1997 Inaugural Class

Michela Alioto Pier, Former Second District Supervisor, San Francisco, CA.   Michela Alioto Pier served on the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors, appointed by San Francisco Mayor Newsom, from 2004 to 2011.  In 1997 she ran as a democratic nominee for California Secretary of State, and in 1996 she was a candidate for California's First Congressional District.  Prior to that Michela spent two and a half years working in the Clinton White House for Vice President Al Gore on domestic policy, and was a White House transition liaison for the Department of Health and Human Services. In 1984, at the age of 17, Michela was appointed as the youngest member to President Reagan's National Council on Disability's Advisory Board and has been a delegate to three of the last four United States-Japan Summit Conferences on Disabilities, where she has chaired the Committee on Science and Technology. She is currently a member of the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Leadership Forum, and the Majority Council of EMILY's List. Michela earned a degree in Anthropology from the University of California at Los Angeles and spent a year studying at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. She and her husband Tom and their three children make their home in San Francisco, CA.  Michela is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Laurence D. Belfer, Chief Executive Officer, Belfer Management, LLC, New York, NY. Belfer Management LLC is a family investment firm that emphasizes energy, real estate and financial servies industries.  As a function of his role as Chief Executive Officer, Laurence Belfer served as Director and Member of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Westport Resources Corp. (the successor to Belco Oil and Gas Corp.), one of the 15 largest independent exploration and family-owned production companies in the country, until it was acquired by Kerr-McGee in a $3.5 billion stock transaction in June 2004.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Belfer Foundation and chairs the Terrorism and Response Fund of the UJA Federation of New York.  He has served as co-chair of the 10th and 15th Year College Reunion of Harvard University and was a member of The Dalton School Endowment Committee.  Laurence is a 1988 graduate with honors from Harvard University who earned his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1992.  He is a member of the New York State Bar Association. He and his wife, Carolyn, their two sons and daughter live in New York, NY.  Laurence is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Aneel Bhusri, General Partner, Greylock Management, Palo Alto, CA. Aneel Bhusri joined Greylock, an early stage venture capital firm, in 1999.  Prior to that he served as Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing for PeopleSoft, Inc. Aneel previously served as an associate at Norwest Venture Partners and spent several years in Morgan Stanley's corporate finance organization working with the firm's high-tech clients.  He currently serves on the board of The Vantive Corporation and is a director of Marimba, Inc. and Corio, Inc.  He is also actively involved in the protection of endangered species.  Aneel is a magna cum laude graduate with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BA in Economics from Brown University.  He received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1993 and is a resident of San Francisco, CA.  Aneel is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Beth A. Brooke, Global Vice Chair-Strategy, Public Policy, Sustainability & Stakeholder Engagement, Ernst & Young, LLP, New York, NY.  Beth A. Brooke is Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement at Ernst & Young and is a member of the firm's Global Management Group and a member of its Americas Executive Board. Beth has public policy responsibility for the firm's operations in 140 countries and interacts frequently with regulators, policymakers, and capital market stakeholders. Beth has been named for the third year in a row by Forbes Magazine as one of the world's "100 Most Powerful Women". As Global Vice Chair, Beth focuses on shaping the firm's strategic direction and position on public policy. She regularly speaks at forums around the world on topics ranging from leadership in the 21st century, the role of business in society, issues impacting the accounting profession and global capital markets, women's leadership, and the need for private sector/public sector cooperation to tackle policy challenges. Beth served as a public delegate to the 2009 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. And Beth chairs the Board of The White House Project, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to training and advancing women in public leadership. During the Clinton Administration, she worked for two years in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she was responsible for all tax policy matters related to insurance and managed care. Prior to her current role at Ernst & Young, Beth was National Director of Tax Advisory Services in Washington D.C., and previous to that, she worked in both audit and tax in the Indianapolis office where she became the first woman partner there in 1990. Beth has an undergraduate degree, with highest distinction, from Purdue University, where she majored in Industrial Management/Computer Science. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow in the Life Management Institute, a professional designation in the insurance industry. She is a member of the 1997 Inaugural Class of the Henry Crown Fellows of The Aspen Institute, The Aspen Institute Board of Trustees and the Committee of 200. She serves on the Boards of The Committee for Economic Development, The Atlantic Council of the United States, the Partnership for Public Service, TechnoServe, The National Women's Law Center, and The White House Project. She is also a member of the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees and the Audit Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Defense. 

