Jack Ahrens
General Partner
TGap Ventures
Jack is a founding General Partner of TGap Venture Capital Fund, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. TGap is a $20 million early stage, Midwest focused venture capital fund established in August of 2002. Jack has been a venture capitalist and fund administrator since 1979; first as President of United Capital Corporation of Illinois (an SBIC), since 1983 as a General Partner of Pathfinder Venture Capital Funds I,II, III. Prior to that he had seven years of experience in bank trust investments and operations. He became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in 1982 and has advanced training at the American Institute of Banking, NASBIC Management Institute, and Stanford Advance Management College. In recent years at Pathfinder, in addition to traditional venture investment responsibilities Jack has been the administrator of the Partnerships, Pathfinder's in-house systems expert, and has managed the firm's exits from portfolio investments that were sold or distributed. He has served on many Boards during his career including Afmedica, Inc., Central Data, Inc., Micro Business Applications, Inc., MedVantx, Inc., MinuteClinic, Inc., and he is the Chairman of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur Quest. He is a graduate of Indiana University.
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David Brandon
President and Chief Executive Officer
Domino's Pizza
As Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's Pizza, David A. Brandon is creating positive energy and growing profits at the corporation, through an upbeat approach to leadership, and an overall message to his team members in the form of the company vision: "Exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world!" Brandon has led this charge at Domino's since March 1999, when he was recruited to succeed the company's founder after his retirement and sale of the company to Bain Capital, a Boston-based private equity investment firm.
Upon joining the company, Brandon announced plans to grow sales and profits by honoring the company's roots of efficient menu preparation and delivery, while overlaying a team spirit of "smart hustle" and innovation. Profits have increased dramatically under his leadership, through improved customer satisfaction scores, lower employee turnover and product improvement. Brandon has assembled a strong leadership team, with deep knowledge of the quick-serve restaurant industry combined with specialty skill sets that creates balanced strategic decision-making at Domino's.
Brandon described his strategic plan for the company: "Domino's is one of America's most recognized brands, with a heritage of over 45 years of undisputed dominance in the business of pizza delivery. I'm committed to maintaining and surpassing this high standard through ongoing store growth, flawless operations and making Domino's the employer of choice in the quick-serve restaurant industry. What gets measured gets done. In this way, we will build upon our already strong business, and continue to drive sales, profits and overall value for our shareholders." In July 2004, Brandon led the successful completion of Domino's initial public offering, which was the largest quick service restaurant IPO in history.
Prior to Domino's, Brandon served as Chairman, President and CEO of Valassis, an international marketing services and sales promotion company. After building an industry-leading sales and marketing organization over his 20-year tenure, Brandon led the process of taking Valassis public in 1992. Valassis is a mid-cap NYSE-listed company, and began its acclaim as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America under Brandon's leadership.
Prior to joining Valassis, Brandon worked in sales management at Procter & Gamble's Food Products Division. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was a member of three Big 10 champion football teams, under legendary Coach Bo Schembechler.
Brandon is a member of the Board of Directors of Burger King Corporation, TJX Companies (the parent of T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, A.J. Wright and HomeGoods stores), Kaydon Corporation, and Detroit Renaissance. He also serves on JP Morgan's National Advisory Board. In 1998, Brandon won a statewide election to serve an eight-year term as a Regent of the University of Michigan. He serves on a number of Southeast Michigan-based civic and charitable boards, and is also a National Advisory Board Member of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
A native of Michigan, Dave Brandon resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, Jan. The Brandons have three adult sons, Scott, Nick and Chris, and a daughter, Carli.
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Carol Cain
Detroit Free Press Politics and Business Columnist
Editorial Director at CBS Detroit and CW 50
Carol Cain is a columnist at the Detroit Free Press presently covering politics and business. Her columns appear every Sunday in the Free Press' Business Section. She has also written extensively about small business and entrepreneurs in her column that was nationally syndicated to other papers.
She also is editorial and community affairs director of CBS/CW 50 and hosts a weekly TV show "Michigan Matters" about business and politics where she interviews business and political leaders. Among recent guests: GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Daimler executive Dieter Zetsche, Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, ePrize CEO Josh Linkner, SBA Richard Temkin, WSU Small Business expert Ed King, Cong. John Dingell, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, DMC CEO Mike Duggan, Skillman Foundation President Carol Goss, Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings and former Ford President Jim Padilla and Geely CEO Shufu Li.
