1:1 Coaching
Looking for coach? Find your coach below and book your appointment today!
Choose from our categories of coaching topics, and book your first of three free sessions.
- All Coaches
- Accounting/Bookkeeping
- Business Development
- Communications
- Community Resources
- Finance
- Food Sector
- Biotech
- Human Resources
- Insurance
- Leadership
- Legal
- Marketing
- Nonprofit Management
- Product Development
- Project Management
- Solar
- Work/Life Balance
Sharon Fantl
Topics: Board Development, Organizational Development, Strategic Planning, and Fundraising
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Colleen Spear
Topics: Sustainable Business Strategy
Peter Hansel
Topics: Commercial Solar
Peter had a 47-year career at family-owned Filtrine Manufacturing Co. before retiring in 2020. He continues to serve on their board. He has lived in Keene, NH since 1979 with his wife, Bridget, where they raised four children. While at Filtrine, he oversaw the installation of a 1 million BTU woodchip boiler in 2017 to reduce the company’s dependence on fossil fuel by 90%. In 2019, the company installed a 793 kW (DC) solar array on the roof of its Keene facility using over 2,200 solar panels, the largest roof-top array in the region at the time.
Following his passion for environmental sustainability, he has served as Chairman of the Keene Conservation Commission, Chairman the Board of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and is current President of the Monadnock Conservancy. He also served as chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Committee.
Zach Luse
Topics: Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Commercial Solar
Zach is local entreprenuer with a passion for energy efficiency and sustainability. He purchased a vacant church built in 1869 in downtown Keene and converted the space to an energy efficient space that is heat and cooled with heat pumps. The space became the home of his marketing agency, Paragon Digital Marketing, and the 33.3 kw solar array on the roof generates more power than is needed to operate his business and provide all the heating and cooling for the space.
Zach is knowledgeable in innovative energy efficiency and weatherization technologies from first hand experience and familiar with many of the resources and assistance available to businesses in NH for energy efficiency projects. He also serves as the chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Randall Walter
Topics: Sustainable Architecture, Renewable Energy and Real Estate Development
Randall is an architect/developer focused on the intersection of sustainability, profit, and design. During his 20+ years as a Company Steward at the design/build powerhouse Bensonwood, he was the lead architect on multiple LEED Platinum buildings, Net-Zero/solar projects throughout VT, MA, and NH including schools, factories, mixed use facilities and educational centers.
Since leaving Bensonwood in 2020, he has focused on real estate redevelopment and the Net-zero housing project UP@310 featuring an initial 143k solar project @310, with another 280k to be added next year. Additionally @310 has converted the heating system from oil fired steam to a 1.63MM btu hydronic wood chip boiler.
He serves on the board of Hannah Grimes and is the Chairman of the Building committee that updated the Center with a grant funded, deep energy retrofit including roof insulation, new roofing, lighting, updated electric HVAC, and a 46 kW solar array to eliminate the Centers’ dependance on propane.
Heather Turner
Topics: Restaurants, Hospitality, Foodservice
Heather Turner is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has spent over 20 years previously in the restaurant business in the back of the house. She has owned her own business since 2003, primarily doing restaurant and hospitality consulting, and currently teaches marketing and operations seminars for small businesses and professional groups focusing on the hospitality industry.
Kate Barry
Topics: Commercial Real Estate and Hospitality Industry
Kate Barry is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with a wealth of experience in real estate sales, property management, and the hospitality industry. With a dynamic career spanning several successful ventures, Kate brings a unique blend of practical knowledge and strategic insight to her role as a business coach.
Kate is not just a real estate expert; she is also a proven entrepreneur. She owns and operates Oak Street Property Management, where she manages a diverse portfolio of properties, providing top-tier service and maintenance solutions that enhance property values and tenant satisfaction. Her hands-on experience in property management gives her a deep understanding of the operational challenges and opportunities in this field.
Robert Vear
Topics: Public Leadership, Management, Project Management
After four years in the US Air Force, Bob went to school for electronics and spent several years in the industry. Bob started a Management Consulting company in the mid 90s called Change Dynamics Inc., helping over 70 companies with management direction and training. Bob has worked as a project manager and individual contributor in customer service, engineering and manufacturing organizations, and has lead several successful product teams and programs. He even taught hang gliding in Groton, MA.
He has a BS in Management from Lesley University in Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, Lean Training for the Office from the Mass Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Eric Kallio
Topics: Public Speaking, Podcast & Radio Show Production, Large Scale Project Management
Eric Kallio has achieved close to 30 years of project management experience in communications. Eric received a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Media from Fitchburg State College in 1999, as well as a Master of Science in Communications/Media Management from Fitchburg State University in 2005.
Eric serves as the producer and on-air host of the Rise and Shine Show and the Rest and Relax Show WOOL-FM 91.5 Black Sheep Radio, Bellows Falls, Vermont. The shows consist of a variety of interviewing working professionals and talented individuals as well as spinning music both recent and from yesteryear to a diverse group of listeners in the Southern Vermont and New Hampshire borderlands.
Eric can work with individuals on addressing their public speaking abilities, drafting and proof editing communications for both oral and written publication and developing foundations for starting and managing projects throughout their life cycle.
Lea Ann Skogsberg
Topics: Nonprofit Fundraising, Social Entrepreneurship, Small Business Giving, Nonprofit Structure
As the coordinating team member for securing more than $75 million dollars for clients and employers, Lea Ann values relationships. She will celebrate 11 years with Bonterra (Network for Good); she is longest tenured personal fundraising coach on the platform who has worked with more than 150 clients. Through her own company, Dollars and Sense for Nonprofit Success, she’s served as capital campaign counsel for two successful $900,000+ food pantry projects. Her state and federal success includes a $10MM capital construction grant for from the Department of Health and Human Services for the Center for Collaboration and a $1.3MM program grant for dual language teacher preparation from the Department of Education both for Aurora University (IL); multiple ($300,000+) Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grants for Anderson Japanese Gardens (IL); in excess of $300,000 in CAL OES funding to harden a church in Van Nuys (CA); $94,640 to purchase “The Mobile Trainee” equipment for the Belmont Fire Department (IA). Her client list spans arts to social services with an emphasis on social equity missions and P-18 education. She believes in sharing stories—in words and graphics—to obtain resources. She encourages nonprofits to build a detailed on-line profiles and to plan a social media plan that emphasizes storytelling. She also works with retail businesses to create plans for community giving that aligns with their business goals and objectives.
Jan Ziegler
Topics: Web Design, Social Media Marketing, Performance Marketing
With over a decade of online marketing experience in the agency space and the Real Estate Industry, Jan has delivered results for many small and medium-size businesses. As the owner of Freitag Marketing Jan helps develop strategies for results-driven campaigns across all channels.
Emily Aborn
Topics: Copywriting, Content Creation, Marketing, Podcasting
Emily Aborn is a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character and She Built This. She’s been a business owner for a decade with experience running brick-and-mortar, membership-based, events-based, and online businesses. She’s worked with 100’s of different industries as a copywriter, helping her clients increase their visibility, connect with their audience, and open up to creativity in their content. Emily will help you to bring out the parts of your business and personality that set you apart so you can share more confidently with the world and attract your ideal clients.
Julie Jukoski
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online
Julie is a virtual Bookkeeping Professional and owner of Granite Bookkeeping. Growing up with Accountant grandparents, she saw how they were able to help so many business owners grow their businesses and achieve financial freedom. As a Bookkeeping Professional, she is honored to continue this tradition – by helping business owners FINALLY feel in control of their finances and make their dreams come true!
Julie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Cal Poly University. After graduation, she worked at accounting firms, with both small- and medium-sized business clients. As a virtual Bookkeeping Professional, she helps service-based business owners get a clear picture of how they are doing financially – by producing timely and accurate financial statements. Julie is a Quickbooks Online Certified ProAdvisor.
Liz Knight
Topics: Product Design, Packaging, Branding and Presentation
Liz Knight is an Industrial Designer who spent over 30 years designing and inventing consumer products for Rubbermaid, as a consultant in Knight Design and most recently as VP of Girls’ Design at Hasbro. She knows how to develop raw ideas into manufacturable products and has worked with several small startups as they refined their product design, packaging, and branding details.
For many years she taught Product Design at Rhode Island School of Design and encouraged students to find their best ideas, simplify and focus their designs to meet their consumer’s needs. She worked with the students to create clear communication in visual and verbal formats. Liz enjoys working with entrepreneurs as they take on the challenges that each stage brings and is always ready for a brainstorming session!
Nicole Boyle
Topics: Social Media Marketing
Nicole is the co-founder and owner of The Social HQ, a thriving digital marketing agency based in New Hampshire. Leveraging their expertise, they’ve grown the agency into a team of ten, dedicated to boosting brand awareness and accelerating business development for their clients through innovative social selling strategies. Nicole specializes in helping businesses enhance their organic social media marketing strategizes to attract their ideal customer on social media.
Christopher Janke
Topics: Restaurants, Food Trucks, Consumer Packaged Food, General Main St. Businesses, Bookkeeping, Points of Sale, Loan Prep
Christopher Janke is an accidental entrepreneur. He ran a lost-and-found fashion show at a laundromat for 10 years, and he’s co-owner of The Rendezvous, an independent all-scratch-kitchen pub in Turners Falls. He teaches Financial Management at UMass, and he’s a poet and visual artist with two MFAs. He’s writing in the third person right now, as a matter of fact. He loves to help small business owners with all the nuances of running a small business, from interpersonal challenges to preparing for bank loans to weighing the broccoli to cost out a menu item to programming the Point of Sale to be optimal for the rush.
Tracy Gunn
Topics: Exit Planning & Business Improvement
Tracy helps small business owners who are considering an exit that have either lost their passion, are sick and tired of their business, or are in the beginning stages to get ready for retirement… to not give up! She will discuss exit strategy and succession plan creation, complete a first valuation, and begin to determine next steps with you.
In addition, attendees will leave understanding the selling climate, and the importance of fixing their business, in order to ensure it is sellable and transferable.
