Our Leadership Team

The IP2Biz team of proven professionals is uniquely qualified to help you navigate the IP path to commercialization. With more than 50 years of experience between IP2Biz founders John Bacon and James Throckmorton, the melding of skill sets, practical application and expertise is bountiful. From emerging and enabling technologies to patenting and proving innovations for commercialization, IP2Biz has the right leadership for early stage technology development.

John C. Bacon

John Bacon is a founder and Chairman of IP2Biz LLC. He has spent his entire career involved with early stage technology, creating early markets for breakthrough technologies. John was an executive for 17 years with Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., in a variety of roles including serving as managing director of the company’s United Kingdom operation, building and marketing satellite communications equipment in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and Group Executive of Satellite Communications. During his tenure at Scientific-Atlanta, revenues increased from approximately $10M to $1B. He was a software entrepreneur for more than 15 years, running several venture capital-backed companies and taking two of them public, one in the United States and one in Europe, after raising close to $40 million from seven venture capital firms. John was CEO at a company which was based entirely upon a dense cluster of IP which had been invented at a major research university, but which wasn’t making commercial progress. His experience there in creating a roadmap into commercial markets, coupled with a period of venture investing, created the framework to understand the challenges and opportunities which led to the founding of IP2Biz.

He is on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Tech Foundation, vice-chairman of the Board of the Georgia Tech Research Institute and a member of Georgia Tech Ireland, a new company working with agencies of the Irish Government to do translational research in Europe. He has served on the Boards of Directors of the Technology Association of Georgia, Business and Technology Alliance, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and many civic, arts and community organizations. He holds a degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology (BS, Industrial Engineering) and has completed advanced management development work at Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of Business. Contact John Bacon.

James Throckmorton

James Throckmorton is a founder and President of IP2Biz LLC. He has advised CEOs of manufacturing and technology companies for more than 15 years. As an operating executive and an advisor, he has worked with boards of directors of both private and public companies. James has worked with university researchers while analyzing technologies and has conducted more than 50 market, industry and technology analyses in the energy, biomedical and enabling technologies spaces. The process of discovery at the intersection of markets, industries and technologies provides the foundation for the IP2Biz process. Previously, he held a broad range of senior management positions including marketing, sales, operations, materials management, purchasing, new product development and finance in the US and Europe. He was an instructor at Ohio State and holds degrees from Ohio State University (BS, Mathematics; MS, Computer and Information Science) and the University of Minnesota (Executive MBA).

James is the president of the board of the Atlanta Chamber Players. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling to unique places to watch birds. Contact James Throckmorton.

Al Etheridge

Al Etheridge is an engineer, technologist and entrepreneur with more than 15 years experience developing technology from concept to practice in technology development and entrepreneurship in and between public, private, academic and government settings. Prior to joining IP2Biz, he worked for the University of Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute developing and implementing a program to foster innovation in small and medium sized technology companies. As an engineer, he worked for Northrop Grumman Electronic Sensors and Systems (ESSS) developing next generation sensor platforms before joining a venture-backed start-up community developing optical-based technologies. He holds degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology (BS, Mechanical Engineering; MS, Mechanical/Materials Engineering). Contact Al Etheridge.

Gene Carlino

Gene Carlino has more than twenty five years in sales and sales management. Gene has actively lead or participated in advocating, coaching, teaching and modeling of innovation methodology and tools at Sun Microsystems, D&B Software, United Healthcare, Outstart, and Open Scan Technologies.

Carlino has established and managed sales organizations in large multinational firms (Nortel, Data General and Kana) as well as several startups (IntellAgent Control CRM, XcelleNet and TJ Group) and participated as an individual contributor, regional manager and sales leader.

Gene sold and implemented sales process and CRM tools at ServiceSoft/Kana, IntellAgent Control and TJ Group where he drove improvements in CRM data quality while increasing revenue pipeline visibility by over 50%. He has also worked across all industries in private and public sectors while calling on operational, organizational and infrastructure executives.

As a leader, Gene spent significant time on the road face to face with customers in the trenches to successfully turn a company that was focused solely on lean operations to a direct enterprise level environment that revolved around new business.

Carlino resides in Plano, Texas. He is married and has four grown children. He earned a B.S. in Management at Pacific Western University and is a graduate of The Lyons Institute. Contact Gene Carlino

Ross Harding

Ross focuses on global resource intensive industries. He has specialized in industrial technology development and applications. Ross holds a BS in Chemistry from Queensland University of Technology in Australia, an MBA from the Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and studied Finance at INSEAD in France.

During a career at Calgon Corporation, a subsidiary of Merck, as VP International Sales and Operations based from Asia, North America and Europe, Ross built worldwide specialty chemicals and technical support businesses, supporting process improvements and resource conservation in Petrochemical, Mining, Pulp and Paper, Metals and Desal and Potable production. He was later Executive Vice President of Acuity Specialty Chemicals where he led sales, marketing and distribution of a product and service focused company and leading supplier of industrial and process cleaning technologies servicing a customer base in the hundreds of thousands.

