Issue 42

Entrepreneur
& ftness guru

Gunnar Peterson shares
the secrets of his success.
An Exclusive interview with:
TERRY FREDEKING
In perilous pursuit of the
world's most exotic anti-
bodies
Inside:
In Over Our Heads
What raising the debt ceiling could
mean for the United States
Beyond Chemotherapy
A more effective, less risky way to treat
cancer
Mobile Medicine
The next step in personal healthcare
technology
Issue 42 June 2011
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E
ver since the controversial
passage of the health care
reform bill last year, the medi-
cal industry has been a topic
of great concern. The issue became
even more urgent when the debt ceiling
debacle hit the fan this May, threaten-
ing major cuts to big-budget programs
like Medicare.
Thats why we devoted this edition of
The Suit to the health care industry
the public has a right to know about
those issues that may afect their well-
being. But its not all bad news; we
profle companies all over the world
making incredible advances. Take
Intezyne Inc. in Tampa Bay, which is
on the verge of producing a new cancer
treatment that ofers a much beter
alternative to traditional chemotherapy.
In California, Therapy Physics Inc. is
seting new standards to streamline the
way we go about caring for patients.
And companies like Natures Innova-
tion deliver the right products to help
us take care of ourselves in natural,
eco-friendly ways.
In addition, were covering new
technological advances that bring
healthcare to our fngertips. Reporter
L.A. Rivera investigates new devices
and applications that can allow us to
self-monitor our vital signs. This could
be the beginning of a growing trend in
fast, convenient, and personalized care.
We also spoke with a man who shat-
ters barriers in the medical feld. Terry
Fredeking, who graces our cover this
month, is a world traveler whose mis-
sion is to bring the most rare and exotic
biologics to our laboratories.
These materials aid in the develop-
ment of groundbreaking new treat-
ments, vaccines and cures.
Outside of health, we looked into
the problem of soaring U.S. debt lev-
els. Since we hit the debt ceiling last
month, partisan debates have been
raging in the House, the Senate, and
over dinner tables across the country.
The Suit spoke with analysts and
fnancial experts to get the real story
on what raising the debt cap could
mean for all of us.
Its quite an issue. Take some time
to read and learn from great innova-
tors, entrepreneurs, and experts from
all around the world. And as always,
we invite you to visit our website at
www.thesuitmagazine.com and let
us know what you think.
To your health,
Erwin Kantor
Publisher
Publisher
Erwin E. Kantor
Editor-in-Chief
Jacey Fortin
Managing Editor
Michael Gordon
Editorial
Robert Jordan
Joshua Rosa
Maria De Luca
Lauren Herde
Creative Director
Christopher DeBellis
Staf Writers
Becky Woolverton
Daniel Horowitz
Alaina Love McConnell
Mitch Ligon
Wendy Connick
Andrea Lehner
Guest Writers
W. B. King
L. A. Rivera
Illustrators
Doryan De Angel
David Cohen
Marketing Dept.
Monica Link
Christopher DeBellis
For subscription details, contact:
info@thesuitonline.org
For advertising inquiries, contact:
creative@thesuitmagazine.com
Good Health
Leads to
Good Business
THE SUIT MAGAZINE - JUNE 2011
PUBLISHERS NOTE
issue 42 | june 2011
E
rw
in Kantor
Erwin Kantor - Publisher
ekantor@thesuitonline.org
10
An Elusive Cure
Komodo dragons, vampire bats and Tasmanian devils are nothing new
to Terry Fredeking. His adventures around the world make for more
than good stories; he brings back rare biological samples so that labo-
ratories and pharamceutical companies have the materials they need to
create groundbreaking antibodies, cures and vaccines.
health
Entrepreneur
& tness guru
Gunnar Peterson shares
the secrets of his success.
An Exclusive interview with:
TERRY FREDEKING
In perilous pursuit of the
world's most exotic anti-
bodies
In Over Our Heads
What raising the debt ceiling could
mean for the United States
Beyond Chemotherapy
Amore eective, less risky way to
treat cancer
Mobile Medicine
The next step in personal healthcare
technology
THE SUIT MAGAZINE
JUNE 2011
Issue 42 June 2011
CONTENTS
features
JUNE 2011
5
Mobile Medicine
The next step in personal healthcare technology
6
Weighing the Alternatives
An integrative approach could solve the U.S.
health care dilemma. But is alternative medicine
part of the answer?
8
Gunnar Peterson
Entrepreneur and ftness guru shares the secrets
of his success
12
Beyond Chemotherapy
A new medical technology holds incredible
potential in the fght against cancer
22
In Over Our Heads
What raising the debt ceiling could mean for
the United States
8 22
5
Skin Deep
Dermatologist Robert Nor-
man explains the value of
skincare awarness
13
Brighter Ideas
One of the natures most beau-
tiful phenomena holds the key
to ground-breaking new ad-
vances in science and medicine
14
Back to Basics
Bill Carlson fnds a new op-
portunity in an earth-friendly
natural product line
20
Health Briefs
The Dark Horse, Catching
her Breath
21
The Man Behind
the Curtain
Medical providers are working
behind the scenes to integrate
seamlessly into new practices as
healthcare law changes loom
40
A Place in the Sun
From a rocky start to amazing success in the
feld of renewable power, Gerald Stern proves
that courage and kindness are the keys to last-
ing success
16
Vital Technology
Vitatech responds to growing
concerns over electromagnetic
felds
A Healthy Recovery
17
How an entrepreneur with a
mind for business adapted her
skills to the feld of healthcare
18
Seting New Standards
Therapy Physics is flling a
void in the American health
care system
24
Holmes
& Watson
Detectives of the insurance and
fnancial services industry
26
Business Briefs
A Good Return, The Right
Principles, Marketing by the
book, The Mineralist
28
Fully Invested
Traders Network provides
tools for investment trad-
ers to navigate the ups and
downs of the market
32
A New Means of
Communication
CG Group conducts public af-
fairs on a grand scale
Finding a Balance
Living up to a family legacy of
success, Russell Yankwit prac-
tices law his way.
30
business
THE SUIT MAGAZINE p.3
business
34
The Total Package
A one-stop-shop packaging
business brings it all together,
from the drawing board to the
grocery shelf.
46
The Common
Law Defender
Decades of service in the name
of justice
36
Business Briefs
Finding a Solution,
A Learning Process
37
Going Undercover
In the trenches with a modern
day sleuth
38
Business Briefs
Rocket Man, Beating the Clock,
A Staunch Defense, Rebel with
a Cause
42
Waste Not
A new way to recycle refnery
refuse
43
Inventive
Consultants
Churning out new technologi-
cal innovations
44
Taking the Lead
Successful executive searches
require staying one step ahead
of the game
45
Going Global
Technology is the key for suc-
cessful global accounting
47
The Visionary
One businesss journey from
the bat cave to the informa-
tion superhighway
48
The Next Level
One smart young company
makes a business out of play-
ing around
49
Business Briefs
Changing the Focus,
Rapid Response
50
Tech Law
Masterminds
Atorneys on the cuting edge of
new developments in technol-
ogy law
52
Business Briefs
The Political Brain, Making Use
of Refuse, Helping Hands of
Northern New Mexico, High
Learning & Healthier Living
54
Pulling Diamonds
from the Rough
Mastering the machines that
bring precious stones from the
miner to the jeweler
56
Technology Briefs
Connecting to the Cloud,
A Good Sign, A Simpler System,
Fostering Inquisitive Minds
58
The Digs Up
Investigating underground
problems without major exca-
vation
60
A Moral Imperative
Activist J. Martin Hatersley
spent a career pursuing what
maters most
61
A Political Pioneer
Floridas youngest ever female
senator still fghts the good fght
as an independent atorney
62
Business Briefs
Firm Commitment, A Leading
Litigator
63
George of All Trades
Telecomm, foreign investments,
anti-trust law and more
64
Movin On Up
Award-winning diversity specialist
Stephen King talks with The Suit
about his success
67
Mexico Tech
At the forefront of the growing
technology sector south of the
border
68
Honing the Craf
33
Business with a
Conscience
One Toronto investment
banker proves that the greatest
achievements are about more
than personal gain
66
Business Briefs
The Practical Political Scientist,
A Stable Recovery
business tech
55
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I
magine a woman strolling down a city
sidewalk on a clear summer day. Shes
diabetic, and begins to feel tired and
thirsty. But she cant tell whether its the
hot sun or something more alarminga
high blood glucose level.
With the new mobile medical tech-
nologies just hiting the market, she
may not have to play guessing games
with her health.
Just this February, Entra Health
Systems struck a deal with the Swed-
ish mobile phone company Doro to
produce its MyGlucoHealth service,
which is available on their senior-
friendly cellphones. Using a small
device, blood glucose level readings
can be measured and then sent instantaneously via
SMS message to a secure MyGlucoHealth portal. Then the
consumer can receive a response advising them on what to
eat.
And thats just one of many new oferings hiting the
global market. Jon Burkhardt, an analyst for the healthcare
group at Frost and Sullivan, argues that telemedicine is an
important new trend. New technology in healthcare is
changing peoples behavior, he said.
Burkhardt said that the aging baby-boomer generation
has embraced this new technology. Many of these people
are using the new health phone in order to make a real
change, he said. For example, with diabetes, you can use
this system to make beter decisions.
In 2007, Burkhardt said, Microsofs HealthVault and
Google Health introduced their own products to the United
States. HealthVault has integrated 170 health care applica-
tions, including sofware to monitor diabetes and another
sofware package that helps triathletes monitor their train-
ing and diet.
A report released in February by Park Associates stated
that digital health technology and services in the United
States will exceed $5.7 billion by 2015, compared with $1.7
billion in 2010, driven by devices that monitor chronic con-
ditions like hypertension and diabetes and by wellness and
ftness applications.
And the technology has saturated the global market. For
example, in January, the French start-up Withings intro-
duced a Wi-Fi-enabled cuf that can take your blood pres-
sure and pulse. It connects to an iPhone to synchronize the
data with records kept on a personal page online.
Doctors still recommend that patients come in for regu-
lar check-upstechnology should not be a replacement for
one-on-one consultations. But these new innovations are
promising; they could streamline the way we conduct the
business of healthcare in the United States and around the
world.
Medicine Goes Mobile
by l.a. rivera
Skin Deep
by wendy connick
www.drrobertnorman.com
8002 Gunn Highway Tampa FL 33626 6328 US
Highway 301 Riverview FL 33569
B
y the year 2020,
one out of every
fve people will be
65 or older. And as the
population ages, long-
term health is a growing
concern.
Robert Norman M.D.,
a dermatologist based
out of Tampa, Fla., told
The Suit that prevention is a vital part of staying in good
health. With his focus on geriatric patients, he knows beter
than anyone how a lack of proper skincare early in life can
lead to problems down the road, from minor wrinkles to
malignant cancers.
Norman decided that he could make the most difer-
ence by educating others, and hes geting the word out in
any way he can. Aside from running his own dermatology
practice, hes also an author, a public speaker, a medical vol-
unteer and a radio personality. Ive had an idea for many
years to talk more about prevention, because really, thats
what its all about for me in the long run, he said. My last
textbook was on preventive dermatology, which was the
frst book on prevention that I know of in the feld.
Because the outside environment has such a major impact
on the skin, preventative care is extremely important in de-
terring skin problems. If people dont protect their skin
when theyre younger from the efects of the sun, which is
fairly easy to do by wearing a hat and sunblock and protec-
tive clothing, especially during the peak hours of the day,
these all will have an efect over time on the skin, Norman
said. He also explained that smoking greatly increases the
risk of both skin cancer and wrinkles.
The second part of keeping skin healthy is awareness.
Noticing and resolving problems early keeps them from
becoming major health risks. In one of his books, The
Woman Who Lost Her Skin, Norman recounts a story of a
man whose friend noticed an odd-looking spot on his back
during a racquetball game. When he went for an examina-
tion upon his friends insistence, his blemish turned out to
be a large melanoma. We ended up geting it excised, and
it really was at the best possible time, given how far ad-
vanced it had been, Norman said. In that case, a friends
concern became a lifesaver, and Norman hopes to promote
that same vigilance in as many people as he can reach.
One of the biggest things is to help young people to pre-
vent these problems by giving them knowledge, he said.
If they see abnormal lesions or spots on the skin, for ex-
ample a spot that tends to be irritated more than any other
mole or spot, thats the one that we call the ugly duckling,
the one that really needs to get seen by a professional.
On the verge of atending medical school, Alan Chris-
tianson decided that he was disillusioned with the U.S.
healthcare system.
Hed aspired to a medical career since childhood, when
lifestyle changes helped him beat both epilepsy and
obesity. But the more he learned, the more he hesitated.
Spending more time with doctors, I learned that there
are very rigid standards of practice, he said. Youve got
guidelines you must adhere to that are dictated by insur-
ance companies and medical boards.
So Christianson opted for an education in naturopathy,
and is now a physician with an independent practice. Its
cash-based, so it isnt beholden to the demands of insur-
ance companiesand business is booming. The natur-
opathic profession allowed me to be a regular physician
and still do the appropriate conventional things when
they were needed, but have greater leeway, he said.
And the term that a lot of us have adopted now is inte-
grative.
Christianson is not alone. Integrative healthcare is a
growing movement. This is in large part thanks to orga-
nizations like the Bravewell Collaborative, an organiza-
tion spearheaded by president and co-founder Christy
Mack to promote a more holistic approach to medicine.
Bravewell is promoting patient-centered care, focused
on prevention through behavior change, she explained.
Her vision involves a network of health coaches: trained
individuals who help people by listening to their prob-
lems, understanding their backgrounds, and teaching
them how to maintain wellness for life. Compared to
the way we do business now, this would be much less
costly, and certainly health benefcial. Thats a win-win
Weighing the Alternatives
situation.
Bravewells eforts in research and public education are
paying of. Due partly to their input during a summit on
Capitol Hill in 2009, the Patient Protection and Afordable
Care Act of 2010 includes an allotment of $15 million for
preventative healthcare awareness and education.
Despite progress, there are many issues in the way of
implementation, including resistance from the pharma-
ceutical industry and the deep entrenchment of existing
healthcare bureaucracies. But one of the biggest lighten-
ing rods in the conversation has to do with integrative
medicines openness to natural and alternative forms
of treatment, and whether these represent a world of op-
portunity or a dangerous drain on resources.
Both Mack and Christianson emphasize that integra-
tive healthcare and conventional medicine are not mutu-
ally exclusive. Were not saying no allopathic medicine,
Mack said. Defnitely not its about a marriage. Alter-
native medicine is just one component of the integrative
movementbut it sparks some ferce debates. Exactly
how much potential does it have in solving our health
care dilemma?
The very defnition of the word alternative varies from
one source to another, and the range of treatments is too
broad to speak in generalities. Some unconventional rem-
edies, including meditation and many chiropractic prac-
tices, have been at least partly validated by scientifc stud-
ies. Others remain dubious, like acupuncture and herbal
weight-loss pills.
Critics of alternative medicine argue that too many of
its methods are substantiated only by anecdotal evidence,
and havent been validated by research. Mack disagrees.
An integrative approach could solve the U.S. healthcare
dilemma. But is alternative medicine part of the answer?
BY JACEY FORTIN
There is a lot of evidence out there, she said. Its just
a mater of who wants to look at it. Its there. And thats
one thing that Bravewell is trying to do, along with other
facilities across the country that are working to prove the
efcacy of things like acupuncture.
The National Center for Complementary and Alterna-
tive Medicine is one such facility. Operating as a gov-
ernmental organization under the National Institutes
of Health, theyve funded hundreds of clinical trials on
alternative practices, summaries of which are linked to
their website. Interested visitors can peruse a history
of experimentsthe results, however, are hard to fnd.
Thats because most of these clinical trials have not led to
fndings worthy of publication.
NCCAM stresses the importance of scientifc evidence.
Their mission: To defne, through rigorous scientifc in-
vestigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary
and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in
improving health and health care.
But some skeptics take issue with statements like that,
and Dr. Stephen Barret is one of them. They focus on
determining the usefulness, he notes. But who says its
useful? Barret is the founder of QuackWatch, a website
that spreads information to fght healthcare quackery. A
former psychiatrist, he took an early interest in medical
fraud; in 1993, he closed the doors of his practice to de-
vote all his time to exposing it.
He argues that there is no such thing as alternative
health care. Any treatment that can be scientifcally prov-
en to work is legitimateanything that cant is quackery.
He believes that allocating funds to clinical trials for dubi-
ous cures is a colossal waste of money. NCCAMs criteria
for giving out research funds are very poor because they
dont take into account implausibility, he said, adding
that the United States is in no position to be spending tax-
payer dollars on useless experiments. And to my knowl-
edge, they have never said that any [treatment] theyve
looked at doesnt make sense.
His concerns are not only fscal. For some patients, un-
proven methods can be risky or even fatal. There are a
few treatments that are dangerous outright, but for many
the danger depends on what you need, he said. For in-
stance, delaying conventional treatment in order to try an
unproven remedy may give diseases time to worsen past
the point of no return.
As an example, Barret points to one of his most press-
ing concerns: chelation therapy. Its a highly controversial
treatment in which chelating agents are introduced into
the bloodstream; they bond to toxins, enabling the body
to fush them out. Chelation has been approved by the
FDA, but only for the treatment of heavy metal poison-
ing. Still, some practitioners use the therapy to treat other
symptoms, most notably heart disease and autism. Both
the Federal Trade Commission and the American Heart
Association have rejected chelation as a legitimate solu-
tion for heart disease. The therapy has no proven efect on
autism either, and in a few cases, incorrectly dosed chela-
tion treatments have led to the death of autistic children.
Currently, NCCAM and the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute are conducting the frst large-scale clinical
trial to assess the treatment as a remedy for heart disease.
A fnal report was originally predicted for 2008, but has
since been postponed until 2012.
Many practitioners currently ofer chelation therapy,
and Christianson is one of them. The main indications
that we use it for are environmental toxins, he explained,
and that would include things like, most commonly,
mercury and lead. And these medicines are well-docu-
mented to make those types of toxins water-soluble and
eliminate them. In the case of autism, he afrms that
chelation is not a valid option for treatment. Thats an
example of medicine gone wrong, which can happen to
natural medicine as well as conventional. But there is a
legitimate place for certain symptoms: screening for the
presence of toxins and then, if they are unusual, treating
them until theyre eliminated from the body.
Christianson is aware of the debate surrounding this
remedy, but he maintains chelation therapy as one of
many available tools to help him fnd the best treatments
to suit each patients needs. For him, its all about fnding
a balance.
There are a lot of things in natural medicine that,
frankly, are just hokey and not efective, and there are
some [practitioners] who do openly embrace those. But
part of the integrative model is that we are still adhering
to the rules of scientifc discourse and evidence, he said.
Christiansons practice has grown steadily since its
foundation in 1997, lending legitimacy to his vision of
patient-centered medicine. But the movement toward in-
tegrative health care is still nebulous in concept, and the
practitioners who fall under this umbrella vary wildly in
their methodologies. What binds them is an underlying
philosophy of holistic care. Mack explains, What we do
in todays system is respond to crises. Were not manag-
ing health; were managing disease. We need to turn that
around. Ideas like these have great potential to trans-
form the U.S. healthcare systemmore research will re-
veal whether alternative medicine can play a role in that
recovery.
There is a lot of evidence
out there ... Its just a mater
of who wants to look at it.
A
typical high-profle professional might
brag about a big-name client list, but theres
one star in Hollywood who doesnt drop
nameshe raises heart rates. Celebrity ftness train-
er Gunnar Peterson has a client list that includes the
likes of Sly Stallone, J-Lo and Kim Kardashian, but
he focuses on ftness instead of the limelight.
In his interview with The Suit Magazine, Peter-
son discussed his personal business model as well
as his training methods. Its clear that he focuses on
his craf as opposed to his renownhes been fea-
tured in top celebrity and ftness news outlets, but
didnt want to divulge much about his superstar
clients.
His career began humbly about 20 years ago,
with just a few clients in the Los Angeles area. Since
then, with hard work and a litle help from word-
of-mouth, Petersons business has exploded. Today,
when he's not in the gym or tweeting ftness tips
with celebrities and fans, he's working to develop
and promote ftness-related products. Current proj-
ects include developing videos for Shape Magazine
and working with Gatorade to develop a game for
Xbox Kinect.
From his years of experience dealing with all
kinds of clients, from motivated A-listers to reluc-
tant beginners, Peterson has become an expert in
dealing with people and their ftness issues. We
asked him about the road to success, and the chal-
lenges of branding himself while maintaining a
growing client list.
The Suit: How did you get your start in the ftness
industry?
Gunnar Peterson: I was in the gym and a guy
asked me to help him with his workout about 23
A Healthy Approach
Gunnar Peterson Gets His Brand in Shape While Train-
ing Hollywood A-Listers
Fitness is a career for me, not a job. I dont accept every
endorsement ofer. Id rather put one product out thats
valid and valuable than pitch a product thats not.
BY MONICA LINK
years ago. He saw I was in shape, and he assumed
I was a trainer. Afer that, I decided to try it, and
I've been doing it ever since.
TS: Whats the secret to building a strong brand?
GP: I have to use the old saying: if you do some-
thing you love, you'll never work a day in your
life. You have to do something you're passionate
about. If its something you like, you'll be predis-
posed to work hard and be more successful.
TS: What are some of the greatest career lessons
youve learned as a trainer?
GP: You're always your best advertisement; you
have to stay in shape yourself, and you have to
show up. Being there and keeping your appoint-
ments is what leads to referrals. You can't have
more cancellations than the client.
TS: How do you help your clients achieve their
ftness goals?
GP: I have them focus on what they can do
instead of what they can't do. I will typically start
with two workouts a weekone with me and one
on their own.