Alison Milioto
Topics: Human Resources
Alison is the co-founder and owner of BlueLion, an HR Outsourcing Firm. She has a Masters in Business from UNH and has been practicing HR for over 8 years. Prior to HR, Alison built her career in Operations Management, finding more efficient and profitable ways for businesses to operate.
BlueLion loves working with small businesses to ensure they are in compliance and can focus on the core of their business, providing excellent products and services. Alison hopes to be able to assist business owners with piece of mind to know they are doing it right, or help them learn what they may not have realized was wrong.
Nicky Dumont
Topics: Graphic design and layout, branding
Nicky Dumont is a freelance graphic designer and art director. She earned a BA in illustration, but has spent the last 30-ish years designing. Approximately twenty of those were in-house for an advertising and marketing agency and ten were in magazine publishing.
She enjoys all aspects of the design process . . . the dreaming, the collaboration, the layout, the production. She loves listening to someone explain their vision, trusting her with their thoughts and ideas, then interpreting and morphing those into graphics that will identify and support them.
Artie Lang
Topics: Nonprofit Board Governance & Development, Strategic Planning, Organizational Assessments, and Interim Leadership
Artie’s passion is helping people and organizations grow and improve. He spent 30 years as a nonprofit professional and now I am using those skills (strategic planning, board governance, financial acumen) to help others reach new levels through building a culture of trust and support.
As and Associate for LPA: Nonprofit Consulting, he is recognized as a compelling facilitator with expertise in board development, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, operational problem solving, capital planning, fundraising, and risk management. He is committed to helping others learn and grow.
Bob Radin
Topics: Strategy, Management, Organizational Structure, Culture & Values, Early Stage Business Finances
Bob Radin is an executive coach who enjoys working with entrepreneurs.
His current practice includes executives at 15 organizations covering a range of businesses and industries. He was previously a professor at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College teaching courses in corporate governance, management, and international management.
He returned to Boston College to pursue his doctorate having served as President of the Investor Services Group at First Data Corporation, and President of Shareholder Services at American Express Information Services. He holds a BS from Northeastern University, an MBA from Babson College, and a PhD from Boston College in management.
Tammy Richards
Topics: Business Valuation, Business Transition/Sales
Tammy Richards is a business broker with Country Business, Inc., a regional brokerage firm assisting buyers and sellers throughout New England. Prior to joining Country Business, she worked at Pieciak & Company, P.C. focusing primarily on performing business valuations of closely held businesses. Before moving to Vermont in 2004, Tammy spent eight years working at Citigroup in New York where she held various positions within the investment banking division. She spent five of those years in the Acquisition Finance Group working closely with private equity firms in valuing and financing their leveraged buyouts of middle-market and large-cap companies. For the following three years she served as a Vice-President in the Global Loans Portfolio Management Group, where she managed a portfolio of highly leveraged corporate loans retained by Citigroup.
Tammy is a Certified Valuation Analyst (“CVA”) as designated by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the association. She is also a member of the New England Business Brokers Association (“NEBBA”).
Tammy currently serves on the board of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (“BDCC”) as well as Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
Joseph Shawver
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor
Joe is the owner of The Square Books Bookkeeping Services. Joe has experience with start-ups, setting up QuickBooks, and keeping monthly accounts. He loves teaching how QuickBooks works and helping you stay organized with your financials. Joe is certified in multiple bookkeeping software, including QuickBooks and Xero. He has worked with a range of businesses from non-profits to service orientated to inventory-based. Joe has worked as a bookkeeper since 2017.
Lee Davis
Topics: Quickbooks and Coaching
Lee Davis & Company, a bookkeeping firm serving start-ups to mid-sized companies, delivers services tailored to the needs of young businesses and entrepreneurs. The firm offers effective, financial management solutions that set customers on a clear path to success. As a QuickBooks Certified Pro-Advisor, Lee allows owners the opportunity to spend more time focusing on their business and less time on record-keeping. Whether you require assistance setting up QuickBooks and learning how to use it or have more complex needs, Lee Davis & Company can help. In addition to bookkeeping, Lee can provide consulting and strategic planning services.
Greg Grissett
Topics: Legal Support for Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets
Mr. Grissett is an intellectual property lawyer that helps new and established enterprises protect their innovations, minimize intellectual property (IP) related risk, and enforce IP rights and defend against IP right assertions. Mr. Grissett does this primarily through patent preparation and procurement, patent litigation, and various types of patent analysis. In addition, Mr. Grissett routinely advises companies on brand protection strategies, protection of creative works via copyrights, and technology transactions through drafting and negotiating joint development agreements, software development and service agreements, and licenses for all forms of IP. While Mr. Grissett has significant expertise in medical devices, his experience has been applied in a range of business settings including software development, alternative energy sources, apparel, and outdoor gear and equipment.
Christopher Wheeler
Topics: Accounting Services, Certified Valuation Analyst
Christopher Wheeler is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience providing tax, accounting, and advisory services to clients. He is also a Certified Valuation Analyst who specializes in the valuation of small, closely held companies. Chris can help clients throughout the process of buying or selling a business, including planning, valuation, and due diligence work. He is also able to advise buyers and sellers on tax-efficient strategies for the transaction and ownership structure.
Chris graduated from the University of Maine, Orono with a degree in business and accounting, and continued his studies postgraduate at the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He is currently a partner at Oster & Wheeler, PC in Keene, New Hampshire and has been with the firm since 2008. Prior to his current position, Chris held positions in public accounting firms and in private industry as a finance director and controller.
Sarah Bennett, CISR
Topics: Business Insurance
Sarah is a personal and commercial lines insurance professional with Kapiloff Insurance with 16 years of experience in the field. Kapiloff Insurance is a locally owned agency in Keene and services many commercial clients of varying sizes and needs. Commercial insurance has many facets that can be confusing when a new business is created. Sarah will offer guidance with regard to the insurance needs for your business as well as quotes as requested.
Jessica Gelter
Topics: Arts business coaching, Creative economy and creative placemaking for planners and community leaders, Creative community support & connections, Support in planning and facilitating community-driven processes and conversation around community topics involving the arts, Businesses building partnerships with artists and arts organizations
Arts Alive! is the arts service organization of the Monadnock region. Jessica Gelter, executive director of the organization since 2014, will be in the coach’s chair. In her role at Arts Alive!, and in our coaches chair, she provides feedback and “next step” guidance on artists looking to launch or grow their businesses or community projects; she advises planning departments and downtowns on how to develop ideas to activate public spaces with cultural activity and how to facilitate public art; she provides introductions and referrals to new creative community participants; she advises independent groups looking for fiscal sponsorship and nonprofits looking to offer fiscal sponsorship, and she advises businesses and nonprofits looking to add cultural activities or amenities to their places of business or their workforce. Gelter has also served on her local planning commission since 2015 and has spoken at several community planning and economic development conferences. She is an artist, performer, playwright, past arts educator, and community arts organizer passionate about the arts for its transformative power in communities.
Ted Chartrand
Topics: Logo Design
Ted is the designer and owner at Logo Further LLC which specializes in logos and visual brand identity. His design approach emphasizes the importance of practicality alongside creativity. He spreads awareness that brand graphics succeed by being meaningful, functional, and infringement-free. As a coach, Ted helps entrepreneurs and business owners understand the technical requirements to make this happen, as well as the pitfalls to avoid. His experience spans commercial company projects, non profits, competitive teams, solopreneurs, and startups, as well as those that are rebranding. Ted helps professionals develop holistic, versatile brand iconography that serves as a permanent solution.
Jim Verzino
Topics: Support for Food Businesses: bookkeeping, accounting, sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation
Jim is the founder and President of Food Creators Financial, LLC; a bookkeeping, accounting, and outsourced CFO firm for food businesses. Jim performs CFO services such as sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation for early and mid-stage food businesses. He also manages a staff of accountants and bookkeepers that are experts in the value-added food and restaurant businesses.
Prior to starting his current business Jim was the founding Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) for Windham Grows, a food business accelerator, he worked very closely with 59 food entrepreneurs over three years. Those 59 businesses created 60 new jobs and increased sales by 40%.
He also helped six of those entrepreneurs raise $2.2 million in outside funding.
Under his direction, Windham Grows won the 2019 Innovation and Inspiration Award from the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
He, in conjunction with the management team, raised and oversaw over one-million dollars ($855,000 cash and $250,000 in-kind services) to start and maintain Windham Grows.
Julie Coleman
Topics: Biotech, Project Management, Commercialization, Strategy
Julie is a Project Manager at Celdara Medical; she is currently leading a regional Accelerator Hub to promote biomedical entrepreneurship in the Northeast. She received a BA in Biology and English from Bowdoin College, followed by a PhD in Neuroscience at Tufts University. Julie spent two years as a healthcare consultant for biotech and pharmaceutical companies at Putnam Associates where she led projects across diseases areas and varying stages of development.
Christina Ferrari
Topics: Outside general counsel to biotechnology, life sciences, medial device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare
Christina Ferrari is a shareholder of Bernstein Shur, P.A., where she is a member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Business, and Healthcare Practice Groups. Before entering law, Christina was a dedicated researcher in the fields of neurosurgery and neuropharmacology, and her work has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience. She now puts her industry-specific, technical knowledge to work as an advisor and outside general counsel to her biotechnology, life sciences, medical device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare clients, as they navigate the modern-day health care system’s legal and regulatory challenges. As a skilled litigator, Christina advocates for her clients at all levels and assists them in resolving complex disputes, including in the areas of products liability, toxic torts, healthcare, and professional licensing. She serves as Past President on the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Tech Alliance, where she also Chairs the Government Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Christina earned her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, where she was a Daniel Webster Scholar and sworn into the New Hampshire Bar prior to graduation, and her M.A. in Medical Science, with Thesis Honors, from Boston University School of Medicine.
Wren Fournier
Topics:Science Writer, Editor, Grant Coordinator
Wren Fournier serves as editor, and science/technical writing consultant to scholars, scientists, and individuals preparing grants, project prospectuses, presentations, books, book chapters, articles, and annual funding reports. With a background and certification in research protocols, and research integrity, her work includes many years editing and writing for faculty at large universities in the fields of science, social science, and academic medicine –– both principal investigators and junior scholars. She holds a degree in English, with an emphasis in writing. Wren currently resides in the Monadnock region.
