Speaker Bios

Rachel Agoglia, Program Associate of National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Rachel supports two primary programs at NCIIA: the Invention to Venture workshop series and the BMEidea biomedical engineering student competition. Rachel is committed to strengthening the I2V program to ensure success for both host institutions and participants. In her short tenure at NCIIA, she has collaborated with NCIIA staff to roll-out and provide training for the I2V website content management tool for host partners. She has also developed a portal for I2V coordinators. Rachel brings to NCIIA a decade of nonprofit management and direct service experience. She served as Executive Assistant at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, where she provided extracurricular learning opportunities for students. Prior to this, she was the Executive Assistant at Technical Assistance for Community Services, a well-known Oregon-based management support organization, where she supported the Executive Director, Senior Consultants, and the Board of Directors. Rachel was also the Metro Linkage Coordinator at Oregon Food Bank where she strengthened community gardens and managed supplemental food programs throughout the Portland Metro area. Back To Top ^

Dr. Belinda Engelhart, Regional Director of Small Business Development Center Belinda Engelhart, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center in Watertown, provides professional, confidential no-cost business consulting services to clients in ten counties in northeastern South Dakota. Clients may be individuals at various stages of business - from start-up to expansion of their existing business. Before taking this position in 1996, she was an Assistant Professor of Business at Mt. Marty College in Yankton. She currently teaches in Mt Marty College's MBA program. Additionally Belinda has owned and operated several small businesses. Belinda earned a Master's Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an MBA and Ed D from the University of South Dakota. She is a certified Economic Development Financial Professional. The Small Business Development Center provides state-wide coverage from offices in Aberdeen, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, Yankton and the lead center in Vermillion. Back To Top ^

Dr. Lee Fenicle, Director of Office of Technology Transfer at Creighton University For over eleven years, Lee Fenicle has been Director, of Creighton University's Office of Technology Transfer. During his tenure at Creighton, Fenicle has built tremendous rapport with researchers and administration, successfully providing leadership to create an environment in which researchers are anxious to submit disclosures and administration is willing to invest in promising technologies. Recently the University invested more than $250,000 to value-add to a promising endoscope technology, resulting in more than fifteen inventions emerging from the one that was disclosed. A start-up has been funded by venture investment and the resulting start-up is preparing to go public. In addition to running a successful technology transfer office, Fenicle has been involved with the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) since the beginning of his career at Creighton, most recently serving on AUTM's Board of Trustees as Vice President of the Central Region. Prior to his position in technology transfer, Fenicle had a varied career in business. After a stint of teaching biology, Fenicle accepted a position with GlaxoSmithKline in diagnostic ultrasound marketing. After six years, Fenicle became Vice President of Marketing for a startup ultrasound equipment manufacturer and later, became Vice President of Marketing for a biotech company, specializing in monoclonal antibody-based diagnostic tests. As a business consultant, Fenicle produced five-year business plans, primarily for entrepreneurial companies that were trying to raise venture capital. For the next eight years, Fenicle managed radio stations in Central California prior to accepting his position at Creighton University. Back To Top ^

Ms. Marcia Hendrickson, Executive Director of Enterprise Institute Marcia Hendrickson of Lennox, SD, is the Executive Director of the Enterprise Institute which has been helping entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers develop their businesses since 2001. Marcia has been actively promoting the value of intellectual property, entrepreneurship, angel investing and angel networks in South Dakota. She has also been involved in developing entrepreneurship educational programs. Marcia serves on the Board of Directors of the Value Added Finance Authority and the advisory boards of the Center for Innovation, Prairie Gold Venture Partners, Genesis of Innovation and the South Dakota Technology Business Center. She also serves on the governing boards of the Sioux Empire United Way and the Sioux Empire Fair Board. She is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology, and she also is a Certified Public Accountant. Back To Top ^

Dr. Al Kurtenbach, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daktronics, Inc. Dr. Aelred J. Kurtenbach is cofounder of Daktronics, Inc. and currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors. Kurtenbach holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, all in electrical engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the University of Nebraska and Purdue University, respectively. While on the staff at SDSU, he cofounded Daktronics, Inc. in 1968. Daktronics designs, manufactures, markets and services large computer programmable displays, primarily scoreboards and large screen video systems, on a global basis. Dr. Kurtenbach served on the Brookings School Board for twelve years and on the South Dakota Board of Regents from 1984-1986. He also served as Chairman of the South Dakota Manufacturers & Processors Association from 1984-1986 and as Director for the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as Chairman of the Education Committee for the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of the South Dakota State Junior Achievement Program and as Chairman of the South Dakota EPSCoR Committee, a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Over the years Dr. Kurtenbach and Daktronics have been recognized with numerous awards for entrepreneurism and quality. Dr. Kurtenbach was chosen as the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 for manufacturing in a national competition sponsored by Ernst & Young. Daktronics, Inc. was named the 1994 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year by the Small Business Administration for South Dakota and the Denver Region. Daktronics was also chosen the South Dakota Business of the Year in 2000, 1993, 1989 and 1987 by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Back To Top ^

