Our Team

Bridging exceptional founders with industry expertise

We understand the unique challenges of entrepreneurship from every stage of growth. A huge part of our approach is founded on our experience and understanding of the ups and downs of starting a company.

Our extensive and diverse experiences and accomplishments in business, enterprise software, data services, digital marketing, and media allow us to accelerate founders who are poised to make a breakthrough.

Barry Harrigan

Barry is a serial entrepreneur with interests and expertise across data services, demand generation, and online media. He founded multiple business units at International Data Group, and drove several successful exits including Connexus Media, sold to Ziff Davis Media, and Web Buyers Guide at ZDE, sold to Insight Partners. He co-founded MedData Group which was sold to IQvia, and co-founded both PureB2B and Demand Science, which are now combined and remain a rapidly growing and profitable business.

He is currently Chairman of Pure Incubation Ventures, where he invests along with his partner, Melissa Chang, in Digital Marketing, Fintech, Augmented Reality, and specialized global marketplaces.

He also continues to serve as Vice Chair of the Demand Science Board of Directors, where he leverages an extensive background in data science, enterprise software, and offshore business models, allowing him to provide a unique perspective and vision in support of the company’s next level of growth.

Melissa Chang

For 15 years, Melissa has founded and operated a number of companies; her most successful is DemandScience, a leading global market intelligence platform of companies delivering a comprehensive suite of B2B solutions focusing on data, analytics, demand generation, data science and custom content publishing.

DemandScience has been growing steadily and has been featured in the Inc 5000 for the past eight consecutive years (under the name Pure Incubation and then DemandScience). It has also been voted as one of the Best Places to Work in Boston by the Boston Business Journal multiple times.

She has had the privilege and joy of working alongside her mentor, Barry Harrigan, for the past 23 years.

George D’Errico

A twenty-year software platform industry veteran, George’s executive leadership includes building and scaling high-performing teams with Fortune 1000 and venture capital-backed technology companies. In those roles, George has had full P&L accountability for sales, marketing, vendor management, channel partnerships, product management, business process improvement, and building cloud-based platform services. Inspired by his parents, he is a passionate leader in promoting the welfare of others and uplifting those in need.

Cara Smith

In her role as Executive Director of Pure Incubation Ventures, Cara ensures that the organization remains aligned with overall company goals and culture in both business and philanthropic endeavors. Cara has more than 20 years of management experience, including over a decade as an operations leader collaborating with people from all over the world. From HR, to Client Services and even Data Operations, Cara has had a hand in almost every aspect of business, most recently serving as the General Manager of Philippine Operations at Demand Science, LLC.

Kristen Duffy

In her role as General Manager, Kristen handles all financial aspects of the company. She has over 10 years of experience working with various Venture Capital and Private Equity firms through her previous employment as Accounting Manager at Park Street Capital LLC and Consulting Controller at Stafford Consulting Inc. In these positions her responsibilities included fund accounting, audit preparation, budgeting, investor relations, HR management and administration support. She holds an MBA from Boston College and a BS in Accountancy from Bentley University.

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