Carol joined the Free Press in 1993 as Assistant Business Editor where she coordinated the paper's daily business news coverage. In 1996, she was named Assistant National Editor and coordinated the paper's coverage of presidential elections as well as international and national issues such as the Iraq war.
Since 2005, she has also written numerous articles and columns about Michigan companies big and small doing business in China
Prior to her tenure at the Free Press, Carol served as Business Editor of the Toledo Blade. She also worked as a business reporter and columnist at The Detroit News where she wrote a weekly business column. She also worked as a reporter and editor at United Press International's Detroit bureau where she covered business, politics, automotive and sports.
In addition to her print journalism background, Carol enjoys extensive experience in broadcast journalist. Carol appears on other regional and national radio and TV networks such as CNN and C-span talking about business, politics, and community issues.
She is active in the community, hosting and appearing at numerous organization's events during the year including: the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Michigan Business and Professional Association, the Michigan Political Leadership, the Women's Economic Club and more.
She was host of the Michigan Chronicle's highly touted "Pancakes and Politics" series of breakfasts in 2006 and 2007 -- which aired on "Michigan Matters" on CBS and CW 50. Participants included: Gov. Granholm, Dick Devos, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, Strategic Staffing Solutions CEO Cindy Paskey and other leading figures from business, education and politics.
Carol received her B.A. in communications from Michigan State University. In 1999, she received her MBA from the University of Michigan.
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Terry Cross
Founder
Windward Associates, LLC
After graduating from Wayne State University in 1964 with an MBA in Finance, Terry began his career with an 8-year stint in the machine tool industry. In 1968 he founded CP Systems Company and sold it in 1972 to a NYSE listed company for more than $10.0 million.
From 1972 until 1998, Terry worked for Kidder, Peabody and its successor, PaineWebber Inc. first as a stockbroker and then in the investment banking area focusing on business generation. During his tenure, he worked in Detroit, New York City and for the last nine years in San Francisco covering companies and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. In 1998 he left Paine Webber and co-founded Sonoma Photonics where he led an $11.0 million venture financing and successful launch of the company. He served as Chairman and CEO until returning to Michigan in 2002.
Terry has served as director of 12 companies as well as Chairman of 3 companies. Over forty years he has invested 44 venture deals including the following that became publicly traded: Novell, DSC Communications, Napster, Pay Pal, Inkotomi, Warehouse Club and he was a first round investor in Google. Terry also served for three years on the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity at MIT and helped launch three companies from MIT's Tech Transfer Department. He currently serves as Board Chairman of Green Daisy, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a Director of Monarch Antenna, a Delphi Corporation spinout.
Since returning to Michigan, he founded Windward Associates to assist young companies in connecting and growing in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Michigan. Terry serves on the board of directors for Great Lakes Angels and The Entrepreneurial Initiative of Southeast Michigan, and Board of Visitors of Wayne State's Business School where he was named Outstanding Alumni for 2005 and Executive in Residence for Entrepreneurship.
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Toby Dahm
First Vice President
Hennessey Capital
Toby Dahm serves as First Vice President for Hennessey Capital. In this role, he assists in business development, with primary responsibility for underwriting and managing Hennessey's asset based loans.
Toby has over 20 years of experience in commercial lending. His career began with Michigan National Bank in 1986. At Michigan National, Toby held positions in credit management and portfolio administration, including traditional lending, troubled loan workouts, and asset based lending. In 1995, Toby joined Crestmark Bank. During his 10 year career at Crestmark, Toby's responsibilities covered underwriting, portfolio management, marketing and product development.
In addition to his commercial lending career, Toby has experience as an entrepreneur. He was a founding member of Steeplechase Software, an Ann Arbor Michigan based start up company that developed and sold software for industrial automation. Steeplechase was sold to Scheider Automation in 2000.
Toby received a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Michigan State University in 1985, and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Michigan in 1993. He was a member of the winning team in the 1993 University of Michigan Pryor Award contest for best business plan. He has also served as a coach for the Art of Leadership, which provides leadership training for disadvantaged youth. Toby is active in the leadership of a local church.
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Barry Demp
President
Demp Coaching
Barry Demp is a highly successful business and executive coach based in Troy, Michigan. As a coach of over 1000 individuals during the past 14 years, Barry has earned the distinction of Master Certified Coach (MCC) from the International Coach Federation (ICF). He works with executives, business owners, and high-potential professionals to help them significantly increase their performance, productivity, profitability, and life balance.
EXPERTISE
Barry's workshops, seminars, speaking engagements, and customized coaching programs foster a comprehensive and holistic approach to individual and organizational development through assuring practical applications on both professional and personal levels.
