San Jose State University

Term: Spring 2012

View the complete list of events here



SVCE Speaker Event - February 13, 2012

Please click here to register

Topic: From Innovation to Execution: Building the Ideal New Venture Team
Where: College of Engineering, Room 189, San Jose State Main Campus
Time: 6-7:30 pm, Monday, Feb. 13, 2012
Speakers: Andy Coan, co-founder & CEO, Splice Communications (& SJSU alumnus),
Scott Bischoff, COO & CFO, and
Carol Kimura, Director Marketing (SJSU Alumna).
Registration: Event Registration Link
Event Flyer: Flyer.pdf

Guest Speaker's Bio:

Andy Coan

Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer

Andy Coan Andy Coan is a eighteen-year telecommunications industry veteran who co-founded Splice Communications in 2002, with the goal of providing superior network solutions for customers that depend on data-rich applications in today's Internet economy. Since then, Mr. Coan has positioned Splice as one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Prior to Splice, Mr. Coan served in an executive management role for three years at Telseon IP Services, (acquired by OnFiber Communications, and is now Qwest Communications, Inc.). At Telseon, Mr. Coan was responsible for its largest Carrier and Strategic partnerships, which include industry giants comprised of AT&T, Sprint, Exodus Communications, Cable & Wireless, Savvis, WorldCom, and Internap. Prior to Telseon / OnFiber, Mr. Coan worked for eight years in diverse sales and management roles at MCI / WorldCom. Mr. Coan also serves on the Boards of Pacific Business Centers and Bridge Works, Inc. in San Mateo, California. He holds a BS degree in Psychology and a Minor in Business from San Jose State University.


Scott Bischoff

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Scott Bischoff Scott Bischoff oversees corporate operations for Splice. He brings more than twenty years of experience in operations and financial management. Among his responsibilities are sales management, human resource policies and procedures, accounts receivable and payable, all financials and P&L accountability. Prior to joining Splice, Mr. Bischoff worked in multiple industries including corporate retail, software / technology, and corporate franchise. For seven years he was the District Manager of Operations / Finance for DHE Inc. Mr. Bischoff has also held management positions at CrossCommerce and Fortune 100 companies including Southland Corporation and ServiceMaster Corporation. He holds a BA degree in Communications from California State University at Chico and an MBA from St. Mary's College of California.

Carol Kimura

Director of Marketing

Carol Kimura Carol Kimura has more than fourteen years of strategic marketing experience, and is responsible for developing and communicating the company's vision and strategy through positioning, branding, advertising, and public relations. Prior to Splice, she was the Director of Worldwide Field and Channel Marketing at ActivIdentity, a provider of strong authentication and credential management solutions. Before that position, she was the Director of Corporate Marketing at Celerity, a global provider of chemical delivery systems. Ms. Kimura has held marketing management roles in diverse industries, and has solid global marketing experience in EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. Ms. Kimura studied advertising and marketing at San Jose State University and received her MBA from St. Mary's College of California.


Past Events: Fall 2011

View the complete list of events here



SVCE Speaker Event - November 2nd, 2011

Topic: Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Sustainable Living
Where: MLK Library, Room 225/229 San Jose State Main Campus
Time: 6-7:30 pm, Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Speakers: Andrew Williamson, Physic Ventures,
Peter Yolles, co-founder & CEO, WaterSmart Software, and
Logan Green, co-founder & CEO, Zimride.
Moderator: Steve Bennet, SJSU Lecturer.

Guest Speaker's Bio:

Andrew Williamson

Andrew Williamson Andrew Williamson is a Director at Physic Ventures. He invests in companies that enable consumers to adopt more sustainable lifestyles, including energy and water technologies and biomaterials. Andrew is a board member of Chromatin, EnergyHub, Gazelle, Halosource, Impinj and Novomer. Prior to joining Physic, Andrew performed materials science research at DOE labs, NREL and LLNL. He holds a BA and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Cambridge and a MBA from UC Berkeley.


Logan Green

Logan Green Logan Green is co-founder and CEO of Zimride. He has a background in transportation and web development. He created the first car-share program at UC Santa Barbara, and served on the board of the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District. His favorite Zimride is Palo Alto to Los Angeles. Logan holds a BA in Business Economics with Accounting emphasis from the University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Yolles

