Alexander Alpern
Partner, Apaxys Global Ventures, LLC

Alexander Alpern is a Partner at Apaxys Global Ventures. Apaxys Global Ventures is an investment and market entry services specialist focused on helping the emerging software companies from Russia and Eastern Europe to enter the US market, providing access to capital and M&A advisory services. Alexander is a co-organizer and COO at the Moscow Venture Forum. Prior to that Alexander worked at the Russian early stage investment company, where he was responsible for generation, screening and evaluation of deals. Alexander holds M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow State Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM).

Anna Dvornikova
President, American Business Association of Russian Professionals (AmBAR)
Founder & CEO, Entana Corp.

Anna is a Founder and CEO of Entana Corp., an entrepreneurship and venture advisory firm that focuses on providing business strategy, planning, fundraising, and positioning services to the early-stage technology start-ups. It also provides a part-time executive management and angel financing.

Anna is also a Co-Founder of Kovalsky Art Gallery, a contemporary art boutique that gives art lovers around the world unique access to some of the most famous Russian artists. The gallery specializes in art from the mid 20th century onwards with an emphasis on post-impressionism, avant-garde, primitivism, expressionism, and abstract art.

Previously, Anna was a Co-Founder and the VP of Business Development at BKP Security, a government IT security company. Prior to that, she was a Foreign Advisor at the international law firm, Coudert Brothers. Before moving into private business, Anna held academic research positions at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Stanford University) and the Moscow office of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies (Harvard University).

Anna has her J.D. from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and her Master of Laws degree from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. Anna is an active member of the Board of Directors of American Business Association of Russian Professionals (AmBAR). She was 2005 AmBAR President and Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the first Silicon Valley Open Doors (SVOD-2005) Technology Investment Conference.

Denis Dovgopoliy
Partner, Managing Director at BayView Innovations

Before BayView Innovations, Denis was working in the Venture Capital & Private Equity Industry as a Managing Director of Center for Innovation Development (CID). CID is a member of Techinvest Group that works closely with Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Techinvest manages Ukrainian High-Tech Competition and provides technology business incubator management, consulting, training, market research for Ukrainian startups.

Prior to CID Denis Dovgolopiy spent over 10 years in IT and telecommunications industry consulting. Denis was a co-owner and CEO of Profitcenter, management and consulting company and a co-owner of Mobile Marketing Research (MMR) Agency. Both Profitcenter and MMR were acquired by Center for Innovation Development. Mr. Dovgopoliy is a co-organizer of Conference "Client oriented company" (Education Management Industry). He was a commercial director at Novatek (Outsourcing/Offshoring Industry), Commercial Director at Ukrpage (Information Technology and Services Industry). Denis Dovgopoliy holds MBA degree from International Management Institute (Kiev) and MA degree in Aerospace Systems from Kyiv Politechnic Institute.

Irina Greenman has over 7 years of experience in marketing and project management. Currently, she is actively involved in the SVOD (Silicon Valley Open Door) Conference and AmBar (American Business Association of Russian Professionals). Prior to AmBar, she was responsible for Business Development and Marketing at the The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), as well as, a major Ukrainian Trade Company. Irina has a vast international and non-profit experience.

Originally from Odessa, Ukraine, Irina holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Masters in Finance from Odessa State Economic University.

Stas Khirman is serial entrepreneur, telecommunication expert and technological leader.

Stas Khirman has more than 20 years of experience in the software industry as an architect, manager, visionary and inventor. Prior to "Khirman&Son" , Stas co-found Skyrider - revolutionary company developing technologies to organize and monetize peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Prior to founding Skyrider, Stas co-founded Narus, a global leader in software and technology for the telecom industry and government agencies, where he designed the world’s most scalable network transaction analysis system. Khirman had previously served as the networking group leader at VDOnet, a pioneer in internet video. Khirman was behind the development of a number of standards organizations and participated in the early definition of the VoIP H.323 protocol.

Khirman holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Kiev.

Natasha Krol

Managing Partner, Alexander and Krol Executive Search

Natasha Krol is a Managing Partner at Alexander and Krol, an Executive Search firm specializing in the US and Eastern European Technology Markets.

Prior to that, she was a Senior Client Partner with Korn/Ferry International’s Global Technology Market, based in the firm’s Silicon Valley office. He clients included companies like Google, HP, Audatex, TransUnion and others.

She began her career as a Marketing Officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ms. Krol holds an M.S. degree in Linguistics from St. Petersburg University.

Ms. Krol has served on the technical advisory board for American Express, and has been a featured keynote speaker at more than 50 international conferences.

Alexei Kudriashov
Co-founder, President and CEO, SperaSoft, Inc

Prior to founding SperaSoft, Inc., an offshore software development and outsourcing services company, Alexei was a Channel Development Manager with the Software Marketing Group, Sun Microsystems. He was responsible for business and channel strategy and management in driving adoption and deployment of Sun's business productivity suite worldwide. Previously, Alexei founded Martak International, Inc., a manufacturer's representative and export company, distributing hi-tech and medical equipment overseas. He received an M.S. in Management and Business from MIT, Sloan School of Management and M.D. from Volgograd Medical Academy, Russia.

