Brandon Young has 20 years of experience utilizing technology to improve testing and detection of genetic variation in human diseases. He was one of the early laboratory pioneers in microarray and gene sequencing projects in startup companies and large academic institutions. He has extensive experience in research, set-up, operations, configuration and P&L of running genomics labs. He has provided data and analysis for multiple national and international clinical trials.

Brandon has helped design, build and run labs for a number of prestigious centers throughout the US, including Scripps Florida, Human Longevity Institute (HLI), and Avera McKennan. His current work with the Darwin Foundation is providing next generation sequencing services to support groundbreaking clinical studies for the WIN consortium, focusing on personalized precision oncology testing and treatment protocols. This early stage work is generating over 50% improvements in clinical outcomes for participating cancer patients.

Jay is a veteran entrepreneur, with experience in the hospitality, energy, finance, and technology verticals. As a founding executive of Commonwealth Energy, Jay helped the company go from start-up to almost $500 million in revenues in five years, becoming the largest unregulated supplier of electricity and natural gas in the country when the company went public on the AMEX.

He serves as Executive Director of InSoCal CONNECT, a nonprofit that has structured mentorship and training programs for entrepreneurs, was a Senior Consultant with TriTech SBDC, one of only seven technology designated Small Business Development Centers operating under the SBA and has served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of California Riverside.

Jay serves on the board of Burble, a company that delivers the power of story through minimally defined immersive environments and SimplSEQ, a wholly owned subsidiary of Murrieta Genomics. Jay is also on the board of directors for the Murrieta Wildomar Chamber of Commerce as well as InSoCal CONNECT and Reach Out, nonprofits dedicated to improving lives in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. He has also served on the board of directors for Credence Code Technologies, Inc., a company focused on blockchain development and implementation.

John Powers spent 22 years in the wireless industry driving acceptance and adoption of new technologies. His background in wireless convergence and high technology is complimentary to the goals of the medical industry, especially in integrating the large amount of genetic/genomic data into everyday medicine.

As CEO of IntraOp Medical, John worked with multiple discipline teams including physicists, surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists in the top cancer centers around the world. Working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) John was able to secure a new reimbursement code and reimbursement for Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT). He more than tripled IntraOp’s installed customer base, making the company profitable in 2012, followed by a take private restructuring and change of ownership.

Dr. Jay Harness is a surgeon specializing in complete breast health, breast cancer surgery, oncoplastic reconstruction, genetic screening, risk assessment and counseling, management of breast health issues and Breast Cancer Treatment in Orange County, California and is a global leader in the fight against breast cancer.

He most recently served as President of Breast Surgery International, and has served in leadership roles within a number of national and international professional associations including, most notably, as President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons from 2007 to 2008. Dr. Harness is the Chairman of Murrieta Genomics’ Advisory Board.

Anna brings a strong background in consulting and strategic planning within both the Healthcare industry and the public sector.

Since 2015 Anna has worked designing and implementing value based care initiatives, specifically focused on medical and surgical bundled payments for Medicare and Medicare Advantage. She is on multiple advisory boards of companies invested in emerging Healthcare-related technology fields. 

Most recently Anna was Vice President of Bundled Payments at United Healthcare, overseeing 22 markets nationwide, advising acute and post acute providers, hospitals and payers on operational and clinical strategies to streamline patient care, improve communications, and increase savings.

Anna managed a team of people at Remedy Partners, in both the California and Hawaii markets, focused on strategies for improving post-acute care. Utilizing analytic data, Anna guided hospital executives towards operational levers which exponentially improved performance outcomes in the post-acute space.

In addition, Anna has expertise in third party reproduction where she has consulted with intended parents and surrogates to help them understand the intersections of state legislation and policies, IVF clinic processes, health insurance coverage and care coordination with women’s health providers to successfully navigate the complexities of surrogacy.

Prior to working in Healthcare, Anna spent nearly a decade within the public sector working as the Wisconsin State Manager for the American Institutes for Research.  She worked directly with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Governor’s office, and Milwaukee Public Schools in leading project teams to develop and implement new policies and state-wide initiatives.

