Lecturer in Entrepreneurship

Mr. Hessler is an entrepreneurial business executive experienced in both operating management and in private equity financing. He has management experience in both large and small technology businesses, including as C.E.O. and business owner. In addition, he has financing transactional experience as a principal of a small venture capital fund and as managing director of two middle market investment-banking firms.

Hessler is currently entrepreneur-in-residence at High Tech Rochester (HTR), specializing in technology commercialization and start-up financing. He heads HTR’s capital readiness program, and is involved in the mentor capital program.

Hessler is also currently chief financial officer of PharmaNova Inc., a privately held, specialty drug development company in Rochester, N.Y. PharmaNova was founded on the re-purposing and enhancement of known drugs, and is successfully building on its initial success in sublicensing a valuable patent secured from the University of Rochester

In addition to his undergraduate and graduate education, he received additional training at the NASBIC Venture Capital Training Institute and the Xerox/Harvard Executive Program (Exeter).

Hessler has held National Association of Securities Dealers (N.A.S.D.) Series 63, Series 7 and Series 24 securities licenses.

In his community, Hessler is a founding member of the Rochester Venture Capital Group and the Rochester Angel Network. He served as a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business and serves on the boards of several Rochester, N.Y., non-profit organizations.

B.S., Mechanical Engineering,

Clarkson University

M.S., Engineering,

University of Michigan

M.B.A. (with honors),

University of Michigan