Entrepreneurial Design: Extended Reality Lab

Dari is an extended reality software developer with the DMC-CAEN Emerging Technologies Group, specializing in developing VR/AR/MR apps for research, medical, and educational use. Graduated from University of Michigan's STAMPS School of Art & Design with a minor in Computer Science, Dari has spent time working as a programmer for games such as Heart Shaped Games's We are the Caretakers, and lead artist for Chess Heroes Inc's Chess Heroes and 3615 Theatre's Dark City.

A passionate interdisciplinary developer and designer, Dari works to increase the accessibility of new technologies to their students while discussing the rapid and undulating effects of immersive technologies on daily life and entrepreneurial pursuits including products, pitches, and production pipelines.

Within their university appointments they serve as a member on the DMC DEI-Committee, staff advisor for the Digipaint Club, pilot for the guest lecturer exchange with the University of Illinois-Chicago Biomedical Visualization Graduate program to expand XR cross-campus collaboration, and adjunct lecturer for Living ArtsEngine's creative collaborative project course, Introduction to the Creative Process.

Education: BA, Art & Design | University of Michigan

Tiffany Fidler

Lecturer - Patent Law

Tiffany Fidler joined the Center for Entrepreneurship as a lecturer in 2016 and teaches patent law. She is an actively practicing, registered patent attorney. Her practice focuses on counseling clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups on intellectual property matters, including domestic and foreign patent procurement, and coordinating international patent portfolios. She also counsels clients regarding patentability investigations, infringement and freedom to operate analyses, and the negotiation and preparation of various intellectual property agreements, including licensing agreements and joint development agreements.

Tiffany Fidler is a three-time alumna of the University of Michigan College of Engineering, and she received her doctorate in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in the thermal fluid sciences and an interdisciplinary thesis in combustion and materials science. She was a recipient of the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

After graduating and prior to law school, she was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University for three years where she established a laboratory conducting federally funded research and taught courses in the thermal fluid sciences and engineering design sequences.

Education: PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan | MSE, Mechanical, University of Michigan | JD, Wayne State University | BSE, Mechanical, University of Michigan

Adrian Fortino

Lecturer - Intro to Venture Capital

Adrian Fortino is an experienced founder, operator, engineer and investor in the industrial technology sector. He leads the Ann Arbor office and the Intelligent Manufacturing practice at Mercury Fund. Adrian sits on the Board of Directors of Sight Machine, a manufacturing analytics company based in Michigan. He also co-chairs the Catapult Program powered by the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan.

Prior to Mercury Fund, Adrian was the Managing Director of Detroit Innovate and the First Step Fund based in Detroit, Michigan. He also co-founded three software companies: Shepherd IS, a fleet management software company, Sidecar, the first US-based instant rideshare company, and Flocktag, automated marketing software company for retailers and restaurants.

He also spent several years at Ricardo Inc. Ricardo is a global engineering consultancy focusing on the automotive, cleantech, military and industrial sectors. He was an engine combustion and emissions specialist and led several advanced engine and hybrid powertrain development projects. He left as the Manager of Powertrain Development division which encompassed P&L, engineering and global project responsibilities.

Adrian holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA with High Distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Education: MBA, University of Michigan | BSE, Mechanical, University of Michigan

Eric Fretz

Lecturer - Interpersonal Skills

Eric Fretz is a three-time graduate of the University of Michigan and a faculty lecturer who creates and delivers classes across campus (Psychology, Innovate Blue Entrepreneurship, School of Education, College of Engineering Center for Entrepreneurship). In addition to classes from the 100 to 600 level, he also delivers academic readiness classes for Student Veterans at U-M and other institutions locally and nationwide.

Having spent nearly 20 years as an undergraduate and graduate student, almost all of it dealing with the learning sciences, and having run large schoolhouses and taught team skills for the Navy, his primary area of excellence is engaging students in dynamic learning situations where they apply what they are learning to real-world tasks. He has taught for University of Michigan since 2001 and is a certified Master Training Specialist and Golden Apple Nominee.

Retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years, he draws extensively on his experiences in leadership and team dynamics to frame discussions of individual characteristics/differences and how to build and sustain teams that perform at a high level. Three deployments to the Persian Gulf combat zone (from Gulf War 1 in the early 90’s to Baghdad in 2008 assigned to the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps) provide a rich source of lessons and stories about teamwork, management, and leadership.