Peter Yolles Peter Yolles is Co-Founder of WaterSmart Software. He is also the Founder and Principal of Water Insight, a water management consultancy. His fifteen years of experience include water conservation and efficiency, water rights and transfers, environmental regulation, finance, economics and policy. Prior to Water Insight, Peter was Director of Water Resource Protection for The Nature Conservancy, where he led river restoration efforts throughout California. As Vice President at Western Water Company, Yolles partnered with California agricultural water districts to conserve and lease water to municipal water districts. He executed contracts with half a dozen municipal water districts in northern and southern California, leading negotiations and overseeing regulatory approvals from state agencies. These transfers represented the state's first profitable agricultural-to-urban water transfers conducted by a third party. At GE Capital Solutions, Yolles analyzed water investment opportunities in the municipal and corporate markets. He also helped launch a new timber investment strategy. At Environmental Defense Fund, Yolles conducted cost-benefit analyses of municipal water supply projects and water transfers. Peter's interest in water, energy and climate began at the Pacific Institute, where he researched industrial, agricultural and domestic water use. He earned his MBA in Finance from Yale School of Management and MES in Water Science, Management and Policy from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge (SVIC) - November 30 & December 1, 2011

What: SVIC Exhibits, Elevator Pitch Contest, Awards Ceremony
Where: Barrett Ballroom, Student Union, San Jose State Main Campus
Time: 9 am- 5 pm, Thursday, December 1, 2011

SVCE Speaker Event - October 17th, 2011

Topic: Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Silicon Valley: the past, present, and future
Where: MLK Library, Room 225/229 San Jose State Main Campus
Time: 6-7:30 pm, Monday, October 17, 2011
Keynote Speaker: Ed Oates, co-founder, Oracle Corp. and SJSU alumnus
Registration: Registration is Closed Now!

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Silicon Valley: the past, present, and future - Video Album


Guest Speaker's Bio:

Edward A. Oates

Edward A. Oates Edward A. Oates co-founded Oracle Corporation, which was started as Software Development Labs along with Larry Ellison, and Bob Miner in August 1977. Ed Oates graduated with a BA in mathematics from San Jose State University in 1968. He worked at Singer, the US Army Personnel Information Systems Command (PERSINSCOM), Ampex, and Memorex before co-founding Oracle. He retired from the company in 1996. He is currently a member of the board of advisors of Auguri Corporation and Gloolabs, in addition to volunteering his time on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Zoological Society and the Tower Foundation Board of San Jose State University.

SVCE Speaker Event - September 7th, 2011

Topic: How Entrepreneurs Evaluate Ideas
Where: MLK Library, Room 226/229 San Jose State Main Campus
Time: 6-7:30 pm, Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Speakers: Shamini Dhana, founder & CEO of Dhana Inc.
Jai Rawat, co-founder & CEO of Shopsocially.com
Registration: Event Registration Link
Event Flyer: Event Flyer Link

How Entrepreneurs Evaluate Ideas - Video Album


Guest Speaker's Bio:

Shamini Dhana

ShaminiDhana Shamini Dhana is Founder and CEO of Dhana Inc. an eco apparel company and creators of the Wearin' the World collection - a lifestyle brand of clothing for tweens, celebrating nature, people, cultures globally via organic, fairtrade wearable art. With 20 years of corporate management experience, Shamini has expertise in business development, marketing, finance, operations, strategy and working in government, software, banking industries as well as academia and consulting. From 1999-2006, she was Senior Vice President at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Global Financial Services where she managed SVB's India operations, team and venture capital relationships. Shamini has a Masters in International Affairs (CSUS) and Bachelors in Economics (National University of Singapore), is an avid athelete (runs, bikes, golfs), and has served on a number of non-profits including UNA-USA Sacramento President and SVB Foundation Board of Directors.

Jai Rawat

jai_rawat Jai is a serial entrepreneur with over 18 years of experience. His latest venture, ShopSocially is socializing online shopping and has already won several awards and accolades. Jai's first company, Obongo was acquired by AOL where Jai lead their eCommerce and mobile strategy. Subsequently, Jai co-founded AirTight Networks, which is the leader in enterprise Wi-Fi security with over 2,000 customers. Jai is an advisor/mentor to several startups and holds 14 patents.

He has won several awards, including being recognized as one of the top 10 South Asian business and technology leaders. Jai holds a B.Tech in Computer Science from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur and an MS in Computer Science from Iowa State University.




Spring 2011 Events

Past Events: Spring 2011

April 26th, 2011
SVCE Speaker Event

Topic: Entrepreneurship and Family Business in the Silicon Valley
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, Engineering 189
Time: 6-7:30 pm, Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
Speakers: Carmelo Sigona, President, Sigona Markets & SJSU alumnus;
Jimmy Sigona, Manager, Sigona Markets & SJSU student;
Francis Santora, Organization Development Consultant.


April 21st, 2011
Finance Workshop

Topic: Finance Workshop
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, BBC 003
Time: April 21st, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Presenter: Steve Bennet, Lecturer in Finance, College of Business, SJSU & Member, Sand Hill Angels

For hands-on assistance in building a compelling financing model, assessing what investors are looking for in the projections, validating assumptions behind the business model. Students are encouraged to come prepared with their draft model and financial plan, to gain from the workshop. To assist students entering the 2011 Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition


April 14th, 2011
Business Plan Prep: Information Session

Topic: Business Plan Prep: Information Session
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, BBC 032
Time: April 14th, 3:00pm-5:00pm

To address any queries on the Business Plan Competition and provide tips on how to write a "killer" Business Plan.


