Advisory Board

From the start-up of Bluestone in 1989 through its IPO in 1999, and the eventual sale to Hewlett Packard in 2001 for over $350M, Mel has demonstrated an ability to recognize business opportunities, attract capital and talented employees, and profitably exit an information technology company investment.

Mel has made numerous contributions to the Greater Delaware Valley area to promote technological advancement in the community. As an alumnus of Drexel University, he has made a generous donation to Drexel University for the establishment of The Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology. He is the recipient of the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group “Year 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year” Award. In addition, Mel was recognized in 2001 by the New Jersey Technology Council with its “High Tech Hero Award” and as an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist.

Mel serves on the boards of Drexel University, New Jersey Technology Council (where he previously served as chair), Bayada Home Health Care and several boards of Basecamp Ventures portfolio companies. Other boards on which Mel has served include Moorestown Friends School, Innovation Philadelphia and South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University.

Prior to founding the NJTC, Ms. Ballen was one of the early pioneers in Pennsylvania who first recognized the need for special programs for the technology community – and then initiated them. She founded both the Business Development & Training Center (BDTC) and the Pennsylvania Innovation Network (PIN) – two successful programs that continue today. She is also credited with founding the NJTC Venture Fund and Jumpstart NJ Angel Network.

Ms. Ballen has received numerous honors and awards for her work in developing cutting edge programs and unique services for technology companies over the past 17 years. She was the recipient of Early Stage East’s Robert A. Spar Memorial Founders’ Award (12/09). She was named one of the “Top 10 Women to Watch” by the Star Ledger (9/06), was named among the “Movers & Shakers” by NJBIZ (7/06), and was honored by the Borough of Haddonfield during Women’s History Month 2006.  Other awards include Executive Women of NJ’s “Salute to the Policy Makers” in 2004; Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Fifth Annual Distinguished Entrepreneurial Lecturer in 2003; an honoree at the Rothman Institute’s Ten-Year Anniversary celebration in 2010; and was honored with the Women’s Fund of New Jersey’s Women Advancing Technology award in 2002.  She was also named to “Superstars of the Past 15 Years” and to “Women of Influence” in 2002, both by NJBIZ; and she received Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2001 Women of Distinction award.

Ms. Ballen serves on several boards and is a frequent speaker on both regional and national technology issues.

Mark then served as a senior vice president at Patni, leading their global life science business. He later joined Dynamic Clinical Systems as Board Chair, transitioned to CEO and then repositioned the company for a sale to Press Ganey.

Mark’s strengths are in general management, strategic planning, finance and operations. His career has included building strategic consulting services and software companies in both the pharmaceutical and healthcare IT space. He has raised venture capital at a number of these companies.

Mark has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards, including Taratec, Dynamic Clinical Systems, Moda Technology Partners, the Somerset Medical Center and the NJ Technology Council. He currently chairs the boards of Dorsata and BK Health, and serves on the Science and Mathematics Advisory Board at Montclair State University College.

Mark’s personal and company awards include the E&Y NJ Entrepreneur of the Year and NJTC Growth Company of the Year. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and attended the OPM program at Harvard Business School. He is a named author on two issued patents for a medical device and is an avid runner who has completed 5 marathons.