Key Personnel

Chuck Call, PhD

Sensors, Start-ups, Engineering, Product Design & New Product Introductions, Venture Deals, Deal Flow.

 

Chuck Call, age 46, has founded and exited several start-ups including MesoSystems Technology and Mesofuel. He is currently Vice President, Programs, at ICx Technologies (Nasdaq – ICXT) with responsibility for strategy and business development. Mesosystems was acquired by ICx in 2005 for $20 million. In addition to being an inventor on over 20 US patents, Dr. Call has extensive experience in licensing technology from universities and the national labs. Much of the MesoSystems’ technology and product development was funded by DARPA, DHS, the Army and other federal agencies, and over $50M in contracts were awarded, as the company grew to over 35 employees. Under his leadership, the company developed, manufactured and introduced innovative new products for homeland security, such as the BioCapture® handheld air sampler and the AirSentinel® bio-threat sensor. Over the past several years, Dr. Call has become an active member of the New Mexico Angels and has made investments in six companies. Dr. Call was a Board advisor to Acoustic Cytometry Systems prior to its acquisition by Invitrogen, and is currently a board member of Vista Therapeutics. He is also an advisor to the Cottonwood Technology Fund, and was recently named to the New Mexico Who’s Who in Technology by the Business Weekly. His strengths are in intellectual property protection, licensing, product design, bringing new products to market, management team development and selling to the government.

 

Dr. Call is a native of the northern Rockies, having lived in numerous places in Idaho and Montana. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering with Highest Honors from Montana State University in 1985. He received a M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 1992 after a year of employment at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Dr. Call’s doctoral dissertation focused on the particle-turbulence interactions and laser-based diagnostics for particle tracking. Dr. Call completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Spain focused on aerosol technology prior to joining the technical staff at DoE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1994.

 

 

John Elling, PhD, MBA

Assays, Bio-informatics, Start-ups, Venture Deals, Sales, Deal Flow, Mergers & Acquisitions.

 

John Elling, age 46, has founded and led a series of technology based start-ups, consistently building and exiting at a profit. He is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur with a proven ability to identify and develop technology and business opportunities. Most recently Dr. Elling was founder, CEO and President of Acoustic Cytometry Systems. Acoustic Cytometry Systems licensed technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory, developed it to a commercial proof of principle, and then was profitably acquired by one of the largest companies in the sector. He has also served in a Founder/CEO/President role with a number of prior companies including Mesa Tech, Greffen Systems, MitoTech, Integrated Genomics, Cytoprint and Bioreason. Additionally he has experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory as both employee Technical Staff Member and as a Visiting Entrepreneur, and as such is well versed in the licensing process at the national labs.

 

Dr. Elling received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and received his MBA from the Anderson School of Business at the University of New Mexico. While in graduate school in Madison Wisconsin, Dr. Elling worked closely with Nicolet Instrument company and followed the acquisition of their mass spectrometry business unit through several business transitions. After Madison, Dr. Elling joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as a Technical Staff Member in the Engineering Sciences and Applications Division.

 

Dr. Elling is Chairman of the Board of Directors of both Integrated Genomics, Chicago, and Greffen Systems, Atlanta Georgia. John is also an active member of the New Mexico Angels with investments in several of their portfolio companies. Currently, Dr. Elling is working with the technical founders of Mesa Tech International to execute the first proof of principle of the “DNA Dipstick” technology that has been licensed from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

 

 

Rick Sanders, MBA

Strategic Planning, Marketing, Sales Channels, Manufacturing, Mergers & Acquisitions, Organization Development & Management, Financial Management, Multi-National Business.

 

Richard (Rick) Sanders, age 56, has over 30 years of executive experience in marketing, sales operations, strategic planning and general management. Key among the skills he has developed over his career is his ability to build, motivate and focus strong management and executive leadership teams. Most recently Mr. Sanders was President and CEO of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (SFNTC) in Santa Fe, NM. During his 7 year tenure at SFNTC, Mr. Sanders trebled the company’s market share and operating earnings, drove major investments in the systems, plant and equipment needed to meet future growth demands, and directed the company’s successful expansion into international markets in Western Europe and Asia.

