Entrepreneurs/Experts: Judy Albers

Judy Albers is the Chief Operating Officer at Excell. Albers has been instrumental in the establishment of many start-up companies based upon technologies spun out of Upstate NY universities and corporations, particularly in analyzing the commercial potential of the new technologies, developing commercialization strategies, positioning and planning early business operations, and providing seed stage capital. Her current focus is on co-managing the Excell Partners Fund and structuring equity-based deals.

Prior to joining Excell, Albers was a Vice President at Trillium Group, another Rochester-based Venture Capital firm, where she co-managed the University Technology Seed Fund, now fully invested. Albers also previously taught Environmental Chemistry at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Her classes were the largest in the department, teaching over a hundred non-majors every semester in lectures and laboratory. Prior to that, she served for several years at the Center for Naval Analyses in Washington, D.C. as a defense analyst. Her job was to develop and link analytical conclusions on Navy systems, tactics, and operations to practical recommendations for implementation by the Navy's top-level decision makers at the Pentagon.

During this lecture, Albers discusses the various stages of a startup company and the funding sources that should be pursued at each stage. She shares thoughts on venture capitalists, angel investors and more traditional bank loans. She also discusses the importance of understanding your company's valuation and being prepared to sacrifice equity or control in exchange for capital.

Judy holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Duke University, a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Brandeis University, and completed her post-doc in Chemistry at Princeton University.