2013 CEO NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SPEAKER BIOS

2013 NATIONAL CEO CONFERENCE

* I NDI CAT ES CEO AL UM

OCTOBER 31 s t – NOVEMBER 2 n d

* I NDI CAT ES CEO AL UM

ADAM COX, Northwestern Mutual @NM_News Adam Cox has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2005, which was his first job out of college after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Adam earned Rookie of the Year, followed by becoming a College Unit Director, then a Recruiting Field Director, and now he is the Managing Director of the Crystal Lake, Illinois office. Adam’s quick success is from having a vision, and staying dedicated on a daily basis to achieve that vision. His advice is to stay hungry, stay humble, and give it your all; “If you give everything in life all you got, you’ll never have any regrets.”

ADRIANO MARQUES, crowdSPRING / Umit Project @thoughtspad Adriano Marques is the founder of the Umit Project Open Source Organization, Lead Software Engineer at crowdSPRING, and dedicated husband and daddy. Adriano still finds time to cook, solve jigsaw puzzles, watch movies, work as a volunteer and read (or listen to) books while he's not sleeping or working. He graduated from the State University of Goias, in Brazil. Adriano was a mentor for Google Summer of Code program from 2007 to 2012 and has experience with several technology startups and their struggles.

ALFRED KLAIRMONT, Imperial Realty Company Alfred Klairmont joined Imperial Realty Company in 1978, a family business his father started in 1956. Today, Al oversees Imperial’s portfolio of more than 80 properties in the Chicagoland Metropolitan Area, having over ten million square feet of commercial real estate. Under his leadership Imperial Realty has grown to become one of Chicago’s Largest Real Estate Firms. With an established reputation of integrity and forward thinking and with a long-term viewpoint, Al is hands-on in the process of finding, buying, rehabbing, leasing, managing and maintaining Imperial’s commercial properties. Most acquisitions were purchased as distressed properties and have been subsequently guided to success through rehabilitation and repositioning to meet the needs of the respective marketplaces. In March 2007, Al was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, which recognizes the innovators and leaders in the Chicago area.

AMIR HOMAYOUN RAFIZADEH, Momentum Strategic Advisors / 678 Partners LLC @wadvisor Amir Homayoun Rafizadeh is the Director of Strategic Intelligence at Momentum Strategic Advisors and brings decades of advanced business development strategies and business intelligence techniques. His first entrepreneurial experience involved building a mid-sized financial services company (an actual multi-family office), which he sold to a large bank 4 years later. At Glaxo Wellcome he was one of the youngest sales directors to triple sales of an $80M sales division. After years of consulting family offices, RIA’s and private investors, he co-founded 678 Partners, an advanced business development and business intelligence consulting firm in Chicago. Amir holds a B.S. in computer science and an MBA in international business. A wide range of interests have captured Amir’s attention throughout life, including philanthropy, education and entrepreneurship. He has volunteered time for many organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Southern CA and Stedman Graham’s Athletes Against Drugs and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization.

ANDREW FORSTER, Cguros Inc. / The Launch Life @TheLaunchLife Andrew Forster made his first splash in the entrepreneurial arena via success in the real estate industry, and now focuses on two new ventures. The first, Cguros, aims to expand the footprint of a cloud based healthcare solution designed around medical necessity and the progressive movement towards widespread EMR adoption. The second, The Launch Life, is a virtual community for young entrepreneurs focused on the lifestyle during small business startup with his business partner Kaitlyn Caraway.

ASH KUMRA, DreamItAlive.com @DreamItAlive Ash Kumra is an award winning entrepreneur, author and public speaker recently recognized by the White House as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs making an impact for America. Ash is currently co-founder of DreamItAlive.com, an online community dedicated to guiding people to create, believe and live out their dreams using virtual dream boards. Ash is also the co-leader for the Startup California Team for White House/Steve Case founded "Startup America" and chairman for southern California based Tech Coast Venture Network. Ash is the creator and author of the book series "Confessions from an Entrepreneur" and has spoken to over 10,000 people on entrepreneurship, social media and branding for many colleges, institutions, and organizations including the White House and TEDX.

BEN VANDENWYMELENBERG, Woodchuck @WOODCHUCKcase Ben VandenWymelenberg’s entrepreneurial tale can be placed into the “came up with a business idea while supposed to be studying” category. Ben attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, graduating with the highest honors in Architecture and earning the US Oil scholarship three years in a row. One night while building a model for his college architecture class, then-22-year-old Ben placed a small slab of wood on top of his iPhone, just to see if it would fit. This little experiment sparked an idea that would change his life forever. With his college friend Kevin Groenjes, Ben launched Woodchuck, a company that manufactures real wood skins & cases for phones, tablets, laptops and headphones. They manufacture, print, and assemble Woodchuck cases in Minneapolis and remain committed to keeping Woodchuck American-made. Their passion for the product and stick-to-itiveness led to a deal with Mall of America. From that came Bestbuy.com, then Target. Ben and Kevin find in energy and drive in the outdoors, which is why the company mission is "Putting nature back into people's lives."

BERT GERVAIS, Success Mentor Education / Empact @BertGervais Bert Gervais has been recognized by USA Today and Fox News as one of the top young entrepreneurs in the country. Bert, a.k.a. “The Mentor Guy,” is the nation’s top expert on mentorship and authentic networking. Bert is an Empact speaker and a number one Amazon best-selling author and his company, Success Mentor Education, has touched over 40,000 people globally, with a client roster that includes Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Verizon, and Cornell University. Bert attended Binghamton University where he was selected the East Coast Entrepreneur of the Year and currently coaches startups at his alma mater on pitching business plans and securing startup funding.

BILL STRINGFELLOW, Genesis, Inc. / R-O International Bill Stringfellow started in business when he was twenty-five and has been a serial entrepreneur for over thirty years. He is the founder and CEO of Genesis, Inc, a precision sheet-metal-forming and fabrication business, which is now actively run by his sons. He also started R-O International, a leader in coin-operated vending machinery. Bill also runs Shamrock Hill Farm, a race horsing stable. He is a founding member of UIC's Family Business Council.

BOB ROITBLAT, Mainsail Consulting Group @AtTheHelmBlog

Bob Roitblat has innovated, nurtured, developed and sold more than a dozen businesses over the past three decades. He knows first-hand what it takes to excel throughout each phase of a business' life cycle. As the CEO of Mainsail Consulting Group, he uses his experience as a competitive sailor to draw parallels between building and leading a winning yacht racing team and building and leading a winning business. He helps business owners and managers develop business skills that are effective whether the seas are calm or storms are raging. "Yacht racing," he says, "is the perfect metaphor for business success. Businesses, like race boats, require leadership, teamwork and rapid decision-making to be successful. Miles from land, you have only those resources you brought with you and your knowledge of the environment and your competition to eke out as much advantage as you can in a dynamic environment."

