thursday, february · web viewchuck henderson, president, university of nebraska technology park,...

Thursday, February 27

7:00 am – 4:00 pm REGISTRATION – ATRIUM LEVEL

7:00 am – 8:00 am CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST – ATRIUM LEVEL

Ameritrade Holding Corporation (www.amtd.com) is a pioneer in the online brokerage industry with a 27-year history of providing clients

a self-directed approach to investment services. The Company, through its Private Client and Institutional Client divisions, provides tiered levels of brokerage products and services tailored to meet the varying investing, trading and execution needs of individual investors, financial institutions and corporations. Ameritrade's landmark merger with Datek Online Holdings Corp. combines the client service, technology, products and innovation of both companies to bring enhanced value to its clients and shareholders.

Freetrade by Ameritrade is a virtual broker aimed at a specific niche market. It is a division of Ameritrade, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Ameritrade Holding Corporation. Freetrade is an iteration of the continuing evolution of e-commerce. This on-line brokerage house offers limited services and limited costs of operation . . meaning every cost not necessary for executing stock trades has been eliminated. They have also eliminated costs by using the Internet for all communications with clients. There is no telephone or office location. All trades and client services are executed by and through the Internet. Freetrade does not market in any stock. All orders are routed to the market for execution with every phase of the order routing system reported to the client.

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM SESSIONS THURSDAY

8:00 am -9:00 am James A. Ricketts Grand Ballroom Executive Vice President

Ameritrade Holding Corporation

“The Supporting Cast Makes All the Difference”

9:05 am–9:50 am Marketing - How Ameritrade Uses Integrated CommunicationsYankee Hill III Anne L. Nelson

Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Ameritrade

What channels are best? How do you get the most bang for your buck? How do you measure marketing dollars? Lastly, why bring an agency into help? Anne Nelson oversees the Company marketing strategy including television, print and online advertising, brand management, client marketing, and database management and acquisition. In 2000, Nelson was named one of the Top 100 Advertising Executives by Advertising Age, and one of the Top 10 Marketers by Financial Services Marketing for her efforts with evolving Ameritrade into a master brand. Before joining Ameritrade in November 1999, she served as the executive vice president of marketing for HSBC Bank USA. During her tenure, Nelson directed the brand identity change from Marine Midland to HSBC, which was part of HSBC’s global transition to a single brand name. Prior to HSBC, she spent 10 years with CoreStates Financial Corp. located in Philadelphia, in a number of senior level positions in their retail marketing, credit card and acquisition divisions. Nelson received her M.B.A. from Temple University and holds a B.A. from LaSalle College. She completed additional post-graduate studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

9:05 am–9:50 am Venture Capital & Angel Investments: An Overview of Legal Issues for Yankee Hill II Entrepreneurs

Todd Richardson & David Hohman Partners, Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP Law Firm

This session will cover two key areas for an entrepreneur: 1) Venture Capital and Angel Investments: An Overview of Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs, 2) Patents, copyrights and trademarks, a primer. Todd Richardson and David Hohman are Partners at Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP Law Firm. Todd Richardson has a practice emphasis in commercial transactions, entrepreneurial services, mergers & acquisitions, securities law and venture capital. David Hohman has a practice emphasis in entrepreneurial services, venture capital, commercial transactions and securities law.

9:05 am–9:50 am UNL Food Entrepreneur Assistance ProgramYankee Hill I Arlis Burney

Marketing/Promotions Manager, UNL Food Processing Center

A program designed specifically for entrepreneurs wanting to take a food product to the market place. The program begins with a one-day "From Recipe to Reality" seminar that provides entrepreneurs with an understanding of the issues they will need to consider when staring a food business. Following the seminar participants who decide to launch their own food business venture may enter the "From Product to Profit" phase where they receive confidential, step-by-step assistance from food scientists and food industry business consultants. Arlis Burney is a Marketing/Promotions Manager of the Food Processing Center (FPC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Before joining the staff at the FPC, Arlis held various positions in advertising, marketing, business and education.


9:05 am–9:50 am How to Start a Small Business in the State of NebraskaGarrat I, II Cliff Mosteller

Director, Small Business Development Center

Clifton H. Mosteller is the Director of the Small Business Development Center in Lincoln. Mr.Mosteller, a former successful small business owner, has had extensive administrative management experience in governmental and private business organizations with direct responsibilities for human resources, training, budgeting, production management and strategic planning. Cliff works with entrepreneurs in the Lincoln district to provide the variety of services the NBDC offers including business planning, loan packaging, basic start-up packaging and other consultation services. He works closely with other economic developers in the Lincoln area and maintains contact with the Small Business Adm. in Omaha and with area banks.

9:05 am–9:50 am How to Get HR Off the GroundHawthorne Room Lisa Falcone and Jan McGee

Silverstone Consulting Group

Setting up the Human Resources (HR) function in a start-up environment or small business typically is a secondary concern for business leaders. Early in an organization’s evolution, however, it’s important to recognize the importance of doing things right with regard to the people part of your business. After all, human capital is the only strategic advantage any organization has! The earlier an entrepreneur recognizes the importance of establishing an HR function, they better off the organization will be. This session provides food for thought on HR basics such as employment laws, personnel files, employee handbooks, policies and procedures, and other aspects associated with the people part of your business.

9:05 am–9:50 am Employee Ownership: A History of Entrepreneurial SuccessOlive Branch Andrew T. Lamas, J. D.

University of Pennsylvania

Employee ownership has a rich history of success both in this country and around the world. This session will cover the philosophy underlying employee ownership that explains why it has worked as an entrepreneurial strategy for all kinds of companies ranging from micro-enterprises to multi-national corporations. Key examples of employee ownership throughout history will be used as illustrations of how employee ownership has been implemented. Andrew T. Lamas, J.D. is an organizational consultant and a member of the faculty of the Department of Urban Studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches courses on Urban Economic Development and Organizational Ethics. Andy has consulted with firms in a variety of industries regarding the implementation of employee ownership strategies. He was instrumental in developing a group of employee-owned supermarkets in the Philadelphia area. As Associate Director of the Philadelphia Association for Cooperative Enterprise, he also established a revolving loan fund to support the development of employee-owned enterprises.


10:00 am–10:45 am The Advantages & Disadvantages of Remaining a Private Company vs. Yankee Hill III Going Public (or Seeking Investors)

Bill GerberDirector of Finance, Ameritrade

What options are available? What should a company take into consideration? Bill Gerber directs all finance operations at Ameritrade, including accounting, business planning and forecasting, tax, treasury, procurement and risk management. He also plays a major role in evaluating M&A opportunities, including the recent acquisition of National Discount Brokers and the merger with Datek Online Holdings Corp. He arrived at the Company in 1999 from Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc., where he served as Vice President responsible for all aspects of M&A, investment banking activity, banking relationships, investor communication and portfolio management. Prior to joining Acceptance Insurance, Gerber spent eight years with Coopers & Lybrand, serving as an audit manager for the firm’s Detroit office, primarily focusing on public company clients. He holds a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Michigan and is a certified public accountant.