March 21st, 2011
SVCE Speaker Event

Topic: Entrepreneurial Opportunities in a converging world
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, MLK 225/229
Time: Monday, March 21st, 6:00pm-7:30pm
Speaker: Sue Siegel, General Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures. Former CEO, Affymetrix

Guest Speaker's Bio:
Sue Siegel

Sue Siegel Susan Siegel is a General Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures. She joined the firm in 2007. Ms. Siegel arrived after a distinguished career as a corporate leader and with a background in biochemistry and molecular biology. She partners with entrepreneurs and companies that offer solutions to pressing healthcare challenges like age-onset conditions, lifestyle-induced health trends, consumer-driven wellness preservation, and those that improve healthcare economics. She has over 25 years experience commercializing key enabling technologies in biomedical research and healthcare. Ms. Siegel was the President and Director of Affymetrix Inc., which she joined in 1998 to lead the commercialization efforts for the company's state-of-the-art GeneChip technology. From April 1998 to August 1999, she served as its Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales. After this, Ms. Siegel took the helm as President and shortly after was appointed a Board Member. She led the company through a tremendous growth phase. During Ms. Siegel's presidency, the company scaled to almost $400 million in yearly revenue and was valued as a multi-billion market cap growth company.

Ms. Siegel serves on the Board of Directors of Corventis, Crescendo Bioscience, Navigenics, On-Q-ity, Pacific Biosciences, and RainDance Technologies. She is a Member of the Presidents' Circle of the National Academies and serves as an Advisor to the Institute of Medicine. She serves on the Gladstone Institutes Advisory Council and the Stanford ITI Council, is a YPO member, and is an Emeritus Board Member of The Silicon Valley Tech Museum of Innovation. She is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute since 2003 and was named a Silicon Valley Woman of Influence. Ms. Siegel and her husband co-founded with Stanford Hospital, Checking-In. She holds an M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Boston University Medical School, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico.



March 10th, 2011
Business Plan Prep: Marketing Workshop

Topic: Business Plan Prep: Marketing Workshop
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, BBC 003
Time: Thursday, March 10th, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Speaker: Bob Goedjen, Marketing Chairperson, Silicon Valley SCORE
Mark Levi, Counselor, Silicon Valley SCORE
Business Plan Prep - Workshop #1: Marketing Workshop
To address: How to conduct effective market research and analysis?
How to identify the customers? How to assess market size and growth potential?
To assist students entering the 2011 Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition.

Guest Speaker's Bio:
Bob Goedjen

Bob Goedjen

Bob's career included over 40 years in the Semiconductor Industry. During that time he worked for a Fortune 500 company as well as two smaller integrated circuit companies. Beginning his career as a field application engineer, then sales engineering and finally product marketing becoming the Director of Marketing and World-wide sales. Bob has also directed various high tech manufacturing operations both domestically and internationally. He has been a volunteer at Silicon Valley SCORE for 7years. Prior to that he was a managing consultant for MANEX. Bob has also been involved with several non-profit corporations as CFO and Treasurer. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in business and was an officer in the Navy.


Mark Levi

  Mark Levi is a counselor at Silicon Valley, SCORE.



February 28th, 2011
SVCE Speaker Event

Topic: Never Trust a Skinny Brewer
Where: San Jose State Main Campus, Engineering 189
Time: Monday, February 28th, 6:00pm-7:30pm
Speaker: Dan Gordon, Co-Founder Gordon Biersch Brewing Company

Guest Speaker's Bio:
Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon Dan Gordon has earned a reputation as one of America's leading brewing engineers. As the director of brewing operations for Gordon Biersch, he supervises the company's state-of-the-art brewing and bottling facility in San Jose, Calif. He is the first American in more than 50 years to graduate from the prestigious five-year brewing engineering program at the world-renowned Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan, West Germany. Before earning his brewing engineer's degree there in 1987, he interned at Spaten Brewery in Munich and served as a technical translator at Lowenbrau Consulting. Gordon entered the program after earning a resource economics degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982 and spending a year as an exchange student at the Georg August University in Gottingen, Germany. He also worked for a year at the Anheuser Busch plant in Fairfield, Calif., to gain the brewing experience he needed to apply to the Technical University of Munich. After completing the world's most advanced brewing program, Gordon returned to California and joined forces with restaurateur Dean Biersch to take advantage of a new state law allowing brewery restaurants. In 1988, the partners opened their first Gordon Biersch brewery restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif.