Stephen A. O’Connor

ad37wi@r.postjobfree.com / 706-***-****

Atlanta / Athens, Georgia

Principal / CRO

Protogetic.com - Athens, GA,/ Spokane, Washington (2022 to present) Protogetic is an online marketplace for the high security protective design marketplace. Protogetic lists security industry “rated” and “certified” products engineered to protect people and buildings from various attacks ie: vehicle barriers, blast resistant doors, ballistic resistant windows, EMP attack, truck bombs, access control, active shooter software, etc. We simplify a complicated, fragmented industry for both buyers and sellers, transforming the search and purchase process from months to minutes.

As Chief Revenue Officer overseeing business development for the start-up, I focus on global manufacturers in many sectors bringing them in as paid listing partners. Partnerships are key and I have spearheaded a joint venture with a Chicago Security Accelerator, connected with the US Commerce Department for enabling a global presence for our site in multiple languages on all US government websites. I have created a media resource center on our site, and hired the number one expert on “crisis architecture” for our Ted Talk-like service called ProtoTalks. Plus, I created a new line of business centered around “surplus bidding” and hired “Industrial Marketing,” a company that provides contact intel for everyone who visits our site.

Business Development / Land Acquisition Director

Distributed Sun - Washington, DC (2020 to 2022)

Developer and owner of clean energy assets in 11 US states via sponsor and tax equity investments. D-Sun operates projects across a wide range of segments, geographies and technologies. Led land acquisition projects across mostly New York State and Virginia. Secured 3 large New York “Utility Scale” projects at +100 acres, for the first time in the company's history (it had been more focused on smaller “Community” size projects) and also secured one “Utility Scale” project in Virgina equaling 800+ acres. . VP Real Estate Development

SmartCare / Omkar Development - Atlanta, GA (2017 to 2020) A commercial developer developing properties in the metro-Atlanta and surrounding regions specializing in hospitality, retail, investment properties, self-storage, and healthcare. Delivered turn-key medical office buildings (Urgent Cares) in Georgia for our 50/50 joint venture partner Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) based in Nashville. This role required management of detailed land and demographic research. Secured approvals for land acquisition, handled negotiation with owners and government at every level (city, county, state) and related entities from environmental to town halls, variance requests, permit approvals, and tax authorities. Communicated benefits to competing parties including community engagement around impact of new developments for the health and welfare of the broader community. The role required bidding out the projects to construction companies, negotiating the AIA builder contracts, and then managing the contractors and their deadlines. HCA sold the entire Joint Venture to Piedmont Hospital Group and Omkar exited the business. Founder / Managing Director

Accelerate Athens - Athens, Georgia (2015-2017)

An entrepreneurial effort <https://www.accelerateathens.com> to bring a tech-accelerator and seed fund to the largest university town in the state in partnership with Boomtown Accelerator in Boulder and in Atlanta with Comcast. An attempt to raise outside capital to replicate the tech company successes of Boulder, CO, and Austin,TX, in bringing a modern entrepreneurial start-up ecosystem to Athens and The University of Georgia for the benefit of the school, town, region, and state. (Raised $250,000 out of our $900,000 goal.) This project may be reopened if timing and conditions are favorable.

Deputy General Director

Universiade World Summer University Games - Atlanta / Moscow / Kazan 2011 - 2014 The FISU (Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire) World University Games based in Lausanne Switzerland.

Co-Lead Manager and the only American (one of two foreigners) in an organization of 800 Russian employees helping them with multiple needs in international business, mega-event management, marketing, communication, public relations, TV commercial production, international relations, international sponsorship and direct investment. Led the Moscow-based team in preparing and professionalizing a mega-sporting event of 13,000 athletes coming from 170 countries. Attracted the "General Partners" / major sponsors to the 27th Universiade World Summer University Games, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Summer_Universiade>. Sold 20 Sponsors for the biggest success in the history of the Swiss-based games thus far, i.e. Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Hyundai, McDonalds, Danone, Nalco/Ecolab, Wilson, PriceWaterhouse etc. The 2013 Kazan event was at the time the second largest sporting event after the Summer Olympic Games and was also a preparation and test-run for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and the later World Cup Finals.

Business Development Director

AIG / Lincoln Properties - Moscow, Russia (2007 - 2011) International commercial real estate development joint venture between AIG Insurance of NY, NY, and Lincoln Properties, Dallas,Texas.

Led a team in all lease negotiations, sales, commercial broker management, marketing, market research, and networking of AIG/L's projects. Delivered the key project, White Square Office Centre, a 750,000 Sq.ft office and retail complex, the most successful commercial real estate development in modern Russia with 100% occupancy - new Russian HQ for Deloitte, Microsoft, PWC and McKinsey, eventually sold for approximately $1Billion. SVP / Group Publisher

Eagle Publishing - Washington, DC (2005 - 2007)

Media entity: book publishing, newsletters, newspapers, advertising, online marketing, direct mail, events. Implemented a new strategy and hired a professional advertising director for this traditional financial “Forecasts and Strategies” / political newsletter-based organization for the purpose of targeting national advertising agencies and big ticket commercial clients for the first time. Created a new electronic division and investment platform, acquired a leading web site and created a new financial investment newsletter from scratch: The Global Guru. Grew online traffic from 200K to 1 Million per month in one year. Founder / CEO / Group Publisher

New World Publishing Inc. - Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic 1992 - 2005 Entrepreneurial media entity printing weekly investigative business newspapers in English and native languages across the former Soviet Bloc after the “Fall of the Wall.” Publisher / owner of The Budapest, Warsaw, and Prague Business Journals. Created from scratch Western investigative pro-business and pro-entrepreneur media standards in Eastern Europe with the launch of three weekly newspapers in English and the local languages. Created a pan-European media company with 300 full-time staff / trained native sales forces in three countries to cold-call on the global advertising agencies in each market, at their global HQ, and directly on all local companies. Launched a pan-Central European conference business and regularly organized the US Embassy’s visiting Commercial and Political visits from the United States, i.e: US State Governors and their companies. Led a partnership with Forbes Magazine to assist them in rolling out their brand across the emerging markets.

Education / Honors / Service

Education

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA History Major / Architecture Minor. Member PSU Rugby, Member The Skull & Bones Senior Honor Society. Saint Joseph's Preparatory School, Philadelphia, PA Gutenberg Gymnasium, Bergheim, Germany.

Honors

National Hungarian Economic Medal from the Economic Minister of Hungary. Global Entrepreneur Award from the University of Georgia Grady School of Journalism and Advertising. Service

Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters Russia 2008 2014 Co-Founder: The Russian Green Building Council 2008 to 2012 Champion: The National Foundation For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE Washington DC) Mentor / Business Plan Judge Georgetown University Business School and The University of Georgia 2005-2007 Board Director: American Chamber of Commerce Poland. 1994-2000 Founder YEO Budapest 2003

Founder Toast Masters Hungary 2002

Book Reference:”A Deliberate Pause”, an award-winning book on global entrepreneurship and its moment in human progress. A book featuring / honoring 200 global entrepreneurs and their exploits.

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