Ben Andrews work as the Community Engagement Coordinator at the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) in Tech Square In Atlanta. He manages the social media presence, marketing, public relations, and eternal affairs for the ATDC. He also works to promote the businesses housed within the ATDC. As the State of Georgia’s Technology Incubator, the ATDC currently houses over 150 start-up companies, and has graduated over 170 successful companies through it’s program. He began his career working for the Community and Economic Development Department for the city of Americus. In 2013 he was promoted to department director, becoming the youngest senior staff member in the city’s modern history. He oversaw a variety of boards and authorities, and worked with recruiting, retaining, and assisting small businesses. Ben was regularly invited to speak at various conferences about the work being accomplished by him and his team in Americus. In 2016 he returned to Atlanta to work for the American Cancer Society as the Senior Market Manager for Community Engagement. After leaving ACS he worked in various paid and volunteer roles for several political campaigns. Outside of work he is active in his community. He has served as a board member for several non-profit organizations, and has managed a capital campaign for a charitable organization. He has participated in multiple leadership training classes both as a participant and an instructor, and has experience and advanced training as a group facilitator. In 2012 he was a team leader for the GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers program, which brings together young professionals from various fields to tackle policy issues in communities throughout Georgia. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for GeorgiaForward. In September of 2014 he was included as one of the top four selections for Rural Leader Magazine’s inaugural 40 under 40 publication.
Jenny Bass counsels those ATDC Signature, ATDC Accelerate and ATDC Educate companies with a manufacturing focus. She is a seasoned entrepreneur in the industrial and manufacturing space with experience in the chemicals industry and private equity. She earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently the CEO and president of Essve Tech Inc.
Frank Tighe is chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based, TDH Partners. He has 27 years’ experience in executive management, fundraising, sales, marketing, and corporate formation in the medical device industry. He has developed and commercialized more than 150 medical devices in his career and negotiated license agreements with major universities, physicians, private equity firms, and industry competitors that resulted in millions of dollars in funding, sales, and royalty income. Immediately prior to joining ATDC, Frank served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Deal Team Member with PE Investors, LLC, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a private equity firm focused on investments in technology and healthcare. He led the negotiations for a Series A investment in a German medical device manufacturer. Prior to his time with PE Investors, Frank served as vice president of Vitreoretinal Instrumentation for IRIDEX Corp (NASDAQ IRIX). He joined Iridex as a part of the acquisition of his company, RetinaLabs. In this position, he helped lead the company’s global consumable marketing team and a network of distributors in more than 100 countries through a period of substantial revenue growth, acquisition, and portfolio expansion. Prior to Iridex, he was the founder, chairman, and CEO of RetinaLabs, with internationally renowned investor and eye surgeon, Dr. Eugene de Juan Jr. He grew the company from a small startup organization through acquisition by Iridex, by developing an innovative global portfolio of patented products and through licensing agreements with major universities such as Johns Hopkins University. Frank received a Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Auburn University in 1984 and an MBA from Emory University in 1996. Frank has been married to the former Ellen Marie McMullen for 27 years, and Mrs. Tighe holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from John Carroll University. She is a senior hospital executive with the pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co. When he is not focused on founding, investing and advising new ventures, Frank serves on the Board of the Umbrella Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, and actively mentors business school students at both the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University and the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.
