BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR BEN FRANKLIN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ELECTS TWO NEW MEMBERS
August 11, 2009 - PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Board of Directors for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) has elected Walter W. Buckley, III, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Internet Capital Group; and Kenneth G. Lawrence, former Chairman of PECO Energy Company, to serve on the Board.
"We are always appreciative when very experienced and knowledgeable people of this caliber are willing to become engaged with Ben Franklin. They help us continue to serve the entrepreneurs with whom we invest, and help drive economic development in the region," said Robert E. Keith, Jr., Chairman of BFTP/SEP.
A complete list of Ben Franklin's Board of Directors can be found here
~ Walter W. Buckley, III ~
Walter W. Buckley, III is Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Internet Capital Group (ICG). Prior to ICG, Buckley was Vice President of acquisitions for Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., where he led many of Safeguard's investments through the mid-1990s, including Diamond Technology, ChromoVision and Video Server. He also was responsible for developing and executing Safeguard's multimedia and Internet investment strategies.
Before Safeguard, Buckley was President and Co-founder of Centralized Management Systems, Inc., a medical supply company, which he sold in 1987. Previously, he spent three years at CoreStates in the commercial lending group.
Buckley was included in Business Week's 2000 "eBiz 25" listing of the 25 most influential people in electronic business. Price Waterhouse honored him with its "Entrepreneur of the Year Award" in 2000, and the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group honored him with its "Entrepreneurial Excellence Award" in June 2000. In 2008, Buckley was also honored with the "Mid-Atlantic Venture Impact Award."
In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board for ICG, Buckley sits on the board of ICG Commerce. He is Chairman of the Starfinder Foundation, a non-profit organization; on the Board of Advisors of the Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative; and on the Board of Visitors of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Buckley earned his B.A in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
~ Kenneth G. Lawrence ~
Kenneth G. Lawrence joined PECO Energy in 1969, and held increasingly responsible positions in the areas of corporate planning, rates and regulation, corporate finance, customer operations and the firm's natural gas business.
From 2002 to 2003, he served as Chairman of PECO Energy Company, Senior Vice President of Exelon and President and Chief Operating Officer of Exelon Energy Delivery. In those positions he was responsible for operations affecting 3.5 million customers and accounting for $10 billion in revenues.
Previously at PECO Energy, he had served as President (1998-2001) and Chief Financial Officer (1994-1997).
Lawrence is an active real estate investor and a board member of the Rosemont School of the Holy Child. He was also a board member of the Philadelphia Orchestra until late 2008, and of Indus International, Inc. until its merger with Fortezza Iridium Holdings in early 2007. He has received numerous awards from a wide variety of civic, social service and community organizations.
Lawrence earned his B.S. in engineering from Cornell University and MBA from Widener University.
* * * *
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania is the region's catalyst for Stimulating Entrepreneurial Potential. For over 25 years, we have invested in innovative enterprises and created commercialization pathways and partnerships that generate wealth through science and technology.
Ben Franklin is part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Technology Partnership. We provide entrepreneurs and established businesses the Capital, Knowledge and Networks to compete in the global marketplace. Over the years, we have provided more than $130 million to grow more than 1,600 regional enterprises across all areas of technology.
Our partnerships with universities and others strengthen the innovative fabric of our region. We are founding partners of The Nanotechnology Institute™ (NTI), Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA®), Pennsylvania Green Growth Partnership (PAGGP), Pennsylvania Advanced Textiles Research and Innovation Center (PATRIC), Pennsylvania Environmental Technologies for the Pharmaceutical Industry (PETPI), and the PA Biotechnology Center of Bucks County. We are founding partners of the Energy Commercialization Institute (ECI) and other partnerships emerging through our regional energy strategy, funded through the Commonwealth's Alternative Energy Development Program. Ben Franklin is also a founding partner of the Emerald Stage2 Venture Fund, the Minority Angel Investor Network, and is a partner of the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group (MAG) Fund I & II and DreamIt Ventures.
For additional information, please visit www.sep.benfranklin.org
BFTP/SEP Contact:
Jaron J. Rhodes
Manager, Marketing and Communications
(215) 972-6700, ext. 3214
jaron@sep.benfranklin.org | 
