Honorary Advisory Board

The Honorary Advisory Board of EMS consists of a diverse group of organization ambassadors. Honorary advisors members consists of proven entrepreneurs, educators, executives, and professionals who support the entrepreneurial development cause. Honorary advisors members bring value to EMS by guest speaking, mentoring, introducing the program to students, referring sponsors, making financial contributions and referring speakers. EMS could not exist without the generosity and goodwill of these incredible people

Elizabeth Amini

Elizabeth Amini is the CEO of Anti-AgingGames.com, featuring games that sharpen short term memory, concentration, and focus. AAG is Elizabeth’s third company. Between launching her first two companies, Elizabeth worked at JPL/NASA conducting science research on advanced communications systems. She is also the co-Founder of the Trojan CEO Network and a long time advocate of socially responsible business.

Andrea Azdril

Andrea Azdril is the CEO of Startech Global (www.startechglobal.com), a custom software development firm that puts the highest quality software within financial reach for growing small and mid-size firms.  Andrea is also the Senior Strategy Consultant for UCLA’s Management Development for Entrepreneurs Program, assisting hundreds of business owners with strategic growth planning each year through teaching and coaching.  She is a frequent guest lecturer for UC Santa Barbara’s Technology Management Program, and serves as a global leader for the Entrepreneur Organization’s Accelerator Program and as a volunteer for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship.  Andrea holds a MBA in entrepreneurship from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Julian Chan esq.

Graduated Brown University/UPENN Law School.

As a senior officer and acting General Counsel at Peritus Software Services, helped grow it to a firm with over 500 employees and offices in five locations and four countries. Negotiated $100 MM in complex software licenses, service agreements, service licenses and software development agreements. Managed rounds of venture capital totaling excess of $20 MM. Negotiated acquisition of companies for a total compensation in excess of $90 MM. Led legal efforts resulting in a 1997 IPO on Nasdaq.

Founded Wellspring Angel Fund/Idealflow Angel Fund along with the founders of Intel, Global Crossing, JDS Uniphase, and Gemstar. Ran its incubator, managed review of all potential investments, negotiated investments in twelve start-ups, and led a team of four personnel in order to develop ideas originated by partners of the fund.

Served as the COO/GC for Univessence Digital Studios, Ltd. Univessence, a Bermuda company with 25 subs in China, Hong Kong, Japan and the US, and approximately 300 employees, one of the largest distributors of games in China. 2006 it had approximately $150 million in yearly revenue. I incorporated the parent company and several key subsidiaries. Handled the complex merger of the parent company with Junnet, Inc, a BVI company, and conducted due diligence on its 20 Chinese subsidiaries. Approx $30 million in international venture capital financing transactions handled. Furthermore, oversaw the negotiation and drafting of key agreements with major game companies.

David Choi, Ph.D.

Dr. Choi is a faculty member at the nationally ranked entrepreneurship program at Loyola Marymount University (No. 10 according to Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine in 2007). He also serves as an advisor to investment firms, international conglomerates and several startups. Before joining the faculty at LMU, Dr. Choi was a Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Los Angeles and Seoul; a Fellow of Global Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School; and a founding member of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Bart Greenberg

Bart is a partner is the Orange County office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, where he practices general corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings and the cost-effective representation of entrepreneurs, start-ups and emerging technology companies.  Mr. Greenberg serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Venture Capital & Technology practice group.Bart’s expertise extends to all types of general corporate matters, essentially serving as outside general counsel to most of his clients. Such matters include, among others, mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on consolidations and roll-up strategies; private securities offerings, with an emphasis on those for emerging technology companies, including so-called “friends & family,” angel and venture capital offerings; debt offerings, including senior credit facilities, as well as mezzanine, subordinated and vendor-facilitated debt facilities; the formation of business entities, such as corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures; shareholder and buy-sell agreements; employment and consulting agreements; employee compensation matters, with an emphasis on providing equity incentives to employees through the use of restricted stock, stock options and phantom stock plans; and intellectual property protection.

Bart is also a strong contributor to the community by his tireless support and active involvement in many local technology organizations, including, among others, Tech Coast Venture Network, where he currently serves as its Chairman, TechBiz Connection, where he currently serves on its Board, the Office of Technology Transfer & Commercialization, California State University, San Bernardino, where he currently serves as a reviewer and evaluator of grant applications, and the Digital Media Center in Santa Ana, California, where he currently serves on its Advisory Board.

