Ben Anderson
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Dynamic Broadband, Inc
Breakout Session: Successfully Growing Your Business
Ben Anderson formed X-Wires Communications, L.L.C. in March of 2002 with a group of six other UI students. The company began as a high-speed wireless internet provider in the Iowa City area and grew to provide wireless and DSL internet services to 26 communities across Iowa. In early 2003, X-Wires identified a niche opportunity providing managed internet services to sorority clients in Iowa City. By August 2006, X-Wires had grown that solution to include 14 sorority houses and 4 fraternity houses on the University of Iowa campus. Today, X-Wires serves over 3,500 individual managed users including fraternity/sorority, apartment (MDU) and college campuses. In May 2007, X-Wires merged with Dynamic Broadband, Inc. in Cedar Rapids, IA. X-Wires is now a division of Dynamic Broadband, Inc and is primarily focused on higher education and other complex multi-user environments.
Anderson graduated from the UI in December 2003 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and a certificate in entrepreneurship. Mr. Anderson is now a Board Member and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Dynamic Broadband, Inc where he leads the sales efforts of both Dynamic Broadband and X-Wires.
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Tim Borich
Director, ISU Extension Community and Economic Development
Breakout Session: State of the Future - Opportunities of Changing Demographics
Dr. Borich has been involved with the study and practice of community development for over 30 years. He presently serves as the director of the Iowa State University Extension unit involved with community and economic development. He also serves as the associate dean for research and outreach at the Iowa State University College of Design where he administers the Institute for Design Research and Outreach.
Dr. Borich began his service with Iowa State University as an Extension Community Development Specialist based in Sioux City. He has also held positions as program coordinator and assistant director at the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. Dr. Borich has received and administered grants from such organizations as the Farm Foundation, the Iowa Office of Management and Budget, the Iowa Secretary of State, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the USDA, HUD, and the Federal Highway Administration.
His research and teaching interests include citizen participation in planning processes, grant writing, multi-community collaboration, rural economic development, community development organization, and rural planning. Dr. Borich’s recent awards include the Federal Highway Administration’s 2003 Environmental Excellence Award for Excellence in Environmental Research and as team member of the 2006 American Planning Association’s National Award for Outstanding Planning Award for a Project/Program/Tool. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State University and his M.A. from the University of South Dakota. Back to Schedule
Burt Chojnowski
BrainBelt Consulting
Breakout Session: 10 Steps Towards Bootstrapping a Small Business Start-up
Over the last 30 years, Burt Chojnowski has been a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and an investment banker. He dropped out of the University of California at Berkeley to start his first business when he was nineteen years old. By the time he was twenty-three, he had been involved in launching a successful natural foods restaurant, a major market television station, an international university, and, had managed an international non-profit organization.
Burt has experience in the formation and development of successful companies in the telecommunications, computer software, media, alternative energy, government securities, fundraising and oil & gas brokerage industries, and has raised over $75 million for Iowa-based start up companies. Currently, Burt is working on Follywood.tv, an online television network, a not-for-profit innovation center supporting digital media and artisan foods and the development of a high performance entrepreneurial region for ten counties in south-central Iowa.
Burt holds the first BA and two masters degrees in Higher Educational Management and the Science of Creative Intelligence from Maharishi University of Management.
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Maureen Collins-Williams
Director, UNI Business Development and Incubation, Director, UNI Regional Business Center/SBDC
Breakfast Session: Importance of Rural Entrepreneurs
Breakout Session: Can Your Business Weather an Economic Downturn?
Maureen Collins-Williams is the Director of Business Development and Incubation at the University of Northern Iowa. Since 1997, Collins-Williams has also served as the director of the Regional Business Center/SBDC at UNI. In this capacity, she has been instrumental in raising over $5 million in outside funding to beta test, implement and evaluate a number of rural/urban entrepreneurship initiatives in Iowa, including a successful rural entrepreneurship development system called MyEntreNet, and two business incubators in the Cedar Valley.
