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The IN Crowd is the core group of authors
and experts that we have recruited to provide thoughtful advice and
lead discussions on the business of innovation. The IN Crowd
includes experienced entrepreneurs, experts in business strategy,
marketing gurus, intellectual property lawyers and market analysts.
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Mark Blafkin
 Mark brings more than decade of experience in marketing and public relations for technology and political clients to Innovators Network. Mark is currently the Vice President for Public Affairs at the Association for Competitive Technology, where he spends his time advocating for tech entrepreneurs and guiding the direction for the Innovators Network project. Prior to joining ACT, Mark served as a communications professional for both political candidates and high tech corporations. Most recently, Mark served as a Account Manager for the Merritt Group, a high tech marketing and public relations firm in Tysons Corner, VA. At the Merritt Group, Mark managed accounts for Check Point Software, ScoreBoard, Etensity and others.
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Andre Carter
 E. Andre Carter has almost 25 years of high-tech management experience. He spent five years as a marketing manager with IBM before participating in six IP-focused technology start-ups. He is now the founder and president of Irimi, Inc., a strategic consulting firm dedicated to helping small companies leverage their intellectual assets, human capital, and organizational culture to chart, develop and implement strategic and business planning. Prior to founding Irimi, he was the COO of Concept Kitchen/Smaller.com where he was responsible for the strategic advancement of brand identity, content partnerships and corporate development activities. Mr. Carter worked to close the sale of the company in the summer of 2000. Prior to that, he was director of channels at Puma Technology, Inc., where he was responsible for spearheading the launch of the first Intellisync® brand and product line—the first third-party product for handheld devices to gain mass distribution. That success helped to fuel Puma’s IPO in late 1996. Before that, he served as director of channels for the Americas at Xircom, Inc. During his tenure, Xircom had a successful IPO and revenues grew from $4 million to $88 million. Mr. Carter received his B.S. in Finance from Georgetown University and an MBA in international business from American University.
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Rob Cogan
 Rob Cogan is a partner in the SanDiego office of the Nath Law Group and a legal and business advisor to high tech, life sciences, industrial and financial businesses,and entrepreneurs. As chief patent counsel for EG&G, INc., formerly a Fortune 200 company with high technology operations on all seven continents, he performed detailed legal work and advised operating managers in a wide variety of business situations. Prior experience also includes operational management in a medical devices company. Mr. Cogan practices in intellectual property portfolio development; business strategy for exploitation of intellectual property; software licensing; contracting with the United States and foreign governments; and technology transfer. A speaker before numerous professional groups, he also guest lectures at the University of California Rady School of Management.
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Steve DelBianco
Steve DelBianco brings more than twenty-five years of experience in running, advising and investing in high-tech startups. Steve was president of Financial Dynamics, an IT consulting firm that he led through the evolution of industry trends. Under his leadership, Financial Dynamics grew to over $20 million in revenues by 1997, when it was acquired by a national firm. Today, Steve continues working to advise and invest in early stage companies as a partner in Draper Atlantic, a venture capital firm based in Northern Virginia.
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Rick Ducey
Rick is the Chief Strategy Officer for BIA Financial Network. Rick assists clients with their business planning and revenue models, strategic research, market assessment, designing and implementing IT strategies. He is a frequent speaker on digital technology innovations, new media directions and innovative business models including digital ecosystem collaboration strategies. He co-founded SpectraRep, Inc. one of BIA’s companies, which sells a patent-pending IP-based alerting system which he co-invented.Prior to joining BIAfn in 2000, Rick was a top executive at the National Association of Broadcasters. He was Senior Vice President of NAB's Research and Information Group. In this position, he was in charge of the association's new technology assessment, audience and policy research, strategic planning, information systems, including all Internet operations and he also developed publications and seminars.
Before joining NAB in 1983, Rick was a faculty member in the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University where he taught and did research in the areas of emerging telecommunication technologies and strategic market research. He also served on the graduate management faculties of George Mason University and George Washington University in telecommunications management and the University of Maryland, where he taught strategic market management and research methodologies. He published a number of research articles and papers in these areas and serves on editorial boards of leading scholarly journals in the communications field. He worked at radio stations WSOQ-AM/WEZG-FM and Upstate Cablevision in North Syracuse, NY.
Rick received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University; M.S. from Syracuse University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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Anthony Kuhn
 Ex-Hill staffer turned Appalachian Trail hiker, Anthony has enjoyed
many different pursuits over the years before turning to his newest
gig: the pursuit of interesting innovation insights. Currently living
in a little cabin way up in the frozen woods of Interior Alaska, he
also enjoys reading a good book, sipping a hot cuppa joe, and playing
classical piano. With a long background in the Information Technology
field, Anthony brings a sparkling spectrum of experience and knowledge
to the Innovators Network.
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Ray Millien
 Raymond Millien is the founder of the PCT Companies, and CEO of PCT Capital, LLC, an intellectual property-focused advisory and asset management firm. Previously, he was general counsel of Ocean Tomo, LLC, a boutique investment bank focusing on IP assets. While there, he was responsible for overseeing all legal and regulatory affairs, as well as assisting the firm's management with acquisitions and the structuring of joint ventures. During his tenure he oversaw all legal aspects of innovations such as the world's first live IP auctions and the launch of the Ocean Tomo 300 Patent Index.
Prior to Ocean Tomo, he was vice president and group IP counsel at American Express Company where his responsibilities included managing the company's global patent portfolio and leading brand and technology outward-licensing deals.
Ray has presented at numerous IP-related conferences around the world, been quoted in major publications, and interviewed for television news. He is also a national lecturer for the BAR/BRI Patent Bar Review course, and has served as an adjunct professor of legal writing and oral advocacy at the George Washington University School of Engineering. He co-authored, with IN Crowd member Andre Carter, "Little Blues: How to Build a Culture of Intellectual Property Within a Small Technology Company."
Millien was also recently named one of the world's top intellectual property strategists by Intellectual Asset Management magazine.
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Frank Singer
 Frank Singer has a BSME from Purdue, an MBA from the University of South Florida, and has teaching credentials in several technical and business disciplines. He holds several patents and has held executive positions at a number of Fortune 100 companies including Honeywell, General Dynamics, Becton Dickinson, and Microdot, prior to acquiring several aviation related businesses. In 1986 he was awarded the first Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Orange County, California, for pioneering a joint venture in mainland China.
Currently Mr .Singer sits on several boards; co-founder and past president of the Tech Coast Angels; chairs the American Electronics Association's Government Affairs Committee; past president of the Orange Coast Venture Group; sits on the Concordia College Dean's Advisory Board; and recently authored a book on business valuation.
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