Mr. Darin Namken, Founder and President of Commission Soup, Inc. Darin Namken began his sales and management career in 1984 and co-founded CreditSoup, Inc. in 2000 and CommissionSoup in 2001, both based in Madison, SD. Darin serves as president of both companies, overseeing daily operations and specializing in new business development. Darin also co-founded and serves as CEO of Infotech Solutions, LLC, an information technology company with offices and a data center in Madison. Darin is a life long resident of South Dakota growing up in Hayti. Since moving to Madison, Darin has maintained an active role in the community, coaching youth baseball and basketball, as well as working with the local economic development office and chamber of commerce to promote and develop the city of Madison. Darin serves on the advisory council of Forward Madison, sits on the Lake Area Economic Development Technology Committee, serves on the Board of Directors of ECCO Inc. and is a past president of the South Dakota Junior Chamber of Commerce. Darin is a member of the eMarketing Association, the South Dakota Advertising Federation and is a Business to Business Council Member of the Direct Marketing Association. Back To Top ^

Mr. Mark Nelson, Founder of Maximum Promotions, Inc. Mark is the founder of Maximum Promotions in Sioux Falls, SD where he also is the Director of Sales and Marketing/Promotion. He founded the company in 1978 while attending Law School at the University of South Dakota. Maximum Promotions specializes in event promotion and screen printing and has done business in all 50 states and three countries. Maximum Promotions is well known for their "Flags Honoring America" business that is taken onsite around the region. Mark has a strong interest in helping the next wave of entrepreneurs in South Dakota. He is also on the Board of Directors for "Character Counts!" and the Youth Business Adventure (YBA). Mark and his wife, Barb, have three children and reside in Sioux Falls, SD. Back To Top ^

Dr. Josh Pauli, Director of Center for TechnoEntrepreneurism at Dakota State University Dr. Josh Pauli is an Assistant Professor in the College of Business and Information Systems and the Director of the Center for TechnoEntrepreneurism at Dakota State University (CT@DSU). The Center is a joint venture between DSU and the Lake Area Improvement Corporation (LAIC) to foster a culture of technology-driven entrepreneurship on the DSU campus and the Madison community. Josh received his Ph.D. in Software Engineering from North Dakota State University and his M.S. and B.S. in Information Systems from Dakota State University. Josh teaches coursework in Systems Analysis & Design, Project Management, and .NET programming. He is one of three DSU faculty members that founded Logic Lizard, LLC, a software development company in Madison, which employs DSU students on a wide range of software projects. Back To Top ^

Dr. Wayne Pauli, Director of Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems at Dakota State University A South Dakota native who spent twenty years in the financial industry prior to becoming an Associate Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University, Wayne spent the majority of his business career assisting new business start-ups in South Dakota, Colorado, and Minnesota. His desire to help create a new economy is traced to his rural upbringing with very successful entrepreneurial parents. As a youth, Wayne was involved in the family businesses which included farming, dairy, genetics, dairy products, agronomy, and retail. Wayne has also developed several business concerns and assisted in the funding of several others through his participation as a board member and director of regional revolving loan funds, economic development authorities, and municipal governments and organizations. His desire to be on the cutting edge of technology brought Wayne to Dakota State University in 1998, where he completed a Masters Degree in Information Systems and ultimately at PhD in Organization and Management from Capella University. The leveraging of his entrepreneurial background and formal education, place Dr. Pauli right in the middle of the action relative to TechnoEntrepreneurism at Dakota State University. Back To Top ^

Mr. Jeffrey Proehl, Attorney of Woods Fuller, P.C. Jeffrey Proehl joined the Firm in 2005 after practicing in Sioux Falls and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jeff practices in the area of intellectual property law, and as a registered patent attorney represents clients before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He also counsels clients on issues arising from the use and enforcement of their patents, as well as counseling clients when patents are asserted against them. Jeff is a member of the State Bar of South Dakota, the Second Circuit Bar Association, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Back To Top ^

Ms. Mary Ann Wendland, Associate Director of Office of Technology Transfer at Creighton University Mary Ann Wendland is the Associate Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. A cum laude graduate of Doane College, Crete, Nebraska, her background includes marketing experience with both large and small businesses. In addition, she has licensing experience with a university technology based start-up. Mary Ann has been a Central Region site chair as well as a Central Region program co-chair three times. She was also a member of the 2006 and 2007 Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Back To Top ^