Leadership
Board Leadership
Patty Simonton
President
Patty is an IEDC certified Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) who considers herself to be a conscious capitalist and ecosystem builder. She has spent much of her career working to facilitate entrepreneurship to help build and strengthen resilient communities, fight climate change, and open up opportunities for individuals to change the world.
Patty brings extensive experience working with startups, social entrepreneurs and impact investors. She served as a strategic initiatives manager for the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, where she worked to streamline the entrepreneurial journey. She was previously the director of the Be Green Business program at Bethesda Green, where she guided the Innovation Lab to become a federally recognized entrepreneurship support program, and the director of changemaker support for StartSomeGood, a global crowdfunding platform designed by and for social entrepreneurs.
Patty is proud to support Maryland’s innovation ecosystem by serving as the current president of the Maryland Business Innovation Association. She is a long-time mentor and former community manager for the Mentor Capital Network, and an Activator for the Coralus community, where she invests in women and non-binary entrepreneurs working on the world’s to-do list.
Patty earned her degree in International Business from Georgetown University and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She has also earned certificates in Entrepreneurship Center Management from the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) and Impact Measurement and Management for Sustainable Development Goals from Duke University.
Email: patty@mdinnovate.org
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Shervonne Cherry
Vice President
Shervonne Cherry is the Director of Spark Coworking and an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder. She heads operations, community development and ecosystem growth for Spark, collaborative workspaces in Baltimore, Kansas City and St. Louis.
Mike Thielke
Treasurer
Mike is the executive director for Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC), a private-sector, non-profit organization having a mission to advance and develop the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the eight counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In this position, Mike plays a leadership role in ensuring that the Eastern Shore is connected to the rest of the Maryland statewide ecosystem of entrepreneurs, mentors, coaches, and investors. Mike has been instrumental in starting a network of coworking spaces, called hotDesks, which now has four locations throughout the region. These spaces serve as the backbone for the delivery of accelerator programs, business competitions, and numerous programs and events targeted to creating a stronger and better connected ecosystem. Mike is also part of a group kicking off the PinOak Capital investor group which is a result of the increased deal flow opportunities developing on the Eastern Shore.
Email: mike@esec.md
Phone: (410) 770-9330
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Brett Schreiber
Secretary
Bret Schreiber has worked for 20 years in the field of government and community relations, driving policy and economic development initiatives and developing strong ties to local, state and national legislators and policy leaders. Currently, Mr. Schreiber is Vice President for Life Sciences and Technology for Fulton Bank. Fulton Bank is a $22 billion financial institution based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Bret oversees the development of a new division for Fulton Bank, creating disruptive, innovative initiatives to support and grow the life science and technology industries in Fulton’s five state footprint.
Email: bschreiber@fultonbank.com
Phone: 443-825-5700
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Board Of Directors
Stephanie Chin
Hutch Program Manager
Fearless Technology
Tim Jones
Founder and Managing Principal
TBJ Investments LLC