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A. Russell Schindler, P.G.
TCNewTech Founder, SampleServe, CEO
Russell Schindler is a serial entrepreneur. His most recent start-up is SampleServe.com, a company specializing environmental sampling, data automation and environmental reporting. Russell also founded but has since sold Nauti-Cat Cruises, Inc and Compliance, Inc. an environmental engineering company with offices in Detroit and Traverse City. Russell is a Certified Professional Geologist and a graduate of Western Michigan University. Russell holds 5 patents and 1 patent pending related to groundwater clean-up and environmental sampling. Russell is also an avid sailor and has completed 15 Chicago to Mackinaw races and 8 Port Huron to Mackinaw races.
Keith E. Kelly
Program Manager | 20Fathoms
Keith has been making things his entire life. In his earlier years, he created solutions using electronics and software. As his teaching career matured, Keith used the same problem-solving abilities to improve educational systems and curriculum. In response to the emerging trends in Internet of Things, Keith has created IoT, Python, and Electronic Devices training leveraging his IoT Greenhouse model. Most recently, Keith has joined the 20Fathoms team and will be delivering experiential workshops and facilitating professional development opportunities for area software developers through an employer-collaborative grant awarded by Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency. As a TCNewTech board member he continues his focus on agile processes and works to develop additional educational opportunities supporting our startup community.
Ben Marshall, MS
IT STRATEGY CONSULTANT
Ben Marshall is an IT Strategy consultant and Leader. Coming from San Antonio Texas where he began his career at USAA where he learned how a mature IT department operates, Ben and his family relocated to Traverse City in 2016. Ben uses that knowledge to consult, advise, and mentor executives globally. As an IT leader, Ben has advised many large and small companies on anything from technical and business solutions to procurement strategies. He has also mentored entire sales teams on the process of relationship and challenger selling as the IT Industry while it reinvents itself through abstraction and consumption. Ben has an Under Graduate Degree in Computer Science and a Master of Science in IT Management.
Josh Kent
CEO & Founder, Sunfrog.com
Josh Kent is a serial entrepreneur, CEO and founder of SunFrog.com; the globally leading online t-shirt platform, philanthropist, industry disruptor and a spokesperson for those striving for life and professional greatness. Featured on Inc.com, CMO.com, Influencive.com and in Forbes & Crains, Josh Kent has been listed as one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs to Watch, and was honored as one of Michigan’s Top 50 Business Entrepreneurs of the year.
Jamie Kemler
VP, IP Business Strategy at Stryker
Jamie is responsible for the development and execution of Stryker’s enterprise-wide IP business strategy to include monetization activities and relationships with technology transfer and licensing/venture offices of global universities and hospitals.
Benson S. Munger, PhD
Consultant/Medical Specialty Development
I am active in the development of new medical specialties and have been involved in several start-up organizations in the medical and non-medical fields. I serve on several Traverse City volunteer boards and I am a member of Northern Michigan Angels.
Kelly Ignace
Marketing Contractor
I've lived many lives, including 10 years in high end residential landscape design, 13 years in the waste industry, and the last 6 years as an independent contractor for marketing and business development projects. I love Traverse City, and I love the tech nuts who live here.
Michael Naughton
North Coast Legal, PLC
Michael Naughton is an attorney and partner at North Coast Legal, PLC. He is one of the leading legal authorities on digital privacy, corporate privacy compliance and electronic communication and has successfully argued at the United States Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Ashley Sloat, Ph.D., Patent Agent
President and Owner of Aurora Consulting LLC
Ashley has provided patent strategy services to startups in Silicon Valley, nationwide, and internationally for the last five years. Her areas of expertise include digital health, IoT, medical devices, consumer products, and biotech. Prior to Aurora, Ashley was a scientific writing consultant and technology licensing assistant at the U of M. She received her Ph.D. from the U of M in the biomedical sciences.
Jenny Craig
Data-driven Marketing Agency, Owner & ANalyst
Jenny L. Craig has been in the digital marketing, and technical space since the 90’s. Positions and experience held include Board Chair, Business Owner, Director, and ROI Analyst for Fortune 500 Global Corporation Executives. Experience with million dollar corporate marketing budgets, all the way down to count-every-penny non-profit sized budgets. www.plantosucceed.org
Camille Hoisington
Dan mastromonaco
justin blanchard
russ ryba
Tim Heger
STAFF
SARAH HUNT, RPL
Development Director
With an extensive background in the energy industry, Sarah has worked to develop and manage projects across the United States. She’s a power house who uses her expertise to help develop and deliver the latest in connectivity services to businesses. As a community leader, Sarah has been involved in organizations, such as TCNewTech, which works to cultivate tech focused business opportunities in the Traverse City area.
MATT RONEY
event manager
BRIAN BRENEMAN
accountant
Brian Breneman is the co-founder and managing director of DGN Advisory, LLC. He uses his nearly three decades of extensive experience to provide advisory and consulting services to businesses of all sizes. From startups to mature large companies or even those facing a crisis, Brian has seen it and done it. Ten years in public accounting, 8 years as corporate CFO, and 9 years as an entrepreneur have given him a unique perspective. Focused on using solid business strategy to drive value, he can help companies in many industries to take advantage of opportunities or solve issues they face. Brian personally specializes in consulting services focused on strategy design and implementation, value enhancement, business valuations, start-ups, financing and capital raises, complex financial issues, transactional mergers and acquisitions, insolvency and restructuring, and other finance areas. He is an operational finance expert who has run operations and led operational excellence initiatives using Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing techniques.