FirstWave is a highly entrepreneurial company, driven to success by: It’s process, it’s people, and it’s culture. We have invented, and keep inventing, superior approaches to commercializing ideas and technology. We fuel this innovation by recruiting talented, creative people and promoting an invigorating and collaborative work environment. FirstWave is committed to the constant pursuit of excellence, and the belief that a meritocracy of ideas, not hierarchies, drives decision-making. We deliver on this by staying at the cutting edge in understanding our markets and our business. We bring collectively over 200+ years of combined experience to bear with some of the world’s greatest thought-leaders – typically not found in most early-stage ventures.

Keith Blakely - Founder, Director

Keith Blakely founded Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc. ("ART") in 1981, a technology-based company and, over the next twenty years, the organization developed and commercialized dozens of new products, entered into numerous joint development agreements with Fortune 100 organizations, funded development programs at over 15 universities and National laboratories, licensed several international firms, including Mitsubishi, General Motors, and Bekaert, created several international joint ventures and strategic partnerships, acquired other technology-based organizations, and ultimately was acquired by a unit of Tyco International in 2001, a $35 billion enterprise at the time. Blakely has managed the technology commercialization process from idea generation through laboratory demonstration and process development, and into the commercial marketplace.

More recently, as President of AP Materials and as COO of Tech Sys, Inc. he led the growth of two technology business - one focused on nanopowders and the other in fuel cell technologies - from concept stage to demonstrated products in less than twelve months time. He was formerly the CEO of Na-noDynamics, Inc. a development stage company engaged in the acquisition, development and exploitation of proprietary nanotechnologies that can be used in the manufacture of nanomaterials, devices and systems; and currently Chairman of the InVentures Group, an investment and consulting group assisting technology start-ups.

MANAGEMENT

Brian Bell – CEO and Director

Dave Rowlands – President FWPG

Doug DuFaux –Technical Director

Dennis Guopil – Technical Director

Joe Fina – Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Bradley Fuhrman – MD, Founder & Chief Scientific Officer

Mark Dowhy – Founder & Chief Technical Officer

Diane McMahon – Vice President and Legal Counsel

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The strength of any organization is its people. First Wave's Board of Directors is made up of nationally and internationally renowned individuals whom have founded, managed or invested in companies worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. The Directors are all actively invested in the company and projects both financially and active time commitments in order source, develop and commercialize best of breed solutions.

Joel Kanter – Chairman

Brian Bell – CEO and Director

Albert Culliton – Director

Gene Burleson – Director

Dr. Eugene Bauer – Director

Dean Hautamaki, M.D. – Director

Wayne Hellman, M.D. – Director