DIRECT ALLERGY, LLC
ERIE, PA

Direct Allergy in Erie, PA Headquartered in Erie, Pa., Direct Allergy is a medical service organization that provides physicians with on-site allergy and asthma testing with customized immunotherapy treatments. Immunotherapy is a process that helps desensitize an allergy patient to the indoor and outdoor allergens that trigger symptoms, such as itchy, watery eyes and sneezing. An ideal alternative to expensive, ineffective over the counter allergy medications, immunotherapy completely eliminates allergies, helping Direct Allergy Management Team and Board of Advisors Robert Schultz is the Founder and President of Direct Allergy, LLC. Mr. Schultz has been a leader and innovator in business development, strategic management, sales and marketing management, and business alliances for over 25 years. During this time-period, Mr. Schultz has been recognized for numerous professional achievements at a national level in both the Pharmaceutical & Automotive Manufacturing industries. In June 2011, Mr. Schultz founded his own consulting firm; Innovative Management Solutions, Inc. (IMS, Inc.). IMS, Inc. spearheaded the commercial development of Direct Allergy, LLC. Direct Allergy has operated in 7 states since 2013 and planned growth for years 2018 through 2020 is rapid. In 2013, Mr. Schultz was recognized by a division of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Technology Partners – BFTP) for the Innovation Development of Direct Allergy, LLC. BFTP not only supported funding for this venture, but joined the organization in 2015 by taking an equity position with the company. In 2015, Direct Allergy received the 2015 Best of Erie, PA Award and most recently, in February 2017, Mr. Schultz himself was named to Strathmore’s 2017 class of Who’s Who, a national publication and registry honoring successful individuals within the fields of Business, Arts and Sciences, Law, Engineering and Government. Inclusion is limited to individuals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry or profession. Mr. Schultz’s proven track-record managerial leadership, keen insight of market dynamics, and high ethical standards, and has aided him in his relentless pursuit for building “a-best-in-class” medical service organization business model. Mr. Schultz’s diverse business expertise was nurtured and developed with highly regarded organizations such as The Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly & Company, & Reliant Pharmaceuticals-GSK. Dr. Gruhlkey has been a primary care physician in Austin, TX for over 10 years. He provides allergy services (AIM therapy) within his practice. Dr. Gruhlkey is the President of the Pan American Allergy Society and a faculty member of the National Procedure Institute (NPI) where he has trained over 1,500 primary care, internists, pediatric physicians, and ENT Specialists in discipline of Allergy Testing & Treatment. Dr. Gruhlkey e is a well-known and respected figure in the Allergy and Immunology industry and has been the recipient of numerous leadership awards throughout his career. Dr. Gruhlkey graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Texas A&M University and an MD degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Houston, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Gruhlkey received the Mead Johnson Award for Graduate Medical Education in 2000 and AMA Foundation Leadership Award in 2003. He is married to a highly reputable pediatrician, and resides in New Braunfels, TX. A senior level executive with more than 30 years of experience in diverse functional business areas of the pharmaceutical and data (health information) industries. Mr. Zajac was instrumental in the successful development of Reliant Pharmaceuticals, LLC where he served as the company’s Vice President of Corporate Operations from 1998 to 2008, and assisting with the sale of that organization to GSK. Joe is a well-known and highly respected expert in the discipline of business analytics and decision support. Most recently, Joe was with XenoPort, Inc. responsible for building a new sales organization to support their initial commercial operations. Prior to this, he was Vice President of Sales Operations and Business Analytics at Reliant Pharmaceuticals-GSK. Mr. Zajac has been steadfast and resolute since joining the Direct Allergy, LLC founding team in 2012, guiding Direct Allergy Management in building a best in class business model for “Point of Care” Specialty Allergy Care. His Bachelor of Arts is from Princeton University, and he graduated with an MBA from Lehigh University. Mr. Foss has been working within the business sector for many years. He has held a variety of leadership roles including General Manager for a Minor-League Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chief Financial Officer for an internet media agency and Controller/CFO for a global automotive supplier. As a consultant and outsourced vendor, Mike works to assist start-ups, acquisition and other traditional environments in the areas of financial management, budgeting and control, accounting and reporting, human resources, IT, insurance and contract negotiation. Mike Foss received his MBA from Cleveland State University and BS from Slippery Rock University and is a member of Institute of Management Accountants. Teresa Dugan is a seasoned Human Resources professional, mentor and facilitative trainer with over 30 years of HR Management and strategic business expertise in the private, public, and higher education sectors. Teresa was employed at the Ben Franklin Transformation Business Services Network at The Pennsylvania State University from 1997 until her retirement in March 2017. She was responsible for the oversight of all human resource functions for the funded companies in the Ben Franklin portfolio. Her areas of responsibility included: Leadership Development, Policy Development & Administration, Performance Management & Appraisal Systems, Employee Recruitment, Interviewing and Selection, Mediation & Conflict Resolution, Business Development & Strategic Planning, Organizational Development & Effectiveness, Employee Benefits Design & Administration, Employee & Labor Relations, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), and State and Federal Employment Law Compliance.