His customized coaching programs range from small entrepreneurial ventures to a variety of projects with mid-sized and large organizations.
SPECIALIZED SKILLS
- Engaging public speaking
- Innovative training delivery
- Articulate and intuitive communication
- Efficient planning
- Client engagement activist
- Culture change facilitator
INVOLVEMENT
Barry Demp is the local president of the ICF and spends much of his time helping individuals and organizations master the leadership, management, communication, and coaching skills needed in today's competitive and rapidly changing world. He conducts workshops and speaks frequently to groups in Southeastern Michigan on coaching, leadership, management, mastering successful relationships, sales effectiveness, and life-balance issues.
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Judy Johncox
Venture Development Director
Wayne State University
Judy M. Johncox, Director for Venture Development at Wayne State University, has a well-established track record at evaluating research-based, academic technology for commercialization and business development. She manages the strategic planning and business concept development for transitioning WSU technologies into start-up companies, as well as attracts the management and investment resources for applicable start-up companies. Ms. Johncox assists with Federal SBIR/STTR grant strategy planning. She collaborates with WSU's School of Business to create interdisciplinary teams of graduate students to evaluate for commercial viability current WSU research projects. Ms. Johncox holds a M.A. degree in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University and a B.A. degree from Eastern Michigan University.
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Ed King
Assistant Director · Small Business Programs
Wayne State University
Edward F. King, author of the books Running a PROFITable Small Business and Starting a PROFITable Small Business, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who has been teaching small business workshops for over 25 years. During this time, he has helped thousands of small business owners deal with a variety of business problems. Mr. King recently completed work on the Profit Forecaster/Analyzer, which took over 2 years to develop. This computer program will help the small business owner move away from "crisis management" through financial projections.
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Antonio Luck
Adams Fellow
Delphi Corporation
Antonio Luck is an advisor to the Wayne State University MBA Association and co-chair of business for the Detroit Young Professionals. As an Adams Entrepreneur Fellow, Luck serves Delphi by managing Business Development and Intellectual Property Analysis. In April 2007 he had an integral role in the launch of Monarch Antenna Inc., a new technology company created by Delphi in partnership with Michigan State University and Automation Alley to commercialize its novel Monarch Self Structuring Antenna Technology. Antonio Luck was born in Brazil and received degrees from universities in his home country in law from Faculdade De Direito Curitiba and in civil engineering from Universidade Federal Paraná. He is a certified engineer and a licensed lawyer in Brazil and has been serving as an advisor to the president of Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná for more than five years. During this period Luck acquired extensive entrepreneurial work experience in Brazil. He was involved in creating the Project Office and the Intellectual Property in the University Tuiuti of Paraná. Lück is Wayne State University MBA alumni. During the 2006 E2detroit Conference competition, his team developed a business plan and created a marketable product. He won the title "exceptional entrepreneur." In 2007 Antonio became a member of the E2detroit Student Advisory Board and presented a panel at this same conference.
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Mark Lundquist
President
Fulcrum Edge
Mark is the Founder, President and CEO of Fulcrum Edge, Inc. He spent fifteen years in the aerospace and defense arena before coming to Detroit twelve years ago to work in the automotive and manufacturing industries. In the corporate world he was brought in to implement change, restructuring, turnarounds, and help companies grow their business. He held executive-level positions with Grimes Aerospace, Valcor, Vickers, Bosch Rexroth and Norgren. Six years ago he formed Fulcrum Edge, to develop state-of-the-art business plans, help with deal-making, and lead companies through growth and change.
Mark is a mentor to Detroit's TechTown and Ann Arbor SPARK, and sits on the advisory boards for Hydro Designs and U.S. Energy Systems. He is frequently requested by State Representatives to speak on the business climate in Michigan and has addressed other venues such as Automation Alley and E2detroit on business and finance matters. Mark is also a contributing business writer to the publications of Michigan Small Tech, Michigan's micro- and nanotechnology association. He has a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, holds a patent for an aerospace product and is currently authoring a book on international railroad locomotive design.
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Terry Beltran Miller
President
Vista Latino
Terry Beltran-Miller is a senior marketing professional with over 16 years of experience and an MBA in Marketing and Management. Beltran-Miller has experience with multicultural marketing for the Hispanic, Women, Youth, Mobility, and other international markets, as well as for the general U.S. marketplace. Areas of expertise include integrated marketing plan development and execution, sales programs, strategic planning, advertising, direct marketing, customer relationship management entertainment marketing, sponsorships and promotions, international marketing, web design, and market research.