Julie Garcia
Topics: Technology Transfer, Manufacturing Readiness, Biotech Culture, Research and Development, Design For Six Sigma
Julie has experience in technology transfer and design control with over 20 years of experience in clinical, pharmaceutical, and medical device. She has expertise in Design for Six Sigma (Green Belt), and Management of Product Development transfer to Manufacturing. Her technology transfer process emphasizes the early adoption of documentation and process validation to ensure readiness for release of regulated products. Julie is ready to consult on the systems and requirements to ensure that products and processes are ready to transfer to manufacturing and market release. Julie holds a Masters of Biotechnology from The Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Snyder
Topics: Life sciences investment opportunities scout
Emily is part of the investment team at Borealis Ventures, a Hanover, NH based venture capital firm focused on healthcare, particularly life sciences and digital health. There she is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, executing due diligence before investment, and providing strategic support to portfolio companies. Emily previously spent time as an analyst for a Boston-based venture capital firm and in business development for a digital health company. She is ready to consult on early stage funding options and strategy. Emily holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a degree in Biology from the University of Louisville.
Roy Wallen
Topics: Business strategy, company formation, capital access (fundraising), leadership coaching, branding, business development
Roy Wallen is a management advisor who leads Directional Healthcare Advisors, a NH-based services firm. He has served in executive leadership roles for new product initiatives in medical technology companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to multi-billion, global concerns. His focus is on the startup community, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas to commercial success. Roy has spent his career managing existing businesses for sustainable profits and bringing new technologies out of the laboratory and into the market. His current work as advisor to emerging companies, supports their need for access to capital markets, crafting the stories that demonstrate market needs, matching technology to those market needs, and translating this into a compelling business case.
Roy also serves on the Board of Directors of a Colorado-based nonprofit, as a mentor and judge for MassChallenge, and as Executive in Residence.
Scott Olmstead, CIC
Topics: Business Insurance
Scott Olmstead is Sr Vice President and Director of Agency Operations at The Insurance Center. With close to 40 years in the insurance industry, Scott has worked with numerous start-up businesses helping identify their risks of loss and the best way to protect the business through risk management, transfer of risk strategies, contractual insurance requirements and insurance products. He presents a consultative approach to the “what if” questions.
Scott will help the start-up business with the insurance component of their business plan.
Lisa Sieverts, PMP, PMI-ACP
Topics: project management, productivity
With 20 years of experience, Lisa specializes in sharing the tools and techniques of Agile and Waterfall project management. She owns Facilitated Change, an independent consulting firm in Harrisville, NH. She provides a range of services including training and coaching as well as outsourced project management. Her goal is to provide her clients with the tools and skills they need to complete successful projects. Lisa is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and an Agile Certified Professional (ACP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global leader in the development of standards for the practice of project management.
Scott Maslansky
Topics: Building Energy Efficiency Consulting, Energy Project Finance and Incentives, Utility Bill Analysis
Scott is Director of Clean Energy Finance at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Working with businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, Scott provides financing tools and technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and manages an energy audit grant program for small NH businesses. In previous positions with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations he has completed residential and commercial energy audits, business development for energy consulting projects, and consulted with utilities on energy efficiency program development, marketing and implementation. Scott is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Michael Cohen
Topics: New business development, global sourcing, product development, and strategic planning for growth
Michael Cohen, principal of MSC Consultancy, has expertise is in the areas of new business development, global sourcing, product development and strategic planning. He has successfully built several businesses in the consumer products industry. He has extensive experience in manufacturing, sourcing of products worldwide and all aspects of launching a new line of products. Michael lived in China for 4 years building a global sourcing office for a large housewares company. Since returning to the Northeast, he has worked in a variety of product segments including furniture, cleaning and kitchen tools, flatware and decorative accessories. He is very knowledgeable in all business systems and procedures.
Michael can assist all sizes of enterprises in seeing how to build a business and capitalize on a vision or specific expertise.
Emily Hall Warren
Topics: Human Resources, Organizational Development
Emily Hall Warren is the Director of Administration at the W.S. Badger Company, a family owned and family friendly business built around healthy living in the workplace and in the community. Badger is known for its certified organic and truly natural personal care products, and employs 85 full- and part-time workers, and is a certified B Corporation – which adds transparency to the company’s social and environmental business practices.
Prior to Badger, Emily specialized in training and Organizational Advancement for the Claremont Savings Bank and more recently The Timken Company.
Emily has an extensive background in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP) and a Master’s Degree in Organization and Management from Antioch New England University.
Joe Byk
Topics: Contract Basics
Joe has a broad range of experience in developing, negotiating contracts, and resolving contract disputes. As a New Hampshire attorney, he represented numerous businesses. As a litigator and Superior Court mediator, he resolved numerous disputes. He served as General Counsel for software companies in Silicon Valley and Boston MetroWest. He was Director of Contracts and Legal Compliance for the Student Conservation Association, a national environmental nonprofit. He has negotiated contracts from $5000 vendor contracts to $30 million patent license agreements, locally, nationally and worldwide.
Sara Powell
Topics: Technical Assistance for Hannah Grimes Center and Community Resources
Driven by a passion for community and relationship-building, Sara Powell supports individuals and organizations to succeed in achieving their mission. Sara provides a refreshingly authentic approach as she takes time to deeply listen, understand, and seek tailored solutions unique to the client’s needs.
In her role as Program Director for the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, she guides local entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators by connecting them to resources, education, and the tools they need to learn and grow. She’s responsible for managing the core programming like the Business Incubator Program and developing workshops, seminars, and projects that support business owners in the region. Additionally, Sara works on the consulting arm of the organization, helping other communities to use and adapt the core models that Hannah Grimes has developed over the years.
Julie Jukoski
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online
Julie is a virtual Bookkeeping Professional and owner of Granite Bookkeeping. Growing up with Accountant grandparents, she saw how they were able to help so many business owners grow their businesses and achieve financial freedom. As a Bookkeeping Professional, she is honored to continue this tradition – by helping business owners FINALLY feel in control of their finances and make their dreams come true!
Julie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Cal Poly University. After graduation, she worked at accounting firms, with both small- and medium-sized business clients. As a virtual Bookkeeping Professional, she helps service-based business owners get a clear picture of how they are doing financially – by producing timely and accurate financial statements. Julie is a Quickbooks Online Certified ProAdvisor.
Christopher Janke
Topics: Restaurants, Food Trucks, Consumer Packaged Food, General Main St. Businesses, Bookkeeping, Points of Sale, Loan Prep
Christopher Janke is an accidental entrepreneur. He ran a lost-and-found fashion show at a laundromat for 10 years, and he’s co-owner of The Rendezvous, an independent all-scratch-kitchen pub in Turners Falls. He teaches Financial Management at UMass, and he’s a poet and visual artist with two MFAs. He’s writing in the third person right now, as a matter of fact. He loves to help small business owners with all the nuances of running a small business, from interpersonal challenges to preparing for bank loans to weighing the broccoli to cost out a menu item to programming the Point of Sale to be optimal for the rush.
Joseph Shawver
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor
Joe is the owner of The Square Books Bookkeeping Services. Joe has experience with start-ups, setting up QuickBooks, and keeping monthly accounts. He loves teaching how QuickBooks works and helping you stay organized with your financials. Joe is certified in multiple bookkeeping software, including QuickBooks and Xero. He has worked with a range of businesses from non-profits to service orientated to inventory-based. Joe has worked as a bookkeeper since 2017.
Lee Davis
Topics: Quickbooks and Coaching
Lee Davis & Company, a bookkeeping firm serving start-ups to mid-sized companies, delivers services tailored to the needs of young businesses and entrepreneurs. The firm offers effective, financial management solutions that set customers on a clear path to success. As a QuickBooks Certified Pro-Advisor, Lee allows owners the opportunity to spend more time focusing on their business and less time on record-keeping. Whether you require assistance setting up QuickBooks and learning how to use it or have more complex needs, Lee Davis & Company can help. In addition to bookkeeping, Lee can provide consulting and strategic planning services.
Christopher Wheeler
Topics: Accounting Services, Certified Valuation Analyst
Christopher Wheeler is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience providing tax, accounting, and advisory services to clients. He is also a Certified Valuation Analyst who specializes in the valuation of small, closely held companies. Chris can help clients throughout the process of buying or selling a business, including planning, valuation, and due diligence work. He is also able to advise buyers and sellers on tax-efficient strategies for the transaction and ownership structure.
Chris graduated from the University of Maine, Orono with a degree in business and accounting, and continued his studies postgraduate at the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He is currently a partner at Oster & Wheeler, PC in Keene, New Hampshire and has been with the firm since 2008. Prior to his current position, Chris held positions in public accounting firms and in private industry as a finance director and controller.
Tammy Richards
Topics: Business Valuation, Business Transition/Sales
Tammy Richards is a business broker with Country Business, Inc., a regional brokerage firm assisting buyers and sellers throughout New England. Prior to joining Country Business, she worked at Pieciak & Company, P.C. focusing primarily on performing business valuations of closely held businesses. Before moving to Vermont in 2004, Tammy spent eight years working at Citigroup in New York where she held various positions within the investment banking division. She spent five of those years in the Acquisition Finance Group working closely with private equity firms in valuing and financing their leveraged buyouts of middle-market and large-cap companies. For the following three years she served as a Vice-President in the Global Loans Portfolio Management Group, where she managed a portfolio of highly leveraged corporate loans retained by Citigroup.
Tammy is a Certified Valuation Analyst (“CVA”) as designated by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the association. She is also a member of the New England Business Brokers Association (“NEBBA”).