BONNIE HARVEY, Barefoot Wine @Barefoot_Spirit Bonnie Harvey is the co-founder of Barefoot Cellars along with partner Michael Houlihan. She was Vice President and “The Original Foot” for 19 years. There she had a wide variety of duties, doing whatever was necessary to operate the business. While Michael’s role was “big picture visionary,” Bonnie translated his ideas into workable processes and displayed a genius for managing the millions of details that come with a start-up. She proved to possess a rare combination of creativity and business savvy that served Barefoot well. In the early days of the brand, Bonnie was responsible for bottling oversight, supply inventory and label design—in fact, the famous footprint is actually hers! Later as Barefoot grew, she focused on overview and direction of the business, setting company goals, and attending to Board of Director matters. She managed all financial aspects of the business, oversaw legal relations and compliance, and edited countless press materials, presentations, official manuals and other documents. Bonnie donates professional time to non-profits to help them improve their image, increase donations and achieve financial sustainability. She is co-author of The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand, a New York Times Bestselling Business Book.

BRUCE STARCHER, Starcher Group llc @StarcherGroup Bruce Starcher is a creative problem solver with 25 years of experience in the technology sector working with senior managers across a broad set of business issues. Over the past 10 years, he has developed an expertise in Business Model Innovation and worked across a number of industries. Bruce has identified a cumulative $2.5B of value in projects ranging from $1M to $1B covering start-ups to mature businesses. He is currently Managing Director at Starcher Group llc, a consultancy specializing in business model innovation and using business model thinking to solve critical business issues.

CARIN SILKAITIS, North Central College

Carin Silkaitis is the Department Chair of Art and Theatre at North Central College. Carin earned her B.A from Indiana University and M.F.A from The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University. She has taught acting classes in the Chicagoland area for almost 20 years. Carin specializes in audition technique (for camera and stage) and monologue workshops. She has enjoyed her time in front of the camera, where she’s been featured in five films to date. She recently directed The Taming of the Shrew for North Central College and numerous productions for Music By The Lake, including Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterfly, and La Traviata. Carin’s favorite acting credits include Izzy in Rabbit Hole (u/s Goodman Theatre), Desiree in A Little Night Music, Queen Margaret in Richard III, and Adriana in A Comedy of Errors. Carin is the Artistic Director for the newly formed not-for-profit The Other Theatre Company, a Chicago-based company devoted to telling stories that examine and critique the process of ‘Othering’ on both the individual and group levels. Carin is represented by Paonessa Talent in Chicago.

COCO MEERS, PrettyQuick @CocoMeers

Coco Meers is 10-year beauty industry veteran who has created, launched, and marketed global cosmetic innovations from L'Oreal's New York and Paris headquarters. As a L'Oreal Brand Manager, she helped billion dollar divisions including Maybelline and Garnier grow market share in fiercely competitive categories. She is completing her MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship at University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, and holds a BA in English and French from Princeton University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She enjoys supporting the performing arts and serves on the Joffrey Ballet's Board of Directors.

COURTNEY OLTMAN, Northwestern Mutual @NM_News

Courtney Oltman graduated from The University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign with a degree in Communications. Courtney jumped right into a career in Sales working for Marriott International. After two years of assisting customers, selling hotel space, and helping to prepare fantastic events, Courtney briefly spent time recruiting in Bio Pharmaceuticals, before she was swept up by The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago as the Student Employment Advisor for Career Services. Being able to combine her love for helping others with her passion for working with students led Courtney to Northwestern Mutual’s Campus Recruiter Role.

DARNYELLE JERVEY, Incredible One Enterprises, LLC @DarnyelleJervey Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, CEC, CBC is an internationally recognized professional development mentor, executive coach, marketing and branding consultant, professional speaker and facilitator and the CEO of her own companies, Incredible One Enterprises, LLC and Your Corporate Incredible Factor, LLC. For more than 15 years, Darnyelle has used her vision and insight to help business leaders accelerate their brands at various levels. Her empowerment brand includes two companies – Incredible One Enterprises, LLC a company where she teaches authentic and compelling marketing and business/brand optimization strategies to entrepreneurs so that they build solid, thriving holistically successful businesses and Your Corporate Incredible Factor, LLC, a company where she teaches various stage business leaders how to build authentic personal brands that advance organizations without selling out, burning out or stressing out. Ms. Jervey has authored five books, and has been featured in O Magazine, Essence and Black Enterprise, among other media outlets.

DAVE ALWAN, Echo Valley Meats @EchoValleyMeats Dave Alwan is third generation in the meat business and Owner of Echo Valley Meat, a retail / wholesale meat business specializing in that old fashion butcher shop quality. In 1998, Dave started his own company because he wanted to make the best hams and smoked sausages ever. He went to Germany & Denmark to get trained by the best. He believes in supporting and giving back to his local community. Dave appeared on Season 4 of ABC’s hit show Shark Tank and pitched Echo Valley Meats to the sharks.

DAVID MARLETT, BlueRun Media @BlueRunMedia David Marlett has been an attorney, writer, photo-artist and filmmaker for more than 20 years. David has developed, financed and successfully launched new divisions and innovative concepts for companies and individuals with special emphasis in media companies and entrepreneurial artists, including his own entrepreneurial artistic endeavors. Currently he leads a 'first mover' in the film industry, BlueRun Crowdfund, a film crowdfunding management company which is soon to offer its first slate of curated film projects. David is the founder and executive director of the National Crowdfunding Association, the largest and fastest-growing crowdfunding organization in the world, and Chairman of the Board of the World Crowdfund Federation.

DAVID SIMNICK, SoapBox Soaps, LLC @SoapBoxSoaps David Simnick is a social entrepreneur and co-founder of SoapBox Soaps. As an Eagle Scout, Dave’s dream was to found for-profit companies with a social mission at their core. Since then, he has worked as a consultant to USAID, the U.S. Army, Michelle Rhee, the U.S. Senate, and was a Teach for America educator in Northern Philadelphia. He founded SoapBox Soaps, a company whose mission is to donate bars of aid soap for every bar sold, stopping global epidemics in their tracks. Dave has a house full of notebooks; he doesn’t like to let ideas get away from him! He’s worked on various sides of the startup industry: helping companies expand, getting the ball rolling with funding and publicity, making connections, and putting ideas together from the ground up.

DEREK WEBER, goBRANDgo! @WhiteboardDerek Derek Weber has transformed his college t-shirt business into one of the nation’s leading strategic branding and marketing firms for entrepreneurs over the past decade. Driven by the success of goBRANDgo! and its purpose “To be the Champion of the Every Day Entrepreneur”, Weber founded the go!-celerator, providing a free furnished apartment, office space, mentors, and $30k+ of services to young entrepreneurs. Derek lives his go! Statement, “To Inspire and Influence Positive Change” by sharing his story and the lessons learned with entrepreneurs across the country in hopes he can make their journey just a bit easier and even more impactful.