Anna excels at team building, developing long term partnerships, and identifying solutions for her clients by establishing trust and building consensus. Anna received her B.A. from Towson University and her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Baiju Parikh is an advocate of Precision Medicine with 20+ of years of commercial experience related to molecular diagnostics, genomics, data aggregation, and the application of Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing to healthcare data – with a focus in Oncology.

He recently founded IntrepretBIO to help companies in the Precision Medicine space optimize their go-to-market Strategies. Prior to founding InterpretBIO, he held global leadership roles at IBM Watson for Genomics, GenomOncology, and Roche Diagnostics.

Dr. Biggs has, over the past several years, played a key role in establishing several high-volume regulated clinical testing laboratories. He is a senior biomedical research scientist with over sixteen years’ experience in basic and applied genomics research in academic, clinical laboratory and industrial settings. As a founding member of the Sequencing Operations Team at Human Longevity Inc. he had lead responsibilities ranging from the production and scale of next-generation sequencing laboratory and workflow design to identification & securing key talent and day to day operational management.

Prior to joining HLI, Dr. Biggs was the Director of Clinical Sequencing at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In this role, Dr. Biggs assisted with establishing several strategic initiatives supporting the implementation of a CLIA-certified sequencing capabilities at the Broad.

Prior joining the Broad, Dr. Biggs served as Director of Genetics and Genomics at Aviir Diagnostics and was Director of Technical Operations at Affymetrix Clinical Service Laboratories. Dr. Biggs obtained his Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from UCLA in 1994 and has extensive experience in elucidating the roles of genetics, signal transduction and transcriptional regulation during the initiation of progression of disease gained during studies conducted at The Salk Institute, The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and Ambit Biosciences.

With an indefatigable, pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit, DeeDee has taken Bench International from its founding in 1974 to its eminence today as one of the most successful companies ‘shattering’ diversity ceilings bringing women, people of color, as well as those who “think” and “do” differently to leadership roles in life science companies. In 2009 DeeDee was the first executive recruiter to be named “1 of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Leaders” by PharmaVOICE Magazine, and is a Hall of Fame Inductee of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

Being cause-motivated and giving back is critical to DeeDee, and she has devoted decades to serving as a member of multiple non-profit boards. She is a founding board member of Learning Forum International (LFI), Making Great Kids Greater through student and educator programs that contribute to the mastery of learning and life skills by today’s youth. Recently, DeeDee was appointed to the Advisory Board of BIOCOM, in an effort to bridge BIOCOM’S impact beyond San Diego County and to create a strong state-wide alliance. DeeDee is also a board member of The Maple Counseling Center (TMCC), a non-profit organization committed to providing low cost comprehensive mental health services for individuals of all ages, couples, and families, as well as providing training for interns and counselors who are working towards licensure in the mental health field.

DeeDee’s prior non-profit board commitments have included founding the Forum for Global Pharmaceutical Diversity and Inclusion (FRXDI), serving as a member of the board for California’s Chapter of the Israel International Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), Family Promise, and founding board member of Healthcare Business Woman’s Association’s (HBA’s) Europe Chapter.

DeeDee holds a double Masters of Science degree, Auditory Pathology and Speech Pathology. Prior to founding Bench, DeeDee served as a Research Fellow in a joint research program sponsored by National Institute of Health (NIH) and Siemens Corporation, the University of California, San Diego, State Diego State University and the San Diego Speech and Hearing Center.

Dwayne is an attorney with a background in technology and intellectual property law. After a decade developing and protecting intellectual property at IBM, Dwayne moved to Southern California in 2013 to pursue a project of his own design. Today he remains active in the local start-up community by contributing as an expert-in-residence at schools and technology incubators.

Dwayne completed B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science at Oakwood College and the University of Central Florida, his J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center. Dwayne is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and in patent cases before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Dwayne is a member of the National Association of Patent Practitioners.

Gail Christine Gannon, Managing Director of Wave Edge Capital and Founder & CEO of Ensanté.

Gail advises entrepreneurs on how to turn their great idea into market success or translate their success into new markets while leaping regulatory hurdles. Her work in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas spans a wide range of products and services, from healthcare improvements to innovative technologies. In 2019, she traveled to advise DTC companies in Sardinia, U.S. angel investors in Bari (Italy), biotech firms in Tokyo, young entrepreneurs in Kuwait, and digital health innovators in Tbilisi (Georgia).