Collins-Williams has been engaged in entrepreneurship development since1982. She sits on the board of directors for the Community Vitality Center and is on faculty for the Heartland Economic Development Course and the Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute (OUEDI).
Maureen is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Public Administration. She lives in a gaily painted, ramshackle 1900’s house in Cedar Falls with her husband Dave, a Prairie Biologist, and three teenage children
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Kathy Evert
President, Iowa Lakes Cooridor Development Corporation
Breakout Session: Entrepreneurial Communities That Work
Kathy Evert received the distinguished Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation in October 1994 from the American Economic Development Council, now the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She also earned the Certified Economic Development Finance Professional designation in 1986 and the Master Consultant designation in the Business Retention and Expansion Program in 1995. She has been working in community and economic development at the regional, state and local level for more than 20 years.
She is the President of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, beginning on September19, 2005. She held similar executive positions in Davenport and Burlington, Iowa; Norfolk, Lincoln and Ogallala, Nebraska.
She is a past president of the Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI) and currently serves on the MidAmerica Economic Development Council (MAEDC) Board of Directors, a 10-state regional economic development association.
She is a native of Ponca, Nebraska and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University. She and her husband Craig live in Spirit Lake.
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Carla Eysink
Executive Director, Marion County Development Commission
Breakout Session: Entrepreneurial Communities That Work
The 2004 Iowa Tourism Leadership Award recipient, Carla Eysink, IOM, has been innovating for the past 10 years in rural economic development. Carla serves as the Executive Director of the Marion County Development Commission promoting the Red Rock Area, which has been selected 5 times over the past decade as the Iowa Tourism County of the Year. Enhanced partnerships, product development and promotion are key factors in growing the county’s traveler expenditures from $14 million to $32 million over the past decade.
Carla has also served in leadership roles for the Central Iowa Tourism Region, Iowa Group Travel Association and Travel Federation of Iowa. She is credited for designing the highly successful TFI District Leaders Program for advocacy and several distinctive cooperative marketing programs in her rural region of the state. In addition to her responsibilities in tourism, Carla also guides business development efforts, is a certified FastTrac trainer and teaches a regional leadership program.
Carla received her undergraduate education at Wartburg College in Marketing and Public Relations and her graduate education at the American University in Nonprofit Arts Management. She has achieved the IOM designation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Decision Making and is currently a member of the 2007-08 Leadership Iowa Class. Previous employers include the Minnesota Opera Company, National Endowment for the Arts, Central Iowa Broadcasting and the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education. Carla resides in Pella, Iowa and has visited every state except Alaska.
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Leisa Fox
Vice President for Membership, Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Breakout Session: Healthcare Alternatives for Your Business
Leisa Fox is Vice President for Membership for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. She joined the organization in December of 2004.
Prior to her service at ABI, Leisa was an Account Executive for LaMair, Mulock, Condon where she was a Commercial Property Casualty Consultant. During her career in Property Casualty Insurance, she went through Leadership Iowa, served as Program Co-Chair for the program and was selected to serve on ABI’s Board of Directors. It was through this involvement with ABI and its programs that she developed a passion for the organization and realized ABI’s great potential in changing the landscape in Iowa.
Fox currently Chairs Leadership Iowa’s Alumni Committee, serves on its Board of Governors, is a board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, has been appointed to the fundraising committee for the Association of State Chamber Professionals, and serves as guest speaker at business events across the state. During her time at ABI, she has met with hundreds of Iowa business owners and thought leaders in trying to identify best practices, build collaborations and partnerships that benefit all Iowans.
She is a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in Interpersonal and Rhetorical Communication. Her primary focus is creating products and services that help Iowa companies grow and prosper.
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Mike Hahn
Senior Program Manager, UNI Regional Business Center
Breakout Session: Can Your Business Weather an Economic Downturn?