Deborah A. Coleman, General Partner, SmartForest Ventures, Portland, OR.  Deborah Coleman has been General Partner in SmartForest Ventures since 1999, and is also co-founder of Rainy Day Ventures, both based in Portland, OR.  After stepping down as CEO of Merix Corporation in 1999, she agreed to serve as chairman of the corporation for a two-year term.  Debi has also served as Chairman of the Board of Teseda Corporation, a developer of test products for integrated circuit manufacturers, since June 2001.  In addition, she serves on the boards of Octel Communications, Applied Materials and Synopsys, Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation, and the Oregon Symphony. She is a member of the Stanford University Business School Advisory Council, the Brown University Board of Trustees, the Committee of 200, and the International Women's Forum. Debi received a BA degree from Brown University in 1974 and an MBA from Stanford in 1978. In 1987 she received an honorary PhD of Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Debi is a resident of Portland, OR and a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Gabrielle Greene, General Partner, R.C. Fontis Partners LP, Pasadena, CA. Gaby Greene is General Partner of R.C. Fontis Partners, which she and Henry Crown classmate Danny Villanueva founded in 2002.  She is also a director of Austin-based Whole Foods which she joined in September 2003, and serves on the audit and compensation committees of the board.  Prior to founding Fontis, Gaby was the Chief Financial Officer of Crown Services based in San Jose, CA and previously served as a managing partner of BE/Greenwich Street Capital in New York as well as a trustee of the Boston Children's Museum, the Entrepreneurial Growth and Investment Institute, and The Boston Partnership. She received a BA degree in 1981 from Princeton University where she was a National Merit Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs. She received an MBA and Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School in 1987. Gaby lives in Pasadena, CA with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters.  Gaby is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Philip L. Harris, Partner, Jenner & Block, LLC, Chicago, IL.  Phil Harris is a partner at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where he also serves on the firm's management committee.  His practice focuses on the defense of mass tort, product liability and complex commercial litigation.  He is a member of the American, National, Illinois, Chicago and Iowa State Bar Associations.  He also is an elected member of the American Law Institute.  Since 1990, Phil has served as a Trustee of Northwestern University.  He currently is a Vice Chair of the Board and a member of the Board's Executive Committee.  He also serves on the boards of the Chicago Zoological Society and the National Art Museum of Sport.  He graduated from Northwestern University in 1980 with a BA in political science and in 1983 earned a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Chicago Law School.   Phil is a Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.  He has three daughters ages 23, 20 and 17. He is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Dr. John Hillen

John Hillen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sotera Defense Solutions, Inc., McLean, VA.  John Hillen is the president and CEO of Sotera Defense Solutions, Inc. He is also a member of the board of directors. From 2005 to 2007, John served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. Prior to his appointment, John served as senior management in the defense firms CGI Federal Inc. and American Management Systems Inc., as well as the financial services firm Island ECN, Inc. Before his business career, John served for twelve years as an Army officer. He sits on the Board of National Review Magazine and is a trustee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Hampden-Sydney College, the Flint Hill School, and the Committee on Economic Development.  He graduated from Duke University, holds a Master's Degree from King's College London, a doctorate from Oxford, and received his MBA from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell. John is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Steve Kirsch, Chairman and Founder, Propel Software Corporation, San Jose, CA. Propel Corporation is Steve Kirsch's lastest venture, which he founded in 1999.  Propel Accelerator is used by leading Internet Service Providers to provide three times faster performance on ordinary dial-up connections.  Steve's experience in the tech world is vast.  He was the founder and former Chairman of Infoseek Corporation, which was sold to Disney's GO network in 1999. Prior to that he served as the co-founder and former President and Chairman of Frame Technology Corporation, and is the inventor of the optical mouse and founder of Mouse Systems Corporation. He earned a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and an MS degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Michele, are active philanthropists.  They started a foundation which donates to a wide variety of charitable causes, and were subsequently named the 1999 Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.  They and their three children live in Los Altos Hills, CA.  Steve is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

The Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, NY. Jim Kowalski was elected Dean of the Cathedral in March 2002.  He was previously Rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Parish in Darien, CT, one of the ten largest Episcopal parishes in the U.S., where he had served since 1993. Jim has also served as president of the Fairfield County Economic Development Corporation in Stamford, CT, as well as a member of the  Darien Clergy Association and the Social Services Commission. He is a Canon Scholar, and has been an American Leadership Forum Fellow and a clerical delegate and alternate to National Episcopal Church Conventions.  He previously served on the advisory council of St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospitals and on the board of Leake and Watts in the City.  Jim earned a BA with honors from Trinity College in 1973, a Masters in Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in 1978, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Hartford Seminary in 1991. Jim lives in New York, with his wife, The Rev. Anne A. Brewer, M.D.  He is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Timothy K. Krauskopf, Principal, Round Lake Designs, LLC, Downers Grove, IL.  Timothy Krauskopf is a self-described serial entrepreneur who is currently operating Round Lake Freight, a small truck transportation company serving the restaurant supply industry in the Chicago region. Round Lake looks for and implements technology advantages in the transportation business. Tim was previously vice president at Motorola as general manager for core solutions-internet software and content group. He has also served as co-founder and CEO of Parlano, Inc., president and COO of PCQuote.com, head of information services at the Field Museum of Natural History.   Tim was a co-founder, Chief Technical Officer and Vice President of Research and Development for Spyglass, Inc., which produced the forerunner to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, Spyglass Mosaic. He currently sits on the board of trustees of Northwestern University, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, and The Aspen Institute.  In 1996, KPMG Peat Marwick named him one of the winners of the Illinois High Tech Entrepreneur of the Year award.  Tim holds a BA degree from Northwestern University and an MS degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern. He is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership.

Gary Lauder, Managing Director, Lauder Partners, LLC, Atherton, CA. Gary Lauder is Managing Director of Lauder Partners LLC, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm investing primarily in information technologies. He has been a venture capitalist since 1985, investing in over 75 private companies. He is also chairman of ActiveVideo Networks Inc., a developer of interactive television technology for cable and IPTV. Other directorships include Promptu, MediaFriends, and ShotSpotter. Investments are primarily in cable television/IPTV technology and internet arenas. In the 1980s, he worked at the venture firms of Aetna, Jacobs & Ramo Technology Ventures, as well as Wolfensohn Associates. He holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania; a BS in Economics from the Wharton School; and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is the co-creator of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society with Laura, his wife. He was named one of the top 100 builders of the information highway by Upside. He is co-inventor of 12 patents, has spoken at over 90 industry forums, and, since 1992, has published several articles about the future of the cable industry that he still stands by. He is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Jay Marshall, Managing Director, AlixPartners, LLP, Dallas, TX. Prior to joining AlixPartners, LLP, Jay Marshall was a Vice President and partner in the Energy and Chemicals Group of BoozAllen & Hamilton Inc. and was head of their Dallas office.  He serves on the boards of XS, Inc. and American Specialty Cars, as well as The Dallas Opera and the Dallas Symphony Association.  A graduate of the Inaugural Class of Henry Crown Fellows, he served as the first Crown Fellow on the program's Board of Overseers.  Jay earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University in 1983 and an MBA from the University of Texas Graduate School of Business in 1986, where he was named a Sord Scholar and received the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence. He lives in Dallas, TX with his wife, Mary Beth, and their two children.  Jay is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Teresa McBride, CEO, McBride and Company, Los Angeles, CA.   Teresa is CEO of McBride and Company, a consulting group of former CEO's that support client efforts in growth, capital and market strategy.  