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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.
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.
Casey Cowell
Principal, Boomerang Catapult, LLC
I did a startup on a shoestring with friends from college in 1976 in Chicago. I've been involved in Tech investing and startups ever since. My primary focus is on startups and early stage companies located in the Traverse City area. I'm involved in many investing, philanthropic and civic activities and serve locally on the boards of Munson Healthcare, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities and 20Fathoms.
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.
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 5 years as an independent contractor for marketing and business development projects. I love Traverse City, and I love the tech nuts who live here.
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
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.
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.