The rest of the 100 (in alphabetical order): Joe DeMartino, Mary Anne Rooke, fund managers, UConn Innovation Fund
Joe DeMartino and Mary Anne Rooke are the fund managers of UConn Innovation Fund, a $1.5m vehicle launched by University of Connecticut (UConn), state-backed Connecticut Innovations and financial services firm Webster Bank in 2016.
DeMartino has been an active angel investor for a decade, having been a managing director of syndicate Angel Investor Forum since 2008. Before specialising in advising and mentoring startups – his areas of interest include strategy development, deal structure and team building – he spent nine years as a senior vice-president for workforce management software provider Kronos.
Rooke founded consultancy Rooke and Associates in 1993 and has been helping early-stage technology startups ever since. She has also been a managing director and president of Angel Investor Forum since 2005.
Apart from UConn Innovation Fund, Rooke has been a mentor with entrepreneurial student program UConn Innovation Quest and Yale Entrepreneurial Institute. From 2009 to 2013, she was executive director of UConn’s technology incubation program.