DIMA ELISSA, VisualMedia, Ltd. @DimaElissa Dima Elissa is a serial entrepreneur leading technology, human capital, healthcare, community and global conservation NGO’s. As CEO of VisualMedia, she devotes significant energy to women entrepreneurs and founders in technology, providing start-up expertise and mentoring. Dima currently teaches entrepreneurship and innovation for the Chicago Program of The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM). In addition, she is on the board of a number of technology start-up initiatives and incubators. She served as COO of an interactive firm and nearly ten years in executive roles at NutraSweet, from International Marketing and General Manager, to Business Development and M&A. Dima holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Hanover College and an MBA from Texas A&M’s, May’s School of Business.

DOMINGO MENESES, CrowdNoize, LLC @Go_Mene Domingo Meneses is a Chicago-based technology entrepreneur digitalizing the live event and branded entertainment industries through his startup CrowdNoize. A recent DePaul University graduate, Domingo's experience lies in business development, event production, brand marketing, sponsorship activation, equity deployment, small team development, and project management. This is his second entertainment venture and he's excited to continue growing his amazing team, shipping, and innovating in a fast-paced industry. Domingo's also involved in the non-profit sector through I Speak Chicago and Future Founders. If you're interested social entrepreneurship, social gifting, non-profit fundraising or Chicago youth social causes - be sure to connect with him at the conference or prior at domingo@ispeakchicago.org.

DUANE SPIRES, Kick It USA / World Class Fight League @DuaneSpires Duane Spires is a national motivational speaker, business coach, professional MMA ring announcer, and serial entrepreneur. Duane was the recipient of the 2011 Empact 100 award, where he was invited to speak at the White House in front of members of Congress and other important decision makers about the importance of teaching entrepreneurship to young adults. Duane started his first company, Extreme Youth Sports Inc., when he was 19 years old while attending the University of South Florida and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Fox news affiliates, and ABC news. Duane currently owns Kick It USA, a sports based after school program and summer camp business, as well as the World Class Fight League (WCFL), which is the largest MMA promotion in the state of Florida!

EILEEN BRAUN, Eileen Braun Eileen Braun was born in Boston Massachusetts, but spent much of her adult life in the Midwest and East coast. She received her B.A. in Sculpture and Art Education at Indiana University. After college and in the years following she worked as a Public School Educator, managed a Chicago Museum gift shop, and served as Executive Director of an art center in a suburb outside of New York City. Since relocating to Georgia nine years ago, studio ceramics has become the focus of her artistic practice. Her teapots have been included in numerous National Teapot Invitationals, the 500 Teapots II Lark publications, along with several acquisitions to the Sonny and Gloria Kamm Teapot Collection. Currently her work is part of E-merge: Contemporary Atlanta Artists, a curated exhibition of emerging artists at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Terminal T.

ELAINE LUTHER, Studio 925 / All Things Metal Clay @ElaineLuther Elaine Luther is an artist who has worked with metal since 1990 and with paper, glue and contact paper since she can remember. After 20 years of making jewelry, her newest passion is mixed media painting. In her paintings she uses image transfer, metal photographs, images she hunts down and thrift store finds. She has taught since 1992 at a number of art centers including Lillstreet Art Center and the Indianapolis Art Center. Her sculptures have been exhibited at those art centers and Gallery I/O in New Orleans and Womanmade Gallery in Chicago.

ELIZABETH PRESSON, Digi International / Working Remote.ly @HeyElleCP Elizabeth Presson is an entrepreneur who uses community building, both internally and externally, to build better businesses. She was the founding employee of two digital media startups, including iConnect, a subsidiary of iContact, which sold to Vocus for $169m in 2012. She also co-founded a community management studio of her own. She’s worked with dozens of startups including Skillshare, The Domino Project, The Daily Muse, and others. Liz combines her work in the community with her passion for changing the world's perception of work as the creator of WorkingRemote.ly. Her articles on community, work culture and technology have been published in Fast Company, Forbes, Mashable, Yahoo, The Daily Muse and others.

ELIZABETH RUSSELL, Russell Law @RussellLaw Elizabeth Russell helps businesses protect their most important assets by providing thoughtful, thorough counsel in the fields of copyright, trademark and internet law. She also maintains a vibrant arts and entertainment practice. Elizabeth is a frequent author and speaker and enjoys taking complicated issues and explaining them in understandable terms for non-lawyers. She is the author of the soon-to-be-released Arts Law Conversations: A Surprisingly Readable Guide for Arts Entrepreneurs. Elizabeth's undergraduate degree is in music. She is admitted to practice law in the states of New York, Connecticut and Wisconsin, and is remarkably fluent in plain English.

ERIN WALTER, nuphoriq @emwSTL16 Erin Walter has a lot of notches on her belt, often to the surprise of many who are unfamiliar with the incredible work ethic and determination that has found her success at a relatively young age. Erin is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of nuphoriq, a small business marketing company that chooses to remain small in stature but giant in talent, ability, and potential. In further affirmation to her credibility, Erin is a “double Demon,” graduating from DePaul University with a Bachelor’s in Management and Marketing and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing Planning and Strategy. She played two seasons in the Women’s Professional Soccer league for the St. Louis Athletica, while simultaneously maintaining her position as Director of Marketing for Tasty Catering.

EVELYN ECHOLS, Echols Consulting Ltd Evelyn Echols became one of the first highly successful women entrepreneurs in the United States when she established International Travel Service. This was a commercial agency that within a year had already attracted several major accounts, including Pepsi-Cola, NBC, RCA, and Westinghouse. She sold the agency and established Echols International Travel and Hotel School, which became known as the best travel school in the United States operating in Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco with about 40,000 graduates. In the 1990s, both the New York Business Owners and Chicago Business Owners named Evelyn Entrepreneur of the Year. She is a member of the CEO Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, and has received awards from many foreign countries for her work in creating good will among nations through the medium of travel. In addition to having served on the boards of several organizations and having hosted a TV series, she wrote a book titled “They Said I Couldn’t Do It, But I Did.” She was the country's first woman to join Rotary International. At the age of 97, Evelyn is still going strong and has built her career on a reputation for accomplishing the impossible.

GARY VAUGHAN, Lawrence University / Guident Business Solutions Gary Vaughan has a passion for helping business owners through his consulting firm where he specializes in financial sustainability and growth. He currently serves on several civic committees and nonprofit boards. He has also been a judge for the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest for the past several years. Vaughan is a lecturer of economics/entrepreneurship at Lawrence University.

GERALD E. HILLS, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization / Bradley University Dr. Gerald Hills is a co-founder of CEO and is a pioneer in the development of the entrepreneurship discipline. He holds the endowed Turner Chair in Entrepreneurship at Bradley University. Prior to Bradley, he led the development of an entrepreneurship program at University of Illinois at Chicago that was consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally. He has written and edited more than 100 entrepreneurship articles and 25 books, was the co-founder and first president of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and President of the International Council for Small Business. He chaired an advisory board of the U.S. SBA under President Reagan, and advanced entrepreneurship in Poland through a congressional commission project. Dr. Hills earned his bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and his master’s and doctorate from Indiana University.

