Mentoring is the cornerstone of the Social Venture Partners’ Fast Pitch Program. We’ve been in the community selecting the best-of-the-best to partner with our 26 Fast Pitch semi-finalists for the 2017 Fast Pitch Program.
Our mentors come from all industries and walks of life, but there are several commonalities among them: they are leaders with servant hearts and share a willingness to dedicate their time, talent, and enthusiasm with their assigned Innovator. The end goal? To coach their Innovator to the final stages of the program and pitch live-on-stage for our showcase event on March 28 at Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts [buy tickets!].
The Mentor Innovator Pairing Process
The pairing process takes time and intense coordination to ensure the right mentors and skill sets are paired with the Innovators. And when we have more than 60 mentors, it’s no easy task. Today the hard work and puzzle comes together – the Mentors will meet their Innovators during a Fundamentals session. And then the real work will begin. If you see them around town, wish them luck!
For more information on Fast Pitch mentoring, contact SVPAZ Partner and Mentor Lead Jessica Gabry or Sentari Minor.
Welcome to Fast Pitch 2017:
| Name | Organization | Title |
| Morris Scott | DMD Systems Recovery | Chairman |
| Rick McCartney | InMedia Company | President & CEO |
| Shelby Larsen | CopperPoint | Agency Specialist |
| Stephanie Moe | AAA Arizona | Corporate Responsibility Supervisor |
| Neal Bookspan | Jaburg|Wilk | Equity Partner |
| Jeanine Divis | APS | Supervisor IT |
| George Grombacher | Financial Consulting Professionals | Partner |
| Sherman Chu | Grayhawk Capital | Managing Partner |
| Denise Eribes | Microchip Technology Inc | Product Marketing Manager |
| Jeremiah Smith | Everyone, Inc | Grant Writer |
| Becky Armendariz | Banner Health | Senior Director, Community Engagement |
| Kenneth McDaniel | Intel | Program Manager |
| Doug Singer | Remedy | Sr VP Business Development |
| David Cady | Virtuous CRM | Director, Business Development |
| Kurt & Sharlee Cretors | SC Financial Services | Owners |
| Maisha Christian Hagan | Jokake Construction Services, Inc. | Marketing Director |
| Donald Becka | ASU W.P. Carey Executive MBA School of Business | Executive Coach |
| Scott Shrake | Arizona State University | Director |
| Sidnee Peck | Arizona State University | Professor |
| Laura Franco-French | Greater Phoenix Leadership | Director, Communications and Community Partnerships |
| Jennifer Dimeck | Provident Consulting LLC | Principal |
| Sadhna D. Bokhiria | Kapoor Foundations | Vice President of Research Development & Special Projects |
| Andy Shirk | TrueRoots Development | Owner |
| Cathy Valenzuela | Arizona Business Bank | President – East Valley |
| Cynthia Herndon | CopperPoint Insurance Companies | Manager – Claims Support |
| Steve Smiley | SVPAZ | Manager, Strategic Programs |
| Carrick Sears | svn | Senior Advisor |
| Meg Taylor | CO+HOOTS Foundation | Foundation Manager |
| Scott Salkin | Allbound | CEO & Founder |
| Michael Zirulnik | Arizona State University, The Varsity Project, LLC. & Phoenix College | Program Manager, Executive Director & Professor |
| Kelly Kaysonepheth | AZTEC Engineering / Junior League of Phoenix | Business Development Manager / Director of Operations |
| Sherri Barry | Arizona Fashion Source | Founder |
| Steven Stivers | UMOM New Day Centers | Program Administrator |
| Lauren McDanell | SEED Spot | Director of Entrepreneur Initiatives |
| Stephanie Nowack | Tempe Tourism Office | President and CEO |
| Cassie Cooper | Pei Wei Asian Diner, Inc. | Brand Marketing Manager |
| Kelley Coats | APS | Director, Customer Operations |
| Adam Baker | Wells Fargo Private Bank | VP |
| Danielle Feroleto | Small Giants | President/Owner |
| Allison Van Dyke | Goodmans Interior Structures | Director of Marketing |
| Adam Brown | Ernst & Young | Tax Senior |
| Alexander Blum | Probability Capital Group | Director |
| Laureen Ong | ||
| Richard Skwarek | ||
| Luke Koons | Warpaint Ventures | Principle |
| Michael Zaft | Southwest Drivetrain Specialists | Vice President of Finance and Marketing |
| Lisa Tiano | ||
| Francesca Van Der Feltz | Experience Matters | Skilled Talent Developer |
| Tyler Rives | Silicon Valley Bank |