2009 Award Winner

The Robert A. Spar Memorial Founders' Award

The Robert A. Spar Memorial Founders' Award is awarded to an individual who has shown outstanding commitment, leadership and support of the venture capital community as a whole. This individual is committed to the growth of the overall venture community and has shown a belief in and commitment to this region in the development of venture capital and entrepreneurial activity.

Maxine Ballen currently serves as President and CEO of the New Jersey Technology Council, an organization she founded in 1996. The NJTC is the state's premier organization for technology companies offering their membership of over 1100 companies access to the resources, financing, information and an organized technology community. Prior to founding the NJTC, Ms. Ballen was one of the early pioneers in Pennsylvania who first recognized the need for special programs for the technology community and then initiated them. She founded both the Business Development & Training Center (BDTC) and the Pennsylvania Innovation Network (PIN) — two ongoing successful programs even today. She is also credited with founding the NJTC Venture Fund in 2000.

Ms. Ballen has received numerous honors and awards for her work in developing cutting edge programs and unique services for technology companies over the past 17 years. Most recently she was named to "Top 10 Women to Watch" (9/06) by the Star Ledger, "Movers & Shakers" by NJBIZ (7/06) and honored by the Borough of Haddonfield during Women's History Month 2006. Other awards include Executive Women of NJ's "Salute to the Policy Makers" in 2004; Fairleigh Dickinson University's Fifth Annual Distinguished Entrepreneurial Lecturer in 2003; and Women's Fund of New Jersey's Women Advancing Technology award in 2002. She was also named to “Superstars of the Past 15 Years” and to “Women of Influence” in 2002, both in NJBIZ; and received Philadelphia Business Journal's 2001 Women of Distinction award.