He spends a lot of time mentoring various groups including: UM Alumni Association, Boy Scouts, Student Veterans (multiple campuses), Veteran’s Treatment Court. On the business side, he helps manage his wife’s medical clinic and a laser aesthetics clinic, as well as founding and leading two non-profit charities to benefit veterans in the local community. Most recently Eric was nominated by Governor Whitmer and sworn in as the Michigan Selective Service State Director.

Education: PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Michigan | MS, Education and Training, Southern Illinois University | MA, Education, University of Michigan | BA, German, University of Michigan

Christine Gordon

Adjunct Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Hour Discussion

Committed to enhancing the academic experience for U-M students, Christine is involved in collaborative program and project management of curricular and co-curricular entrepreneurial offerings at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Christine is a liaison and mentor for students enrolled in CFE’s courses and programs. She contributes to robust student experiences via curriculum development for undergraduate and graduate ENTR courses, the management of CFE’s instructional community, and by curating impactful study abroad and startup ecosystem Discovery Trek experiences. She has been central to CFE’s cornerstone offering, the Entrepreneurship Hour Speaker Series & follow-on ENTR 417 for many semesters. Christine’s professional background is in education.

Education: MA, Curriculum and Instruction, San Diego State University | PGCert, Educational Leadership, Oakland University | BS, Education, Eastern Michigan University

Brian Hayden

Lecturer - Finding Your Venture (co-lead)

Brian works at HeatSpring, a renewable energy training company he co-founded in 2007 as an MBA student at Babson College. HeatSpring is a community of nearly 80,000 solar, geothermal, and green building providers and was named one of the “Top Social Entrepreneurs” by Business Week Magazine.

Brian is a founder of the Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Evanston based fitness technology company, ShapeLog . He helped find product-market fit and lead through the company’s Series A financing.

Recently, Brian started “Redesigning the End” an education platform and podcast focused on the decisions we face at the end of our lives. He received his BBA from the University of Michigan and his MBA from Babson College.

Education: MBA, Babson College | BBA, University of Michigan

John Hennessy

Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Practicum (co-lead) | Lecturer - Intro to Innovation

John is a tech entrepreneur, engineer, and educator. His previous companies have focused on tutoring services and online education products, primarily for STEM fields and standardized exams. While he has moved on from these endeavors, he’s been lucky to continue teaching at the University of Michigan in a broad array of subjects: genetics, physics, computer programming, and now entrepreneurship.

Currently, John is CEO of Elegus Technologies, a spin-out from the University of Michigan commercializing nanotechnology that can enable safer, longer-lasting batteries.

John’s formal training is in engineering and entrepreneurship; he’s received a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering as well as Master of Entrepreneurship (MsE) degree, both from U-M. The latter degree was from a program jointly administered by the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering and Ross School of Business.

Education: MSE, Biomedical, University of Michigan | Master in Entrepreneurship, University of Michigan | BSE, Biomedical, University of Michigan

Portrait of Grace Hsia (MSE ’12), member of the Michigan Engineering Alumni Board.

Photo: Brenda Ahearn/University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Communications and Marketing

Grace Hsia Haberl

Lecturer - Entrepreneurs Leadership Program (co-lead) | Entrepreneurship Practicum (co-lead)

Grace Hsia Haberl Ms.E is a Lecturer II and Program Co-Lead for the U-M Entrepreneurs Leadership Program (ELP) and the U-M Entrepreneurship Practicum. Grace is passionate about impact-driven entrepreneurship, the engineering design process for developing scalable innovation, and inclusive experiential learning and teaching practices. She teaches courses and workshops in entrepreneurial management, leadership, prototype and product development, and venture creation. She uses her real-world experience as the Co-Founder and CEO of Warmilu, a non-electric warming medical device company, to provide students with more accurate real-world case studies and tools to advance student creativity and accelerate people-first engineering.