GRETA POPE, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. @GretaPope Greta Pope is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed entertainer. She has delighted audiences throughout Europe, the Far East, South America and the Caribbean, as well as the U.S. and Canada. Pope has been touted as one of the great voices of our time; she performs with ease all styles, from country to opera, and from rhythm and blues to Broadway. She has shared the stage with such well-known performers as Wynonna Judd, Dick Van Dyke, Stanley Clarke, Ramsey Lewis, Rich Little, Penn & Teller and many others. Her voice is featured on commercials and voice-overs, including those for McDonald's, Whirlpool, Allstate, Lexus, Estee Lauder and others.

HANNAH DAVIS, BANGS Shoes @BangsShoes Hannah Davis is the Founder & President of a social enterprise called BANGS Shoes. BANGS works to 1) raise awareness and funding for nonprofit partner organizations, and 2) educate individuals about the importance of sustainability and long-term change. Hannah graduated from Clemson University in 2009 with a degree in Political Science and a Minor in Mandarin. She taught colloquial English in China’s Eastern Jiangsu Province for one year before conceptualizing BANGS. In May 2010, BANGS was born and so started her personal journey to work side by side with the nonprofit community and inspire / urge a generation of leaders to start taking action today.

JAMIE PRITSCHER, That’s Caring / nuphoriq @JamiePritscher Jamie Pritscher holds several prestigious positions in a variety of local Chicago companies, including Director of Communications at Tasty Catering, Co-Founder and CEO of online eco-friendly gift company That’s Caring, and Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of creative marketing agency nuphoriq. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with minors in Psychology and Visual Communication from Illinois State University, as well as a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communication from Roosevelt University. Jamie has been presented with national awards for her green and leadership efforts, including holding a place as a finalist in 2010, in the “30 Under 30 for Sustainability,” and the “Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders” by Diversity MBA magazine in 2011.

JAY SHARMAN, TeamWorks Media @JaySharman95 Jay Sharman Jay helped open the doors of TeamWorks Media in 2000, and was named CEO 2006. With roots as an Emmy-winning television producer, he has built campaigns and initiatives that seamlessly combine inspiring visual storytelling with online engagement, public rela­tions, social media, events and community outreach. Jay has long-standing relationships with content distributors like PBS, ESPN, Fox Sports Net, Big Ten Network, Sports Illustrated and Warner Brothers, as well as blue-chip brands like Comcast, Old Spice, Converse, Big Ten Conference and Live Nation. Jay’s exceptional story sense, Rolodex and reputation were directly responsible for the development, execution, and cross-platform marketing campaigns around TeamWorks Media’s award-winning, critically-acclaimed documentaries The Street Stops Here (PBS, ESPN), The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World (PBS), Goose (ESPN 30 For 30), Disco Demolition: The Real Story (PBS) and The Demons Within (FSN). Jay is a Radio/TV/Film graduate of Northwestern University and serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago-based non-profits Girls In The Game and World Sport Chicago.

JEFFREY ROSS, Jeffrey Ross Photography @jeffreyworks Jeffrey Ross is a commercial photographer from the Chicagoland area. He focuses on corporate and advertising projects for a variety of magazines, advertisements, and the internet. He spent a summer traveling all over the United States documenting farm life and agricultural subjects for one of his clients. He recently spent 16 months documenting the end of the Space Shuttle era for the Smithsonian.

JEFFRY HARRISON, RoverTown @JeffryHarrison Jeffry Harrison is a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and co-founder and the Chief Operating Officer of RoverTown. Jeffry brings his knowledge and expertise in sales to the RoverTown sales team. His past Board experiences on the SIU Board of Trustees and Phi Kappa Phi National Board of Directors assist in RoverTown’s expansion to new college markets. Jeffry currently resides in St. Louis where you can find him on the golf course in his free time. Jeffry is a CEO alum!

JEROME LOVE, Texas Black Expo, Inc. / GUGOGS Entrepreneurial Institute @Contrapreneur Jerome Love has been voted Entrepreneur of the Year (National Black MBA Association, Houston Chapter), Pinnacle Award Finalist (Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce), and Multi-Million Dollar Top Producer (Prudential Texas Realty). Throughout his 12 year career as an entrepreneur and professional speaker, Jerome has been consistently recognized as a well-respected and highly sought-after expert in sales and business development. The author of several books, his writings have been published nationally and are frequently quoted by industry experts. Jerome’s passions stem from the personal agony that he felt when he began his first business at the age of 19 with high hopes of prosperity; yet these hopes were dashed when he ended up in the hole more than $100,000 by the age of 25. However, Jerome’s relentless determination would not allow him to give up. Refusing to settle for life’s second best, he decided to Get Up, Get Out & Get Something. In 2002, he founded the Texas Black Expo, Inc. which now produces the largest African American tradeshow in Texas. He published his first book at age 30 and he is the broker of LHS Realty Group, a leading real estate firm headquartered in Houston, Texas.

JIM KRATOCHVIL, Northwestern Mutual @NM_News Jim Kratochvil began his career with Northwestern Mutual in 1999 as a college intern. After a successful internship, Jim began his full-time career upon graduating from Illinois State University where he earned a degree in Finance. Jim was a successful College Unit Director for three years and was appointed the Managing Director in Crystal Lake, Illinois in November 2004. Jim has a passion for recruiting and developing financial representatives. Jim’s office now has 14 full-time reps and 11 college interns this summer. He is also an MDRT producer. Jim is also the Chairman of the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.

JOHN E. HUGHES, John E. Hughes and Co; Fannie May Candies; The Hughes Foundation; Hughes Enterprises Age 86 (Born February 27, 1927)

Non-Traditional Academic Path, 1947 – 2003 G.E.D. (Hyde Park High School, Chicago); Qualified Parachutist (The Parachute School, U.S. Army, Ft. Benning, GA); Non-Commissioned Officers School (Ft. Benning, GA); Accounting Diploma (LaSalle Extension University); Undergraduate School (Wilson Jr. College, now Kennedy King Community College, and Northwestern University, Chicago); CPA Certificate (University of Illinois); University of Hard Knocks – Success without an Undergrad Degree (Alderson-Broaddus College, W. VA); Doctor of Humane Letters – 2003 (DePaul University, Chicago, IL)

Career History, 1938 – 2010 Self-Employed/Independent Contractor – Scrap collection sales; Yard and sidewalk maintenance service; Newspaper carrier; C.P.A. firms; Retailing; Manufacturing; Livestock; Private Clubs; Independent Professional Baseball; Fine Arts and Sports Memorabilia Collector; CEO and CFO; Educator; Financial Management Services; Corporate Director; Trustee; Private Charitable Foundations and Philanthropist

Significant Awards, 1988 – 2012 First Annual Outstanding Alumnus, City Colleges of Chicago – 1988; National Best Supporter of Entrepreneurship, Inc. Magazine – 1991; National Retail Entrepreneur of the Year, Retail Executive Magazine – 1991; Distinguished Management Service, DePaul University, Chicago – 1991; Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship, DePaul University, Chicago – 2007; Lifetime Achievement, University of Illinois/Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame – 1994; University of Illinois at Chicago, Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization Hall of Fame - 2003; Outstanding Supporter of Entrepreneurship Education, USASBE – 2003; Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship, Beloit College – 2008; Chartered Global Management Accountant designation - 2012

Military (Volunteer Draftee), 1945 – 1946 U.S. Army Parachute Wings, 1945; U.S. Army Honorable Discharge, 1946; Good Conduct Medal; American Campaign Medal WW II; Victory Medal WW II; Cold War Victory Medal; Airborne and Air Assault Medal; Meritorious Unit Citation – 82nd Airborne Division; Presidential Unit Citation – 504th P.I.R.; Special Forces; Marksman Award; Letter from the White House, Harry S. Truman (President) recognition of WW II Military Service.