Mike Hahn is the Senior Program Manager for the UNI Regional Business Center. He works primarily with rural communities to assess local trends, develop customized programs and facilitate the delivery of services to area entrepreneurs. He has been involved in launching MyEntreNet, a program that employs a combination of onsite training with online technology in providing entrepreneur resources to rural communities. Mike has worked in the community revitalization and small business development fields since 1989. He served as Main Street (a nationally known downtown revitalization program) director in Waverly, Iowa until 1994 and then in Waterloo, Iowa until 1998. Prior to joining UNI in 2000, he served as Assistant City Planner for Mason City, Iowa. Mike is a graduate of UNI with a BA in Public Relations, a certified Fast Trac Entrepreneur Trainer, and a graduate of the Certification Institute in Downtown Management.
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Tom Harbison
Deputy District Director, US Small Business Administration
Breakout Session: Online Resources for Small Businesses
Tom Harbison is a 1969 graduate of Oklahoma State University. He has been with the U.S. Small Business Administration since 1990, where he serves as the Deputy District Director for the Agency’s Des Moines District Office. During his time at SBA, Tom has been involved in business development, loan processing, servicing and liquidation; marketing and outreach, and lender training.
As Deputy District Director, Tom is responsible for overseeing a large portion of the programs and services offered by SBA – a federal agency created in 1953 with the mission to help entrepreneurs get into business and stay in business. Tom is responsible for overseeing the office’s marketing, training, and outreach efforts, for overseeing the development and continuation of all lending relationships, and for the Iowa Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) – a resource partner of SBA - as project officer.
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Brian Hemesath
President, Diligent IS
Breakout Session: Making Sense (and Cents) of New Technology
Brian Hemesath has been involved with Internet and web site development since 1995. While keeping with the trends of a swiftly evolving field, he has created and consulted on development in numerous vertical markets including financial, entertainment, retail, agricultural, medical, telecom, entertainment, city government and various non-profit groups.
After the dot-com bust, Brian founded Diligent Information Services as an answer to the need for web development in the local mid-market. Diligent IS has developed hundreds of web sites for a broad range of customers such as Civic Center, Community State Bank, Jerry’s Homes and the Des Moines Arts Festival. Other services from Diligent IS include e-commerce and online payment systems, email, spam and anti-virus filtering, design, hosting, and custom development.
In 2005 Brian joined two other partners to create Catchwind. Catchwind is a mobile marketing company which enables businesses to build lists of loyal consumers through mobile marketing campaigns (text messaging). The marketing platform is permission-based; meaning the end consumer always has control over the participation in the campaign. On average, our clients see 10-20% response rates, with some past promotions reaching as high as 60%. Catchwind has a national presence with customers in 25 states.
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David Hensley
Executive Director, University of Iowa John Papajohn Entrepreneurial Center
Breakout Session: Successfully Growing Your Business
David K. Hensley is the Executive Director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at The University of Iowa and a Clinical Professor in the Management and Organizations Department in the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. David’s extensive teaching experience includes academic courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, non-credit entrepreneurial training courses, and youth and high school entrepreneurship programs. In addition, he has 20 years experience in business, consulting, and management; David has provided start-up and management consulting services to several companies throughout the Midwest. He serves on several university and community boards, including the University of Iowa’s Research Foundation Board and the Iowa First Capital Fund, L.P. Advisory Board. David is President of his own company which has invested in four Iowa-based ventures. He earned his B.S. degree in Economics and Political Science from The University of Iowa and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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Himar Hernandez
Community Development Specialist, ISU Extension Community and Economic Development
Breakout Session: State of the Future - Opportunities of Changing Demographics
Himar Hernández is originally from Spain and came to Iowa as an exchange student. He holds a B.A. in Public Administration/Political Science from Buena Vista University and is currently getting his Master in Community and Economic Development.
Himar was the Director for the New Iowan Center in South East Iowa for three years and is now a Community and Economic Development Field Specialist with ISU Extension, with expertise in leadership and Latino businesses.
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Tricia Janes
Market Research Coordinator, Iowa Small Business Development Centers
Breakout Session: The Power of Market Research
Tricia Janes is the Market Research Coordinator for the Iowa Small Business Development Centers. She provides research and information to the clients of the SBDC in order to help them make better decisions for their businesses. Previously she worked as a self-employed Research Specialist. Her background includes doing research for business valuation and merger and acquisition purposes.
