Advisors & Board

Social entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for civic engagement, Sylvie Légère is laser-focused on developing innovative solutions that unite people for the common good and advance the next generation of female changemakers.

With a 25-year career spanning multiple sectors, including technology, process, and change management at Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture, JP Morgan Chase, and TD Ameritrade, Sylvie's passion for civic engagement and inclusion was motivated by her own experiences stepping out of her comfort zone to seize opportunities in male-dominated industries. She has channeled this passion into co-founding The Policy Circle and partnering with more than 25 impact-driven companies and organizations that resolve societal issues. As the author of Trust Your Voice, A Roadmap to Focus and Influence and host of the Trust Your Voice podcast, Sylvie aspires to motivate emerging changemakers to elevate their influence and make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Rick Carlisle is the new Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers. He just finished his 13th and final season as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He was hired by Dallas in May 2008, and is the third-longest tenured head coach in the league. Carlisle became the winningest coach in Mavericks history with a 103-93 victory at the L.A. Lakers on Nov. 1, 2015.

Carlisle has led his team to the playoffs 12 times in his 16 seasons as a head coach. He guided the Mavericks to their first-ever world championship in 2011, while posting an impressive 16-5 mark during the 2011 postseason. Carlisle, who won a title as a player with Boston in 1986, is one of only 14 individuals to win an NBA championship as both a player and a head coach. He moved into 17th place on the NBA’s all-time wins list in 2017-18. Named the ninth Dallas coach in franchise history, he led the Mavericks to the postseason in seven of his first eight seasons with the team. Carlisle joined the Mavericks after spending six seasons, with Detroit and Indiana, as a head coach. He served as an ESPN studio analyst during the 2007-08 NBA season before coming to Dallas. He also serves as the President of the NBA Coaches Association.

Dr. Dena Garner is a full professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, the Director of Undergraduate Research, and the Assistant Provost for Research and Policy at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. She started working at The Citadel in 2004 while completing her post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina, also located in Charleston. Before her move to Charleston, she worked at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where she also received her doctoral degree in exercise physiology. She received her Master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in exercise physiology and an undergraduate degree from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.

She has been working in the area of mouthpiece use and its effect on human performance since 2005, with studies that have focused on reaction time, lactate, and cortisol and the effect of mouthpiece use on these parameters. In addition, her research has focused on mouthpiece use during steady-state exercise and effects on oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange as well as the proposed mechanisms for positive effects on airway dynamics in a healthy population. 

In addition to research in the area of mouthpiece use and its effect on human performance, Dr. Garner is involved in a research study that encompasses testing and evaluating physiologic neuro-assessment devices in healthy versus traumatic brain injury populations. Related to this research, she was awarded a multi-year grant from the Henry Jackson Foundation to assess neurologic assessment devices in healthy populations.

In her roles as Director of Undergraduate Research and Assistant Provost for Research and Policy, she works with The Citadel campus to promote research and scholarly activity in all departments.  In addition, she promotes external grants to support faculty research, specifically to improve the faculty/student mentoring within these research grants.  During the first year of directing undergraduate research, she worked closely with the Provost and the departments to implement the inaugural Citadel SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) program.  

Aaron Yengo-Kahn, MD, PhD was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up near Boston, MA in Lexington, MA. He attended Boston University where he graduated in 2011 with a degree in Human Physiology earning summa cum laude honors. He spent a year before medical school teaching anatomy to undergraduate students as well as working as a research coordinator at New England Baptist Hospital. He received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2016. At the end of his 3rd year he was inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and Gold Humanism Honor Society. While a medical student, he pursued interests in medical education, serving as the Co-Chair of the Student Curriculum Committee during his fourth and receiving the Geoffrey David Chazen Award for contributions to Vanderbilt’s education program. He remains interested in medical student and resident education contributing to medical student clinical skills evaluations, developing and coordinating resident anatomy sessions and mentoring medical students in clinical outcomes research and neurosurgery.


His main research interests include sport-related concussion, specifically novel diagnostic methods, outcomes prediction and cost-benefit analyses. He has served as the Co-Director for Research at the Vanderbilt Sport Concussion Center since July 2019. He has additional research interests in pediatric neurosurgery, adult neurotrauma and systems-of-care.