Personal to Present John and Jeanne Hughes have been married for 64 years. He has a daughter and son-in-law, two grandsons, a granddaughter-in-law, and a great-grandson.

JON HENNESSY, The Hughes Foundation / VSOPProductions Jon Hennessy is the Director of the Hughes Foundation. The Hughes Foundation supports education with a focus on entrepreneurship, cancer care, and Chicago community support. Jon is also an independent investor and stand-alone trader. He co-founded VSOP Productions in association with VSOP Studios, which specializes in the production and recording of music, media and entertainment.

JOHN PYTEL, Conferences.io @jpytel John Pytel is a recent graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in marketing. After a short stint at the Nielsen company in 2011, John left his position to pursue his own startup. John is now Co-Founder and CEO of Conferences.io, a software company which builds products that facilitate interaction between presenters and audiences. John’s company won the 2011 Chicago Lean Startup Challenge and their products have been used by over 100,000 people across 100 different countries.

JON MORRIS, Rise Interactive @JonBMorris Jon Morris is the Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive. Morris started Rise as a self-funded company with $10,000, transforming the agency into a multi-million dollar business in eight years. Under Morris’ leadership, Rise has experienced tremendous growth, receiving recognition from the City of Chicago, Inc. Magazine, Five Elms Capital, Built in Chicago, Fortune Magazine and The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. Before founding Rise, he managed the internet marketing department for Ketchum Directory Advertising where he received three industry excellence awards from the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association. Before that, Morris founded Net Traffic, which was recognized by ChannelSeven.com as one of the top interactive agencies in the U.S. Morris is also a regular columnist for Inc.com. In his column Rise Above It, he displays his thought leadership with articles covering business and digital marketing topics. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

KAITLYN CARAWAY, The Launch Life @kjcaraway08 Kaitlyn Caraway began her adventure as an entrepreneur at the age of 13. She was later awarded the McKelvey Entrepreneurial Scholarship, and attended Ball State University’s Entrepreneurship Program. Throughout college she owned and operated an academic tutoring firm while also working in tech-transfer with the US Navy, and competing in 6 business plan and elevator pitch competitions with 360º Mobility, her partnered medical device startup. Kaitlyn is a published author and co-founder of her newest startup, The Launch Life, a virtual community for young entrepreneurs focused on the lifestyle during small business startup with her business partner Andrew Forster. Kaitlyn is a CEO alum!

KATIE SOWA, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization / PitchJam @KatieSowa Katie Sowa is the Director of Operations for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) and a co-founder of PitchJam. Katie has worked in and with many startups and small businesses, including her role as a financial and HR manager for a $6M online electronic refurbishing startup, as well as a consultant and research assistant for a technology commercialization incubation center. In addition to her work with entrepreneurship, she is a choreographer and dance teacher. Katie received her MBA from DePaul University and her Bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship from Bradley University.Katie is a CEO alum!

KEITH FIX, blabFeed @KeithFix Keith Fix is a serial entrepreneur and marketing connoisseur. He managed to raise six-figures from private investors to start his 3rd company, blabfeed, while still in college at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He graduated in December 2012 with a BS degree in Marketing, Management, Entrepreneurship & Innovation. His work as a budding small business enthusiast across various tech ventures has been highlighted in Entrepreneur Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, articles on Yahoo, Omaha World Herald and more. Blabfeed, a Perfecta Media LLC, specializes in the procurement, installation, integration and design of digital signage solutions. The firm also assists clients in identifying digital out of home marketing opportunities. Since 2012, blabfeed has experienced 1551% revenue growth and national footprint with clients across the country. Keith is a CEO alum!

KELSEY MEYER, Influence & Co. @Kelsey_M_Meyer Kelsey Meyer is a former college entrepreneur turned Co-Founder of a successful startup. Kelsey is the co-founder of Influence & Co, an agency that assists experts in growing their influence by getting articles published into online publications. Influence & Co. is one of the leading providers of expert content to the world’s top publications. Kelsey led her team’s growth from two to fifty employees in one year. Kelsey has been an entrepreneur since age ten and at age twenty-three has been involved with three successful startups. She’s passionate about helping other college entrepreneurs and promoting women in entrepreneurship. Kelsey attended the CEO conference three years ago and is excited to return to share her experiences. Kelsey is a CEO alum!

KEVIN GROENJES, Woodchuck @Kevin_M_G Kevin Groenjes attended the University of Minnesota for Kinesiology. He entered the entrepreneurial world right after college, teaming up with friend Ben VandenWymelenberg to launch WOODCHUCK. As Vice President, he manages independent retail channels, social media presence, and non-profit partnerships. He enjoys the social connections and opportunities that grow from business development. His latest focus is cultivating a creative partnership with non-profit Outdoor Nation, whose mission is to engage the next generation to get outside and appreciate the outdoors.

KEVIN LANGLEY, Ellis Construction, Inc. @KevinLangley Kevin Langley has been an entrepreneur since his days as a student at Louisiana State University (LSU). Since then, he has successfully founded and grown two of the New Orleans area’s top 100 largest privately held businesses. Langley is currently the CEO and co-owner of Ellis Construction, Inc., a regional commercial contractor based in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. A serial entrepreneur, he also owns various other companies in construction, real estate, environmental technology and new media. Langley and his companies have received numerous awards, including Inc magazine’s Inner City 100, New Orleans’ City Business magazine’s Power Generation award, and the Junior Achievement’s Rising Star award. He is the former Chairman of the Global Board of Directors of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).

LISA HALPERN, Kiboo @KibooMoney Lisa Halpern is the founder and CEO of Kiboo, a social banking platform that gives young people the power to easily spend, save and give smarter. Through online and mobile tools including Budgets, Goal setting, spending alerts, and a money and lifestyle blog, Kiboo provides everything needed to Know Your Money. Prior to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Lisa practiced law specializing in tax and estate planning. It became clear to her that there was a need for people (especially young people) to have a real-world, engaging and relevant service to teach them about personal finance. Just like that, Kiboo was born.

LYNN ANDERSON, Colordance Design Lynn Anderson is co-founder of Colordance Design, a small graphic design firm located in Naperville that combines talents in computer science, graphic design and photography. They specialize in the creation of artistic, custom-coded websites for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Their services also include conceptual print and media promotional materials encompassing logo and identity design, PowerPoint templates and website videos.

