Guest Dr. Jordan Amadio Neurosurgery Resident Physician and Startup Founder of NeuroLaunch. Justin and Jordan discusss Neurolaunch. NeuroLaunch is the world’s first accelerator program for early-stage startups related to neuroscience.
Denise Reese / Endava 
Denise Reese is Director, Business Development with Endava (US) LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endava UK Limited, a leading IT Services and Consulting firm with operations in London, Germany The US and Central Eastern Europe. In her role, Denise leads sales and operations for Endava’s newest US office in Atlanta, GA.
Denise has spent more than a decade in Sales and Strategic Alliances for several major IT Services and Software organizations and has held positions both in The United States and Europe. Her experience spans multiple disciplines including Identity and Access Management, IT Security and Regulatory Compliance Management. Denise has built a brand rooted in developing trusted advisor relationships with her
clients. This, coupled with a keen ability to build repeatable and sustainable revenue generating opportunities, has afforded Denise with the opportunity to achieve significant milestones for the firms she’s worked with.
During her tenure with Wipro Technologies, a leading IT Services, Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing Organization headquartered in Bangalore, India, she secured Wipro’s 1st and largest Hospitality Client in the US and was a multi -million dollar contributor to the RCTG (Retail, CPG, Transportation and Government) Business Unit.
Denise holds an MBA in Strategic Management from The Henley Business School in The United Kingdom. Her dissertation research focused on the importance of businesses adapting a sound IT Security and Risk policy. During her MBA Program, she completed her International Business Experience in Hong Kong. This allowed her the opportunity to analyze and provide strategic direction to Asia-Pacific companies in multiple industries including Manufacturing, Retail, and Public Sector.
Denise is passionate about serving in the community and embodies the qualities of a true Servant Leader. She served as Board Chair of the University Community Academy Board of Directors from 2009-2012. She is currently President of The Women in Technology (WIT) Foundation Board, the philanthropic arm of Women In Technology, Inc. Additionally, she serves as Executive Advisor to WIT’s “WIT on Campus ” Program and is also responsible for developing Strategic Relationships for The WIT Foundation. Denise also had the honor of being a contributing author to WIT’s leadership book CLIMB: Leading Women in Technology Share Their Journey’s to Success. Denise also serves on the Board of Directors for Cool Girls, Inc. where she has held positions as both Board Development and Resource Development Chair. She was also Event Chair for Cool Girls’ signature fundraiser, Hot Pink Party 2013. She had the privilege of being a 2012 Girls, Inc. “Strong Smart and Bold” Award Nominee and was recently bestowed the honor of serving on the Judges Panel for Distinguished Young Women’s (formerly Junior Miss) 2013 National Finals.
Denise was a Founding Board Member and Director of Development for the Greater Atlanta Professional Chapter of Women MBA’s International, formerly known as NAWMBA -National Association of Women MBA’s. Recently, Denise was inducted into the Financial Times/European Business School’s Women on Board Initiative, “Global Board Ready Women.” This groundbreaking program is a global database of 8000 high achieving women in business and supports greater gender diversity on publicly quoted company boards in Europe. Denise is also a member of the National MS Society of Georgia’s MS Leadership 2014 Class.
Dr. Jordan Amadio / NeuroLaunch
Dr. Jordan Amadio, MD, MBA is Co-Founder of NeuroLaunch, the world’s first accelerator program for early stage neuroscience startup companies. He is also a senior neurosurgery resident at Emory University.
He received an undergraduate honors degree in biophysics from Princeton, where he was awarded the Kusaka Memorial Prize in Physics. He earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the physician-scientist training curriculum (Division of Health Sciences and Technology) at M.I.T., where his thesis concerned a novel genetic basis of human cerebral cortex development. In 2010, he earned an M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School, where he focused on life science entrepreneurship and best practices for health care innovation.
Here in Atlanta, Dr. Amadio has been a passionate advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine, engineering, and startups. He serves as a Biomedical Engineering senior design advisor at Georgia Tech, where he has mentored the creation of new inventions to improve the lives of patients and health providers. As Editorial Fellow at NEUROSURGERY, a premier peer-reviewed academic journal, he is the host of a regular podcast featuring informal interviews with leaders in neuroscience. He is Co-Founder and Medical Adviser of Forge, an
Atlanta-based nonprofit organization facilitating medical technology innovation that recently hosted its first Healthcare Hackathon at Georgia Tech. In 2014, his efforts as a young physician leader were recognized with the Excellence in Medicine Award from the American Medical Association Foundation.
In his spare time, Dr. Amadio is active in numerous service projects and enjoys adventure travel, hiking, biking, and running on the Atlanta Beltline. He is a supporter of several community organizations including the High Museum of Art.
Ashley Wells / Atlanta Ad Club
Ashley Wells is President of the Atlanta Ad Club and serves as Associate Media Director for 22squared. Primary Clients: American Standard, Costa Rica Tourism, Baskin Robbins. Ashley manages a team that researches, develops and implements cross-platform national media plans across all media, especially digital, mobile, national cable, print, broadcast, and cinema. She is essential in the establishment of utilizing “Strategy Teams” throughout the agency to advance strategic thinking and collaboration across departments. Ashley spearheaded the creation of a training process for upcoming assistant planners and media planners as well as for cross-departmental education. She often represents the agency as a digital and media thought-leader on panels and in speaking engagements.