Tammy currently serves on the board of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (“BDCC”) as well as Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
Roy Wallen
Topics: Business strategy, company formation, capital access (fundraising), leadership coaching, branding, business development
Roy Wallen is a management advisor who leads Directional Healthcare Advisors, a NH-based services firm. He has served in executive leadership roles for new product initiatives in medical technology companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to multi-billion, global concerns. His focus is on the startup community, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas to commercial success. Roy has spent his career managing existing businesses for sustainable profits and bringing new technologies out of the laboratory and into the market. His current work as advisor to emerging companies, supports their need for access to capital markets, crafting the stories that demonstrate market needs, matching technology to those market needs, and translating this into a compelling business case.
Roy also serves on the Board of Directors of a Colorado-based nonprofit, as a mentor and judge for MassChallenge, and as Executive in Residence.
Michael Cohen
Topics: New business development, global sourcing, product development, and strategic planning for growth
Michael Cohen, principal of MSC Consultancy, has expertise is in the areas of new business development, global sourcing, product development and strategic planning. He has successfully built several businesses in the consumer products industry. He has extensive experience in manufacturing, sourcing of products worldwide and all aspects of launching a new line of products. Michael lived in China for 4 years building a global sourcing office for a large housewares company. Since returning to the Northeast, he has worked in a variety of product segments including furniture, cleaning and kitchen tools, flatware and decorative accessories. He is very knowledgeable in all business systems and procedures.
Michael can assist all sizes of enterprises in seeing how to build a business and capitalize on a vision or specific expertise.
Joe Byk
Topics: Contract Basics
Joe has a broad range of experience in developing, negotiating contracts, and resolving contract disputes. As a New Hampshire attorney, he represented numerous businesses. As a litigator and Superior Court mediator, he resolved numerous disputes. He served as General Counsel for software companies in Silicon Valley and Boston MetroWest. He was Director of Contracts and Legal Compliance for the Student Conservation Association, a national environmental nonprofit. He has negotiated contracts from $5000 vendor contracts to $30 million patent license agreements, locally, nationally and worldwide.
Emily Aborn
Topics: Copywriting, Content Creation, Marketing, Podcasting
Emily Aborn is a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character and She Built This. She’s been a business owner for a decade with experience running brick-and-mortar, membership-based, events-based, and online businesses. She’s worked with 100’s of different industries as a copywriter, helping her clients increase their visibility, connect with their audience, and open up to creativity in their content. Emily will help you to bring out the parts of your business and personality that set you apart so you can share more confidently with the world and attract your ideal clients.
Sara Powell
Topics: Technical Assistance for Hannah Grimes Center and Community Resources
Driven by a passion for community and relationship-building, Sara Powell supports individuals and organizations to succeed in achieving their mission. Sara provides a refreshingly authentic approach as she takes time to deeply listen, understand, and seek tailored solutions unique to the client’s needs.
In her role as Program Director for the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, she guides local entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators by connecting them to resources, education, and the tools they need to learn and grow. She’s responsible for managing the core programming like the Business Incubator Program and developing workshops, seminars, and projects that support business owners in the region. Additionally, Sara works on the consulting arm of the organization, helping other communities to use and adapt the core models that Hannah Grimes has developed over the years.
Bob Radin
Topics: Strategy, Management, Organizational Structure, Culture & Values, Early Stage Business Finances
Bob Radin is an executive coach who enjoys working with entrepreneurs.
His current practice includes executives at 15 organizations covering a range of businesses and industries. He was previously a professor at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College teaching courses in corporate governance, management, and international management.
He returned to Boston College to pursue his doctorate having served as President of the Investor Services Group at First Data Corporation, and President of Shareholder Services at American Express Information Services. He holds a BS from Northeastern University, an MBA from Babson College, and a PhD from Boston College in management.
Scott Maslansky
Topics: Building Energy Efficiency Consulting, Energy Project Finance and Incentives, Utility Bill Analysis
Scott is Director of Clean Energy Finance at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Working with businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, Scott provides financing tools and technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and manages an energy audit grant program for small NH businesses. In previous positions with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations he has completed residential and commercial energy audits, business development for energy consulting projects, and consulted with utilities on energy efficiency program development, marketing and implementation. Scott is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Heather Turner
Topics: Restaurants, Hospitality, Foodservice
Heather Turner is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has spent over 20 years previously in the restaurant business in the back of the house. She has owned her own business since 2003, primarily doing restaurant and hospitality consulting, and currently teaches marketing and operations seminars for small businesses and professional groups focusing on the hospitality industry.
Christopher Janke
Topics: Restaurants, Food Trucks, Consumer Packaged Food, General Main St. Businesses, Bookkeeping, Points of Sale, Loan Prep
Christopher Janke is an accidental entrepreneur. He ran a lost-and-found fashion show at a laundromat for 10 years, and he’s co-owner of The Rendezvous, an independent all-scratch-kitchen pub in Turners Falls. He teaches Financial Management at UMass, and he’s a poet and visual artist with two MFAs. He’s writing in the third person right now, as a matter of fact. He loves to help small business owners with all the nuances of running a small business, from interpersonal challenges to preparing for bank loans to weighing the broccoli to cost out a menu item to programming the Point of Sale to be optimal for the rush.
Jim Verzino
Topics: Support for Food Businesses: bookkeeping, accounting, sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation
Jim is the founder and President of Food Creators Financial, LLC; a bookkeeping, accounting, and outsourced CFO firm for food businesses. Jim performs CFO services such as sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation for early and mid-stage food businesses. He also manages a staff of accountants and bookkeepers that are experts in the value-added food and restaurant businesses.
Prior to starting his current business Jim was the founding Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) for Windham Grows, a food business accelerator, he worked very closely with 59 food entrepreneurs over three years. Those 59 businesses created 60 new jobs and increased sales by 40%.
He also helped six of those entrepreneurs raise $2.2 million in outside funding.
Under his direction, Windham Grows won the 2019 Innovation and Inspiration Award from the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
He, in conjunction with the management team, raised and oversaw over one-million dollars ($855,000 cash and $250,000 in-kind services) to start and maintain Windham Grows.
Julie Coleman
Topics: Biotech, Project Management, Commercialization, Strategy
Julie is a Project Manager at Celdara Medical; she is currently leading a regional Accelerator Hub to promote biomedical entrepreneurship in the Northeast. She received a BA in Biology and English from Bowdoin College, followed by a PhD in Neuroscience at Tufts University. Julie spent two years as a healthcare consultant for biotech and pharmaceutical companies at Putnam Associates where she led projects across diseases areas and varying stages of development.
Christina Ferrari
Topics: Outside general counsel to biotechnology, life sciences, medial device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare
Christina Ferrari is a shareholder of Bernstein Shur, P.A., where she is a member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Business, and Healthcare Practice Groups. Before entering law, Christina was a dedicated researcher in the fields of neurosurgery and neuropharmacology, and her work has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience. She now puts her industry-specific, technical knowledge to work as an advisor and outside general counsel to her biotechnology, life sciences, medical device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare clients, as they navigate the modern-day health care system’s legal and regulatory challenges. As a skilled litigator, Christina advocates for her clients at all levels and assists them in resolving complex disputes, including in the areas of products liability, toxic torts, healthcare, and professional licensing. She serves as Past President on the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Tech Alliance, where she also Chairs the Government Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Christina earned her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, where she was a Daniel Webster Scholar and sworn into the New Hampshire Bar prior to graduation, and her M.A. in Medical Science, with Thesis Honors, from Boston University School of Medicine.
Wren Fournier
Topics:Science Writer, Editor, Grant Coordinator
Wren Fournier serves as editor, and science/technical writing consultant to scholars, scientists, and individuals preparing grants, project prospectuses, presentations, books, book chapters, articles, and annual funding reports. With a background and certification in research protocols, and research integrity, her work includes many years editing and writing for faculty at large universities in the fields of science, social science, and academic medicine –– both principal investigators and junior scholars. She holds a degree in English, with an emphasis in writing. Wren currently resides in the Monadnock region.
Julie Garcia
Topics: Technology Transfer, Manufacturing Readiness, Biotech Culture, Research and Development, Design For Six Sigma
Julie has experience in technology transfer and design control with over 20 years of experience in clinical, pharmaceutical, and medical device. She has expertise in Design for Six Sigma (Green Belt), and Management of Product Development transfer to Manufacturing. Her technology transfer process emphasizes the early adoption of documentation and process validation to ensure readiness for release of regulated products. Julie is ready to consult on the systems and requirements to ensure that products and processes are ready to transfer to manufacturing and market release. Julie holds a Masters of Biotechnology from The Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Snyder
Topics: Life sciences investment opportunities scout
Emily is part of the investment team at Borealis Ventures, a Hanover, NH based venture capital firm focused on healthcare, particularly life sciences and digital health. There she is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, executing due diligence before investment, and providing strategic support to portfolio companies. Emily previously spent time as an analyst for a Boston-based venture capital firm and in business development for a digital health company. She is ready to consult on early stage funding options and strategy. Emily holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a degree in Biology from the University of Louisville.
Roy Wallen
Topics: Business strategy, company formation, capital access (fundraising), leadership coaching, branding, business development
Roy Wallen is a management advisor who leads Directional Healthcare Advisors, a NH-based services firm. He has served in executive leadership roles for new product initiatives in medical technology companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to multi-billion, global concerns. His focus is on the startup community, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas to commercial success. Roy has spent his career managing existing businesses for sustainable profits and bringing new technologies out of the laboratory and into the market. His current work as advisor to emerging companies, supports their need for access to capital markets, crafting the stories that demonstrate market needs, matching technology to those market needs, and translating this into a compelling business case.
Roy also serves on the Board of Directors of a Colorado-based nonprofit, as a mentor and judge for MassChallenge, and as Executive in Residence.
Alison Milioto
Topics: Human Resources
Alison is the co-founder and owner of BlueLion, an HR Outsourcing Firm. She has a Masters in Business from UNH and has been practicing HR for over 8 years. Prior to HR, Alison built her career in Operations Management, finding more efficient and profitable ways for businesses to operate.
BlueLion loves working with small businesses to ensure they are in compliance and can focus on the core of their business, providing excellent products and services. Alison hopes to be able to assist business owners with piece of mind to know they are doing it right, or help them learn what they may not have realized was wrong.
