Speaker Bios

Mr. Scott Button, Managing Director of Venture Investors www.ventureinvestors.com Scott Button is a Managing Director and heads the firm's technology practice. He focuses on investments in engineering and physical sciences, software, energy technology and medical devices. Scott has over twelve years of venture capital experience and six years of operating experience. He created the Venture Igniter program, an entrepreneur-in-residence strategy designed to create technology start-ups out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Scott serves on the Boards of Directors for Soft Switching Technologies, NeuWave Medical and Silatronix and is an observer for Virent Energy Systems, Pattern Insight and Alfalight. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Virent Energy Systems and was an observer for Intersymbol Technologies (acquired by FNSR), NewMonics (acquired by Aonix) and Corona Optical Systems (acquired by EMKR). Before entering the venture capital industry, Scott worked for McDonald's Corporation as an operations manager and for Rockwell Automation as a field sales engineer in the automotive industry. Scott serves on the advisory boards for the Madison Development Corporation and the UW-Madison Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium. He is an occasional guest lecturer for the UW-Madison Engineering and Business Schools and is a frequent judge for the school's Technology Business Plan Competition and Schools Prize for Engineering Creativity. Scott is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BS-Mechanical Engineering), The University of Chicago (MBA) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Back To Top ^

Scott Gittrich, President - Owner of Toppers Pizza www.topperspizza.com As a 25-year veteran in the franchising and pizza industry, Scott Gittrich has experienced the ins and outs of the fields, transforming him into the pizza franchising guru he is today. Gittrich understands what it takes to make a brand unique as well as how to grow a brand nationwide. Gittrich delved into the restaurant industry at age 15 and has never looked back. In 1984, while attending college at the University of Illinois, Gittrich began working as a pizza delivery driver for the franchise, Dominos. This position ignited a passion in Gittrich for the pizza industry, where he decided to pursue this as a full-time career. Over the years, Gittrich continuously moved up in the franchise system from General Manager to Area Supervisor to Director of Operations, where he was responsible for 22 franchise locations. In 1991, Gittrich realized that he was ready for the next chapter in his life and ventured away from Dominos in a quest to develop his own unique pizza concept, unlike any other. This led to the birth of Toppers Pizza, a 25-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise brand, headquartered in Whitewater, WI, which takes a unique approach to the crowded pizza segment by appealing to 18-34 year olds in an irreverent way that totally separates them from the competition. Gittrich is franchisee owner of 7 Toppers units including their newest prototype and training center store located in Whitewater, WI. As a franchisee, Gittrich views first-hand the obstacles and experiences that his own franchisees go through and this has helped him develop and maintain a strong internal system to support his Toppers family. Gittrich is most passionate about the brands unique authenticity, made up of real people and real quality food, where Toppers menu items are hand-made at each location and each member of the Toppers family is devoted and passionate about what they do. Toppers prides themselves on not being a Wal-Marts of their industry that has lost brand identity and personality, Toppers' quirkiness and edginess has given the brand character and has led to their fanatical customer base. Gittrich is excited about Toppers future growth and development, where he plans on having 100 stores open by 2013 and 500 stores open by 2020. He is looking to expand outside the Midwest like a bubble, growing as a steady and methodical rate so franchisees are given the support and attention to be successful in the long run. Scott Gittrich has become an operational genius and an expert in his field, which has helped him keep Toppers creative, fueled for growth and unique in their industry. He thrives on inspiring others to work for their dreams just as he did because he knows that hard work, determination and passion are the tactics to reaching your aspirations. For more information on Scott Gittrich and Toppers Pizza visit: www.toppers.com Back To Top ^

Jon Hardin, President - Founder of Hardin Design & Development www.hardindd.com Jon Hardin is the founder and president of Hardin Design & Development, Inc. Hardin has eight years of experience as an application developer, ranging from working with NIH researchers to develop Java microscopy software to building cutting edge iPhone applications. For two years, Hardin worked with the Trace Center at the University of Wisconsin and the World Wide Web Consortium to help develop new standards in accessibility and ADA compliance in software. Hardin holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and has been selected to In Business Magazine's Forty Under Forty for 2008. Back To Top ^

Greg Meier, Vice President & Chief Executive Officer of Physiogenix & Lansare Corp www.physiogenix.com & www.lansare.com Greg Meier, Executive Vice President, PhysioGenix and CEO of Lansare Corp, Milwaukee. Lansare Corp is an on-demand reporting and analytics solution for annuity, life insurance and bank-owned life insurance. Meier also currently serves on the steering committee for BizStarts Milwaukee, which focuses on helping entrepreneurs launch their businesses. Meier was a partner with the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where he was a founding member of the firm's Venture Best Practice Group, which focuses on early-stage technology companies. A co-founder of Track-cost.com, Meier is a former president of the Wisconsin Innovation Network. Back To Top ^

Scott Resnick, Vice President of Hardin Design & Development www.hardindd.com Scott Resnick is Vice President of Hardin Design & Development and handles daily operations of the company: finances, sales, human resources, forecasting and legal disputes. He is a graduate of UW-Madison with degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies. Back To Top ^

James Schnieder, President of Blue Chip Training www.bluechiptraining.com James Schneider - is a business trainer and motivational speaker with over 25 years experience in the field of community economic and business development. James will share techniques you can use to differentiate your business in a competitive market by 'five sensing' your ideas as you develop the Four Factors of Success. He'll combine that with practical tips on how you can develop and maintain the most essential ingredient of entrepreneurship, your personal passion for success. Mr. Schneider attended Whitewater State University a century or so ago and has a BA in Political Science which has allowed him to make some sense of newspaper articles and Sunday morning political talk shows. He is co-creator of "First Impressions: A program for Community Improvement" which has been used by nearly 1000 communities throughout the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Back To Top ^