TS: What's it like working with celebrity clients?
GP: My clients try to get the most out of their 60
minutes. They're all overachievers. When you see
them in the gym, you understand why they're suc-
cessful.
TS: Looking forward, what are your goals regard-
ing your brand and your future work?
GP: Fitness is a career for me, not a job. I dont
accept every endorsement ofer. I'd rather put one
product out that's valid and valuable than pitch a
product that's not.
TS: How can busy professionals ft exercise into
their lives?
GP: You have to fnd a way to build your schedule
around it. Dont take on too much, or it becomes
ominous and onerous. If youre trying to change
your diet, quit smoking and implement a new
ftness routine all in one weekthats a recipe for
disaster. Just geting on a treadmill for 20 minutes
a day is a good start. Build on that over a couple of
weeks so it can become part of your daily routine.
And make sure you get a morning meal!
TS: You've trained Kim Kardashian and other
high-profle women. What are the best fat-burning
workouts you teach them that other women can
use?
GP: Don't skip breakfast, and watch out for fast
food. Those portions are more than you need, and
there are more carbs and fat than you need. Dinner
should be the smallest meal of the day. Plan your
food ahead instead of waiting until you're hungry.
If you wait too long, you're at the mercy of your
location and only whats available there. Dont give
up that power.
TS: How can people stay green during their work-
outs?
GP: Try a permanent water container instead of
a water botle. Buy equipment for the home that
doesn't plug in. Recycle tennis shoesthere are a
lot of companies that use recycled tread to build
tracks at schools. Use an environmentally friendly
detergent when washing workout clothes. And
exercise outside; the best times are early in the
morning, or later around dusk.
TS: Any further ftness advice for our readers?
GP: I recommend people work out for between
60 and 90 minutes each day. I don't believe in fad
diets and quick fx workouts with minimalistic
requirements. That's a lie. You have to put the time
in the gym. You have to be honest with yourself.
You have to fnd a way to build
your schedule around [excercise].
Dont take on too much, or it
becomes ominous and onerous.
Gunnar Peterson
Celebrity Fitness Trainer
Beverly Hills, CA
NSCA Certifed
How a jokester with a Texas drawl became
the Indiana Jones of health care
At dusk in the southern islands of Indonesia, under the cover of brilliant
pink orchid shoots and tangled woody vines, the Komodo dragon lies low
to the ground. An unlucky deer walks by, and the giant lizard pounces
from the underbrush and tears into its prey with serrated teeth. The victim
may break free, but by then its too latefatally poisonous
strains of bacteria are already seeping into its blood.
Thousands of miles away at a pharmaceutical laboratory in the United States,
the work day has just begun. Interns in white coats sort vials of biologics under
fuorescent lights. The formulation of an antibody is underway, and samples
of Komodo blood may hold the key to a breakthrough.
Expeditionary biologist Terry Fredeking is the middleman, the
messenger. One week he may be consulting with scientists on the
creation of a vaccine; the next, he may be trekking across a forested
island, chasing down 300-pound carnivorous reptiles with nothing
but a syringe and a forked branch.
Fredeking is the owner of Anitbody Systems Incorporated, and
his job is to fnd and deliver the exotic materials that we need
to fght diseases. We have been contracted with major
pharmaceutical companies to collect rare biologics for the
purpose of developing new medications, he said in his
interview with The Suit. This would include blood
samples from Komodo dragons, parasite extracts
from the Tasmanian devil, saliva from vampire
bats, and snake venom.
Antibody Systems is involved in a number
of pursuits; the Komodo dragon project is
just one. Fredeking explains that these
lizards have existed for 25 million
years, and were only discovered by
the Western world about a century
ago. Their long and relatively isolated
evolution makes them unique
and scientifcally valuable. If
researchers can isolate the
mechanism behind the
dragons immunity to their
An Elusive Cure
own lethal bacteria, they may be able produce the most
powerful antibiotic known to man.
Also on the agenda is an HIV/AIDS vaccine. Were
working with a strain of the HIV virus that is harmless
to humans, but its something that were looking
at to make a vaccine from, Fredeking said. This is
transmited only by monkey bites. So we went all over
the country collecting blood samples from zoo workers,
veterinarians and monkey handlers. For this project,
Antibody Systems has its own ofce and staf at the
Center for Disease Control, where the government aids
their eforts to turn a primate virus into a human cure.
Natural diseases arent Fredekings only target;
sometimes man-made scourges pose the greatest
threat. Hes traveled to the Siberian tundra to help
combat bioterrorism. Theres a huge lab there, he
said. It used to manufacture biological weapons in the
old Soviet Union days. They had 5,000 people working
there, and they made all these pathogens. Afer the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, the labs existence
came to light. Scientists from all over the world were
invited in to destroy it. And they destroyed all the
stocks, but still there were 5000 employees who knew
how to make [the biological weapons], and those guys
were being recruited by everybody from North Korea
to Iran. So the U.S. government stepped in to fund
the research to make vaccines and antidotes for these
terrible weapons. And thats how I got involved.
The Suit asked Fredeking how he frst got his start in
the feld. My father was a doctor, and he wanted me
to be a doctor. My mother wanted me to be a banker.
So for a joke, I got into blood banking! he said. That
led to viruses and immunology and hematology and
oncology, and all the ologies. While Fredeking was
doing some research work on treatments for HPV, a
group of scientists approached him with a request.
They said, We dont really want you in a laboratory
looking into a microscope. Do you want to go into the
feld? Because we sure dont want to send our PhDs out
there to get killed, and well pay you quite well! And I
agreed to that, he recalls.
Since then, Fredekings life has revolved around a
series of fantastic journeys, exotic adventures, and
exciting new leads in drug development. He risks his
life quite ofen in pursuit of medical innovations, but
in the end he knows that his work makes the world a
safer place for everyone else.
Handling these level-four viruses is probably more
dangerous than Komodo dragons. But if you know
what youre dealing with, youre more prepared to be
safe, he said. Ive been very lucky.
Antibody Systems Inc.
1901 Norwood Dr., Hurst TX 76054
P. (817) 498-8222 | antibodysystems.com
I
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Kevin Sill, Chief Science Of-
fcer of Intezyne Technology,
has one ambitious objective:
to fnd a beter way to treat
cancer. As scientists, oncolo-
gists, and too many cancer
victims already know, treat-
ing cancer is anything but
simple. Undeterred, Sill and
his partner Habib Skaf be-
gan their research in 2004 and
now have a viable solution
ready for human clinical trials.
How we do it is actually
very simple, Sill says. We
try to get more of the drug
to the site of the disease. If
we can do that, then more
of the drug interacts with
diseased tissue and less in-
teracts with healthy tissue,
which makes existing drugs
safer and more efective.
Sill says that he and Skaf,
who are both synthetic chem-
ists, met in their PhD pro-
gram and began conceptually
what eventually became their
trademarked IVECT Meth-
od, a patented nanoparticle
that is designed to circulate
throughout the body longer
than other nanoparticles do.
This allows it to have many
passes through the patients
body and preferentially ac-
cumulate in tumors based
upon their size, Sill says.
We also add complemen-
tary receptors. Think of it as a
type of Velcro. Every organ or
type of cell has its own type of
Velcro. With the correct type,
we can get the drug to stick
to the right type of tissue.
By increasing the circula-
tion time, the IVECT Method
helps increase the efcacy of
traditional treatments. Che-
motherapy is a game of sta-
tistics, Sill says, explaining
that it essentially poisons the
entire body in hopes of killing
cancer cells faster than healthy
cells. Intezyne tries to shif
those statistics so that were
afecting more of the can-
cer than the healthy tissue.
Poised to begin human
clinical trials as soon as they
receive FDA approval, Sill
is rightfully optimistic. Its
taken awhile to go from paper
chemistry to having a product
in our hands, but were there.
The technology is working on
animals. Sill further explains
the frst phase of trials will
last about a year. Intezyne is
expecting to receive the green
light and begin trials in 2012.
The FDAs job is to make
sure that what youre giving
participants is going to be
safe, and it wont adversely
afect the patient. It also has to
have a chance of working as
well, he adds regarding the
stringent application process.
While their focus is directed
toward oncology, Sill believes
the IVECT Method could have
future possibilities with the
treatment of Alzheimers
and infammatory diseases
like asthma and arthritis.
As a young company
when the recession hit,
Sill admited that secur-
ing investors for their pri-
vately funded company
was particularly difcult
during 2008 and 2009, the
same years they watched
many small pharmaceu-
tical companies close.
The silver lining, Sill
says, is the economy forced
us to look at the fundamen-
tals of our technology and
continue refning that. We
were very thankful to get
through that period. Once
IVECT receives FDA ap-
proval, cancer patients will
also be thankful that Sill and
Skaf weathered the storm
and pursued their quest
to make cancer treatment
safer and more efective.
INTEZYNE
Improving
the Odds
A new medical technology holds incredible
potential in the fght against cancer.
by andrea lehner
no atention.
In addition
to its work with
GFP, Brighter Ideas
is studying the use of soybean
peroxidase (SBP) as an indus-
trial replacement for formal-
dehyde. We have developed
a unique method for purifying
the proteinpatent pending
and we have found two other
applications for SBP that are
also patentable but not ready to
be disclosed to the public at this
point, Ward said. He enjoys
working with both GFP and SBP
for aesthetic reasons over and
above their scientifc usefulness,
explaining, Most proteins are
colorless, but GFP is brilliantly
green and SBP is brilliantly red.
Every day is Christmas in our
lab.
BY WENDY CONNICK
Brighter Ideas
Brighter Ideas Inc.
675 US Highway One
North Brunswick, NJ
08902 - USA
P: 732.932.9763
brighterideasinc.com
of other
related felds.
Wards chief
goal for Bright-
er Ideas is to
have his compa-
ny noticed for its
landmark work.
I want my personal
creation to be accepted, rec-
ognized, and appreciated, he
said. What success we have
had comes from the drive to suc-
ceed. Everyone associated with
the company seems to share
the vision, ambition, and drive
that I feel every day. He also
intends to expand his eforts to
bring GFP into educational use
and will begin ofering a college-
level course for gifed teens this
summer.
As a scientifc entrepreneur,
Ward believes that what he and
his fellow innovators need most
is a system to move new discov-
eries into the marketplace so
that they can become a part of
consumers lives. We need crit-
ical evaluation of the scientifc
merit and commercial potential
of our inventions, technologies,
and methodologies, Ward ex-
plained. It makes absolutely no
sense to me for universities and
government agencies to take the
atitude that cream will always
rise to the top, even if we pay it
L
ook up above the ocean
on a dark night in the
Pacifc Northwest, and
you might be lucky to
spot a few strains of the Aurora
Borealis drifing across the sky.
Look down, and you could see
a very diferent patern of lights:
a phosphorescent species of jel-
lyfsh known as the Aequorea
Victoria. They glow because of
a green-fuorescent protein, or
GFP, which is also found in sev-
eral other marine animals.
GFP is more than just a prety
sight: its immensely valuable to
medical and biological research
because it is the only non-toxic
way to color-code living cells so
that scientists can study the re-
sults of various experiments in
real-time.
Dr. William Ward has been
working with GFP since his
post-doctoral studies in 1973.
My professional work is all
about GFP, he said. Ours is
the longest lived GFP lab in the
world, having a track record of
basic research dating back to the
early 70s.
Ward founded his company,
Brighter Ideas Incorporated, to
help move some of the discov-
eries hed studied for years into
the commercial arena. Brighter
Ideas CSO Dr. Michael Tota and
I spend most of our creative en-
ergies inventing and discover-
ing while trying to infuse the
excitement of scientifc discov-
ery into the others in the com-
panymostly part-time student
employees. As the frst person in
the world to exploit GFP as an
educational tool, I never stop be-
ing a teacher, he said. GFP is
now one of the most important
research and diagnostics tools in
the entire feld of life sciences. In
just the past 18 years, more than
20,000 research papers have
been published on GFP applica-
tions in cell biology, cancer me-
tastasis, stem cell research, de-
velopmental biology, and a host
One of the natures most beautiful phenomena
holds the key to groundbreaking new
advances in science and medicine.
Above: a
fuorescent
protein model
I
t was quite a switch.
But for Bill Carlson, it made sense. While
building a successful career as a computer
technology executive, he never lost his abiding
passion for healthy living. In 2004, Carlson devoted
himself to developing a line of natural, homeopathic
products. Today hes the owner of Natures Innovation,
a company that brings environmentally safe, holistic
products to the market.
I founded the company on a couple diferent
principles, he told The Suit. No testing on animals.
All products are made in small batches and hand-
crafed here in our headquarters. We try to use organic
botanicals whenever possible, and we only deal with
reputable farms around the world.
Natures Innovation started small. One of our
frst products was designed to help treat eczema
homeopathically, Carlson says. Dermisil, the frst
of many successful brands launched by the company,
now ofers a wide array of natural skincare remedies
for everything from acne to nail fungus. They even
have a special niche division for pets.
Since that time, Carlson has developed and sold other
brands that are now being produced and marketed by
larger corporations.
Today, the company is preparing to launch a
new skincare brand called Hawaiian Healing. The
products will be manufactured and marketed out of
Hawaii, Carlson explains. There are some magical
products made with nani to kukui oils that have
amazing properties for skincare. Carlson adds that
while Hawaiian extracts are marketed around the
world, Hawaiian Healing products will maximize the
potential benefts of these botanicals.
Natures Innovation is not limited to personal health
care. Carlson has proactively pursued and developed
chemical-free pest control formulas, including an
assortment of bedbug treatment and prevention
products. We developed our line of natural bug killers
about fve years ago, before the bedbug scare began,
Carlson says. He was motivated to create alternative
pest control solutions because of the harmful chemicals
used in traditional products. We were already dealing
with essential oils for our skincare products, he says.
A lot of the same oils can be used safely for pest
control.
Researching extracts and discovering new
compounds has helped Natures Innovation secure
a foothold in the rapidly growing eco-friendly
marketplace. Carlson travels the world, observing
and studying the applications of botanical extracts for
medicinal purposes in other cultures. Ive spent a lot
of years doing product research. We have a scientifc
commitee that we run all of the formulas by, but I
develop most of the products myself. Thats one part
of the business I really enjoy, he adds.
While Carlson may most enjoy the creative aspects
of his work, he clearly excels at business development
and marketing as well. Natures Innovation products
are currently available at independent health food
stores and major retailers across the country. Our
distribution network includes Walgreens, CVS,
Whole Foods, and Bed, Bath & Beyond, Carlson
says. All our products are also available for
direct distribution through our web site.
The internet is how we usually launch
new products and build some notoriety.
My computer background has been very
helpful in that regard.
He atributes his intense management
style to his years working with high-
level executives in the computer
industry. Being there in Silicon Valley
during the boom taught me a lot. It was
a great training ground for start-ups, he
says, adding that those experiences have been even
more valuable than his four-year degree.
That business savvy became even more important
when the recession began. We took a hit for a few
months, and then actually saw business increase
before anyone was talking about a recovery. Carlson
atributes this to strategic pricing and utilizing the
internet wisely. Because their Dermisil line features
treatment products for personal and sometimes
back to basics
BY ANDREA LEHNER
embarrassing conditions, customers like having
the option of purchasing them online in the privacy
of their home. Carlson also explains that Dermisil
prices are ofen less than insurance deductibles for
conventionally prescribed treatments, which makes
them a beter option economically.
As the demand for homeopathic products increases,
so does the competition within the marketplace.
Carlson does not let the fact that there are larger, more-
established players on the feld
di ssuade
his plans
f o r
N a t u r e s
Innovation. The
bigger guys started small, too. If you look at the Burts
Bees-type companies that have been acquired by
Proctor & Gambles of the world, there are certainly
a lot of inspirational stories out there. Carlson also
cautions that developing a name in a competitive feld
takes time, research, and an understanding of the
back to basics
marketplace. I didnt jump into this on day one, he
says. I worked another job for a year before making
the leap to do this fulltime.
Carlsons strategy has paid of. Not only is Natures
Innovation widely available in the United States, it is
also available overseas in Europe, Australia, and South
Africa. Theyve acquired enough international volume
to warrant having a European distribution center in
Manchester, England along with a UK-based website
for direct consumer sales.
One thing that excites me, Carlson says, is that
exporting our products into another country brings
money back to United States. Knowing that money
is coming back to our U.S. economy is very satisfying
for me. While we focus on increasing our distribution
in the United States, we are going to continue making
our push out there in the worldwide market.
In addition to his concern for creating
environmentally-safe products, Carlson is also very
active with global humanitarian eforts. Natures
Innovation donates products to citizens of third-world
countries, and during Carlsons travels to Africa he
works to promote awareness and education. For
instance, he explains, most people dont realize that
for things like shea buter, women in Africa are forced
to go fnd and produce the product under inhumane
conditions.
Carlson is proud to be associated with eco-friendly
companies, such as Whole Foods, that ban products
containing ingredients obtained by inhumane or
environmentally destructive means. Remaining true
to his vision, Natures Innovation is looking forward
to continued growth, promoting holistic, healthy, and
humanitarian products and practices.
Bill Carlson, founder of Natures Innovation
Natures Innovation, Inc.
2723 Brickton North Drive
Buford, GA 30518
(770) 904-2499 | naturesinnovation.com
E
lectromagnetic fields (emf) are a matter
of increasing concern to doctors and health
professionals. In the past 15 years, EMF
studies in the United States and in Sweden
have demonstrated a link between electromagnetic
fields from power lines and certain types of cancers
in both children and adults. Just this May, the World
Health Organization added cell phone usage to its
list of carcinogenic hazards because of studies
linking the phones EMF radiation to brain tumors.
Yet electromagnetic fields are given off by hundreds of
everyday devices not just cell phones,
but microwave ovens, power lines,
radio towers and even fish tanks.
Vitatech Engineering is doing
something about the problem. The
company studies EMF and its effects
on human health, and finds ways
for people to live and work with
EMF-generating systems without
endangering themselves. Vitatechs
services include EMF surveying,
risk assessment, magnetic shielding
systems, and EMF training seminars.
Research facilities in universities, hospitals and
laboratories often use equipment that puts out huge
amounts of EMF radiation. Fortunately, magnetic
shielding can block this radiation at the source and
protect people working or living nearby. For example,
Vitatech recently installed an 800-square-foot magnetic
shield in an unused classroom at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock to stop EMF emissions coming
from the schools new electron microscopes.
Magnetic EMF shields come in two basic types: passive
and active systems. Passive shields use rigid materials
and shield wires near the source of the EMF radiation
to generate an ongoing magnetic field thats designed
to cancel out the EMF radiation. Active shields use
electronic feedback to detect EMF and then generate a
magnetic field in response. Whether passive or active
shielding is more effective in a given situation depends
on the nature of the radiation source.
EMF radiation can affect the home as well as the
workplace. Houses built under power lines or near large
transformers can have dangerously high levels of EMF.
Even metal water pipes can conduct the fields into the
house. One test that can easily be conducted at home
Vital Technology
is to hook up a color monitor to a computer, turn both
devices on, and rotate the monitor a full 360 degrees. If
the image on the monitor screen distorts or jitters, there
is a strong magnetic field present.
Vitatech has an edge in providing EMF services
thanks to the background of its founder and president,
Louis Vitale. Vitale originally founded the business in
1984 as a biomedical research company. He developed
a portable electrocardiograph (ECG) monitor called the
VitaScope for the home health industry, completing the
prototype in 1986. Vitatech added EMF surveying and
engineering services to its repertoire in 1993.
In addition to engineering work, Vitale delivers EMF
lectures and presentations regarding perceived threats
and public health issues, and leads professional EMF
training seminars. He has a B.S.E.E. in electrical
engineering from the University of Florida and
studied biochemistry at the State University of New
York at Stony Brook, giving him an ideal background
for understanding EMF and its effects on human
health.
BY WENDY CONNICK
Vitatech Electromagnetics
115 Juliad Ct., Suite 105
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
P. (540) 286-1984
www.vitatech.net
VitaTech installed and certifed
a 2500-square-foot DC magnetic
shield, similar to the earths own
geomagnetic feld, as required by
NASA researchers.
Recent studies are shedding new light on the risks of proximity to electromagnetic
felds. Its nothing new to Louis Vitale and his team at Vitatech; theyve been
perfecting protective technology for decades.
A
s the frst fe-
male Vice Pres-
ident of a Prov-
idence, R.I. bank, Linda
M. Schlossberg wasn't
thinking about medi-
cal supplies. But when
the bank announced
its closure in 1989, she
was faced with the
tough question: "Now
what?" That's when Ms.
Schlossberg and her
pharmacist husband
decided to combine her
business expertise with
his healthcare savvy
to start New England
Medical Supply.
Twenty-two years lat-
er, Schlossberg knows
she found her niche.
New England Medical Supply boasts an impressive prod-
uct range, from over-the-counter drugs to vaccines and con-
trolled pharmaceuticals. "We serve private physicians and
group medical practices," Schlossberg says. "We provide
products to the 24-hour urgent care centers, city and town
fre and rescue companies, and the armed forces. We distrib-
ute gloves, syringes, bandages, disposable paper products
anything that would be needed in a facility that is treating
patients."
While she says the economy has made marketing more
important and more difcult, Schlossberg atributes their
sustainability to exemplary customer service and a strong
vision for the company's growth. "You have to set your goals
high, see yourself succeeding, and then do it. Before you
know it, you're there and looking for something new."
Schlossberg explains the economic pinch on New Eng-
land Medical Supply as a trickle-down efect. "The general
population is not able to spend money as freely as they once
did. They are even curtailing medical care. All we can do is
treat our customers well, have the products they're request-
ing, and make them feel like they are not just a number. Our
customer base has remained steady even though sales have
dropped. The medical feld doesn't need as many supplies if
they have fewer patients coming in to be treated."
