Mary Howard, NY Designs' Director, has participated in the launch of 15 businesses after graduating from Harvard and working as a consultant at Bain and Co. The high tech businesses include: Atex Magazine Publishing Systems, Atex Legal Publishing Systems and Eikonix Textile Systems, all funded by Eastman Kodak; Athena Design Systems, where she raised $5M, and received 2 patents for CAD and imaging technology innovation; and AlleyEvents, New York's leading business event calendar. 5 low tech businesses including glass design and food services, and 5 non profit entities including Parsons Center for New Design, New York New Media's Design Special Interest Group, a high school sports league, and economic development efforts in Houston and New York.