10:00 am-10:45 am Passing The Test: An Insiders View on the Venture ProcessYankee Hill II Chris Lausten & Marc Kaschke

Entroes Capital Partners

Hundreds of thousands of companies seek venture capital funding on a annual basis, few succeed, there are a small set of “key rules” that any business can follow to help them stand out from the crowd. Our presentation will address a number of the issues surrounding the venture process and give a suggested guideline to follow when seeking private equity capital. Chris and Marc are from Entroes Capital Partners.

10:00 am-10:45 am Microenterprise Development in Rural NebraskaYankee Hill I Jeff Reynolds & Glennis McClure

Rural enterprise Assistance Program (REAP)

The Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) was started by the Center for Rural Affairs in 1990 to meet the needs of self-employed persons in the rural Midwest. REAP is Nebraska’s largest microenterprise program and operates on a statewide, rural basis through regionally based Business Specialists. Learn more about this unique and highly successful small business development strategy for rural-based communities and individuals.

Jeff Reynolds is the Program Director of the Nebraska based Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP), a program of the Center for Rural Affairs, Walthill, Nebraska. The REAP program works with small, self-employed businesses in rural areas of Nebraska working toward their goal of rural enterprise development through business training, one-on-one technical assistance, networking, and micro-lending.

Glennis McClure is the Women’s Business Center Director for REAP. Glennis works with small business associations and members in communities across a 17 county area. Her job includes working with the REAP groups in the area, preparing and presenting business training topics, offering one-on-one technical assistance for member businesses and processing of business micro-loans.


10:00 am-10:45 am Resources Available for Nebraska Small BusinessesGarrat I, II Steve Williams

Business Assistance Manager, Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Steve has worked with thousands of startup and existing businesses looking for information on the requirements for starting a business. He is one of the principals involved in creating the first public (and award winning) economic development web site on the Internet (1994) and in organizing the Nebraska Inventors’ Association (1987). Steve has a wealth of information to share with potential entrepreneurs including potential financing, tax information, laws and regulation, starting up, international trade information, trademarks, and other Federal Business Resources. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain more knowledge on the “how-to’s” of entrepreneurial development. Steve Williams is the Business Assistance Manager for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

10:00 am-10:45 am Let’s Talk About Communication!Hawthorne Room Les Tighe


Organizational survey feedback almost always reveals organizational communication issues. This is perhaps the most common issue experienced by employees and management. This session will address organizational communication challenges and examine how people typically process communication. Les will also explore the effectiveness of various avenues of communication; verbal, non-verbal, written, telephone, and electronic communication and establish guidelines for maximizing the potential in each mode.

10:00 am-10:45 am Employee Ownership: The Competitive EdgeOlive Branch Virginia J. Vanderslice, Ph.D.

President, Praxis Consulting Group

Motivated employees are the key to any company’s long-term success. The ownership structure of a company can make a major difference in employee commitment and performance. Participants in this session will learn why companies in which employees are co-owners have been successful in becoming great places to work, beating out their competition and achieving higher levels or productivity and profitability than their non-employee-owned counterparts. Virginia J. Vanderslice, Ph.D., is a founding partner and the president of Praxis Consulting Group. Praxis focuses on assisting employee-owned companies in maximizing the potential of their ESOP to enhance company performance. Ginny has more than twenty years of experience assisting employee-owned companies in developing high performance ownership cultures. This work has included assistance with strategic planning, organizational culture transition, internal restructuring, leadership development, employee education, communication strategies and employee involvement programs. In addition to her work at Praxis, Ginny is a faculty member of the graduate program in Dynamics of Organization at the University of Pennsylvania where she teaches courses on organizational change. Ginny holds BS and MS degrees from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.


11:00 am-11:45 am Product Life Cycle, Taking An Idea From Inception Through Yankee Hill III Implementation (A Panel Presentation)

James Ricketts, COO/ Kurt Halvorsen, Chief Administrative Officer/ Gary Major, Sr. Program Manager/ Jim Masters, Vice President-Clearing Services, Ameritrade Holding Corporation

Product life cycle or taking an idea from inception through implementation involves a large cast of characters, resources and time. But how can you do it effectively? How do you test products to make certain you will have a client base? Or, how do you provide a service in a way that no one else can? What does it take to make an idea happen? Whether your company is ten people or 10,000 people, there are certain success factors and pitfalls that we can certainly learn from. Ameritrade Holding Corporation (www.amtd.com) has a 27-year brokerage history of providing a self-directed approach to investment services. The Company, through its Private Client and Institutional Client divisions, provides tiered levels of brokerage products and services tailored to meet the varying investing, trading and execution needs of individual investors, financial institutions and corporations. Ameritrade's landmark merger with Datek Online Holdings Corp. combines the client service, technology, products and innovation of both companies to bring enhanced value to its clients and shareholders.

11:00 am-11:45 am Playing Well Together in the Sandbox & Other Human Capital Lessons Yankee Hill II for Entrepreneurs

Mark HirschfeldSr. Vice President, Right Management Consultants

Mark Hirschfeld, Senior Vice President of the Nebraska practice of Right Management Consultants, will be your presenter. Right Management is a global consulting firm that focuses on helping companies manage the human side of change. Understanding your human relations skills as an entrepreneur, what investors are looking for in the quality of management, and how to build an effective team are some of the key topics Mr. Hirschfeld will address. Along with his consulting activities Mr. Hirschfeld has started and owned his own businesses.

11:00 am-11:45 am EDGE (Enhancing, Developing and Growing Entrepreneurs)Yankee Hill I Marilyn Schlake

Facilitator, Nebraska EDGE Program

Following a dream of owning a business is worth pursuing no matter what age, experience and educational level one may have. However, blindly pursuing that dream can spell disaster. The Nebraska EDGE (Enhancing, Developing and Growing Entrepreneurs) can help individuals to objectively analyze their dream business. This session will outline how the Nebraska EDGE Program helps business owners accomplish these goals.

Since 1995, Ms. Schlake has served as Chair and in numerous other capacities on the Nebraska Enterprise Opportunity Network, a policy development and advocacy group for Nebraska micro and small business organizations. Ms. Schlake currently serves as the National NxLeveL Coordinator for the NxLeveL Agricultural Entrepreneurship and is co-author and editor of “Tilling the Soil of Opportunity: A Guide for Agricultural Entrepreneurs.” Marilyn is a graduate of the University of Nebraska.


11:00 am-11:45 am International Business OpportunitiesGarrat I, II Robert Valentine

Adjunct Instructor, UNL

Robert Valentine has organized export programs for various industrial companies and has sold Nebraska products in over 40 countries. Dr. Valentine is an adjunct instructor at UNL and Creighton University and serves on the U.S. Dept. of Commerce District Export Council. Robert is the former Director of both the International and Development Divisions of the Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development and is the former President of the Midwest International Trade Association. Valentine earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from Duke University. Dr. Valentine will outline export market entry strategies, focusing on key decisions that entrepreneurs must make before attempting to sell their goods and services abroad.