In a marketing strategy to expand their client base, Schloss-
berg revealed plans to develop a shopping cart for their web-
site. "No mater what the economy is doing, perhaps we can
reach clients in rural areas that don't have ready access to
small-quantity items. It is a close-to-my-heart goal to devel-
op this, but there is a lot that goes into it because we're sell-
ing controlled substances. We have to make sure all the bells
and whistles are in place to stop atempted purchases from
those who are not eligible to buy those products."
Schlossberg also has plans to expand internationally; how-
ever, she knows the regulatory processes will take extensive
research and monitoring. While she always looks toward
broader horizons, Schlossberg has no intention of relocat-
ing from their R.I. facility. "We are in the hospital district,"
she says. "Even though we don't have people walking up to
our door, I like being in the heart of the medical commu-
nity." And that community is growing. Brown University is
currently building a medical training facility just one
block away.
Schlossberg lost her husband in 2000,
which makes the business even more impor-
tant to her. "I want it to be as successful as
possible. I built it with my husband, so it is
my past, present, and future."
How an entrepreneur with a mind for business
adapted her skills to the feld of healthcare
A Healthy Recovery
by andrea lehner
Standard
by andrea lehner
Setting a New
There was a problem
with the American
health care system,
and Melissa Martin
could see it clearly.
Something was
missing. Certain
practices were just
not up-to-date, and
some important
standards were non-
existent. So Martin
set out to raise
awareness about the
dilemma ... and then
she stepped in and
became the solution.
Melissa Martin is the owner of Therapy Physics
Incorporated, where she has been responsible for im-
proving the qualifcation standards and credentialing
requirements for medical physics, a feld that includes
radiology, oncology, and nuclear medicine.
The company is a comprehensive consulting service,
ensuring that diagnostic and radiation therapy facilities
meet accreditation and regulatory safety ratings. They
perform equipment evaluation, radiation shielding de-
sign, and radiation safety training throughout Southern
California, Idaho, and Alaska.
"We are the people who determine patient doses;
we are the professionals who determine whether the
patient is treated correctly or not. The qualifcations for
performing the job are much beter defned today than
they were fve to 10 years ago," Martin told The Suit.
With help from professionals like Martin, medical or-
ganizations are able ensure that their quality of patient
care is always at its highest.
"It is crucial these recognitions be part of the stan-
dards at facilities performing these procedures," Martin
explains. Her concern for patient protection is evident
as she illustrates how important ongoing education is.
"I was certifed in 1979. Does that mean I would still be
current if I had never gone to school since then? Abso-
lutely not. Ongoing education is essential in a rapidly-
changing feld.
Her advocacy eforts have proven worthwhile. "To-
day, there is a requirement that a certifcation is only
good for ten years," she said, adding that professionals
have to take new tests on industry standards in order to
be recertifed. Previously, no such accreditation stan-
dard was in place.
Martin earned her board certifcation in 1979 af-
ter graduating with an M.S. in medical physics from
UCLA. The ensuing three-year radiological board certi-
fcation program qualifed her as an expert in diagnostic
imaging, nuclear medical physics, and radiological on-
cology physics. Martin found medical physics to be the
perfect marriage, applying a technical physics back-
ground to the world of medicine." Her undergraduate
work was in nuclear physics, which she admits was not
in high demand during the 1970s.
She has since assumed the role of
chief physicist at three major California
hospitals, before moving on to a position
with Therapy Physics. Martin joined the
company as a partner and consultant in
1992; when her partner retired three years
later, she became the sole owner.
"When I was a hospital-based physicist,
I was very involved in the development of
what would be considered national stan-
dards of quality for both radiation therapy
and diagnostic imaging," Martin explains. "So
when I went to the consulting world, I brought
over the same level of service. Hospitals felt
very strongly that whether they had a full-time
physicist in-house or were using our consult-
ing group, the patients and administration of
the medical facilities deserved the same level and
quality of service. We basically established that as a
standard. I brought board-certifed physicists into
the group, and we've maintained that same level of
service. We set the standard for the quality of medical
physics in California."
Martin found that she was in an ideal position when
budget cuts became the word of the day. "We've been
very fortunate because although the economy went
down, to a certain extent it almost played in reverse
for us, she said. Hospitals that might have created
a full-time position made the decision to continue us-
ing consulting services, rather than absorbing all the
expenses of an employee."
But its not all silver lining. A focus on keeping costs
down is what worries her most about the new health-
care bill. "It will be stressful to those in the medical
profession that have developed an expertise," Martin
says. "There is a big push to keep costs down with
very litle recognition to the incredible amount of
training required for the physicians and the medical
physicists, along with the expertise required to sup-
port those physicians. The changes seem to be driven
entirely by cost. I recognize that we need to keep a
limit on costs. But the idea that we can do it all by
cuting reimbursement? There is no recognition for
the training that goes into supporting the
medical profession."
Always striving to stay a step ahead,
Martin is active in several professional
organizations, including the American
Association of Physicists in Medicine, the
American College of Radiology, the American
College of Medical Physics, and the Health
Physics Society. She has also served as a Trea-
surer of the AAPM, Chair of the AAPM Admin-
istrative Council, is the incoming Vice Chair of
ACMP.
Martin's participation in these organizations
gives her a formidable voice in the feld. "When
I got active in the local chapters I learned how to
be a leader in local organizations," Martin says,
adding that her goal is to "set an example of pro-
fessionalism and ethics."
And Martin truly practices what she preaches. By
atending consortiums and consulting with leaders in
technology development, she keeps herself abreast of
the latest advancements in medical physics. This, she
says, is necessary for her additional role as an instruc-
tor at UC Long Beach.
"I teach ffh-year senior students in physics for ra-
diation therapy treatments," Martin says. "This is the
fnal course these students receive before they go out
and actually perform patient care and deliver radia-
tion therapy treatment. My goal, as instructor of that
class, is to maintain the continuing education I need
to be aware of current developments in the technol-
ogy of treatment methods in radiation oncology."
By defning the role of medical physicists, Martin
has efected industry-wide accreditation standards,
recognition of ongoing education requirements, and
regulatory controls of diagnostics and radiology
therapy. Theres no question that she has carved a
niche for herself as a leader in her feld. And by teach-
ing the students who are entering the profession, she
ensures that the next generation will continue striving
to improve patient care and safety.
The Dark Horse
When it comes to ftness, Brian Rozzi
isnt kidding around.
by andrea lehner
B
rian rozzi, world champion power-lifter, former
marine and founder of Dark Horse Fitness, has a
knack for physiology. Years of experience led to
the creation of X-pound-4, a drug-free ftness program
designed specifcally for women.
X-pound-4 fnds a womans metabolism. Not every
woman burns calories at the same rate, Rozzi explains.
The trade-secret method took 30 years to develop. Now,
using over-the-counter urinalysis sticks, Rozzi can pin-
point a womans exact metabolic rate.
We can tell if metabolism acting at the speed it should,
Rozzi says. Then, we design an exercise program based
on that rate. Theres nothing I cant break through once I
know that metabolic range.
X-pound-4 is so precise that Rozzi can tell whether a
client is staying on track. If numbers are of, 90 percent
of the time the woman is understating the amount of food
shes eating, he says. The other 10 percent of the time,
shes pregnant.
she didnt know why it happened when it
did. at the age of 42, Carol Baglia was a
healthy and successful volunteer and en-
trepreneur. The only respiratory problems
shed ever experienced were occasional
allergies. Now suddenly, she couldnt
breathe. The diagnosis? Asthmathe
same disease that had led to the death of
her grandmother at the age of 55.
Baglia didnt waste any time; she got
proactive about researching solutions.
Eventually, she found relief in the form
of a unique respiratory training program.
It was so life-changing that I wanted to
tell people that there were other options
to deal with dysfunctional breathing,
she said. So in 2003 I founded Correct
Breathing Concepts.
The secret to her recovery was a breath-
ing system called the Buteyko Method,
which is designed to naturally improve
Rozzis program is high-
ly individualized and
includes two-hour
one-on-one training
sessions in his cus-
tomized home-based
studio. He doesnt
need to market him-
self aggressively
word gets around
in high-society cir-
cles. His clients come
from around the world and in-
clude models, athletes, pageant winners, and top profes-
sionals who want to look their best.
Because he takes womens health seriously, Rozzi ex-
pects his clients to do the same. If a woman starts play-
ing games with me, I cancel the contract and move on to
someone else who really wants it.
This intensity has made his program a top choice for re-
sults-driven women who are tough enough to train with
this no-nonsense entrepreneur. This isnt a day spa,
Rozzi says. We work and we sweat.
respiratory diseases like asthma and na-
sal allergies. Its been proven efective by
several clinical studies, and many former
suferers swear by it.
Correct Breathing Concepts holds both
public and private workshops to teach
the Buteyko Method. Baglia also ofers
products, including books and breathing
accessories. Clients respond very well to
this. I have a lot of success stories, she
said. Over time, I started gaining recog-
nition and even doctors referrals.
Her goal is to expand and reach more
people. Most people cant pay out of
pocket for health care, but theyre des-
perate to find someone to help them.
Correct breathing can help because it
doesnt require prescriptions or lots of
visits to the doctor.
How the entrepreneur behind Correct Breathing Concepts turned
a health concern into an opportunity
HEALTH BRIEFS
CATCHING HER BREATH
by wendy connick
The passage of the Afordable Care Act has lef many
insurance and health care providers with administrative
headaches as they work on bringing their facilities into
compliance. Ofen they simply dont have the expertise to
make the required changes. These providers turn to health
care organizational experts like Managed Care Partners.
Several elements of the health care reform legislation
put pressure directly or indirectly on insurance companies
and employers. This ultimately will translate into pres-
sure on providers to reduce reimbursement, said James
Richmond, president of Managed Care Partners. Our
plan for the future is to continue to help clients survive
in a world that is increasingly complex and unforgiving.
As its name suggests, Richmonds company specializes
in helping health care providers set up and run managed
care systems. We spend most of our time on activities re-
lated to being an outsourced managed care department,
Richmond said. We have worked with over one hundred
diferent managed care payers and administer over 750
contracts. Because we deal with payers and providers ev-
ery day, the knowledge base of our team remains current.
Managed Care Partners helps providers to assemble health
care networks and guides hospitals in creating or acquir-
ing physician groups. They also bring together health
care providers and local employers to set up direct
contracts. The introduction of Medicare Advantage
plans in 1999 added a new complication to managed
care, and Richmond works with providers to de-
velop strategies for incorporating these plans.
Lately, Managed Care Partners has been
helping clients plan for forming account-
able care organizations, or ACOs. An ACO, as described
by the Afordable Care Act, is a group of providers pri-
mary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and so on
that work together to ofer a complete health care pack-
age. Each member of the network is jointly responsible
for keeping their patients healthy. Because the providers
in an ACO send patients back and forth within the group
as needed and are equally liable for any problems, they
must cooperate and share information seamlessly. ACOs
wont come into efect until January 2012, but many pro-
vider groups are laying the groundwork in advance.
When ready to move ahead, we will assist the ACOs
to select vendors for backroom services, perform risk
analyses, contract with payers and participating provid-
ers, and manage the enterprise, Richmond said. We have
also been very active in seting up programs that use the
concepts of accountable care, patient-centered medical
homes and population management to help provider cli-
ents improve the health and productivity of employees.
Richmond is proud of the role that he and his partners
have in helping health care providers succeed. The four
individuals who formed Managed Care Part-
ners in 1994 all had many years of experi-
ence in the insurance industry and with
managed care, he said. Many of our
clients have been with us for more
than a decade. We take pride in hav-
ing helped them through the years
with their managed care payer,
employer, community and
physician relationships.
The Man Behind the Curtain
As health care law changes loom, James Richmond and his team work behind the
scenes to make sure that medical providers can integrate seamlessly into new practices.
by wendy connick
W
ith a facetious bill and a conspiratorial plan,
Republicans in the House of Representatives
put on a show of solidarity on May 31. Their
proposed legislationto raise the U.S. debt ceiling with-
out attaching spending cutswas roundly defeated by its
own drafters in order to send a clear message: raising the
cap without making major budget revisions would find
no Republican support on Capitol Hill. Democrats, mean-
while, criticized the bill as a political stunt.
While this pervasive fiscal issue has been debated by
legislators since late last year, the fracas officially began
on May 16 when America collectively slammed its head
into the debt ceiling of $14.3 trillion. Treasury Secretary
Timothy Geithner heeded the warning by pushing the
debt default date to August 2. This bufferthe debt issu-
ance suspension periodallows for some time to address
both short-term and long-term issues.
Geithners stance is that if the nation reaches the debt
ceiling, it would force the government to default some of
its existing obligations, resulting in a catastrophic eco-
nomic impact. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have
mixed feelings on how best to proceed. Some hold to the
stance that the ceiling shouldnt be raised without signifi-
cant spending cuts, while others feel that not raising the
debt ceiling is tantamount to playing chicken with a run-
away freight train.
At stake is the nations ability to meet its financial ob-
ligations, including paying for programs such as Social
Security and Medicare. Not unlike the average American
with a mortgage, a car loan and credit card balances, the
nation has bills to pay. When funds run dry, defaults oc-
cur.
The closer we get to the debt ceiling, the more fierce
the debate over whether to raise the limit, said Valerie
Coleman Morris, former CNN Business Anchor and au-
thor of Mind Over Money MattersIts Your Money So Take
It Personally. Morris explains that if the debt ceiling is not
raised, the government could shut down, non-essential
federal workers could be sent home and world govern-
ments confidence in the United States may be shaken.
Still, a recent Gallup survey found that 47 percent of
Americans want their member of Congress to vote against
a debt ceiling increase.
Unsustainable Practices
Raising the debt ceiling is far from unprecedented. Its
been done 74 times since March of 1962, and 11 of those
hikes occurred in last 15 years. But according to some,
theres much more at stake this time around.
The level of our debt as a percentage of GDP is now
BY W. B. KING
The U.S. Debt Ceiling:
How High is Too High?
markedly higher than its ever been since World War II.
More critically, the trend is unsustainable because of going-
forward commitments Congress has made to Medicare, So-
cial Security and other programs, said David Teece, chair-
man and CEO of the Berkeley Research Group and director
of the Institute of Management, Innovation and Organiza-
tion at the Haas School of Business, University of California,
Berkeley.
There is no way our economy can fulfill these promises.
We need to agree now to revise our promises, at least in a
going-forward basis. If we dont cut now, we will be in deep
crisis, Teece continued. Moreover, just because excessive
levels of government spending and debt have been allowed
to continue to hold doesnt mean we should fail to take cor-
rective action now. Rather, excessive expenditures in the
past make it all the more imperative we cut now.
When President Barack Obama was a junior senator for
Ill. in 2006, he, along with all Democrats, voted against rais-
ing the debt ceiling when the Bush administration was faced
with a similar dilemma. He has since conceded that the vote
was a mistake. With the 2012 presidential campaign gearing
up, cutting federal programs is not favored by Democrats;
many want the ceiling raised. Obama, who has met with
GOP leaders on the issue, has requested a statutory debt
ceiling increase from $14.294 trillion to $16.7 trillion.
I would anticipate that they will increase it again, and if
they do, it obviously becomes more of a political football,
said Andrew Reina, managing director at Ajilon Finance So-
lutions, who has experience in public and private financial
management, accounting, operations and business improve-
ment.
There is a lot of uncertainty and concern right now.
The longer [politicians] push this back, the more of a
negative impact there will be on job creation, Reina
continued. We are in for a bit of a rocky road whether
they increase the debt ceiling or not. At the end of the
day, it is not sustainable what we are doing. Further
complicating matters was a warning from the Moody
Corporation that it would consider cutting the nations
credit rating by mid-July if significant progress wasnt
realized. The company provides credit ratings and re-
search covering debt instruments and securities.
Raising Taxes Is Not the Only Answer
In a bipartisan effort to cut spending while also in-
creasing the debt ceiling, Vice President Joe Biden has
assembled a seven-member group comprised of senior
members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Republicans have drawn a line in the sand and will not
vote to raise the debt ceiling until significant cuts are
made. These include possible cuts in farm subsidies,
requiring federal workers to contribute more money
to their pension plans, caps in annual spending, selling
excess federal property, reducing Medicare fraud and
overpayments and auctioning broadcast spectrum li-
censes. These cuts, and others being discussed, amount
to approximately $150 billionbut Republicans are
calling for trillions to be lopped off the budget.
The failure to take corrective action now will nega-
tively impact everyone. There is unquestionably politi-
cal maneuvering, said Teece. Republicans want to ap-
pear parsimonious; Democrats appeal
to established constituencies of ben-
eficiaries by suggesting that the deficit
can be handled in the first instance by
higher taxes. However, higher taxes
alone wont solve the problem.
For those politicians looking to kick
the proverbial can down the road, ana-
lysts say this historical short-term-fix
approach will make matters worse in
the long run. Todays baby boomer
generation is the first generation of
Americans to ever put themselves
ahead of their children. Todays poli-
ticians, and the voters they represent,
will have a lot to answer for in the his-
tory books if they continue to pursue
intergenerational greed by saddling
the next generation with this genera-
tions debt, said Teece.
Identifying trouble in a troubled industry is not as easy as it
sounds, but that is what Jim Bufalo and Alexander Conti, co-
owners of Bufalo & Conti Insurance and Financial Services,
specialize in doing. As the insurance and financial indus-
tries evolve, products change and new estate tax laws loom,
Bufalo and Conti have made it their mission to sleuth out
poor-performing policies hiding in clients insurance trusts.
Our strength is being the Holmes & Watson of the in-
surance industry, Conti says. We focus on demystify-
ing or debunking insurance policies that have been paid
for by individuals or corporations for up to thirty years.
We look at the good, the bad, and the ugly. We find out
if the policy is going to implode, which has been a very
big reality in the last few years. There are a lot of really
big name companies that are not doing well. Policy hold-
ers are not aware of this. Insurance policies need to be
reviewed frequently. If someone has purchased an in-
surance policy for estate planning purposes and we find
that its not going to satisfy the goal, we sound the alarm
and provide options on how to repair it or replace it.
The trouble started with the 2008 market crash. But
the trickle-down effect has only recently become evi-
dent in the insurance industry, as poorly-performing
investments have slowly eroded the values of some
policies, leaving policy holders with zero-value poli-
cies despite having paid premiums for decades.
Bufalo and Conti, who are representatives of North-
western Mutual Financial Network, say that review-
ing insurance policies is equally as important as review-
ing investment portfolios. We make sure that policies
that have been put in place are doing what they were
intended to do. Unfortunately, that is not always the
case, and the ramifications are tremendous, Bufalo says.
We spend a lot of time reviewing the financial strength of in-
surance companies, Conti adds. We look at the current rat-
ings from the rating agencies and help show consumers and
advisors how these companies rate. We arent out to sell one
particular company. We want to satisfy the goals of the client
and help them repair something thats going to blow up.
The partners explain that while long-term care insurance
is an important aspect of estate planning, several compa-
nies have recently announced they will discontinue or
will raise premiums on existing policies. Not only is
Northwestern committed to the business, they have
no interest in raising premiums. In fact they are
paying $11.2 million in dividends on this rela-
tively new block of business, Bufalo says, add-
ing that the long-term care line has only been of-
THE
H
o
l
m
e
s
&
W
a
t
s
o
n
of the Insurance and Financial Services Industry
BY ANDREA LEHNER
fered for the past 13 years of Northwesterns 154-year history.
The difference between Northwestern and its competitors,
Bufalo explains, is that Northwestern is still owned by poli-
cyholders. This is a big deal today because theres been a
movement in our industry to demutualize. This is when a
mutual company recapitalizes their entire organization and
effectively divests the ownership of the company from the
policyholders to trade on the stock exchange. Northwestern
has not demutualized. They are still owned by the policy-
holder. There is no middle man. If Northwestern runs a tight,
good business they refund the policy holder via dividends.
This year the scheduled dividend payout is $4.9 billion,
more than double the next competitor. They take great pride
in being a low net cost
leader in our indus-
try, Bufalo says.
Adding to the
importance for
comprehensive
policy review
is a pending
change in tax
law. We are
dealing with a dif-
ferent set of estate
planning laws right
now, Conti says. Congress recently passed a
new estate tax law. This allows us to become a val-
ued service even more because our clients need
to know how it affects their estate planning.
The current law will be effective until January
2013, at which time the exemption, currently $5
million, is scheduled to drop to $1 million. This is
a very important opportunity to take advantage of
the current law for long-range generational plan-
ning and wealth transfer planning, Bufalo says.
Bufalo and Conti are often called upon by other ad-
visors to conduct thorough analysis of the clients in-
surance policies. Often an estate planning attorney,
CPA, or wealth management advisor will ask us to
look at an existing policy to see if it is performing as ex-
pected from date of issue. Unfortunately, with respect
to a lot of products in our industry, there have been
problems with policy performance, Bufalo explains.
We consider ourselves to be the good guys, Conti
adds. We follow the letter of the law 100 percent,
and we have to be a reality check for some of these
advisors and tell them what is really going on. Some-
times thats a delicate balance, but we maintain it.
Bufalo agrees that finding this balance can be
tricky, especially when the client has a multi-
million dollar policy that isnt working. Tell-
ing them what they need to hear versus what they
want to hear is not easy to do. It can be a chal-
lenge, but that is what we do. And we do it well.
The partners pride themselves in being able to pro-
vide an unbiased, researched, third-party perspective.
Their two-year partnership has grown from serving
individuals and small business owners to a diverse
spectrum of entertainers, athletes, executives, cor-
porations, investment bankers and traders. A pri-
mary source of business comes from trust and
estate attorneys, accountants and wealth man-
agement advisors. They take their commit-
ment to building solid relationships seriously.