She applied her materials science engineering and business expertise at Warmilu and the Warmilu Foundation to make warming blankets and packs available to infants born in resource-scarce settings. Warmilu’s electricity-free IncuBlankets are now warming over 11,000 infants born to 85 hospitals in 19 countries. She has built corporate and NGO partnerships with partners including Doctors Without Borders, P&G, Rotary Club, NEST360, UPS, and the US Air Force. Her entrepreneurial endeavors are shaped by her materials science engineering research and medical device development. Her work has taken her to India, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden, and Israel.

As an entrepreneur who loves to build, her materials science interests include research and development as well as failure analysis on polymers, active phase change material systems especially sodium acetate trihydrate, inorganic-organic thermal battery energy systems, ceramic matrix materials, glass machining, biomaterials, radio frequency welding, 3D printing, and activation mechanisms and bistable compliant mechanisms for medical devices. Her research has led to one US utility patent and two published papers.

Before founding Warmilu, Hsia Haberl served in leadership roles in industry and economic development. She began her career as a research associate and was promoted to senior programs manager to lead the $1.6 million First Customer Program and MForesight at the University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute. In industry, she started in operations and became an operations excellence engineering supervisor at UPS, with promotion to a vehicle asset specialist managing $100M in package vehicle and rental assets.

She is passionate about sharing lessons learned at Warmilu, the Warmilu Foundation, UPS, and launching two new programs at the U-M advising 200+ advanced tech startups. She has raised funding from private and public sources, totaling almost $1.477M.

Grace’s work has been recognized with awards and press from executive leadership including the UPS CEO and Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, People-First Engineering at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, US Manufacturing Institute’s Emerging Leaders, Crain’s Detroit’s Notable Women in Manufacturing and 20 in their 20s, WeWork’s Creator Awards Global Finalist and Creator Awards Launch Awardee and many others. She has had the honor of presenting Warmilu to the United Nations and UNICEF. Grace firmly believes in giving back to the community. She now serves on the U-M College of Engineering Alumni Board and continues to give back through mentoring startups and students with optiMize, YLAI, UIF Innovation Fellows, MPowered, and other associations like the Wayne State University World Student Health Alliance. Finally, Grace teaches entrepreneurship and business model development as the Entrepreneurship Instructor and Program Lead for the NAF Future Ready Scholars Program in the University of Michigan College of Engineering Office of Student Affairs. This is a multi-year, STEM-focused career and college readiness program. Detroit Public High School and Southeast Michigan students use the immersive summer camp and Saturday Sessions to apply the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to solve market and social challenges.

Hsia Haberl is a University of Michigan graduate with a Master of Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering.

Education: Master in Entrepreneurship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business and College of Engineering at the University of Michigan ’13 | BSE in Materials Science Engineering, University of Michigan College of Engineering ‘12

Mike McFall

Lecturer - Finding Your Venture (co-lead)

Michael began his BIGGBY COFFEE life in 1996 as a barista at Store 1, and shortly thereafter, he and his co-founder developed the franchise concept for BIGGBY COFFEE. Of the Home Office, Michael says, “The culture is supportive, growing, dynamic, progressive, and limitless. As community we are collectively in charge of the culture, and we all know that we can improve and change the culture, and we are all committed to doing so.”

He is proud to say that BIGGBY is selling tens of thousands of cups of coffee each day, and is building a healthy, awesome, thriving organization . Michael has a passion for entrepreneurship and business start-up. He is the author of GRIND, believing that entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful ways to add value to any community.

Education: BS, Economics, Kalamazoo College

Douglas Moore

Lecturer - TechLab: Mcity (co-lead)

Douglas Moore is a Product Manager at Ford Mobility. Doug has more than 25 years experience in software development and complex program delivery. His most recent focus has been developing new mobility products and services for Ford Motor Company. He has led an innovation team exploring an integrated portfolio of mobility solutions for city customers and previously led the development of Ford Mobility’s Dynamic Shuttle technology platform (GoRide). Prior to that, Doug leveraged his extensive experience in program management to lead an initiative in the Ford Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) on the adoption of agile delivery practices.

Doug joined the Center for Entrepreneurship in 2020 as a TechLab instructor. He holds a BS degree in Electrical and Computer Science from the University of Buffalo and earned an MS in Computer and Information Science from U-M Dearborn. Doug has previously served as a Lecturer in Computer Science at U-M Dearborn.