11:00 am-11:45 am Compensation and Total Rewards StrategyHawthorne Room Ray Weinberg


Are your employees appropriately rewarded for the value they add to your organization? Are your rewards aligned with your business objectives? Designing effective compensation systems that drive performance is a huge challenge. A Total Rewards Strategy is the end result of the process SilverStone Group uses to assist business leaders in examining current reward plans and recommending changes or additions to support strategic business initiatives. Ray Weinberg will outline the steps used in developing a Total Rewards Strategy and provide an overview of the various reward options available to attract and retain the people you need to grow your business.

11:00 am-11:45 am Business Leadership in the 21st Century: A Vision Olive Branch Richard E. Duffy

Founding Member & Vice President, New England Chapter of ESOP Assn.

What are the leadership values, qualities, and traits required in a shared ownership environment? Why are they essential to business success in the 21st century? This session will explore the idea that “good managers do things right but good leaders do the right thing.” Using the ideas explored by Douglas McGregor in his seminal work “The Human Side of Enterprise,” we will compare and contrast those companies operating from a theory Y framework and those with a Theory X orientation. The case will be made that the companies whose leaders demonstrate the importance of human values and vision will be the successful enterprises of the 21st century. Richard E. Duffy is a retired former executive for the Polaroid Corporation. Dick has over 35 years experience in Research, Sales and Marketing, Quality Control, Manufacturing, Human Resources, and Training and Development. Dick is currently the Chapter Development Officer for the ESOP Association and he is President of Ownership Visions, Inc. Dick serves on the Board of Directors for Unette Corporation and the Employee Ownership Foundation. He is the founding member of and Vice-President of the New England Chapter of the ESOP Association. Dick holds a BS from Tufts University and has advanced certificates in Education and Training.

Lunch Keynote – Thursday, February 27

Since ServiceMaster purchased Merry Maids 12 years ago, the successful home cleaning enterprise from Nebraska has seen remarkable franchise growth. They are now located throughout the United States and in several countries throughout the world. Dallen Peterson founded Merry Maids in 1979 in Omaha, Nebraska. On the first job, Dallen and his wife, Glennis, cleaned a house so dirty they had to use snow shovels. Two days and many sore muscles later, the house was finished and the Peterson’s were $66 richer. Their high quality work attracted a lot of attention and soon referrals began to

pour in. After six months and an increasing number of jobs, Dallen hired outside personnel. Franchises were first offered in 1980. They grew from one location to 425 in the eight years the Peterson’s owned the company. In 1988, industry giant ServiceMaster purchased Merry Maids and later that year, the first international franchise opened in the U.K. Soon after Japan, Canada, Denmark, Chile and Hong Kong followed. Today there are over 850 locations in the U.S. and more than 380 internationally. Merry Maids is the largest home cleaning company in the industry.

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM SESSIONS THURSDAY

12 Noon – 1:30 pm Dallen PetersonGrand Ballroom Founder & President, Retired

Merry Maids Corporation

“Ethics & Entrepreneurship”(Luncheon Ticket Only)

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Is Franchising a Viable Option? (A Panel Discussion)Yankee Hill III Don Everett-Runza, Steve Fisher-Schlotzsky’s, Sean Wieting-Samurai Sam’s

Teriyaki Grill, Dallen Peterson-Merry Maids Corp., and Paul Hogan-Home Instead Nursing Care

Dallen Peterson founded Merry Maids in 1979 in Omaha, Nebraska. They are now located throughout the United States and in several countries throughout the world. Franchises were first offered in 1980. They grew from one location to 425 in the eight years the Peterson’s owned the company. In 1988, industry giant ServiceMaster purchased Merry Maids and later that year, the first international franchise opened in the U.K. Soon after Japan, Canada, Denmark, Chile and Hong Kong followed. Today there are over 850 locations in the U.S. and more than 380 internationally. Since ServiceMaster purchased Merry Maids 12 years ago, the successful home cleaning enterprise from Nebraska has seen remarkable franchise growth.

Donald R. Everett, Sr. was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and at the age of 13 began what eventually turned into a remarkable success story when he went to work at Runza® Drive-In, a restaurant opened by his mother in 1949. In June of 1966, Don purchased the rights to the Runza® Sandwich, federally trademarked the name and opened his first Runza® Restaurant location at 56th and Holdrege Streets. Don slowly expanded the number of restaurants throughout the next decade, insisting that quality never be compromised for the sake of growth. Don still remains the majority stockholder throughout the chain of 66 locations in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Colorado.

President and Co-founder, Paul Hogan launched Home Instead Senior Care in 1994 from a single pilot operation in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2001, the company generated $112 million in revenues through a network of 315 franchises operating in 42 states across the U.S., Japan and Canada. The company has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and was recently recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 franchise companies in the country. He received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship in 2000. Mr. Hogan will speak about the road to success and what it takes to become successful.

Steven A. Fisher is the sole owner/operator of three Schlotsky’s Deli franchises, two in Omaha and one in the Lincoln area. In high school, at the age of eighteen, Steve became the manager of a Pizza Hut and stayed with the corporation for the next twenty years. His last five years with Pizza Hut he served as the Area Manager covering the Nebraska region. In 1993, Steve left Pizza Hut to become Developer/Director of Operations for Boston Market. After five years, he began seeking other new opportunities. He then met and consulted with the Schlotsky’s Deli and bought out his partners within two years. He loves overseeing all aspects of operations for the three franchises he owns today, which include keeping within corporate guidelines and expectations and lending support to his managers and employees.

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill was started by Sean Wieting, a graduate student at UNL whose idea of opening a Japanese fast-food restaurant occurred to him during his freshman year at UNL. After taking a business plan writing course and getting involved in the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship. His initial goal was to successfully open and operate a new Samurai Sam’s each year within Nebraska and surrounding states. Sean has the developmental rights for new franchises in both Lincoln and Omaha. In addition to his business in Lincoln, he recently added a franchise in Omaha that opened in January, 2002. While overseeing his two franchises, Sean works as a Franchising broker within the state of Nebraska and much of the Midwest.


1:30 pm-2:15 pm Be Wary of Patent Attorneys Who Say Yes!Yankee Hill II Keith J. Ziegenbein

President, KZ Inventioneering, Inc.

In 1971 college was expensive and a waste of time; all 9 months of it. The thought never occurred to Keith to become an inventor and actually make a living doing it. One day it just happened; college would be missed. Being an inventor for sure, but not really an engineer, and lacking a degree of any type imaginable, I coined a new word and became an “Inventioneer”. KZ Inventioneering, a non-profit service, exists today exclusively to help inventors through this misunderstood process. The extended drive for inventing is rarely for money. It becomes work! Bring your problems and lots of questions. If Keith doesn’t know the answer, he’ll know someone who does. This will be an open forum, light and practical. After all, any good inventioneer knows that “form follows function”. Today, with only 15 employees, KZ Inventioneering manufactures hundreds of varieties of electric motorized valves and related products. They are the primary electric sprayer valve supplier to John Deere, AGCO, and other OEM customers in Ag, Fire, and Industrial markets. NASA and Disneyland have even used their valves. Our new location is at I-80 exit #420 near Ashland/Greenwood. Keith is a 1971 graduate of Mead High School. He began his career farming with my family in the Ashland area. His brother and he started KZCO in 1976 while still farming. Their single product, the Hydra-Halt ™, came into being simply because they needed it for their own farm equipment. In 1980, their dad, Jim, brother Kevin, and Keith began Zinc Fertilizer Co., (again, a service their farm also needed). In 1991 they Sold Zinc Fertilizer Co. Keith quit farming and directed all efforts towards KZCO. Operating for 15 years part time, Keith was well prepared to enter the market fully. He expanded the product line by a factor of 100, organized engineering and focused on marketing.

