Who We Are
Denis Richard
Vice President
Denis was born in 1950 in Switzerland where he studied Literature and Languages, then left his country on a continuous field trip for the study of various foreign cultures and ethnic groups. After traveling the world, he lived in Spain and in Manda Islands (on the North Kenya Coast) for 8 years. He learned Kiswahili with the Bajunis who taught him local handicraft, indigenous coral reef ecology and how to survive using the resources of the ocean and of the African Bush. An avid sailor, he embarked on a Trans-Indian Ocean sailing expedition, worked as boat Captain and salvage diver in the Maldive Islands, and ended his trip in an Ashram south of New Delhi.
After starting a Hotel-Dive operation in Jamaica in 1983, Denis came to the United States to continue his education and became a naturalized citizen. After 3 years of commercial fishing in Alaska, Denis felt the need for a different approach to the management of our planet’s resources. After an attempt to start an awareness project related to dolphins casualty in the tuna fisheries in Central America, he worked for four years as executive director and then as president of a wild dolphin project in Panama City Beach, Florida between 1995 and 1999. setting up and implementing education and awareness programs in the schools of Bay and Walton County.
Since 1999 he is President and founder of Water Planet. Together with his wife Nathalie and his staff, he has developed programs of self-improvement for the general public and for families of children with special needs. The Water Planet Tours are geared toward environmental awareness and conservation.
Jill Clark
Chief Financial Officer & Secretary
Jill Clark has served as Chief Financial Officer at Velocity Sciences since its inception in 2014. Her extensive financial and operational experience spans multiple sectors including biotechnology and hi-tech. With almost 20 years of experience as the financial leader for companies primarily in early and development stages, Ms. Clark is passionate about start-ups.
She has a proven track record of leading companies from angel rounds through multiple private rounds, having raised more than $140M from private equity and venture funding, to successful exits via IPO and acquisitions of approximately $1B.
Prior to joining Velocity Sciences, Ms. Clark was the Chief Financial Officer for Brandscreen Pte Ltd based in Singapore with offices in Shanghai and Sydney. She began her professional career with the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Ms. Clark holds a Bachelors of Science in Administrative Management from Clemson University.
Jessica Kopitz
Board of Directors
Jess attended college at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in communication, advertising, and public relations. After working in business, Jess decided she wanted a change of pace and earned a Master's in Research Psychology from Oakland University.
During her time at Oakland, Jess focused on the intersection of trauma and personality. She worked with veterans to research PTSD, growth following trauma, coping strategies, and cognitive changes over time. Jess also researched cross-cultural differences, social support for children and adolescents, particularly with animals, and terror management theory.
Currently, Jess is attending the University of Detroit Mercy, where she is working towards a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She is simultaneously working as a private practice therapist and a forensic evaluator for juvenile and family cases. Additionally, Jess is partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan to integrate mental health programs and is working to implement trauma screening and treatment services for the youth involved with the program. Jess is the clinic psychotherapy director at the University of Detroit Mercy and is also active in a number of volunteer roles in the community to encourage mental health in underprivileged areas, as well as science awareness and public health.