Baltimore Innovation Week 2018

President and CEO of System Integrity, LLC located in Baltimore; Curtis Funderburk is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a Cisco Certified Networking Instructor.

With over 25 years of design and maintenance experience, he served as a Systems and Test Engineer for corporation like Verizon and Dupont, as well as; the National Institutes of Health, the Food and the Drug Administration and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer in Washington, DC.

He is most proud of his accomplishments as an Instructor at the Veterans Education & Training Center in Washington; where he mentored and trained over 50 military veterans to obtain their network industry certifications and improve their chances of gaining employment after serving our country.

Lakeisha Mathews is Director of the Career and Professional Development Center at the University of Baltimore. She formally served as Associate Director of Career Services at the University of Maryland University College and as Assistant Director for Alumni & Graduate Students at the Loyola University Maryland Career Center.

Lakeisha is also the owner of a career coaching business called Right Resumes & Career Coaching, LLC which she launched in 2012. Right Resumes & Career Coaching serves entry-level and mid-career professionals in the DC Metro area and specializes in resume writing, career planning and strategy and professional development seminars.

Mrs. Mathews holds several industry certifications as a Certified Professional Career Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Global Career Development Facilitator, Certified Career Services Provider, Certified Business and Employer Services Professional, and is certified to teach Etiquette to Adults and Professionals. She received her M.S. in Human Resource Development from Towson University and a B.A. in Communication from the University of Maryland College Park. Lakeisha is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University.

Lakeisha is a published authors and thought leader in the field of career services. In 2016, Lakeisha co-authored a chapter in the book Find Your Fit, published by the Association of Talent Development. She is currently serving as the Trustee for Higher Education Career Counselors & Educators for the National Career Development Association, the largest career development association in the world. In 2011, she served as president of the Maryland Career Development Association.

Lakeisha is a sought after speaker and webinar presenter for large and small audiences. She frequently conducts dining etiquette training and workshops on resumes development in the Baltimore Metro Area. Possessing a dynamic presentation style, filled with wisdom and wit, Lakeisha’s audiences report being inspired and encouraged after attending her sessions.

Lakeisha resides in Columbia, MD with her husband of thirteen years, their six year old daughter and Yorkshire Terrier, Blue.

Corinne Militello advises on trademarks and copyrights, advertising, and internet issues, as well as on privacy and data security matters relating to the collection, use, sharing, and safeguarding of data, including information of consumers, patients, and employees. Corinne advises on all aspects of brand protection—from trademark clearance through registration and enforcement, domain name strategy and protection, and license and settlement agreements. She advises both creators and users of copyrightable works on copyright ownership, registration, enforcement, licensing, and related contract negotiation and drafting. She also counsels clients on conducting IP audits and due diligence investigations, and has represented clients in copyright litigation matters. Corinne's privacy and data security practice is focused on managing risks by developing privacy policies and procedures and establishing training and compliance programs. She advises on regulatory inquiries and investigations as well as breach investigations and response.

Alexandre Wing is a Co-Founder at MoJoe Brewing Company who helps busy professionals to conveniently brew and enjoy coffee on the go, so that they can be more productive and have more energy throughout the day.

Before joining MoJoe Brewing Co., Alexandre worked a number of years as a freelance brand identity designer, one-man video production team, and photographer.

After a successful career helping fitness trainers, and small businesses, Alexandre now consults them on how to get more sales with video and digital marketing strategies.

Alexandre is an early student of UX, lover of visual storytelling, and a stickler for branding and proper water-to-coffee ratios.

Angel (LaBell) Johnson is a Temple University, Computer Information Systems graduate and has taken life by the reigns. She consistently pushes toward excellence both professionally and personally. Her career started out as a computer developer and has grown into leading technical and mobile app development teams to success for large organizations such as GE Capital, M&M Mars, AKQA, Digitas Health, Travel Channel and Marriott International. She is a self-taught stock market, real estate and cryptocurrency investor and has a love and passion for technology. Angel is currently getting her MBA in Cybersecurity. Angel is happily married with a wild and rambunctious 2-year-old daughter and seeks out opportunities to inspire and motivate others to live their best life.

Clifton Morgan has served Opportunity Youth with Year Up for nearly nine years as the College Partnerships Specialist, Director of Admissions and finally the Senior Director of Program in Year Up’s National Capital Region. Clif is currently the Site Director at Year Up, Baltimore and works with a great team providing young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education.

Clif knows that there is a demand for a trained and experienced workforce and a large number of youth who are disconnected from opportunities to the education and coaching needed to excel in their careers. Year Up’s six month Learning & Development phase and six month corporate internship help to level the playing field and give young adults access beyond many of the barriers to entry that may exist for them.

Clif has 25 years of experience in higher education and workforce development. He started his career as a job and career coach at Dawson Technical Institute in Chicago’s City College system. He aided in the establishment of Chicago State University’s Office of Distance Learning, and served as the department’s inaugural Assistant Director.  Clif also had the privilege to serve on the advisory board and as program facilitator for Project Brotherhood, a nationally recognized men’s health clinic, which has been featured on CNN’s “Black in America”.  Through his work with Project Brotherhood Clif was given the opportunity to partner with Grammy Award winning artist Common’s - Common Ground Foundation to establish and facilitate youth development programs for high school students on Chicago’s Southside.  

Clif holds a B.S. in Finance from Hampton University, is a trained Diversity and Cultural Humility Facilitator, a trained Predictive Index Analyst, noted speaker and has been recognized for his dedication to the communities he serves with several Honors.

I am a patent lawyer who enjoys the technical rigour of patent prosecution while also embracing the world of art and design. My clients have included startups and early stage companies as well as members of the Fortune 100. I have experience in a range of technical fields, including artificial neural networks, integrated circuits, FinTech, medical devices, wearables, and EdTech. The non-technical side of my practice includes the protection of designs and other creative works through the prosecution of design patents, trademark and trade dress rights, and copyright registrations.

I frequently counsel early stage companies emerging from universities and government research labs on IP licensing and patenting strategies. In the context of corporate M&A or IP acquisitions, I advise on the ownership, validity, scope, and enforceability of IP assets, as well as conduct freedom-to-operate analyses.

Alissa Starzak is the Head of Public Policy at Cloudflare, a web performance and security company that is on a mission to help build a better Internet. Cloudflare protects and accelerates more than 10 million web properties worldwide, with customers ranging from individual blogs to small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
Prior to joining Cloudflare, Alissa worked for the U.S government in a variety of national security positions. Most recently, she served as the 21st General Counsel of the Department of the Army, after confirmation by the Senate. Before her appointment as Army General Counsel, Alissa served as the Deputy General Counsel (Legislation) of the U.S. Department of Defense, advising on legal issues with a legislative or congressional component and managing an office of attorneys responsible for developing the Department of Defense legislative program. Prior to moving to the Department of Defense, she served as Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and as an Assistant General Counsel at the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of General Counsel. She also worked in private practice in Washington, D.C., and clerked for The Honorable E. Grady Jolly, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

She graduated from Amherst College and the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as an editor of the University of Chicago Law Review.