Question: “What key factor did all of my businesses initially have in common? Door prize @ infoUSA for the correct answer!”

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Building Your Brand From Start-UpYankee Hill I Charlie Hull & Clint Runge

Co-Founders, Archrival

Charlie & Clint are co-founders in Archrival. Archrival is a Lincoln, Nebraska based strategic design firm that provides a wide range of design and holistic branding services. In an age where consumers are assaulted daily with information and marketing messages, the corporate brand has surfaced as an integral part of building customer loyalty and company value. This presentation will enable the audience to understand what exactly branding is and how to pursue building an effective brand identity in the marketplace. Today, Archrival claims clients such as PKS Information Services, Duncan Aviation, and some of the most prominent architecture firms. Charles and Clint are both graduates of UNL who first came to the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship in their senior year in college with their idea, which was to start a business based on the skills they acquired in architecture school. Charles and Clint had no prior business experience. They presented their business plan for their company idea at the International Business Plan Competition in 1996 and took 3rd place. Since then, Archrival has won over six major awards including a 1998 Nebraska Gold ADDY for Interactive Media and A 1998 Midwest Regional Best Interactive Media Design. Archrival also placed first in graphics and animation programming in the 1998 Aurora Awards in Salt Lake City, Utah.


1:30 pm-2:15 pm Improving The Productivity of Process Engineers & AnalystsGarrat I, II Khaled Mabrouk

Simulation Entrepreneur & Innovator

Process Engineers and Analysts are being constantly challenged to come up with more accurate solutions, more quickly. Discrete Event Simulation is a technology that, through its ability to reflect dynamic interactions and random behavior, is able to provide these individuals with a more accurate solution to their process design and improvement problems. The challenge for these individuals, when using simulation, is that it can take much time to develop a model. In addition, only the people who have developed the model are able to experiment with it. This presentation will review a strategy for allowing non-simulationists to utilize this technology with minimum effort, and, as a result, significantly improve their productivity as engineers/analysts in the same manner that spreadsheets significantly improved the productivity of accountants and financial analysts. Khaled Mabrouk has 16 years experience in the Discrete Event simulation field. Mr. Mabrouk has extensive experience designing & coding simulation models in Arena, ProModel, and Witness. He also has extensive experience designing & coding Visual Basic & VBA interfaces. He has developed and delivered training programs such as “Simulation Basics for Engineers & Analysts” and “Simulation for Managers & Executives”.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm The Business of Web DesignsHawthorne Room Lou Keller

CEO, AGR Concepts

Over the past decade, the capability of a corporation to expand, extend and sustain its presence through interactive media has increased exponentially. In fact, from Website design to the proliferation of educational CDs, most companies have begun to rely on the less expensive aspects of just such a tool to not only augment, but replace more expensive mechanisms. The most dramatic result has been the impact such trends have had on small companies. Today, even a startup can look, behave and perform like a major competitor. In his presentation, Lou will examine various aspects of the interactive media business, from its contribution to e-commerce to its form and function as a contributor to profitability. Along the way, he’ll show a wide variety of creative and progressive websites, advertisements, training CDs and other examples of this exciting technology. Lou Keller is the Chief Operating Officer of AGR Concepts, a government consulting firm, and past COO of Indy Interactive Inc.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Employee Ownership: Real life ImplementationOlive Branch Victor N. Aspengren

President & CEO, Schafer Systems, Inc.

Victor will present front line stories from a company that implemented employee ownership in 1999. Come hear what it takes to be on the cutting edge of employee ownership, leadership, and financial success. Work is full of excitement and challenges when you are engaging people for success. It is not boring when you live on the cutting edge! Victor N. Aspengren is President and CEO of Schafer Systems Inc. and Connect-A-Dock. The companies focus on plastic products for the Lottery and Marine Industries. His experiences cover camps, sales, and owning his own business. Victor has a great message to tell about life and employee ownership, and speaks to a variety of organizations. Victor holds a BA from Iowa State University and a MPA from Drake University. Victor is also a Certified Dale Carnegie Instructor.


2:30 pm-3:15 pm The Power of the Certified Business ModelYankee Hill III Rudy Lewis

CEO, National Association of Home Based Businesses (NAHBB)

The National Association of Home Based Businesses, (NAHBB) and the newly formed Micro-Business Enterprise Association (MBEA) certifies business models and franchises. They also refer business owners with innovative business models to financial sources. A Certified Business Model is a third party verified business venture with the core concept and management structure tested in the actual marketplace. Once certified, they are the preferred business structure of the new millennium venture capitalists, because the verifying organizations can provide them with support before and after funding. Rudy Lewis supervises small business development programs and organizes management and marketing strategies for business members and clients through the NAHBB. He directly oversees the Certified Business Model & Franchise Program and holds the title of Training Program Director for the Exporters’ Incubator of America since 1991.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm Innovate, Then Protect – A Strategic ImperativeYankee Hill II J. Carlos Artola, Indar Ventures, LLC

Daniel A. Artola, McCarthy Tetrault’s Intellectual Property Group

Innovation is a strategic imperative in a competitive business environment. Rapid technological change, growing number of low cost production sources, and the lowering of cross border trade barriers are only a few factors that highlight the importance of innovation to the survival of an enterprise - be it through new products, production methods, treatments or drugs. However, protecting intellectual property must go hand in hand with innovation if it is to be used as an effective business tool. J. Carlos Artola is founder and managing director of Indar Ventures, a private investment company seeking to acquire and operate middle market manufacturing companies that demonstrate favorable characteristics and potential. Prior to starting Indar Ventures, Mr. Artola held a variety of operating roles with some of the world's leading industrial corporations: Daimler Benz, Alcan Aluminium, Cummins Engine, and Emerson Electric. Daniel A. Artola is a partner with the Intellectual Property Group of McCarthy Tetrault, Canada’s largest law firm, with offices in the US and Europe. As an engineer and registered US and Canadian patent agent, Mr. Artola's practice covers all aspects of intellectual property law, including: copyrights, electronic commerce, intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution, intellectual property strategy and portfolio management, internet law, licensing, patents and technology, technology law, technology litigation, and trade-marks.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm Niche EntrepreneurshipYankee Hill I Jim Ballard

James Arthur Vineyard

In September of 1997, James Arthur Vineyards first opened its doors to the public. Jim Ballard thought his father-in-law's farmland, situated northwest of Lincoln, Neb., was fertile ground for growing grapes. With his father-in-law's blessing, Jim planted several grapevines with hopes his hobby would someday produce fine homemade wine . . . something to share with family and friends. It did, and Jim's hobby took a new twist. James Arthur Vineyards opened five years later. Jim Ballard is a former broadcast journalist and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jim manages the winery's daily operations. He plans special events, manages the tasting room and markets the winery. His goal is to provide guests to James Arthur Vineyards with an experience that is educational, exciting and interesting.