Emily Hall Warren
Topics: Human Resources, Organizational Development
Emily Hall Warren is the Director of Administration at the W.S. Badger Company, a family owned and family friendly business built around healthy living in the workplace and in the community. Badger is known for its certified organic and truly natural personal care products, and employs 85 full- and part-time workers, and is a certified B Corporation – which adds transparency to the company’s social and environmental business practices.
Prior to Badger, Emily specialized in training and Organizational Advancement for the Claremont Savings Bank and more recently The Timken Company.
Emily has an extensive background in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP) and a Master’s Degree in Organization and Management from Antioch New England University.
Sarah Bennett, CISR
Topics: Business Insurance
Sarah is a personal and commercial lines insurance professional with Kapiloff Insurance with 16 years of experience in the field. Kapiloff Insurance is a locally owned agency in Keene and services many commercial clients of varying sizes and needs. Commercial insurance has many facets that can be confusing when a new business is created. Sarah will offer guidance with regard to the insurance needs for your business as well as quotes as requested.
Scott Olmstead, CIC
Topics: Business Insurance
Scott Olmstead is Sr Vice President and Director of Agency Operations at The Insurance Center. With close to 40 years in the insurance industry, Scott has worked with numerous start-up businesses helping identify their risks of loss and the best way to protect the business through risk management, transfer of risk strategies, contractual insurance requirements and insurance products. He presents a consultative approach to the “what if” questions.
Scott will help the start-up business with the insurance component of their business plan.
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Robert Vear
Topics: Public Leadership, Management, Project Management
After four years in the US Air Force, Bob went to school for electronics and spent several years in the industry. Bob started a Management Consulting company in the mid 90s called Change Dynamics Inc., helping over 70 companies with management direction and training. Bob has worked as a project manager and individual contributor in customer service, engineering and manufacturing organizations, and has lead several successful product teams and programs. He even taught hang gliding in Groton, MA.
He has a BS in Management from Lesley University in Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, Lean Training for the Office from the Mass Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Artie Lang
Topics: Nonprofit Board Governance & Development, Strategic Planning, Organizational Assessments, and Interim Leadership
Artie’s passion is helping people and organizations grow and improve. He spent 30 years as a nonprofit professional and now I am using those skills (strategic planning, board governance, financial acumen) to help others reach new levels through building a culture of trust and support.
As and Associate for LPA: Nonprofit Consulting, he is recognized as a compelling facilitator with expertise in board development, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, operational problem solving, capital planning, fundraising, and risk management. He is committed to helping others learn and grow.
Bob Radin
Topics: Strategy, Management, Organizational Structure, Culture & Values, Early Stage Business Finances
Bob Radin is an executive coach who enjoys working with entrepreneurs.
His current practice includes executives at 15 organizations covering a range of businesses and industries. He was previously a professor at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College teaching courses in corporate governance, management, and international management.
He returned to Boston College to pursue his doctorate having served as President of the Investor Services Group at First Data Corporation, and President of Shareholder Services at American Express Information Services. He holds a BS from Northeastern University, an MBA from Babson College, and a PhD from Boston College in management.
Roy Wallen
Topics: Business strategy, company formation, capital access (fundraising), leadership coaching, branding, business development
Roy Wallen is a management advisor who leads Directional Healthcare Advisors, a NH-based services firm. He has served in executive leadership roles for new product initiatives in medical technology companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to multi-billion, global concerns. His focus is on the startup community, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas to commercial success. Roy has spent his career managing existing businesses for sustainable profits and bringing new technologies out of the laboratory and into the market. His current work as advisor to emerging companies, supports their need for access to capital markets, crafting the stories that demonstrate market needs, matching technology to those market needs, and translating this into a compelling business case.
Roy also serves on the Board of Directors of a Colorado-based nonprofit, as a mentor and judge for MassChallenge, and as Executive in Residence.
Greg Grissett
Topics: Legal Support for Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets
Mr. Grissett is an intellectual property lawyer that helps new and established enterprises protect their innovations, minimize intellectual property (IP) related risk, and enforce IP rights and defend against IP right assertions. Mr. Grissett does this primarily through patent preparation and procurement, patent litigation, and various types of patent analysis. In addition, Mr. Grissett routinely advises companies on brand protection strategies, protection of creative works via copyrights, and technology transactions through drafting and negotiating joint development agreements, software development and service agreements, and licenses for all forms of IP. While Mr. Grissett has significant expertise in medical devices, his experience has been applied in a range of business settings including software development, alternative energy sources, apparel, and outdoor gear and equipment.
Joe Byk
Topics: Contract Basics
Joe has a broad range of experience in developing, negotiating contracts, and resolving contract disputes. As a New Hampshire attorney, he represented numerous businesses. As a litigator and Superior Court mediator, he resolved numerous disputes. He served as General Counsel for software companies in Silicon Valley and Boston MetroWest. He was Director of Contracts and Legal Compliance for the Student Conservation Association, a national environmental nonprofit. He has negotiated contracts from $5000 vendor contracts to $30 million patent license agreements, locally, nationally and worldwide.
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Jan Ziegler
Topics: Web Design, Social Media Marketing, Performance Marketing
With over a decade of online marketing experience in the agency space and the Real Estate Industry, Jan has delivered results for many small and medium-size businesses. As the owner of Freitag Marketing Jan helps develop strategies for results-driven campaigns across all channels.
Emily Aborn
Topics: Copywriting, Content Creation, Marketing, Podcasting
Emily Aborn is a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character and She Built This. She’s been a business owner for a decade with experience running brick-and-mortar, membership-based, events-based, and online businesses. She’s worked with 100’s of different industries as a copywriter, helping her clients increase their visibility, connect with their audience, and open up to creativity in their content. Emily will help you to bring out the parts of your business and personality that set you apart so you can share more confidently with the world and attract your ideal clients.
Liz Knight
Topics: Product Design, Packaging, Branding and Presentation
Liz Knight is an Industrial Designer who spent over 30 years designing and inventing consumer products for Rubbermaid, as a consultant in Knight Design and most recently as VP of Girls’ Design at Hasbro. She knows how to develop raw ideas into manufacturable products and has worked with several small startups as they refined their product design, packaging, and branding details.
For many years she taught Product Design at Rhode Island School of Design and encouraged students to find their best ideas, simplify and focus their designs to meet their consumer’s needs. She worked with the students to create clear communication in visual and verbal formats. Liz enjoys working with entrepreneurs as they take on the challenges that each stage brings and is always ready for a brainstorming session!
Nicole Boyle
Topics: Social Media Marketing
Nicole is the co-founder and owner of The Social HQ, a thriving digital marketing agency based in New Hampshire. Leveraging their expertise, they’ve grown the agency into a team of ten, dedicated to boosting brand awareness and accelerating business development for their clients through innovative social selling strategies. Nicole specializes in helping businesses enhance their organic social media marketing strategizes to attract their ideal customer on social media.
Nicky Dumont
Topics: Graphic design and layout, branding
Nicky Dumont is a freelance graphic designer and art director. She earned a BA in illustration, but has spent the last 30-ish years designing. Approximately twenty of those were in-house for an advertising and marketing agency and ten were in magazine publishing.
She enjoys all aspects of the design process . . . the dreaming, the collaboration, the layout, the production. She loves listening to someone explain their vision, trusting her with their thoughts and ideas, then interpreting and morphing those into graphics that will identify and support them.
Ted Chartrand
Topics: Logo Design
Ted is the designer and owner at Logo Further LLC which specializes in logos and visual brand identity. His design approach emphasizes the importance of practicality alongside creativity. He spreads awareness that brand graphics succeed by being meaningful, functional, and infringement-free. As a coach, Ted helps entrepreneurs and business owners understand the technical requirements to make this happen, as well as the pitfalls to avoid. His experience spans commercial company projects, non profits, competitive teams, solopreneurs, and startups, as well as those that are rebranding. Ted helps professionals develop holistic, versatile brand iconography that serves as a permanent solution.
Sharon Fantl
Topics: Board Development, Organizational Development, Strategic Planning, and Fundraising
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Lea Ann Skogsberg
Topics: Nonprofit Fundraising, Social Entrepreneurship, Small Business Giving, Nonprofit Structure
As the coordinating team member for securing more than $75 million dollars for clients and employers, Lea Ann values relationships. She will celebrate 11 years with Bonterra (Network for Good); she is longest tenured personal fundraising coach on the platform who has worked with more than 150 clients. Through her own company, Dollars and Sense for Nonprofit Success, she’s served as capital campaign counsel for two successful $900,000+ food pantry projects. Her state and federal success includes a $10MM capital construction grant for from the Department of Health and Human Services for the Center for Collaboration and a $1.3MM program grant for dual language teacher preparation from the Department of Education both for Aurora University (IL); multiple ($300,000+) Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grants for Anderson Japanese Gardens (IL); in excess of $300,000 in CAL OES funding to harden a church in Van Nuys (CA); $94,640 to purchase “The Mobile Trainee” equipment for the Belmont Fire Department (IA). Her client list spans arts to social services with an emphasis on social equity missions and P-18 education. She believes in sharing stories—in words and graphics—to obtain resources. She encourages nonprofits to build a detailed on-line profiles and to plan a social media plan that emphasizes storytelling. She also works with retail businesses to create plans for community giving that aligns with their business goals and objectives.
Artie Lang
Topics: Nonprofit Board Governance & Development, Strategic Planning, Organizational Assessments, and Interim Leadership
Artie’s passion is helping people and organizations grow and improve. He spent 30 years as a nonprofit professional and now I am using those skills (strategic planning, board governance, financial acumen) to help others reach new levels through building a culture of trust and support.
As and Associate for LPA: Nonprofit Consulting, he is recognized as a compelling facilitator with expertise in board development, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, operational problem solving, capital planning, fundraising, and risk management. He is committed to helping others learn and grow.
