| Victoria Avi Manager Center for Sustainable Business Practices Cleveland State University Victoria Avi is a learner at heart. She earned her Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, and her Graphic Design undergraduate degree from Cleveland State University. Her experience as a Network Entrepreneur at E4S, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability allowed her to explore biomimicry (a design principle) and zero waste implementation within organizations. |
| Irwan Awalludin Creative Director Heynow! Media A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, Irwan Awalludin, or Wan, is a branding machine. Insightful, strategic, and off the charts creative he brings six years of experience in the industry and a killer perfectionist eye to every project. |
| Anne Brower Co-Owner Heynow! MediaA graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Anne Brower is extremely organized and customer focused. Earning her MBA with a concentration in Marketing, she brings a wide range of business knowledge and know how to make the behind the scenes operations a smooth experience and exciting environment for customers. |
| Mike Callam Attorney The Gertsburg Law Firm Co., LPA Mr. Callam earned his J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. He also holds a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Finance from The Ohio State University. Mr. Callam focuses his practice on business law, entity formation, corporate and commercial litigation, real estate transactions, contract law, employment law, and estate planning. He has served as a judicial extern for Judge Dan A. Polster in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. |
| Matt Defaveri Copywriter Heynow! MediaA graduate of Georgia State University, Matt Defaveri is both a creative and technically skilled writer. A published author at 23, Matt sees copy as an art form and creates a dynamic voice that adds depth and continuity to brands and marketing pieces alike. |
| Jimmy D’Orazio College Lecturer Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State UniversityAs an active member of the Cleveland business community Mr. D’Orazio leverages his experience in teaching, marketing, consultative selling, strategy development, consensus building, and project management to prepare students for a successful career. Concurrently his hope is to contribute to the College’s mission to engage and connect the student body, faculty and the local business community. |
| Jason Estremera Director of Business Services Hispanic Business Center Jason Estremera is an experienced professional, with nearly a decade in the areas retail management, banking, and business development. Mr. Estremera began his career with Kohl’s Department Store in Chicago, where he served as a store manager. In 2010, he moved to Cleveland to work with JP Morgan Chase, as an assistant branch manager in the Gordon Square neighborhood. Mr. Estremera joined the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Business Center and Chamber of Commerce in January of 2013, as the Director of Business Services. In this role, he manages the organization’s education and outreach programs, assisting entrepreneurs and small business owners with business development. Mr. Estremera earned a BS in Textiles, Apparel and Merchandizing from Northern Indiana University, and will complete his MBA from the College of Graduate Studies at Cleveland State University, in December 2013. |
| Raymond Graves Lender Relations Specialist U.S. Small Business Administration Ray is a graduate of Tufts University and The Ohio State University, and is a National Development Council Economic Development Finance Professional. He’s worked for the last 15 years in economic development finance, including four years at the U.S. Small Business Administration. After years in Columbus and Chicago, Ray returned to the Cleveland area in 2013. He’s a passionate advocate of Northeast Ohio and small business, and believes that sustainable, home-grown small businesses are the key to the region’s future. |
| Colette Hart Senior Director Centers for Outreach & Engagement Cleveland State University Colette Hart is Senior Director of the Centers for Outreach & Engagement in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. In her capacity as Senior Director, she is responsible for establishing Centers of Excellence in the College of Business that provide responsive and strategic business educational programs for the Northeast Ohio business community. Colette was instrumental in establishing the Global Business Center and securing over a million dollars in funding to develop interdisciplinary academic, research and outreach programs focused on applied international business education. |
| Matthew Iorio MBA Candidate Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State University Matthew is a champion of the start-up and early stage venture community in Cleveland. He holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in medical devices and algorithm development. His passion for this community has led him to combine these skills to work in technology transfer, consult for start-ups and also work for local incubators/accelerators and a venture capital firm. He also has experience in open innovation. Currently, he works at Neuros Medical Inc., an early stage venture-capital backed company developing an implantable medical device aimed at improving the lives of those that suffer from chronic pain. |
| Raj Javalgi Associate Dean Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State University Raj Javalgi is Professor of Marketing and teaches the International Business Strategy course. His areas of interest are International Marketing, International Business, Marketing Research, Multivariate Statistical Methods, and Marketing Management. Raj Javalgi has published in such journals as Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Research, International Business Review, Thunderbird International Business Review. Some of his articles have received best paper of the year awards. Recently, Raj has received two Business International Education grants in a row, totaling $380,000, to build and sustain international business programming. His broad work experience includes assisting SMEs with their International Marketing strategy. |
