Business and Scientific Advisers
ION is privileged to have a respected and experienced team of advisers providing insights for business and scientific development:
Paul K. Tufano
Paul Tufano, currently CFO of Steel Orca, is an accomplished corporate executive and entrepreneur who brings over 25 years of business and financial experience working with venture backed companies and large financial institutions imple,enting commercialization and growth strategies. Paul previously served as CFO for Tyrell, Inc., where he developed a capital markets plan and successfully raised $28 million in growth capital. He was intimately involved in building the company’s organization, enhancing pricing strategies, reduction outstanding obligations by $14 million, and driving operating efficiencies and profitability. Previously Mr. Tufano served as CFO and Managing Director of BCM Technologies, Inc., a life science venture capital fund where he was actively involved in developing growth strategies for 22 portfolio companies. Before BCM, as CFO of HealthHelp, Inc., Mr. Tufano raised $20 million of private equity and increased growth margins from 15% to 47%.Other previous roles included CFO and later President and co-owner of the Lexus Companies and work as an independent auditor for Touche Ross & Co. and Arthur Young & Co. Mr. Tufano received a BS in Accounting from Bentley College in 1979 and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas.
Spencer Lemons
Spencer Lemons specializes in start-up business development, intellectual property strategy and licensing. Spencer has assisted in the start-up of more than 40 companies, including Sapphire Energy, Ikaria, Inc., Apoptos, Inc., LabKey Inc., Point DX Inc. (acquired by IDXC and now NYSE:GE), Bilex Inc. and Xenoport, Inc. (NASDAQ GS:XNPT) and has served on the board of directors of seven start-up companies. Spencer founded Spira Consulting in 2007 and has since assisted int eh growth and development of three new start-up companies that have raised over $120MM in investment capital. Prior to founding SPira, Spencer served the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as its first Vice President of Industry Relations and Technology Transfer and ran tech transfer programs at Wake Forest University Medical School and North Carolina State University.
Dr. John Winter
John is currently VP of Technology Development at Range Fuels in Broomfield, CO, and has over 33 years of experience in operating gasification plants, research and development, and process engineering, including process design, development, and optimization. At Range Fuels, Winter is responsible for process development and definition functions for the Company’s demonstration and commercial plants. Winter’s experience spans research and development, running gasification plants, and process engineering and technical services for a variety of companies including GE Energy, Chevron-Texaco and The Dow Chemical Company. John holds BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from The University of Alabama and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston.
Kevin Milliman
Kevin is currently VP of Engineering at Evergreen Energy in Denver, CO, and has 20 years chemical engineering and project management experience in manufacturing and consulting businesses. At Evergreen Energy, Milliman has administrative, technology and project management responsibilities, including lead engineer on all K-Fuel related activities - Evergreen’s pre-combustion clean coal technology. Milliman has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester; an MA in Science, Technology and Public Policy, concentrating in Engineering Management, from George Washington University and has extensive experience in engineering project management. He is also a registered professional engineer.
Dr. Adrian Hawkins
Dr. Hawkins is currently Director of Chemistry at ZettaCore, Inc. in Englewood, CO which supplies molecular electronic solutions to the semiconductor and microelectronics market. Previously, he was Director of Commercial Development and Technology for Eastman Chemical Company’s Fine Chemicals Business Group, which supplied fine chemicals and custom manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, electronic, photographic and consumer products industries. Dr. Hawkins has provided technology and business strategy consulting services for a dozen fuel additive and petroleum refining clients, has published more than a dozen scientific papers and reviews, and has been issued more than two dozen US and international patents. He earned a BS in Chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and his PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.