Event Management
The 3 Rivers Venture Fair is presented by the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association and is managed by the organization’s president, co-chairs and planning committees. It is a cooperative effort among many organizations and volunteers.
The PVCA would like to thank the Event Management for their leadership and significant contribution of their time and talents to the 3RVF.
Kelly Szejko
President - PVCA & 3RVF
Kelly Szejko (Shako) has been a respected presence in the region’s business community for more than two decades. With a gift for growing organizations, managing prospects and building expansive networks of volunteers and associates, Kelly has parlayed her experience as an accountant and corporate controller into leadership roles in various non-profit associations.
Kelly was named President of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association [PVCA] in July of 2010, after serving as the organization’s Executive Director for more than twelve years.
Under her leadership, the PVCA has grown to a membership of more than 200, including every major venture capital firm in the region, as well as private investors, top-tier service providers and leaders in economic development. Through her outreach, expansive network of investors and high-profile events, Kelly has built a national reputation for the PVCA and its events.
Kelly oversees the organization’s numerous promotional activities and conferences, regular networking meetings, the PVCA membership directory and the annual Entrepreneur of the Year program that recognizes successful regional entrepreneurs. But her most notable accomplishment is establishing the organization’s flagship event, the 3 Rivers Venture Fair, into one of the country’s largest and most successful technology investment showcases of its kind.
She also is actively involved in lobbying efforts in Harrisburg, where she works to attract financial resources to the Pittsburgh region.
With notable management and people skills, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), a trade association that fosters corporate growth, mergers and acquisitions, named Kelly its Executive Director in 2010.
Since assuming the day-to-day management of ACG, membership has risen 27% (300+ members) and attendance at its events has increased by 25 percent.
Kelly sits on the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Leadership Team.
She attended the University of Pittsburgh and resides in South Fayette with her husband and two children.
Eric Kline
Partner - Pepper Hamilton LLP
Eric D. Kline is a partner in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group of Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Pittsburgh office.
Mr. Kline provides legal and business advice to growth companies from startup through exit. He also advises Fortune 500 companies in merger and acquisition, strategic partnering and joint venture transactions, and has represented venture capital, private equity and economic development agencies in their fund formation and venture capital investments. Mr. Kline brings more than 20 years of legal experience to his clients.
Primarily, Mr. Kline acts as an outside general counsel to his clients, where he works with a team of lawyers to provide advice in all areas that affect their business. These activities span the spectrum from establishing the form of entity, to developing and implementing equity compensation plans, to negotiating important contracts and licensing agreements with private sector and government parties, to structuring financings, acquisitions, and divestitures. As clients grow, these activities also include overseeing material litigation, international expansion, and intellectual property strategies. He also counsels boards of directors and senior management on corporate governance, securities law, and other strategic matters. Mr. Kline’s philosophy in representing clients is to understand the client’s unique strategy within its industry and apply practical problem solving to the legal and business issues encountered.
Mr. Kline’s transactions include representing:
- growth companies across all industries in venture capital transaction exceeding $500 million
- Fortune 500 companies in strategic acquisitions and divestiture transactions
- a private healthcare software company in $250 million sale to a publicly traded acquirer
- a private pharmaceutical company in $500 million sale to a publicly traded acquirer
- technology companies in initial public offerings.
Prior to joining Pepper, Mr. Kline was a partner in the Business and Finance Practice Group with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Before that, he was an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1989 to 1992.
Mr. Kline was a director of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association and has chaired various committees of the Three Rivers Venture Fair. He regularly speaks on business strategy issues.
Mr. Kline is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and The Legal 500 and he has been listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Seán Sebastian
Partner - Birchmere Ventures
Seán Sebastian is Birchmere’s founding partner, establishing the first fund in 1996. During his 16 years of active venture capital investing, Seán has made multiple successful investments resulting in IPOs and M&A exits, most notably FreeMarkets, Neolinear, Safeguard Interactive, and Knova Software. He is actively involved in the development and growth of numerous companies, also serving as a past or current director of CyOptics, Lightningcast, LogicLibrary, MediaSite, ParaData, and Precision Therapeutics.
Seán has over 25 years experience in technology commercialization, management consulting, systems integration, and financial services. Prior to founding Birchmere, he was in PNC Bank’s Corporate Finance Group. He was previously Founder and CEO of The Telford Group, a technology consulting firm to financial services clients. He also provided management consulting services to major banking and insurance clients at International Systems Services. While at General Electric Information Services, Seán directed advanced technology commercialization activities. At American Management Systems, he consulted on applied artificial intelligence systems for various public and private sector clients. Seán also served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force.
Seán served on the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s executive committee and is past President of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association. He is a frequent guest lecturer on entrepreneurship and venture capital at Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Committee Leaders
Steering Committee Co-Chairs
Eric Kline, Partner - Pepper Hamilton LLP
Seán Sebastian, Partner - Birchmere Ventures
Kelly Szejko, President - PVCA
Ambassador Committee Chairman
Jim Singer, Partner - Fox Rothschild
Sponsorship Committee Co-Chairs
Alex Paul, President - Alpern Rosenthal
William Perry, Senior Vice President - The BBC Group at Morgan Stanley
Marketing Committee Co-Chairs
Lynn Brusco, Vice President & Chief Relationship Officer - Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Joe Slezak, Marketing Director - KFMR
Investors Relations Committee Chairman
John Manzetti, President & CEO - Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Selection Committee Co-Chairs
Frank Demmler, Vice President, Entrepreneurial Services Team - Innovation Works, Inc.
Jeremy Garvey, Shareholder - Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Finance Committee Co-Chairs
Mike Stubler, Managing Director and Co-Founder - Draper Triangle Ventures, L.P.
Kelly Szejko, President - PVCA
Logistics Committee Chairman
Anne Parys, Director of Marketing - Rothman Gordon PC
Bootcamp Committee Co-Chairs
David Kalson, Director - Cohen & Grigsby, P.C.
Eric Kline, Partner - Pepper Hamilton LLP
Timothy Parks, Director of Business Development - Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP