Joe Porfeli, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Hyperactive Technologies, brings more than 30 years of executive experience in the high-tech sector to the DesignAdvance board. He has led TechRx's evolution from a high-volume pharmacy software provider into an industry leader in retail pharmacy management technology. Mr. Porfeli served as President and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing of TechRx until he orchestrated the purchase to NDCHealth in May 2002. Prior to TechRx, Mr. Porfeli served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of REVIVE Technologies Incorporated, a leading provider of legacy database and software system conversion services and automated tools. He served in the same capacity with EIS International, a telecommunications hardware and software company, which grew to more than $90 million in annual revenues under his leadership. He has held executive positions with Centex Telemanagement, US Sprint Data Systems, GTE Telenet Communications, CompuServe and ComSHARE.

In June, 1993, Ernst & Young and Inc. Magazine named Mr. Porfeli the southern New England Entrepreneur of the Year for technology.

Ed Pupa, Chief Executive Officer, brings over 25 years of electronic design automation (EDA) technology and software experience to his position as Chief Executive Officer for DesignAdvance.  Prior to joining DesignAdvance in August 2006, Pupa held President and CEO positions at EndoPassives, Inc. and Kyma Technologies, Inc. He has held senior positions ranging from Director of Business Development to Vice President Worldwide Sales for several software and electronic design automation companies, including Cadence Design Systems, Integrated Silicon Systems, Inc. and Avant!

Throughout his career, Pupa has been a key player in assisting companies in exceeding their targeted revenue and sales growth by developing and implementing numerous successful strategic marketing and sales programs. Additionally, Pupa has extensive senior management experience in multiple facets of organization operations, particularly within startups, successful IPOs and public corporations.

Pupa holds a Bachelor of Science in both Marketing and Management from East Carolina University, and is on the Advisory Board of the East Carolina School of Business.

Jonathan Cagan, Director, Co-Founder, Chief Technologist, Ph.D., P.E., is a professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with appointments in the School of Design and Computer Science. His research, teaching, and consulting are in the area of design theory, methodology, automation, and practice, with over 50 archival journal publications. Dr. Cagan also co-authored the book Creating Breakthrough Products and co-edited the book Formal Engineering Design Synthesis. Dr. Cagan is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has served as the associate technical editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design in the area of design theory and methodology. He also serves on the editorial boards of Research in Engineering Design; Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing; Journal of Engineering Design; and Computer Aided Design. Dr. Cagan received his Bachelor of Science in 1983 and Master of Science in 1985 from the University of Rochester. He then earned his Ph.D. in 1990 from the University of California at Berkeley. All of his degrees are in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Cagan is also a registered Professional Engineer.

Michael E. Korybalski, Director, co-founded Mechanical Dynamics, Inc. as Vice President and General Manager in 1977, and became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1984. In February 1997, he assumed the position of Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until May 2002, when Mechanical Dynamics was acquired by MSC.Software Corporation. Prior to his experience at Mechanical Dynamics, Mr. Korybalski was employed as a product engineer with Ford Motor Company (1973-1977). He graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1972, he earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and in 1980 an MBA, both from the University of Michigan. An active participant in business-oriented professional organizations in southeastern Michigan, Korybalski is a member of the National Advisory Committee of the University of Michigan's College of Engineering and chairs the External Advisory Board of the school's Mechanical Engineering Department.

In January 1994, Mr. Korybalski received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from New Enterprise Forum, a Michigan-based organization dedicated to encouraging the spirit and success of entrepreneurs. In May 1994, he was a finalist for Inc. Magazines Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the state of Michigan.

James P. Poitras, Director, has held various executive positions at Corning Incorporated, Analog Devices, and General Electric. Mr. Poitras has been involved in the start-up phase of three companies, all of which had successful exits, most recently Integrated Silicon Systems ("ISS") as Chairman, CEO and President. After taking ISS public, and continuing as CEO for two years following the IPO, Mr. Poitras negotiated ISS' sale. Mr. Poitras is also a lecturer worldwide on business start-up and development (also a past IEEE past board member). Mr. Poitras has a B.S. in Physics, from Bucknell University.