She was former Founder and CEO of McBride and Associates, a leading technology solutions consulting company serving Fortune 100 companies and Governments.  Having built her company from inception in 1984 to 200 million in annual revenue with over 700 consultants before selling in 1999, Teresa and her company have received over fifty client and industry awards and honors over the years including the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year presented at the White House by George H. W. Bush.  Over the years she also served on several boards including being a director for the Federal Reserve Bank Kansas City Branch in Denver as well as a Senate Task Force under both the first Bush administration and then was asked to stay for both Clinton administrations, the U.S. Department of Education Board for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the Digital Equipment Corporation Advisory Board, the IBM Advisory Board, The Ingram Advisory Board, and a Trustee for the Henry and Gladys Crown Charitable Trust as well as several other boards.  She is a current and former member of several organizations including: the Committee of 200, the Young Presidents Organization, and a founding member of The New American Alliance.  Philanthropically, Teresa and her son founded College Bound in 1994 a non-profit program, with the objective of reducing the drop-out rate by inspiring great young minds in inner city schools to stay in school and establish an interest in higher education at an earlier age.  The program matches grade school classrooms with a college student that delivers a curriculum that exposes the student to college life. The McBride College Bound program has served over 157,000 students since it began.  Teresa currently lives in Los Angeles and New York.  She is a member of the Inaugural Class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Kim Pendergast, Managing Partner, Pendergast Partners, LLC, Rowayton, CT.   Kim Pendergast is the founder and managing director of Pendergast Partners, LLC, which invests in and manages distribution and performance automotive companies. She is currently CEO operating as CEO in her most recent acquisition, Magnuson Products, LLC.  Magnuson Products sells superchargers to OEMs and in the aftermarket. In her role as managing director she has founded five companies, two of which were in distribution. Kim started her career in Germany restructuring a subsidiary of Continental Can Company and leaving to turn around Savin Corporation, which she sold to Ricoh Corporation of America. Kim is very involved with several developmental institutions including Indiana University's International Business Forum, Center for Leadership Renewal, National Art Museum of Sport, Learning Spring Elementary School, Exotic Feline Rescue Center, and the Edward L. Hutton International Experiences Program. She has contributed to the Indiana University Business Journal and placed 16th in U.S. Olympic Class Sailing. Kim earned a BS in finance and an MBA, both with honors, from Indiana University. She lives in Rowayton, CT, with her husband Joseph. Kim is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments, Chicago, IL.   John Rogers founded Ariel Investments (formerly Ariel Capital Management , LLC) an institutional money management firm, in 1983.  As the firm's Chief Investment Officer, John has direct responsibility for the management of Ariel's small and mid-cap value portfolios as well as the publicly traded Ariel Fund and Ariel Appreciation Fund.  Prior to founding Ariel, John worked for two and a half years for the investment banking firm of William Blair & Company.  He currently serves as a corporate board member of the Aon Corporation, Exelon Corporation, and McDonald's Corporation.  He is also Chairman of the Chicago Urban League and a board member of the University of Chicago.  In addition, he is a past President of the Board of the Chicago Park District where he served a six-year term.  John received an AB in Economics in 1980 from Princeton University where he was also Captain of the Varsity Basketball Team.  He makes his home in Chicago, IL.  John is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Deborah R. Simon, President and CEO, Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria, IL.   Deborah Simon serves as the President & CEO of Methodist Health Services Corporation and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, one of the largest employers in the greater Peoria area. She has enjoyed 35 years of service to MHSC and held several roles from staff nurse, to VP to Chief Operating Officer to her current role.  She is active in the community serving on a variety of Boards:  Ambulatory Medical Transport, Chamber of Commerce, United Way, St. Jude, Foster College of Business - Bradley University, CEO Roundtable and Quality Quest.  She serves as a volunteer for The Women's Health Forum, Girl Scout Nursing Camp, the community group on Alzheimer and Parkinson Resources, and the Bioterrorism Community Response Team.  She earned a BS in Nursing from the University of Illinois College of Nursing in 1976 and an MBA from Bradley University in 1988.  Debbie was chosen as a Fellow at the Wharton School of Business' Program in Executive Management in 1986. She lives in Pekin, IL with her husband, Richard, and has a son living in Chicago, IL. She is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

