Management Team

Our management team includes a combination of experienced engineers, lawyers, and inventors who understand the patents they are working on. We utilize our advisors to help us understand the patents we are working on ensuring that certain areas of your intellectual property are well represented in the drafting process.

Dan Hussain | Founder and President
Registered Patent Agent

Mr. Hussain was educated at MIT in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science, and also studied internet and intellectual property law at Harvard and theoretical geophysics at the University of Cambridge (UK). Dan ultimately graduated with a degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering from MIT. Mr. Hussain has worked for NASA, Northwestern, Siemens, and the law firm Frommer, Lawrence, and Haug, LLP.

Mr. Hussain won the Siemens Westinghouse National Science Award, a national award given to one team in the United States for engineering excellence. According to Science Magazine, this is “a junior Nobel Prize.” Dan is currently pursuing a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon. He continues his interest in astrophysics and space exploration through his participation in the International Mars Society, of which he was a Founding Member.

Ryan Abbott | Vice President
Registered Patent Attorney

Ryan Abbott, MD, JD, MTOM, Esq, is an experienced patent attorney and member of the California State Bar. He is a graduate of the Yale Law School, the nation’s top ranked law school, and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Abbott has independently served as a consultant to international organizations, academic institutions and private enterprises including World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization and University of California, Los Angeles. He has published widely on issues associated with intellectual property protection, in legal, medical, and scientific peer-reviewed journals. Prior to working as an attorney, Dr. Abbott held several positions in academia and private industry, and has experience working as an entrepreneur for startup companies. He has also been the recipient of numerous research fellowships, scholarships and awards.

Brian C. Smith | Vice President
Registered Patent Agent

Brian C. Smith Ph.D. is a patent agent, chemist, entrepreneur, author, and inventor. Dr. Smith founded Spectros Associates, a chemistry training and consulting firm, in 1992. Since then, hundreds of companies have benefitted from his expertise and advice. Before founding Spectros Associates, Dr. Smith worked as a chemist for Xerox, IBM, Bell Labs, and Millipore. Dr. Smith is the author of three popular books on analytical chemistry published by CRC Press and Academic Press. Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Dartmouth College, and graduated summa cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Chemistry. He is co-inventor of US Patent 7,206,701.

Vincent DeVito | Legal Advisor

Mr. DeVito served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs. In that capacity, he was responsible for developing strategic policy while managing a multi-million dollar budget. He oversaw the Climate Change Technology Program, a global portfolio, and maintains international government and industry contacts worldwide. While at the Department of Energy, Mr. DeVito served as the U.S. manager of the North American Energy Working Group, a task force created to pursue the development of a fully integrated North American energy market. Mr. DeVito also worked with then Ambassador Paul Cellucci to make possible the U.S.-Canada Power Outage Task Force that was established as a result of the electricity blackout in August 2003.

Immediately prior to joining the Department of Energy, Mr. DeVito served as an energy lawyer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the legislative, regulatory, and administrative levels. In that capacity, he pursued the development and implementation of the state’s electric utility deregulation plan. He has strategically advised members of the President’s Cabinet, governors, ambassadors, and corporate leaders, and has participated in each major federal initiative that has impacted the energy industry this decade. Vincent DeVito is an attorney, but is not a patent attorney.

Jenessa Gardner | Director of Operations

Jenessa Gardner is Director of Operations for American Pioneer Ventures, American Patent Agency, and HydroConfidence Inc. She is responsible for supervising customer relations and managing the day-to-day affairs of each of these enterprises. Prior to joining our team, Jenessa served as Director of Operations at Nova Worldwide Consulting and Director of Marketing at Kaplan New Haven. She has studied Advertising and Marketing Science at The Art Institute of California, and is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

Dillon Norton | Director of Marketing

Dillon started his latest company Resistance Marketing in order to advertise and promote his entrepreneurial projects. He originally served as marketing director for American Pioneer Ventures, Austin Tells LLC, and American Patent Agency. He is now a consultant for all 3 companies. Dillon currently is Founder & President of Resistance Marketing and Motor City Challenge; a non-profit in Detroit, MI. He also serves as Chief Marketing Officer for HydroConfidence and a multimedia and creative designer for InSights Creative Group. Dillon has a passion for film making and is self financing his own independent films. He is currently working on a documentary that involves entrepreneurship, passion and an amazing journey across the country. He also enjoys almost everything in the arts & entertainment field as well as the universe, philosophy and innovative technologies.

