Team StartUpNV

Board Members and Management Team

Jeffrey Saling

Founder & Executive Director

Successful co-founder, member of founding executive team with successful exits including three (3) IPO’s and one (1) private sale. Co-founder of two (2) currently operating early stage B2B SaaS companies.

Stephen Hurst

Capital Fund Director | Board Member

Steve has 25+ years experience in bio-pharmaceuticals including: Chief Business Officer for The Immune Tolerance Institute @ UC Berkeley; The World Bank and BIO Ventures for Global Health; CEO of Sequential, Inc.

Ellen Purpus

Board Member – Representing UNR

Asst Vice President, Enterprise & Innovation: University of Nevada, Reno. Prior to UNR Ellen was responsible for the growth and success as:  Director, Technology Transfer: The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia; Director, Technology Licensing: The Ohio State University; Director, Life Sciences: Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation

Lisa Song Sutton

Advisory Board Member | TEDx Speaker | Forbes Writer | Miss Nevada US 2014

Entrepreneur, Forbes writer, TEDx Speaker, real estate investor and Miss Nevada United States 2014. Lisa started her career in a top Las Vegas law firm, specializing in business litigation. She then went on to create iconic Vegas companies of her own.

Myisha Williams

AngelNV Fund 1 | Co-Director (Las Vegas)

Creative problem-solver with more than a decade of applied leadership and project experience. Skilled at transforming technical content into streamlined messaging. Loyalist to the art of true customer service.

Andy Gagnon

Regional Director | Northern Nevada

Entrepreneurial Global Operations Leader | Develops High-Performance Teams | excelled in teams as diverse as a US Navy Fighter Squadron, as well as at Microsoft and Dell.

Maggie Saling

Director of Communications / Chief of Staff

Advisory Board Member, Investor, Technical Consultant, Trainer & Recruiter, Social Media & Communications Director, Director of Volunteers for The Barracuda Championship PGA Golf Tournament – and Pilot.

Bill Slikkerveer

Capital Committee Director

Experienced Angel Investor on Angel List, Jet Pilot (commercial and military), and Engineer. Highly analytical and direct advisor and mentor to multiple start-ups.  Capital Committee Director / Chairman at StartUpNV.

Deidre Jackson

AngelNV Fund 1 | Co-Director

Financial coach helping people manage finances including budgets, debt management, savings, and more. Program manager; demonstrates strong organizational, communication, prioritization, and customer service skills

Liz Goodgold

Advisory Board Member | Brand Marketing Expert

Motivational Keynote Speaker | Branding Speaker & Coach | Trainer for Women to Speak with Confidence and Competence. Liz brings a strong, highly successful, branding and mentoring focus to the StartUpNV advisory board.

Simran Saroop

Deck Compliance and Review Lead | Intern

Student at University of UNLV, Deal Flow Coordinator at Rebel Venture Fund, and compliance team lead for pitch deck review for applicants to the StartUpNV Accelerator Program.

Audrey Randazzo

Online Incubator Community Manager | Intern

Student at University of Nevada, Reno and community manager for StartUpNV’s Virtual Online Incubator Program (VOIP) which provides resources and mentorship to prepare Nevada startups for Acceleration and capital raising.

John Bear

Advisory Board Member | Las Vegas

Chief of Staff to Las Vegas City Council Member, Expert Business Consultant, Business Process Expert and connector of important people throughout Southern Nevada.

Madeline Feldman

Director Of Operations & Business Development

Connector in Nevada’s startup ecosystem for founders, mentors, investors, business partners, and donors.  Entertainment professional experienced in production, from creation through closing. Dancer, choreographer, writer, director, and producer with superior problem solving and leadership skills.

Eric Madison

1971-2017 | Co-Founder, in Memoriam

Eric’s passion for the Nevada start-up community was a driving force in our founding.  At just 46 years old, Eric was killed by a wrong way, impaired driver on I-580 in Reno on August 19, 2017.  Don’t drink and drive!