Our clients are friends, Bufalo says. We
create a user-friendly relationship and try to
maintain a high level of integrity. Breaking bad
news is not easy, so maintaining relationships
is important. We tell people what we see, but
we allow them to make their own decisions.
With over fifty years of combined experi-
ence, knowledge and expertise, Bufalo and
Conti can provide a vast array of services.
They continue expanding their investigative
role in helping other industry professionals
identify and rectify potentially disastrous poli-
cies, truly embracing their niche as the Hol-
mes and Watson of the insurance industry.
For more information, please visit :
www.alex-conti.com | www.jimbufalo.com
M
ary lamont, president of m. s. lamont
& Associates Ltd., started out at the very botom
of the fnancial services totem pole. I worked in
London as a fling clerk for one of the frms, she said. I had
worked for brokerage frms and a bank, and then one of the
people that I had met through business said I ought to go out
on my own and he would back me. So thats how I started.
Her shrewd eye for fnance has served her well ever
since. She advises her clients to consider all the factors
before choosing an investment. Back in the days of the
technology sector boom, those were the worst days. People
would come in and their frst question was, What kind of
rate of return do you have? And that is not the frst question
somebody should ask. They should worry about service and
trust, with return as the third issue, Lamont said. She did
all she could to steer them in the right direction, foreseeing
a bursting bubble. It was even worse than buying mining
companies, where you dont know whether theyre going
to fnd gold or not. These people were buying shells of
companies, which had absolutely nothing.
Notwithstanding the challenges of dealing
with overconfdent investors, M. S. Lamont
& Associates has been growing steadily
and weathering recessions large and
small. As demand has waxed and waned,
Lamont has learned the value of
building relationships. Many
of her clients have been with
her since she frst opened
her doors 25 years ago.
A GOOD RETURN
Recession or not, investing advisor Mary Lamont keeps it consistent - by wendy connick
T
he accolades say it all.
The clients of The Principles
Group, LLC, are quick to voice
their satisfaction. Youre unlike any
consulting frm weve ever worked
with! says one happy customer. An-
other testifes: Your people jumped
right in and immediately brought
great value.
It began in 2004, when Doug Shurts
and Mike Tierney lef successful careersas an executive at
AT&T and a practice partner at PWC, respectivelyto pur-
sue an entrepreneurial dream. They built Principles Group,
LLC into a top-level consulting and high-end stafng ser-
vice.
"We were motivated by our vast experience managing the
Change Integration in large technical and business process
projects that utilized internal and Big Four consulting re-
sources," Shurts says. "We knew that in our area of expertise,
we could outperform the competition."
Shurts adds that with their combined experience, they had
"seen the best of what consulting frms contribute, as well
as the worst." This insight helped them develop a business
model that focused on delivering expert service to diverse
BUSINESS BRIEFS
The Right Principles
by andrea lehner
companies, from their home base in the U.S. Northeast to
those as far away as South Africa and Asia.
With sights set on client-centered growth, Shurts, who
holds an MBA in fnance and has completed executive
management programs at Stanford, Dartmouth and Duke,
knows that listening to a client's needs and treating everyone
equally are the secrets of good business. "Our focus on mak-
ing our clients successful and our ability to bring top-quality
talent to projects are the biggest reasons for our success,
he says, which continues to be fed by our reputation and
word-of-mouth."
26 Church Street
P.O. Box 305
Liberty Corner, N.J. 07938
N.J. Ofce: P. 973-795-2232
M.A. Ofce: P. 508.973.9008
www.principlesgroup.com
Yellow Page Consultants Inc.
In the age of the smart phone, consumers can fnd contact in-
formation for a myriad of local businesses at their tech-savvy
fngertipssome think nothing of leaving their Yellow Pages
deliveries to get rain-soaked and sun-bleached on their front
stoops. But Pat Rhein, president of Yellow Page Consultants
Inc., sees marketing opportunities in this of-overlooked feld.
Consumers are still using the Yellow Pages, she says.
Whats changing is that a lot of people complain because they
want something local, like a pizzeria or plumber, but they go
online and cant fnd one. So many publishers are now puting
their actual phonebooks online. This is adding a whole new val-
ue to the Yellow Pages again.
Rhein started as a part-time secretary and telephone solicitor
for the 30-year-old strategic advertising consulting frm. Early
on, she recognized the unique niche the agency flled, and she
eventually bought the company herself. We were the very frst
Yellow Page agency in New Jersey that was independent and
did not print a phonebook, she explains. Rheins frm is not
limited to placing ads with any one publisher; therefore, they
can ofer clients optimal placement in both print and online Yel-
low Page listings anywhere in America.
Yellow Page Consultants works with large frms who adver-
tise in at least three states and more than twenty diferent direc-
tories throughout the country. They make sure advertising dol-
lars are efective by strategically planning ad placements that
target consumers who are ready to buy.
Rheins goal is to develop Yellow Page Consultants into a
multi-service agency by providing direct mail, search engine
marketing, and reputation management.
by andrea lehner
An entrepreneur in a changing industry adapts to new demands.
As a young girl growing
up in a coal-mining family,
Barbara Arnold loved playing
with rocks. She always knew
she wanted a future in mining
and metallurgy, so becoming
president of PrepTech, a coal
engineering support company,
was a natural career path for
her.
Afer earning a degree in
Mineral Processing from
Penn State and then working
in the coal industry for over
a decade, Arnold was ready
when opportunity knocked.
Encouraged by a construction
client who needed engineering
support, Arnold and her
business partner founded
PrepTech in 1997.
Two years later, Arnold
recalls, we were doing
engineering work for coal
cleaning plant, and we were
approached by an equipment
manufacturer to become their
U.S. representative. In 2000,
PrepTech became the ofcial
representative of Multotec, a
global leader in coal processing
equipment.
Today, the majority of
PrepTechs business is
equipment sales to coal
companies and engineering
construction companies,
especially for the metallurgical
market.
But lately, diferent times are
calling for diferent measures.
There are so many issues
regarding going forward with
coal-powered power plants,
Arnold explains. So that
market, while steady, is not
expanding at the rate
it had been before
the recession. In
order to keep up with
r api dl y- changi ng
coal preparation
technology, Arnold says they
rely on customers to tell
them what works and what
doesnt. We are a conduit
between U.S. customers and
the manufacturer, she says.
We take the customers
information back to the
manufacturer. Multotec has
an extensive system of quality
improvement and research
to continue developing new
technology.
The Mineralist by andrea lehner
PrepTech, Inc.
4412 Route 66
Apollo, PA 15613
P. 888.447.PREP
www.preptech.com
Marketing by the book
Fully Invested
by Altamese Osborne
S
tock market fluctuations can be hard to predict,
but investing doesnt have to be a guessing game
if youve got the right guidance. John Cranes futures
trading brokerage firm, Traders Network, provides
the tools for investment traders to navigate the ups
and downs of the market.
Basically our business is to pro-
vide the best brokerage services
and educational services available,
said Crane. Not only are we a bro-
kerage firm, were also an educa-
tional firm; we try to educate our
customers to provide them with the
best kind of trading strategy. Most
brokerage firms dont do that.
To begin the process, Traders Net-
work uses its very own online training
programs to introduce their clients to
the best trading practices. We were
one of the very first ones that did trade-
simulated software, said Crane.
And the education doesnt stop
there. We give webinars using real-
time markets to show clients what
were doing, explained Crane. I
give a live webinar once a week, and
I just go through everything live us-
ing real markets, and I give them
projections for the next few days.
Then, we give them access to our
advisory service where we update
them daily on new trade recommen-
dations, and we keep them aware
during the day of whats going on.
Crane co-founded Traders Net-
work in 1987 with Joseph Kellogg
after a successful career in commod-
ity futures and agricultural finance.
He is the bestselling author of three
books on investing, and has written
articles for Barrons, Investors Busi-
ness Daily, the Wall Street Journal
and more. He is also a member and
former president of the National In-
troducing Brokers Association. As
president and CEO of Traders Net-
work, he bases his work on an ac-
tion/reaction-themed market swing
theory, which insists that futures
trading is a matter of perfect timing.
The trading program looks at
each market individually, and it has a
market-timing intelligence that deter-
mines the volatility. It determines how
much risk you should take to reach
your profit objective, said Crane.
When the time comes to take that
calculated risk, Traders Network
uses technology to deliver results.
Probably the most successful thing
weve done is designing our trad-
ing programs over the last 20 years,
said Crane. Theyre computerized
and theyre auto-traded. So people
can sign up can pick the markets
they want traded, and the comput-
er automatically trades the signals
for them. Clients can just sit back.
Thanks to Crane and his company,
investors have access to a dependable
resource as they weather tough times.
With all of his experience in the field,
Crane is confident about the future
of his business. Most of our custom-
ers come to us from other brokerage
firms where theyve tried their own
strategy and its failed, or they do
not have the discipline to follow a
good marketing and trading plan,
he said. So they come to us because
we provide the trading program
thats been working for years, and we
provide the discipline for them.
Brokerage and Technologies for Todays Trader. - since 1987
In trying economic times,
Traders Network is a valuable asset.
Traders Network Inc.
504 West Eisenhower Blvd | Ste. 302
Loveland, Colorado 80537
P. 800.521.0705 | tradersnetwork.com
Suit, There was never a loss for words
or opinions at Friday night dinners!
Until recently, Russells journey
up the career ladder was predictably
swift. After graduating from Cornell
Law School, he took the typical route
of an overachiever: federal clerkship,
Skadden, Arps, and then a position
with the U.S. Attorneys Office.
But Russell took a risk in 2009, ex-
posing an entrepreneurial streak that
surprised his friends, his family, and
even himself. He left the world of gi-
ant firms and federal-level litigation
and founded a small independent prac-
tice called Yankwitt & Associates, LLC,
which has since grown to become Yank-
witt & McGuire, LLP.
From the beginning, there were a myr-
iad of obstacles. Running the new firm
was a complicated affair, and Russell
quickly learned to juggle a wide range
of administrative duties in addition to
managing complex litigations. Family
life intervened as well, and he lost plen-
ty of sleep in order to make it all work.
Almost immediately after opening his
firm, he started with a bang and won a
jury trial for a large restaurant chain in
New Jersey. The very next day, he em-
barked on a transcontinental journey to
adopt his daughter in Taiwan.
Luckily, Taiwan is on a 12-hour time
difference. So I could spend my days
there with my wife and new daughter,
and then when they were asleep I could
turn my computer on and work all night
during U.S. business hours, Russell re-
called. That was certainly a challenging
period in my life, but it all worked out
fantastically well.
Since those hectic early days, business
at the firm has been growing steadily.
Russell notes that keeping the workflow
steady while finding ways to grow the
firm has been a challenge, but its one he
is willing to confront in order to increase
revenues, create a top litigation firm in
Westchester, and still preserve his integ-
rity.
In 2010, the firm benefited from a new
addition. Harold Skip McGuire, an-
other former federal prosecutoralbeit
from a different eramet Russell at a
New Years party and offered to join
forces. Today, Skip expands the scope
of the firm with his expertise in federal
criminal litigation, arbitration and secu-
rities law.
Yankwitt & McGuire is located just
one block from the federal courthouse
in White Plains, where Russell argued
more than 50 cases as an assistant U.S.
Attorney for the Southern District of
New York. His seven-year tenure with
the federal government included in-
volvement in the settlement of a false
claims act against New York Waterways
for $1.3 million, as well as orchestrating
I
t wasnt as easy as it seemed.
Anyone could have predicted that
White Plains attorney Russell Yankwitt
had a brilliant legal career ahead of him.
Law was in his blood; his father ran
the litigation department of two large
New York firms, his paternal uncle and
grandfather were both lawyers, and
both of his brothers and their wives are
lawyers by training. As Russell told The
FINDING A
BALANCE
by jacey fortin
Star atorney, daring
entrepreneur, and dedicated
father Russell Yankwit lives up
to a family legacy of success.
taught me that if you want to be a lawyer, theres only one
way to do ityouve got to dive with both feet into every
legal matter, and always be ready to go to the mat for your
clients.
Part of the reason Russell chose to work in White Plains
was so that he could be close to his family. He considers
himself fortunate to work an abbreviated day, come
home at 7 p.m. to read with his two children and help put
them to bed, and then finish the rest of the evening back at
the office, which is only 5 minutes from his home. White
Plains has also been a great source for referrals, which is no
surprise to Russell. From the beginning, he perceived the
need for a strong litigation boutique in White Plains that
could not only serve the local businesses, but also assist
the large New York firms with their northern clients in a
cost-effective manner.
Recognizing the importance of balancing work
and family life has also led Russell to embrace al-
ternative and flexible hiring practices. In just two
years, Russell has grown from a solo act to a grow-
ing law firm with four full-time lawyers, two full
time paralegals, and several counsel attorneys to
assist on the complex projects. He regularly em-
ploys seasoned attorneys and affords them the op-
portunity to work during school hours so they can
better balance work and their children. Its a busi-
ness model that has proven effective, and Russell
hopes to continue this hiring trend as his firm con-
tinues to grow.

To learn more about Russell and his firm, readers
are encouraged to visit: www.yankwitt.com
the successful recovery of $125
million from the Dana Corpo-
ration, a bankrupt auto parts
manufacturer in Toledo, Ohio.
With experiences like these
behind him, its no surprise that
Russells independent enter-
prise is on the path to great success. Today, he regularly
represents clients involved in commercial litigation as well
as general liability and employment disputes. His areas
of expertise include civil litigation, breach of contract,
employment law and representing small companies in
Westchester and throughout New York State.
Russell is passionate about fighting for the rights of those
he believes are wronged, and it shows. Clients regularly
laud his zeal, dedication and enthusiasm. Hes been called
a breath of fresh air, a highly experienced professional,
and the hardest-working attorney Ive ever known. One
grateful client, D. Clive Metz, told The Suit that Russell
went the extra mile for me, and then beyond! I have never
met such a hard-working, responsive and caring person
who always put me, the client, before himself. The legal
system would be much better off if there were more attor-
neys with Russells dedication, work-ethic, and guidance.
He was not only concerned with obtaining the best pos-
sible outcome; he was concerned about what was best for
me and my family.
Family has always been important to Russell. I couldnt
have survived without the support of family and friends
who volunteered to keep the business running while I was
overseas, he said. And I owe so much to my wife Debo-
rah, who encouraged me and believed in me when I start-
ed out, despite the financial risks. Family is also the force
that first instilled in him a great enthusiasm for his trade.
My father taught me how to be a lawyer through his pas-
sion, Russell said. He cared greatly about his clients. He
Yankwitt & McGuire, LLP.
140 Grand St.
White Plains, N.Y. 10601
(914) 686-1500
russell@yankwitt.com
http://www.yankwitt.com
I
n the late 1980s Don Gracey
made a career-changing
decision, and hes never
looked back. Leaving a
successful career in government,
Gracey became a partner at CG
Group, a public affairs consulting
organization. The Canadian-based
firm has earned a reputation for
integrity, longevity, and client
satisfaction.
Gracey attributes CGs success
to their client-centered, results-
driven business model. We are
known to be a highly ethical
organization, he says. People
know they can rely on what we
say, and on what we undertake to
do. We dont oversell ourselves.
We have a very high success
ratio for the projects weve taken
on. We have a solid analytical
and intelligence-gathering
infrastructure that allows us to
help our clients be proactive and
get ahead of events rather than
reacting to or being surprised by
them. And, he adds, we work
really hard.
Decades of experience in
high-level positions for both
the Canadian and Australian
governments have helped Gracey
to tackle diverse and interesting
projects, including working with
the World Bank in Sri Lanka,
Cote dIvoire, and Mexico. My
specialty is understanding how
governments work, the lenses
through which policy and
funding decisions are made, and
how the political level relates to
the bureaucratic level, Gracey
explains. We can help our clients
have a measurable impact on the
government decisions that affect
them.
CG Group represents clients
in many industries, particularly
healthcare and energy. They spe-
cialize in moving conversations
forward in intelligent, research-
based ways to achieve positive re-
sults for their clients. Their positive
methods have proven successful
in many challenging, high-stakes
situations, earning CG a high cus-
tomer retention and referral rate.
Gracey highlighted one such ac-
complishment: We received
an Innovation Award for our
work with local municipalities
bringing federal funding for new
rapid transit, an identified medi-
cal device cluster and in stopping
a high-voltage transmission line
from going through residential
communities.
Innovation is CGs calling card.
Gracey lauds his partner, Nancy
Coldham, for her ability to stay
three steps ahead of the herd in
terms of identifying niches, where
the company should be going,
and what it should be doing.
Gracey also notes that their size
has allowed them to remain more
nimble and innovative than large
public or private organizations.
Even before beginning his
impressive career, Gracey recalls
being drawn to politics. After
earning a B.A. with honors from the
University of Western Ontario, he
went on to earn a Masters in public
administration from Carleton
University and an additional
degree (with distinction) from
the London School of Education
in England. I was able to study
public administration from a more
international and economics-
based perspective, he said.
Gracey has firm views about
the value of entrepreneurship
to Canadas economy, saying
that small and medium-sized
businesses are creating the
majority of new jobs. The best
thing governments can do more to
help entrepreneurs, he says, is to
cut out the red tape.
Entrepreneurs arent necessar-
ily hardwired to be hard-work-
ing, Gracey says. We work hard
because the risks of failure are so
high. But the rewards of success
are equally high.
A New Means of
Communication
Don Gracey and his partners at CG Group conduct public
affairs on a grand scale, giving their clients a voice when they
need it the most.
BY ANDREA LEHNER
Living by their wits,
their knowledge
and their ability to
transform ideas into
commercial value.
CG Group, Canada
175 Commerce Valley Drive West, Suite 220
Markham, Ontario, L3T 7P6
P: 905.709.4424 | www.cggroup.com
Entrepreneurs
arent necessarily
hardwired to be
hard-working.

Afer earning his MBA in 1963,

Johnson joined an independent
brokerage frm in Toronto. That frm
eventually became BMO Nesbit
Burns, where Johnson served as Vice
Chair and, afer retirement, continued
as a senior advisor to their Investment
Banking Division.
Through my experience as a
research analyst combined with
institutional equity sales and trading,
Johnson says, I got to know equity
capital markets. That became relevant
to raising capital for companies in
the investment banking side of the
business. My focus was on providing
service to corporations in Canada as
well as foreign corporations that had
an interest in Canada.
Johnson recalls his most challenging
and rewarding transaction. We were
co-advisors with Goldman Sachs
for British American Tobacco, he
says. Back in 2000, they acquired
a Canadian conglomerate called
Imasco. They already owned a
minority stake and then acquired
the rest of the company for $10
billion. BAT sold of the non-tobacco
businesses for another $10 billion.
The $20 billion deal took over three
years to complete.
The most challenging part,
Johnson says, is securing
the support of both the
management and the
board of the company
you are advising, and
then convincing the
management and the
board of the counterparty
that the deal is in their
best interests.
Johnson has seen many
changes in the industry, including a
trend toward globalization, but says
most key principles are the same.
Things have goten a litle more
complex fnancially, but the principles
of what makes a successful investment
banker are still the samededication
to hard work, integrity, teamwork,
and keeping the best interests of your
client and your company ahead of
your personal interests. He adds that
patience, persistence, giving team
members due credit, and keeping
your ego in check are imperative
traits for success.
Philanthropic eforts are a
high priority for Johnson. The
accomplishment hes most proud
of helped open the door for more
charitable giving. In Canada during
the early 90s, when you gave stock
to a charity, you got a tax receipt for
the market value of the gif but you
were deemed to have sold the shares,
which triggered capital gains tax.
Nobody gave stocks to charity and
that was a major source of wealth for
potential donations, he said.
I began a lobbying campaign with
the federal government in 1995 to
adopt the U.S. system of exempting
charitable stock donations from
capital gains tax. In 1997, Canada cut
the capital gains tax in half. Finally in
2006, Johnsons eforts paid of and
the capital gains tax on charitable
donations of stocks was eliminated.
Gifs of stock to Canadian charities
have exceeded $1 billion every year
since 2006.
Looking forward, Johnson plans
to continue his role as a corporate
advisor, a volunteer board member
of fve nonprofts, and Chairman of
easyhome, the third largest rent-to-
own company in North America.
I like the balance that I have now.
I interact frequently with managers,
board members, executives, and
CEOs of various corporations. I like
that interaction and want to maintain
these relationships.
Don Johnsons impressive career in
investment banking has spanned nearly
fve decades, and even afer retiring in
2004, he has no plans of slowing down.
I began a lobbying
campaign with the
federal government in
1995 to adopt the U.S.
system of exempting
charitable stock donations
from capital gains tax.
Business with a Conscience
by andrea lehner
One Toronto investment
banker proves that the great-
est achievements are about
more than personal gain.
The Total Package
by wendy connick
W
hether or not youve ever
heard of the company,
chances are youve seen
All American Labels work. Their
products are right there in front of
you every time you stop at the grocery
store to pick up a container of fresh
fruit, a botle of wine, a package of
fresh-cut salad or even sausages. Go
down another isle for your health and
beauty aids or pharmaceutical needs,
and again All American Labels work
can be seen. And theyre not just
limited to the grocery store; their
labels can be found at your favorite
automotive or electronics stores such
as Best Buy, and even at your local
WalMart or Costco.
Were a one-stop shop for labels,
digital and fexographic printing,
folding cartons, Smart Shrink
shrink sleeves, complete graphic
design/photo studio and moreall
done in-house. Theres no outside
sourcing, said Brad C. Brown, the
company founder. We call ourselves
the 7-11 of printing; you walk in, you
get everything you need.