Education: MS, Computer and Information Science, University of Michigan - Dearborn | BSE, Electrical and Computer, University of Buffalo

Rishi Narayan

Lecturer - Entrepreneurial E-Commerce, Intro to Entrepreneurial Design

Rishi Narayan is an entrepreneur and early-stage investor based out of Ann Arbor, MI. Rishi has founded several companies, including Underground Printing, a national custom apparel and collegiate merchandise retailer with locations throughout the country. He is a principal in the angel funds Chibor Angels and Miniseed, focusing on seed and early stage investments. In 2015, Rishi became a co-owner of AFC Ann Arbor, an elite amateur soccer club competing in the United Soccer League, a farm system for Major League Soccer. Most recently, Rishi founded Podcasts United, a collective of local podcasts, and is the host of I Am Ann Arbor, a podcast about the stories and people of Ann Arbor and the UofM community.

Education: MSE, Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan | BSE, Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan

Shawn O’Grady, B.S. Information

ENTR 390.009 Lab: 3D Printing and Prototyping

Shawn O’Grady manages Fabrication and Computing at the Duderstadt Center, is a part time instructor at Washtenaw Community College and an Adjunct Lecturer for U-M’s Center for Entrepreneurship.

Shawn has a background in Information Technology and CNC programming, served as a Cryptologist in the U.S. Navy, and briefly as a truck driver in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is immersed in all things related to the ongoing support of 3D printing and is passionate about the technology.

He thoroughly enjoys learning and sharing with others and strives to provide a hands-on experience for those who want to learn more about the 3D printing, 3D scanning, and 3D modeling.

Christopher Quinn

Intermittent Lecturer - Innovation and Intellectual Property Strategy

As founder and managing shareholder of Quinn IP Law, Chris has built a full service intellectual property law firm representing a diverse mix of clients from Fortune 100 companies to tech start-ups.

Chris's early career included research and engineering work at the U-M Physics Department, General Motors and Ford. His early legal career included stints at the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Ford Global Technologies Inc, and multiple law firms before launching Quinn IP law in 2002 as a solo practitioner and growing it to a team of 37.

Having partnered with, invested in, or worked in-house with many clients, Chris understands the challenges involved in developing, marketing, and protecting unique products, and employs a holistic approach when working with clients to strategically manage and capitalize upon their intellectual property assets. Chris’ passion for his profession and desire to make a positive impact on his community led to the formation and growth of Quinn IP Law into a nationally renowned intellectual property service provider. His firm offers comprehensive intellectual property solutions, from patent prosecution, to infringement/validity opinions, portfolio strategy, licensing, litigation support, trademark and copyright protection and enforcement, and expert witnessing.

Chris has teamed with numerous innovators in developing IP and business strategies to achieve a market advantage and drive business growth. As an investor and advisor in many tech start-ups he has achieved significant successes as well as hard-earned lessons from failures. Chris appreciates the importance of strategically targeted, economical IP strategies and offers alternative flat-fee arrangements to help clients adhere to budgetary demands. Understanding the financial pressures faced by in-house counsel and startups inspired Chris to build a successful system which provides exceptional IP quality economically. This system earned Quinn IP Law the #5 law firm ranking in the US based on patent allowance rate and time allowance in the areas of manufacturing, transportation, e-commerce, medical devices, and others.

He is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Chris and his wife Karen also run a nonprofit which supports poverty-stricken Native American communities.

Education: JD, University of Wisconsin Law School | BSE, Mechanical, University of Michigan

F. Andy Seidl

Lecturer - Digital Product Design

Andy is a serial entrepreneur, software innovator, and technology business advisor with more than 30 years of experience. Andy founded two software development tool companies, SCE, Inc. (software version control) and Genitor Corp. (C/C++ CASE/re-engineering), each of which was later acquired by public companies. He also founded and funded MyST Technology Partners, Inc., which for 10+ years, provided advertorial marketing blogsites to more than 500 SMB customers. MyST also provided RSS infrastructure services to Fortune 500 companies such as Intel and Verisign.

He has created dozens of commercial software applications, tools, and services for a wide range of markets. Many garnered awards and accolades from industry analysts, reviewers, and press. His software runs in corporate data centers, software development organizations, scientific organizations, embedded systems, application servers, device firmware, home automation controllers, and personal PCs.

