Our Team
Our Team is experienced in startup, investing, technology, and building things from 0 to 1. We are builders and operators who are passionate about helping local founders grow their companies to make global impact.
Det Ansinn
President, Member of the Board of Directors
Det Ansinn, a founding Board Member of Startup Bucks and leader in the startup ecosystem, provides strategic direction and leadership of the organization and its mission of supporting startup founders.
Det is the CEO of Bricksimple, the groundbreaking product development firm he founded in Doylestown in 2002. As a business owner and serial entrepreneur who started coding when he was six years old, Det has been an active advocate for small business and technology innovation policy. He played an active role on President Obama’s White House Business Council and served as council president in Doylestown. From his work with startups to training the next generation of entrepreneurs, Det approaches business and job creation from a progressive perspective.
Jon Mercer
President Emeritus
Jon Mercer, a co-founder of Startup Bucks, served as the first President and Executive Director of the organization in its first three and a half years. Under his leadership, Startup Bucks launched several trailblazing initiatives which have brought resources and capital to hundreds of startups and have elevated Bucks County's standing in the regional startup ecosystem.
Jon founded Stacks Co. Workspace in Doylestown in 2018 which he sold in 2022. Prior to his entrepreneurial experience, he spent eight years in medical device innovation and IT with Johnson & Johnson in the United States and Australia.
Jayani Jayakanthan
Business & Marketing Associate (Internship)
Jayani Jayakanthan is a student at the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University Abington majoring in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. She has led various business case competitions in which her team has placed as state finalists and semi-finalists.
On campus, she is a student leader leading business clubs and is on a mission to provide valuable business and financial knowledge and opportunities to students, equipping them with essential life skills for a successful career in business and entrepreneurship.
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Sigety
Partner, Fox Rothschild - Co-Chair, Emerging Companies
Martin Focazio
Chief Customer Officer at Brick Simple, LLC.
Louis Kassa
President & CEO,
PA Biotechnology Center
Jon Kontz
Owner, PLANT Design Group
Blockit, Co-Founder
Barry Fleck
President,
ALP Supply
Omar Mencin
Managing Director,
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Committee Advisors
Candace Yaeger
Executive Coach,
Candace Yaeger Coaching
Chris Wagner
Associate Attorney,
Antheil Maslow & MacMinn
Tracy Timby
Dean of Business & Innovation, Bucks County Community College
Expanding Our Reach
As our organization develops, we are committed to continuing to expand the diversity, experience, and reach of our leadership team. As such, we always encourage nominations of leaders who can help us bolster the startup ecosystem in Bucks County.
Please send recommendations and other suggestions to team@startupbucks.org.