2:30 pm-3:15 pm Six Sigma Selling Process Improvement for the 3M Canada SafetyGarrat I, II Products Business

Brenda J. AckermanBlack Belt, 3M Canada Company

3M is a $16 billion diversified technology company with operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. For the past two years, 3M has been using Six Sigma methodology to pursue continuous quality improvement, and are one of the first companies using Six Sigma to generate sales growth. Brenda's presentation will talk about how the use of Six Sigma methodology allowed the project team to reduce selling cycle time. To complete the critical Design of Experiments phase on an eight-month process within a six month project deadline, the Six Sigma team used ProcessModel computer simulation to determine how much time would be saved by changing various parameters in the sales cycle. The changes and improvements the Six Sigma team has made to the process have dramatically increased the speed and flexibility of the sales force in working with customers to development specifications. Brenda is a Black Belt for the 3M Canada Company and has been employed with 3M in various sales and marketing management positions during her 20 year career.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm Will Technology Change, Sustain or Disrupt Your Business Model?Hawthorne Room Dr. Les Digman

US Bank Professor of Management, UNL

Clayton Christensen of the Harvard Business School has studied what he calls "disruptive technologies," or new approaches or methods that enable less-skilled, less-specialized people or groups to perform activities previously able to be performed only by the highly skilled. Research has shown that technologies progress much faster than people's ability to use them, suggesting that currently low-level technologies will likely become adequate for many applications in just a matter of time, disrupting the current practices in the industry or field. The trick is to be able to tell which is which, and what to do about it. For example, is the Internet a disruptive or a sustaining technology in your industry? If you are a smaller firm, disruptive technologies can be an ideal opportunity to play catch-up to the industry leaders, whereas sustaining technologies merely increase the advantages of the leaders. Les Digman is the US Bank Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also serves as Director of the Graduate Program in Management.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm Employee Retention StrategiesOlive Branch Jon Grannis

ITAGroup, Inc. (Ideas To Action)

Conventional wisdom tells us that keeping the good employees not only saves time and money, but also increases customer satisfaction and retention. This seminar will highlight several key strategies that will help you retain your best employees and better service your customer base. Strategies include: Empowering your workforce. Encouraging creativity, Building morale, Effective communication, Training and technology, and Incentives and rewards. Jon Grannis has spent more than 10 years coupling technology with smart business practices. Since 1995, Jon has devoted all of his attention to the Internet, helping companies leverage technology and employee performance by developing training and incentive programs that allow managers to treat their employees like people first and workers second.


3:30 pm-4:15 pm Global Entrepreneurship EnvironmentsYankee Hill III Dr. Sang M. Lee

Chairman, Management Dept., UNL

Entrepreneurship has long been considered a crucial factor for socioeconomic growth and development. Given recent trends toward corporate downsizing, privatization of economies, and global competition based on agility, creativity, and innovation, there is a need to carefully analyze global entrepreneurship environments. In this session, we will examine cultural and environmental approaches to entrepreneurship in several select parts of the world. As chair of the Department of Management, Dr. Sang Lee’s goal has been to build one of the best management departments in the country by attracting high-quality faculty, providing them with sufficient resources, and encouraging and rewarding their productivity. As Executive Director of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, our program has been ranked as one of the top 50 entrepreneurship programs in the country.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Patent Tactics for a Small High-Tech BusinessYankee Hill II Dr. John Woollam

President & Founder, J. A. Woollam Co.

Patents play a critical role for small high-tech business. The primary use of a patent is to protect business segments. Clever ideas are great, but not always the market place “show stoppers”. Getting patents written requires partnership with proud engineers. Claimsprotect ideas as well as block competitors from engineering around claims. Claims can be structured in combinations, so if the Patent Examiner throws out certain claims, others can protect aspects of sacrificed claims. An on-going series of Continuation Applications can preserve filing dates going back years. Examples are discussed. The J.A.Woollam Co. manufactures an optics instrument called a “spectroscopic ellipsometer” used to inspect ultra-thin films. The company was founded in 1987 as a spin off of John Woollam’s on-going university research and had $16M 2001 sales. Sales are to researchers in semiconductors, optical coatings, displays, national laboratories, and universities world-wide. The company has 35 patents, with 20 in process.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Lessons From the Line: Starting & Growing a Business in NebraskaYankee Hill I Steven & Sheri Idelman

Founders & CEOs, Solutionary

Steven and his lifelong business partner, Sheri Idelman, are bullish since their Omaha-based Solutionary, Inc., a network and systems e-security company dedicated to protecting Information Technology infrastructure, data and privacy is becoming a competitive force in the industry. While Solutionary is only two and a half years old, the Idelmans are not new to the security business. The Idelmans founded ITI Marketing Services in 1986. At the helm of ITI, the Idelmans’ helped grow the company to one that would see $150 million in annual revenues before it was sold. Many members of same management team that helped the Idelmans achieve success at ITI are now at Solutionary, marking over 15 years the group has been working together.


3:30 pm-4:15 pm Curve Fitting Using STATFIT – The Key to Better Analysis Garrat I, II Lou Keller

CEO, AGR Concepts

Performance improvement programs almost always depend on sound analytical techniques to evaluate changes in outcomes. For an analytical model to be accurate however, the analyst must make sure that inputs are not only carefully measured but representative of a program's parameters as well. To that end, curve-fitting, or the selection and creation of appropriate mathematical distributions to represent model components, has become the mainstay and basis for business model building. In his presentation, Lou addresses the concept of curve fitting from the perspective of why it's necessary and then demonstrates how underlying curves are identified in raw data, how they are then fitted to specific distributions and finally how they are inserted in mathematical models to improve analytical performance. Related topics including data collection, sampling and optimization procedures will also be addressed. Lou is the Chief Operating Officer of AGR Concepts, a government consulting firm, and past COO of Indy Interactive Inc.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Ethical Reasoning and Moral CourageHawthorne Room Dr. Janice Lawrence

Associate Professor, Accountancy Dept., UNL

This session will examine the current focus on ethics. How do people learn to reason ethically? Why doesn’t everyone just do the right thing? Some resolution principles you can use to help you make ethical decisions will be discussed. Dr. Janice Lawrence is an associate professor in the School of Accountancy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also the Associate Director of the College of Business Program in Business, Ethics and Society. She has received teaching awards at both the college and university levels. Dr. Lawrence is a CPA and has worked in both public practice and private industry. Her current research is the areas of ethics and fraud and she has published articles in multiple journals on these topics.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm The Role of Non-Cash Incentives in Employee Compensation!Olive Branch Beth Schelske and Tawnya Fields

ITAGroup, Inc. (Ideas To Action)

This seminar will focus on the role incentives play in overall employee performance and will overview the fundamentals involved in building an effective non-cash incentive program. Beth Schelske has more than 17 years experience in the performance improvement industry and is currently Director of Marketing for ITAGroup, a full service performance improvement company headquartered in Des Moines Iowa. In this role, Beth is responsible, along with a team of 12 Marketing Strategists, for developing incentive solutions for Fortune 500 companies, including Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Allstate Insurance and General Motors. Tawnya Fields is a Brand Management and Corporate Communications Specialist at ITAGroup. Tawnya has more than eight years experience developing effective employee and corporate communications. In her current role at ITAGroup, Tawnya also supports new product development and has been instrumental in launching ITAGroup’s new proprietary performance platform, PerformanceSuite.