Tired of the corporate life hed been
leading, Brown started his company
on the side in 1995. I always wanted
to have my own business. I worked
for a large corporation, and they
sold our division; I didnt want that
to happen again, he said. I wanted
to make some changes: be more
All American Label
6958 Sierra Ct.
Dublin, CA 94568
P. 925-803-5709
allamericanlabel.net
customer service oriented, have
faster lead times, and really cater to
the customer. All American Label
didnt become a full-time endeavor
of Browns until 1999. Since then the
company has grown steadily, with
plants in Tenn. and Calif. and a total
of 57 employees in both locations,
servicing customers worldwide. Each
day All American Label produces
more than 5 million labels, and ships
to fve continents around the world.
Customer service is the overriding
priority for Brown. Whatever it
takes, we get it done for the customer.
Its quality, its quick and its a good
price, he said. We grew by servicing
our customers with whatever they
needed to make their package or
product stand out to their potential
customers. We take care of the
customer from start to fnish. From
the owner to production personnel,
we give our cell phone numbers to
customers for 24/7 access, just like
7-11.
Brown adopted the moto More
Than Just Labels to describe his
policy of providing whatever products
and services his customers need. To
that end, the company not only does
label printing but also shrink sleeves,
including shrinking to the botle for
prototypes or even full production
runs. Need a folding carton? No
problemtheyll print and fold your
carton or sleeve, all in-house. Need
warehousing for JIT (just-in-time)
shipping, or to run higher quantities
against releases throughout the year?
All American Label does a one-price
guarantee for its customers, in order
to be More Than Just Labels at a
more than fair cost. The companys
atitude has atracted clients from
industries as varied as food, gas
and oil, pharmaceutical, electronic
computing, environmental and
waste management, packaging and
containers, health and beauty and
garden supplies. Simply put, All
American Label caters to all industries
worldwide.
All American Label uses digital
plates for label and package-printing
projects. These plates are generated
from a computer fle instead of
traditional photographic processes.
If you dont have art and need help
designing, All American Label can
photograph your product and design
a label that will jump of the shelf
to potential customers. Once again,
its all part of comprehensive service
done fully in-house, with More Than
Just Labels as the driving force to
keep customers happy.
Like most businesses, All American
Label experienced a few challenges
thanks to the economic downturn.
Price increases defnitely hurt,
Brown said. We saw price increases
on raw materials, and it was a
challenge for us to make sure that
we could keep our customers prices
down.
But the company benefted from
the recession as well, gaining more
projects in the afermath of the
economic slump. Thats because the
products they label typically end up
on retail shelves, and since consumers
are doing more bargain food shopping
than going out to restaurants, they
sell more labels. People are staying
at home and buying more food,
instead of going out or on vacation,
Brown explained. The container of
macaroni salad or the sandwich you
might buyits got a label on it. So
we sell more in the end, he said.
But for Brown, proft is not the botom
line. He prides himself on creating
a family atmosphere at his business.
In order to engender a collaborative
atmosphere, no one has a title on his
or her business card. And employees
answer the phone in person instead of
using an automated greeting system.
How many times do you get sick and
tired of calling the bank and hearing
voicemail or automated robots? We
dont even have voice mail, Brown
said. That way, clients can always
reach someone whenever they have
an issue.
Whether you need a label, a sign,
folding carton or shrink sleeve, All
American Label will provide you
with everything you need. From
photo shoots to design creation to a
fnished product, youll always be
treated to real customer service 24/7
at either their Dublin, Calif. or their
Memphis, Tenn. location.
FINDING A
SOLUTION
by wendy connick
its a classic case of catch-22. when the economy gets
tough, businesses need superior performance to weather
the storm and generate revenue. But the necessary train-
ing incurs costs up front, and many companies simply
cant aford to make the initial investment.
Luckily, the training and coaching company Norquest
Associates has found a way to meet this challenge.
We used to do a lot of stand-up training, or we would
go to a central location and conduct a training session, said
Bill Blake, Norquests principal and senior consultant. But
in this economy, the money just isnt there for this type of
training. So more and more, its done online. Were talking
on an individual basis, or in small groups, sometimes
via webinars. We even
have an Online Learn-
ing Campus for busi-
ness courses at Nor-
questOnline.com.
Its cost efective,
and it works. Blake
coaches his clients
in the uses of a re-
lationship-building
tool called DiSC,
which stands for
dominance, infu-
ence, steadiness
and conscientious-
ness. The online
hub is at www.
DiscAndMore.com. This methodology atracts
big clients; Blake has used his diversity training programs
with the Ford Motor Company. He has also worked with
the First Nations of Northern Ontario to help them reach
their goals, and he has initiated the development of sec-
ondary schools in four communities.
Blake believes that the key to business success is in
understanding relationships. If you dont know your
own behavioral preferences, and understand the efect
that those behavioral preferences have on other people,
youre not going anywhere, he said. We used to have
the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you. Well, now we have a
platinum rule: Do unto others as
they would like to be done unto.
It works beter!
A Learning Process
by sara solano
A
urora hart never considered herself much
of a risk-taker, but her transition from school-
teacher to business owner was nothing short of
bold. Today she is the successful owner and manager
of Learning Tools, an educational materials store and
website based in Texas.
Hart taught high school in Missouri for 15 years,
and then made a career change. I started working at
a mall doing retail in a boutique, she said. I helped
the owner run her business.
Upon moving to Texas in 2003, she saw the opportu-
nity to combine those diferent experiences into one op-
portunity. An educational supply store was advertised
for sale, and Hart bought the company.
Although it was a fnancial struggle to keep her store-
front fully-stafed and running, she persevered and the
company opened another, larger location in 2009. Ac-
cording to Hart, the companys clientele is about 60 per-
cent teachers, 20 percent parents and caretakers, and 20
percent school districts.
Learning Tools has taken advantage of the internet to
move products; their online catalog ofers educational
books, games, puzzles, puppets, dcor and other class-
room supplies. The website also features sales and cou-
pons to print and bring in-store for discounts. And in-
store, the company even ofers private tutoring lessons
from qualifed educators.
Regarding her teaching days, Hart reminisces, I miss
the kids. But I dont miss grading papers! At this point,
helping those who devote themselves to education is a
reward in itself. Its not always proftable, she admits,
but I enjoy helping teachers.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
GoInG UnDERCovER
STePPInG ouTSIDe THe FrAMework oF A TyPICAl nIne-
To-FIve lIFeSTyle, enTrePreneur STeven HArrIS
found his own niChe in an enigmatiC industry.
I
nspired by famous spies, Steven Har-
ris broke out of the daily grind to be-
come a private investigator in 1996
by founding American Legal Investiga-
tions & Support Services (ALIASS). The
Virginia-based firm keeps their investiga-
tive work local, but now offers legal sup-
port services nationally and internation-
ally.
Were different from other investiga-
tors because we do more than just inves-
tigations, Harris said. We do process
service and courthouse research. I would
like to see American Legal become the
number one go-to company when le-
gal support services are needed nation-
wide.
Harris didnt know right away that he
would enter the spy business. He tried
other occupations ranging from construc-
tion to supervising for a pizza franchise,
but he knew the nine-to-five lifestyle
wasnt for him. I always wanted some-
thing more, he says. I wanted to have
my own businessto live the American
dream. Thats when he identified pri-
vate investigation as a field hed enjoy.
Im out there with the cameras, doing
surveillance, following people and do-
ing the P.I. work, Harris told The Suit.
Everything is done within the law, of
course. We do car surveillance with dif-
ferent types of cameras, plant cameras
in houses and use GPS units, along with
other tactics. Everything is covert.
Harris says most of their investigative
work is either for insurance and workers
compensation clients trying to prove the
claimant was really injured, or for do-
mestic cases, proving infidelity or do-
ing background checks on a soon-to-be
spouse. We have clients who want us
to check out their fiancs background
to make sure they are telling the truth.
Harris explains that most of these clients
have already gone through divorces from
spouses who werent who they claimed
to be.
Harris most satisfying case was pre-
venting a child abduction when a family
member was planning to take a child out
of the country. It can be tough because in
cases like this people are really aware of
their surroundings. They are constantly
looking over their shoulder. It was a re-
ally tough but satisfying case.
Driven by ambition, Harris knows the
key to success is watching others. I learn
a lot by paying close attention to what
others do. I learn from their successes
and failures, he says. In order to be suc-
cessful, you have to learn from successful
people. I do a lot of listening and asking
appropriate questions.
ALIASS succeeds because Harris stress-
es a philosophy of teamwork. One indi-
vidual doesnt make the whole company.
Its the team that works together to make
us successful. He adds that finding the
right people with the same wants and
desires that you have for the company
is the hardest part about running a busi-
ness.
Entrepreneurship, Harris says, revolves
around innovation and competition. In-
dividuals who think outside the box and
are willing to take risks are the ones who
find new ways to solve problems. When
problems are solved, things work well
and people do well. It spurs competition,
which livens up the economy.
by andrea lehner
ROCKET MAN
Consulting for the Aerospace Industry
by daniel horowitz
D
avid scruggs is a veteran in the field of flight
technology. Currently the owner and president
of Advanced Technology Associates, Scruggs has
been a consulting resource for major aerospace organi-
zations since 1980, when he was personally appointed to
NASA headquarters by President Jimmy Carter.
Since then, Scruggs has been building a body of ex-
pertise in the feld, specializing in both hardware and
sofware. Afer his time at NASA, he worked for a large
aerospace frm for years and built a strong and loyal cli-
ent base. In 1993, Scruggs decided he was ready to work
independently, and founded the company that has been
going strong for nearly two decades.
Advanced Technology Associates has provided services
to NASA, several airports, and a growing body of private
aerospace frms such as Lockheed Martin. The company
has two major branches: consulting serviceswith a fo-
cus on systems engineering, controls engineering, sof-
E
fficiency is the word of the day for many
businesses scrambling to cut costs in the wake of
the economic downturn. To that end, Tick Tock
Energy helps businesses and individuals become more
energy-efcient, generate their own power, and perma-
nently reduce their utility bills.
Tick Tock Energy uses a methodology they call Reduce-
Produce-Manage. The company reduces energy costs by
retrofting energy hogs, for instance by replacing magnet-
ic ballast in fuorescent light fxtures with energy-efcient
electronic ballast. They produce by seting up clean energy
systems appropriate to each customers location and situ-
ation; that can entail the installation of solar, wind or even
geothermal systems. And they manage by providing en-
ergy monitoring hardware and sofware, and by helping
their customers take advantage of clean energy incentives
ofered by government and industry sponsors.
Poorly designed or inefcient lighting systems are a
major drain on energy, and these are ofen Tick Tocks frst
stop. In one case, the company reduced a clients power
ware and propulsionand sofware development, both
customized and of-the-shelf. Their primary sofware
product, the ATA Aerospace Toolkit, is a premier product
for high-fdelity spacecraf fight simulations.
Although Scruggs maintains that aerospace in the
United States is currently at a very low point, he
gives sound advice to aspiring aerospace engineers. It
is a challenging industry, especially since a lot of uni-
versities teach the tools but not the basics of how to
use them. You need to learn the sofware behind the
tools, and not just the tools themselves. A deep base
of knowledge is essential in this industry, and no one
knows it beter than Scruggs. He is commited to a life-
time of learning, staying ahead of new technologies
and constantly adjusting to the needs of his clients.
demand by 68 percent while in-
creasing lighting quality and vis-
ibility, simply by upgrading the
exterior lighting systems.
If solar energy is a good ft, Tick
Tock Energy can set up building-inte-
grated photovoltaics (BIPV) as an al-
ternative to traditional solar-powered
systems. BIPVs are wall-mounted pan-
els instead of the traditional roof- or
ground-mounted arrays. The panels
not only generate power but can
help to shade walls and windows,
reducing energy costs by keeping
the building cooler. Tick Tock
Energy has also helped seven
schools receive grants from the
Illinois Clean Energy Foun-
dation to pay for new solar
energy systems.
BEATING THE CLOCK
in the Race for Energy Sustainability
TECH BRIEFS
by wendy connick
REBEl WITH A CAUSE
by sara solano
J effrey boro,
founder of
Boro Polnicky
Lighter in
Montreal, is
on a career-
long mission:
to protect the
little guy from
the machine.
This ambition
guided him
into the field
of law, and eventually led to his ownership of a
successful independent firm.
I have a passion for defending individual
rights and human dignity, Boro told The Suit.
His interest in criminal law started as a child.
Ive never been one of those people who accepted
authority easily, especially when I thought that
authority was not right. I spent a lot of time in the
hall, Boro quips of his boyhood days.
When he decided to open a small boutique firm,
Boro was inundated with approval from other at-
torneys who shared his vision. As soon as other
lawyers found out, a whole bunch of people gravi-
tated toward me. Today we have the same number
of lawyers as the large firm I left, he says.
Boro Polnicky Lighter defends cases ranging
from violent crime to extradition; over half of
their cases involve corporate fraud. One high-
profile defendant was publicized as perpetrating
the largest fraud in the Canadian stock exchanges
history. Boro took the case to the Supreme Court,
where they won an acquittal. It was quite a big
victory, he explains, adding that the verdict set
precedence and led to a change in the law.
Canadas legal system is one of the greatest in
the world, Boro says. He explains that increas-
ingly complex cases are creating a movement
toward mediation and arbitration in attempt to re-
duce cost and time. The drawback is that without
litigation, you lose the ability to cross-examine,
which is a cornerstone of the legal system.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
A Staunch Defense
by sara solano
when it comes down to de-
fending a client, the law-
yers of Judge, James
& Kujawa LLC in
Park Ridge, Ill. dont
mince words. We
believe cases are
most favorably dis-
posed of when our
opponent knows
we relish dispo-
sition through
vigorous mo-
tion practice,
trials and ap-
peals, they said.
Partner and president
Jay S. Judge founded the
frm in 1991. Since then, his
no-nonsense approach has paid of. With clients like Zu-
rich North America, Liberty Mutual Group, FCCI Insur-
ance Group, and IRMA (Intergovernmental Risk Manage-
ment Agency), the frm has maintained a steady success
rate since they began.
Specialization includes all aspects of insurance defense
work, with an emphasis on Tort Immunity Act-related is-
sues, municipalities and public entities, product liability and
insurance coverage cases. Atorneys also travel throughout
the state to handle death and serious injury cases.
In addition to being a partner at his current frm, Judge
has also been an associate with Morrill, Koutsky, Kloman
& Chuhak, as well as partner with Judge & Schirot, Ltd.,
Judge, Drew, Cipolla & Kurnik, Ltd., and many others. He
had also worked as a claims adjuster and supervisor for Reli-
ance Insurance Companies before eventually turning to law,
which gives him an excellent knowledge base when clients
come to the table with all types of insurance-related issues.
In fact, Judge has expertise to spare; aside from his le-
gal duties, he writes columns for legal publications ev-
ery month. He also contributed to Trial Diplomacy, a book
used in numerous law schools to teach students how to
try cases. Other writing experiences include his role as
editor-in-chief of the John Marshall Law Review while
atending the John Marshall Law School, and multiple ar-
ticle publications in a variety of law journals.
Judge and his partners at the firm look forward
to continued growth as they defend their clients
with the same uncompromising determination
that has served them well over the last 20 years.
Gerald Stern built his company, SunLion Energy Sys-
tems, from the ashes of a disastrous business experience
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Afer surmounting enormous
challenges, his renewable energy company is now a re-
sounding success; SunLion has a 14-year history of selling
and installing solar panels, wind turbines, and solar ther-
mal systems for the residential and commercial sectors.
It all began a decade ago, when Stern began working
for an Amish-owned company specializing in of-grid
solar systems. Since the owner couldnt drive for religious
reasons, Stern purchased a company vehicle and became
the primary feld rep in 2000.
The business specialized in the installation of solar
grids for Amish homes, but its growth was not without
controversy. [The business owner] was geting a lot of
fak, Stern says, explaining that they were ofen asked to
provide solar electricity for Amish homes but to hide it
so that church members wouldnt fnd out. Despite some
pushback from powerful fgures in the Amish community,
the young business took opportunities wherever possible.
We never said no, recalls Stern. Slowly but surely, the
green energy movement began to take root in the Amish
villages of Lancaster county.
Eventually, Sterns partner ofered him a share in the en-
terprise. I bought 50 percent of the business on January
1, 2003. I purchased a barn and relocated to Intercourse,
Pa., Stern says. Over the next year, the team doubled
sales and expanded into LED lighting. Stern invented
several LED products and manufactured LED lighting for
Amish buggies.
During this time of apparent progress, disaster struck.
It soon became clear that the business accounting was not
being handled professionally, and the entire enterprise
was deep in the red. The partners ofcially separated
in 2007. Stern was lef with a staggering debt, while his
counterpart began his own competing enterprise.
Stern was faced with tough choices: fle bankruptcy or
rebuild while honoring a debt he didnt create. Inspired
by his Christian faith, he decided there was only one
option to reconcile his beliefs with his situation. I said,
I can make this happen. I will not declare bankruptcy. I
sent leters to everybody, notifying them they would get
their money if they worked with me. They were so over-
whelmed because I could have just walked away.
Going against the advice of his atorneys, Stern dog-
gedly began rebuilding his devastated business. His
new company, under the name SunLion Energy Systems,
began by installing one or two panels at a time for small
residences and barns, using a batery charger with the ca-
pacity to power nothing more than a light bulb. As com-
petition in the solar industry increased and energy rebates
continued to stall in state legislature, Stern persevered. It
was so bad, Stern recalls. In 2007, I was literally sell-
ing everything that wasnt tied down, just to put food on
the table. With his wife by his side and a small child to
support, Stern went for the next two years without taking
a paycheck of his own. But he never missed a payroll for
his employees. I sold coin collections, my motorcycle,
everything. We were renting. If I had bought a home, I
would have lost it.
BY ANDREA LEHNER
A Place in the Sun
From a rocky start at a small solar energy company to
amazing success in the feld of renewable power, Gerald
Stern proves that courage and kindness are the keys to
lasting success.
www.sunlionenergysystems.com
Against all odds, Sterns tenacity paid of. He managed not
only to survive, but to break the $1 million sales mark in 2008,
doubling that in 2009. And in 2010 when promised government
rebates fnally kicked in, his sales skyrocketed to an amazing
$15 million. He expects that fgure to double this year, and has
repaid every dime of old debt.
Stern now has a reputation for reliable products and service,
and he measures his growth by the prosperity of those around
him. The loyalty of his employees is a testament to Sterns com-
mitment. In May 2009 we had fve employees, he said. As
of May 2011, we have 40. Sterns very frst hire, a 14-year-old
member of the Amish community, is still with the business
today, hes married and starting a family of his own.
And the jobs keep geting bigger. Right now, the average
number of panels we install per job is between 45 and 80. We
even equipped a retail store, J. B. Hosteter & Sons, with 1,460
panels. We save clients signifcant amounts on their elec-
tricity usagesometimes 100 percent.
Every business decision Stern makes is
guided by his moral compass. He has no regret
for passing up investment opportunities he felt
were unethical, even if it meant fore-
going windfalls of cash. It wasnt that
he didnt need money. My last three
cars cost $800 combined. The only
air conditioning was to roll down the
window, he quips.
Stern prefers not to borrow money,
saying, If you allow yourself to
become overwhelmed by credit debt,
youre done. Pay cash for as much as
you can. Buy used. Treat people fairly.
Run an old-school business.
SunLion Energy Systems is here
today because of these principles and
Sterns unwavering standards. With revenues
growing exponentially, he continues to pay his
staf more than himself while reinvesting everything
else back into the business. He maintains that its not
simply about fnancial success; its about knowing that
so many families rely on him for a livelihood. However,
I did splurge on a truck with air-conditioning, he said.
Stern is commited to upholding a promise he made to God
to always run a business that glorifes Him by being honest,
hiring good people, and giving backjust ask the people who
work with him every day. Jerry has a huge heart, said Sun-
Lion Business Manager Bonnie Nolt. He will give you the shirt
of his back, whether youre an employee or a complete strang-
er. He lives his faith.
From the heart of Californias central valley, Global Sul-
fur Systems has been providing environmental solutions
for Stretford operations at refneries since 1989. Company
founder Eugene Becker and his partner Walter Losier
utilize the Stretford Desalting Process. The technology
eliminates waste disposal problems by crystallizing salt
for safe disposal.
Stretford is a sulfur removal process that reduces air pol-
lutants at oil refneriesunfortunately, its liquid byprod-
uct creates environmental discharge concerns. Globals
method not only addresses the waste issue, it also allows
plants to remain operational and salvage key chemicals
from the solution.
Becker explains that the Stretford system was created to
meet new standards established in Los Angeles and Cali-
fornia the 1960s, later adopted as EPA standards under
Nixon. It solved an air pollution problem but created a
water pollution problem, which is the classic approach
to many environmental issues. Solve one problem, create
another one, he said.
The process builds up sulfate salts that have to be taken
out. Otherwise, you had to get rid of the solution. That
was an added burden to the cost, Becker says. We in-
vestigated it and found that British Gas research center in
London had come up with a desalting process that could
be used as a treatment process to convert the sulfate back
to sodium sulfate and crystallize it.
Global struck a deal with British Gas for an exclusive li-
cense on the desalting process, but they added their own
innovationportability. It only needs to be used for a
few weeks, two months at the most, Becker says. Be-
cause you dont need it all year long, a portable truck-
mounted facility was the best option.
In addition to ofering an environmentally-friendly
waste disposal solution, Globals process salvages valu-
able chemicals, making recycling the Stretford solution
more cost-efective than replacing it. And they do it safely.
Weve had no lost-time injury accidents in 20 years. Oil
companies cannot aford to bring in contractors that dont
operate safely. Its just too risky. Our clients know we run
a tight ship, Becker says.
Thats one positive efect of economybeing able to
fnd good people again, he adds. When the economy is
booming, its hard to get really good, well-qualifed peo-
ple to run the equipment.