David B. Singer, Partner, Maverick, San Francisco, CA.  David is a partner at Maverick Capital, where he is responsible for Maverick's Private Investments. Prior to joining Maverick, David was a leading entrepreneur who specialized in health care start-ups throughout his career. He is founder and former CEO of three biotech companies  in fields ranging from tools for DNA analysis to novel therapeutics (Affymetrix, GeneSoft and Corecept.)  At Maverick, he concentrates on private companies involved in deep technology research, including next-generation DNA sequencing tools, medical devices, and cloud computing for new media applications.  He currently sits on the board of one public and several private companies.   He is also on The RAND Corporation's Health Advisory Board.   He received his MBA from Stanford. He is a 1997 Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Danny Villanueva, Partner, R.C. Fontis Partners LP, Pasadena, CA. Danny left his position as head of Crown Services in November 2001, and a year later founded R.C. Fontis Partners with Henry Crown classmate Gabrielle Greene. Prior to that, he was the General Manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy and President of L.A. Soccer Partners. He was also co-founder of Moya, Villanueva & Associates, Inc. and Radio America, Inc. In addition, Danny is one of the founders of Spanish-language Univision affiliates KTVW-TV of Phoenix and KMEX-TV of Los Angeles. He currently serves on the boards of Pan American Bank, World Vision, Fuller Theological Seminary, Tomas Rivera Center, the California Community Foundation, and the Latino-Jewish Business Roundtable. He earned a BS degree from Stanford University and has studied abroad in Spain and Mexico under leading scholars of contemporary Spanish literature. Danny is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

Gary White, Chief Executive Officer, United Retail Group, Inc., Irvine, CA.   Gary White is currently the Chief Executive Officer of United Retail Group, Inc. and was formerly the Executive Vice President and COO of national retailer, Wet Seal, Inc.  Gary has extensive experience in the retail business including a 20-year career with Dayton Hudson, owners of Target and Mervyn's stores, plus five years at the Gymboree Corporation, where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. In November 2000, Gary left Gymboree to accept a position as head of Savers, Inc. He currently serves on the boards of the March of Dimes and K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations). Gary attended Cuyahoga College and management courses at Harvard University School of Leadership Negotiation. He currently lives in Newport Coast, CA with his wife, Linda.  Gary is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.

William Wrigley, Jr., Private Investor, Chicago, IL. As the fourth generation leader of the Wrigley family, Bill began his career working for the Wrigley company in 1985 and eventually held the positions of President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Executive Chairman of the Board of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company between 1999 and 2008. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized global leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings. Prior to the sale of the company, Wrigley grew the company sales in excess of $6 billion annually. After the sale of the Wrigley Company to Mars, Incorporated in 2008, Bill held the role of Chairman of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and played a key role in the successful integration of both companies through 2009. Currently, Bill serves in a number of professional capacities and is involved in numerous business initiatives as a private investor, as well as through philanthropic programs in Chicago and around the world. Bill currently sits on the Board of Directors for SoCore Energy, a pioneer in the solar industry.  He is also a member of the Senior Advisory Council of BDT Capital Partners LLC, a Chicago based investment firm which offers long-term capital and advisory services to its family business clients. Bill is a Director of The Economic Club of Chicago and serves on National Geographic Society’s Council of Advisors.  He also serves on the Board of the not-for-profit North Shore University Healthcare System. Bill is a Trustee of Conservation International and a Co-Chair for their Ocean Health Council. He is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization and a former member of The Business Council. Bill was born in Chicago, is married to Heather Wrigley and has four children.  He is a 1985 graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Economics and attended the Wharton School of Business Advanced Management Program in 1994. Bill is a member of the 1997 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.