Dennis Leidall Executive Director

Dennis Leidall is responsible for all of      Connect Northwest’s programs, including the flagship Springboard Program, Executive Connect, and Investor Forums. Besides designing and managing the programs, he advises clients and works closely with the regions investment community. He also coordinates with community partners to ensure Connect Northwest programs integrate or complement regional entrepreneurial initiatives.

Dennis brings significant experience to his role as program director. For two years he managed programs for the University of California at San Diego’s (UCSD) widely acclaimed Connect organization, on which Connect Northwest is modeled. Dennis has adapted UCSD’s successful Springboard Program to Connect Northwest to meet the needs of area entrepreneurs. From 2003 to 2005, he served as program manager for the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology, a federally funded collaborative effort between UCSD, San Diego State University, Lockheed and SPAWAR, the U.S. Navy Laboratory also based in San Diego. In addition, he managed the San Diego Tech Coast Angels, a large angel investor group.

His expertise in guiding entrepreneurs and early-stage CEOs comes not only from his program experience, but also from his personal experience as an entrepreneur and business executive. In 1991, he founded Newport Coffee Company, a Chicago based wholesale and retail coffee roasting company. Prior to that, he was an account executive for a medical equipment company in Orange County, California. Dennis has a B.S. degree from the University of Iowa.

Catherine Greer Program Coordinator