Becker didnt initially see himself as an entrepreneur. I
dont think I even knew what the word meant, he jokes,
but that didnt stop him from following an entrepreneur-
ial path. As the saying goes, fnd a need and fll it. The
need was to recycle structured solution without losing
the valuable chemicals in it. There are other methods out
there, but they are either inefective or too expensive. Our
process turned out to be the best. We are the only ones
who can do what we do.
As a graduate of Washington State University, Becker
is grateful for the many mentors he had there. Today, he
returns that goodwill by acting as a mentor to chemical
engineering students. I enjoy it because the students are
always so enthusiastic. Beckers own enthusiasm created
a career that helps us all live in a safer, cleaner world.
WAste Not
The team at Global Sulfur Systems has a new way to
recycle refnery refuse, protecting the environment and
their clients bottom line.
BY ANDREA LEHNER
Global Sulfur Systems, Inc.
234 East Colorado #501
Pasadena, CA 91101
P. 626-564-0999
www.globalsulfur.com
A
fter 35 years of work for
the Defense Department,
Jacques Beaulieu decided it
was time to form his own company.
Beaulieu Consulting Incorporated
(BCI), specializing in technological
innovations, began auspiciously
enough. But the business ran into
serious problems on its very frst
project.
Beaulieu had developed a hearing
implant for his client, Cosem
Neurostim. The device was designed
to restore some hearing to deaf patients
by electrically stimulating the nerves.
But afer a successful development
on a patient, the company was sued by
Dunlop alleging that they owned the
rights for this technology, Beaulieu
said. I had all the proofs that we had
The Inventive
Consultants
With decades of technological wizardry under his belt,
Jacques Beaulieu is still churning out new innovations.
the proprietary rights on the technology
predating Dunlops claim, but it would
cost millions to fght this in court and
Cosem could not aford it. They went
bankrupt.
But Beaulieu and his son, like
most entrepreneurs, dont give up
easily. BCI overcame the setback
by taking advantage of an old
connection; they contracted with
the Defense Department. Their next
brilliant technological idea met with
resounding success. Beaulieu recalls,
I was coming back from a feld trial in
1999, and a new method for processing
video images to detect small objects
came to my mind. This was later called
Small Objects Image Filter, or SOIF. The
technique proved to be very useful for
rapidly detecting objects of interest in
satellite images as well as sonar data,
and eventually to identify objects of a
specifed color.
And that wasnt all. Beaulieus
time with the Defense Research
Establishment Valcartier (DREV)
was immensely productive, resulting
in a number of patents. He started
out working on radar-related
issues, but switched felds upon the
groundbreaking discovery of the laser.
I felt that this had tremendous import
ance for the future of remote sensing.
But I needed to learn more about the
physics of the interaction between
solids and light, which is now called
photonics, he said. This required
further education, all under a time
crunch. I managed to complete my
thesis in 1969 in my spare time. This
was not easy because when I returned
to DREV, I was named the head of the
Electro-Optics section.
In 1985, afer producing numerous
laser-related technologies for DREV,
Beaulieu helped build the National
Optics Institute. As a co-founder of
the institute, I was named a member of
their Intellectual Property Commitee
until 2010, when I resigned because of
my health degradation, he said. But
demand for his talents has not waned;
he was asked to participate in a NATO
research program that is still classifed
today.
Meanwhile, the innovations keep
coming. BCIs recent inventions
include a system of microprocessor
codes that can process video images
in real time instead of relying on
tapes, the development of an intrusion
alarm system for use in the batlefeld,
a passive stereoscopic technique to
determine the range of various objects
without detection, and new industrial
applications such as an automatic
collision avoidance system for vehicles.
This had tremendous
importance for the future
of remote sensing.
- Jacques Beaulieu
BY WENDY CONNICK
Taking the Lead
FOR THE CALDWELL
PARTNERS, A SUCCESSFUL
EXECUTIVE SEARCH
REQUIRES STAYING ONE
STEP AHEAD OF THE GAME.
W
hen it comes to efective lead-
ers, it takes one to know one.
Chris Laubitz knows plenty.
As a Senior Partner of Caldwell Part-
ners, an international executive search
company, Chris specializes in fnding
the best candidates for the most de-
manding jobs. Laubitz joined the team
in 1986. I was learning from the best,
and every year it got beter and we had
a chance to do some fascinating work,
he said. To this day, my colleagues are
my best mentors. These are people who
make a diference; we know it, and we
enjoy doing it.
Finding efective leaders can be
tricky since industries change direction
all the time. For us its a big challenge
to get out there and be at the front edge
of the evolution of the market, Laubitz
said. What are clients going to need?
What are the entrepreneurs going to
require? And in newer industries like
alternative energy, there are no prec-
edents to learn from. That makes it
especially challenging to spot an ideal
leader with the right skill, style and
character, to help a company thrive.
A successful placement is always re-
warding. Ill tell you what I really en-
joy most; if a year afer I have placed an
executive, I read that the company has
moved forward in what they were try-
ing to accomplish, I take great pride in
that success. We measure our success
by the satisfaction of our clients and
our candidates. We pride ourselves in
consistently earning repeat business
from our satisfed clients.
As the executive search industry
evolves, Laubitz recognizes the need to
adopt a more entrepreneurial mindset.
Entrepreneurs value insight, speed,
confdentiality and commitment. Lets
drive to the end result; lets do it quick-
ly; lets commit to what were going to
do, and lets get it done. And I think
thats what we have to provide to our
clients. We owe it, as entrepreneurs, to
be thinking in a much bigger picture
because our competition is not just next
door; its from all over the world.
Despite these challenges and the re-
cent recession, Caldwell has fourished
over the past two years. The company
has doubled in size and opened eight
new ofces, even as other executive
search frms have faltered. Laubitz be-
lieves that Caldwell has been successful
because the partners saw the economic
turmoil not as a problem, but as an op-
portunity. A negative market is always
a real opportunity. The executive re-
cruiting industry is a leading indicator
because the leaders who are ready to
get back, get competitive, are the frst
to come out of any negative market.
The deeper the market, the faster and
harder they come out, wanting to win.
60 East 42nd Street, Suite 740
New York, NY US 10165
P. 1.888.366.3827
caldwellpartners.com
D
avid hillary isnt your
typical accountant. He
started his career as an au-
tomobile mechanic, reach-
ing ASE Certifed Master Automobile
Technician status before shifing gears
into the fnancial world and becoming
an accountant. His frm, Hillary CPA
Group, now serves individuals and
businesses all over the globe.
We currently have clients on every
continent in the world, Hillary said.
We have a number of manufacturing
clients that we work with in the Pacifc
Rim area: South Korea, China, Japan.
We also work with a number of peo-
ple in the Middle East that are in oil-
related businesses. And we work with
a number of professional services busi-
Going Global
THE HILLARY CPA GROUP HAS THE EXPERTISE TO
BRING THE BEST SERVICES TO CLIENTS ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
nesses located all over Europe. The
company is also expanding its service
into South America, specifcally Brazil
and Argentina.
We primarily target the interna-
tional market, taking care of compa-
nies that want to move into the United
States and taking care of all of the tax
issues for expatriates, Hillary said.
We have just recently started our sub-
sidiary called Intaxactthats short for
International Tax and Accounting
in order to increase our international
presence through that vehicle.
Hillary believes that the groups ex-
pertise in global maters makes them
an ideal business partner for both
U.S. companies working abroad and
foreign companies doing business in
the United States. I think what really
separates us is the knowledge base; we
stay on top of all of the international
issues that are taking place throughout
the world. We are very, very familiar
with how tax laws and everything ap-
ply in the U.S. for foreign companies or
for U.S. companies doing foreign busi-
ness, he said.
Hillary CPA Group has managed to
build a global clientele by taking ad-
vantage of the World Wide Webs ca-
pabilities. Hillary has merged account-
ing into SAAS (sofware as a service)
to provide accounting services to any-
one in the world with internet access,
24 hours a day. Our moto is Virtual
solutions for a virtual world, he ex-
plained. We are a virtual accounting
frm by and large. Most everything we
do is online one way or another. Weve
teamed up with Thompson Reuters
and they provide us with SAAS sof-
ware, so that basically everything that
we have is web-enabled and internet-
based.
In addition to using technology in in-
novative ways, the Hillary CPA Group
also stands out by ofering a broad
range of diferent services. Their main
business is in tax planning, specifcally
fnding ways to reduce an individuals
or a companys tax exposure. But they
also ofer payroll services, bookkeep-
ing, business planning, employee ben-
efts and even IT solutions. The group
will research and install accounting-
related sofware and train employees
in its use. As Hillary explained, we
are a full-service accounting frm.
By bringing such varied services to
the table, his company has carved
a niche for itself as an excellent tax
and accounting resource for a grow-
ing number of clients around the
globe.
Our moto is Virtual
solutions for a virtual
world.- David Hillary
BY WENDY CONNICK
Hillary CPA Group
P. 317.222.1416
hillarycpagroup.com
THE CoMMon lAW DEFEnDER
a Queens Counsel in pursuit of one lofty goal
in the field of international law
W
hen Leol i n Pri ce began studyi ng l aw at Oxford Uni versi ty, he had bi g
dreams. The common l aw needed protecti on, and I deci ded I woul d
provi de i t. What an arrogant vi ew, he tol d The Sui t. I was very
i nterested i n pol i ti cs and a career at the bar. If I coul d survi ve and become an
effi ci ent, reasonabl y wel l -known barri ster, preferabl y becomi ng what i n thi s
country i s Queens Counsel at a rel ati vel y earl y age, I woul d be sui tabl e as a
candi date for Parl i ament. By l uck, I survi ved the l ean years, and di d acqui re,
l argel y by acci dent, a consi derabl e and fl ouri shi ng practi ce.
But Pri ce never made the swi tch from l aw to pol i ti cs. We were about to j oi n
what was cal l ed the Common Market, the European Communi ti es. I had a speci al
i nterest i n that, and kept wri ti ng l etters to the newspaper sayi ng, Dont do i t, i ts
contrary to our i nterests, contrary to our i deas, contrary to our l aw. And those
l etters di tched my pol i ti cal career, so I si mpl y stayed practi ci ng at the bar, he
sai d. But he di d become a Queens Counsel , j ust as hed pl anned.
Pri ce has handl ed some very si gni fi cant cases duri ng hi s career as a barri ster.
In the now-l andmark case Bri ti sh Rai l ways Board and Pi cken, Pri ce chal l enged
what was thought to be a rul e of l aw under the Bri ti sh Consti tuti on. I thought
I coul d overcome the proposi ti on that the courts i n our system wi l l not exami ne
the procedural processes by whi ch a bi l l becomes an Act of Parl i ament, a statute,
he sai d. There was an ol d Scotti sh case whi ch suggested how that coul d work
and the proposi ti on be overcome. But we fai l ed. The courage of the Judges i n the
House of Lords (our fi nal cost of appeal ) fai l ed them, and they stuck to an ol d
case whi ch sai d that al l that the courts can do i s to l ook at the rol l of statutes
and i f i t says a parti cul ar statute has been enacted, then i ts part of the l aw of
Engl and. Neverthel ess, the case gave Pri ce a reputati on for bei ng an expert i n
consti tuti onal l aw.
Pri ce now argues cases al l over the worl d. In al l the countri es that I ve argued
i n Austral i a, i n Si ngapore, i n Nai robi , i n Bermuda, i n the Bahamas, and i n other
pl aces i n the Cari bbeani n al l those countri es, the basi c l aw i s the Common Law,
he expl ai ned. And so al l the common l aw vi rtues that the l aw shoul d be certai n,
that equal i ty before the l aw i s an essenti al pri nci pl e, that the abuses of power are
to be restrai ned and new l aws are to be organi zed so that they dont encourage
abuses of power i ts al l very much the same background. In one appeal to the
U. S. Supreme Court, Pri ce was i nstructed to appeal pro hac vi ce, but the appeal
by the US Government was di smi ssed wi thout an oral heari ng.
After 61 years of practi ci ng l aw, Pri ce sti l l bel i eves that defendi ng the Common
Law i s the hi ghest and most i mportant ambi ti on. The common l aw shoul d not
be di storted. The l aw shoul d be certai n, i ndi vi dual ri ghts shoul d be assured,
authori ty shoul d be properl y di sci pl i ned and not cl ai m powers whi ch are not
bei ng gi ven. So my focus remai ns as i t has al ways been, he sai d.
BY WENDY CONNICK
R
icardo Ortizcazarin is more than a web designer.
As founder and CEO of Cazarin Interactive, he
is a multimedia marketing maverick.
From bi-fold brochures to comprehensive branding
strategies, Ortizcazarin has positioned his business
to be a one-stop-shop print and internet marketing
powerhouseand he started it all from his basement.
Ortizcazarin had already earned a masters degree in
marketing and was establishing himself in the corporate
arena when he decided to go it alone in 1998. I was
interested in marketing software integration, and in the
potential of harnessing the internet, Ortizcazarin recalls.
I did some homework and presented the concept to
some executives, but they said no. So I quit and worked
from home in my basementthe bat cave.
While bold enough to make the entrepreneurial leap,
Ortizcazarin took a more conservative and strategic
approach to developing his business, choosing first to
define his own niche and branding image. We combined
graphic design, programming, and marketing, he says.
When we put a website up, we built it with a software
marketing approach, and we built in multiple capabilities.
We are able to provide a complete suite of solutions for
both internet and project management systems.
While helping his clients position themselves for
growth, Ortizcazarin was doing the same for his own
company. We built a solid foundation, and we used new
clients as case studies from a marketing perspective.
Today, Cazarin Interactive is defined by the quality
of the websites we build, our flexibility in design and
our prices, Ortizcazarin said. Although the company
was building a steady revenue stream, Ortizcazarin was
hesitant about expanding too quickly. We were very
cautious in terms of growth, he says. In 2000 we had
only six people on staff. Now we have15.
Staying organizationally lean helped Cazarin weather
the recession. We experienced a pinch in 2009 and
2010, Ortizcazarin explains. So we streamlined our
workflow so that we could change how we worked with
the same resources. We lowered our overhead, and today
we are thriving. Innovation and invention are born out of
necessity, but you have to stay grounded and focused,
he adds.
Cazarin has grown into a full service web development
company, responding to demand by providing search
engine optimization and needs analysis. Ortizcazarin is
committed to delivering the best product possible, and
he places a priority on building a cohesive and creative
team of professionals. Our success is the product of
dynamic teamwork, Ortizcazarin proudly proclaims on
his website.
That team is Ortizcazarins main focus in 2011. We
have a strategy for the next 12 months to provide the
benefits our employees will need. January was a record
month, so we are confident and optimistic.
Ortizcazarin also takes pride in the fact that Cazarin
Interactive is a certified minority-owned business that
supports and promotes collaboration, inclusivity and
diversity both internally and with partner organizations.
He is also an active philanthropist and the founder of
One Act of Kindness, a charitable organization dedicated
to promoting kindness, reflection, and gratitude.

One businesss journey from
the bat cave to the information
superhighway
The
Visionary
Cazarin Interactive
7064 East Fish Lake Road
Minneapolis, MN 55311
763.420.9992 | cazarin.com
BY ANDREA LEHNER
L E V E L
THE NEXT
I
t used to be so simple.
Just a couple decades ago, computer gaming
was all about stacking colored blocks in Tetris, or
anticipating the trajectory of a virtual ping-pong ball.
These days, we can invite our friends to join us in in-
tricate virtual networks, learn to swing a tennis racket
with a wireless controller, or lose ourselves in multi-lev-
el fantasy worlds populated by ogres, aliens and robots.
The gaming industry is one of tremendous growth,
and it shows no signs of stopping. Just ask Andrew
Keplinger. For him, games are more than just a time-wast-
ing indulgence; they represent an untapped opportunity.
Keplinger is the founder of Left Brain Games, a busi-
ness that makes entertainment both educational and
profitable. Since forming the company in 2004 to han-
dle his own programming projects, demand has grown
exponentiallyhe now requires 14 full-time develop-
ers and artists to keep up. Left Brain Games has worked
with some big-name clients, ranging from McGraw Hill
and Discovery Health to American Girl and DirecTV.
The company creates games for their clients web-
sites, which are designed to entertain visitors while
subtly referencing the companys products and
services. Ideally, these games associate the com-
pany brand with a fun and positive experience.
Left Brain Games also works for the education indus-
try. The right game can introduce new subjects and test
students understanding, simultaneously capturing their
attention and encouraging high retention of informa-
tion. Its an effective teaching method regardless of the
audiencesome corporations even use these methods
to administer employee training in a fun, engaging way.
Keplinger started programming on his Radio Shack
TRS-80 Level 3 computer in the mid-1980s, and pub-
lished his first game in the eighth grade. In 1992 he was
hired by Queue Incorporated to head a group develop-
ing educational CD ROMS. Within a year he moved on
to The Cute Company, one of the innovators of the new
edutainment field. A few years later he joined McGraw
Hill in its new CD ROM development unit. When McGraw
Hill closed its technology division due to the economic
downturn, Keplinger formed his own company, Brain-
Storm Institute, to pursue freelance opportunities. Even-
tually this company became Left Brain Games and
Keplinger hired several of his former colleagues, build-
ing the company up to meet the current level of demand.
The recent interest in social networking games has cre-
ated a whole new market for Left Brain Games. In 2010,
they released a Facebook game called University of You,
in which players construct a university using Facebook
friends as students. The game is designed to provide a
highly interactive and social experience using the basic
components of other popular social networking games.
Left Brain Games also develops iPhone applications,
stand-alone animations, kiosk applications, movie and
TV promotions, virtual worlds, and other miscellaneous
projects. Most of their programs are designed to run on
both Apple and PC platforms. The company recently
developed a Flash-based game development system
called StoryTool that helps authors build complex con-
tent for eLearning and other educational programs.
A smart young company makes
a business out of playing around.
by Wendy Connick
Lef Brain Games
1.860.921.5611
www.lefbraingames.com
W
hen it all started in 1972, Caribbean
Inspections was nothing more than a
pest control business. But when Jose
Uz joined the company 20 years later,
he took it in a new direction.
Ive been in this business since 1992, and I took
it over when it was about to close its doors. I made
some changes and the company be-
came what it is today, focusing
mainly on inspections and
surveying for the real estate
and home insurance indus-
try.
Like all inspection and
survey companies, Carib-
bean is highly dependent
on the real estate market.
The recession forced Uz to
think fast and fnd a new
customer base in order to
keep his company going.
In the end it was beter
to be in the insurance arena.
There was a need for hurri-
cane wind mitigation inspec-
tions and damage assessment
reports in southern Florida, due to our exposure to
hurricanes and amount of damage claims, he said.
Uz also diferentiates himself from the competition
by taking a novel approach to inspections. My focus
is really on quality; the rest dont care as much. Our
competitors are focused on volume, he said. But fex-
ibility and atention to detail have kept the business
alive. We rode the storm while other companies have
come and gone.
Uz told The Suit that his father, who fed Cuba to
come to the United States, is his inspiration to succeed.
He always told me, Defend your country and love
your country. You are lucky to have been born here.
Never quit; never surrender. Always fght for what is
right.
RApID RESponSE
Mike Moriartys environmental consulting
team wastes no time when problems arise
by wendy connick
when hazardous waste poses a threat to public health,
a quick and thorough response is a moral imperative.
Mike Moriarty, owner of Moriarty Environmental Ser-
vices, has made it his business to protect the environ-
ment by taking care of dangerous contaminants before
they can cause damage.
I started out studying forestry, but I realized it was a
dead end because there were just no jobs out there, Mo-
riarty said. I had put myself through college running
heavy equipment, building houses, and doing telephone
utility work. So Im a hands-on person, and it was a natu-
ral progression to get into the environmental industry.
Moriarty primarily works for residential properties,
which requires him to cooperate with a several parties
at once. The realtor of one homeowner were dealing
with is trying to sell the property, and the neighbor is
concerned because his property may be afected. The
neighbors lawyer is concerned for his client. And the
regulatory people want to make sure that were doing
everything correctly, he explained. In stressful situa-
tions like these, Moriartys team maintains a high stan-
dard for professionalism. Clients rave about the stafs
responsiveness, accessibility and expertise.
For Moriarty, the goal is to have a company that serves
both its clients and its employees. I want my staf to be
able to come in and say, You know what? Its a good com-
pany to work for. Im treated properly, I work with good.
secure job, and we do right by our clients.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Changing the Focus
In a rough economy, fexible responses to a
changing market were the keys to success
for Caribbean Inspections, Surveys &
Engineering Services
by sara salono
Keeping up with industry
developments and thinking hard
about legal impacts helps to ensure
that we stay well ahead of the pack.
BY WENDY CONNICK
T
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And in Ireland and the UK, John Gallen, man-
aging director of the law frm gallenalliance,
stands apart from his peers as one who knows
how to navigate the most complicated legal is-
sues.
Keeping up with industry developments
and thinking hard about legal impacts helps to
ensure that we stay well ahead of the pack,
says a frm representative. Evidencing this,
gallenalliance published a document in 2010
arguing that the traditional sofware develop-
ment contract is out of touch with standard
sofware development systems. Many devel-
opers now use a system called Agile to build
sofware products, and gallenalliance suggests
a deeper debate on that development method.
Instead of the standard development cycle,
says Gallen, the Agile system breaks a proj-
ect into smaller components which go through
individual, miniature development cycles. We
like the Agile process a lot because we see it
reducing the pain of system implementation
for our clients. For that reason alone, we want
it debated in the industry. Thats just the sort
of challenge that gallenalliance appears to en-
joyand probably goes some way to explain
why the frm punches high in the legal market
and has established a client list that would be
the envy of any Magic Circle law frm.
