People

Rustam Lalkaka is President of Business and Technology Development Strategies LLC. He has helped plan, implement and manage business incubators in China, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, Romania, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, Jamaica, Palestine, Russia, Sri Lanka, Poland, Ukraine and Panama.

Rustam was Director of the United Nations Fund for Science and Technology, New York (1980 - 89), UNIDO Industrial Development Advisor in Turkey (1976-79) and Regional Advisor on Technology Transfer at UNESCAP, Bangkok (1972-76). Earlier, he was founder-director of Dastur & Company Limited, a metallurgical consulting corporation, and headed its international affiliate in Dusseldorf, Germany.

He has published and lectured extensively. He has been adjunct professor at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. and with the International Business Development Program at Northwestern University, Evanston, USA. He has been given the 20th Anniversary Award of Honor by the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations, Denmark; Honorary Memberships of the Polish Business & Innovation Centers Association, Foundation for International Training in Toronto, Indian Institute of Metals, and Latin American Iron & Steel Institute. He is a member of the managing boards of the Advanced Materials Technology Incubator, Hyderabad, India, and the Athena Incubator, Nicosia, Cyprus.

He graduated in chemistry in India and received B.S. and M.S. degrees in metallurgical engineering from Stanford University, California.

BTDS associates are experienced and mature professionals who have the ability to develop and apply innovative solutions to development problems.

Dr. Pier Abetti (USA) , an acclaimed international expert on new venture creation, has taught and technological entrepreneurship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is also actively involved with Rensselaer's incubator and technology park. He spent 32 years as advanced development engineer with the General Electric Co.

Lilia Arechavala Vargas (Mexico), has been involved in incubators and small business support as a trainer, consultant, and manager of the CEMIT technology incubation center in Curernavaca. She has designed and delivered training programs on human resources development, small business management and team dynamics for 40 of the leading business, education and state organizations in Mexico.

Dr. Jack L. Bishop, Jr., (USA) has had management and operational responsibility for the first five successful years of the Evanston/Northwestern University Technology Innovation Center. Dr. Bishop was responsible for a $10 million seed fund to support technology commercialization and entrepreneurial development in Nebraska as well as some $500,000 per year in grant funds to support similar goals for Northwestern University and the State of Illinois. He has a strategic planning and economics practice developed from responsibilities at a Fortune 200 global manufacturer.

Jack Malan (UK), is a reputed expert in business development with a long record of success. Incubation-related assignments include helping establish the EBN, Brussels (1984), work as an affiliate of BTDS, and the benchmarking of European incubators.

Dr. Richard Meyer (USA) has extensive experience managing seed and venture capital funds, as manager of the Advance Technology Development Center in Atlanta, Georgia, professor of entrepreneurship at Emory University and President, Orion Technical Associates.

Dan Shaffer (USA) has done extensive work on agri-business development policies, new venture creation, multiple-use land planning and seed capital funds. His special focus has been on the cultural anthropology of disadvantaged communities.

Carl Tiedemann (USA) is manager of the successful for-profit Lexington Business Center in Elkhart, Indiana. He specializes in the rehabilitation of industrial complexes. In his work with BTDS on managed work-spaces, Mr. Tiedemann combines real estate expertise with a record of profitable incubator management.

Dr. Behram Wadia (India) is a well-known consultant in the electronics and IT fields. He has undertaken a variety of assignments for the Government of India, private corporations, World Bank and UN organizations.