Mark Coleman
Manager, Technical Development
mccasp@rit.edu
585-475-4473
Mark serves as the Manager of Technical Development for Venture Creation's Clean Energy Incubator providing technical expertise to assist with technology validation. Mark also serves as Senior Program Manager at the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies based at RIT's Golisano Institute for Sustainability.
For more than a decade, Mark has served in a senior research capacity for the AHC Group. Previously, Mark was an energy analyst and strategist with the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). While at NYSERDA, he also contributed to statewide energy planning; NYSERDA's strategic planning process; and the development of an energy market research and intelligence capability.
Mark is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Master's of Science in environmental management and policy from the Lally School of Management & Technology. He is also a graduate of Binghamton University, with a Bachelor's of Arts in geography and environmental studies.
Sharon Edwards
Operations Manager
585-239-6037
shevc@rit.edu
Sharon is Venture Creation's Operations Manager, providing leadership and ensuring the incubator runs efficiently. She has been with the incubator since its inception in 2003 and assists clients with daily operational matters, technical network consultation, conflict resolution, and notary services.
Sharon is also an active member of the RIT community, serving as a facilitator to RIT's Partnerships in Pluralism program and the Center for Professional Development. She is also a member of the Rochester Women's Network.
Sharon is an alumnus of RIT's College of Business with a bachelor's in business and accounting. She has completed graduate studies from Nazareth College with a master's in management and recent doctoral coursework from the University of Phoenix Online in education and curriculum instruction with emphasis on educational leadership.
Bill Jones
Director
wejvc@rit.edu
585-469-6776
Bill Jones oversees Venture Creation's operations as the incubator's Executive Director. His approach is to operate Venture Creations like a business with the primary goal of developing successful businesses stemming from RIT.
Bill first came to RIT in 2008 as a part-time consultant working with Venture Creations' businesses, then served as the manager of business development when the NYSERDA Clean Energy Incubator was established in December 2009.
Bill is an experienced entrepreneur with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University and additional graduate courses in finance and business administration from RIT. Bill founded and managed FM Technologies, a facilities design and project management company, which merged with XX in 2004. Bill has a long history of facilities and project management working with a variety of organizations, including Syracuse University, Catholic University, University of Maryland, Harris RF Communications, Kodak, Xerox, and Frontier Communications.
Rich Notargiacomo
Manager, Business Development, Adjunct Professor
E. Philip Saunders College of Business
585-697-5678
rcnbbu@rit.edu
Rich serves as Manager of Business Development for Venture Creations, a role in which he helps companies advance their businesses and business concepts through a combination of coaching, consulting, and making connections. Rich is also an Adjunct Professor at the Saunders College of Business; teaching classes in technology commercialization, small business consulting, and strategy.
At the Saunders College, Rich leads a student consulting business which employs MBA students as co-ops and deploys them on a fee-for-service basis to companies in the Rochester area. Rich brings the Saunders connection to Venture Creations through the Student Engagement Program which connects RIT students with Venture Creations' companies.
Rich is a seasoned new products and innovation professional with a track record of successfully commercializing new products. He has worked in a wide variety of functional areas and has moved new products through the lifecycle from conceptualization to launch and, ultimately through discontinuance.
Rich is a graduate of the University of Rochester's Simon School holding an MBA with a concentration in Marketing. He is holds a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
