Stephen L. DeFelice, M.D. – Founder and Chairman
Stephen L. DeFelice, M.D. is Founder and Chairman of FIM, The Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, 1976. His mission is to accelerate medical discovery and reduce the cost of health care. The Nutraceutical Education Act and The Doctornaut Act are part of this effort. More about him can be found at this address https://fimdefelice.org/about/
Patricia Park Connell – Director of Public Relations
Patricia has worked with Dr. DeFelice for 50 years, since 1974, sharing his passion for accelerating medical research and reducing the cost of health care. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Skidmore College in Romance Languages, she is bilingual in French and Italian. She has one son, a Millennial, and is a now a new grandmother to a baby boy of Generation Beta, who will grow up immersed in the ever-changing world of AI and technology.
Stephen C. DeFelice – Media Manager
Stephen, the grandson of Dr. DeFelice, is a student of Education at Brookdale Community College. He currently serves as a student ambassador, helping incoming freshmen succeed, and works as a teacher’s aide for a 3rd-grade class. Stephen is an incoming junior at Georgian Court University. As a member of Gen Z, he has experienced the rapid changes in technology, society, and politics. He looks forward to advancing the FIM mission.
Joseph M. Valenzano, MBA, CMA, APC: – Advisor
Mr. Valenzano has held executive level positions in the publishing industry in a career spanning more than 50 years. He served as Executive VP Finance for the Thomson Corporation, Director of Corporate Development for McGraw Hill and Sr. VP Finance for Playboy. Prior to retiring in 2015, Mr. Valenzano was a major shareholder, President and CEO of EP Global Communications, Inc. serving in that capacity for 25 years. EPGL specialized in providing on -line CME education for physicians and families caring for children and adults with disabilities and special health care needs along with publishing the journal Exceptional Parent, a leader in vital information for those dealing with life long chronic disabilities.
Gene Jannotti – Advisor
Mr. Jannotti with a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from St. John’s University and a
Master’s in Business Policy from Columbia, built a 25 year career with the Bell System,
retiring as the CIO of Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages. He followed that with 14 years as a
Project Director Consultant for Computer Sciences Corporation directing multi-million
dollar projects for various Fortune 500 companies. Leaving Corporate America, Gene
became the CEO of the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce in addition to
his volunteering as a Board member at several local non-profit organizations. For two
years, he was the President of Union County Performing Arts Center. He received a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boys Scouts of Union County and an ICON
award from NJBIZ.
Zach Edwards – Webmaster, Advisor
Mr. Edwards has been a digital strategist over 18 years and is a Senior Threat Researcher at SilentPush, joining the team in 2024, with a focus on understanding and tracking how APT groups are evolving. His expertise includes a deep knowledge of global data supply chains and advertising systems.
Mr. Edwards is passionate about Data Privacy, is active in numerous communities, and has been involved in high-profile GDPR complaints, including cases against online dating apps and Google auction systems. He has presented at high profile events, including a 2023 Blackhat USA session titled, “Kids in the Ad Fraud Crosshair: Why International Threat Actors are Targeting Children to Steal Money from Banks and Major Corporations.”
Antonio C. Martinez II Esq. – Advisor
Mr. Martinez is a native of New York City and the proud son of Dominican immigrants. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. He is a graduate of the U.S. Capitol Page School and the prestigious New York Military Academy. Following in the footsteps of his late father, Antonio C. Martinez, Esq., who was the first Dominican American to be admitted to the New York State Bar in 1956, the Martinez family has been dedicated to providing legal services since 1956. He is familiar with 28 countries and 45 of the 50 U.S. states. His U.S. foreign policy experience comes from his role as Latin America advisor to the late U.S. Ambassador to the UN and Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. He was one of the principal lobbyists involved with the passage of Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 and is also the CEO and Founder of Symphonic Health Corporation, a startup nutraceutical company.
Sheldon Richman – Director, Richman Films
Mr. Richman earned a BA in English from Rutgers College. While pursuing an MBA at Seton Hall, he was offered a position with Innovative Systems Research, Inc., working with clients such as the NSF, EPA, and DOD, He authored a proposal winning the Small Business Administration as a major client. While collaborating with the Children’s Television Workshop, he developed a passion for TV and film production, eventually becoming production manager at MPCS Video.
In 1985, he founded Richman Films, an award-winning NYC production company. His work includes creating commercials for top brands like Wendy’s, Subaru, Acura, and P&G, among others. He also volunteered for the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and served on their advisory board. Notably, he devised a successful marketing concept for a failing sub-prime mortgage company that brought them to the number one position in the country. It started with the slogan, “When your bank says no, Champion says yes!”