In the U.S., Gail mentors entrepreneurs in market and financing strategies throughout the Silicon Valley ecosystem, e.g. Stanford University’s SPARK and University of California-San Francisco’s Lean Launchpad. Gail routinely presents at major conferences on international biotechnology and digital health, and at investor forums (Health 2.0/HIMSS, BIO International, Keiretsu Forum/Wilson Family Office). Her past work includes helping governments and NGOs (e.g., Gates Foundation projects in India), allocate health dollars to the most promising innovations. Gail earned her master’s degree in public health at Harvard University and was a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow.

Jillian is one of the country’s leading experts on securities Regulation A+. Since 2008, Jillian has submitted multiple Regulation A Offering Circulars to the Securities Exchange Commission for approval making her one of the few attorneys familiar with the law prior to the changes under the JOBS Act.

Since the JOBS Act, Jillian has assisted multiple companies and entrepreneurs realize their fundraising goals through Crowdfunding, 506©, and Regulation A. Jillian also continues to specialize in transactional legal matters such as private placement memorandums, S-1’s/S-11’s, and Regulation D filings.

Jillian also spends her time speaking at seminars educating real estate investors on how to legally raise capital for their real estate investment projects. Jillian is the author of the highly rated book, The Crowdfunding Myth which debunks the multiple myths surrounding crowdfunding and teaches the reader how to effectively crowdfund their securities offering.

John is Chief Scientific Officer at CareDx, Inc., a California based molecular diagnostics company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value, non-invasive diagnostic surveillance solutions for transplant recipients.

Dr. Sninsky is a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association of Molecular Pathologists, American Society Human Genetics, American College Medical Genetics, American Association Cancer Research and American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers including methods in molecular biology, application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to virology and cancer, and genome-wide genetic association studies for multiple common, complex diseases.

Among John’s past awards are the Centers for Disease Control Charles C. Shepherd Science Award (1988), the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology Award (1992) and the Hoffmann-La Roche R & D Prize in 1997 for his efforts in applying PCR to virology and developing assays for measuring viral load in individuals with HIV. Dr. Sninsky was a recipient of the Purdue University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001.

John brings experience in the discovery, development and application of diagnostic technologies, content and interpretive test solutions ranging from early stage biotechnology to international pharmaceutical organizations as well as in a range of small and enterprise diagnostic services and product settings.

John Spinosa received his M.D. and Ph.D. from University of California San Diego, following a bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. He is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic and clinical pathology and is a member of the College of American Pathologists.

Dr. Spinosa served as a member of the medical staffs at Scripps La Jolla and Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas from 1993 to 2017 and has held numerous medical staff leadership positions including Chief of Staff, Chairman of the Health Information Committee, and Department Chair of Pathology. Dr. Spinosa has held board and/or advisory positions with companies including Lexent Bio, Gestalt Diagnostics, Leica, and Sunquest Information Systems. He has held industry positions with Agilent Technologies, San Diego Blood Bank, Avera Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Trovagene, Verinata Health, Prometheus Laboratory and Esoterix Oncology.

He is also currently or in the past been affiliated with the American Association of Blood Banks, California Blood Bank Society, American Association Cancer Research, American Association of Clinical Chemistry, Association of Molecular Pathology, American Association of Clinical Pathology, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, and others.

Kristine leads Bench International’s corporate strategy, utilizing her skills in evaluating macro trends and competitive strategies in the life sciences industry. She plays a key role in the execution of Bench’s confidential and proprietary Board Diagnostic Assessments, identifying critical themes and recommendations for both public and private company Boards.

Prior to joining Bench, Kristine served as a Consultant at Deallus Strategic Intelligence Consulting, directing global teams in projects with Fortune 500- and Forbes Global 2000- ranked pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Kristine holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California Los Angeles, which was supported in part by the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Ohio University.

Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Clinical Trials
Laura is a decisive leader with 25+ years of experience in the healthcare industry, with particular expertise in business development, sales/marketing strategy and clinical trials. She has demonstrated success in generating multimillion-dollar revenue by implementing innovative technology approaches in clinical trials market, establishing relationships with numerous pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies.

