Dr. Dinesh Patel is a founding managing director of vSpring Capital. From 1999 to 2004 he was the Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Ashni Naturaceuticals, Inc., a company that specializes in the research, development and marketing of clinically tested and patent-protected naturaceutical products. He currently holds 15 US Patents and Foreign Counterparts. Prior to vSpring, Dr. Patel was an active angel investor in over 20 biotech and technology companies. In 1999, Dr. Patel co-founded and was the Chairman of Salus Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including antisense and gene therapy drugs. From 1985 – 1999 Dr. Patel served as Co-Founder, Chairman of The Board of Directors and President & CEO of TheraTech, Inc., a biotechnology company which he took public and eventually sold for $350 million to Watson Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Patel serves on several non-profit boards, and has won numerous awards including; 2006 Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame Inductee, 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, US Small Business Administration’s Business Achiever Award, Scientific and Technology Award (State of Utah), Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Mountain West Venture Group) and Scientific and Technology Development Pioneer of Progress Award to name a few. He is also a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).

Dr. Patel served as co-chair of Governor Huntsman’s transition team and is currently on the board of the Utah Policy Partnership (UPP). He was recently appointed the Chairman of the USTAR Governing Authority board.

Born and raised in Zambia, Africa, Dr. Patel received his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy at Gujarat University located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India his master’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and his Ph.D. in Physical Pharmacy from the University of Michigan. Dr. Patel led the firm’s investments in Altea Therapeutics, Axial, Exagen, Inflabloc, Protolex, Q Therapeutics, Zars and Salus Therapeutics which was acquired by Genta (NASDAQ: GNTA) for $30 million.

Bonnie Phillips is the creator of the Golden Rule Project, begun in November 2003. The initial aim of the project was to place the Golden Rule in middle schools and high schools in the local community in a manner that would attract the attention of the students and encourage consideration of the Golden Rule. As a result, a Golden Rule document was created as a work of art. It consists of sixteen golden rule formulations taken from different cultures, philosophies and teachings placed on a two-page, framed diptych. In order to reach a broader audience encompassing the younger, elementary school age children the first of three planned broadsides specifically designed for this student population has been recently completed.