Team

The Science Festival has assembled an exceptionally talented and cost effective team that has a proven track record in establishing major community educational events on the scale of the USA Science & Engineering Festival. The team will be responsible for raising funds, developing a network of partner organizations, recruiting participants and exhibitors, developing all Festival programs, organizing key Festival events, and marketing and public relations. The team is composed of proven science educators, event planners, fundraisers, public relations and media experts and includes:

Larry Bock
Festival Inspiration and Executive Director

Larry is a successful serial entrepreneur who has founded, co-founded or financed the early stage growth of 40 companies in the life and physical sciences from inception to achieving an aggregate market capitalization in excess of $30 Billion. He was the inspiration and executive director of the Inaugural San Diego Science Festival which was the world’s largest science festival of its kind. He earned his B.A. in Biochemistry from Bowdoin College and his MBA in Finance from UCLA. Larry is responsible for recruiting major Collaborators and Sponsors and Public Policy initiatives. He and his wife have contributed $250,000 of their own money toward the effort. In addition, Mr. Bock is working fulltime on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation. Larry’s email is biobock@mac.com

Lauren Raymond
Festival Co-Director

Lauren brings with her nearly a decade of experience in the project management, marketing and event planning fields, with specific expertise working in the non-profit and service provider sectors.  Lauren was part of the team that organized the successful inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival in October 2010. A true results driven professional with a strong and varied background, Lauren has a track record of creating successful events and collaborative programs and is committed to furthering STEM programs in the United States. Previously, Lauren worked as a business development professional at the San Diego office of Latham & Watkins LLP, where she developed and managed strategic growth initiatives for more than 140 attorneys. She also served as program coordinator for CONNECT, where she managed and promoted various programs and events for local biotech and high tech entrepreneurs. Lauren holds a degree in Art/Visual Communications from Salisbury University and is responsible for coordinating Festival programs, recruiting partners and exhibitors, creating communications, and managing special projects. Lauren can be reached at lauray7@gmail.com

Ruth Kiefer
Festival Co-Director

Ruth Kiefer has over ten years of management experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on program development, project management, event planning and marketing. Ruth was part of the team that organized the Inaugural San Diego Science Festival in 2009 and co-directed the creation of the inaugural USA Scinece & Engineering Festival in 2010. Previously, she served as Program Manager for CONNECT, where she worked with entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, corporate executives and university administrators to create programs and events that foster collaboration and innovation in the San Diego science and technology community. She has a proven track record of delivering programs and events of the highest quality, and is well connected in the San Diego science and tech communities. She holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a Certificate in Marketing from UCSD Extension. Ruth is responsible for coordinating Festival programs, recruiting partners and exhibitors, creating communications, and managing special projects. Ruth can be reached at rkiefer@mindspring.com.

Laura Angle
Festival Community Outreach

Laura brings a comprehensive background in K-12 education, non-profit management, program development, and small business entrepreneurship to the festival. As a homeschooler, Laura has a passion for developing a love of math and science through good curriculum and science based exploration. Laura holds a M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Botany from the University of California at Davis.  Laura joined the Inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival to deliver inspirational school based programs such as the Nifty Fifty, Lunch with a Laureate, and the Rubik’s Cube competition.  Laura is responsible for program development for the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival Book Fair; recruiting and training a robust Volunteer Outreach Team; and developing relationships with community leaders, school administrators, sponsors, exhibitors and partners for the Festival. Laura can be reached at: bluebonnetpath@gmail.com

Diane Birnie
Festival Media Relations

Diane is experienced in marketing, advertising, merchandising and promotions. While she was with Laguna Coast Publishing, producer of blockbuster trade shows Action Sports Retailer and Outdoor Retailer she pioneered the Performance Racing Industry trade show and its companion publication. Diane has served clients in packaged goods, travel, retail and fast food. She holds a B.S. from University of Southern California in Business with an emphasis in Marketing and Finance. Diane is working full time on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation.