Andy has served as president, VP of engineering, chief architect of emerging technologies, chief information architect, technology evangelist, chairman, board member, technical advisor, venture capital fundraiser, product manager, product architect, and software engineer. He has extensive experience as a contract negotiator (software licensing, OEM licensing, company/technology acquisitions, etc.) and as a technical due diligence analyst in connection with M&A and fundraising activities.

He holds a B.S.E in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan where he also did graduate studies in compiler construction, AI, robotics, and real-time systems. He completed a condensed MBA course for executives from Pepperdine University. Andy is passionate about building software to last, playing guitar, mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, running, and critical thinking.

Education: Executive Certificate, Pepperdine University | BSE, Computer Science, University of Michigan

5/8/15 Environmental portrait at WE Lay Automotive Lab.

Volker Sick

Professor - Innovation for Impact: Climate Change (co-lead)

Volker Sick is the DTE Energy Professor of Advanced Energy Research and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He leads the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan that aims to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels by transforming CO2 into commercially successful products using technology assessment, technology development and commercialization. His teaching focuses on experiential experiences in a laboratory course, Techlab Climate Change, and the International Engineering Summer School at TU Berlin.

Prof. Sick served as Faculty Advisor to International Programs in Engineering (2006-2012) and led the development of the International Minor for Engineers, the first Minor offered by the College of Engineering. As Associate Vice President for Research (2012-2018) he oversaw the development and launch of Mcity. He also established and led the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Hub for Advanced Transportation. He held multiple leadership roles with SAE International and served as Editor of the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute for 12 years. His research in automotive powertrains connected fundamental physics and chemistry to practical implementations in tight collaboration with local industry.

Sick earned a Diplom (Masters) and Dr. rer. nat. (PhD) in Chemistry and Habilitation in Physical Chemistry from the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Education: PhD, Chemistry & Habilitation in Physical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg - Germany | Masters, Chemistry & Habilitation in Physical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg - Germany

David Tarver

Lecturer - Urban Entrepreneurship

David Tarver currently serves as a lecturer in the University of Michigan College of Engineering – Center for Entrepreneurship. He is also founder and president of the Urban Entrepreneurship Initiative. David is a highly successful technology executive. His career journey includes success in corporate R&D, technology entrepreneurship, and community service. David began his professional career as a Member of Technical Staff and Group Supervisor at the legendary AT&T Bell Laboratories. After several years at Bell Labs, David launched Telecom Analysis Systems, Inc., a high-tech telecommunications instrumentation business. He sold that company twelve years later for $30 million and then, working as Group President for the buyer (Spirent PLC), built a telecommunications business with a market value in excess of $2 billion.

David exited corporate leadership in 1999 to focus on community service. In 2001, he founded the Red Bank Education and Development Initiative (RBEDI), a community-based not-for-profit organization. RBEDI catalyzed dramatic improvements in academic performance and opportunities for children in Red Bank, New Jersey. David has served on numerous civic and nonprofit boards—including the Board of Education in Red Bank, New Jersey; the National Advisory Committee for the University of Michigan (U-M) College of Engineering; the National Commission on NAEP 12th Grade Assessment and Reporting; the U-M Alumni Association board of directors; and the Flint (Michigan) Receivership Transition Advisory Board (RTAB). David also endowed the Fred and Louise Tarver Scholarship Fund at the University of Michigan, which provides a permanent four-year full tuition scholarship to an incoming engineering student.

David enjoys investing in ground-breaking startup companies, advising and supporting entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship programs, and speaking to various groups about entrepreneurship and business development. In 2018, David completed a one-year stint advising the Wayne State University (Detroit) Provost and the Vice President of Economic Development on innovation and entrepreneurship programs and strategies.

David holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. He has served as a lecturer in the U-M College of Engineering – Center for Entrepreneurship since 2012. During the 2015-2016 academic year he created and launched the Urban Entrepreneurship Practicum course. In 2012, David published the book “Proving Ground: A Memoir,” which details his entrepreneurial journey from childhood dream to international success.

