2013 Lectures in Entrepreneurship:

March - April 2013:  Every Wednesday, 6:30 pm & 8:00 pm, in the Gore Auditorium.

ALL LECTURES ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Westminster students can take the course for credit or join us for the experience.

 

2013 Speakers:

Jana Francis -- March 6; 8:00pm:

Steven Bain -- March 13; 6:30pm:

Steven Bain holds a BA in Finance and an MBA from the University of Utah. He also completed Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurial Tool Kit Program in 2001. After a career at Cellular One, he founded Utah Cellular and Communications, the first of Cellular One/AT&T Wireless dealers in the Salt Lake market. Having served as a member of the National Reseller Advisory Board for Apple since June of 2008, he now serves as Chair of that board. Bain is the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Simply Mac.

 

Teresa Miller -- March 13; 8:00pm:

Upon returning to St Louis, Teresa Miller was disappointed she could no longer find the same high-quality natural pet food she had in New York City. Seizing an opportunity, she and her husband created Treats Unleashed. Thanks to her original taste tester, Max, as well as Mia and Cooper, the company has grown from a mall kiosk to a thriving business with more than 45 employees, seven retail locations, and a wholesale and online business. Teresa shares her expertise: merchandise selection/management, helping customers make educated decisions, and customer service in a “show rooming” environment.

 

Mike Petroff -- March 20; 6:30pm:

Mike Petroff is a specialist at building new business units inside of existing corporations. As Chief Operating Officer at Deseret Digital Media, he was responsible for the launch of KSL Deals, KSL Local and the new KSL Digital Agency. Most recently, Mike launched MDCS (MoneyDesktop Consulting Services) the professional services business unit inside of MoneyDesktop. Mike will provide key insights into the importance of treating intrepreneurial launches such as new products and business units in much the same way new businesses are launched. 

 

Shannon Bahrke Happe -- March 20; 8:00pm:

Born and raised in Lake Tahoe, Shannon Bahrke moved to Salt Lake City in 1998, made the US Ski Team, and competed in the Winter Olympic Games. She competed on six World Championship teams, three Olympic teams, brought home two Olympic Medals, seven World Cup Wins, one Overall World Cup Title, and six National Titles. In 2008, Shannon and her husband created Silver Bean Coffee Co, which roasts and distributes coffee nationwide. They also own two coffee shops and are working diligently to make a dent in the Starbucks dynasty! 

 

Alan Martin -- March 27; 6:30pm:

While still a college student, Alan Martin founded CampusBookRentals in 2007. With credit cards and investments from early believers, CampusBookRentals grew from its humble beginnings to one of the fastest growing companies in the nation, delivering textbooks and technology to students and bookstores across the nation and employing more than 120 people in Ogden, Utah. Inc. magazine recognized it as the fastest growing company in the education industry and the seventeenth fastest growing company in the nation overall. Forbes named CampusBookRentals one of Americas Most Promising Companies.

 

 Jeremy Hanks -- March 27; 8:00pm:

Founder and CEO of DropShip Commerce, Jeremy Hanks also cofounded Doba. While CEO there, he bootstrapped Doba’s growth more than 3,000 percent from 2003 to 2006, earning a #23 ranking on the Inc. 500, a #1 on the Utah 100 (fastest growing company in Utah), a four-time winner in Utah Business’s “Best Companies to Work For,” and a finalist in the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He is also the founder of LaunchUp.org, which focuses on “barn raising” monthly events for entrepreneurs in Utah and Las Vegas.

 

 Tami Cromar -- April 3; 6:30pm:

Have you heard, “If it doesn’t taste good, it doesn’t belong in your mouth?”  If so, you already know Tami Cromar’s mantra.  Disillusioned with the architectural design industry, Tami took her IRA funds plus her talent for cookie-making and created a bakery: RubySnap.  After a dust-up with a corporate bully over the company’s former name drew extensive media attention, Whole Foods came calling and the media happily spread the word.  Almost three successful years later, her mantra remains the same – and her customers relish every single bite. 

 

Lyn Christian -- April 3; 8:00pm:

Called a “woman of courage” and “the coach’s coach,” Lyn Christian holds a degree in education from Brigham Young University, a Master Coach Certification from the International Coach Federation, and coaching certificates from Franklin Covey and Marshall Goldsmith’s elite executive coach training. Named “Fittest Female Executive–50 and Over” by Utah Business magazine, she has appeared on Hair Designer TV, 30 Minutes of Wisdom with the Enlightened Network, and on a John Maxwell Mastermind group. You’ll also find more about Lyn in past issues of American Salon and Wasatch Woman magazines. 

