Birgit Coleman

Birgit Coleman HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS ∗ International Specialist in Marketing and Business Development with 14 years of business experience working in Europe and USA. ∗ Passionate ‘matchmaker’ with exhaustive international network for deal flow. ∗ A desire to accomplish challenging assignments and to make a difference. EDUCATION ∗ College (“Handelsakademie”) for Bachelor of Economics, Austria ∗ Masters Degree in Business Administration, Major: International Marketing, University of Vienna, Austria, 2000 – graduated with honor WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE USA swissnex, www.swissnexsanfrancisco.org 12/2002 – present Innovation and Partnerships, 2006 - present FTE Innovation and Partnership Mandate for Swiss stakeholders: · CTI Start-up: running the swissnex CTI (Commission for Technology and Innovation) incubator; coaching Swiss startup companies with US market entry strategy, introductions to investors, potential business partners and customers, service providers, startup community / mentors, (social) media, etc. · Nestle, Innovation Partnerships Group (INP): Matchmaker to disruptive technology partners, suppliers and retailers · Firmenich ∗ web 2.0. strategies for a flavor and fragrance company · Lonza * innovation consultancy for "Nutrition 2030" Business Development, 2004-2006 · Matchmaking: Programming Events and Field Study Trips for Swiss Delegations in fields of innovation, technology, and academia acting as their local facilitator. · Consulting, fundraising assistance (USD 600,000+ – as swissnex San Francisco is a public private organization), and matchmaker for potential partnerships to increase Swiss deal flows, to expose Swiss innovation and competencies to Silicon Valley. · Constructed and executed Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan for swissnex San Francisco to address each customer touchpoint. Founding Team, 2002 - 2004 · Employee #2 to get the swissnex San Francisco off the ground starting from negotiating office lease, purchasing office equipment, recruiting and managing growth phase, implementing new business processes. · Planning and Production of swissnex San Francisco Inauguration Nov, 2004 with a 30 people high-level Swiss delegation and global visitors Red Bull North America Inc., www.us.redbull.com, Walnut Creek, CA, 2002 Marketing, Event Planning and Production for the first US Red Bull Flugtag 2002 in San Francisco, visited by 10,000 people. NanoSIG, www.nanosig.org, Girvan Institute, NASA Ames, CA, 2002 Organized ‘Deal Flow’ conferences for US nanotechnology and biotechnology companies. WORK EXPERIENCE IN EUROPE IBM Vienna, Austria, 09/1996 – 02/2001 Direct Marketing Specialist, 2000 - 2001 IBM Global Services (GS) – Marketing Specialist, 1998 – 1999 Regional Product Announcement, Marketing Specialist , 1997 – 1998 Roll-out Project Management – Proposal Team Leader, 1996

innovation, networking, meeting and listening to smart, fun, enthusiastic, internationally-minded people, cooking, traveling, hosting private parties and public events, connecting people, doing good;

It takes two to tango - partnership are key to success.

entrepreneurship, Innovation, Open Innovation

I am looking forward to listening to the stories in person and not only through the podcasts and to mingle with these brilliant and fun people and being part of this community and to share these insights with others to help more to grow as well.

connecting people; thinking out of the box; finding solutions;