Management
Stephanie Thomas, Chief Technical Officer [Director]
Stephanie Thomas is a founding member of PatentCafe, bringing more than 30 years experience in technology development. She was instrumental in the technology development which transitioned PatentCafe from an informational early "blog" site focused on supporting individual inventors to an enterprise-level software development company.
Her background includes the IT design and implementation of software at the automated Apple Macintosh factory in Fremont, CA. In 1989, she founded a software development and consultancy company, providing software and services to clients such as Silicon Graphics, Alcoa, TRW, Novell, and many others. Her company's products, produced for Solomon IV for Windows, were acquired by Solomon Software, and integrated into the Solomon product line at Microsoft.
Ms. Thomas is the principal architect for all software tools and databases for PatentCafe. With 5 years experience in LSA search technology for patent data, she is considered one of the top 10 experts in the field world-wide, and is a recognized resource as to patent data sources and searching.
Ms. Thomas holds a Masters of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, a Bachelor's in Art from Cal State Fullerton, as well as Microsoft Certifications.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Markus Count Matuschka de Greiffenclau, Director
Markus is an entrepreneurial investor specializing in growth stage investment. His portfolio includes companies serving the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Software / High Technology, and Agriculture industries.
Markus has also founded companies such as the Swiss pharmaceutical company TIMA, and in 1998, he purchased the Domaine Prive winery. The winery was modernised and transformed it into one of the leading newcomer wine estates in Europe.
His investments are geographically diversified, with portfolio companies headquartered in the US, Japan, Thailand, Germany, France, UK, and Scandinavia.
Upon exit, his portfolio companies have produced an average return on investment of 6.8 times.
James Bertonis, Director
President and CEO of Azure Communications Inc.
Mr. Bertonis is a wireless industry executive with thirty years of technology and executive management experience. A long time Silicon Valley entrepreneur, James was the founder and CEO of Advanced Radio Cells Inc. (ARCi) in 1999, which became the industry leader in wireless DOCSIS broadband technology. ARCi merged with CoWave Networks in 2003 to form Arcwave Inc., rapidly becoming industry leader in the wireless cable extension market, where Mr. Bertonis served as CTO and a member of the Board until departing in 2005.
James also served as CEO of ADBS Corp., specialists in RF/wireless communications, and was co-founder and CEO of Telecom Industries, a pioneer in the home satellite TV industry. He has performed wireless patent analyses, provided litigation support and testified as an expert in wireless technology. James holds two patents in the field of wireless technology and has been published in international trade journals.
Mr. Bertonis has a BSEE from Syracuse University and a MBA (Finance and investments) from Santa Clara University
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Stephen Fox, Advisor
Formerly Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for intellectual property at Hewlett-Packard Company when he retired from HP in October, 2005 after 38 years with the Company. For 19 years, he managed the intellectual property section of HP's legal department, with overall responsibility for about 100 professionals in Europe, Asia and the United States. He was located at HP headquarters in Palo Alto, California
Mr. Fox received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Northwestern University, and his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University Law School.
He is past president and current member of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel, a past Board member of Intellectual Property Owners Inc., and a current Board member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He also has served as a Federal appointee to the USPTO Patent Public Advisory Committee. Steve is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Bar Association.
Dr. Nir Kossovsky
Founder, President and CEO of Technology Option Capital, LLC, where he provides financial and risk reduction strategies to discover, realize and protect intangible asset value.
For the past 25 years, Dr. Kossovsky has held senior leadership and consulting roles for technology-based companies providing a range of financial services. He is founder and CEO of Johnson & Higgins, an IP amalgamation company created with a client’s patents, outsourced technical expertise, and an acquired brand. He was founder and CEO of Patent & License Exchange, Inc. (today, plx systems), an international intellectual property financial systems firm that helped transform intellectual property rights into financial instruments.
Previously, Dr. Kossovsky was a tenured faculty member at the UCLA School of Medicine where he founded the Biomaterials Bioreactivity Characterization Laboratory. He also founded Medical Materials & Devices, Inc. where he served as a technical and forensic consultant to medical device, bio & nanomaterials clients.
Dr. Kossovsky earned an MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, a BA in the Philosophy of Science as a Chancellor’s Scholar from the University of Pittsburgh, and is a graduate of the Navy War College.
Irv Rappaport, Advisor
30+-year career in the intellectual property field. Co-founder, Managing Director and Senior IP Counsel of IP Checkups LLC - Company provides competitive patent portfolio landscape maps and analysis for companies and investment firms. Previously Vice President Intellectual Property & Co-Founder, Aurigin Systems, a software platform that organizes and analyzes patent portfolios. Mr. Rappaport is a co-inventor of a portfolio of 15 issued U.S. patents and corresponding international patents.
Vice President & Assoc. General Counsel, National Semiconductor Corp.; Independent Consultant for Intel, Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing, Apple Computer; Associate General Counsel & Assistant Secretary, Bally Manufacturing Corporation; Chief Patent Counsel, Data General Corporation.
Appointment, by three U.S. Secretaries of Commerce and two U.S. Trade Representatives to the Industry Functional Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property for Trade Policy Matters (1987-94), Former Board Member, International Anti-counterfeiting Coalition, Member, American Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Licensing Executives Society
John Williamson, Advisor
Partner Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP. Previously Assistant General Counsel IP for PPG Industries, Inc. and served as Chief Patent Counsel from 1996 – 2000. He served as President of Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) from 2002 – 2004.
Previously, Mr. Williamson was Assistant General Counsel and Group Manager for Westinghouse Electric Corporation where he was responsible for intellectual property law group of the company including major businesses in energy systems, defense electronics, power generation, refrigeration, and broadcasting.
Additionally, he was General Patent Counsel, Allegheny International, Inc.; Product Engineer for Bendix Corporation - Atomic Energy Commission facility project operated by Fortune 150 Bendix Corporation.