Bill Warner – Executive Director

Bill is the founder and Managing Partner of Paladin and Associates, a firm that helps executives create successful businesses by providing a broad array of executive services. He is co-founder and Chairman of the Triangle Accredited Capital Forum, an angel investor network that reaches throughout the southeast. Bill has forty years of business experience, mainly in the computer industry, as a CEO and general manager responsible for computer software and hardware businesses in companies such as IBM, Intel, Dialogic, Banyan Systems and LiveWireLogic.

His community service includes board directorships in the Association for Corporate Growth, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Cooperación Ortopédica Americano Nicaragüense and the Triangle Community Foundation’s Entrepreneurial Partnership, and he is a member of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, Angel Capital Association, Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, North Carolina Technology Association and National Association of Corporate Directors.

Bill Sarine – Director of Eastern Operations

Bill is a founder of a number of technology and marketing companies such as PotsTek, a telecommunications equipment company, Global Data Networking System, a successful distributorship and consulting firm, and William L. Douglas Associates, a consulting and sales company focused on emerging technologies. He has been a director of sales, a national sales manager and a product manager for both large and small companies. He developed the “10/40 Sales Management Program,” a premier time management and motivational tool. He has been invited to speak on emerging technologies at executive sessions and at a number of firms including BellSouth, RJ Reynolds and FedEx. Bill was an instructor for the University of South Carolina’s NetGen CIO Academy. Bill has a degree in marketing from Farleigh Dickenson University with additional studies at Fordham University.

Over the past few years Bill has taken an active role as a business consultant for both large and small companies. Nicknamed “The Connector” he assists companies with a number of business issues. He recently participated in a trade delegation to Canada sponsored by the US Dept of Commerce and the Canadian Commercial Attaché and he is an advisor to The North Carolina Institute for Emerging Issues, NC Public Policy Forum and the NC Rural Center.

Neal Hill – Director Western Operations

Neal is a seasoned entrepreneur in the environmental industry (air, water, hazardous waste, recycling, waste-to-energy, renewable resources) at the corporate management and governance levels. He possesses demonstrated expertise across all the business functions in international manufacturing and service. His domain knowledge is in marketing/sales, management, corporate governance, environmental sustainability, leadership and strategy implementation and shareholder relations.

He has been CEO of seven companies, guiding both turn-around and start-up organizations through mergers and acquisitions, and Director of eight companies (chairman, president and treasurer positions) focusing on sustainability issues. Since 1971 he has led struggling organizations (bankruptcy experienced) to average annual performance levels in excess of 200% ROI per year while addressing all shareholder issues.

Neal’s academic degrees are in Chemistry (UNC), Public Health/Environmental Sciences & Engineering (UNC, School of Public Health), and Business Administration (CGU, Drucker Center). His current professional focus is in renewable energy and agricultural infrastructure development. This includes biomass, wind, solar and municipal solid waste as sources of energy. He specializes in technology development and commercialization projects.

Brad Lienhart – Director of Entrepreneur Programs

Brad Lienhart is currently providing COO and Sales Strategy support to two young, enterprising Company's located in Raleigh, North Carolina; and has investment and mentoring interests in three additional Triangle based start-ups. After a 28 year career in product management, supply chain management, and profit center leadership at The Dow Chemical Company; Brad moved to the RTP area to begin 16 years of founder/investor/executive support activity with Triangle based start-ups. These start-ups have been based on novel technologies licensed from the Triangle's major universities and ideas launched by working people wanting to pursue a dream and a new career. Brad has developed and deployed a number of techniques for evaluating, screening, and resourcing new technologies and products. Brad Lienhart is a co-founder of EntreDot™.