Bio
Mr. Stephen Johns, CPA, Steve Co-founded Ardesta, LLC and serves as its Head of Corporate and Business Development. Mr. Johns has over 20 years of experience in the areas of technology, finance, consumer marketing, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Johns has been responsible for leading the building of the Ardesta portfolio through venture creation and investment. He led the negotiation and sales of Ion Optics, Inc. and Mesosystems Technologies. Mr. Johns is active with the Chicago Micro and Nanotechnology Community CMNC and has been invited to serve on the Motorola Research Visionary Board. Prior to co-founding Ardesta, he was the President of MEMS Technology, Inc. Before starting MEMS Technology, Inc. Mr. Johns served as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and New Ventures for Launch Media now community and offline brand building. Prior to this, he served as the Vice President of Global Business Development for Gateway, Inc. In that role, Mr. Johns was responsible for mergers and acquisitions, strategic equity investments, and creating new business opportunities. After joining Gateway in 1995, he wrote the business plans for and played a key role in the early development of many of Gateway's most exciting and successful growth initiatives including the Gateway Country Stores concept and the Gateway.net ISP service. He serves as the Chairman of the Board at ICx Photonics, Inc. Mr. Johns also developed the original concept and launched the successful Your:)Ware computer marketing program, winner of Computer Shopper's 1998 Trendsetter of the Year award. He was responsible for several strategic business relationships, and was also responsible for leading several acquisitions and strategic investments. Mr. Johns joined Gateway after spending ten years in PriceWaterhouseCoopers' Financial Advisory Services practice in Chicago, specializing in mergers & acquisitions, debt financings, and restructurings. He serves as a Director of Discera, Inc. and MesoSystems Technology, Inc. He serves as a Director of Sensicast Systems, Inc., and XCOM Wireless, Inc. He served as Director of Micronics, Inc. Mr. Johns is a C.P.A. He has earned a B.A. in Business and Accounting in 1985 from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. micro