| Shannon Lyons Doctoral Student Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State University Business development professional with proven ability to drive business results through applied research in organizations, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Applied research includes methodologies in business modeling, innovation management, commercialization, complex change management and human-centered design. Shannon is a strategic thinker who has worked with teams of all sizes and capacities in order to execute initiatives. Possesses broad knowledge of complexity theory, rapid prototyping and coaching. Ambitious, aggressive, and intensely focused on bottom-line results through the creation of value. |
| Sreedhar Madhavaram Associate Professor Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State UniversityHis work has been published in or has been accepted for publication in numerous industry journals. A frequent presenter at national and international conferences, his research interests include marketing strategy, marketing theory and concepts, marketing communications, marketing pedagogy, organizational knowledge, and sales management. |
| Frank Nagorney Partner Cowden Humphrey Frank Nagorney is a senior partner with the Cleveland law firm of Cowden & Humphrey. He is a graduate of New York University School of Law and he received a BS in accounting from Case Western Reserve University. Frank’s practice focuses on strategic business and tax planning for entrepreneurs, protecting intellectual property rights, and raising capital through venture capital and debt financing. Mr. Nagorney is an entrepreneur in his own right, having operated numerous businesses ranging from injection molding of plastic computer accessories, to producing 55 gallon steel drums, to constructing power plants. We will hear more about these during his lecture. Frank’s personal interests include ballroom dancing, fencing, golf, and reading history books about western civilization, and of course, anything having to do with “Star Trek”. |
| Ed O’Donnell Adjunct Professor of Accounting Cleveland State University Ed is an Adjunct Accounting Professor at Cleveland State University teaching in both undergraduate and graduate business programs. Additionally, Ed is a practicing CPA located in Westlake, OH. Ed is recently retired from PPG Industries with 27 years of service. Ed received a BBA degree from Cleveland State University in 1979 and a MBA from the University of Georgia in 1983. |
| Toni Paoletta Manager Professional Development Center Cleveland State UniversityToni Paoletta serves as the Manager of the Professional Development Center in the Monte Ahuja College of Business. With her contagious enthusiasm and knack for making the complicated simple, Toni designs professional development programs that working professionals and corporations require to remain competitive in today’s rapidly changing business climate. In addition to instructional design, Toni is a certified technical instructor and adjunct faculty in Business and Information Technology for Tri-C and Tiffin University. She received her M.Ed. in Adult Education from Cleveland State University and her B.A. in Business from Tiffin University. She is currently working towards a Ph.D. at Kent State University with hopes to transfer to Cleveland State University in 2015. |
| Lori Peterson Assistant Professor Monte Ahuja College of Business Cleveland State University With a background in strategic management and healthcare, Dr. Lori Peterson brings creativity and enthusiasm to new ideas. A good listener and an out of the box thinker, she thrives when helping others make their passion come to life. |
| Meghan Salkin Special Programs Coordinator Centers for Outreach & Engagement Cleveland State University Meghan Salkin is the Special Programs Coordinator for the Centers for Outreach and Engagement in the Monte Ahuja College of Business. She is responsible for internal and external meeting logistics, program development, marketing and communications for the Centers including Start Up Vikes and TEDx. She has been instrumental in helping to institutional-ize and develop policy around the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential and its recertification com-ponent. Meghan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Global Interactions (MAGI) both from Cleveland State University. |
| Lauren Smith Manager of Entrepreneurial Education ECDI With a BSS in Creative Entrepreneurship from Ohio University and an MBA from Cleveland State University, Lauren has always had a love for the self-starting zeal and boundary-pushing challenges of small business. An artist at heart, she has spent the last several years honing her creative problem solving skills in application to entrepreneurial and managerial scenarios, and is currently the Manager of Entrepreneurial Education at ECDI. |
| Matt Soble Strategic Director Heynow! Media A graduate of Ohio University, Matt Soble studied Management Information Systems and Marketing. He is a big picture thinker with extreme attention to detail. His analytical and metrics driven approach enhances the creative output of projects to deliver both measurable and thought provoking work. |
| Daniela Stankic President DS Express Carriers |
| Alison Tanker Founding Director Tigress-Girls Who Create |
| Katie VanDyke Director Cleveland State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC)For the past 4 years, I have worked as an Entrepreneur Advisor providing assistance and advising to local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. I have a passion for designing and facilitating exciting and engaging learning, both in the corporate and academic fields. I have developed curriculum in entrepreneurship, as well as taught business and marketing classes. |
| Niki Zmij Adjunct Professor Department of Operations Cleveland State UniversityThrough her own experiences in business and entrepreneurship, Niki teaches students the management issues associated with innovation in both the corporate setting and in entrepreneurship. She teaches basic principles and methods regarding new product development, the characteristics of disruptive and sustaining technologies, protecting new ideas, and the human side of managing technologies. |
