Philly Startup Leaders – Ambition Needs a Network

Mission Statement:

Philly Startup Leaders unites isolated entrepreneurs into a network of ambitious leaders who inspire, energize, and empower each other.

About Us:

PSL began in September of 2007 as a handful of entrepreneurs meeting in the back of a neighborhood bar to trade war stories. After an incredible evening of sharing experiences and giving advice to our peers, we decided to meet again a few weeks later. Word soon spread that we had assembled a great group of ambitious young minds, and our ranks began to swell. Within a couple of months, our meetings outgrew the back room of the bar, and we knew that something special was happening.

Fast-forward just 4 months later and PSL had grown to well over 150 members. We saw an opportunity to turn our small group—itself a startup—into something more ambitious: a force for growth in our members’ lives and our members’ companies. We held our first leadership meeting in February of 2008. There, the group rallied around the problems that frustrated us most: lack of early stage funding, lack of mentors, difficulty finding the right support and resources, and lack of access to affordable talent.

Rather than look to others for solutions, we decided to take matters into our own hands. Leaders volunteered to tackle each problem. Out of their determination, our flagship initiatives were born, which continue today.

PSL is an all volunteer, grassroots organization. The success of our group lies in the hands of our members. In order to get the most out of PSL, it is imperative that members take an active role in planning events, contributing to workshops, and share their knowledge and expertise with other members.

As we have grown to over 250 members, we have not lost sight of the grassroots principles that have made PSL successful:

• We know our niche—startup entrepreneurs. Our focus is our advantage.

• No one should start a company alone—we support our fellow entrepreneurs and encourage collaboration amongst members.

• We believe in lean and flexible leadership, not bureaucracy and hierarchy.

• We encourage entrepreneurship within our organization, so that any member can champion a cause they believe in, and can use the full resources of the group to make the project successful. After all, entrepreneurs don’t believe in asking permission.

Benefits of Membership

• Access to all listservs
• Personal & Company bio included in membership directory
• Admittance to all PSL activities, including monthly Happy Hour, Fishbowl workshops, Mentor program and PSL Funding Panel
• Pay member prices to all PSL special events and co-sponsored networking events including the Founder Factory

Cost
Currently, membership to PSL is free of charge. Happy hours and networking events have cash bars, and specials events rates will be priced to cover projected event expenses.

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Officer Bios

Blake Jennelle, Founder and President

Blake led Philly Startup Leaders from a twinkle in his eye to the thriving community it is today. Now, he wears many hats—chair of the leadership committee, ambassador to other organizations, evangelist, and the guy who knows everybody.

By day, he is CEO and Founder of Anthillz, a reputation network for ambitous freelancers.

Brad Denenberg, Membership & Networking Director

Brad began his first venture, a nationwide sports memorabilia wholesaler, when the fax machine still reigned supreme; and launched his first website in 1995. Later Brad became a stock trader, joining various Wall Street firms as a Nasdaq Market maker.

Brad’s current venture involves the creation of an environmentally-focused social network called Climate Innovations, a portal where customers can learn how to become green and are rewarded for helping to save the planet.

Brad is a graduate of Penn State University with degrees in Finance and International Business.

Scott D. Bohrer, Esq., Funding Director

Scott plays an active role in screening and managing investment opportunities submitted to ETF Venture Funds and works closely with ETF’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining ETF Venture Funds, Scott worked at TMG Health, where he served as Special Assistant to the President & CEO and helped the company’s revenue grow by over 250% in a two year period. Prior to working at TMG Health, Scott worked for over 6 years in the sports/entertainment marketing industry, most recently with Comcast-Spectacor.

Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Penn State University and a Juris Doctorate and an MBA from Temple University.

Christopher D. Cera, Technology Director

Chris has a diverse background as a project leader, software developer, academic researcher, and now CTO of Vuzit. Chris has been employed at both large and small startup companies including Traffic.com, Drakontas, SmithKline Beecham, and Drexel University. Chris graduated from Drexel University with a MS and BS in Computer Science.

His current passion is Vuzit (www.vuzit.com), an online document viewer and web services platform for distributing and displaying documents.

Aaron Haydn McLean, Marketing & PR Director

Aaron and his Marketing & PR Team are responsible for the out-ward facing identity, brand and communications for Philly Startup Leaders and its initiatives.

In 2007, Aaron co-founded Eight Eleven Inc. (www.eight-eleven.com), a Philly Metro based branding, creative and strategic marketing, advertising, Web / Interactive and public relations agency, where he is now the Creative Director and Executive Vice President. His company has seen over 100% growth in the first year of operation and continues to grow its client base both regionally and internationally.