Friday, February 28

7:00 am – 4:00 pm REGISTRATION – ATRIUM LEVEL

7:00 am – 8:00 am CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST – ATRIUM LEVEL

Mel Olsen, the soft-spoken airline route planner and scheduler whose theories about how to get more paying passengers onto airplanes led to the creation of American Airlines' giant Dallas/Fort Worth Airport hub. In addition to developing American's D/FW hub, Olsen led the development of all of the Fort Worth- based carrier's domestic hubs in the 1980s, and played a major role in developing American's rapidly expanding international route network in the 1990s. Mel Olsen made a huge contribution to American's growth and

success. In addition to having been the mastermind behind development of American's D/FW hub operations, Olsen has been credited with devising the basic operating philosophy that is used today at every airline hub in the nation. He retired from American Airlines in June, 1998. Today Mel is involved with a new start-up venture entitled “IM CENTRIC”, a marketing solutions for business processes automation.

Before American's launch of its D/FW hub on 1981, the few airports that airlines referred to as hubs were not operated much like today's hubs. Other carriers quickly copied American's D/FW hub operating philosophy, and by the mid-1980s they were operating American- style hubs at more than 20 major airports around the nation. In the process, the way that Americans travel across the nation was dramatically changed. Mel has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from California University in Long Beach and completed his course work for a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California University in Long Beach and completed his course work for a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University in Los Angeles. Mr. Olsen completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in the fall of 1988.

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM SESSIONS FRIDAY

8:00 am – 9:00 am Mel OlsenGrand Ballroom Vice President, Retired

American Airlines“Overcoming Obstacles & Objections to Change”

9:00 am-9:50 am A Paradigm for Peak PerformanceArbor Room I Aaron Davis

President, Truth Enterprises

Your job, as a manager, is to tap the unused talents and energies of your team. You know that Susan has all the ability in the world to succeed in your organization, and you find yourself constantly walking on eggshells around Bill because you know his confidence is easily damaged. But how do you get them to see where they could be, instead of where they currently are? A New Paradigm for Peak Performance teaches you how to become a better peak performer so that you can teach your team how to become peak performers. Aaron Davis, President of Truth Enterprises Human Development Company travels the nation helping individuals and organizations enhance their professional and personal lives. He has addressed thousands of individuals with outstanding success.

9:00 am-9:50 am Effective Planning For Your New Business VentureArbor Room II Dr. Sucheta Nadkarni

Assistant Professor, UNL

This seminar is based on the premise that planning is the cornerstone on which CEOs build an organization. Effective planning can accomplish today’s organizational mission and provide continuity in the future. Planning helps to answer four basic questions: (1) Where do I (we) want to be? (2) What is the best way to get there? (3) What is my (our) blueprint for action? and (4) How do I (we) measure progress? Good planning promotes greater effectiveness and efficiency. There is nothing more gratifying than being in control of your work environment and knowing that your effective planning is resulting in productive activities. Sucheta Nadkarni is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

9:00 am-9:50 am Sources of Funding for Technology DevelopmentOlive Branch Stephen Frayser

Interim Director, Technology Transfer, UNL

This session will provide information on how to obtain no-strings-attached funds from the Federal government through the SBIR/SBTT programs. It will also describe how businesses can obtain a wide range of free services from the University and the Office of Technology Transfer. Companies can receive up to several million dollars to conduct feasibility studies for new products or services and to pursue the resultant pilot operation leading to commercialization. Firms successfully completing initial evaluations are eligible to apply for up to $750,000 in additional grant funding. Stephen is a marketing/technology transfer associate with Nebraska Technology Park. Steve brings over 25 years of economic and business development experience to the University’s efforts to foster commercialization of new products and services by faculty, staff and private enterprise in Nebraska. Among his responsibilities at the University are: commercialization of University intellectual properties; increasing interaction between the University and business; assistance with new business formation by faculty, staff and students; assistance with the continued development and operations of the University of Nebraska Technology Park; and providing individual counseling and assistance to firms or faculty interested in Federal R&D funding and related programs.


9:00 am-9:50 am Kaizen: Productivity Improvement Using Kaizen Part IYankee Hill III Chris Desjardins

Pella Corporation

Chris is an Engineering Manager at Pella Corporation. His workshop is for hands on Productivity Improvement. Join Pella Corporation's team of continuous improvement engineers in an interactive demonstration of the concepts of 5S, J.I.T., Poke Yoke, and Visual Management. Develop and improve a mock manufacturing site by applying these methods. Discover how these principles can work in other areas of business.

Chris graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1985 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Subsequently, he joined the Pella Corporation and he has worked there for 14 years. At Pella, he is involved in all facets of the business including logistics, low, medium, and high volume window production, equipment, tooling, and facility design. Chris has also led kaizen teams in order entry lead time reductions, accounting processes, and CNC glass cutting software systems design. He is currently on assignment at Viking Windows Portland, Oregon as an Engineering Manager to introduce and develop a kaizen program at that site. Chris has previously participated in the Productivity Improvement Conference as a judge in the last two years.

9:00 am-9:50 am Winners of the 2002 Alice Dittman Business Plan Competitions at UNLGarrat I, II Lt. Col. John C. Mohn Jr., “Honey-Do, Inc.”

Suzanne Minarick, “Sunshine Butte Family Medical Clinic”

Honey-Do, Inc. (HDI) by Lt. Col. John C. Mohn Jr. won 1st Place in the Graduate Level of UNL’s internal Alice Dittman Business Plan Competition. Honey-Do is a full service home handyman service provider, is the solution to today’s fix-it problems for millions of home and business owners who lack the necessary time, skills, or desire required for these tasks. HDI will be based in Omaha, Nebraska. John is currently on active duty in the U.S. Navy with over 14 years of military service. In his capacity as a Nuclear Powered Naval Submarine Officer, he has served in numerous leadership and maintenance related jobs, including Chief Engineering Officer of the Navy’s oldest submarine. He also has 12 years of home repair and handyman experience running the gambit of normal home and small business repairs and renovations.

Sunshine Butte Family Medical Clinic by Suzanne Minarick won 1st Place in the Undergraduate Level of UNL’s internal Alice Dittman Business Plan Competition. This business plan creates the model for a medical practice that allows physicians to provide patient care free from administrative and personnel decisions. Upon completion of the clinic, it will be entirely set up for patient care with all medical and administrative equipment, suppliers, and staff in place.