Laura is uniquely positioned to transition to the evolving healthcare information technology industry based on deep understanding of the healthcare market and integration of electronic medical records standards and software-based patient care solutions. She has a track record of utilizing strong analytical skills to evaluate marketplace and design strategy to secure new business, as shown by winning 6 Clinical Research Organization service contracts with cumulative value of $8.2M+.

Exceptional communicator with highly refined skills in negotiation and cultivating ongoing relationships, and significant global business experience through travel to 31 countries; speaks conversational French, beginning Mandarin.

Leila is an accomplished healthcare sales executive, business development leader and influencer. Her executive leadership experience in sales and marketing ranges from small start-up organizations to Fortune 500 companies within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and personalized medicine landscape.

Leila has spent her career implementing new sales and marketing initiatives to consistently drive revenue growth. These strategic initiatives have spanned multi-channel (regional, national, and global) to effectively position products and therapeutics to quickly secure solid market share.

Leila is a nationally recognized influencer among oncologists and key opinion leaders (KOLs), has led cross-functional teams, aggregated multiple advisory boards and commercialized sales teams to exceed revenue expectations. She is the recipient of multiple local and national achievement awards.

Leila has extensive business development experience in biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, genomics, next-generation sequencing, biomarkers, innovation, and personalized medicine. Her deep knowledge ranges across therapeutic, diagnostic and the liquid biopsy landscape; inclusive of oncology, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, psychiatry, nephrology, infectious disease, pulmonology, endocrinology, rheumatology, HIV, womenís health and wellness.

Leila received both her Bachelorís of Arts (B.A.) and Executive MBA (EMBA) from Pepperdine University, CA, graduating with Beta Gamma Sigma Honors. She is an active member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), Women in Bio, a Council Member of the American Cancer Society, member Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, a chosen Ambassador of Pepperdine University, and an active member of her Alumni association.

Michael’s expertise includes the strategic development of patent and trademark portfolios. He identifies those patents and trademarks that are valuable to his clients by providing them with a competitive advantage. Then, Michael obtains patent and trademark registrations in the US and abroad.

He also works on business transactions – sales, mergers, and licenses – where intellectual property is involved. Michael assists a party to the transaction in evaluating the worth of patents, trademarks and copyrights being bought, sold or licensed.

He specializes in the health care industry, including medical devices, medtech, and life sciences. Over the last 30 years, Michael has also supported clients in industries as diverse as aerospace, apparel, chemicals, computer hardware/software, consumer household products, photocopiers, restaurants, semiconductors, and telecommunications.

Dr. Schork is Director of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics at the Scripps Translational Science Institute; Director of Research, Scripps Genomic Medicine; and Professor, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute.

Dr. Schork’s interest and expertise is in the areas of quantitative human genetics and genomics, especially the design and implementation of methodologies used to dissect the genetic basis of complex traits and diseases. Dr. Schork was a Professor of Biostatistics and Psychiatry, and Co-Director of the Center for Human Genetics and Genomics at the University of California, San Diego as well as an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Harvard University.

Between 1999 and 2000 Dr. Schork took a leave of absence to conduct research as the Vice President of Statistical Genomics at the French Biotechnology company, Genset, where he helped guide efforts to construct the first high-density map of the human genome.

Dr. Schork has been selected as a member of several scientific journal editorial boards, is a frequent participant in U.S. National Institutes of Health-related steering committees and review boards and has also been on the advisory board of six companies.

He is currently Director of the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core of the NIA-sponsored Longevity Consortium and a member of the NHGRI’s Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN) data analysis committee.