MAHRINAH VON SCHLEGEL, World Business Chicago @MLvS Mahrinah von Schlegel is an Entrepreneur, Anthropologist and Sustainable Real Estate Developer with a diverse background in green development and policy, bio-fuels development, alternative energies, business development and strategy, music journalism, fine arts dance, and non-profit direction as the Founder of an inclusive technology incubator in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. An Economic Growth Fellow for World Business Chicago, she is working to support the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs strategies on Neighborhoods and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. First-generation Spanish-American, born and raised in the South Pacific and Southern California, Mahrinah received her education at the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Business. A Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholar who was named “America’s Promising Youth Leader” by Secretary of State Colin Powell, she has served on boards and committees for organizations such as the United States Greenbuild Council, Urban Land Institute, and American Planning Association - Latino, University of Chicago Collegiate Scholars - STEM education, and more.

MARJORIE MILLYARD, Millyard Design Associates LTD Marjorie Millyard has been a senior designer at a leading firm in Boston and now president at her own firm. She has worked to develop long lasting relationships with clients, vendors and mentor young coworkers. Embracing new technology and keeping an eye to the fundamental principles of graphic design has allowed Marjorie to practice the her profession for over 30 years for a broad spectrum of clients from non-profit to fashion/retail.

MANA IONESCU, Lightspan Digital @ManaMica Mana Ionescu believes in purpose and storytelling as the keys to digital marketing success. At Lightspan, Mana and her team focus on driving traffic to clients’ websites and building profitable connections through social media and content marketing. From Techweek to CES, from Social Media Week to MPI TechCon, from 312Digital to DePaul University, Mana took the stage over 40 times in the past 2 years, busting social media myths and showing measurable results are possible. She was born and raised in communist Romania by her grandparents and lived in Bulgaria before moving to the United States.

MICHAEL HOULIHAN, Barefoot Wine @Barefoot_Spirit Michael Houlihan is the co-founder of Barefoot Cellars, along with partner Bonnie Harvey. Though his business card reads, “Head Stomper,” he officially served as president and CEO for 19 years. Starting with no money and no knowledge of the wine industry, he and Bonnie used out-of-the-box thinking coupled with solid business principles to build a leading national brand. They relied on “worthy cause marketing” instead of conventional advertising to grow a loyal following and promote their favorite causes. Barefoot Wines went on to win the industry’s top sales awards. They were selling well over a half a million cases annually when the E&J Gallo family purchased the brand in 2005. Since then, Michael has been a valued advisor to large and small corporations and start-ups, offering his real world experience to improve their profitability, grow their brands, and improve their culture. Sales, marketing, and performance-based compensation are his sweet spots. Michael is the co-author of The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand, a New York Times Bestselling Business Book.

MICHAEL LEHMAN, Lehigh University Dr. Michael Lehman is a professor of practice in Lehigh University’s Master's of Engineering in Technical Entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the faculty at Lehigh, Dr. Lehman developed and grew new entrepreneurship programs at the University of Pittsburgh, during which he also served as Director of PantherlabWorks, a consulting group designed to catalyze the commercialization of new technologies. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lehman served as the founding director of the Juniata College Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. In addition to serving on the advisory board of a number of technical-based startups, Dr. Lehman’s work experience includes Johnson’s orthopedic company DePuy International in Leeds, England, and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA.

MICHAEL LUCHIES, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization / PitchJam @MichaelLuchies National Growth and Programs Manager for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO). Michael is co-founder of PitchJam, a freelance journalist, a micro-entrepreneur, and won $100,000 in cash and prizes in the 2010 Project Springboard Business Plan Competition at Bradley University. He graduated from Bradley University with a degree in entrepreneurship and is passionate about everything entrepreneurship. He has been covering entrepreneurship over the past 5 years and has been published on Under30CEO, Yahoo! and Yahoo! News, ThinkEntrepreneurship, PitchingGreatness, and other publications. Michael is a CEO alum!

MICHAEL MOGILL, Crisp Video Group @mmogill Michael Mogill, a modern renaissance man, consummate multitasker and entrepreneur, has been relentless in tackling new challenges and ventures, turning his passion for media into a diverse portfolio of businesses. On any given day he may be developing digital media solutions for clients of Crisp Video Group, coordinating his fleet of ATL Nightlife photographers, or working with artists on the Reboot Music label—all companies Mogill founded and continues to manage. Just a year old, Crisp has already produced video content for major international brands (such as CocaCola, Verizon, RedBull, Lexus, and Coldwell Banker) and has carved out a successful niche in the medical and dental industries. Mogill has massive ambitions for Crisp—and his other enterprises—but escapes as much as possible to spend time with his family and see the world.

MIKE VENY, Mike Veny, Inc. @MikeVeny Mike Veny is a drummer, entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, and he has been able to parlay his love of music, and of drumming in particular, into multiple successful career paths and charitable endeavors. Mike is the founder and owner of FastDrumSkills.Com, MusicLessonBusiness.Com, and SupportMusicEducation.Com. His entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills and people skills have made him an in-demand speaker and a consultant to some of the top businesses in the world. As for charitable endeavors, Mike is on the Board of Directors for the Fender Music Foundation and a member of the NAMM Foundation’s SupportMusic Coalition, which seeks to strengthen community commitment and support for quality music education in schools.

NEAL SALES-GRIFFIN, The Starter League @NealSales Neal Sales-Griffin is the co-founder and CEO of The Starter League, a beginner web design and development school in Chicago. Neal has worked and consulted with numerous startups and not-for-profits across multiple sectors. He has had the privilege of working with OCA Ventures and Sandbox Industries, two prominent venture firms in Chicago. Neal also serves as a board member of the Chicago chapter of International Game Developers Association.

NORMAN BRODSKY, Inc. Magazine Senior Contributing Editor, @NormBrodsky Managing Partner of Black Gold Suites, and Chairman of Kobeyaki Restaurant Group Norman Brodsky is a smart, successful company builder in addition to being an accountant and an attorney. He is the founder of eight businesses including a company that was #40 on INC. magazine’s list of 100 fasting growing public companies. Another business, CitiStorage, is a three time INC. 500 company. Norm also writes “Street Smarts,” a monthly column since 1995 in INC. magazine and he has appeared on CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg TV. He is the author of The Knack- How Street Smart Entrepreneurs Learn How to Handle Whatever Comes Up. He has appeared on the cover of Fine Business Publications and also speaks throughout the world on bettering your life and those of your employees through business. Norm is also the winner of the 2006 Ernst and Young Entrepreneurs of the year award.

Norm Brodsky began his journey at Rider College (now Rider University) by learning that numbers run a business. His began his professional career as an accountant, but the slow pace made him want to do something different. His first entrepreneurial endeavor was Perfect Courier, a messenger service and trucking company in Brooklyn, New York. When the rise of fax machines in the early 80s decreased the need for messengers increased, Brodsky began looking for other options. A phone call from a customer asking about box storage prompted him to call storage facilities in the area. Recognizing that others were charging too much and the potential market was great, Brodsky began CitiStorage with the profits from his trucking company. The archival storage and retrieval company now holds more than 4,500,000 boxes and is one of the largest records storage centers in the US. Brodsky and his wife Elaine ran both CitiStorage and Perfect Courier from their Brooklyn office. That business was sold for $110 million in 2007.

