Axel Bichara '88 is a senior partner in the technology sector at Atlas Venture focusing on software and services technology.

Before coming to Atlas Venture in 1993, he was vice president of product development at Premise, a venture-backed software company, which he co-founded in 1987. Premise was acquired by Computervision in 1991. Axel was lead investor in SolidWorks, a mechanical design automation software company that was acquired in 1997 by Dassault Systemes. Axel also participated as a first-round lead investor in SpeechWorks and, as a board member, helped build the company through an IPO in 2000 and its later sale to ScanSoft in 2003. He continues to serve on the board of Phase Forward(IPO in July 2004) where he was also the first-round lead investor.

Between 1997 and 1999, Axel spent 18 months in Munich to build up Atlas Venture's business activity in Germany . He currently sits on the boards of portfolio companies BlueShift, Bluespec, CLK Design Automation, Liquid Machines, Marathon Technologies, NaviMedix, and Phase Forward.

Axel holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master of science from MIT, and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Technical University in Berli .

Frederick Lane is chairman, CEO, and a founding partner of Lane, Berry & Co. International. Previously, he was a managing director of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, as well as of Credit Suisse First Boston upon CSFB's acquisition of DLJ in 2000. When he joined DLJ in 1976, Frederick was one of only eight investment bankers at the firm. He was instrumental in the growth of DLJ's investment banking business as reflected in his installation to DLJ's Hall of Fame.

Frederick was founder of DLJ's first regional investment banking office in Boston, and served on the firm's Equity Underwriting, Banking Review, and Fairness and Valuation Committees. From 1989 to 1995, he was co-head of DLJ's Mergers and Acquisitions Department. His experience encompasses a broad range of industries, including conglomerates, consumer products, retail, distribution, telecommunications, media, and electronics.

An active private equity investor, Frederick was a founding investor of Staples. He received his bachelor's, cum laude, from Harvard College , and his MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School.

Deborah Kuenstner is managing director of research for Fidelity Management & Research Company (FMRCo), the investment management organization of Fidelity Investments. Deborah oversees the specialized research function at FMR Co.

Before joining Fidelity Investments, she was the chief investment officer, Global Value, at Putnam Investments from 2000 to 2004. Her other roles at Putnam included chief investment officer, International Value, and senior portfolio manager, International Equities. Prior, she worked in International Equities at DuPont Pension Fund Investment, as an International Investment strategist at Merrill Lynch, and an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York .

Deborah received a bachelor's degree in economics summa cum laude from Wellesley College . She was also a Durant Scholar and received the Natalie Bolton Prize in Economics. Deborah did graduate studies in statistics at Columbia University before earning her MBA with distinction from New York University .

Mike is a 33-year veteran of the investment banking business and co-founder and organizer of the Legacy companies and the Chairman of Legacy Securities Corp. and Legacy Investment Group, Inc. Additionally, Mike is Chief Manager of Legacy Lodging II, LLC and a Principal of Legacy Capital Partners, LLC (the firm's venture affiliate).

Mike is also a Director of Luminetx Corporation, as well as Chairman of its Audit and Finance Committee, and a Trustee of the Wellington Group, LLC, a developer/operator of assisted living facilities. Additionally, he is a Director of Snowflake Technologies Inc., a partially owned affiliate of Luminetx. Previously, Mike was Head of Investment and Merchant Banking at Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. In addition, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Keegan Merchant Banking Fund, Ltd., which he organized, Chairman of the Corporate Commitment Committee and a member of the firm's Management Committee. Prior to that, Mike held Partner or Managing Director positions with several prominent regional and national investment firms including Prudential Securities, Thomson McKinnon Securities Inc., William Blair & Company, and The Robinson-Humphrey Company, Inc.

Mike has been active in many professional, civic, and charitable organizations. He is currently a member of the Georgia State University Robinson College Advisory Board, as well as Chairman of its Facilities Task Force, and is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia State University Foundation. Mike is Past President and Director of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Mike has previously served as President of the Georgia State University Alumni Association, the Georgia Economic Development Association and Chairman of both the Red Carpet and Green Carpet Tours of Georgia.

Mike holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BS from the University of Tennessee.

Nathan Ottinger is a Senior Vice President with Silicon Valley Bank’s Atlanta Technology Practice where he is responsible for the bank’s new business efforts and management of the overall banking relationship for technology and life sciences companies in Atlanta and Central Florida markets. Previous to his current role, Mr. Ottinger spent 4 years managing the Bank’s Cash Management Group for the Southeast Division working with a wide range of clients in Technology, Life Sciences and Venture Capital industry segments. Mr. Ottinger graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida State University with degrees in Finance and Economics.