Dr. Schork has published over 400 scientific articles and book chapters on the analysis of complex, multifactorial traits and diseases. Dr. Schork earned a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Statistics, and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology all from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Paul is the editor and publisher of the Intrinsic Value Wealth Report Newsletter (IVWealthReportNewsletter.com), an investment newsletter; and the Intrinsic Value Wealth Report (IVWealthReport.com), an educational and research website. He is also the Managing Director of Paul M. Wendee & Associates, LLC, a corporate finance, private equity, and management consulting firm. The firm is an investment adviser registered with the State of California.  In addition to corporate finance and management consulting, the firm’s consulting activities have included fundamental equity analysis and research, quantitative research, convertible securities research and analysis, technical research, investment management, due diligence and valuation services to securities broker/dealers, hedge funds, money managers and investment banking firms. Paul was the President and majority owner of South Lake Avenue Securities Corporation, a boutique investment banking, management consulting, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), business appraisal, investment management firm and FINRA registered broker-dealer headquartered in Pasadena, California. Paul was the founding project manager and the Vice President of Administration of Evergreen Realty REIT, Inc. Paul was Director of Equity Research for Skye Investment Advisors, LLC, where he was responsible for fundamental equity analysis, research and valuation.  Paul was the Director of Research and the Director of Corporate Finance at Brookstreet Securities Corporation.  In this capacity, he had overall responsibility for corporate finance; equity research; due diligence; direct participation programs (real estate, oil & gas, equipment leasing, etc.); and Investment Advisory product analysis, selection and development.  Paul also co-managed the Corporate Finance Department and was Director of Due Diligence for First Affiliated Securities. Paul was a portfolio manager with Harris Trust Bank of Arizona, a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Harris Bankcorp in Chicago, where he managed in excess of $200 million in personal trust and employee benefit (profit sharing and pension) investments.

Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Administrative Studies (Graduation with Honors and Distinguished Military Graduate) and his Master of Administration in Business degree with emphases in Finance and Marketing from the University of California, Riverside.  He was awarded an Army R.O.T.C. Scholarship and served as an officer in the United States Army.  Paul earned his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the University of Phoenix. He created a new theory in finance and wrote his doctoral dissertation entitled, A Theory of Value Drivers: A Grounded Theory Study, on the new theory. He is a Certified Financial PlannerTM Professional, a Certified Business Intermediary and holds the following securities registrations:  General Securities Representative (Series 7), General Securities Principal (Series 24), Investment Banking Representative (Series 79), and Registered Investment Advisor (Series 65).  Paul also holds an inactive Arizona Real Estate Salesperson License.

Paul founded the Value Driver Institute and Research and Educational Expedition Programs (VDI/REEP), a non-profit organization with a mission to conduct research on enterprise value driver theory and the enterprise value creation process; and to take the business incubator concept to places in the world where business incubators are not commonly found, but where they are needed the most. The Value Driver Institute and Paul have introduced the business incubator concept to many groups and individuals on a world-wide basis. A previous VDI/REEP expedition organized and accompanied famed astronomer John Dobson on an astronomy expedition to Death Valley, CA.
 
Paul is a Member the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and the International Business Brokers Association, Inc. (IBBA); and is a past member of the Direct Investment and Membership Committees of the Securities Industry Association (SIA).  He has written investment related articles for the Tucson Citizen and been quoted in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The San Diego Union‑Tribune, The Wall Street Transcript, Buyside Magazine, and Wall Street Research Magazine.  His article on Economic forecasting, “A Simple and Effective Economic Forecasting Model,” was published in Strategic Investor Relations (a publication of Institutional Investor).  He wrote an article on financing equestrian enterprises for California Riding Magazine entitled: “Grassroots enterprise financing is one of several funding sources for equestrian endeavors.”  He is a winner of The Wall Street Journal’s Experts Vs. Darts stock picking contest.  Paul was previously the Department Chair of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate School of Business and Management at Argosy University’s Orange County Campus. Paul has taught courses in finance, including courses in security analysis and portfolio management, as a member of the Adjunct Faculty at National University and other universities. Paul also teaches finance and management courses at DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.  He is an Adjunct Faculty Professor, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Senior Mentor advising entrepreneurial students at Chapman University. He is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of California, Irvine and a Lecturer at Cal State LA. Paul also is an Adjunct Professor at California Baptist University, where he teaches finance, economics, and investments. He was a volunteer instructor at Los Angeles-based Chrysalis, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals. Paul is a Research Fellow at the Center for Global Business and Information Technology Research at the University of Phoenix. He is a frequent speaker at various workshops, symposiums and conferences speaking on a variety of topics.

Ronnie Andrews is the Founder and Principal of The Bethesda Group, a company focused on helping organizations in the molecular diagnostics and genomics industries. Prior to founding The Bethesda Group, he served as President of the Genetic Sciences Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific following a merger with Life Technologies, where he served as President of the Medical Sciences Venture. During the merger, he oversaw the integration of Ion Torrent with the traditional genetic platform and content initiatives within Life Technologies to form a $2 billion division.

