Palo Alto
Palo Alto CEO Connection
Our Palo Alto Chapter meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month from 9:30am - 12:00pm at our Silicon Valley office location in Palo Alto Square. The industry focus of this chapter includes Life Sciences, Medical Device and Health Tech.
The Palo Alto chapter program is moderated by David Crean. We anticipate a new program beginning in Fall-2024. Please apply now for consideration.
Palo Alto Program Advisors
David Crean
David has +30 years buy- and sell-side expertise of M&A, partnering and investments within the life sciences and healthcare sectors working within strategic biopharmaceutical companies, private equity, investment banking and venture capital. He serves as Managing Partner for Cardiff Advisory LLC, a boutique mergers & acquisitions FINRA investment banking and strategic advisory firm focused on M&A and partnering collaborations for life sciences and healthcare companies. He has served as an advisor to more than 250 entrepreneurs, founders and their company Board of Directors, and has facilitated and chaired 6 CEO peer-to-peer cohort groups.
In parallel to his investment banking activities, David is an emerging fund manager and raising capital from limited partners for 1004 Venture Partners, a $100 million life sciences fund focused on healthy aging and longevity. He is also a venture partner for VU Venture Partners and LemVega Biotech Fund and a limited partner for Suncoast Venture Partners and Mesa Verde Venture Partners, all venture funds focused on early stage through growth-stage companies.
David currently serves in leading Boards of Director roles for Cenna Biosciences, Paracrine Inc., Almon Therapeutics, Connect San Diego, and BIOCOM California. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Board for the Alzheimer’s Association for San Diego/ Imperial Counties.
As a result of his trusted and outstanding advisory work, Dr. Crean has been awarded numerous recognitions including 2023 Leader of Influence in Life Sciences by San Diego Business Journal, San Diego’s 500 Most Influential people for the past five years (2019 -2023), 2020 Top Thought Leaders by Axial, M&A Advisor of the Year in 2019, and the 2018 Healthcare Hero Award.
Paul B. Johnson
Paul helps entrepreneurs and their investors get companies formed, funded and sold, including initial formation of corporations and LLCs, negotiation of seed, early and mid-stage equity financings and buy and sell-side mergers and acquisitions. He is also adept at venture capital investments, public and private securities offering and compliance and general business counseling. Paul has also counseled some of San Diego’s most successful companies in Securities and Exchange Commission compliance and general corporate governance. He is the co-leader of Procopio’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice group.
Noel C. Gillespie
Noel advises start up and emerging growth clients on strategic patent portfolio development and implementation to protect their technology and achieve their business objectives, the most important objectives being market share and premium pricing. He has extensive experience working with telecommunications companies, especially wireless telecommunications companies; digital health, health information technology, and medical devices companies; semiconductor; and software and Internet companies. His approach to patent portfolio development helps his clients ensure their patents guard these important objectives, even on a budget. Noel worked as an electrical engineer for many years, leading teams in the development of man-worn free space optical communication systems and early CDMA cellphones.