Fidias Leon-Sarmiento. MD, PhD is a senior research investigator at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He started this position after receiving training in movement disorders at the National Institutes of Health and obtaining a PhD in neurophysiology from Kagoshina University, Japan. Dr. Leon-Sarmiento has pioneered the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells) and direct current stimulation to study sensory and motor changes that occur in Parkinson's disease. Much of his current research focuses on human corticospinal (brain system) physiology (function), particularly brainstem and spinal cord reflexes. He presently spearheads the Smell and Taste Center's efforts to determine the role of the brainstem in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. He recently discovered that olfactory (sense of smell) dysfunction is an early indicator of myasthenia gravis and Chaga's disease, among others. He is the author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous awards for his scientific achievements, including multiple awards from international institutions.

After completing the School of Medicine in 2003, Dr. Matteo Bologna started a Neurology Residency at the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy in 2004 where he performed several studies using kinematic techniques.  He then joined the Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience & Movement Disorders at the University College of London, UK in 2008 where he had an extensive training on transcranial magnetic stimulation technique, under the guidance of Professor John C Rothwell. His research activities combine both neurophysiological and kinematic techniques and clinical aspects related to the field of Movement Disorders, particularly on Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Mather has over 35 years experience as an Oculoplastic surgeon.  He graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine as an E.B. Rinker scholar, completed his Ophthalmology residency at Medical University of South Carolina, and his fellowship in Oculoplastic surgery at University of Arizona.  He furthered his executive studies at Wharton School of Business.  He is a life fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a fellow in the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASOPRS).

In 2004, Dr. Mather co-founded Physicians Eye Surgery Center in Charleston, SC, which was acquired by U.S. Eye in 2020.

Dr. Mather has been involved in several start up companies including Encore Pharmaceuticals, which provided a novel treatment of presbyopia, and was successfully purchased by Novartis (UNR 844) in 2017, Allysta Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage company with significant advancements in both dry eye and NASH, where he currently serves as a clinical advisor, as well as Premark, a late stage Swiss company engaged in the treatment of blepharitis, where he serves as clinical advisor.

Dr. Mather has gained world recognition as a triathlete and runner with a marathon PR of 2:21, a U.S. national triathlon championship, and a top 100 finish in the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii.

Danny Morrison is Professor of Practice in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining the faculty, he was President of the Carolina Panthers and worked extensively in college sports administration.

Danny was the athletic director at Wofford College from 1985 to 1997 and a Senior Vice President until 2001. It was during this time the Panthers began holding training camp there. He served as Commissioner of the Southern Conference from 2001 to 2005. From 2005 until September 2009, he was the athletic director of Texas Christian University. He was named President of the Panthers in September 2009. In 2015, after three consecutive NFC South Division Championships, the Panthers set a franchise record with a 15-1 regular season mark and participated in Super Bowl 50. Danny resigned from his position in February 2017 to pursue interests on the college level.

A 16-year NFL veteran, Steve Smith Sr. is a five-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time All-Pro, and is considered one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers of the 21st century. Steve led the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2005 (Jerry Rice and Sterling Sharpe are the only other NFL players ever to have recorded a “triple crown”). He spent his entire career with the Carolina Panthers until signing with the Baltimore Ravens in March 2014. He is the Panthers’ all-time leader in total touchdowns (67), receptions (836), and receiving yards (12,197). In 2011, he became the 35th player in NFL history to amass 10,000 receiving yards. Steve also won the Ed Block Courage Award, was twice named the Baltimore Ravens Man of the Year, and was a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

In 2013, Steve and his wife, Angie, founded the Steve Smith Family Foundation, which champions for families affected by domestic violence and promotes child health and wellness. Since its inception, the foundation’s efforts have provided children from the Safe Alliance Domestic Violence Shelter the opportunity to attend summer camps. In November 2016, Smith pledged over $350,000 to establish the Smith Family Wellness Center in collaboration with Project 658.

Annually, Steve hosts numerous youth football camps nationwide. This past April, he took that concept internationally, hosting a camp at Vogelweh Air Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany, for children of active-duty and retired U.S. military members. Since retirement, Steve has worked as an analyst for the NFL Network.

Luke August Kuechly is a former American football middle linebacker who played all eight seasons of his professional career with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Panthers ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Kuechly played college football at Boston College where he was recognized twice as a consensus All-American. Kuechly had an immediate impact his rookie season, as he led the NFL in tackles and won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, becoming the third youngest recipient in its history. In 2013, Kuechly became the youngest recipient of the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in its history.

Dr. Haider has been a volunteer intern, graduate assistant, post-doctoral research fellow, research coordinator and research assistant professor at the Concussion Management Clinic and Research Center at The University of Buffalo. His clinical research focuses on standardizing clinical assessment of concussions, methods of exercise tolerance/heart rate threshold assessment post-concussion, identifying clinical biomarkers of delayed recovery, cervicogenic headaches and treating concussions with sub-symptomatic aerobic exercise. His pre-clinical research focuses on identifying autonomic nervous system impairments and cerebral blood flow regulation after concussion, with an interest in cerebrovasoreactivity. His research also includes salivary and serum biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and sub-clinical oculomotor dysfunction.