Currently, Brodsky started two new ventures. The first is a chain of fast casual restaurants in NYC called Kobeyaki, and the other is building hotels in ND called Black Gold Suites.

PAMELA PETERSON, University of Nebraska at Omaha Pamela Peterson is an Instructor at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the College of Business Administration where she teaches upper division courses in sales, marketing and management and serves as a Faculty Advisor to the their CEO Chapter. Pam has more than 25 years of diversified experience in sales and marketing at the national and global level with a proven track record of success. Her industry expertise includes professional service firms and industrial and durable goods manufacturers ranging in size from start-ups to Fortune 100 corporations including Accenture and Tyco. She specializes in defining and executing go-to-market strategy, identifying and capitalizing on new product and market opportunities, building brand equity and creating viable sales enablement tools. Most recently Pam launched Soldes Partners, a sales and marketing advisory and consulting firm where she serves as one of the three Managing Partners.

PAMELA SHIELDS, Soldes Partners, LLP Pamela Shields has over 30 years of experience leading and managing new business start-ups, driving growth in mature businesses and turnarounds of branded niche manufacturing companies. She most recently served as the General Manager of Menu Inspirations (MI), with responsibility for both the Hors D’oeuvres and Desserts portfolios of this $200M HJ Heinz subsidiary. She successfully designed and implemented the strategic turnaround of the business, led the development of new innovative products and implemented a segmented approach to the marketplace. Prior to joining Heinz, she served as General Manager for Pactiv’s EZ Foil Division, leading the Hefty brand disposable foil pan business for grocery, mass and club channels. Pam also previously spent five years as a Principal with Opportunity Management, Inc., a strategic consulting and marketing firm servicing multiple industries including foodservice, packaging, confectionery, professional services, office furniture and steel doors and frames.

PARISSA BEHNIA, 678 Partners @parissab Parissa Behnia, the Idea Chef, helps companies whip up meals in strategy kitchens that sate customer appetites and make them come back for more. Parissa’s marketing education developed at American Express by pairing data and customer wants/needs while delivering profitable accounts. At Citi, Parissa developed her marketing expertise further by leading brand marketing, value proposition, product marketing and product development initiatives working with senior management. She was instrumental in improving top line and bottom line revenue performance. At RTC (a Wunderman agency), she cemented her strategic marketing and leadership expertise further by directing initiatives to grow a major financial services client’s business. Parissa is a proud Chicago Chapter Leader of 85 Broads, a global professional women’s organization. She holds a BA from Northwestern University and MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

PATRICK MUFFO, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP Patrick Muffo is a patent attorney for the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, where he focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution, specializing in obtaining patent protection for, among others, startup companies and young entrepreneurs. His litigation experience involves technology such as data storage techniques, selective laser sintering, digital display technology, consumer interfacing, and data encryption algorithms. Throughout his career, Mr. Muffo has worked on technologies such as software, hand and power tools, semiconductors, fuel cells, portable computers, barcode scanners, automotive devices, liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting diodes, sporting goods, business methods, xerographic technology, immersion lithography systems, and magnetic recording heads.

PHILIP BROWN, Brown Music Studios Philip Brown is a sought after trombonist and educator in the Chicago area. He has performed with many professional orchestras, including the South Bend Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Salt Creek Ballet company. He also has performed with many jazz and jobbing bands in the area, including Rob Parton’s jazz tech big band and John Records Landecker. Because of his passion for educating musicians, he maintains one of the largest teaching studios in the country, teaching 70 private low brass students on a weekly basis in the Chicago suburbs. Many of his students are members of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, which has been recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious youth orchestras. Mr. Brown regularly judges Illinois Music Educator Association and Illinois High School Association events. Mr. Brown offers master-classes in brass performance and brass pedagogy.

RAMAN CHADHA, The Junto Institute @RamanChadha Raman Chadha is founder of The Junto Institute, a progressive school that makes scale-up founders smarter and better by developing their leadership capabilities, emotional intelligence, and management skills. In addition to being an education entrepreneur, Raman is an entrepreneurship educator. As a Clinical Professor at DePaul University, where he launched and led the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center for many years, Raman teaches Lean Startup Lab, Business Model Development, and Entrepreneurship Strategy. He is a frequent speaker and blogger, advisor to a number of startups, and a graduate of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and the University of Illinois.

RISHI SHAH, ContextMedia Inc. @RishiShah Rishi Shah is the CEO and Founder of ContextMedia, whose products help patients with chronic conditions live healthier through contextually relevant media services. ContextMedia’s point-of-care and mobile media offerings are used by millions of patients monthly and count over half of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies as clients. As a successful entrepreneur and investor, Rishi has received many accolades, including Crain's 40 under 40. He serves on the boards of many early stage companies and civic organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Institute for Student Business Education at Northwestern University and as a mentor at Chicago's start-up incubator Excelerate Labs.

RONALD HICKLAND JR., Ebonite International @rhickland Ronald Hickland found engineering to be his passion, and at the age of 15 under the influence of his father, he developed a keen interest in bowling. He soon took a job at a pro shop drilling bowling balls and studying their motion. Now with 11 years in the industry, Ron designs all performance bowling balls for Ebonite, Hammer, Columbia, and Track brands, which make up 60% of the world’s supply of bowling balls. His rare expertise has taken him around the globe to Canada, Europe, Mexico, Singapore, Korea, Japan, and across the United States to give insight on the technical aspects of bowling and share his passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Among the newest and youngest faces of the STEM industry, Ron landed the cover of the May 2012 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine. His television appearances on the technical aspects of bowling balls have included ESPN, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Science Channel.

SETH BRUAN, Indestructible Success Ltd. @SethBraun Seth Braun is the author of over fifteen books. His first book Healthy, Fast and Cheap surprised the publisher by selling 25,000 copies in the first year in Border’s books. Mr. Braun fuses training in the arts with 18 years of diverse business and entrepreneurial experience. This unique twist on business sparks innovation in marketing, management and product development with clients internationally. Seth delivers speaking, training and consulting to small, medium and Fortune 100 companies. Braun’s latest book Indestructible Success lays the foundation for productive achievement by outlining a fresh perspective on timeless principles. His biggest accomplishment is staying active as a father and husband, while achieving results in his creative and entrepreneurial endeavors.

SETH FRANZ, Urban Brain and Body, LLC @UrbanBrainBody Seth Franz is the CEO of UBB Wellness Network, which he founded in January of 2013. Before launching UBB Wellness Network, Seth spent 6 years working in accounting and financing at Heitman Capital Management and Wells Fargo Bank. Marrying his accounting and finance background with his passion for wellness, Seth most recently founded Urban Brain & Body, a Chicago-based wellness center focused on strengthening the mind-body connection. In addition, he has co-founded Elliott Counseling, a mental health center in central Illinois, as well as ReachABA, an in-home autism counseling center located in Chicago.