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Paul Juffer
Partner, LWBJ & LAT40 VENTURES
Breakout Session: Making Connections - Where's The Money?
Paul Juffer leads LWBJ's Financial Management Outsourcing practice. Paul has over 20 years of CFO financial consulting and business experience. Prior to joining LWBJ, Paul was the CFO of an emerging technology company and prior to that, spent 10 years with KPMG, ultimately serving as a Senior Manager and co-chairman of the Des Moines, Iowa office commercial practice serving start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. In his role with KPMG, Paul led M & A consulting engagements, in addition to providing attestation services.
Paul's CFO experiences include Stockpoint.com, which was acquired by Screaming Media, e-markets.com and Phasient Learning Technologies, LLC. Paul also provides various financial services to multiple emerging technology companies in the software and technology, and biotech industries. Paul has assisted companies with fund-raising efforts from initial seed financing to initial public offerings. In addition to providing consulting services, Paul oversees numerous attestation engagements.
Paul is a member of Software and Information Technology of Iowa, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Institute of Managerial Accountants. Paul holds a degree in accounting from the University of Iowa and is a Certified Public Accountant.
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Margo Kromminga
Targeted Small Business Marketing and Compliance Manager, Iowa Department of Economic Development
Breakout Session: State of the Future - Opportunities of Changing Demographics
Margo is the Targeted Small Business Program Marketing and Compliance Manager. She has an extensive background in marketing and communications having worked for the past two years at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as a Marketing Program Manager. In addition, she worked for 14 years for The Principal Financial Group in the area of Retirement and Investor Services in various capacities including Sr. Communications Consultant and Manager. At The Principal, Margo became licensed with Series 6, 7 and 63 and has a FLMI designation. She is a first generation Mexican-American and is bilingual and bicultural in Spanish. She serves on several boards including ISED Ventures, Mentor Iowa and Children and Family Urban Ministries. Margo earned her B.A. in Political Science from The University of Iowa. She attended Roosevelt University’s Paralegal program where she graduated with honors in Corporations and Securities. Margo also holds an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Marketing from The Henry B. Tippie School of Business.
Margo is a native of Chicago, IL but has lived in Iowa for over 20 years. She lives in Johnston with her spouse, John and twin daughters, Sarah and Sandra.
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Dave Lentell
Public Information Officer, SBA Des Moines District Office
Breakout Session: Online Resources for Small Businesses
Dave Lentell is a 1994 graduate of Drake University with a degree in News Editorial. He has been with the U.S. Small Business Administration since 1993, where has served as the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the SBA’s Des Moines District Office since 1994.
As the PIO, Dave is responsible for responding to public inquiries about the SBA – a federal agency created in 1953 with the mission to help entrepreneurs get into business and to stay in business through a wide variety of programs and services. Dave is also responsible for assisting with the office’s marketing and outreach efforts and for working with the media to promote a positive image of small business.
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Doug Lewis
Entrepreneurial Development, Iowa Department of Economic Development
Breakout Session: Making Sense (and Cents) of New Technology
Doug Lewis is a specialist in Entrepreneurial Development for the Innovation and Commercialization Division. Doug is responsible for expanding and improving the entrepreneurial environment in Iowa. Doug coordinates the Venture Network of Iowa and manages the Demonstration fund program. Doug rejoined the department in October 2007. He previously worked in the department in International Marketing and also in Community Resources.
In between working at the department, Doug worked in the private sector in sales, marketing and business development. Doug worked in international sales and business development for Townsend Engineering Company and Microware Systems Corporation both in Des Moines. Doug worked in sales and product development for Inlet, Handera and BitRouter. He also has started two businesses, Strategic Solutions and ITEBS, LLC. Doug is a member of the Rotary Club of Des Moines and is past president of Iowa Council of International Understanding.
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Dennis Lindell
Loan Officer/Business Development, Iowa Business Growth & Iowa Community Development, LC
Breakout Session: Making Connections - Where's The Money?
