Cheemin Bo-Linn

Cheemin, recognized as an innovative trusted advisor to small and medium size enterprises, ensures clients reach their next level of growth or lifecycle stage with the highest market valuations.        

She has been invited to speak at the United Nations and other international symposiums on sustainable business models for growth and the commercialization of emerging technologies in Clean Tech. Prior, as IBM's Vice-President, she led marketing, sales, and service engagement teams with P&L responsibility for a portfolio of integrated hardware, software, and consulting. She has also served at other Top Fortune companies and start-ups as Chief Marketing executive and senior executive roles in strategy, operations, sales, alliances, channels, venture capital, and Mergers and Acquisition (M&A).  

Cheemin’s leadership in creating and executing the winning strategy, building teams, and delivering significant profit growth has earned her corporate and industry recognition. She received the 2010 Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal “Women of Influence” award and the YWCA “Tribute to Women in Industry” award for her exemplary business and financial contribution. AACI of Silicon Valley recognized her with the “Star Award”, for her contribution to Technology. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Corporate Growth, Clean Tech and Sustainable Industries, Women in Technology International, CIOs Without Borders, Thrive Research, and early stage software and consumer start-ups. Prior, she was on the Board of Directors for the American Electronics Association.

Cheemin holds a Doctorate Degree in Administration/Management specializing in the “Implementation of Computer-Based Management Information Systems and Organizational Change” from the University of Houston. She completed Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive Certificate Program in Strategy and Harvard University’s Strategy Forum program.

Ajay  Birla

Ajay is recognized as a true leader that creates the winning strategy and roadmap that delivers value by architecting, planning and building business solutions enabled by technology. Ajay’s mix of finance, engineering, and supply chain operations skills enable him to provide a cross-functional understanding and approach to managing and executing key business initiatives that deliver profitable growth.

His broad scope of industry experience includes semiconductor manufacturing, consumer electronics, energy, and EMS clients ranging in size from small to large multi-national enterprises. For example, he advises late stage startup companies on optimizing their business processes such as Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, Channel Management and Supply Chain. In parallel, Ajay also creates the IT strategy to leverage optimized processes for scalability as the business grows. Prior, he was CIO at Magellan Navigation Inc. where he helped transform the business from in source to outsource (forward and reverse logistic) business model. 

Ajay has developed domain expertise in successfully delivering large ERP Programs, business KPIs using business intelligence solutions, developing and enabling supply chain business processes in very complex heterogeneous application environment, creating and delivering channel management solutions, managing IT consolidation and value creation for merger/acquisition and divestiture initiatives. His twenty four years of high technology experience in both large and mid-sized companies alike have offered him opportunities to develop a “hands-on” approach to managing complex IT organization and aligning it to corporate vision and strategy.

Prior, Ajay held sr. level IT executive position (CIO and VP of IT) at multinational companies such as Solectron/Flextronics, where he managed global IT infrastructure and applications. His passion for results and energetic approach to create IT enabled competitive advantage for enterprises has made him a recognized leader throughout his career.

Ajay graduated with a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from India.

Paul Constantino

Paul is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of executive and consulting experience at some of the world’s best-known companies across a wide range of logistics and services businesses.  One of his key focus areas is operations, where he has repeatedly turned around unprofitable businesses and delivered continuous improvement. His clients recognize his ability to quickly analyze key business drivers and develop and implement strategies that deliver industry leading growth. He combines proven strengths in strategic marketing, international business development and operations management, with a passion for customer satisfaction to guide companies past the key challenges and opportunities they face.

Paul’s extensive logistics experience spans more than twenty years and includes leadership positions in major logistics companies across the US and India. He served as corporate officer and Vice President Marketing at FedEx, the express and freight pioneer. At CSX, an $8.8B rail services firm, he served as division GM where he led the transformation of a $750M business unit and at Sea-Land Service where he led global operations and marketing teams and business development efforts.  Consulting engagements include logistics industry firms seeking improved performance, advising them on strategic market plans, and profit growth.  His entrepreneurial experience includes being Co-Founder and VP of Marketing for a California-based mobile software start-up and President of a Florida based start-up, which provided educational services to government agencies.