9:00 am-9:50 am Insights From Nebraska Distinguished Entrepreneur Award WinnersHawthorne Room Robert Boe, Boe Seed Farms, Inc., Michael Green, EverGreen Capital

Management, and Paul Sandall, Advance Services

Robert Boe was honored as a Nebraska Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Nebraska’s Center for Entrepreneurship in 2001. Robert began Boe Seed Farms in 1989. The operation raises corn, soybeans, popcorn, and sweet corn through irrigated contract seed production. The business began with 1,500 acres of seed corn. In 2000, 3,600 acres of seed corn were produced. There are eight full-time employees. Throughout the summer, Boe Seed Farms employs approximately 600 workers mostly high school students and teachers. During the growth of his business, Robert also served as Director for Farm Credit Services. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

Michael Green is President and Chief Investment Officer of EverGreen Capital Management, which he established in 1989. EverGreen is a registered investment advisor a specializing in managing equity portfolios individual and institutional clients. Michael attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Marketing in 1970, and completed his Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1977. EverGreen would be and is still Nebraska's first and only minority owned registered investment advisory firm, specializing in managing assets for institutional and individual clients. EverGreen manages nearly $150 million for private corporations, public retirement systems, and foundations nationwide. The company uses a value philosophy for investing portfolios. Mr. Green has always been involved in many civic activities.

Advance Services, Inc. is a staffing company that was founded in 1994 by Paul Sandall with the first office being located in Norfolk, NE. Since then, Advance Services has grown to 21 offices throughout Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, with annual sales exceeding $36 million. Advance Services started with a staff of 2 employees and has expanded to over 60 employees on staff and in 2002 the company had a total of 10,000 employees that worked for the company, with many of those eventually being hired on by Advance Services’ customers. From the beginning, one of Paul’s major goals was to focus on developing long-term relationships with both customers and employees. This is why Advance Services is able to provide a unique service that is not offered by most of their competitors. Advance Services with continue to grow and expand upon Paul Sandall’s dream of “doing staffing right”, benefiting their employees, customers and the communities that they serve.


10:00 am-10:45 am Leadership & Creativity in Today’s FirmsArbor Room I Lisa Leemans

Director of Global Sourcing, Henkel Consumer Adhesives

Leadership & Creativity in Today's firms Is Business all about the bottom line? Perhaps. But how you create value for your customer and achieve profitability does not have to be just about the numbers. This seminar will take a look at how creative leadership can generate fun, energy, motivation, ownership and profits. We will explore the world of Duck brand products and how Henkel Consumer Adhesives are not "masters of the mundane" but captains of entrepreneurship, sustaining growth and improving profitability in an uneven economy. In order to improve her potential to advance professionally, Lisa left a secure job at Goodyear to return to school to study business administration at UNL. When she became familiar with the programs and people in the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, she knew she had met kindred spirits. Despite the fact that she was older than many of her peers, Lisa became an active member of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team that enabled her to travel to competitions in a number of different cities. In addition to building her teamwork and organizational skills, Lisa was a definite asset to the SIFE teams. In each year that she participated, her team won their regional division and ranked highly in the national competitions. Lisa also helped organize and conduct the University's Annual Conference on Productivity and Entrepreneurship, which is attended by more than 400 students and business leaders from throughout the U.S. Following her study at UNL, she accepted a position as Logistics Analyst at Henkel Consumer Adhesives, a company in Ohio that produces duct tape and other building products. Since joining Henkel Consumer Adhesives, she has advanced to a position of more responsibility as Director of Global Sourcing.

10:00 am-10:45 am MIS Project ManagementArbor Room II Dr. David Olson

H. K. Stuart Professor of MIS, UNL

Dr. Olson is a James & H.K. Stuart Professor of MIS at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Tremendous growth trends in the development of information technology systems is aiding businesses today. Initial use of computers for business was to perform transactional processing. But while the size of business has grown, the rate of technological growth has been far greater. This has led to enterprise resource planning systems. Supply chain networks are often formed, linking vendors and/or customers to such centralized systems. All of it leading to massive storage capabilities. Come see why computers in business now impact not only accounting, but every aspect of business from marketing to manufacturing.

10:00 am-10:45 am Partnering with Your BankerOlive Branch Stacy Brass

Union Bank & Trust

Stacy is a banker at Union Bank and Trust. She graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1983 with a Bachelors of Science in Business. She is also a graduate of Colorado Graduate School of Banking in 1991. She has eighteen years in banking, the last 13 in commercial lending, specializing in new business finance and general business banking. Stacy and her family have lived in Lincoln for 36 years.


10:00 am-10:45 am Kaizen: Productivity Improvement Using Kaizen Part IIYankee Hill III Chris Desjardins

Pella Corporation

Chris is an Engineering Manager at Pella Corporation. His workshop is for hands on Productivity Improvement. Join Pella Corporation's team of continuous improvement engineers in an interactive demonstration of the concepts of 5S, J.I.T., Poke Yoke, and Visual Management. Develop and improve a mock manufacturing site by applying these methods. Discover how these principles can work in other areas of business.

10:00 am-10:45 am Settling In – Post Start-Up IssuesGarrat I, II Stephanie Pearson

Founder & President, Nebraska Dance Studio

Stephanie Pearson has been a part of the dance community for over 20 years. She was trained at many studios in her younger years but spent eight years training with On Broadway Dance Studio and three years with Ballet Omaha. She was a member of the company at On Broadway and traveled to many conventions, performances, and competitions. She was on scholarship at a studio in Los Anglos, California during her high school years. While attending Millard South High School, she was a four-year member of the dance team that placed fifth in a National Dance Team Competition. She then continued her career on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Scarlet dance team and was a three-year member and captain. During Stephanie’s last year on the team, they placed second at a National College Dance Team Competition. She has worked for Universal Dance Association for the past six years. Her titles have included head instructor, sales representative, choreographer and College/High School National Dance Team judge. She performed on the nationally televised Jerry Lewis Telethon in Los Anglos, California over the 1999 Labor Day weekend. She graduated in May of 2000 from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. She has judged other numerous dance team competitions and tryouts across the Midwest. For the past three years Stephanie has choreographed for the Millard North Dance Team. Stephanie opened Nebraska Dance Studio in January, 2001. The studio has taken off with great success; she currently has 175 students.

10:00 am-10:45 am Cabela’s From the Kitchen TableHawthorne Room Nancy Conway

Human Resource Manager, Cabela’s

Cabela’s is a Nebraska success story. Nancy will cover Cabela’s history starting at the kitchen table, progressing to an impressive cataloger and expanding to 8 retail stores. For over 40 years Cabela’s has had a philosophy of exceptional customer service and that is carried on today. Dick and Jim instilled a company culture that continues to make Cabela’s thrive. Cabela’s quality reputation touches every corner of the company. Also included will be information in hiring and maintaining a quality workforce that will continue to make Cabela’s the World’s Foremost Outfitter. Nancy Conway is the Multi-Site Human Resource Manager for Cabela’s. She has 20 years of Human Resource experience and was honored as the Human Resource Professional of the Year in Nebraska in 1999. For the last two years Nancy Chaired the Nebraska Human Resource Conference and for over 10 years has chaired the Lincoln Human Resource Salary survey. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and her master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.


11:00 am-11:45 am IntrapreneurshipArbor Room I Richard Kimbrough

Adjunct Faculty, UNL

Richard Kimbrough will address the “creativity factor” in developing intrapreneurs for business, or the hiring of creative employees to help businesses grow. For several years Mr. Kimbrough has presented Young Entrepreneur Seminars in Nebraska high schools with an emphasis on creating, developing, and growing Nebraska-based businesses. In addition to teaching senior and graduate classes at UN-L, Mr. Kimbrough operates his own consulting business. Richard presently is an adjunct instructor at UNL teaching classes in small business management.