Previously, Ronnie served as Chief Executive Officer and Segment Leader of GE Molecular Diagnostics at Clarient Inc. from 2004 until 2012. During this time, he oversaw the transition into GE Healthcare and established a strategic plan to integrate In Vivo and In Vitro and expand GE’s presence in oncology. While at Clarient, he transformed ChromaVision Medical Systems from a device manufacturer to a comprehensive cancer diagnostics company.

Ronnie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Insight Genetics, Orion Healthcare, and Oxford Immunotec.

Scott is an angel investor, startup mentor and the Director of EPIC SBDC at the University of California Riverside.

Scott has been a Founder or Founding Executive of a number of startups including the VC funded mobile games studio Muti Labs, the Temecula based sports tech company NZN Labs/LIT Pro and he sold his first company, Industrial Strength Network (an early interactive agency), to frog design as an acquihire in 1998.

Scott was part of the global leadership team at Disney that worked for the three years to build The Avengers franchise into a global powerhouse with his focus being the interactive games space. He led the successful launch of Avengers Alliance on Facebook and Avengers Initiative on mobile and with 40 million plus people having played the games, they have been a hit with the fans and critics alike.

Scott pioneered a big idea and an industry first, premiering The Hulk TV spot promoting the film in the Facebook game before it aired on national television. He championed and helped build a community called Marvel XP – a free live service that tracks gamer progression, rewards achievement and provides connected storytelling across Marvel mobile and social games. Scott has a Humanities Honors degree from The University of Texas at Austin where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Shep began his career in 1984 at the Hospital Corporation of America as a research technician, produced drugs at Kendall-McGaw Laboratories, Inc. in Irvine, and became responsible for GMP compliance.

He has since become a regulatory affairs consultant, joining the Drug Information Association, speaking at the Parenteral Drug Association and joining the managements of ACTUS Biotech, Pharmakos, Inc., the Board of Directors of the Life Sciences Industry Council (LINC) of Orange County/Los Angeles County, and the Program Committee of the Orange County Regulatory Affairs Discussion Group.

He has been responsible for regulatory strategies leading to FDA and foreign approvals for several biotech companies. He has achieved market entry for numerous innovative medical technologies and applications within the European Union, Canada, Brazil and across Asia. Previously, Shep formed Synergy Biomedical, LLC, served as its President in collaboration with Washington D.C.-based Synergy, Inc. to provide biomedical regulatory expertise to the device and pharmaceutical industry of Southern California.

He speaks regularly at regulatory conferences, has co-authored a book on regulatory strategy as well as contributed to Genetic Engineering & Biotech News (GEN), and provides independent consulting for clients of Intertek.

He is an active member of the American Society for Quality – Biomedical Section (ASQ), the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS), and The Organization for Professional Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA).

Mr. Bentley also served eight years of active duty as an officer in the United States Marine Corp, including as a part of the Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), deployed to Ash Shuaybah, Kuwait, to prosecute the invasion into Baghdad, Iraq, and then redeployed to Office of Force Transformation, in the Pentagon. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the President of the United States, twice, and retired from military service in 2005.

Steve Austin, MBA, CPA is Managing Partner for Swenson Advisors, LLP, a regional CPA firm (registered with the PCAOB), specializing in audit, tax, SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley, lease accounting and consulting engagements with a focus on technology, manufacturing, service, software, real estate, and non-profit organizations.

Steve manages audit, SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley, and business consulting engagements with a focus on technology, manufacturing, service, real estate, social media, and non-profit organizations. He is the author of the book “Rise of the New Ethics Class.” Steve speaks worldwide on governance, Sarbanes-Oxley, and IFRS matters and writes articles published by the AICPA.

Prior to joining Swenson Advisors, LLP, Mr. Austin accumulated over 22 years of experience as an Audit Partner with Price Waterhouse LLP, where he worked from 1976 to 1996, and with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, where he worked from 1996 to 1998, serving both public and private companies. While at Price Waterhouse, Mr. Austin worked in the PW National Office in New York, where he addressed complex accounting and reporting issues for publicly-traded companies and worked with various members of the FASB and EITF staffs.