Our team shares a strong passion for achieving what the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE aims to do, namely to introduce a new generation of affordable, safe and desirable vehicles that exceed 100 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) and that reduce our dependence on oil and stem the effects of climate change.

While we are a small group of capable mavericks, we cannot achieve our goals without the incredible relationships and support we currently have and continue to build.

• Don Foley, Executive Director
• Cristin Lindsay, Senior Director
• John Shore, Senior Director
• Mark German, Director, Education Programs
• Bethann Buddenbaum, Manager, Team Development & Relations
• David Locke, Executive Assistant

Don Foley, Executive Director don.foley@xprize.org

Don is a 20 year veteran of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and had previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Powell Tate, Weber Shandwick and Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Communications for Northwest Airlines before establishing Prism Public Affairs, a Washington, D.C. based public relations firm. Don also served as Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and was the convention manager of the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

Cristin Lindsay, Senior Director cristin@xprize.org

Before bringing her process-driven expertise to the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, Cristin was the Director of Operations for X1 Technologies, helping the desktop search company develop its innovative software and grow from 0 to 40 employees from 2002 to 2006. Before X1, Cristin worked on several ground-breaking startup companies at Idealab, including Energy Innovations, Omnilux, and XBeams. She also managed Idealab's knowledge management and intranet efforts. Cristin was part of the Leadership and Organizational Development group at Times Mirror before it was bought by Tribune Company in 2000. She started her career in Advertising Operations at the Los Angeles Times. Cristin holds a BA in History with a minor in Anthropology from UCLA.

John Shore, Senior Director js@xprize.org

John has a mix of scientific, engineering, business, and political experience. He spent 17 years as a research scientist and Branch Head at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, where he was responsible for numerous innovations in computer architecture, software engineering, information theory, and signal processing. His technical publications include 24 peer-reviewed papers, as well as more than 50 reports and conference papers. He holds a U.S. patent in the field of parallel computing, and he published a general-audience book on computing. John was the Founder and served variously as CEO, CTO, and Vice Chairman of Entropic, Inc., a software company that specialized in speech coding, speech synthesis, and speech recognition technology. Entropic was acquired by Microsoft in late 1999. Since then, John worked as an independent consultant (technology and business development), and he served for a year and a half as Senior Advisor for Science and Technology to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. John holds a B.S. in Physics from Yale and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland.

Mark German, Director, Education Programs mark.german@xprize.org

Mark has a 15-year record of achievement in content development, educational publishing, and program management. As Director of Sponsored Programs, he supported Intel Education’s K–12 worldwide philanthropic initiatives, including the Intel Learn Program, a partnership between governments and non-governmental agencies that helps youth in emerging nations develop 21st century skills, focusing on digital literacy, critical thinking, and collaboration. Mark also served as Editorial Director, Middle and High School Education for Scholastic, as VP, Content and Programming for ThinkBox, as VP, Education for Futurekids, and as a public school teacher. He has contributed to numerous publications and presented to audiences on 5 continents. Mark holds a BS in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University, a MA in Teaching from National College of Education, and a MA in Communications Management from USC.

Bethann Buddenbaum, Manager, Team Development & Relations bethann@xprize.org

Bethann comes to the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE after spending the past few years as a marketing consultant. In this capacity, she was responsible for the product lines and services of a variety of niche market companies including ChinaSprout, PowerSupportUSA, Rendezvous Entertainment, and The Moving Doctor, among others. She began her career in the music industry, working in music publishing and artist management. In 1994, foreseeing the potential of the Internet as a marketing tool, Bethann succeeded in bringing her clients into the digital age. This pioneering work brought consumer and critical accolades for her clients, which were viewed as industry innovators. Bethann holds a BA in Broadcasting from Pepperdine University and an MBA in eBusiness from the University of Phoenix.

David Locke, Executive Assistant david.locke@xprize.org

David comes to the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE having worked in the Film and Television industry for the past several years. Most recently working as a Coordinator in the physical production department of Sony Pictures Television, he helped oversee the production of more than twenty TV Movie and Mini-Series (including TNT's "The Company," A&E's "Broken Trail,", and ABC's remake of "Raisin in the Sun"). Prior to his tenure at Sony, David freelanced in the production arena working on a number of well-respected TV programs (scripted, live & reality programming), feature films (both studio and independently funded) as well as music videos and commercials. David holds a BA in Television Production with a minor in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.