SETH KRAVITZ, Technori / Bow Truss @SecondCityCEO Seth Kravitz is the co-founder of Technori (a publication that celebrates entrepreneurship) and Bow Truss (a premium coffee roasting company). After falling in love with the Chicago entrepreneur community Seth started mentoring at the Coleman Center at DePaul University, the Knapp Center at IIT, Excelerate Labs, and Code Academy. Seth started a web design firm out of his dorm room at Ohio State when he was 19 before co-founding InsuranceAgents.com in 2004. The company grew to a 65-person operation and reached number 24 on the Inc. 500 before being acquired by Bankrate (NYSE: RATE) in 2012.

SHARON BLADHOLM, Opal Glass Studio Sharon Bladholm has run Opal Glass Studios for over 30 years, originally focusing on glass art, but now encompassing much more. She has concurrently balanced running a studio with creating her own fine art, including sculptural works in bronze, glass, and ceramic, plus works on paper that are exhibited in galleries and museums. Sharon has been commissioned to create public art for the City of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Openlands. She has also created art installations in the Modern Art Museum of Bordeaux, France, as well as locally in the Garfield and Lincoln Park Conservatories.

SHREENA AMIN, PrettyQuick @Shreena23 Shreena Amin is COO of PrettyQuick, a platform that offers premiere salon and spa appointments at exclusive prices. Shreena is an operations and analytics guru and has led organizational change and growth in both the private and public sectors. At Chicago Public Schools she managed the turnaround of two of the worst high schools in the city. Previously, she served as Director of Budget and Operations for the 2008 Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. She began her career in JPMorgan’s investment banking group. Shreena has an MBA from the University Of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology from Northwestern University.

SONAL MANE, Microsoft @sonalpmane Sonal Mane is a Startup Portfolio Manager and is based in Chicago, IL leading Microsoft’s startup portfolio in the Midwest and Heartland region. She drives partnerships with incubators like TechStars Chicago and Catapult, co-lo facilities like 1871 and TechNexus, and other major Chicago-area institutions like Built In Chicago. She has been involved in US- and region-wide startup efforts like Startup weekend, Silicon Prairie News, TechCocktail and SxSW. Sonal has over eight years of experience in product development, leading cross-organization initiatives and managing multidisciplinary fast-paced teams, including seven years in Microsoft.

STU TAYLOR, Taylor Associates, Inc. Stu Taylor founded and operated the largest distributorship of commercial spin-off and movie-related fad merchandise in the US, including contributing to the success of merchandising products including Batman, The Simpsons, Ninja Turtles, Saturday Night Fever and Power Rangers, which catapulted him to national prominence in his field. Now, this radio host and networking guru is sharing with you tips to essential basics in networking, sales, and negotiation. These keys to entering the real business world will you with proven strategies and tactics to be successful.

TED GONDER, Moneythink @TedGonder Ted is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Moneythink, the only youth movement restoring the economic health of America through financial education. In addition to Moneythink, Ted has served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Department of Homeland Security, advising the Obama administration on immigration policy for foreign entrepreneurs. He has worked with the Kauffman Foundation and the Chilean government on transnational entrepreneurship initiatives, and has published research on the topic through MIT Press. Previously, Ted led a number of climate-change-related initiatives, most notably being appointed and serving as the student advisor to The Climate Project, an organization founded by Al Gore. He serves as the founding curator of the World Economic Forum's Chicago Global Shapers Hub, and in college he founded the University of Chicago Entrepreneurship Society.

TIM HUNTLEY, An Entrepreneurial Life @TimSHuntley Tim Huntley is the former CEO of Ganymede Software, a venture-backed company that raised $10 million in equity financing, grew to 100 people, and was acquired by NetIQ. He is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Triangle Startup Factory where he mentors early-stage startups, and he is an active angel investor. Tim recently founded An Entrepreneurial Life, a website that provides news and feature stories about collegiate entrepreneurs and companies.

TOM GIMBEL, LaSalle Network @TomGimbel Tom Gimbel is the Founder & CEO of LaSalle Network, a Chicago-based $35+ million staffing firm. Founded in 1998, LaSalle has served thousands of clients and candidates, placing job seekers in temporary, temporary-to-permanent and permanent positions. At 26, he left his employer to create Chicago’s first Account & Finance staffing firm. Today, LaSalle has four offices and various business units, including: technology, administrative, call center, human resources, marketing and executive search. Tom was a 2009 Crain's Chicago Business “40 Under 40” honoree and inducted in the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2010. He holds a BA from the University of Colorado.

TOM WALTER, Tasty Catering @TomWalter1971 Tom Walter, CEO of Chicago-area Tasty Catering, has been a business owner for over forty years. During this time, he has started twenty-nine companies and acquired three. He remains a principal in nine of those companies, six of which were co-founded by his staff. Tasty Catering has won local, regional, and national awards for employee culture, engagement, and catering excellence. Tom is a member of the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, Midwest Academy of Management and the Academy of Management. Tom is a co-author of a book on Employee Engagement, titled It’s My Company Too! Visit Tom’s website at thomasjwalter.com.

WAYNE KOSTROSKI, Taste of the NFL @TasteoftheNFL Wayne Kostroski, the 2010 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year, is founder of Taste of the NFL, a non-profit organization that raises awareness and dollars for hunger relief. Entering its 23rd year, Taste of the NFL has distributed in excess of $14 million for local and national food banks across America. Mr. Kostroski has been a successful restaurateur, entrepreneur and philanthropist for over 25 years. A well-known Twin Cities’ restaurateur, Kostroski is co-owner of Cuisine Concepts, which includes Bar Abilene and Franklin Street Bakery. His entrée into the industry began in the late 1970s, and since then has played an instrumental role at several of the Twin Cities’ premier dining establishments, including, Tejas and Goodfellow’s.

ZOE DAMACELA, Zoё Damacela Apparel @ZoeDamacela Zoe Damacela, a Northwestern University Sophomore, has spent her life starting and maintaining entrepreneurial businesses with little assistance from parents or teachers. Her current business, Zoe Damacela Apparel, promises "Beautiful Clothes for Beautiful People", but Zoe’s true contribution to society seems to be her dedication and deep-rooted belief in the development of young talent, small business and the importance of grass-roots marketing. At age eight, she began her first business venture with homemade greeting cards. Thank you cards and invitations evolved into a general interest in art, and soon she was showing her work in small art shows in the city of Chicago. As she began her first year at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, she also launched her current apparel line using profits from previous business ventures. Although greatly supported by her mother, Zoe was encouraged from a young age that she would have to jumpstart and operate her businesses on her own. Zoe’s entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond the scope of her own business ventures to youth and innovation across the nation, as she has attended Bill Clinton's Global Initiative in New York City and has been a keynote speaker for President Barack Obama's Start Up America Initiative. Even Tyra Banks featured her on her talk show, "Tyra," when Zoe was 17. Zoe is also involved with the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship and speaks with students and uses her real world experience and success to encourage others to follow their passion for innovation and business.