Scott Van Valkenburgh
"Inspired High-Tech Business Consulting"
Mr. Van Valkenburgh's brainchild, Vantiis Consulting is his latest project.  A veteran of Intel,* Sun Microsystems,* and numerous diverse start-up consulting engagements, Mr. Van Valkenburgh offers a broad range of services ranging from the development of business strategies, product roadmaps, and marketing/communication plans to actually stepping in as an Interim Executive or Director of Marketing and/or Product Management.  And, having twice founded his own companies, he's quite adept at the funding game.  His primary strength lies in his leadership skills, and has been known to quickly achieve significant successes after walking into a situation knowing nothing about a technology or business.  He listens to his team.  Underlying these skills is a quick understanding of complex technologies, an ability to see and communicate their human benefits, then develop a highly creative, yet realistic, step-by-step plan that encompasses all aspects of a business, including strategy and execution, to bring the technology to market and/or achieve significant growth.  One of his successes includes conceiving of and beginning initial implementation of a strategic plan for Intel to convert knowledge workers to mobile computer users.  This has since morphed into the $300 million Centrino* marketing campaign.  Mr. Van Valkenburgh has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, both from the University of California at Davis.

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Howard Cooley
Executive Coach
After a highly successful, 36-year career as both a consultant and corporate line officer Mr. Cooley now works closely with CEOs and entrepreneurs as a "coach" on issues such as marketing, finance, and general management.  He has served as a director of both public and private corporations in the manufacturing, banking, and health care industries with his board committee experience including compensation, finance, audit, and marketing.  Lately he has found the technology industry quite interesting, including one particular client, guide2style, inc., an apparel industry software start-up.  His earlier career included a number of years as the President of Jockey International, where he led the company during a period of extraordinary growth and profitability.  The company entered the women’s underwear business with the 'Jockey for Her' brand and expanded its production and marketing internationally.  Sales grew over 250% during his tenure.  Prior to joining Jockey, he served as Vice President of Kurt Salmon Associates, a firm highly regarded for its consumer products and healthcare consulting practices.  Mr. Cooley's clients included some of the most successful U.S. apparel firms of the 60’s and 70’s such as Levi's,** Ralph Lauren,** Jockey,** Hanes,** Warnaco,** and Liz Claiborne.**  He was elected Chairman of the American Apparel Manufacturers Association and held a directorship in that organization for 14 years.  He founded the Apparel Foundation which provides clothing for the homeless and for disaster victims around the world.  In 1991 he was inducted into the Apparel Industry Hall of Fame.  Mr. Cooley received his Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Master’s Degree in Operations Research from the University of Florida.

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Dan Smith
Senior Software Engineer/Team Lead
With over 25 years of experience as a programmer, architect, and engineering manager, including 11 years at Apple Computer, Mr. Smith is an expert coder and, when managing, ensuring that his team's projects are on time and on budget.  Currently developing primarily for .NET, Mr. Smith programs in Visual C++, C++, C#, and VB.NET and has broad experience with a wide variety of systems and tools and many other languages.  Just a few of his diverse array of projects include: custom and embedded media players, surgical workflow simulations, a military weather monitoring system, USB connectivity software, and an award winning courseware authoring tool, used by teachers to create instructional activities for their special needs students.  Mr. Smith has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Joyce Connelley
Public Relations and Marketing Communications Consultant
Ms. Connelley has over 20 years of experience in journalism, public relations, and marketing communications.  She takes an extremely structured, strategic approach to helping her clients achieve their communication goals by starting at the highest levels of strategy and messaging, then dives in and executes.  She has authored hundreds of by-lined articles for numerous publications, developed innumerable speeches, web sites and brochures, and pitched thousands of story ideas to editors.  Specializing in high technology, she has extensive experience in representing both major accounts and startups.  Her numerous successes include: taking an unheard of company and building it into a leading competitor on a shoestring budget (register.com**), capitalizing on a company's well-established position in one market to expand its business into other new markets (TIBCO**), and publicizing an event and a fledgling industry to attain name recognition (Cardtech/SecurTech '97**).  Other satisfied clients include IBM**, 3COM**, Silicon Graphics**, HP**, and many others.  Ms. Connelley has a BA in Journalism from San Jose State University.

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David Herron
Corporate Communications Consultant
Mr. Herron specializes in integrated corporate and marketing communications programs, and has a broad range of experience in all aspects of high-tech communications.  His areas of expertise include: strategic planning, message development, branding, trade and business press and analyst relations, events, writing/editing, crisis communications and issues management, C-level executive communications, executive media-coaching, advertising, collateral, web site strategy and content development, metrics programs and videos.  This award-winning pro, with over 20 years of experience, has worked with HP**, Hitachi**, Agilent Semiconductors**, Netgear** and many other notable companies.   Mr. Herron has a BS in Journalism from the University of Kansas.

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Calvin Lew
"Ninja Art Director for Hire"
What you see is what you get.  Mr. Lew created the Vantiis Consulting branding scheme and all of the graphics you see on this website.  He is highly creative, and while he bills himself out as a soup-to-nuts  Art Director with branding, identity, collateral, print advertising, packaging, tradeshow and online capabilities, he has also been known to create some highly unusual taglines and copy.  Mr. Lew bills himself as a "Ninja art director for hire.  Skilled in the art of concept and execution.  Equipped with the weapons to get the job done.  Ventures out alone or unites with your team to vanquish all your mission-critical projects with speed, stealth, and accuracy.  Calvin Lew, molded from an honorable class of loyal warrior.  Trained to follow direction – yet possesses the courage to seek the truth."  His satisfied clients include: Bank of America,** Charles Schwab,** American Express,** Emporium,** Nordstrom,** Macy's,** Borland,** HP,** Intuit,** HP** and many others.  Mr. Lew studied at the Academy of Art San Francisco. 

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*Centrino and Pentium are trademarks owned by Intel Corporation.
**Trademarks owned by each respective company.