Andrey Kunov
Co-founder, US-Russia Technology Symposium

Andrey is an entrepreneur focusing on technology startups. He is a co-founder of the US-Russia Technology Symposium LLC (Global Technology Symposium), "A-Business" business magazine in Kazakhstan, and "3DMission" technology startup in California. Andrey is also interested in economic and political research on the issues related to Russia and Eastern Europe.
 
Previously, he served as an Associate Director of the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, Stanford University. Before that he worked as a senior economist at the Institute for Open Economy, Moscow, Russia. Prior to that he was a researcher and academic coordinator at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University.  Andrey received his PhD in political science from Stanford University, MA in international economics from the University of Newcastle (UK), MA in transition economics and politics from the Central European University (Hungary), and BA in philosophy from Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan). He has authored and co-authored various publications on politics, economy, and state of technology in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Igor brings more than 15 years of experience in software engineering as an engineer, project manager and architect. At Kaiser Permanente IT Igor's major role is to assess performance and scalability of software applications that serve 3.5 million of North California region members. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Igor worked at two Silicon Valley startups: Attest Systems and Softchain Inc.

Before coming to the United States in 1999, Igor devoted 10 years of his life to Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology, where he studied, developed educational software, conducted scientific research and taught engineering classes.

Before joining Microsoft Leonid founded IOnKey Systems, an early-stage technology company where he was responsible for operations and product management. Prior to that he co-founded CallTheShots, an internet infrastructure company acquired by Akamai Technologies and worked for Financial Engines and Morgan Stanley. Leonid holds B.S. from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and M.S. and Ph. D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University.

Elena Masolova Elena
Founder, AddVenture

Elena is a founder and Investment director of Russian early-stage fund AddVenture (http://addventure.to). Similar to YCombinator the fund invests seed money, provides smart money and helps IT startups develop rapidly. Fund portfolio includes startups in LBS services, 3D modeling, widgets, professional networks.

Prior to AddVenture Elena worked as Ruvento early-stage fund partner, cofounded and led as CEO e-learning startup, organized University business plans competitions and worked in leading Russian strategy consultancy.

Julia Pogodina
Principal, IBCI Law Group

Julia Pogodina is a business attorney with over 10 years of legal experience and is qualified to practice law in California and Russian Federation. She is the Principal at IBCI (International, Business, Corporate and Intellectual Property) Law Group and is "of counsel" at Intellectual Property Law Group. Ms. Pogodina specializes in business, corporate, international and intellectual property law. She represents domestic and foreign companies in various corporate, legal and business transactions, including structuring and negotiating cross-border deals. Besides legal, Ms. Pogodina also has an extensive business experience. She was the Director of the Moscow's North-Western Branch of Miel Real Estate Agency, major real estate agency in Russia, where she managed legal, financial, and sales activities. Prior to Miel she worked for Trud Joint Stock Company, where she handled a variety of legal and business matters including international business transactions and real estate.

Vera is in charge of a diversified portfolio of loans to emerging growth companies, primarily in the technology and life sciences industries. Prior to joining Silicon Valley Bank, she was a portfolio manager with GE Capital and a trader with Goldman Sachs in Menlo Park. Before coming to US in 1998, Vera was a relationship manager with Citibank Moscow where she worked with institutional foreign investors, including Merrill Lynch, Salomon Smith Barney, Goldman Sachs and Union Bank of Switzerland. Vera holds B.S. from the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages and MBA from the Finance Academy of the Russian Federation.

 Maxim Shekhovtsov, Ph.D.
Managing Director Venture Capital Funds, Allianz ROSNO Asset Management (Allianz SE)

Maxim Shekhovtsov has a more than 10 years of professional experience of investments in high-tech companies. He is a co-founder of Venture Capital division at Allianz ROSNO Asset Management (part of Allianz SE).  Mr. Shekhovtsov serves on the Board of Tvigle Media, Mobile Innovations, Delis Aliance, NGN Telecom, MTK Utilities, Mobile Doctor, Ankilon and others. The field of professional  interests include TMT, including IT services, products & technologies, new media, “new telecom” (VoIP, Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX, 2.5G/3G etc), mobile tools & platforms, video & online games, e-commerce & e-services, new materials, pharma & biotech, oil production & exploration technologies and others

Mr. Shekhovtsov started his career in investment banking in Centre Invest Securities, ING Barings and other investment firms. In a leading telecom and radio technology holding “Concern “RTI-Systems” (radars & aerospace) he was an advisor for innovation and venture projects. In Sistema-Venture (the captive VC fund of the largest high-tech holding in Russia – JSC “Sistema”) he was a senior vice-president responsible for VC funds and investments. Mr. Shekhovtsov was also a director of Centre for innovation development in JSC “Sistema”. Maxim Shekhovtsov was an initiator of establishing of Council of Innovation and Science at JSC “Sistema”

Ekaterina provides outsourced services to several start-ups in the Silicon Valley. Her area of specialization is companies that either already have offices in both US and Russia, or plan to do it. Before moving to the United States in 2007, she held a position of Senior Accountant in Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT). There she was responsible for financial statements consolidation and control over North-West Region. She was responsible for tax accounting in that region and for international accounting of fixed assets. Prior to that, she was working as a Chief Accountant Officer and Financial Manager in Russian SMBs.