Education: MSE, Electrical, University of Michigan | BSE, Electrical, University of Michigan

Eric Wingfield

Lecturer - TechLab: Mcity (co-lead)

Eric Wingfield is an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) with iReprogram, a company focused on improving people's lives through cellular reprogramming. He is excited about his role to drive increased funding, and build out business structure. His experience in startups and innovation have been central to his career including his time at Ford Motor Company where Eric's roles included Mobility Strategist.

At Ford he developed and implemented business model strategies for new mobility. He implemented pilot projects for those strategies to deliver practical mobility solutions for car sharing, bike connectivity, and individual accessibility to mobility, etc. His innovation work at Ford was always through the lens of how mobility impacts environmental and social sustainability, staying invested in global and local trends shaping human needs and behaviors.

Previous to Ford, Eric worked in several startups within Silicon Valley. Most notably, he was a co-founder of eBizApps, which was purchased by Framfab. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley in Civil Engineering. His graduate education at the University of Michigan includes studying biofuels infrastructure and the development of simulations to learn more about the potential impacts of biofuels on food availability, transport demand and ecology. Eric holds a Master’s of Science in Natural Resource, Policy and Behavior, and a Master’s of Business Administration, a dual degree administered through the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan designed to bridge the issues in environment, society, and business.

Education: MS, Science in Natural Resource, Policy and Behavior, University of Michigan | MS, Business Administration, University of Michigan | BSE, Civil Engineering, University of California Berkeley

Kevin Yanos

Lecturer Entrepreneurial Design Lab: Hardware, Coding, IoT

Kevin Yanos has a passion for building products that people love. He has experience leading Product for consumer and business facing products and has lead teams at companies ranging from early stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. His focus is on developing new products; utilizing the product development lifecycle to bring them from a whiteboard idea to a viable product.

As a member of the CFE's inaugural Entrepreneus Leadership Program (ELP) cohort, he now gives back as a mentor to students in new cohorts. He's passionate about helping others achieve their potential and believes that true mentorship involves setting others up to be better than oneself. As an avid snowboarder, you'll often find him carving up mountains out west or lapping the local terrain parks.

Education: BSE, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

FACULTY

Alison Bailey

Lecturer - Organizational Values & Ethics

Eric Bacyinski

Adjunct Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Hour

Ashlee Breitner

Adjunct Lecturer - Re-Imagining Companies

Amy Cell

Lecturer - Project Management and Consulting

Aaron Crumm

Lecturer - Intro to Innovation | Lecturer - Tech Inspired Business Models | Lecturer - Compensation and Funding

Ted Dacko

Lecturer - Entrepreneurial Marketing | Lecturer - Organizational Management of Startups

Sara (Dari) Eskandari (they/them)

Adjunct Lecturer - Intro to Entrepreneurial Design: Extended Reality Lab

Tiffany Fidler

Lecturer - Patent Law

Adrian Fortino

Lecturer - Intro to Venture Capital

Eric Fretz

Lecturer - Interpersonal Skills

Christine Gordon

Adjunct Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Hour Discussion

Brian Hayden

Lecturer - Finding Your Venture (co-lead)

John Hennessy

Lecturer - Entrepreneurship Practicum (co-lead) | Lecturer - Intro to Innovation

Grace Hsia Haberl

Lecturer - Entrepreneurs Leadership Program (co-lead) | Entrepreneurship Practicum (co-lead)

Mike McFall

Lecturer - Finding Your Venture (co-lead)

Douglas Moore

Lecturer - TechLab: Mcity (co-lead)

Rishi Narayan

Lecturer - Entrepreneurial E-Commerce, Intro to Entrepreneurial Design

Shawn O’Grady, B.S. Information

ENTR 390.009 Lab: 3D Printing and Prototyping

Christopher Quinn

Intermittent Lecturer - Innovation and Intellectual Property Strategy

F. Andy Seidl

Lecturer - Digital Product Design

Volker Sick

Professor - Innovation for Impact: Climate Change (co-lead)

David Tarver

Lecturer - Urban Entrepreneurship

Eric Wingfield

Lecturer - TechLab: Mcity (co-lead)

Kevin Yanos

Lecturer Entrepreneurial Design Lab: Hardware, Coding, IoT

Embrace Your Strengths: Discovering Ways to Exercise Your Strengths at a New Company

Student Spotlight: Akhila Kosaraju

Three Things I Learned Through My Summer Internship at a Fortune #1 Company