Education:

• 2020: PhD in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• 2020: Advanced Graduate Certification in Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• 2017: Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Concussion Management Clinic and Research Center, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• 2015: MD Equivalence, Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
• 2014: MBBS, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

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Dan “Beaker” Stuck served as the head athletic trainer of the AHL hockey team, Hershey Bears, since 1985 before being appointed as the club’s Manager of Wellness and Team Affairs. Stuck won five Calder Cups during his tenure as the team’s head trainer. Dan’s affiliation with the team dates back to 1977, when at the age of 13 he served as one of the team’s locker room assistants. Dan became Hershey’s assistant trainer in 1982, and then took a year away to become the assistant equipment manager for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. The following season, in 1985-86, he was named Hershey’s head trainer, a position he has held ever since.

Dan’s main responsibilities with the team include working with team doctors and physical therapists to decide the best course of action and treatment for the players, as well as assisting Bears management with travel accommodations away from Hershey. Dan lives in Palmyra with his wife Janice. He has a son, Dustin, who is an assistant athletic trainer for the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and a daughter, Alexis.

As a Strategic Consultant for blinkcns, Jackie supports high-level initiatives across product development, operations, and marketing. Drawing from her deep experience in early-stage startups and healthcare innovation, she helps guide the company’s strategic direction in the diagnostic. Jackie previously served as Chief Operating Officer at blinkcns, where she played a key role in advancing regulatory milestones, clinical partnerships, and commercialization efforts. Today, she continues to advise the leadership team on strategic growth, cross-functional execution, and market positioning.

Dr. Aquilla Turk is a neurosurgeon in Greenville, South Carolina and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including MUSC Health-University Medical Center and Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. He received his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University - College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.​

Dr. Turk’s postgraduate training started with a diagnostic radiology residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio and finished at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He subsequently completed a fellowship in diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology at the University of Wisconsin. He practiced for one year in Dallas, Texas in private practice neuroradiology. He returned to academic practice at the University of Wisconsin as faculty performing both interventional and diagnostic neuroradiology for four and a half years. In October, 2007 Dr. Turk joined MUSC to further develop the clinical neurointerventional surgery section as a collaborative effort between the Departments of Radiology and Neurosurgery. The section is now very active in clinical research trials and training fellows.

Dr. Turk is involved in extensive research focusing on next-generation devices to treat aneurysms and ischemic stroke. He is clinically active in all aspects of endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Aside from diagnostic angiography, the main focus of the clinical service are: coiling cerebral aneurysms, intracranial stenting, carotid stenting, AVM embolization, stroke thrombectomy, and tumor embolization.

Dr. Turk is board certificated by the National Board of Medical Examiners, became a certified member of the American College of Radiology in 2000, and further completed a certificate of added qualification (CAQ) in neuroradiology in 2002.

Bob has over forty years of business experience including thirty years in public accounting where he specialized in taxation of large and middle market businesses, pass-through entities and high net worth individuals. Public accounting experience includes three foreign assignments. Private business experience includes real estate development, asset management, investment management, tax planning, financial planning, and risk management. Bob has also served as chief financial officer for a legal services outsourcing startup with operations in Hyderabad, India.

Currently, Bob is part of a family office team serving a Charlotte based family group. His responsibilities include investment and asset management, tax planning and reporting, risk management, and financial partner relationships

An entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical device industry  spanning a variety of  technologies and products. In addition to CEO roles with early-stage medical device companies, Mr. Rosa’s background also includes  senior roles with C.R. Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Inc., and St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included marketing, product development and business development. He has been named as an inventor on multiple medical device patents, has served on seven corporate boards, and has raised $200M in the capital markets. Mr. Rosa holds an MBA from Duquesne University, and a BS  in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.

Brigadier General Harvey W. Schiller, USAF Ret., PhD, recently served as Commercial Commissioner of America’s Cup 35. He is Chairman of Schiller Management Group (SMG), a global consulting and business solutions company, and Chairman of Renew Merchandise, a producer of RPET merchandise. In addition, Harvey serves as Vice Chairman of Diversified Search, a global executive search firm. He recently served as Chairman of Global Options Group, a NASDAQ security corporation.