Paul graduated with a MBA from the Stern School of NYU in International Marketing and Business Finance and earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from St Peters College. He also participated in Columbia University and Wharton executive programs.

Steve Corio

Steve brings over twenty- two years of experience in sale strategy, resource planning, and sales management. He is founder of the “The Advanced Sales Skills Institute” and has provided exemplary enterprise and individual sales training focused across the “ Need Activation “ sales processes from small to top enterprise companies. Prior, he held a variety of key positions at Standard Oil of California, Intel/ISS, Chemelex/Raychem, at IBM. At IBM, he held sales executive positions including Storage Systems SI/ISV Market Segment Executive, Manager of Worldwide Sales for Optical Storage Subsystems, Business Unit Executive of Custom Manufacturing and Business Unit Executive of Worldwide Sales for Mobile and Wireless Systems.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics, an MBA from Santa Clara University.

Diana Hoffman

Diana has been advising C level management in small to mid-size companies for more than 30 years on various strategic and implementation plans for business development and infrastructure development/reorganizations on both a national and international basis.  Prior, she was CMO/Sr. VP of PortalSoft, Inc., a Silicon Valley software startup and CEO of CREATE Tech Village Corporation that linked entrepreneurs in key emerging markets with Fortune 1000 companies and US academic institutions.

She was a Speaker at the Americas Competitiveness Forum in June of 2007 where there were 800 representatives from the Western Hemisphere.  She has been a guest speaker on Clean Technology Investment and Business Strategies for a number of organizations.  From 1996-2004 she was Founder, CEO/President and Chair of the Board of EnviroSystems, Inc. developing and commercializing innovative clean technology and resulting products. From 1975- 1996 Diana was founder and managing partner of a Silicon Valley law firm aiding in the growth of hi-tech and biotech companies.   She is also Asst. Professor at the Graduate School of Management of UC Davis.

She received the 2007 Congressional Order of Merit, both the 2006 and 2005 Businesswoman of the Year from the NRCC Business Advisory Council, the 2004 Trailblazer Award from the Forum of Women Entrepreneurs and was on the Corporate Responsibility Panel at the President’s 2002 Economic Summit.  In 2002, she received an award at the White House for her life science company EnviroSystems’ contribution to disaster relief efforts at the World Trade Center.  Diana was selected for the trade mission to Mexico by Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans to promote NAFTA and trade relations.  She is a member of both professional and business associations.  She holds a J.D. from Lincoln University Law School and a BA from San Francisco State University.

Rahul Iyer

Rahul’s expertise is at the intersection of new energy technology, incumbent infrastructure, public policy, and finance. He has served in a variety of executive leadership positions as Founder and President of venture-backed companies and strategic advisory firms. His clients include technology companies, VC and hedge funds, energy companies, and governments.  Global engagements have included due diligence, risk management, and strategy development for smart-home technologies, electric vehicle systems, coal replacement products, wind technologies & projects, and advanced solar manufacturing.

Prior, Rahul co-founded Primafuel, a venture-backed technology and infrastructure company. Recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer, the company successfully commercialized proprietary technologies improving the economic and environmental sustainability of renewable fuels.  On the policy front, Rahul has worked closely with regulators on AB32 and LCFS rule-making, as well as state infrastructure plans.  In addition, Rahul helped drive the development of the first fully entitled marine terminal project in California in 25 years.

Prior to Primafuel, Rahul co-founded Element One Energy. The DOD funded venture was quickly acquired by UK-based Intelligent Energy. There, Rahul supported business development in Asia, Latin America and Africa where he developed a rural electrification program with the World Bank/GEF and large utilities.  Innovations included open architecture micro-grids, high-performance zero-emission drive trains, and the first piloted fuel cell powered aircraft.

