Board of Directors and Key Staff

Kay Koplovitz
Chairman
Principal, Koplovitz & Co.

Kay Koplovitz is the Founder of USA Network, a company launched in 1977, and later expanded to introduce the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Networks International. Kay served as Chairperson & CEO until the company was sold for $4.5 Billion in 1998. Currently, she is the Chairman of the Board of Liz Claiborne, Inc., a $5 Billion company that designs and markets an extensive range of women's and men's fashion and accessories. She has served on the Boards of Oracle, Nabisco, Instinet and General Re.

Kay was appointed in 1998 by President Clinton to be Chairman of the National Women's Business Council (NWBC), the influential advisory board for women-owned businesses, where she helped create Springboard Enterprises; launched in 2000 as a platform for recruiting and showcasing women-led ventures to the nation's equity investors. Since its inception, Springboard Enterprises has presented over 360 companies that have raised more than $4 Billion in new capital. She is also the co-founder of Boldcap Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early and mid-stage technology, media and health science companies. She is the author of Bold Women, Big Ideas (May '02) which she wrote to inform and inspire women entrepreneurs to create wealth through equity. Kay is a frequent speaker and contributor on media, capital formation, corporate governance and leadership.

Calvin L. Hackeman
Managing Partner of Technology Industry Practice, Grant Thornton LLP

Cal is managing partner of Grant Thornton's Technology Industry Practice. This national practice focuses on serving technology-driven companies, including those involved in life sciences, technology services, software, telecommunications, technology hardware and Internet commerce.

In addition to leading the Technology Industry Practice, Cal also serves as Client Service Partner for Technology Companies in the Washington, D.C., area. During his 29 years with the firm, Cal has assisted his clients with implementation and application of new FASBs, acquisitions and divestitures of businesses, business planning, implementation of stock option and executive incentive compensation plans, as well as numerous other matters. Cal has also led Grant Thornton teams on numerous initial public offerings.

Cal is currently on the Boards of Director for the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association, Springboard Enterprises and Professional Services Council. He is past president of Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, and past chairman of the Manassas, Virginia Business Council. Cal is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

He earned a BS in Business Administration Cum Laude from American University in Washington, D.C.

Amy Millman
President, Springboard Enterprises

Amy Millman has established a successful career as an advocate working for and with business and government officials to develop and implement national business development and policy initiatives. In 2001, she co-founded a non-profit venture, Springboard Enterprises, whose mission is to facilitate women entrepreneurs' access to the equity markets. The organization offers educational programs and forums designed to provide women entrepreneurs with access to investors and information about sources and uses of equity capital. Springboard has showcased over 360 women-led emerging growth businesses at its Forums nationally and those businesses have raised over $4 billion in equity, grants and strategic investments.

Previously, Amy served as the Executive Director of a federal government commission focused on developing policy and initiatives concerning women's business ownership. Earlier in her career, she represented the interests of several corporate and industry groups before the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and holds a masters degree from The George Washington University. She and her family reside in the Washington, D.C. area.

Carol Nichols
Investor, Golden Seeds and Texas Women Ventures Fund

Carol Nichols, former executive with JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, has over 26 years of experience providing capital and advice to growing companies.

Carol is a leader in capital access initiatives for women-business owners. She is a Co-Founder of the Texas Women Ventures Fund, a unique private equity fund focused on the rapidly growing market of women-led businesses; a member of Golden Seeds, an angel investor group; and a Co-Founder of NAWBO Capital Concepts, Inc., a micro loan program. Carol is currently on the Council of National Advisors for Springboard Enterprises and on the Advisory Board for the Center for Women's Business Research, in Washington, D.C. Carol graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with degrees in Economics and Political Science and she received an MBA from Tulane University.

Lauren Flanagan
Founder & CEO, SCIO Corp
Co-founder & Managing Director, Phenomenelle Angels Fund I, LP

Lauren is a Managing Director of the Phenomenelle Angels Fund I, LP, an early stage private equity fund she co-founded in 2006. The Phenomenelle Fund invests in women and minority owned or managed high technology businesses in the MidWest. The Fund's limited partners are successful women entrepreneurs and select entities. Lauren also serves as CEO of SCIO Corp, a strategic advisory firm focused on serving emerging companies in the information technology, biotechnology, clean technology and consumer technology markets. SCIO assists clients with strategic planning, partnerships, executive team/board development, corporate restructuring and financing.

Prior to founding SCIO Corp in 2002, Lauren co-founded WebWare Corporate, and served as its Chairman, President and CEO for 7 years. While at WebWare, she helped define and lead two new market categories: brand resource management (now called marketing content management) and media asset management (now called digital asset management). She raised approximately $20 million in equity capital for WebWare, which in 2003 was acquired by a publicly traded company.

In her 15 years of senior management experience prior to WebWare, Lauren co-founded 4 technology companies and consulted for high technology leaders including Apple, Atari, HP, IBM, Microsoft, NeXT, Texas Instruments and Xerox. Lauren received Trailblazer Awards in 2000 and 2001 from Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, and was awarded IT Software CEO of the Year for 2001 by a leading analyst firm, Frost and Sullivan. She serves on the Boards of Springboard Enterprises and ComicWonder, and is a Board observer to IA/Threefold Sensors and EraGen BioSciences.

Key Staff

Michelle Reid
Director of Programming

Michelle Reid has held positions in the legal field at prominent firms in New York City and Washington, DC. Prior to joining Springboard, she was the co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee at the law firm of Arent Fox, PLLC, in charge of several of their community related support programs, and served as a paralegal to the bankruptcy division. She has held positions at firms in New York City and Washington, DC including Anderson Kill & Olick, PC, Arent Fox, PLLC, and Tighe Patton Armstrong Teasdale. Michelle is also an accomplished event coordinator and, among her many affiliations, are Nexus, a professional networking organization in Washington, DC and Full Circle Ministries and F.O.C.U.S. Ministries, Inc. in New York City.