Executive Members – Silicon Valley Group
Meri led and managed new ventures as part of Intel's New Business Initiatives Group, part of Intel Capital. She has extensive operating experience with Silicon Valley start-ups, Intel, Total SA, Schlumberger Wireline, and Ernst & Young Management Consulting, including 14 years in Europe and Asia – Norway, France, Brunei, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. She holds a BSEE with honors from the University of Washington, Seattle and an MBA from INSEAD, France.
Avery Horzewski is president of AVE Consulting, a marketing and customer communications consulting firm that helps companies of all sizes develop and refine their communication strategies. She regularly speaks about social media to groups interested in learning more about this new communication medium, its impact on business, and best practices for implementing. She’s also a program advisor and instructor at San Francisco State’s College of Extended Learning, where she teaches “Engaging Your Community: Creating an Effective Social Media Campaign.” Avery holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Speech Communication from California State University, Hayward. She has also taught public speaking and argumentation theory courses at California State University, Hayward and University of Utah. Representative clients include ACT Medical, Adobe Systems, Alan Biller & Associates, Aruba Networks, Borland, CareFusion, Cisco Systems, Cooley Godward, Coremetrics, E*TRADE, Exordium Group, Logitech, Netflix, NETGEAR, SAP, and Symantec. Avery regularly shares ideas on the AVE Consulting Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As Seventh Generation’s first eCommerce channel director, Betsy pioneered the company’s innovative eComm strategy and created a thriving multimillion-dollar partnership with Amazon and other key online retailers. This laid the groundwork for Betsy’s broad and deep knowledge of “all things eCommerce” from sales and marketing to product development, operations, and finance in order to provide a comprehensive framework for online success. Since founding McGinn eComm in 2014, Betsy has worked with hundreds of natural and specialty brands to establish and strengthen their strategic direction on Amazon and their own Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce. From product development and profitability optimization to guiding organizational change, McGinn eComm leads clients through every step of this complex channel, helping to ensure successful and profitable online businesses. Betsy serves as a board member and advisor to a variety of natural products brands and investment firms in this CPG segment. With more than 15 years of eCommerce experience, Betsy is a thought-leader and regular speaker at events and conferences globally.
She started her career in the textile industry with a transition to the high tech industry early in her career where she worked with industry leaders including Hewlett Packard Company, Symantec Corporation and Quantum Corporation. She also contributed to multiple dynamic software startups including as SVP of Marketing and Business Development at one of the first marketing automation software companies. In the early 2000’s Monica took a slightly different path and helped to build a respected and successful firm of over 120 active high tech consulting resources as Vice President and COO of Marisan Group. Her prior years of high tech marketing and business experience were put to use to leverage the opportunities offered by the ever evolving and growing outsourcing trend in the industry. Monica has an MBA from University of California at Berkeley as well as a BS degree from Philadelphia University. She has great love for NYC, family, friends, travel and animals – and is most happy when she can combine them all.
Jan Robertson is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of SiVal Advisors a mergers & acquisitions advisory firm located in Silicon Valley, California. SiVal Advisors specializes in assisting mid-market technology companies, in a range of areas including: medical devices & services, semiconductor, semi-equipment, software, manufacturing and Clean Tech, with M&A and related matters. Her expertise includes sell-side and buy-side engagements, valuations and fairness opinions. Jan, a frequent speaker and author on topics related to M&A, has advised numerous clients and boards of directors on a wide variety of transactions over her thirty-year career. In the past two years, Jan has moderated panels on technology-related topics such as Smart Grid: Understanding the Current Landscape and What Lies Ahead and Exit Planning: What Every CEO, Business Owner & Board Advisor Needs to Know. In 2012, Jan was honored as one of Silicon Valley’s Top 100 “Women of Influence.” Prior to SiVal Advisors, Jan was Managing Director in Needham & Company's Menlo Park office, where she built the M&A practice from 1997 to 2002. Prior to Needham, she worked at major Canadian investment banking firms, including RBC Dominion Securities and BMO Nesbitt Burns. Jan has an MBA from Queen’s University (Canada) and a Bachelor of Science from University of Toronto. She is credentialed as a Chartered Business Valuator, and holds FINRA Series 79 and 63 securities licenses for investment banking. She currently serves on the board of directors for Peninsula Symphony and for NAWBO Silicon Valley, where she is President-elect.
Michelle has more than 25 years of marketing and sales experience within the technology sector. Michelle acquired the South Peninsula Home Instead Senior Care franchise, founded in 1997, after deciding she wanted to be involved in providing services that would support people in the community. Her CAREGivers provide non-medical, in-home services to seniors in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Redwood City, San Carlos, and Belmont, Calif. She currently serves as a Board Member for the National Private Duty Association’s local chapter and a board member of the Home Instead Franchise Exchange Council.
Silicon Valley Executive Membership Group Leadership Team
Deb Siegle, Principal of Strategic Marketing Solutions, is Past President of Women In Consulting and strategist for the Leaders Network. Deb is an astute marketing leader, problem solver and communicator who is an authority in market research, strategy, and customer loyalty and experience. She understands what drives buyer and customer behavior, and is expert at hearing and translating the market and customer voice into actionable strategies and tactics that matter. Deb assists clients with strategic research, branding, positioning and messaging, market and product development and launch, competitive and technology analysis, and customer loyalty and experience projects. Deb has more than 25 years of marketing, customer service, and sales experience in public and privately-held companies in high tech, healthcare / wellness, biotech, sustainability and professional services. She brings a unique combination of strategic and tactical skills developed through hands-on line management experience at fast-growing companies. Deb was named one of the top 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley in 2016. Prior to founding Strategic Marketing Solutions, Deb held senior and executive level positions in customer satisfaction and service, marketing, product management, and market development. Deb graduated Beta Gamma Sigma with a M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and Phi Beta Kappa with a BBA from the University of Michigan. She is a popular speaker, and has been featured in executive pod- and web-casts on “Customer Voice”, , "Building Customer Loyalty," "The Power of Retention Marketing", and "How Research Can Reveal New Insights into Your Customers, Your Product, & Your Brand."
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Meri Gruber
As the founder and CEO of 