 

 

Steve Gibson -- April 10; 6:30pm:

Stephen W. Gibson is an entrepreneur, mentor, investor, philanthropist, author, and professor, yet his greatest joy is working with fledging entrepreneurs in the US, the Philippines, and Mexico.  After selling Inc. 500 medical oxygen company, he spent nearly two decades building young entrepreneurs.  He founded the Academy for Creating Enterprise (stopRMpoverty.org), to help returned LDS missionaries in developing nations.  Today, the organization has graduated for than 4,000 people, and most have started their own small businesses.  Gibson and his wife, Bette, were honored in 2008 by BYU as the social innovators of the year.

 

Jeremi Brewer -- April 10; 6:30pm:

Jeremi Brewer, PhD, graduated from Texas A&M University.  His dissertation, titled Entrepreneurship, Culture, and Poverty in Developing Nations, emphasized the need for entrepreneurship to combat poverty.  In December 2010, he moved to Mexico City and replicated the Academy for Creating Enterprise.  He is now the Executive Director for Global Operations of the academy based in Provo, Utah.  Dr. Brewer is currently conduction post-doctoral research in the Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance and leading the Micro-Enterprise Education Initiative that teaches about the common challenges in enterprise.

 

Rick White -- April 10; 8:00pm:

Rick White is the co-founder of Fusion-io, a computer hardware and software systems company that designs and manufactures a new memory tier based on NAND flash memory technology.  The company was named the second most promising IT company by the Wall Street Journal in March 2010.  White’s extensive executive-level experience in IT includes positions with multiple organizations: DAZ Productions (3-D graphics), Forum Systems, a developer of SML enterprise messaging systems, and Phobos Corporation, a developer of PCi-based switching and load balancing technology for data centers.

 

Adam Comey -- April 17; 6:30pm:

One of the most successful telemark skiers in the world, Adam Comey, and a US and World Extreme Skiing Champion, Dave Swanwick, combined their talents to create MSI. Adam’s leadership grew the company to include big-air snowboarding/skiing, skateboarding, BMX, snowmobiling, boarder- and ski-cross, and combined music and sports festivals; Dave’s experience as a professional athlete/heli-ski guide provided invaluable perspective to event production. From concept creation and public relations to entertainment and logistics, these marketing experts have elevated mountain sports within the sports market.

 

Dave Swanwick -- April 17; 6:30pm:
Dave Swanwick was born and raised in Manhattan and attended the University of Vermont where he received a degree in Political Science and a minor in French.

Upon founding MSI, Dave initially focused on business development via his industry connections as a US and World Extreme Skiing Champion. His experience as a professional athlete and a professional heli-ski guide has brought an invaluable perspective to MSI's event production. As the company grew Dave focused his energies on the operations side of the company overseeing or managing the production teams on virtually every MSI project, providing him a wealth of knowledge into many events, formats and client strategies.

Over the past several years, MSI has created a strong team of project managers who manage their respective teams, allowing Dave the time to focus on new projects and oversee their specific teams, as was the case with the Honda Ski Tour and the Red Bull Soapbox Races.  For the Red Bull Air Race, Dave will be able to dedicate his time managing and directing the MSI team to ensure the success of this project.

 

 

Brett Harward -- April 17; 8:00pm:

Professional speaker and peak performance coach to thousands, Brett Harward has created award-winning training and coaching programs that continue to transform organizations (and individuals) from the inside out. He has built and sold his own successful businesses, selling the last to a Fortune 300 Company, and along the way, he worked with thousands of businesses that ranged from Fortune 500 companies to small startups. Service Master, Orkin, SC Johnson Wax, and DOW Chemical are but a few of the organizations that have benefited from his expertise.

 

 

2013 Lectures in Entrepreneurship Instructors

   

Dr. Michael JD Sutton:

 

 

Associate Professor, Dr. Michael JD Sutton, brings a unique perspective his speciality, Knowledge Management, because of a comprehensive career in senior corporate and consulting positions that spanned almost four decades. Within the MBA program, he teaches a wide range of subjects from leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship to organizational analysis and design, and knowledge mobilization. He previously coached learners in Westminster’s competency-based Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA programs, and he was a team advisor/mentor for the Opportunity Quest Business Plan Competition in the Center for Entrepreneurship.

 

Linda Muir:

Linda Muir, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, holds a BS in marketing and an MBA. Her corporate experience included FranklinCovey, Bell & Howell, and Intel and she served as the first director of the Larry H. Miller Business Innovation Center, a business incubator. A founding member of the Women Tech Council, she also worked to support businesses at the state of Utah’s economic development division where she supported Utah start-ups and growth companies. She currently serves on the Utah Business Lending Corporation credit committee and is president of LA Vocal, Inc., a business development company.

 

 

All lectures are held in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business (click for campus map)