Meet Our Judges

 

DEREK PETERSON

CEO/Founder of Soter Technologies

Derek Peterson is the Founder and CEO of Soter Technologies.  Mr. Peterson leads a growing team technology experts who devoted to the practical application of technology to improve and save lives. Using advanced sensor and software technology the company develops and delivers innovative solutions for environmental intelligence – to make the world a safe place. Mr. Peterson’s software and innovations have received numerous awards as well as national media attention.  Soter’s Fly Sense vaping detection and anti-bullying sensor has attracted national attention and was featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox 5 New York and many other media outlets across the United States. Mr. Peterson is regularly interviews by the media about entrepreneurship, technology and how it is being used to reduce vaping and prevent bullying  at schools.

 

Michael Lane

Chairman of Long Island Capital Alliance.

Michael Lane is Chairman of the Long Island Capital Alliance, an industry association that helps entrepreneurs raise capital.  He has held various leadership positions throughout his career in global consulting firms (Accenture), technology companies (Pegasystems, Bottomline Technologies), and some of the world’s largest financial institutions (Bankers Trust, Chase).  He has raised multiple rounds of capital for his early-stage companies from private investors, venture capital firms, and strategic partners such as Accenture, Bank of New York, and Microsoft, with successful exits delivering significant investment returns for shareholders.

His experience and counsel are frequently sought to advise on the challenges relating to business start-ups, funding and capitalization, operations, sales and marketing, leadership, and other organizational opportunities. 

Mr. Lane also serves on various company and industry boards.  He earned a BA degree from UCLA and an MBA from Columbia Business School. 

 

 

Danielle Tedesco

Director of Strategy and Innovation, HealthPlan Services

Dani Tedesco is a digital product leader with over 12 years of experience in healthcare technology, currently serving as the Director of Strategy and Innovation at HealthPlan Services. She specializes in building SaaS solutions for B2B, B2C, and government clients in the insurtech space, transforming complex business challenges into scalable solutions. In addition to her role, Dani volunteers on the Stony Brook University Alumni Association Board of Directors and mentors students in career development, as well as coaching Wolfietank participants since its inception. 

 

bob williams

President, IVMatters, Inc.

A veteran product development, strategic marketing and business development professional in the medical device industry. His professional experience is in diagnostic imaging, gastroenterology, interventional radiology and interventional cardiology. IVMatters was formed in pursuit of providing advisory, strategic planning, marketing, product development and regulatory support to med tech companies. IVMatters currently represents globally diverse clients in the diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology and healthcare information technology market segments. Through IVMatters, Bob serves as U.S. General Manager of Medic Vision Imaging Solutions Ltd, leading their U.S. commercial presence for the iQMR & Safe-CT image processing software applications. IVMatters also serves in an advisory capacity for Theragnostic Technologies, Inc. and Millenial Materials, Inc., aligned graphene nanoparticle technology companies at Stony Brook University’s High Technology Incubator. Bob is an active angel investor in the medical device and healthcare information technology space. Prior to founding IV Matters, Bob has served in executive roles for Bracco S.p.A. and ACIST Medical Systems, Inc. He has initiated and supported numerous business deals, transactions and partnerships for Bracco’s global medical device businesses. Other career highlights include management of the highly successful EmpowerCTA® & EmpowerMR® injector product lines, novel angiographic injection technologies, patient monitoring systems, CT Colonography products, gastroenterology products, medical consumables and Healthcare IT product lines from their inception. Bob is an inventor with 18 issued U.S. medical device patents with numerous pending applications. He has earned BE/MS engineering degrees from Stony Brook University. www.linkedin.com/in/bobwilliams-ivmatters