Scott Maslansky
Topics: Building Energy Efficiency Consulting, Energy Project Finance and Incentives, Utility Bill Analysis
Scott is Director of Clean Energy Finance at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Working with businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, Scott provides financing tools and technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and manages an energy audit grant program for small NH businesses. In previous positions with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations he has completed residential and commercial energy audits, business development for energy consulting projects, and consulted with utilities on energy efficiency program development, marketing and implementation. Scott is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Michael Cohen
Topics: New business development, global sourcing, product development, and strategic planning for growth
Michael Cohen, principal of MSC Consultancy, has expertise is in the areas of new business development, global sourcing, product development and strategic planning. He has successfully built several businesses in the consumer products industry. He has extensive experience in manufacturing, sourcing of products worldwide and all aspects of launching a new line of products. Michael lived in China for 4 years building a global sourcing office for a large housewares company. Since returning to the Northeast, he has worked in a variety of product segments including furniture, cleaning and kitchen tools, flatware and decorative accessories. He is very knowledgeable in all business systems and procedures.
Michael can assist all sizes of enterprises in seeing how to build a business and capitalize on a vision or specific expertise.
Robert Vear
Topics: Public Leadership, Management, Project Management
After four years in the US Air Force, Bob went to school for electronics and spent several years in the industry. Bob started a Management Consulting company in the mid 90s called Change Dynamics Inc., helping over 70 companies with management direction and training. Bob has worked as a project manager and individual contributor in customer service, engineering and manufacturing organizations, and has lead several successful product teams and programs. He even taught hang gliding in Groton, MA.
He has a BS in Management from Lesley University in Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, Lean Training for the Office from the Mass Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Lisa Sieverts, PMP, PMI-ACP
Topics: project management, productivity
With 20 years of experience, Lisa specializes in sharing the tools and techniques of Agile and Waterfall project management. She owns Facilitated Change, an independent consulting firm in Harrisville, NH. She provides a range of services including training and coaching as well as outsourced project management. Her goal is to provide her clients with the tools and skills they need to complete successful projects. Lisa is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and an Agile Certified Professional (ACP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global leader in the development of standards for the practice of project management.
Peter Hansel
Topics: Commercial Solar
Peter had a 47-year career at family-owned Filtrine Manufacturing Co. before retiring in 2020. He continues to serve on their board. He has lived in Keene, NH since 1979 with his wife, Bridget, where they raised four children. While at Filtrine, he oversaw the installation of a 1 million BTU woodchip boiler in 2017 to reduce the company’s dependence on fossil fuel by 90%. In 2019, the company installed a 793 kW (DC) solar array on the roof of its Keene facility using over 2,200 solar panels, the largest roof-top array in the region at the time.
Following his passion for environmental sustainability, he has served as Chairman of the Keene Conservation Commission, Chairman the Board of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and is current President of the Monadnock Conservancy. He also served as chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Committee.
Zach Luse
Topics: Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Commercial Solar
Zach is local entreprenuer with a passion for energy efficiency and sustainability. He purchased a vacant church built in 1869 in downtown Keene and converted the space to an energy efficient space that is heat and cooled with heat pumps. The space became the home of his marketing agency, Paragon Digital Marketing, and the 33.3 kw solar array on the roof generates more power than is needed to operate his business and provide all the heating and cooling for the space.
Zach is knowledgeable in innovative energy efficiency and weatherization technologies from first hand experience and familiar with many of the resources and assistance available to businesses in NH for energy efficiency projects. He also serves as the chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Randall Walter
Topics: Sustainable Architecture, Renewable Energy and Real Estate Development
Randall is an architect/developer focused on the intersection of sustainability, profit, and design. During his 20+ years as a Company Steward at the design/build powerhouse Bensonwood, he was the lead architect on multiple LEED Platinum buildings, Net-Zero/solar projects throughout VT, MA, and NH including schools, factories, mixed use facilities and educational centers.
Since leaving Bensonwood in 2020, he has focused on real estate redevelopment and the Net-zero housing project UP@310 featuring an initial 143k solar project @310, with another 280k to be added next year. Additionally @310 has converted the heating system from oil fired steam to a 1.63MM btu hydronic wood chip boiler.
He serves on the board of Hannah Grimes and is the Chairman of the Building committee that updated the Center with a grant funded, deep energy retrofit including roof insulation, new roofing, lighting, updated electric HVAC, and a 46 kW solar array to eliminate the Centers’ dependance on propane.
Scott Maslansky
Topics: Building Energy Efficiency Consulting, Energy Project Finance and Incentives, Utility Bill Analysis
Scott is Director of Clean Energy Finance at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Working with businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, Scott provides financing tools and technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and manages an energy audit grant program for small NH businesses. In previous positions with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations he has completed residential and commercial energy audits, business development for energy consulting projects, and consulted with utilities on energy efficiency program development, marketing and implementation. Scott is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Sharon Fantl
Topics: Board Development, Organizational Development, Strategic Planning, and Fundraising
Sara Allen
Topics: Work/Life Balance, Marketing, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Virtual Events
Colleen Spear
Topics: Sustainable Business Strategy
Peter Hansel
Topics: Commercial Solar
Peter had a 47-year career at family-owned Filtrine Manufacturing Co. before retiring in 2020. He continues to serve on their board. He has lived in Keene, NH since 1979 with his wife, Bridget, where they raised four children. While at Filtrine, he oversaw the installation of a 1 million BTU woodchip boiler in 2017 to reduce the company’s dependence on fossil fuel by 90%. In 2019, the company installed a 793 kW (DC) solar array on the roof of its Keene facility using over 2,200 solar panels, the largest roof-top array in the region at the time.
Following his passion for environmental sustainability, he has served as Chairman of the Keene Conservation Commission, Chairman the Board of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and is current President of the Monadnock Conservancy. He also served as chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Committee.
Zach Luse
Topics: Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Commercial Solar
Zach is local entreprenuer with a passion for energy efficiency and sustainability. He purchased a vacant church built in 1869 in downtown Keene and converted the space to an energy efficient space that is heat and cooled with heat pumps. The space became the home of his marketing agency, Paragon Digital Marketing, and the 33.3 kw solar array on the roof generates more power than is needed to operate his business and provide all the heating and cooling for the space.
Zach is knowledgeable in innovative energy efficiency and weatherization technologies from first hand experience and familiar with many of the resources and assistance available to businesses in NH for energy efficiency projects. He also serves as the chair of Keene’s Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Randall Walter
Topics: Sustainable Architecture, Renewable Energy and Real Estate Development
Randall is an architect/developer focused on the intersection of sustainability, profit, and design. During his 20+ years as a Company Steward at the design/build powerhouse Bensonwood, he was the lead architect on multiple LEED Platinum buildings, Net-Zero/solar projects throughout VT, MA, and NH including schools, factories, mixed use facilities and educational centers.
Since leaving Bensonwood in 2020, he has focused on real estate redevelopment and the Net-zero housing project UP@310 featuring an initial 143k solar project @310, with another 280k to be added next year. Additionally @310 has converted the heating system from oil fired steam to a 1.63MM btu hydronic wood chip boiler.
He serves on the board of Hannah Grimes and is the Chairman of the Building committee that updated the Center with a grant funded, deep energy retrofit including roof insulation, new roofing, lighting, updated electric HVAC, and a 46 kW solar array to eliminate the Centers’ dependance on propane.
Heather Turner
Topics: Restaurants, Hospitality, Foodservice
Heather Turner is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has spent over 20 years previously in the restaurant business in the back of the house. She has owned her own business since 2003, primarily doing restaurant and hospitality consulting, and currently teaches marketing and operations seminars for small businesses and professional groups focusing on the hospitality industry.
Kate Barry
Topics: Commercial Real Estate and Hospitality Industry
Kate Barry is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with a wealth of experience in real estate sales, property management, and the hospitality industry. With a dynamic career spanning several successful ventures, Kate brings a unique blend of practical knowledge and strategic insight to her role as a business coach.
Kate is not just a real estate expert; she is also a proven entrepreneur. She owns and operates Oak Street Property Management, where she manages a diverse portfolio of properties, providing top-tier service and maintenance solutions that enhance property values and tenant satisfaction. Her hands-on experience in property management gives her a deep understanding of the operational challenges and opportunities in this field.
Robert Vear
Topics: Public Leadership, Management, Project Management
After four years in the US Air Force, Bob went to school for electronics and spent several years in the industry. Bob started a Management Consulting company in the mid 90s called Change Dynamics Inc., helping over 70 companies with management direction and training. Bob has worked as a project manager and individual contributor in customer service, engineering and manufacturing organizations, and has lead several successful product teams and programs. He even taught hang gliding in Groton, MA.
He has a BS in Management from Lesley University in Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, Lean Training for the Office from the Mass Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Eric Kallio
Topics: Public Speaking, Podcast & Radio Show Production, Large Scale Project Management
Eric Kallio has achieved close to 30 years of project management experience in communications. Eric received a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Media from Fitchburg State College in 1999, as well as a Master of Science in Communications/Media Management from Fitchburg State University in 2005.
Eric serves as the producer and on-air host of the Rise and Shine Show and the Rest and Relax Show WOOL-FM 91.5 Black Sheep Radio, Bellows Falls, Vermont. The shows consist of a variety of interviewing working professionals and talented individuals as well as spinning music both recent and from yesteryear to a diverse group of listeners in the Southern Vermont and New Hampshire borderlands.
Eric can work with individuals on addressing their public speaking abilities, drafting and proof editing communications for both oral and written publication and developing foundations for starting and managing projects throughout their life cycle.
Lea Ann Skogsberg
Topics: Nonprofit Fundraising, Social Entrepreneurship, Small Business Giving, Nonprofit Structure
As the coordinating team member for securing more than $75 million dollars for clients and employers, Lea Ann values relationships. She will celebrate 11 years with Bonterra (Network for Good); she is longest tenured personal fundraising coach on the platform who has worked with more than 150 clients. Through her own company, Dollars and Sense for Nonprofit Success, she’s served as capital campaign counsel for two successful $900,000+ food pantry projects. Her state and federal success includes a $10MM capital construction grant for from the Department of Health and Human Services for the Center for Collaboration and a $1.3MM program grant for dual language teacher preparation from the Department of Education both for Aurora University (IL); multiple ($300,000+) Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grants for Anderson Japanese Gardens (IL); in excess of $300,000 in CAL OES funding to harden a church in Van Nuys (CA); $94,640 to purchase “The Mobile Trainee” equipment for the Belmont Fire Department (IA). Her client list spans arts to social services with an emphasis on social equity missions and P-18 education. She believes in sharing stories—in words and graphics—to obtain resources. She encourages nonprofits to build a detailed on-line profiles and to plan a social media plan that emphasizes storytelling. She also works with retail businesses to create plans for community giving that aligns with their business goals and objectives.