Terry Beltran-Miller formerly was with General Motors and Univision. She has worked with several globally recognized organizations including the National Basketball Association, Walt Disney Corporation, PBS, Intel, BabyCenter.com, The Council of Fashion Designers, and World Wide Productions entertainment.
In 2002, Ms. Beltran-Miller served as Chairwoman of Automation Alley's GLIMA - Great Lakes Interactive Marketing Association. She served as the Marketing Chair for the 2005 Hispanic Business Alliance Exposition and Economic Summit and served as Vice President of Memberships in 2006 and in 2007 as the President for the National Society of Hispanic MBA's Detroit Chapter.
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David Morris
Executive Director
Oracle Capital
David Morris is a founder and managing partner of Oracle Capital Partners, LLC, a private equity firm headquartered in Detroit, Michigan that invests in emerging domestic market firms. His responsibilities include generating deal flow, conducting due diligence on prospective transactions and managing portfolio company investments. Prior to OCP, David was an investment banker with UBS Warburg, focusing on mergers and acquisitions transactions in the firm’s New York and Tokyo offices.
Previously, David was an assistant vice president in the Corporate Business Banking Group at AmSouth Bank and a banking officer at Hibernia National Bank. He began his career at First Commerce Corporation, where he prepared financial analyses and provided origination support to the bank's senior lending officers and private equity group.
David received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Duke University and earned his MBA at Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he was designated a Morton A. Aldrich Scholar. An alumnus of the Venture Capital Institute, he is a member of the Investment Review Board for the Michigan Pre-seed Capital Fund, which provides early stage capital to high-tech start-up companies throughout the state of Michigan. He also serves on the Board of Visitors of the Wayne State University School of Business.
In 2007, David was selected to Diversity MBA Magazine's Top 50 Under 50 Corporate Executives List and to Crain's Business Detroit's Top 40 Under 40 List.
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Jayson Pankin
New Venture Creation Specialist
Delphi Technologies, Inc.
Jayson leads Delphi Technologies, Inc.'s commercialization activities targeting spin-outs of potential "game changing technologies" into start-up companies. This includes creating internal incubators and external ventures, such as the spin-out of SpaceForm, Inc. to commercialize a revolutionary metal welding technology, called Deformation Resistance Welding which promises to impact the design and manufacture of vehicle spaceframes and components. SpaceForm recently was awarded the Michigan Technology Leaders' Award for Corporate Partnerships. Jayson is developing a pipeline of disruptive technologies as candidates for future spinout, including the smart antennas, infrared sensors, hydrogen storage and application software innovations.
For over twenty-five years, Jayson has been a venture partner specializing in early stage and turnaround situations. He has started and participated in new ventures in a variety of industries: biotechnology, material sciences, retail, insurance, software, manufacturing and packaging. He has worked with numerous universities and Fortune 1,000 companies to acquire emerging technologies and form commercialization partnerships to grow new products and companies. He was a founder of Titan Auto, Inc., one of the largest insurance companies in Michigan and has advanced the commercialization of artificial blood and biological therapies for cancer and other serious illnesses. He started a non-profit foundation in Russia that used the broadcast media to disseminate pro-democracy motion pictures throughout the former Soviet Union. He earned his BBA in Accounting and MBA in International Business at the George Washington University.
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Nipa Shah
President
Jenesys Group
Nipa, the founder and CEO ofJenesys Group, LLC, is an entrepreneur with creative ideas, and a leader and a visionary who leads with action and who plans for the future.
Graduating from Lawrence Technological University with a Master's degree in Information Technology and Business, Nipa is responsible for the development of the strategic direction of the company and for the formation of alliance partnerships to grow it internationally.
Nipa brings more than 17 years of Automotive background working for 12 years in the Information Technology field as a leader responsible for overseeing a systems portfolio of more than $20M.
She began her marketing career in 2001 and as an online marketing expert, she excels in getting client websites ranked high in leading search engines. She spends a lot of time with her clients ensuring that they understand search engine optimization and how it affects the performance of the website as an online lead generation tool.
As a Michigan SEO consultant and president of an SEO services company, Nipa focuses on applying online marketing strategies that are designed to grow your online business.
Nipa speaks at business events and conferences explaining how businesses can benefit search engine optimization and related online marketing solutions.
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Mary Ellen Sheets
President and Chief Executive Officer
Two Men and A Truck International
Mary Ellen Sheets is the founder and chief executive officer of Two Men And A Truck located in Lansing, Mich.
