AKRON, Ohio, (June 4, 2018) – Bounce Innovation Hub is pleased to announce the additions of Michael Haritakis and Victoria Tifft as entrepreneurs in residence(EIRs); Christopher Mazziotto, director of entrepreneurial services and EbaNee Bond, program coordinator.
Haritakis and Tifft are veteran founders. As EIRs, they will work directly with Bounce resident companies helping them navigate the startup landscape and providing one-on-one expert business counseling and advice. Mazziotto and Bond, Bounce’s program staff, will focus on building strong programs and enhancing services to meet the needs of Bounce’s companies, as well as entrepreneurs throughout the region.
“As we continue to build momentum, it’s important that we increase and improve services and programs for our companies and those out in the community,” said Bounce CEO Doug Weintraub. “This impressive group of professionals, with their combined experience in the startup space, helps further solidify Bounce’s position as the center for entrepreneurial activities in Akron and surrounding counties. If you have an idea you can grow into a company, they will help you get there.”
Micheal Haritakis joined the Bounce team in May and serves as an entrepreneur in residence, working with the hub’s biomedical-focused companies. He co-founded Thermedx, LLC, a medical device manufacturing startup, where he gained unique experience and perspective of the biomedical industry and community. He has also served in leadership roles for other startup companies in the manufacturing and software industries, including Everstream Inc. and Tridelta Industries, Inc. Haritakis completed his bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Cincinnati; received his Juris Doctor from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University and earned his master’s degree in entrepreneurship and management from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Originally from Akron, Mike currently lives in Hudson, Ohio.
Victoria Tifft will join Bounce in June as an entrepreneur in residence, working with a variety of companies. Tifft has more than 30 years of experience in the entrepreneurial sector. Prior to joining Bounce, Tifft was CEO of Clinical Research Management, from 1994 until 2018. She sold the firm to a publicly traded competitor in 2016. She remains involved in four additional firms and serves on several boards in the Northeast Ohio area. Her son, Matt Tifft is a professional NASCAR driver for Richard Childress Racing and she is actively involved in working with his team bringing corporate sponsor and B2B opportunities to the region. She is the recipient of several awards, including National Small Business Person of the Year and Top Ten Women Business Owners of Northeast Ohio. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Akron and a master’s degree in business and leadership from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She lives in Hinckley, Ohio.
Christopher Mazziotto will serve as director of entrepreneurial services for Bounce, starting June 4. He will facilitate Bounce’s incubator and accelerator; oversee the mentor network; and plan programs and events to engage the Bounce community. Previously, Mazziotto was a program manager and then director of operations at reSET, a startup accelerator program in Connecticut. While there, he mentored numerous early-stage startups, provided entrepreneurial education through structured programs, and built a mentor network of local professionals dedicated to helping startups create solutions. Mazziotto is a graduate of the Financial Leadership Program at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and has worked as a senior analyst in business development at Carrier, a subsidiary of UTC. A Connecticut native, Mazziotto earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Central Connecticut State University. Mazziotto recently moved to the Akron area from Connecticut and resides in Kent.
EbaNee Bond started at Bounce in May and serves as program coordinator where she supports the companies currently located at the hub. She assists with implementation of programs, including the Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP), community-based programs and Bounce and partner events. Bond also serves as a joint employee with Bounce’s partners at The University of Akron Research Foundation as an Akron Entrepreneur fellow. Previously, Bond served as an intern with EMC (now Dell EMC) and Akron community partners of The University of Akron’s Experiential Learning (EX[L]) Center, including the Akron Global Business Accelerator (now Bounce) and ArtxLove. She recently graduated from The University of Akron with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She is very proud to live in Akron.