Jan Ziegler
Topics: Web Design, Social Media Marketing, Performance Marketing
With over a decade of online marketing experience in the agency space and the Real Estate Industry, Jan has delivered results for many small and medium-size businesses. As the owner of Freitag Marketing Jan helps develop strategies for results-driven campaigns across all channels.
Emily Aborn
Topics: Copywriting, Content Creation, Marketing, Podcasting
Emily Aborn is a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character and She Built This. She’s been a business owner for a decade with experience running brick-and-mortar, membership-based, events-based, and online businesses. She’s worked with 100’s of different industries as a copywriter, helping her clients increase their visibility, connect with their audience, and open up to creativity in their content. Emily will help you to bring out the parts of your business and personality that set you apart so you can share more confidently with the world and attract your ideal clients.
Julie Jukoski
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online
Julie is a virtual Bookkeeping Professional and owner of Granite Bookkeeping. Growing up with Accountant grandparents, she saw how they were able to help so many business owners grow their businesses and achieve financial freedom. As a Bookkeeping Professional, she is honored to continue this tradition – by helping business owners FINALLY feel in control of their finances and make their dreams come true!
Julie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Cal Poly University. After graduation, she worked at accounting firms, with both small- and medium-sized business clients. As a virtual Bookkeeping Professional, she helps service-based business owners get a clear picture of how they are doing financially – by producing timely and accurate financial statements. Julie is a Quickbooks Online Certified ProAdvisor.
Liz Knight
Topics: Product Design, Packaging, Branding and Presentation
Liz Knight is an Industrial Designer who spent over 30 years designing and inventing consumer products for Rubbermaid, as a consultant in Knight Design and most recently as VP of Girls’ Design at Hasbro. She knows how to develop raw ideas into manufacturable products and has worked with several small startups as they refined their product design, packaging, and branding details.
For many years she taught Product Design at Rhode Island School of Design and encouraged students to find their best ideas, simplify and focus their designs to meet their consumer’s needs. She worked with the students to create clear communication in visual and verbal formats. Liz enjoys working with entrepreneurs as they take on the challenges that each stage brings and is always ready for a brainstorming session!
Nicole Boyle
Topics: Social Media Marketing
Nicole is the co-founder and owner of The Social HQ, a thriving digital marketing agency based in New Hampshire. Leveraging their expertise, they’ve grown the agency into a team of ten, dedicated to boosting brand awareness and accelerating business development for their clients through innovative social selling strategies. Nicole specializes in helping businesses enhance their organic social media marketing strategizes to attract their ideal customer on social media.
Christopher Janke
Topics: Restaurants, Food Trucks, Consumer Packaged Food, General Main St. Businesses, Bookkeeping, Points of Sale, Loan Prep
Christopher Janke is an accidental entrepreneur. He ran a lost-and-found fashion show at a laundromat for 10 years, and he’s co-owner of The Rendezvous, an independent all-scratch-kitchen pub in Turners Falls. He teaches Financial Management at UMass, and he’s a poet and visual artist with two MFAs. He’s writing in the third person right now, as a matter of fact. He loves to help small business owners with all the nuances of running a small business, from interpersonal challenges to preparing for bank loans to weighing the broccoli to cost out a menu item to programming the Point of Sale to be optimal for the rush.
Tracy Gunn
Topics: Exit Planning & Business Improvement
Tracy helps small business owners who are considering an exit that have either lost their passion, are sick and tired of their business, or are in the beginning stages to get ready for retirement… to not give up! She will discuss exit strategy and succession plan creation, complete a first valuation, and begin to determine next steps with you.
In addition, attendees will leave understanding the selling climate, and the importance of fixing their business, in order to ensure it is sellable and transferable.
Alison Milioto
Topics: Human Resources
Alison is the co-founder and owner of BlueLion, an HR Outsourcing Firm. She has a Masters in Business from UNH and has been practicing HR for over 8 years. Prior to HR, Alison built her career in Operations Management, finding more efficient and profitable ways for businesses to operate.
BlueLion loves working with small businesses to ensure they are in compliance and can focus on the core of their business, providing excellent products and services. Alison hopes to be able to assist business owners with piece of mind to know they are doing it right, or help them learn what they may not have realized was wrong.
Nicky Dumont
Topics: Graphic design and layout, branding
Nicky Dumont is a freelance graphic designer and art director. She earned a BA in illustration, but has spent the last 30-ish years designing. Approximately twenty of those were in-house for an advertising and marketing agency and ten were in magazine publishing.
She enjoys all aspects of the design process . . . the dreaming, the collaboration, the layout, the production. She loves listening to someone explain their vision, trusting her with their thoughts and ideas, then interpreting and morphing those into graphics that will identify and support them.
Artie Lang
Topics: Nonprofit Board Governance & Development, Strategic Planning, Organizational Assessments, and Interim Leadership
Artie’s passion is helping people and organizations grow and improve. He spent 30 years as a nonprofit professional and now I am using those skills (strategic planning, board governance, financial acumen) to help others reach new levels through building a culture of trust and support.
As and Associate for LPA: Nonprofit Consulting, he is recognized as a compelling facilitator with expertise in board development, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, operational problem solving, capital planning, fundraising, and risk management. He is committed to helping others learn and grow.
Bob Radin
Topics: Strategy, Management, Organizational Structure, Culture & Values, Early Stage Business Finances
Bob Radin is an executive coach who enjoys working with entrepreneurs.
His current practice includes executives at 15 organizations covering a range of businesses and industries. He was previously a professor at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College teaching courses in corporate governance, management, and international management.
He returned to Boston College to pursue his doctorate having served as President of the Investor Services Group at First Data Corporation, and President of Shareholder Services at American Express Information Services. He holds a BS from Northeastern University, an MBA from Babson College, and a PhD from Boston College in management.
Tammy Richards
Topics: Business Valuation, Business Transition/Sales
Tammy Richards is a business broker with Country Business, Inc., a regional brokerage firm assisting buyers and sellers throughout New England. Prior to joining Country Business, she worked at Pieciak & Company, P.C. focusing primarily on performing business valuations of closely held businesses. Before moving to Vermont in 2004, Tammy spent eight years working at Citigroup in New York where she held various positions within the investment banking division. She spent five of those years in the Acquisition Finance Group working closely with private equity firms in valuing and financing their leveraged buyouts of middle-market and large-cap companies. For the following three years she served as a Vice-President in the Global Loans Portfolio Management Group, where she managed a portfolio of highly leveraged corporate loans retained by Citigroup.
Tammy is a Certified Valuation Analyst (“CVA”) as designated by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the association. She is also a member of the New England Business Brokers Association (“NEBBA”).
Tammy currently serves on the board of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (“BDCC”) as well as Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
Joseph Shawver
Topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor
Joe is the owner of The Square Books Bookkeeping Services. Joe has experience with start-ups, setting up QuickBooks, and keeping monthly accounts. He loves teaching how QuickBooks works and helping you stay organized with your financials. Joe is certified in multiple bookkeeping software, including QuickBooks and Xero. He has worked with a range of businesses from non-profits to service orientated to inventory-based. Joe has worked as a bookkeeper since 2017.
Lee Davis
Topics: Quickbooks and Coaching
Lee Davis & Company, a bookkeeping firm serving start-ups to mid-sized companies, delivers services tailored to the needs of young businesses and entrepreneurs. The firm offers effective, financial management solutions that set customers on a clear path to success. As a QuickBooks Certified Pro-Advisor, Lee allows owners the opportunity to spend more time focusing on their business and less time on record-keeping. Whether you require assistance setting up QuickBooks and learning how to use it or have more complex needs, Lee Davis & Company can help. In addition to bookkeeping, Lee can provide consulting and strategic planning services.
Greg Grissett
Topics: Legal Support for Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets
Mr. Grissett is an intellectual property lawyer that helps new and established enterprises protect their innovations, minimize intellectual property (IP) related risk, and enforce IP rights and defend against IP right assertions. Mr. Grissett does this primarily through patent preparation and procurement, patent litigation, and various types of patent analysis. In addition, Mr. Grissett routinely advises companies on brand protection strategies, protection of creative works via copyrights, and technology transactions through drafting and negotiating joint development agreements, software development and service agreements, and licenses for all forms of IP. While Mr. Grissett has significant expertise in medical devices, his experience has been applied in a range of business settings including software development, alternative energy sources, apparel, and outdoor gear and equipment.
Christopher Wheeler
Topics: Accounting Services, Certified Valuation Analyst
Christopher Wheeler is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience providing tax, accounting, and advisory services to clients. He is also a Certified Valuation Analyst who specializes in the valuation of small, closely held companies. Chris can help clients throughout the process of buying or selling a business, including planning, valuation, and due diligence work. He is also able to advise buyers and sellers on tax-efficient strategies for the transaction and ownership structure.
Chris graduated from the University of Maine, Orono with a degree in business and accounting, and continued his studies postgraduate at the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He is currently a partner at Oster & Wheeler, PC in Keene, New Hampshire and has been with the firm since 2008. Prior to his current position, Chris held positions in public accounting firms and in private industry as a finance director and controller.
Sarah Bennett, CISR
Topics: Business Insurance
Sarah is a personal and commercial lines insurance professional with Kapiloff Insurance with 16 years of experience in the field. Kapiloff Insurance is a locally owned agency in Keene and services many commercial clients of varying sizes and needs. Commercial insurance has many facets that can be confusing when a new business is created. Sarah will offer guidance with regard to the insurance needs for your business as well as quotes as requested.