Ross served as Vice President of Business Development at the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center, a world leader in materials commercialization where he also founded the Georgia Biofuels Commercialization Center to help build the new supply chains of the bio energy markets. Ross is a founder of Energy Launch Partners LLC, Lansera Group LLC, and Verdant Resources LLC, companies engaged in renewable energy commercialization. He is a Board Member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce and an Advisory Board Member of Radiance Solar. Ross is co-chair of the Pine2Energy Coalition and a regular speaker and contributor to technical, trade, media, legislative and board briefings. Contact Ross Harding

Howard Morrison

Howard has a lifetime of service supporting education drive innovation and commercialization.

A graduate of Yale University and served for three years in the US Navy Howard went on to successful develop a banking career spanned nearly 30 years including being the chief financial officer of the NYSE listed Citizens and Southern Realty Investors (Southmark Properties) and in helping to develop the C&S Bank’s (now Bank of America’s) High Technology Banking Group and Atlanta’s high technology business community. For seven and one-half years from 1999-2007 Howard served as the board secretary, and chair of the Innovation and Technology Committee of the Georgia Department of Industry Trade & Tourism (now renamed the Georgia Department of Economic Development ). After retiring from banking in July 1996, Howard returned to his hometown of Savannah where he was instrumental in establishing the Coastal Business, Education & Technology Alliance (CBETA) (now the Creative Coast Alliance) and initiating and developing the Georgia Tech Savannah campus.

In 1995 Howard was inducted into the Georgia High Technology Hall of Fame. In October 2003 CBETA established an Outstanding Leadership Award in Howard’s name with Howard being honored as the inaugural recipient. In 2003 the Georgia Tech Alumni Association named Howard an Honorary Alumnus for 2004. In October Howard was inducted into the Savannah Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Georgia – Savannah.

Howard currently serves as chairman emeritus of the Advisory Board for the Georgia Tech Savannah Campus, chairman of the Georgia Tech Research Corporation and a board member of Georgia Tech Ireland, chairman of the Savannah Ocean Exchange, a trustee of South University, vice chairman of the board of Digitel Corporation, a board member of Vendormate, Inc., Ingenious Med, Inc. and Quadrant Financial Corporation, an affiliate of First Chatham Bank.

Chandler Case

Chandler specializes in marketing, PR, business development, and research.

Chandler attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and the Georgia Tech Honors Program. Chandler received a BS in Management with concentrations in Marketing and International Management as well as a Minor in French.

After graduating from Georgia Tech in May 2010, Chandler moved back to Savannah, GA to pursue a career path in Business. She interned in the Accreditation and Administration Department at Memorial Health where she helped market and promote the hospital Quality Fair, assisted with the preparation for the annual Joint Commission survey, and management performance improvement data. She joined the team in March 2011 and contributes her analytic skills, knowledge of the clean tech, water, and energy industries, as well as her marketing expertise.

Chandler is currently a member of the Junior League of Savannah, volunteer for the Savannah Ocean Exchange, and Marketing/PR Chair of the Saint Thomas Christmas Tour of Homes. Contact Chandler Case

John Hitt

Dr. John Hitt is an experienced healthcare leader practicing and managing various specialties. Prior to IP2Biz, he worked as VPMA for the University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics and as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dr. Hitt also worked for VHA in coordinating regional and national quality efforts and on aspects of clinical supply chain management. He began his work as a physician executive at Caremark International as Medical Director.

Dr. Hitt is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BA, Biochemistry and BA, Economics). He attended Veterinary School at the University of Georgia and received his Medical Doctorate from the Medical College of Georgia in 1984 (AOA honors). Dr. Hitt completed his Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Fellowship training at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics in 1991. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Hitt completed his MBA at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in 2003. Dr. Hitt is the proud father of seven children. Contact John Hitt.

Jimmy Lin

Jimmy Lin has more than 12 years of experience leading product management strategies, developing strategic approaches and analyzing new markets. Prior to IP2Biz, Jimmy led global product management initiatives at UPS Supply Chain Solutions for the $700M Post Sales service portfolio. Jimmy was a Consulting Manager for Manhattan Associates, a leading supply chain software company, where he successfully led teams implementing supply chain solutions for clients in a variety of industries including high-tech, pharmaceutical and CPG. He holds an MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and a bachelor's degree, with honors, in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. Contact Jimmy Lin.

Greeley Dawson

Greeley specializes in social media research and marketing. He attended New College of Florida, the honors college of the Florida state university system. His senior thesis, which he verbally defended thesis before an interdepartmental committee of sociology and psychology professors, was based on his research into social psychological factors influencing a person’s use of Facebook.

Greeley graduated with a BA in sociology in May 2011 after successfully completing his thesis defense and moved to Atlanta, where he interned at a social media marketing research startup company called ThundrLizard. He joined the team in January 2012 and contributes his social media expertise, as well as his technology and web design skills. Contact Greeley Dawson