Karen Jashinsky

Karen is a Certified Fitness Trainer, named “One of the 25 most influential young leaders in the fitness industry” by IHRSA, the industry’s professional organization because of her pioneering efforts to create health clubs for teens. She was named “Featured Trainer” in February 2007 by IDEA, the fitness trainer industry trade publication. Interest in developing her own business was a natural outgrowth of her experience overseeing every aspect of a successful family-owned restaurant business. Karen subsequently spent 3 years at Vivendi Universal in media planning, marketing and operations management. She has been a personal fitness trainer and nutrition consultant for teens in the LA/Beverly Hills area and conducted fitness classes and workshops in the LA Unified School District. She has consulted on youth projects for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fitness Council, written numerous articles on teen health for LA Family and other magazines and online newsletters. She created ENERGY ROCKS in 2006 with the LA After School All Stars as an annual all-day free health festival for teens, integrating music, hip-hop, and exercise and underscoring the link between physical fitness and academic achievement. Development of O2 MAX was chronicled in a series of articles in ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE and cited for spearheading the teen fitness movement in THE KIPLINGER REPORT, a national business forecast newsletter. In addition Karen initiated the Southern California Entrepreneur Roundtable at USC while serving as VP Business Development for the Entrepreneur and Venture Management Association. Karen now serves on the Board of Advisors for the Entrepreneur Mentor Society, helping other young entrepreneurs achieve their goals. Karen also serves as the chair for the Los Angeles Alumni and Parent Association for Washington University and is a moderator for the USC CEO Forum as well as Marketing Director for the Los Angeles chapter of NAWMBA (National Association of Women MBA’s).  She earned an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and has a BSBA from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University with an emphasis in marketing and international business.

Mark Kapczynski

Mark Kapczynski has a successful track record as a serial entrepreneur, chief executive and media industry expert. His current venture, Kontrol Media Corp., is an idea incubator for startups and senior professionals in the media and technology markets including Web 2.0, mobile, and television. Prior to that, he was founder and CEO of MESoft, a media and entertainment software company, for which Kapczynski raised two rounds of seed and venture capital funding exceeding $8MM. Under his leadership, the company also grew its distribution to a global level and partnered with leading IT companies, such as IBM, Sun and AMD, and media companies that include Avid, Ascent Media and Sony. Additionally, he received a patent for a digital media workflow process.
From 1995 to 2002, Kapczynski worked at Microsoft Corporation as their Director of Worldwide Media & Entertainment Solutions Group. During that time, he worked with numerous digital media and internet start-ups such as Homestore (now Move.com), Movielink, and MeTV. Mark Kapczynski got his first taste at being an entrepreneur in 1993 when he founded Digital Genesis—a pioneer in the internet/e-commerce space—which was sold to publicly-traded Netgateway, Inc. (NGWY, now IIG) three years later. Mr. Kapczynski graduated from UCLA film school and continues to be active in multiple industry associations that span media, mobile telecom, technology, and Internet Web 2.0. In his free time, Mr. Kapczynski enjoys car racing and playing the drums.
Cliff Michaels

Now in his third decade as a mortgage & real estate broker, investor, credit expert, author, speaker & entrepreneur, Cliff Michaels has experienced the high flying 80’s, recovering 90’s, and 21st century booms. As Founder and CEO of Cliff Michaels & Associates, he has closed over $1 billion dollars in transactions for first time buyers, celebrity sellers, estate developers, and commercial investors. His trademark “7 Steps to 760 Credit” has helped thousands of satisfied clients build, repair and enhance credit scores. Cliff is a highly sought after speaker and trainer for his dynamic 1-Day MBA Seminars, a new standard for fast, high impact, real world success training. The courses are based on Michaels’ 20+ years of buying, selling and financing properties, credit counseling, financial planning, and training of sales professionals. Among his achievements, Michaels was CEO and Co-Founder of FirstUse.Com, a pioneering digital notary technology that gained worldwide acclaim during the internet frenzy of the nineties. He is the author of, Real Estate Secrets, 7 Steps to 760 Credit, and Diary of a Dotcom: Lessons in Entrepreneurial Start-Up. Michaels is a member of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Beverly Hills Board of Realtors, a 10 year member of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO), and was the 2003/2004 President of the Los Angeles YEO Chapter. An active philanthropist, Michaels donates time and money to a variety of endeavors each year, ranging from children’s causes, disaster relief, medical research, and environmental protection.

Andrew Warner

Andrew Warner is the founder of Mixergy.com, where startups learn how to build better internet companies. Before that, he founded Bradford & Reed, a web incubator that he started with $70,000 in credit card debt and built to a $20+ million a year online business, before selling it in 2003.

Jeff Cohn

Jeff is the Investment Screening Director for the Tech Coast Angels, who provide seed and early-stage capital in the range of $250K-$5MM. Since 1999 Jeff has managed the growth of the Tech Coast Angels membership from 70 to 300 investors and 32 venture capital affiliates and has helped sourced the private financing of more than 100 Southern California based technology companies. Jeff is also the founder of two nationally recognized web sites DeadCellZones.com and PhotoEnforced.com. Jeff’s technology carrier includes consulting for ebusiness development firm iXL (Former Nasdaq: IIXL), and the enterprise software company Computer Associates International, Inc. (Nasdaq: CA). Jeff has a B.S. in Business Administration, Finance from the University of Colorado.