 

Prior to joining SFNTC, Mr. Sanders worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company where he began his career as a marketing assistant in 1977. From 1987 to 2002 Sanders served in a wide spectrum of executive positions including, vice president –advertising and brand management, vice president – marketing and sales operations, area vice president – sales, vice-president – strategic development, senior vice president – marketing and President – Sports Marketing Enterprises.

 

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Mr. Sanders earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., and an MBA in marketing from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. He serves on the boards of Minnesota Resources, U.S. Retail Centers, Vista Therapeutics and is past chair of the SFNTC Foundation, vice-chair of Santa Fe Economic Development, Inc. and chair of Santa Fe Futures. Mr. Sanders is also an active investor and member of New Mexico Angels.

 

 

John Chavez, MBA

Managing Partner. Fund Raising, Fund Management, Seed-Stage Venture Deals, Start-up Management, Deal Flow, Finance & Accounting.

 

John J. Chavez, age 50, is the President of the New Mexico Angels. Since Mr. Chavez has become President, the New Mexico Angels have seen an increase of over 100% in investment in new companies. Additionally, the New Mexico Angels are leading investment deals instead of following the VC's into the deals. Mr. Chavez has created the New Mexico Angels technology showcase forums which allows the New Mexico Angels technology partners, LANL, Sandia and UNM, to showcase technology available for licensing to New Mexico Angel members and guests. Mr. Chavez has been an active angel investor since 2003, investing in thirteen start-up companies and as the sixth employee of two start-up companies that are both still active and growing.

 

Mr. Chavez is the also the President of Tafoya and Brainerd Partners LLC, a nationwide business development consulting firm. . Prior to creating Tafoya and Brainerd Partners LLC, Mr. Chavez was appointed by New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as the Cabinet Secretary of the Taxation and Revenue Department. Mr. Chavez served as Cabinet Secretary for six years and as the President of the Federation of Taxation Administrators for one year.

 

A native of New Mexico, Mr. Chavez is a graduate of New Mexico State University where he received a BBA in Finance, a BA in Economics and an MBA. Mr. Chavez serves on the Boards of The UNM Anderson School of Management Foundation and The All Faiths Receiving Home Foundation.

 

 

Ian Rosen, J.D., M.A.

Private Equity, Finance, Deal Flow, Mergers and Acquisitions

 

Ian Rosen, age 44, has successfully invested in private and project equity for financial institutions over the past 10 years.  He was a senior member of the infrastructure and private equity investment groups of AIG and Deutsche Bank. In 2007-2008 Ian built the solar photovoltaic portfolio at Banque AIG, one of the largest portfolios in Spain, before profitably selling it at an enterprise value of about $400 million to HG Capital in 2009.  From 2003-2007 he co-founded and co-headed the renewable principal investments business within the sales and trading division of Deutsche Bank, successfully invest and profitably exiting over $150 million across 8 countries. From 2000 through 2002 he headed eCommerce investments, investing in and profitably exiting over $200 million in 12 companies, including launching 3 companies.  Joining Deutsche Bank in 1996, Ian also held positions as a senior derivatives and finance structurer, worldwide coordinator of integration of the Bankers Trust sales and trading division, and global business manager helping restructure the division. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Ian worked as a consultant at McKinsey and Company.

 

Most recently Ian was interim CEO of Engyco PLC, a company aiming to be Europe’s first listed independent solar power utility, where he developed the business plan, advanced discussions with potential asset sellers, worked on the IPO prospectus and met with potential investors. 

 

Ian has a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School, a Masters in War Studies from King's College London and a Bachelors degree with majors in Physics and in Government from Wesleyan University, Connecticut.  He has held director positions on the boards of 12 companies in the renewable energy and e-commerce businesses on behalf of Banque AIG and Deutsche Bank. Based in London, he is a private investor in technology with a portfolio of several successful business in the US and Europe and advises on the acquisition and sale of assets and private equity investments.