 Dan Ciprari |  Bret Bergman |
Need some startup advice? You may want to chat with our two newest ATDC team members, both experienced in the world of technology startups. Dan Ciprari and Bret Bergman have joined our distinguished Entrepreneur in Residence team and will help coach member startups on business model searches, fundraising, team development and more. Along with existing EIRs Tim Dorr, Blake Patton and Brooks Robinson, Dan and Bret will also help connect young entrepreneurs with prospective business advisors, investors and customers in the market.
Here’s a little more background reading on the newest additions to the ATDC team.
- Serial entrepreneur Dan Ciprari has founded and/or exited companies in the information technology, nanotechnology, medical device and clean technology industries. Most recently, he was CEO of Illumitron International, Inc., an Atlanta-based LED lighting manufacturer and energy management software provider. Earlier in his career, Dan cofounded a drug development company, as well as a consulting firm focusing on large internet applications architecture. He currently serves as a partner in a venture capital fund specializing in early-stage technology investing and is an angel investor and advisor in several technology and biomedical companies in the Atlanta region. He holds a BA in Economics with a focus in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MS in Materials Science from Georgia Tech. He is actively involved in the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) and has facilitated the organization’s Middle Eastern Leadership Academies (MELA) in Egypt and in Abu Dhabi. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and international travels, particularly to China and the Middle East. After his first company exit in 2000, he spent seven months exploring 22 countries with his wife.
- Bret Bergman joins ATDC with 25 years of experience with early-stage technology companies. Most recently, he cofounded ATDC/Venture Lab graduate Qcept Technologies and served as the company’s CEO for 10 years. During that time, he helped raise more than $35 million in capital and led the company’s push into semiconductor equipment market and the creation of a brand new market. Prior to Qcept, Bret was managing partner of Bergman & Associates, a venture capital and consulting firm for early-stage technology companies, and invested in several local startups. He also served as COO for an early-stage e-commerce service provider, and VP of Marketing and Strategy for Internet Security Systems Inc. Bret received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. When he’s not working, he spends time with Amy, his wife of 21 years, and their two kids, 13-year-old Claire and Cole, 11. An avid ice hockey player, he helps coach Cole’s travel hockey team and can also be found at the tennis courts cheering on Claire, a budding tournament level player. His other interests include an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Bloom County comic strip, a vast collection of eccentric socks – which he will gladly show you upon request – and music, especially the more obscure genres such as Neo Hippy Folk.
Both EIRs will host regular office hours to accommodate one-on-one meetings with member companies, so stay tuned for specific times and information. In addition, they will regularly participate in ATDC events and the monthly new member orientations.