Steve Malliaris | Advisor
Mathematics & Finance

Steve graduated with a degree in Mathematics from MIT, and is currently a PhD candidate in Finance at Yale University. Steve has faithfully served as an advisor to American Patent Agency since its inception in 2006, and continues to provide invaluable strategic advice to the company on a daily basis.

Sujatha Balasundaram | Science Advisor

Sujatha Balasundaram, Ph.D applies her expertise and research experience to the procurement of Intellectual Property in life sciences, biotechnology and health care areas. Prior to joining APA, Sujatha was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. During this fellowship, her research contributed to the understanding of the molecular regulation and execution of Apoptosis (Programmed Cell Death) which is associated with a multitude of human diseases ranging from cancer and neurodegenerative disorders to AIDS, autoimmunity and more. Sujatha obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona where her thesis research identified novel functions for an actin regulating protein in endocytosis. Sujatha also has a M.S. in Biomedical Genetics and her Master’s thesis research concentrated on the binding mechanisms of the anti-cancer drug, Bleomycin to DNA and exploring the anti-tumor properties and mechanism of inhibition of tumors..

Albert Ho | Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Advisor
Registered Patent Agent

Albert Ho is a vice president in American Patent Agency's Boston office. His practice as a patent agent covers the areas of software, electrical and mechanical arts. Prior to joining APA, Albert worked as a software engineer at mobile startup KD Secure, where he was a co-inventor of mobile systems and methods claimed in US Patents 7,793,850, 7,971,140 and 8,032,830. Albert has also previously worked at the Wall Street investment banks Goldman Sachs (in credit risk management) and Bank of America Securities (on the mortgage-backed securities trading desk). As a serial entrepreneur, Albert got started as a co-founder of CourseHero, one of the largest collections of peer study material online that has raised $2M in funding and is profitable. He most recently co-founded 121nexus, a premier web personalization platform. Albert is licensed to practice patent prosecution before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and received his undergraduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University.

Sam Slaughter | Advisor
Mechanical Engineering

Sam was educated at Harvard University where he earned a degree cum laude in Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He has subsequently pursued an interest in the field of energy, working in the energy group at UBS Investment Bank before founding two renewable energy companies in East Africa. His companies in Kenya employ innovative delivery and service approaches to make solar and wind resources accessible to a wide segment of the market. Sam is committed to the cause of bringing innovative and productive technology from the lab to the market for the good of our country and our world.

Lillian Nin | Advisor
Business Marketing

Lillian Nin has had the opportunity to serve many organizations from a marketing point of view. Early in her career, she contributed to the Massachusetts General Hospital Marketing Department by aiding with their brand development efforts. Later she became the Marketing Director for KD Secure where she devised, oversaw, and implemented the company's marketing strategies. Shortly thereafter, she joined the Marketing team at Siemens Enterprise Communications North America, where she was responsible for the development of the North American Executive Briefing Centers and the successful implementations of Executive Briefings across all of North America, including Canada. Lillian graduated from Wellesley College and enjoys staying active in her lifestyle and community.

Technical Advisors

Austin Szelkowski | Mechanical Engineering

Brett Mattingly, PhD, MBA | Nuclear Engineering

Dr. Ajit Dash, MD, PhD | Medicine & Pharmaceuticals

Dru Erridge | Computer Science and Engineering