Gallen holds joint honors degrees in law and
computer sciences, has an academic back-
ground in sofware engineering and is an at-
torney in Ireland, England and Wales. Its the
perfect mix, giving him the necessary insight
into technology and system processes and
how to apply the law. He advises technology
companies of all sizes, from startup companies
to blue-chip corporations. He also advises a
range of international banking and corporate
clients on corporate and fnancial services law
as well as providing overall direction to the
frm. It keeps life interesting. Life is short,
and the game of business keeps us all fresh,
he said.
Before seting up gallenalliance in 2006, Gal-
len worked with major law frms of London,
Singapore and Dublin and says he always
had a strong need to cut his own way in busi-
ness. Im from a family of business and trade,
and going into the law was not considered a
medal of honor, says Gallen, who points out
hes nevertheless glad to have gone the lawyer
route. My background means I hopefully ap-
ply myself in a commercial way, and it helps,
I believe, to fnding legal solutions to business
problems.
His frm is stafed by lawyers who have expe-
rience with major law frms in Ireland, the UK
and elsewhere and provides a full spectrum of
corporate and commercial legal services. gal-
lenalliance has been growing steadily since its
establishment, and what makes them stand
out, Gallen believes, is commercially savvy
advice at a cost-efective price. We dont do
marble and glass, he said, but we do pro-
vide world-class legal services. The frms cli-
ent list consists of Fortune 500 technology and
telecoms companies, multiple banking and f-
nancial services PLCs, airlines, and numerous
other national and multinational corporations.
Gallen is always looking at new opportuni-
ties, and most recently he established a new
enterprise, Invicta, which will be providing le-
gal process outsourcing around the world. In-
victa will allow the worlds largest law frms,
institutions and corporations to fow their un-
derlying legal work to us. There will be very
substantial savings to themand to their cli-
ents in the process, he said.
Constant growth isnt easy, but if their success
is any indication, Gallen and his team of ator-
neys are going about it the right way. Accord-
ing to him, its all about fnding the best law-
yers who know how to build great working
relationships, with clients and with each other.
The biggest challenge was fnding lawyers
with commercial acumen, he said. Today
our frm is made up of the best lawyers who
know that all business relationships are based
on absolute trust.
T
echnology law has always been one of the most complex
legal felds. As new innovations advance at a breakneck
pace, the technology atorney must keep up with ongoing
technical progress and new legal developments so that clients
get current and precise guidance in this evolving feld.
M
odern societies create an astounding amount of garbage. The tra-
ditional solution has been to pile it up in landfills and bunkers,
but Dr. Neil D. Williams, President & CEO of Innviron Corpora-
tion, and Dr. Bary Wilson, President and CEO of ITI Group, an Innviron
subsidiary, have other ideas.
Each year the U.S. sends material to landfills all over the country that
could be recovered to generate clean electrical energy. Using our gasifi-
cation technology would not only reduce the amount of greenhouse gas
emission, but could generate green renewable energy, said Dr. Williams.
Innviron Corporation and its subsidiary companies have developed lead-
ing edge technology in waste gasification.
And since energy demands are a concern around the globe, Innviron
projects arent limited to the domestic sphere. The company has already
improved waste management facilities abroad, particularly in the Middle
East. Because of its climate and culture, the Middle East and North Africa
present a variety of special challenges to the environmentally responsible
management of solid waste, he explained. Innviron has carried out a
number of projects in the region, including facilities in the United Arab
Emirates and Algeria. Innviron Corporation and ITI Group have been
awarded, or are in the process of being awarded, waste-to-energy gas-
ification projects in Turkey, Argentina, Panama, Ecuador, and the United
States.
Innvirons waste management developments go well beyond its gasifica-
tion technology, which utilizes components from several suppliers, includ-
ing PRM Energy. Our company provides engineering design, permitting,
and project management services for a variety of solid waste management
and waste-to-energy facilities in the U.S. and overseas, Williams said. In-
nviron and ITI Group hold critical patents in waste-to-energy gasification,
and Williams was a co-inventor of the GeoSynthetic lining system that is
now mandatory in newly constructed
landfills throughout the United States
and in several other nations.
Making Use
of Refuse
by wendy connick
W
hen Birol Ali Yesilada moved on from an under-
graduate degree in neurobiology to a doctor-
ate in political science, eyebrows raised. But as
it turns out, the fields werent as disparate as they seemed.
In political science, one of my areas of specialization
is decision analysis, where we do a lot of complex com-
puter modeling on how the brain works, Yesilada said.
As a professor of political science and international studies
at Portland State University, Yesilada combines his two pas-
sionsneurology and politicsinto research conducted on
the political habits of developed and developing countries.
My research is in several areas, said Yesilada. One is
global power transition, where we look at what makes cer-
tain changes in the hierarchy of states, what are the secrets of
successful states and what makes a state a failed state. Anoth-
er area I do research in is world value surveying, looking at
values of society
as they go through
socioeconomic change.
Yesilada is also an ex-
pert on the Middle East, so his re-
search has lately become even more
valuable as political upheavals transform the region.
You have very large young populations in these so-
cieties and very high unemployment. Couple that
with a totalitarian and autocratic regime, plus corrup-
tion, and you have the perfect formula for social un-
rest. Its a big powder keg that was waiting to happen.
Yesiladas knowledge of the mental motiva-
tions behind the turmoil proves his foresight in pair-
ing neuroscience and political science. Today I can
say that most of my predictions have come to pass.
by altamese osborne
The Political Brain
Birol Ali Yesilada makes a connection
between state afairs and states of mind.
W
hen Harry Montoya saw the
impact of drugs, alcohol and
health problems in his native Northern
Santa Fe and Southern Rio Arriba
Counties, he decided to do something
about it. In 1995, he founded the
Hands Across Cultures Corporation to
combat his communitys most endemic
problems.
The mission of HACC is simple: improve the social
functioning, health, education and well-being of the
people of northern N.M. through culturally appropriate,
youth- and family-centered approaches deeply rooted in
the multicultural traditions of the communities.
Hands Across Cultures currently works via fve fagship
programs. The Hombres y Mujeres Nobles Mentoring
Project reaches out to youth between the ages of four
and 18 who have at least one incarcerated parent. La
Vision del Valle Coalition seeks to unite communities so
that they can work collaboratively. Promotoras de Salud
provides diabetes information to both children and
adults, while Project Northland-Class Action specifcally
targets alcohol abuse prevention. Finally, the SADD
program is a long-term efort to provide alternatives to
youth in the form of afer-school activities. Although each
has diferent themes, all fve programs work together
toward the common goal of nurturing the children of
Northern Sante Fe and Southern Rio Arriba Counties.
Before creating HACC, Montoya received a masters
degree in counseling psychology and immediately
began to rise through his communitys ranks as a
grassroots organizer. He was elected as a Pojoaque Valley
School Board member, and then as Santa Fe County
Commissioner, later becoming a candidate for land
commissioner and eventually a candidate for political
ofce. Over years of service, he has been repeatedly
recognized for his dedication to fxing his communitys
drug, alcohol and health misuse problems, and for his
incredible achievements since the foundation HACC.
HIGHER Learning,
HEAlTHIER living
Despite media atention, eating disorders still
afect hundreds of thousands of young women
around the country. One dedicated university
professor is doing what she can to fght the prob-
lem on her own campus.
by andrea lehner
S
hortly after begin-
ning her career in
university counsel-
ing, Patricia de Barbieri was
shaken by the self-image
problems she discovered
common in young women.
These women were bright,
atractive, interesting and
creative leaders, but they
didnt see themselves that
way, de Barbieri says.
They were focused on the negatives they saw in terms of
food, weight, body image, and self concept. It seemed to be a
tremendous waste of potential.
Now working as a professor and Chair of the Department
of Counseling and School Psychology at South Connecticut
State University, de Barbieri has made it her lifes work to
combat eating disorders.
Over 300,000 women in America currently sufer from bu-
limia alone. There are more people ill than we can treat,
de Barbieri explains. More and more, we are talking about
prevention. Unless we can stop eating disorders from oc-
curring, we arent going to be able deal with the number of
women sufering from them.
De Barbieri feels strongly about the accessibility of health-
care to improve this nationwide epidemic. One of the im-
pediments to recovery is a lack of healthcare and resources.
If you dont have insurance and you cant get the kind of ser-
vices you need, your recovery is hampered, she says.
Focusing on healthy life choices rather than weight
loss is paramount to preventing the next generation from
developing eating disorders. De Barbieri gives presenta-
tions to build awareness, works with universities across
the country to develop eating disorder programs, and is
currently writing a book on recovering from bulimia.
The Helping
Hands of Northern
New Mexico
by altamese osborne
HEALTH BRIEFS
Patricia De Barbieri, Ed.D.
Southern Connecticut State University
Department Chair / Davis 126 A
P. (203) 392-5483
debarbierip1@southernct.edu
BY andrea lehner
C
anadi an-based Di matec In-
corporated i s an award-
wi nni ng busi ness that suppl i es
di amond dri l l i ng tool s and ma-
chi ne parts throughout North
Ameri ca and beyond. Founded
i n 1988 by Ivor Perry, Di matec
has set the standard for qual i ty
products, servi ces, and commi t-
ment to customer sati sfacti on i n
the dri l l i ng i ndustry. Si nce the
i ncepti on, Perry has ensured Di -
matec stays on the cutti ng edge
for i nnovati ve dri l l i ng technol -
ogy. Geotechni cal surveyors,
mi ni ng compani es and mi neral
expl orati on professi onal s rel y on
Di matec to manufacture qual i ty,
metal bond di amond tool s and
i n the hol e preci si on dri l l i ng
parts for the oi l and gas i ndus-
try.
Di matec pri des i tsel f on manu-
facturi ng customi zed equi pment
desi gned accordi ng to customer-
defi ned speci fi cati ons i n addi -
pUllInG DIAMonDS
FRoM THE RoUGH
Ivor Perry is the man behind the drilling products
that bring precious metals from the mines in Canada
and beyond.
ti on to i ndustry standard prod-
ucts. In thi s way, they can meet
the needs for even the most chal -
l engi ng geographi c condi ti ons
and uni que expl orati on ci rcum-
stances a cl i ent may encounter.
Because mi neral expl orati on re-
qui res dri l l i ng through a vari ety
of rock types, Di matec offers a
range of products to handl e al -
most any rock type. Thei r dri l l -
i ng products i ncl ude core bi ts,
reami ng and stabi l i zi ng equi p-
ment, and casi ng and rod shoes.
Dri l l i ng products are avai l abl e
usi ng i mpregnated syntheti c di -
amond, surface-set natural di a-
mond, and pol ycrystal l i ne di a-
mond tungsten-carbi de.
In addi ti on to dri l l i ng equi p-
ment, Di matec manufactures a
compl ete l i ne of preci si on ma-
chi ni ng products, usi ng ma-
chi ni ng centers, l athes, mi l l i ng
machi nes, cyl i ndri cal gri nders,
el ectri cal di scharge machi ni ng
(EDM), and hard metal deposi -
ti on equi pment.
Perry bui l t Di matec on the prem-
i se of i nnovati on and speci al i za-
ti on. By usi ng computer ai ded
manufacturi ng systems, thei r
machi ni ng faci l i ty has the
capaci ty to produce custom-
made parts. However, the
safety and qual i ty are never
compromi sed. Every Prod-
uct compl i es wi th the ISO
Internati onal Organi zati on
for Standardi zati on requi re-
ments for qual i ty management
systems.
As a member of the Canadi an
Di amond Dri l l i ng Associ ati on
(CDDA) and the Industri al Di a-
mond Associ ati on (IDA), Perry
conti nues to demonstrate hi s vi -
si on for keepi ng Di matec at the
forefront of dri l l i ng technol ogy.
Perrys commi tment to the i n-
dustry, hi s ongoi ng research ef-
forts, and hi s cl i ent-focused busi -
ness model , whi ch i ncl udes not
onl y col l aborati ng wi th cl i ents
to devel op new equi pment but
al so ongoi ng techni cal product
support, has garnered Di matec
several honors. The most note-
worthy awards i ncl ude the Best
Busi ness Award from the Cana-
di an Insti tute of Management
(2008), the Outstandi ng Qual i ty
Award from Hal l i burton (2007),
recogni ti on as a Regi onal Fi nal -
i st for Canadas 50 Best Managed
Compani es (1997), and recei pt of
the Best i n Busi ness Award from
Mani toba Busi ness Magazi ne
(1997).
Perry i s proud to keep Di matec
100 percent owned and operated
from hi s nati ve Canada; however,
he has devel oped a strong gl obal
network to make thei r dri l l i ng
and machi ni ng technol ogi es ac-
cessi bl e throughout the worl d.
In addi ti on to thei r headquarters
i n Wi nni peg, Mani toba, Di matec
products are currentl y avai l abl e
through authori zed di stri butors
i n the Uni ted States, Spai n, Rus-
si a, Portugal , New Zeal and and
Austral i a, as wel l as Quebec and
Bri ti sh Col umbi a.
When a client calls Allegro Consulting for IT
and sofware support, they can cut right to the
chase. The person answering the phone will
have had at least 10 years experience on the
platform, and usually over 20, said company
president Steven Cooper. You can go right to
the subject mater expert, who will stick with
you until the problem is solved.
He prides Allegro on superb knowledge of
computer sofware and great customer service.
We provide worldwide support for not only
HP-UX and MPE, but also for Solaris and
Linux, said Cooper. At a cost far less than
one would pay to the original manufacturer,
we provide expert service to our customers.
The company also ofers sofware
development for customers who are evolving
their IT infrastructures, said Cooper, along
with products and training to help businesses
run more smoothly.
Cooper founded Allegro in 1984. He had
the confdence to strike out on his own afer
working for American Management Systems,
where he led eforts to develop new HP
sofware. I obtained real-world experience on
how these computers were being used in the
business world to solve current problems, he
said.
Those lessons have served him well. Despite
a shaky economic climate, Allegro is still
growing thanks to its agility and capability.
These are transitional times in the sofware
support industry. As a small company, we can
turn on a dime. What will remain the same
is our commitment to excellence, and our
commitment to provide the services that our
customers are looking for in a cost-efective
and time-conscious manner.
right down to i.t.
by Altamese Osborne
when it comes to
computer software
support, Allegro
consultants skip the
bureaucracy and let
their expertise speak
for itself.
CONNECTING TO
THE CLOUD
by andrea lehner
Theres a new term in IT, and its revolutionizing the
way we conduct business. Its called cloud computing,
a concept as ethereal as it sounds. It means that data
and sofware are stored on a WAN or internet network,
rather than on a local computer. This makes material ac-
cessible to parties in diferent locations, revolutionizing
business collaboration.
As with any new technology, it can be challenging to
incorporate these methods into outdated systems. Great
new products from leading-edge companies like Zscaler,
Riverbed and Arcmail may have all the potential in the
worldbut only if they are implemented correctly.
Enter added-value reseller EPC USA. Their IT experts
turn excellent products like these into ready-to-use pack-
ages, delivering them to customers with the training,
hardware, and support to make the products as efec-
tive as possible. And it goes far beyond the cloud; they
ofer email archiving, web security, WAN optimization
and more.
Thomas Hinchslif started the company in 2001. The
big diference between EPC and our competition, he
says, is our level of expertise in our products and our
commitment of free technical services to support the
products we sell.
EPC USAs key markets include education, healthcare,
real estate, commercial enterprise, and government.
Any organization that has a large network with remote
locations and end users requires the type of technology
we can provide, Hinchslif adds.
Over 10 years, EPC USA has made a name for itself by
adapting quickly and readily to every new technology
that hits the market. Hinchslif is proud of their survival
during a challenging economy, which he atributes to a
structure that allows us to be successful in good fnan-
cial times and to weather challenging times without staf
reductions or similar painful adjustments.
MagicBox, Inc.
1600 SW Western, Suite #130
Corvallis, OR 97330
P. 541.752.5654 | magicboxinc.com
TECH BRIEFS
A GooD SIGn
The MagicBox Approach to Digital
Advertising
by daniel horowitz
T
om Searcy is at the forefront of a new wave
in advertising technology. Hes the presi-
dent of MagicBox Incorporated, which spe-
cializes in the production of digital signage
video display products. Its a niche market, but its
one that has a wide variety of customers, Searcy said.
This technology, which typically uses an LCD
or plasma screen, is a new and dynamic way to
display any number of messages, including ad-
vertisements and public service announcements.
Searcy took the plunge into the world of entrepre-
neurship when he purchased the assets of MagicBox
in 1995. At that point, it was a basic video produc-
tion company. He broadened the focus of the busi-
ness with a foray into hardware products. Today, his
team of technological pioneers helps clients to cap-
ture atention with moving images in prime locations.
Although digital signage is an emerging indus-
try, Searcy admits that MagicBox has felt the re-
cession. Were actually feeling the pinch now; we
didnt feel it two years ago. At that point people al-
ready had money budgeted for projects, and those
went through regardless of what was going on at
Wall Street, said Searcy. But now that revised bud-
gets are coming into efect, demand has slowed.
Despite this setback, Searcy remains optimistic
about the future of digital signage. Its just a beter
way to do marketing, he said, reporting that most
companies beneft markedly from moving advertise-
ments. As the economy picks up again, Searcy is con-
fdent that MagicBox will continue to prove itself as
a profitable investment for clients looking for
new ways to stand apart from the competition.
A Simpler System
In the feld of health care, Tecnex ofers
solutions for overcomplicated technology.
by andrea lehner
tecnex founder moiz ahmed has an exceptional goal
for medical sofware technologyto see patient care
and back-of-ofce recordkeeping streamlined and in-
tegrated into one user-friendly system.
With 12 years of experience in medical sofware
technology, Ahmed knew how cumbersome the old
systems were for physicians. The sofware needed to
be much easier to use. Our goal when developing a
new product is always to keep it simple yet powerful,
Ahmed says.
Tecnex ofers comprehensive training for their sof-
ware. But Ahmed says their designs are so efective, he
ofen sees products being implemented before training
begins. Our technology is high quality, low cost, and
user friendly, he said. The ultimate goal is to allow
doctors to spend more time with patients, and less time
E
ven the biggest and brightest scientific
breakthroughs begin with a single idea, and
its Patricia Marstellers job to light the spark.
As the director of the Emory College Center for Science
Education, her mission is to get students interested in sci-
entifc careers. Marsteller, who is also a professor in the
biology department, says that learning scientists investi-
gative techniques turns students into lifelong learners.
My philosophy of teaching and learning is
embodied in the concept of scientifc teach-
ing, she said. Scientifc teaching, like the
best science, uses observations and data, is
evidenced-based, experiments with new
models and conceptions, and is grounded
in the literature of teaching and learning.
Whether teaching middle-school students
or groups of fellow professors, Marsteller
knows its important to keep it relevant.
My approach to teaching and mentoring
is based on personal experiences, life-
long engagement with the professional
literature on teaching and learning, and
maintaining complex systems.
The company also recog-
nizes a responsibility to
give back. We have a
community program
to help reduce costs
for non-proft
clinics, Ahmed
says. We pro-
vide our sof-
ware either
free or for a
very low price.
Community work
is important to Ahmed;
he reminisces about a day early
in his career when he caught his own
lucky break. Arriving in America with
19 English pounds in his pocket, Ahmed
survived on menial jobs and an unpaid internship. His
break came on the soccer feld when a teammate got to
know him, recognized his potential, and ofered him a
job. That soccer game changed his life, and today Moiz
Ahmed himself is a game-changer in the medical sof-
ware industry. And he never forgets to credit his success
to those, like friend and mentor Jef Beauchamp, who
have helped him along the way.
continuous refection, Marsteller said. She favors con-
structivism, a teaching strategy that builds students
knowledge from the ground up. With this approach,
one must identify students current conceptions and
misconceptions, guide them to develop new conceptual
frameworks, and explore questions and
problems that are relevant to them
and to the discipline, she explained.
Marsteller also makes a point to reach
out to students from backgrounds typical-
ly underrepresented in her feld. Some of
my most important work has been devel-
oping programs to diversify the contribu-
tors to science, she said. To that end, she
directs Emorys Hughes Science Initiative,
a program funded by Howard Hughes
Medical Institute grants. According to
Marsteller, over 100 undergraduate courses
have been funded by those allocated funds.
FOSTERING INQUISITIVE MINDS
by wendy connick
BUSINESS BRIEFS
The Digs Up
With the right technology, one small business
can investigate underground problems without
major excavation.
P
atrick Keelan, a partner at PFT Technology, is in
the business of catching small problems before
they turn into major trouble.
When an underground pipe springs a leak, fnding it
can be a nightmare. Traditionally the fx was to dig up
a section, freeze the pipe, and see if the total level of fu-
id transfer kept diminishing. If so, the engineers would
move on to a new section and do it againand again
sometimes having to cycle through the procedure several
times before pinpointing the problem.
But PFT Technology is ten steps ahead of the game.
They use a substance called perfuorocarbon tracer, or
PFT. Its a non-toxic, colorless fuid that is not found in
nature; it must be manufactured in the laboratory. Its
chemical signature is so unique that it can easily be de-
tected, even in extremely small quantities. PFTs have
been used for purposes ranging from tracking air fow
to marking money used in criminal enterprises, but Kee-
lans company has applied it to the identifcation of leaks
in fuid-bearing pipe systems.
To fnd a leak, PFT Technology will inject PFT into the
systems main tank and then trace the pipe until a large
concentration of PFT is detected in the atmosphere above
a certain spot, which indicates the section of the pipe
where the leak has occurred. Then an engineering team
need only dig in a single location to repair the leak or
replace the pipe.
