The Alabama Launchpad Competition is recruiting some of the area's most respected leaders in business and technology to review and judge the plans submitted by participating Teams.

2008 Judges:

 

Phase I:

- Mr. Dick Reeves: President, BizTech
- Mr. Stuart Obermann: Entrepreneur-in-Residence, BizTech
- Ms. Zandile Moyo: Vice Presdent of Client Services, Innovation Depot
- Mr. Devon Laney: Vice President of Client Services, Innovation Depot

Phase II:

- Dr. Art Tipton: President & CEO, Brookwood Pharmaceuticals
- Dr. Franz Lohrke: Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, Brock School of Business, Samford University
- Dr. Roger Graben: Vice President of Business Development, ProEthic Pharmaceuticals
- Mr. Richard Marsden: Shareholder, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C.
- Mr. Greg Spivey: Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Global Business Services
- Mr. Doug Grove: Director of Business Development, Vaxin Inc.

Phase III:

- Mr. David Gray, President and CEO of DAXKO
- Ms. Jennifer King, Managing Partner at Greer Capital Advisors, LLC
- Mr. Monro Lanier, Vice President of Hickory Venture Group
- Mr. Richard Wallace, Managing Director of Organizational Success Management
- Ms. Lisa Williams, Founder and President of 3D Research Corporation

Finale:

- Dr. Lawrence Greer, Senior Managing Partner, Greer Capital Advisors, LLC
- Ms. Tanveer Patel, President, CEO and Co-Founder, CircleSource Inc.
- Dr. T. Russell Crook, Professor of Business Strategy, The University of Tennessee
- Mr. David Karabinos, Managing Partner and CEO, Harvest Business Advisors, LLC
- Mr. Alston Noah, Entrepreneur

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2007 Judges

 

Phase I:

- Dr. Art Tipton: President & CEO, Brookwood Pharmaceuticals
- Mr. Dick Reeves: President, BizTech
- Dr. Roger Graben: Vice President of Business Development, ProEthic Pharmaceuticals
- Mr. Eddie Hill: Business Strategy Consultant
- Mr. Devon Laney: Vice President of Client Services, Innovation Depot

Phase II:

- Mr. Roddy Clark: Managing Partner, Redmont Venture Partners
- Dr. Franz Lohrke: Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, Brock School of Business, Samford University
- Dr. Larry Greer: Senior Managing Partner, Greer Capital Partners
- Mr. Tim Taylor: Entrepreneur

Phase III:

- Ms. Jennifer King: Managing Partner, Greer Capital Advisors
- Dr. Jeremy Short: Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Texas Tech University
- Ms. Lisa Williams: President, 3D Research (Huntsville)
- Mr. Richard Wallace: Managing Director, Organizational Success Management
- Ms. Tanveer Patel: President & Co-Founder, Circle Source
- Dr. Charlie Bugg: Chairman, BioCryst
- Mr. Bo Megginson: SPF Healthcare Capital

Finale:

- William Brooke: Executive Vice President & Managing Partner, Harbert Management Corporation, Venture Capital
- Monroe Lanier, III: Vice President, Hickory Venture Group
- Dr. James Combs: Associate Professor of Management, Florida State University College of Business
- David Gray: President & CEO, DAXKO Software

 

If you are interesting in being a judge in the Alabama Launchpad business plan competition, please contact Glenn Kinstler for more information.

Criteria to be a Phase I or Phase II Judge:

- Entrepreneur
- Accountant
- Attorney
- Venture Capitalist
- Corporate executive or manager

 

Criteria to be a Phase III or Finalist Judge:

- Industry thought leader (highly published or sought as speaker)
- Successful entrepreneur (launched one or more successful high-growth companies)
- Scientific or technological expert (served on scientific or technical advisory board to a high growth company)
- Successful venture capitalist
- Prior experience as a judge of a nationally recognized business plan competition