While still in high school in the early 1980s, Mary Ellen's two sons Brig and Jon Sorber started a small moving business to earn extra spending money. They used an old pickup truck and advertised for business in a local newspaper with an ad that began, "Two Men and a Truck." She drew a logo for their business that is still used today.
After her sons left for college, Mary Ellen kept receiving calls for their services, so she purchased an old moving truck for $350 and hired two movers. The business grew steadily and Mary Ellen's entrepreneurial spirit became well known in the Lansing area. In 1988, when Mary Ellen was serving on a panel for Michigan State University's business school, she became interested in the opportunities franchising offered her business after speaking to a fellow panelist. Mary Ellen awarded the first franchise to her daughter, Melanie Bergeron, a year later.
By 1989 Mary Ellen had developed her sons' business into the first and only local moving franchise in the country. Today, there are more than 150 Two Men And A Truck locations in 27 states. Two Men And A Truck is the fifth largest moving company in the United States. Mary Ellen considers herself fortunate to have her daughter, Melanie Bergeron, as president and C.O.O. of Two Men And A Truck, and sons Brig and Jon Sorber, the original "two men," actively involved in franchise operations today.
Mary Ellen is amazed by her accomplishments. "When I look back, I can't believe this all happened," she says. "I am in shock and so grateful. I definitely think this is the American dream. We live in a wonderful country."
A key portion of Mary Ellen's business model is to give back to the community. Always active in local service projects, Two Men And A Truck 's commitment to the community began with Mary Ellen Sheets. At the end of her first year in business, Mary Ellen was ecstatic that she had made $1,000 and decided to donate the money, giving $100 to 10 different charities.
Additionally, Mary Ellen is a long-time supporter of many organizations, such as: Habitat for Humanity; the United Way of America; the YMCA; the Greater Lansing Food Bank; the Potter Park Zoo; the Michigan Vietnam Monument Organization; and the American Cancer Society.
Mary Ellen has been honored with many awards as the founder of Two Men And A Truck. Among them are the International Franchise Association's 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year Award-Mary Ellen was the first woman to receive this honor; 2004 Michigan Women's Foundation Women of Achievement and Courage Award; 2002 Athena Award; the 1999 Working Women's 500 Congress; Working Women's 1999 Best Employer Regional Finalist; 1998 Blue Chip Award; 1995 Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year Award; 1994 Top 25 Michigan Business Woman of the Year; and 1993 Lansing Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year. Two Men And A Truck has also been highlighted in several books, including: What's Luck Got to Do With It?; Start Small-Finish Big; Women Entrepreneurs Only; Glorious Accidents, and Millionaire Women.
Eager to encourage others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, Mary Ellen has been a speaker on numerous occasions, including for Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, Wake Forest University, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the Michigan Women's Attorney Association, to name a few. She has also presented an overview of Two Men And A Truck at the International Franchise Association's Franchisor Forum at McDonald's University. Mary Ellen has been featured in such publications as the Franchise Times, the National Enquirer, and was profiled on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
In addition to her position as founder and chief executive officer of Two Men And A Truck, Mary Ellen serves on the boards of the International Franchise Association; Michigan Chamber of Commerce; Michigan Freedom Foundation; M-LAW (Michigan Law Abuse Watch); Sparrow Hospital; and is a commissioner on the Michigan Truck Safety Commission.
Prior to starting Two Men And A Truck, Mary Ellen worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst for the State of Michigan for 20 years.
A native of Michigan, Mary Ellen attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
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Richard Temkin
District Director · Michigan District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
Richard Temkin is the Michigan District Director of the U. S. Small Business Administration. He was appointed in March, 2004 after serving as acting director for nearly two years.
Mr. Temkin is responsible for the delivery of all SBA programs and services in the state, including the SBA guaranty loan program, which is delivered through more than 100 lenders; the government contracting and minority enterprise development programs; and oversight of the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, SCORE, and Women's Business Centers.
The Michigan District Office, which covers all 83 counties in the state, is located in Detroit and has a staff of 16 employees. From fiscal years 2002 to 2006, Michigan had the greatest increase in guaranteed loans of any district office in the country.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Temkin had served as Deputy District Director for the Michigan District Office since moving to Michigan in 1981. He began his federal career in 1968 with the SBA in Washington, D. C. after receiving his MBA from Columbia University. He has also worked for the Agency in Cleveland and Chicago as the supervisor of the management assistance programs.
Mr. Temkin is married, has three children, and lives in Farmington Hills.
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