Dennis J. Lindell is a Business Development/Loan Officer in the eastern Iowa office of Iowa Business Growth Company in Cedar Falls. Dennis joined IBGC in 2003. He has 19 years in lending and various community banking positions including President. Dennis has also been involved in private business as a partner in two restaurants and a corporate training/seminar company. Dennis and his wife have two children and reside in Cedar Falls, IA.
IBGC, with corporate headquarters in Johnston, is a Certified Development Company that partners with banks to promote and finance economic development projects throughout the state of Iowa. IBGC is also the controlling entity in Iowa Community Development, LC who recently was awarded a $45 million dollar NMTC allocation. In the last his six years alone, IBGC has helped finance 258 businesses that invested $272,548,100 into fixed assets while retaining or creating 3,371 jobs.
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Denise Link
Vice President, Phasient Learning Technologies
Breakout Session: Making Sense (and Cents) of New Technology
Denise Link is a founder and Vice President of Phasient. Her duties include management of the operations for the company, including oversight of the Courseware Services and Software Development teams. Denise holds a Master's Degree in English (professional communication) from Iowa State University, and has taught composition and business communication at the secondary, university, and corporate levels. She was previously at Quester I.T., where she managed eLearning course development, and Engineering Animation, Inc., where she designed and implemented ways to improve the company's communication through emerging internet technologies.
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Dennis Molitor
Education Director, Carroll County Extension, ISU Extension
Breakout Session: Entrepreneurial Communities - Models That Work
Dennis Molitor began his career with Iowa State University Extension in Calhoun County in 1980. In 1984 Dennis transferred to Carroll County and has served as the Carroll County Extension Education Director there for the past 23 years.
Dennis received his BS Degree in Ag Education from ISU in 1976, and his Master’s Degree in Professional Agriculture in 1986. He has continued his education in Community and Economic Development and has a special interest in Rural Economic Development.
Dennis has been married to his wife Shirley for 25 years. He has three grown sons. He enjoys golfing, fishing, and watching collegiate sports.
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Lars Peterson
Associate State Director, Iowa Small Business Development Centers
Breakout Session: Leaving Your Business Without Losing Your Shirt
Lars Peterson has been with the SBDC since 1996 and is currently the Associate State Director. In addition to his role with the SBDC, he has 16 years of experience in private industry. This experience includes sales, sales management and general management positions in manufacturing and technology companies. He also has 20 years of experience in part-time conflict resolution and restorative justice. In 2005 Lars led efforts to establish a statewide business succession network and has been coordinating workshops and presenting on succession issues since then.
Peterson is a board member of the Community Vitality Center and the West Des Moines Youth Justice Initiative. He is a recipient of the Iowa State University CYtation award and the Association of Small Business Development Center’s State Star award.
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Terrance Vorbrich
Economic Development Coordinator, City of Des Moines Office of Economic Development
Breakout Session: 10 Steps Towards Bootstrapping a Small Business Start-up
Terrance (Terry) Vorbrich joined the City of Des Moines, Office of Economic Development (OED) in August 1994. He administers the City’s Economic Development Financial Assistance Loan Programs and has been the lead project manager for numerous economic development projects within the City of Des Moines.
Terry also serves as the Executive Director, for The Corporation for Economic Development in Des Moines (CED). The Corporation for Economic Development in Des Moines is a private, non-profit organization that is certified by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) to originate and service loans under the SBA 504 loan program.
Terry has served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Developers of Iowa and on several local small business advisory committees. He is a past recipient of the SBA Iowa Financial Services Advocate of the Year Award.
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Dan Wubbena
Director, Western Iowa Technical Community College SBDC
Pre-Conference Session: The eBay Way
Dan Wubbena is currently serving as the Director of the Small Business Development Center located at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Prior to the SBDC, Dan worked in sales and marketing with a Fortune 250 company and has owned 2 small businesses. He has also taught business and e-commerce courses in higher education for the past 6 years.
Bndgolf.com was owned by Dan and his brother and specialized in selling their products on ebay and conducting business via their webpage and other online centers.
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