Michael Novak is the Chair and CEO of Tertia (www.tertia.us), a company that uses unique technology – in partnership with the US publishing industry – to deploy enhanced English media to the 2 billion second-language speakers of English worldwide. He has over 20 years of experience in software, was Vice President Asia for Sterling Software and began his career in software by co-founding Ross Systems. He was also President of Clark Consulting Group, the largest intercultural consulting company in the U.S., with 90% of its business dealing with U.S./Asia multinational corporate communications. In multimedia Mr. Novak led the production of Walker Interactive’s digital learning system, produced nationally syndicated television and was on the development committee of KQED. Keeping it in the family, Mr. Novak’s son, Christopher, is a veteran of the videogame industry and is currently Lead Design Director for Microsoft Games US Publishing. Currently, Mr. Novak is also the U.S. representative to China’s national software conference (www.cisis.com.cn) and sits on the Board of Equal Access (www.equalaccess.org), a UN, USAID and WorldBank partner that sends satellite-based educational programming to 38 million people throughout Asia in 6 languages. Mr. Novak holds a BBA and MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and is a California CPA.

“I support Cogswell’s goal of providing students with the skills they need for 21st century storytelling, which is going to be digitally delivered. What better place to do that than in the heart of Silicon Valley, surrounded by many of new media’s leading companies?”