Underground high-voltage lines are commonly insu-
lated with oil-like dielectric fuid or nitrogen gas. This
fuid envelope cools and protects the wiring. But when a
leak occurs and this insulating fuid begins to seep out,
it can cause environmental problems by entering the soil
and dripping into the water table. Since PFT leak detec-
tion is so much faster than the alternative, it greatly re-
duces the amount of contamination that can be caused
by oil seepage.
The PFT system has several other advantages. Because
the tracer is non-toxic and doesnt react with other sub-
stances, utilities dont need to shut down the system while
conducting leak detection tests. The detection system is
so accurate that a leaks location can be narrowed down
to an extremely small area, reducing replacement time to
hours instead of weeks. In urban areas, this means that
there is less need for road closures and other inconve-
niences to the citys inhabitants. And because PFT works
even when the pipes are active, utility companies can test
for leaks on a regular basis, allowing them to catch prob-
lems while they are still relatively small and give custom-
ers warning before shuting down for repairs.
PFT also eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen, nor-
BY WENDY CONNICK
mally used to freeze potentially leaking pipes. This saves
money and also reduces risks for the engineering team.
PFT Technology was formed in 2005, chiefy providing
leak location services to utility companies. Were based
in New York and London, but we do work all over the
country, Keelan said. Its an environmental solution
that saves time and moneya clean tech solution that is
also cost-efective.
The company recently expanded to do work in the
United Kingdom, providing leak detection services for
the oil industry. They have a huge issue with under-
ground oil leaks in the system and they were under a
huge amount of pressure to fnd a solution, Keelan said.
And his solution has already proven itself many times
over. Weve been able to reduce one customers oil loss
by 90 percent in four years.
PFT Technology has worked for customers ranging
from the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water to
New Jerseys Public Service Electric and Gas. In the UK,
theyve provided services for National Grid, Scotish and
Southern Energy, Western Power, and ESB. Their frst UK
customer, National Grid, found and fxed 15 leaks in the
frst 12 months of using PFT Technologys services.
The company designed, developed and built their own
PFT locator instruments. These instruments are so sensi-
tive that they can detect PFT in the parts per quadrillion
range, meaning one molecule per thousand-million-mil-
lion. PFT Technology has even developed a remote sam-
pling system for use in inaccessible areas.
Keelan, who has a business degree from Manhatan
College, remembers running into some signifcant chal-
lenges when the company frst began its overseas opera-
tion. There were diferent terminologies in the indus-
try, he said. And its a litle bit of a culture change there
that becomes apparent when you expand. But if their
progress so far is any indication, those initial challenges
have been surmounted. Since its founding in 2005, PFT
Technology has expanded to ten employees and head-
quarters in two diferent nations.
Keelan is appreciative of the people he works with
even the best technology means nothing without the right
employees to implement it. And his philosophy when it
comes to selecting those employees? Always hire people
smarter than you.
PFT Technology
P. 201.916.1076
www.pftech.com
L
awyer and activist J. Martin
Hatersley inherited his interest
in economics from his parents,
both Social Credit activists, but it
was the tragedy of his daughters murder
in 1988 that turned Hatersley toward
criminal justice issues.
Hatersley frst tested his fathers theories
by studying economics at Cambridge
University, where he graduated in the
top 10 of a class of 200, before turning his
atention to law. He made his living that
way for the next 50 years, all while picking
up the reins and advocating for Social
Credit. Our current fnancial system has
an inbuilt defect that causes infation and
steals our savings, he says. Fify years
ago, the dollar was worth 10 times as much
as it is today.
Banks create money using their own
promises to paybank creditinstead
of legal tender dollars issued by the
government. Most people never notice the
diference. Using this type of money to fund
really big capital projects causes infation.
This is because big capital projects pay
incomes to workers long before any usable
product reaches the market, Hatersley
explains. Wages are paid to an enormous
number of people over the span of many
years. They spend these, and that drives
prices up. When the project is complete,
the people who built it are laid of and
lose their incomes, just at the very moment
when at last there is more real wealth for
sale. We move from an infationary boom
to a defationary bust. Weve built a house
of cards that uses pretend money as if it is
real money, and unless we keep investing
in bigger and bigger projects, including
armaments and war, that card house will
come tumbling down.
A Moral
Imperative
THROUGH TRAGEDY AND CONTROVERSY, ONE
CANADIAN POLITICAL ACTIVIST NEVER ABANDONED
THE CAUSES THAT MATTERED MOST. by andrea lehner
The boys in the Max, were
immensely appreciative
of the fact that I stood by
them in spite of all that had
happened.
Hatersley was leader of the Social
Credit Party of Canada until 1983,
when he resigned afer speaking
out against a strain of anti-Semitism
that tainted the initiative. But he still
believes in the economic philosophy.
He describes Social Credit as
an alternative way to achieve a
prosperous and just society in which
all can take part. It is a socialist
objective achieved by free enterprise
means. He explains that the
foundations can be traced to the Bible,
which teaches that wealth comes
from God. Therefore, he explains, all
people should have access to it.
It is his religious foundation that
sustained Hatersley during the
difcult loss of his daughter. There
were so many strange coincidences
around the events of that year, he
said, explaining how his belief in a
divine plan was strengthened despite
his personal pain.
I was asked to talk at a meeting of
Prison Fellowship in the Edmonton
Institution. Three days before I was
destined to speak, my daughter was
murdered, he recalls. There I was
with an appointment to keep and a
very, very emotional situation.
Ironically, his ongoing involvement
with the prison fellowship group
became the healing support system he
needed. The boys in the Max, those
who were in there for a very long
time, were immensely appreciative of
the fact that I stood by them in spite of
all that had happened. From there,
Hatersley became involved in the
Alternatives to Violence movement,
which helps teach prisoners to setle
conficts peaceably, whether in or out
of jail.
Neither age nor health problems are
stopping this man of conviction from
speaking out for the social causes
he believes in. Hatersley continues
advocating for both political economic
reform and prisoner rehabilitation.
His motivation is simple, he says. It
comes back to treating people like
human beings.
Sherry Walker loves an un-
derdog possibly because
she was one herself. When I
was 27 years old, I ran for the
Florida State Senate, and I was
an extreme dark horse. I mean, I
was not even on the radar, she
said. But I defeated a 17-year
veteran incumbent, and was
elected to serve four years from
1988 through 1992. I was the
youngest person and frst female
from northern Florida to ever
be elected to the Florida State
Senate.
Afer serving her district while
also practicing law, Walker
decided it was time to look at her
priorities. In 1992 I just decided
that I would be happier some-
place else. And that someplace
else was in my private law prac-
tice, she said. And shes been
building that practice ever since.
Walker has a broad base of
expertise, and can take on cases
in a wide range of legal areas.
But, she said, I practice main-
ly personal injury and medical
malpractice, helping people
who have sustained catastrophic
injuries and cant work anymore
and have just had life changing
events. Walker also takes on
pro bono work. Recently, shes
helped several families get ref-
nancing so that they could avoid
losing their homes. And shes
tackled environmental law cases,
too. A couple of years back, I
helped Liberty County defeat a
biomass plant that was intend-
ing on locating there without
really informing the citizens
in advance. And so I helped a
grassroots citizens group lead an
efort to challenge that company
and publicly expose the cor-
ruption it they had exhibited in
other states, she said.
She considers herself lucky to
A Political Pioneer
be practicing law in northern
Florida because of the high
caliber of its legal system. We
are just very blessed to have very
good judges here; theyre smart,
they do their homework, and
theyre even-tempered, Walker
said. Secondly, in north Florida,
for the large part we still have
very, very professional and civil
atorneys. We dont have a lot of
the problems that you hear about
across the country, how atorneys
pull tricks and are unprofes-
sional.
Walker does cite the cost of
legislation as a major problem
facing the legal system. Even a
minor case can cost the litigants
several thousand dollars. You
know, unfortunately people hear
a litle bit about a case like the
McDonalds cofee case. They
hear about millions and millions
of dollars, and so they dont
really have a realistic view of
what the average case brings,
and how much it costs in terms
of dollars to bring a case to trial,
she said. So I think all of us, as
atorneys and judges, need to do
beter at educating the public as
to the cost of litigation and why
alternative ways to solve your
problems are beter than going to
court.
BY WENDY CONNICK
Floridas youngest ever female senator still fghts the good
fght as an independent attorney.
For more information on contact:
Sherry D. Walker, PA
8133 Mahan Drive.
Tallahassee, FL 32309
(850) 386-5655
sherrydwalker@justice.com
Firm Commitment
by daniel horowitz
for 25 years mchael f.x. gillin, president and founder
of Michael F.X. Gillin & Associates, has provided cli-
ents throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey with ex-
emplary legal services.
Gillin has an extensive legal background, and the ar-
eas in which he is qualifed to practice are vast. They
include criminal defense, personal injury, litigation and
appeals, trusts, estate administration, environmental
issues, business, and commercial law. He is a member
of multiple professional associations, and is creden-
tialed to practice in state and federal courts, along with
the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals. Gil-
lin possesses the comprehensive knowledge and legal
skills needed for all levels of representation.
As a client-centered frm, Gillin & Associates places
a high priority on ensuring clients feel confdent and
comfortable with their representation throughout the
process. Gillins team understands the importance of
puting the clients needs frst, and strives to build rela-
tionships of trust and personalized atention. It is this
dedication that makes Gillin & Associates one of the
top referral frms in their district.
Its not all about litigation; the frm works hard to
setle cases outside the courtroom to ease fnancial and
emotional burdens. But achieving satisfactory results is
always their primary goal, and they arent afraid to go
the distance for their clients in order to obtain the best
outcome possible.
Not only does Gillin strive to employ a talented legal
team, he takes pride that many associates have lifelong ties
to the community they serve. This, he believes, enhances
the commitment to customized, strong client service.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
by andrea lehner
L
aw students aspire to a career like richard
flecks. As partner in the London-based interna-
tional law frm Herbert Smith, Fleck specializes
in international corporate transactions and commercial
litigation.
Throughout my career, Ive been lucky enough to
do leading-edge work, Fleck says. His resume show-
cases high-profle dispute litigation and acquisitions
for household names, including NYSE, Time Warner,
De Beers, Virgin and The DeLorean Motor Car Group,
to name a few.
Since he was 10 years old, Fleck knew he wanted to be
a lawyer. He joined Herbert Smith fresh out of univer-
sity, and was named partner in 1980. When I started
in 1971, the frm had less than 100 people, Fleck says.
We now have 2,500 people and operate in numer-
ous locations around the world. Weve grown without
mergers or acquisitions, which is extraordinary.
Flecks ability to strategize toward client objectives
is his strength. The fo-
cus I bring is an analysis
of what we are trying to
achieve and how best to
achieve it.
The latest recession was
the ffh hes weathered. In
the legal world there is always
work to do, provided things
are going up or down, Fleck explains.
Only when things are static is when theres a
shortage of work. With this downturn, theres been a
marked migration to leading frms.
Herbert Smith has a substantial presence in Europe,
Asia, and the Middle East. International alliances, ex-
plains Fleck, are imperative to staying on the leading
edge. In the world we live in, nobody can stand still.
New economies are growing before our eyes.
A LEADING LITIGATOR
Success in the feld of law is about versatility.
Every case is diferent, and every client is
uniquea good atorney must fll whatever
role is necessary given the situation.
A senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg has built an expertise in telecommunica-
tions, foreign investments, anti-trust law and more.
George of
All TRADES
T
oronto lawyer George Addy has
learned this lesson many times over.
His varied career has landed him on
both sides of the fence and, as he says, of-
ten siting on top. From a private practice
to positions as special counsel and Atorney
General, as well as litigating on behalf of
plaintifs and defendants and later acting as
both client and advisor for counsel, Addy
eventually found his niche in antitrust and
telecommunications. The telecom business
is highly competitive, and you have to plan
your business moves in a dynamic market-
place, Addy says.
As senior partner of Davies Ward Phil-
lips & Vinebergs Competition and Foreign
Investment Review, Addy routinely works
on many high-profle cases and is a top-re-
quested atorney for regulatory and compe-
tition law.
His focus on communications has proven
to be the most interesting part of his career.
One of the frst cases I worked on, Addy
recalls, was where people were fghting for
the right to plug a telephone they bought
into a jack in their own house. Then, in 1985,
I was involved with the frst round of licens-
ing issues for cellular phones.
Addy continues his telecom work by rep-
resenting companies like Google that con-
tinue pushing the technology envelope. Its
been a fascinating sector because its contin-
uously evolving with new technology and
new players, he adds.
by andrea lehner
The batles in telecommunications
were seeing in Canada are similar
to what is seen in the United States,
Addy says. These are issues like net
neutrality, and access issues relating
to companies like Netfix being able
to access the networks of other par-
ticipants. Even issues like how much
consumers should be paying for the
internet. Those issues are being looked
at in Canada, in the United States by
the FTC, and in Europe as well.
Addy also specializes in mergers,
cartel defense work, and foreign in-
vestments. Foreign investments of a
certain type and size require approval
that theyre of net beneft to Canada. In
addition to geting regulatory approv-
al with antitrust agencies, I also assist
foreign investors with closing their in-
vestments in Canada. Addy explains.
One of the greatest learning expe-
riences in my litigation career, Addy
says in reference to an antitrust case he
worked on as a junior lawyer, was do-
ing batle against the elite lawyers who
were representing the oil companies
on a daily basis over a period of four
years. It taught me a lot about the art
of advocacy and litigation. It was gru-
eling at the time, but I smile about it
now. I couldnt have asked for a beter
learning experience.
Since those challenging early days,
Addy has steadily become more ex-
perienced, more adaptable, and more
in-demand. His no-nonsense approach
to litigation and advocacy continues to
shape the Canadian antitrust and tele-
communications landscape.
625 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-1801
P. (212) 588-5500
www.dwpv.com
Since Kings career in diversity staffing began in 1974,
he has had several noteworthy achievements, including a
Raytheon Diversity Hero Award, recognition as a YMCA
Black Achiever, and an invitation to the New York Times
Air Diversity Summit as a guest speaker and panelist.
King has also been interviewed on television and radio
shows, and is a contributing columnist on diversity.
MEES, founded in 2009, strives to develop strong cor-
porate-academic partnerships with a focus on increasing
diversity in engineering and science at the academic lev-
el. Kings goal is to implement foundations that encour-
age minority students to prepare for these highly techni-
cal trades in a growing industry.
Through his efforts, King has been successful in devel-
oping mentoring programs and career development ini-
tiatives, and has worked closely with secondary school
admissions to promote an increase in minority enroll-
ment.
By working with corporate administrations to help
streamline the staffing process, Kings consulting skills
help diversity-minded companies discover talented and
creative professionals to work in finance, administration,
information technology, science, and engineering. Not
only does King help bring a wide range of talent to each
client, but with nearly 40 years of experience, he has the
expertise to develop strategic staffing plans that enhance
and compliment unique business growth goals.

Multicultural
Engineering
Education
Systems
TAKING YOUR
CAREER IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION
Stephen King is an award-winning diversity specialist. Through his own
consulting business, Multicultural Engineering Education Systems (MEES) and
his position as a Principal Consultant at Diversity Staffing Pros, King has made a
career of providing positive opportunities for minorities throughout the greater
Boston area.
BY ANDREA LEHNER
M.E.E.S. Inc
6 Bandy Lane
Milford, MA 01757
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
by wendy connick
A feeble body weakens the mind.
Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau said those
words over 200 years ago. But for Dr. Roger D. Masters,
a Research Professor of Government at Dartmouth Col-
lege, that idea is still relevant today.
Masters studies the efects heavy metals can have on
human brain chemistry and behavior, and the fndings
are astounding. Many violent criminals have high
levels of lead or manganese in their blood, he told
The Suit. Since this can explain why some communi-
ties have high rates of violent crime, Masters focused
on factors linked to high blood lead. Publications with
chemist Mike Coplan revealed that childrens blood
lead levels are higher in areas where either fuorosi-
licic acid or sodium silicofuoride is added to public
water suppliesand these communities also have poor
educational results, more substance abuse, and more
violent crime. Since silicofuorides are toxic chemicals
that have never been tested for safety and have never
been shown to reduce tooth decay as intended, Mas-
ters and Coplan think its time we used scientifc re-
search to guide public policies.
Since each violent crime costs
taxpayers an estimated $30,000
a year, he added, ending use
of silicofuorides could cut bil-
lions from government defcits
at no cost to taxpayers.
Masters is also a well-known
expert on Rousseau. He has stud-
ied and taught classes on the philoso-
phers discourses as well as co-editing modern transla-
tions of his writings, which emphasized the importance
of understanding human nature. While Rousseaus
thought was instrumental in shaping the French Revo-
lution and initiating modern educational practice, Mas-
ters concludes his insights remain pertinent today.
Masters began his teaching career at Yale, but afer
six years he decided to move to Dartmouth as a ten-
ured professor. I preferred Dartmouth in good part
for the excellence of its undergraduate education, he
said. Aside from a two-year stint as cultural atach
at the American Embassy in Paris, he has remained at
Dartmouth since 1967. He also consults for the U.S. De-
partment of Defense regarding the intersection of biol-
ogy and politics, and serves on the executive council of
the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences.
ta, where hi s research has focused on Western
Canadas posi ti on i n the gl obal economy and on
the rol e smal l busi ness pl ays i n the regi on. Im
extremel y proud of the work I ve done i n busi -
ness fl uctuati ons and busi ness cycl es i n Cana-
da, together wi th the work I ve done surround-
i ng countri es economi c devel opment, he sai d.
I ve been extremel y fortunate i n my career.
Chambers i s al so worki ng on fi ndi ng opportuni -
ti es for i ncreasi ng economi c di versi fi cati on.
Chambers bel i eves that recovery i s wel l un-
derway after the Great Recessi on, but that
theres sti l l a l ong way to go. Unfortunatel y i ts
a rel ati vel y j obl ess recovery. And that i s a real l y
bothersome, troubl esome, di ffi cul t si tuati on,
he sai d. The i ssues are partl y i nadequate de-
mand, partl y the fact that a segment of the l abor
force that doesnt have adequate ski l l s to meet
the demands that are out there. Hi s recommen-
dati on to get the j ob recovery process goi ng i s to
set up programs that wi l l sti mul ate demand, as
wel l as retrai ni ng programs for workers whose
ski l l s are now out of date.
A STABLE RECOVERY
by wendy connick
The Practical
Political Scientist
Dr. Edward Chambers isnt daunted by the
economics behind a rocky recession; its his
lifes work.
by wendy connick
D
r.
Ed-
ward Chambers
makes i t hi s busi -
ness to study economi c fl uctuati ons, i ncl udi ng
the one currentl y i n progress. What Im work-
i ng on now are i ssues of stabi l i ty how you
i mprove economi c stabi l i ty i n resource-pro-
duci ng economi es, i n parti cul ar at the regi onal
l evel i n western Canada, Chambers sai d.
Chambers i s a facul ty member of the Al berta
School of Busi ness at the Uni versi ty of Al ber-
A
fer years of dedication, Jorge
Rodriguez has become a major
player in Mexicos hardware
and sofware industries. Since 1989 hes
played a large role in developing the
countrys technology infrastructure.
I helped open the beginnings of the
channel distribution network here in
Mexico, he said. I started ISCoM as
a company that would bring to Mexico
some technologies to assist with the
foundation of internet businesses.
Rodriguez developed ISCOM into a
valuable resource by making it a one-
stop shop for technology. Yes, we
are in the hardware business, he ex-
plained. But since the beginning we
tried to build ISCoM as a service pro-
vider too, which helped us to difer-
entiate. What were trying to do here
is to provide technological services
including everythinghardware,
sofware and servicesas well as
support our customers strategic and
business needs. His unconventional
company has thrived with a 40 per-
cent growth rate in a time when tech-
nology companies using traditional
models have fallen by the wayside.
ISCoMs focus on providing a high
level of customer service, both to cus-
tomers and to employees, has also
helped it to stand out. We are work-
ing with high-profle companies. But
to be totally honest, we treat each and
every one of our customersit doesnt
mater the sizelike a priority cus-
tomer, Rodriguez said. Our com-
pany has a strong commitment to its
collaborators, its employees, and its
personnel. One of our key goals is to
provide opportunities for them.
Mexico Tech
Jorge Rodriguez stands at
the forefront of the growing
technology sector south of
the border.
BY WENDY CONNICK
A
fer leaving a 17-year career as a social worker, Mel-
ody Jones knew she wanted to embrace her artistic
side. "I was always happiest if I could use my cre-
ativity in some way. I knew that being creative as a hobby
wasn't enough for me," she said.
Afer discovering Etsy.com, an online platform for artisans
to sell their goods, Jones knew she'd found her solution. But
frst, she needed to defne her product. "I never met a craf
I didn't like," she laughs. "I had to refne it down to what I
love the most, and then create goals around those."
Now Jones is the owner of Melody Essence, an online bou-
tique featuring hand-crafed jewelry and paper products.
Her biggest challenges were learning lef-brained busi-
ness skills and teaching herself how to take photographs to
showcase her wares well online. She credits her parents and
her husband for encouraging her ambitions, and is grate-
ful to her business coach, Kim Duggan, for helping her turn
those aspirations into reality.
Melody Essence jewelry features fun and simple designs,
and is available at a variety of price points. "It's important
for people to have a unique piece of handmade jewelry, es-
pecially if there's a story behind it," Jones says. The story
concept inspired a new line of products made from recy-
cled goods. She also has a line of paper products, including
hand-crafed cards, pre-made scrapbook pages and custom
gif bags.
Its a challenging new lifestyle, but feedback from happy
customers is always rewarding. Jones is loving her new role
as entrepreneurial artisan, and is happy to be a part of the
crafing community.
by andrea lehner
Honing the Craft
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James Bufalo
CLU, ChFC
Financial Advisor
(845) 562 - 4175
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Entrepreneur

& ftness guru

Afer earning his MBA in 1963,

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