Tasha Bock
Festival Graphics

Tasha is working on graphics, brochure and program listings for the Festival. Even as she begins her first year at Dartmouth College, 19 year old Tasha Bock also single-handedly operates and maintains the popular givingyouthescoop.com website. She is responsible for its conception and development and aims the site towards young girls, encouraging and inviting them to help others, help themselves, and serve communities. Tasha has a strong passion and interest for both Journalism and Dermatology and is certainly considering both career options. Tasha is working part time on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation.

Quincy Bock
Festival Graphics and Logistics

Quincy is contributing to the development of the Festival's website, mailing, and poster graphic design. Besides creating and managing graphics for the Festival, she coordinated last Festival’s selection of Nifty Fifty speakers for schools in the DC area. Although she just received her BA from Harvard in fine arts, she clearly got the family gene for science promotion as well. Her project, a pedagogical tool explaining Rosalind Franklin’s famous “Photograph 51” (which helped Watson and Crick elucidate the structure of DNA), was the first non-written work ever to receive Harvard’s prestigious Conant Prize for science. Quincy is interested in art, design, and graphic design, and especially how those intersect and overlap with science.

Sue Yeon
Expo Operations Co-Manager

Sue Jeon brings to the Festival nine years of experience of successfully managing, organizing, and coordinating a diverse range of special event productions, conferences, and exhibits. These special events have been for association, government and corporate clients throughout the United States and Asia and have ranged in size from 25 to 15,000 participants. Ms. Jeon's extensive quality production and event management experience are evidenced through consistently positive client feedback as shown by multiple industry awards.

Stacy Jannis
Kavli Science Video Contest Coordinator

Stacy has nearly 30 years experience producing and designing high-end film, video and media projects for commercial, broadcast, museum, and government clients. Stacy's special interest is using video to communicate complex biomedical and science content. She was recently honored by the AAAS and NSF 2009 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge for "Inside the Brain: Unraveling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease", produced for the National Institute on Aging.

Carly O'Brien
Social Media Consultant

Carly has worked in sales, marketing, and project coordination for nearly 15 years.  Her experience varies from the building and design industry to non-profit and educational entities. Carly was a key member of an award winning design team at Centex Homes and spearheaded the sales and marketing departments of boutique design firms.  Carly holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Radford University and has most recently added an education background to her portfolio from California State University at San Marcos.  Carly is passionate about connecting with schools and teachers to further the growth of STEM in the United States.

Dr. Danyell Wilson
Diversity Chair

Dr. Danyell Wilson brings to the festival over ten years of experience managing, coordinating, promoting, researching and participating in programs for underrepresented minority populations (Black, Hispanic, and Native American) in the STEM fields. Recently she was a postdoctoral fellow and coordinator of project LINK-ET, Leaders in New Knowledge-Emerging Technologies at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Fl. The goal of Project LINK-ET was to increase the number of students who chose to pursue careers in the sciences and ultimately to contribute to reducing cancer health disparities in ethnic and racial groups. Dr. Wilson has also worked with or been a member of the federal TRIO programs, AGEP, LSAMP, NSBE, and NOBCChE to name a few. She recently chaired the science efforts in the “Our Community: Multicultural Health Festival” hosted by Moffitt’s Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network. Currently she works with the Diversity Consultant team, with CEO Matthew Bowman. As Diversity Chair, Dr. Wilson intends to promote the USA Science and Engineering Festival and gain support from diverse networks. She can be reached at Danyell.S.Wilson@gmail.com.

Mr. Dany Kitishian
Festival Corporate Relations


Mr. Kitishian brings years of business development experience in non-profits to the festival.  He runs a boutique consulting firm,Kitishian Consulting, in La Jolla, California with a focus on business development, specifically fund-raising, and marketing.  To state it simply, he connects people with ideas and ideas with people.  His business development skills have positioned him to chair the UC San Diego Entrepreneur Challenge.  Dany' has experience in raising significant funds and establishing appropriate relationships for university programs and non-profits.  Dany earned an MBA from the Rady School of Management at UCSD and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University Dany is responsible for assisting Larry with developing relationships between the festival and its partners.