Jessica Gelter
Topics: Arts business coaching, Creative economy and creative placemaking for planners and community leaders, Creative community support & connections, Support in planning and facilitating community-driven processes and conversation around community topics involving the arts, Businesses building partnerships with artists and arts organizations
Arts Alive! is the arts service organization of the Monadnock region. Jessica Gelter, executive director of the organization since 2014, will be in the coach’s chair. In her role at Arts Alive!, and in our coaches chair, she provides feedback and “next step” guidance on artists looking to launch or grow their businesses or community projects; she advises planning departments and downtowns on how to develop ideas to activate public spaces with cultural activity and how to facilitate public art; she provides introductions and referrals to new creative community participants; she advises independent groups looking for fiscal sponsorship and nonprofits looking to offer fiscal sponsorship, and she advises businesses and nonprofits looking to add cultural activities or amenities to their places of business or their workforce. Gelter has also served on her local planning commission since 2015 and has spoken at several community planning and economic development conferences. She is an artist, performer, playwright, past arts educator, and community arts organizer passionate about the arts for its transformative power in communities.
Ted Chartrand
Topics: Logo Design
Ted is the designer and owner at Logo Further LLC which specializes in logos and visual brand identity. His design approach emphasizes the importance of practicality alongside creativity. He spreads awareness that brand graphics succeed by being meaningful, functional, and infringement-free. As a coach, Ted helps entrepreneurs and business owners understand the technical requirements to make this happen, as well as the pitfalls to avoid. His experience spans commercial company projects, non profits, competitive teams, solopreneurs, and startups, as well as those that are rebranding. Ted helps professionals develop holistic, versatile brand iconography that serves as a permanent solution.
Jim Verzino
Topics: Support for Food Businesses: bookkeeping, accounting, sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation
Jim is the founder and President of Food Creators Financial, LLC; a bookkeeping, accounting, and outsourced CFO firm for food businesses. Jim performs CFO services such as sales forecasting, business planning, cash flow management, fundraising, and pitch preparation for early and mid-stage food businesses. He also manages a staff of accountants and bookkeepers that are experts in the value-added food and restaurant businesses.
Prior to starting his current business Jim was the founding Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) for Windham Grows, a food business accelerator, he worked very closely with 59 food entrepreneurs over three years. Those 59 businesses created 60 new jobs and increased sales by 40%.
He also helped six of those entrepreneurs raise $2.2 million in outside funding.
Under his direction, Windham Grows won the 2019 Innovation and Inspiration Award from the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
He, in conjunction with the management team, raised and oversaw over one-million dollars ($855,000 cash and $250,000 in-kind services) to start and maintain Windham Grows.
Julie Coleman
Topics: Biotech, Project Management, Commercialization, Strategy
Julie is a Project Manager at Celdara Medical; she is currently leading a regional Accelerator Hub to promote biomedical entrepreneurship in the Northeast. She received a BA in Biology and English from Bowdoin College, followed by a PhD in Neuroscience at Tufts University. Julie spent two years as a healthcare consultant for biotech and pharmaceutical companies at Putnam Associates where she led projects across diseases areas and varying stages of development.
Christina Ferrari
Topics: Outside general counsel to biotechnology, life sciences, medial device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare
Christina Ferrari is a shareholder of Bernstein Shur, P.A., where she is a member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Business, and Healthcare Practice Groups. Before entering law, Christina was a dedicated researcher in the fields of neurosurgery and neuropharmacology, and her work has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience. She now puts her industry-specific, technical knowledge to work as an advisor and outside general counsel to her biotechnology, life sciences, medical device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare clients, as they navigate the modern-day health care system’s legal and regulatory challenges. As a skilled litigator, Christina advocates for her clients at all levels and assists them in resolving complex disputes, including in the areas of products liability, toxic torts, healthcare, and professional licensing. She serves as Past President on the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Tech Alliance, where she also Chairs the Government Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Christina earned her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, where she was a Daniel Webster Scholar and sworn into the New Hampshire Bar prior to graduation, and her M.A. in Medical Science, with Thesis Honors, from Boston University School of Medicine.
Wren Fournier
Topics:Science Writer, Editor, Grant Coordinator
Wren Fournier serves as editor, and science/technical writing consultant to scholars, scientists, and individuals preparing grants, project prospectuses, presentations, books, book chapters, articles, and annual funding reports. With a background and certification in research protocols, and research integrity, her work includes many years editing and writing for faculty at large universities in the fields of science, social science, and academic medicine –– both principal investigators and junior scholars. She holds a degree in English, with an emphasis in writing. Wren currently resides in the Monadnock region.
Julie Garcia
Topics: Technology Transfer, Manufacturing Readiness, Biotech Culture, Research and Development, Design For Six Sigma
Julie has experience in technology transfer and design control with over 20 years of experience in clinical, pharmaceutical, and medical device. She has expertise in Design for Six Sigma (Green Belt), and Management of Product Development transfer to Manufacturing. Her technology transfer process emphasizes the early adoption of documentation and process validation to ensure readiness for release of regulated products. Julie is ready to consult on the systems and requirements to ensure that products and processes are ready to transfer to manufacturing and market release. Julie holds a Masters of Biotechnology from The Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Snyder
Topics: Life sciences investment opportunities scout
Emily is part of the investment team at Borealis Ventures, a Hanover, NH based venture capital firm focused on healthcare, particularly life sciences and digital health. There she is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, executing due diligence before investment, and providing strategic support to portfolio companies. Emily previously spent time as an analyst for a Boston-based venture capital firm and in business development for a digital health company. She is ready to consult on early stage funding options and strategy. Emily holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a degree in Biology from the University of Louisville.
Roy Wallen
Topics: Business strategy, company formation, capital access (fundraising), leadership coaching, branding, business development
Roy Wallen is a management advisor who leads Directional Healthcare Advisors, a NH-based services firm. He has served in executive leadership roles for new product initiatives in medical technology companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to multi-billion, global concerns. His focus is on the startup community, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas to commercial success. Roy has spent his career managing existing businesses for sustainable profits and bringing new technologies out of the laboratory and into the market. His current work as advisor to emerging companies, supports their need for access to capital markets, crafting the stories that demonstrate market needs, matching technology to those market needs, and translating this into a compelling business case.
Roy also serves on the Board of Directors of a Colorado-based nonprofit, as a mentor and judge for MassChallenge, and as Executive in Residence.
Scott Olmstead, CIC
Topics: Business Insurance
Scott Olmstead is Sr Vice President and Director of Agency Operations at The Insurance Center. With close to 40 years in the insurance industry, Scott has worked with numerous start-up businesses helping identify their risks of loss and the best way to protect the business through risk management, transfer of risk strategies, contractual insurance requirements and insurance products. He presents a consultative approach to the “what if” questions.
Scott will help the start-up business with the insurance component of their business plan.
Lisa Sieverts, PMP, PMI-ACP
Topics: project management, productivity
With 20 years of experience, Lisa specializes in sharing the tools and techniques of Agile and Waterfall project management. She owns Facilitated Change, an independent consulting firm in Harrisville, NH. She provides a range of services including training and coaching as well as outsourced project management. Her goal is to provide her clients with the tools and skills they need to complete successful projects. Lisa is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and an Agile Certified Professional (ACP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global leader in the development of standards for the practice of project management.
Scott Maslansky
Topics: Building Energy Efficiency Consulting, Energy Project Finance and Incentives, Utility Bill Analysis
Scott is Director of Clean Energy Finance at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Working with businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, Scott provides financing tools and technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and manages an energy audit grant program for small NH businesses. In previous positions with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations he has completed residential and commercial energy audits, business development for energy consulting projects, and consulted with utilities on energy efficiency program development, marketing and implementation. Scott is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Michael Cohen
Topics: New business development, global sourcing, product development, and strategic planning for growth
Michael Cohen, principal of MSC Consultancy, has expertise is in the areas of new business development, global sourcing, product development and strategic planning. He has successfully built several businesses in the consumer products industry. He has extensive experience in manufacturing, sourcing of products worldwide and all aspects of launching a new line of products. Michael lived in China for 4 years building a global sourcing office for a large housewares company. Since returning to the Northeast, he has worked in a variety of product segments including furniture, cleaning and kitchen tools, flatware and decorative accessories. He is very knowledgeable in all business systems and procedures.
Michael can assist all sizes of enterprises in seeing how to build a business and capitalize on a vision or specific expertise.
Emily Hall Warren
Topics: Human Resources, Organizational Development
Emily Hall Warren is the Director of Administration at the W.S. Badger Company, a family owned and family friendly business built around healthy living in the workplace and in the community. Badger is known for its certified organic and truly natural personal care products, and employs 85 full- and part-time workers, and is a certified B Corporation – which adds transparency to the company’s social and environmental business practices.
Prior to Badger, Emily specialized in training and Organizational Advancement for the Claremont Savings Bank and more recently The Timken Company.
Emily has an extensive background in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP) and a Master’s Degree in Organization and Management from Antioch New England University.
Joe Byk
Topics: Contract Basics
Joe has a broad range of experience in developing, negotiating contracts, and resolving contract disputes. As a New Hampshire attorney, he represented numerous businesses. As a litigator and Superior Court mediator, he resolved numerous disputes. He served as General Counsel for software companies in Silicon Valley and Boston MetroWest. He was Director of Contracts and Legal Compliance for the Student Conservation Association, a national environmental nonprofit. He has negotiated contracts from $5000 vendor contracts to $30 million patent license agreements, locally, nationally and worldwide.
Sara Powell
Topics: Technical Assistance for Hannah Grimes Center and Community Resources
Driven by a passion for community and relationship-building, Sara Powell supports individuals and organizations to succeed in achieving their mission. Sara provides a refreshingly authentic approach as she takes time to deeply listen, understand, and seek tailored solutions unique to the client’s needs.
In her role as Program Director for the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, she guides local entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators by connecting them to resources, education, and the tools they need to learn and grow. She’s responsible for managing the core programming like the Business Incubator Program and developing workshops, seminars, and projects that support business owners in the region. Additionally, Sara works on the consulting arm of the organization, helping other communities to use and adapt the core models that Hannah Grimes has developed over the years.
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