Adam Belardino ’06
Returning to the investor panel, Adam Belardino is the managing director of Maddox Premier Client Group. Prior to creating Maddox, Belardino was a financial services executive at Barnum Financial Group (BFG) and also worked for MetLife in the Service, Strategy, and Planning team within IB Operations and Services. From 2010-2018, he was part of an elite group of advisors who earned MetLife Premier Client Group’s Platinum Advisor Recognition. After 14 years with BFG, Belardino developed his own estate management firm, Maddox Premier Client Group, which specializes in estate and financing solutions in the tech industry. In his community, Belardino is a member of the Umbrella Club Charter Group which specializes in community work supporting children and adults with special needs. He graduated from Fairfield University with a BS in economics and a BA in political science. Belardino lives in Scarsdale, N.Y. with his wife Michelle '07 and his boys, Christian and Maddox.

Bob Dorf
Bob Dorf is a world-renowned start-up coach, author, and educator. He founded seven start-ups of his own, which he describes as "two home runs, two base hits, and three solid tax losses." Dorf’s most successful start-ups were Marketing 1to1, the customer relationship management provider, and Peppers & Rogers Group, the customer experience consulting firm. He is co-author of The Startup Owner’s Manual, which has sold more than 500,000 copies in 23 languages. Dorf travels the world to train entrepreneurs and their coaches and mentors. When he’s not traveling, Dorf can usually be found coaching start-ups in New York City, or teaching courses at Columbia University.

Dagan Kasavana ’99
Dagan Kasavana is founder and CEO of Phoenix Tower International and chairman of Phoenix Tower do Brasil, one of the fastest growing wireless infrastructure businesses in the Western hemisphere. He founded the business in 2013, and guides the strategic direction of the company, oversees capital investment across various countries and transaction types, and leads all other significant corporate initiatives. Prior to founding Phoenix Tower International, Kasavana was senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions for Global Tower Partners from 2006 to 2013. He is a CPA and holds a BS in accounting from Fairfield University.

Mary Anne Rooke, P’20
Returning to the investor panel, Mary Anne Rooke is the president and managing director of Angel Investor Forum, the Connecticut-based angel group. She also is founder of Rooke & Associates, a boutique management consulting firm that specializes in helping early stage technology companies on the verge of high growth. Rooke is a partner in Mystic River Ventures (MRV), which serves as fund manager for the UConn Innovation Fund. She also advises and mentors start-ups in many regional accelerators and has held leadership positions in multiple industries, ranging from start-up ventures to Fortune 500 companies. Mary Anne graduated from Annhurst College with a BS in accounting and has her MBA from Golden Gate University’s Executive MBA Program.