innovationUTAH.com
Linking Utah's Innovation Community
Director Bios
Ted McAleer, Executive Director USTAR
Prior to USTAR, McAleer was the Director of Business Development for The University of Utah's Technology Venture Development organization. Ted has 20 years of experience in technology innovation; business development; and product, services and operations management in both start-up and mature corporations. He has been Chief Operating Officer for Teleoptic Digital Imaging, LLC and the Sr. Director of Implementation services at Campus Pipeline, Inc. He has also worked for SunGard SCT, Procter and Gamble, PepsiCo. and the US Army. He holds a MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of Engineering from the University of Virginia and a BS in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Jill Elliss, Southern Utah TOIP Director - Dixie College, St. George
Jill Elliss served the people of Utah for 11 years as the regional director of the Utah Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in St. George. She has worked with hundreds of businesses during the years, helping them to raise not only capital to run their business but, more importantly, assisting them with raising their knowledge level in order to stay in business and be successful. She joined USTAR in 2008 and has a joint appointment with SEED Dixie. She has a B.A. from BYU, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She has been named Executive of the Year (St. George Chamber of Commerce), State Star (Association of Small Business Development Centers), and Woman of Achievement (Business and Professional Women).
Alex Lawrence, Northern Utah TOIP Director - Weber State University, Ogden
Alex Lawrence has been launching and growing successful companies for more than 15 years. He is a serial entrepreneur, and his accomplishments include Lendio, a software-as-a-service company that matches businesses with the right funding (named #34 in the USA and #1 in Utah on the Inc. 500 list), TwitJump (named by TechCrunch as a company Twitter should have acquired), Franchise Foundry, Five Star Franchising and TGIFriday’s.
Lawrence is well-versed in business strategy and development, sales, Internet marketing, social media, venture and debt capital, mobile and web application development, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, exits, and day-to-day business operations. He is the author of startupflavor.com and he is Utah’s 7th most followed Twitter account with 38,000 followers. He also teaches Internet Marketing at WSU. Alex writes a regular business column for Utah Business Magazine. He has also been featured on TechCrunch, 40 under 40 Top Entrepreneurs, V100 Top 100 Technology Entrepreneurs, E-50 Top 50 Social Entrepreneurs, WSU Entrepreneur Alumni of the Year, and more.
Lawrence earned a BS from the University of Utah. As a graduate of Weber State's MBA program, he is excited to return and connect the community and local industry with the expertise and resources at the university.
Steven Roy, Central Utah TOIP Director - Utah Valley State College, Orem
Steven Roy is Associate VP for economic development at UVU, and serves as the director of USTAR outreach and innovation activities in central Utah including the Mountainland Region. In this capacity he works with private and public leaders to help build businesses in key economic clusters that add to the economic and employment base in Central Utah. He has a keen interest in making sure that entrepreneurs and ideas emanating from his region are connected to the state's innovation and research network. Prior to assuming this position Roy was a certified Six Sigma Black Belt employed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. Roy has 15 years of experience in organizational development, strategic change management, executive coaching and process reengineering within the high technology sector. Roy has worked for Sun Microsystems, Inc., Andersen Consulting, LLP, and Brigham Young University, with consulting clients such as Intel, Inc., Applied Materials, Inc, and Siebel, Inc. Roy holds a Master of Organizational Behavior from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, also from BYU.
Alan J. Walker, Eastern Utah TOIP Director - Utah State University Extension, Vernal
Prior to USTAR, Alan was the director of gas supply for Questar, a vertical integrated energy company. He has more than 25 years of experience in energy industry management in petroleum engineering, natural gas trading and derivatives, regulatory affairs, and marketing with Questar, Amoco, and General Electric. He also served in the US Army (active and reserve components) for over thirty years as a Special Forces officer, completed three combat tours in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq, then retired as a colonel. Alan holds an MBA in Production Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from West Point.
Michael O'Malley, Marketing and Communications
Michael O'Malley coordinates USTAR's promotional and public relations efforts, and works with USTAR outreach directors to assist their clients' marketing efforts. He has more than 25 years of experience in the technology, recreation, non-profit and financial services marketplaces. He most recently worked for GE for 14 years in corporate payment processing and computer leasing, helping to develop and launch corporate card, electronic settlement and other products and services. He is a graduate of Pomona College with a BA in English. A long-time referee, he was elected to the Hall of Fame of the Utah Chapter of US Lacrosse in 2009.