Rahul has also helped develop and commercialize high efficiency hydrogen generation appliances for distributed power generation and fuel cell vehicles.  As an early employee of HbT, he helped forge strategic relationships with utilities and automotive OEMs.

Rahul has US and International patents in various stages of formalization and has managed Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and California State funded programs.  He serves in various capacities in a range of energy-related organizations including the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), the California Institute of Food and Agriculture Research (UC Davis) and the California Biomass Collaborative (a California Energy Commission effort).

As a proponent of life-long learning, Rahul is a member of Al Gore’s Climate Project and has recently worked with the California State University system to develop a Green Technology certificate program.  Rahul graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Annette Lee

Annette leverages her long and varied experience in high tech, logistics consulting, and start-ups to the benefit of her clients at Peritus Partners. She is recognized as a successful consultant and small business owner and prior, as an experienced executive in marketing, product development, and operations for mid-size to Top Fortune companies.

Prior, Annette was a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young LLP, focused on supply chain projects in the Bio-Tech industry.  At Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., she developed a strategic procurement consortium aimed at improving efficiency and reducing cost with companies such as Cisco and Sun Microsystems. She has also held Program and Product Management positions at Spinway, Inc. and Sun Microsystems where she provided strategic direction and overall management for B-to-B e-commerce applications. At the Fed Ex Product Management Group, she led the development of portfolio products which extended the reach of FedEx services. As the Planning Team Lead, she managed the freight division’s entry into the lucrative China market.

Having received her MBA in Management from the University of Nevada and a BA from Sonoma State University, Annette is known for her relentless drive, creative abilities, and intense focus on customer satisfaction.

Soo Min

Soo brings a broad range of in-depth market research experience to our clients. Having held market research positions at a variety of corporations such as FedEx, Cap Gemini, Ernst and Young, nonprofits, and government organizations, she has developed strategic frameworks and analytical tools which make market research and market intelligence even more useful.   She has worked as an economist at Global Insight and has led a variety of projects which delivered regional market analysis and in-depth market knowledge across the healthcare, IT, pharmaceutical, retail, electronics, energy, and financial sectors. Prior, she analyzed and created the briefs and classified reports used by hi-level policy makers at the Central Intelligence Agency. Most recently at an educational nonprofit, she was responsible for marketing and the market research which extended the organization’s reach into new markets.

Soo is highly skilled in primary market research and specializes in secondary market research. Market insight developed by the Peritus Partners’ market research team and Soo is used by our clients in forecasting, marketing, advertisements, marketing campaigns,  analytical SEO and social media marketing.  The market information is also used in strategic business decision making related to strategy, product roadmaps, cost reduction initiatives, and investment priorities.

Soo has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and dual Bachelor’s of Science degrees in economics and political science from MIT.

Brandon Upchurch

Brandon Upchurch brings a broad range of professional experience from multinational sales and marketing firms to global non-profit organizations and other consulting organizations. His focus is on building sustainable start-ups and Small Medium Enterprises (SME). His expertise includes global marketing strategy, business development, and business strategy for clients across the US, Africa, Mexico, Caribbean, and other Latin American countries. 

Brandon has led the marketing efforts at a variety of non-profit organizations and universities.  As an example, in collaboration with a university in Latin America, Brandon developed a global opportunity identification model that has guided over 100 local entrepreneurs and small businesses in expanding their products and services into global markets and serves as a resource for over 9,000 university students. He also developed and led a pilot strategic marketing initiative for the YMCA which transitioned the branch from costly direct marking efforts to a less expensive and more effective CRM marketing strategy. Brandon also assists many small independent businesses with strategies for entering global markets.

He holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BS in Psychology from the University of Alabama. Brandon’s core competencies include creative problem solving, leading cross-functional teams and building strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.