Harvey has served as Chairman/CEO of YankeeNets, with ownership of the New York Yankees, New Jersey Nets, and New Jersey Devils. He led the creation and development of the YES network. Harvey also served as President of Turner Sports, Inc., a division of Time Warner; and President of the NHL franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers. Before joining Turner, Harvey was Executive Director/Secretary General of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Harvey is a Distinguished Graduate of The Citadel, and a member of their Athletic and Business Halls of Fame, and recipient of the Palmetto Award. He earned his master’s degree and doctorate in chemistry from the University of Michigan, and holds honorary doctorates from The Citadel, Northern Michigan University, and the United States Sports Academy.

In 2013, Harvey was recognized by Sports Business Journal as a Pioneer and Innovator in Sports Business. This award recognizes leaders in the sports world who have shaped the future of the industry. Harvey joined other industry leaders in this honor such as Bill Rasmussen, founder of ESPN, and Val Ackerman, the inaugural WNBA president.

Ryan received his PhD in Immunology and Microbiology from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston in 2005. His PhD thesis was focused on improving the donor pool for solid organ transplants, specifically liver and kidney.

He later received his MBA from the Citadel in 2007 and a Masters of Hospital Administration (MHA) from MUSC in 2008.

After receiving his PhD, Ryan managed the tech transfer office (patent office) for MUSC  (~$250MM research expenditures per year), consisting of approximately 100+ Invention Disclosures and 30+ domestic and international patent filings per year. At MUSC, Ryan analyzed all technologies, filed patent applications, assisted faculty start-up companies off the ground, and out-licensed technologies to a number of corporate partners.

In 2010, Ryan founded Immunologix, Inc., a company built on a specialized platform that transformed naïve B-cells to produce 100% human monoclonal antibodies against multiple target antigens. From the company’s commencement in September 2009 through its acquisition by Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) in October 2011, he served as the Founder and Chief Operating Officer. After the acquisition by Intrexon, he served as the Vice President of Antibody Development until transitioning into the role of Vice President of Therapeutics Business Development, working directly for Intrexon CEO and biotech billionaire, Randal J. (R.J.) Kirk during the 18 months leading up to IPO. Having met his goals with Immunologix and Intrexon, Ryan left Intrexon in April 2013 to spend more time looking for “the next” start-up opportunity, building his biotech consulting company and spending time with his growing family (wife Jennifer, nine-year-old Nick, and six-year-old Zach).

In 2014, Ryan found “the next” technology he had been looking for and started Perle Bioscience, Inc. as the President and CEO. Along with the inventor of the technology, Perle licensed a novel combination therapy into the company with the expectation it could reverse type 1 diabetes. Just as in the last companies he started, Ryan raised money from investors ($3M Series A and $3M Series B), hired employees and consultants, and was able to get regulatory approval in three countries to conduct a Phase 2b/3 human clinical trial in only nine months from conception to approval. In February 2016, Ryan stepped down from the role as CEO and appointed the former Director of the Human Genome Project to take his place. The goals he wanted to achieve with Perle had been met, and he again wanted to continue with his passion of starting companies and taking them to the point of sale and/or IPO and liquidity.

In June 2017, Ryan and his long-time business partner, Doug Carnes, started Blinktbi, Inc. in their hometown of Charleston, SC.  Ryan currently serves as Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, focusing on production of the FDA cleared Gen3 EyeStat device and working with engineers to design the new Gen4 EyeStat (due out in Q4 2021).

Ryan has held adjunct faculty positions at both Trident Technical College and the College of Charleston Department of Biology. He previously served as the Vice President of the Palmetto Biotechnology Alliance Board of Directors from 2007–2009 and was designated by the Charleston Business Journal as one of the “Forty Under Forty” in 2010 in recognition of professional success and community involvement. In August 2014, Ryan was accepted into the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF). He served on the Board of Directors for SIBF and the Executive Leadership Board of Directors for the American Heart Association in South Carolina. Currently, Since 2014, Ryan has mentored 30+ companies with the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Charleston, SC. The entities range from service-based to retail product-based items in food, high-tech, medical devices, and software. In the summer of 2016, he was chosen to present at Pecha Kucha Charleston, which is a group of presenters on a specific topic (similar to TED Talks).  In 2018, Ryan was chosen to give a TEDx Talk on the technology behind identifying brain injuries through a blink reflex (Click to watch TEDx Talk)

For fun, Ryan has a private pilot and instrument license and flies an airplane for the love of just going up and enjoying the quiet air. Additionally, Ryan has played ice hockey all his life and is now getting ready for his children to begin playing. With two boys under 9 years old, the rest of his “free time” is spent chasing them around.