Meet The Four New Members of the IW Board

Four new board members bring the expertise of portfolio company entrepreneurs, investors, and academic research to the Innovation Works (IW) board. Joe Ferrera, Tom Jones, Donna Meyers, and Dr. Jimmy Williams, Jr. bring a robust collective expertise in start-ups, venture capital, corporate management, and academia.

Innovation Works Board Chair Catherine Mott, CEO, Founder, and Managing Partner at BlueTree Capital Group, weighed in, calling the IW board, a “powerhouse.” She affirms the diverse backgrounds and expertise of the group, stating, “Innovation Works has always had the ability to attract a balanced board — people who are not just investors, but experienced entrepreneurs, involved in academics, in innovation capital, and in innovation institutes within their organizations. They can look at things through their lenses and their experiences, which adds value to the ecosystem that is supported by Innovation Works.”

Catherine is especially enthusiastic about what the board members’ myriad professional backgrounds bring to IW and those we support. Catherine shared a behind-the-scenes look at board discussions, divulging, “the variety of questions in the room give a sense of the various perspectives. You’ll hear the technical science piece from the university representatives, from the seasoned entrepreneurs they’ll ask about use of funds and how they’re going to be deployed, investors will be asking about the terms, previous investors, and the economic development representatives are thinking about job impact.” Like Catherine, we value these diverse perspectives as they shape the investment decisions IW makes as well as inform how we serve the entrepreneur community in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

We are thrilled to add the expert perspective and technical knowledge of these four leaders to the combined board of directors. They bring new insight and expertise to the challenges of the organization and the startups we support. With the support and encouragement of our exceptional board, we have set targeted and bold goals for our 21st year including expanding more of our initiatives into our entire service area, highlighting the inclusive practices that are baked into everything we do, and leveraging corporate and investor networks to add greater value for entrepreneurs (more to come on these goals in future blog posts). Joe, Tom, Donna, and Jimmy’s guidance, in collaboration with our seven current board members, promises to set IW up for further success in 2019.

You can find out more about the four new members of the IW board below and visit our team page to meet the entire board.

Joe Ferrara

General Manager, Wombat Security Technologies

Joe serves as General Manager at Wombat Security Technologies where he employs 20 years of experience in operations, management, and technology marketing. Wombat was acquired in early 2018 by Proofpoint, Inc., a Silicon Valley cybersecurity company. Previously, Wombat received funding from Innovation Works’ Seed Fund and investment from Riverfront Ventures.

He brings to the board first-hand experience as a tech entrepreneur funded and supported by IW.

To learn more about Joe, please read his full bio here.

Tom Jones

Managing Director, Draper Triangle Ventures

Tom brings over 25 years of sales and marketing experience with entrepreneurs of early stage technology companies to his work as Managing Director at Draper Triangle Ventures.

He shares with the board his expertise in venture capital.

To learn more about Tom, please read his full bio here.

Donna Myers

Chief Executive Officer, Salsa Labs

Donna is CEO at Salsa Labs where she brings over 25 years of experience working with clients in various industries to enhance the quality of customer care, optimize technology, improve operations, and increase revenue.

Previously the President of DonorPro by TowerCare, an IW portfolio company (acquired by Salsa Labs), Donna also represents IW’s support of the start-up ecosystem in the region.

To learn about Donna, please read her full bio here.

Jimmy Williams, Jr., Ph.D.

Distinguished Service Professor, Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
Executive Director, Engineering and Technology Innovation Management Program

Jimmy wears many hats at Carnegie Mellon University where he acts as a Distinguished Service Professor of Engineering and Public Policy and where he serves as Executive Director of the university’s Engineering and Technology Innovation Management Program. Before his achievements in academia, Jimmy was an accomplished business person — serving in executive positions at Pall Corporation, Alcoa, Inc., and The Boeing Company.

He brings his experience in academia and product innovation to IW’s board.

To learn more about Jimmy, please read his full bio here.