Team Members

Chairman

Mike Mason serves as the Chairman of the Board for Curiosity Lab, and Mayor of the city of Peachtree Corners, a position he has held since March of 2012.

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Vice Chair

Brian serves as CEO/City Manager of the City of Peachtree Corners. He is responsible for all city-wide initiatives with the goal to build a one-of-a-kind community for all. Brian brings over three decades of executive level experience to organizations in the public sector. During the creation of the Curiosity Lab, Brian led all project facets, including development, partnerships and international relations. Today Brian remains active in these areas, focusing on supporting public-private partnerships for the city.

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Wayne brings extensive experience in innovation, commercialization, economic development, and incubation management to Curiosity Lab. He is Vice President Emeritus of the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology and established and led the ATDC Seed Fund which invests in Georgia-based entrepreneurial businesses pursuing innovation. He led the formation of the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) and served as Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

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Executive Director / Chief Technology Officer

Brandon serves as the Executive Director and CTO for Curiosity Lab, as well as Assistant City Manager for the City of Peachtree Corners. Brandon leads all aspects of Curiosity Lab, including strategic partnerships, technology implementation within Curiosity Lab infrastructure, and international engagements. Brandon also spearheads the startup program housed inside of the Curiosity Lab incubator.

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Managing Director

Valerie Chang, Managing Director, leads partnership relations and new member outreach for Curiosity Lab. In her role, Valerie manages day-to-day correspondence, builds relationships with current and potential partners and recruits startups to become members of Curiosity Lab to test, demonstrate and/or develop their technologies. She also represents Curiosity Lab at local, regional, national and international conferences. Previously Valerie managed the day-to-day operations of Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Center and Curiosity Lab events.

She brings 7 years of experience in marketing, digital marketing, management and customer service. Valerie graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing and a New Media certificate. As a Georgia Native, Valerie is passionate about supporting local startups and businesses.

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Chief Engineering Officer

Greg leads the infrastructure and development of Curiosity Lab, and is responsible for infrastructure engineering, land development, regulatory compliance, and right-of-way maintenance.

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Transportation Engineer

James serves as the Transportation Engineer for Curiosity Lab and the City of Peachtree Corners. He is responsible for managing the capital improvement projects and traffic management systems testing.

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Project Assistant

Rocio serves as the project assistant for Curiosity Lab and brings 20+ years of experience in operations, consulting, accounting, administrative management and human resources.

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Chief Development Officer

Seth is responsible for economic development and land development for Peachtree Corners, and ensures current and future business, residents and visitors have a robust and innovative community. Seth also leads the business and land development Technology Park while paying homage to the park’s history and creating new opportunities for in-bound organizations.

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Chief Financial Officer

Cory serves as the Chief Finance Officer. In this role, he oversees accounting, budgeting, accounts payable, capital project funding, and financial forecasting.

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Government Relations

Kym serves as the City Relations liaison for Curiosity Lab and brings over 20 years of experience in municipal and corporate relations.

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Chief Communications Officer

Louis is responsible for leading communications for Curiosity Lab and the City of Peachtree Corners and specializes in business relations, public relations, community relations, media relations and corporate partnerships.

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Chief Legal Officer

Dave Rhodes is the General Counsel for Curiosity Lab and City Attorney for the City of Peachtree Corners.  Dave developed and currently manages Curiosity Lab’s onboarding requirements for partner use cases and pilot programs involving the safe deployment of drones, autonomous vehicles, teleoperated e-scooters, and connected roadside devices inside the city’s corporate limits.

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Senior Advisor – Economic Development

Craig leads economic development initiatives across the city and Curiosity Lab. He is the Managing Partner for the Pendleton Group and provides governmental affairs, economic development and strategic communications counsel to governments and businesses. Previously, Craig served as Georgia’s Commissioner of Economic Development from 2004 to 2007. His prior service includes being a managing director of McKenna Long & Aldridge, and he served in key executive leadership roles at Southern Company and its subsidiaries, including vice president of government and regulatory affairs for Georgia Power Company. Craig received his BA from the State University of New York College at Oneonta and is a Graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

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Strategic Partnerships and Brand Ambassador

Mike leads media and brand direction for the Curiosity Lab.  He is the Founder and President of Driven360 and brings 20+ years of public relations, corporate restructuring and consulting experience. A nationally recognized on-air TV personality that provides expert commentary on a variety of topics facing the nation, his his main attention is on the greater transportation industry, focusing on automotive and motorcycles.

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Brand Management

Robert brings over 23 years of experience in brand marketing and the direction of public relations operations for multiple clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. He oversees the development of client strategy across multiple communications platforms including the day-to-day tactical execution of public relations activities. In addition to serving honorably in the US Marine Corps, Robert received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Humboldt State University, PR and Marketing degree from Ashford University and his MBA in Business Administration from the University of the Redlands.

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Economic Development

Guy specializes in international business and economic development and has deep ties with the technology and innovation communities in the Southeast, Israel and beyond. He joined the Pendleton Group Atlanta after over 12 years with Conexx, the America Israel Business Connector where he was appointed President in 2015. He previously acted as a Chief Administrator for the Israel Association of Community Centers and served in the Israel Defense Forces. Guy holds his bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Management from the Israel Open University.

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Strategic Partnerships

Jay brings together partnerships for Curiosity Lab and technology organizations. He brings over 20 years of experience in strategic partnership creation, strategic ventures, economic development and sales. Jay received his BS in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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Economic Development

Jorge joined Pendleton Group Atlanta after serving as Vice President of Global Commerce for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where he led its Global Commerce economic development team for more than a dozen years. He is responsible for Foreign Direct Investment, international corporate recruitment and connecting Metro Atlanta companies and institutions with international business growth opportunities. He is the former International and Alliance Vice President for Delta Air Lines. Jorge earned his bachelor’s degree In Business Management from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s degree in International Marketing from Texas Christian University. He was named the International Person of the Year by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2009.

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Public Relations & Strategy

Kelsey serves as the Curiosity Lab’s Public Relations & Strategy Specialist. She brings with her over 6 years of experience in writing, public relations, social media, branding, media relations, marketing, event planning and more. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.

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International Partnerships

With a career spanning over 25 years, Michael has held leadership roles in various verticals within the global business landscape, gaining extensive experience and understanding of the international market.

For the past seven years, Michael has been a dedicated independent consultant who has introduced and promoted Israeli innovation in the global markets.

Michael is the local representative for two American organizations: Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners City, GA, which is focused on Smart City and Smart Transportation innovation, and The Science Center Philadelphia, which is focused on MedTech innovation; Michael is also well-connected to a group of international businessmen looking for investment and distribution opportunities.

In his 25 years of global activities, Michael has gained vast experience throughout his senior roles in global companies. Michael has served as a CFO, VP of Procurement, and VP of BD and International Marketing. He is known globally for his professionalism, leadership capabilities, and holistic approach.

Michael holds a BA in Economics and Management from Ruppin Institute and an MPA in Public Administration and Management from Haifa University.

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