11:00 am-11:45 am E-Operations-Transforming the Internal Workings of the Firm with Arbor Room II Technology

Dr. Marijane England-HancockSenior Lecturer, UNL

Usually the terms E-business or E-commerce bring to mind images of websites and virtual storefronts. However, E-business is far more than the use of technology to reach potential customers. This session will take a closer look at the use of Information Technology and Management Information Systems within business to enhance performance and provide the sought-after competitive advantage. The use of IT to transform production and service delivery will be illustrated with success stories of familiar businesses. Marijane has been a Senior Lecturer with the UNL Department of Management since 2000. From 1994-2000, she managed a contract that provided logistics and support services for federally funded scientists working in Greenland and Northern Alaska. During her 25-year career, she has worked in a variety of technical and administrative posts.

11:00 am-11:45 am Angel Investors vs. Venture CapitalistsOlive Branch John Decker

Douglas Theatres

In today’s capital raising environment, it is tough for entrepreneurs to garner the attention of Wall Street. So what is the entrepreneur to do in order to attract the capital needed to launch and/or grow a business? It is very important to understand the landscape from which venture investments are made. There are two main types of venture investors, Angel Investors and Venture Capital Firms. Understanding the criteria and style that each group uses to select investments is an important step in building a strategy to attract growth capital. In the presentation “Angel Investors vs. Venture Capitalists”, we will discuss profiles, differences, similarities, stage and size preference of both Angels and Venture Capitalists to hopefully offer a broader and more complete perspective of the competitive arena that is venture investing. John is currently associated with Douglas Theatres.


11:00 am-11:45 am Simulation, Client Communication, and Software Engineering: Yankee Hill III J.D. Edwards Design Studio Applications

Jon DokulilPatrick McAteeMatthew O’Dell

As a part of their communications with clients during their custom software construction projects, students in the J. D. Edwards Software Design Studio used Promodel or ProcessModel simulation software to demonstrate how their software could improve their client’s business processes. The simulation allowed the teams to model before and after conditions and provide evidence for potential improvements. In this session, J. D. Edwards students will demonstrate three simulation models and explain how simulation was used in their software project management process.

11:00 am-11:45 am Transition: Preparing to GrowGarrat I, II Thor Schrock

President & CEO, Schrock Innovations

Schrock Innovations, Inc. opened its doors in January of 1999 to provide personal computer systems, software support, small network installation, and small business service agreements. Currently in its fourth year of operation, SI is projected to execute its first profitable year in 2003 – one year ahead of schedule. SI employs eight individuals and its gross revenues last year exceeded $425,000. Thor Schrock is 26 years old and was born in Omaha, NE. He relocated to Lincoln to attend the University in 1995, majoring in business administration. Since then, Schrock has become a radio icon through his weekly radio show, which advertises the products and services of Schrock Innovations. Most recently, he threw his hat into the ring for a mayoral run in Lincoln, and is currently exploring the expansion of SI into Omaha, as well as the launch of two other businesses.

11:00 am-11:45 am Growing and Retaining Wealth in a Small Business and Business Hawthorne Room Continuation Planning

Katherine BarrowPrudential Company

As a business owner how do you grow and maintain wealth in your organization while attracting and retaining valuable key employees? How do you ensure that you and your wealth are protected? Lastly, Business Continuation planning provides a framework and tools to ensure that your business successfully transitions to those, you as a business owner have identified. Katherine is a life long Nebraska resident and entrepreneurial-minded businessperson. With over 8 years of business and management experience in two Fortune 500 organizations she brings a wealth of professional knowledge to her clients as a Financial Services Associate associated with Prudential Financial. She recently completed her MBA from UNL where she focused on Entrepreneurship and Small Business and has a passion for assisting in the growth of Nebraska’s economy through the continuation of small businesses.

Lunch Keynote – Friday, February 28

The University of Nebraska and the state need star entrepreneurs more than it needs star football players . . . so goes entrepreneurship . . . so goes this state’s GNP and the University’s main source of growing wealth. Most of all so goes the quality of jobs of all Nebraskans. The incubator for these “job creators” has to be first and foremost found at the University of Nebraska. The University has to continue to birth the next generation of startups that explode and create millions of dollars of

wealth and jobs and they will come in two human talent forms . . . rare entrepreneurs and rare inventors. Jim Clifton began his career in Lincoln in 1977 by starting a marketing research company with a $5,000 Loan from Union Bank. In his first year of business, using $5,000 as seed money, he billed $80,000 in total sales. Following acquisitions including the renowned Gallup Organization, and worldwide expansion, his organization’s billings exceed $200 million. Jim has been CEO of The Gallup Organization since 1988. The Gallup Organization is one of the world’s largest think tanks and providers of public opinion polling and management consulting. Under Jim’s fourteen-year leadership Gallup has enjoyed a ten-fold increase in billings volume and expanded from a predominately US-based company to a global organization with offices in fifty cities in 24 of the world’s largest nations. Mr. Clifton’s current projects include the creation of a 75-acre Gallup University campus on the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska and a living internet-based record of “what man thought” named the Gallup WorldBrain which stores 65 years of polls on almost all issues the world has faced. Jim and his wife Susan reside in Washington, DC.

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM SESSIONS FRIDAY

12 Noon-1:30 pm James Clifton

Grand Ballroom CEO The Gallup Organization

“Gallup Polls on Entrepreneurship”(Luncheon Ticket Only)

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Professional Communication in a Networked EnvironmentArbor Room I Dr. Jill Morstad & Dr. Rick Evans

Associate Coordinators, Faulkner Writing Lab, UNL

Today, written communication in the workplace is more crucial than ever, but the sites and systems for communication have changed and are changing faster than we can keep pace. Some of us feel like e-mail “hacks,” or mediocre writers who would like to be eloquent electronic scribes. This presentation will examine how students develop their skills as professional communicators in a networked environment, and how to create e-mail and other electronic texts that have impact and that will motivate readers to respond pro-actively. Both Jill and Rick are Co-Directors of the E.J. Faulkner Writing Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm The Law & Organizational Issues for New EnterprisesArbor Room II Dr. William H. Lyons

Richard H. Larson, Professor of Tax Law, College of Law, UNL

This presentation will offer an overview of the various business entities through which owners may conduct a new enterprise. We will consider how to use business entities to limit the liability of the owners of the enterprise, provide a management structure for the enterprise, and facilitate an orderly transition upon the retirement or death of an owner of the enterprise. We will also consider how federal and state tax rules affect the selection of a business entity. Professor Lyons joined the faculty of the College of Law in 1981. He received his B.A. degree from Colby College in 1969 and his J.D. degree from Boston College Law School in 1973. Professor Lyons practiced in Bangor, Maine from 1973 to 1981. Professor Lyons is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and in 2002 began a three-year term as one of the sixteen Regents of the ACTC. He is also a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, is a past chair of that Section's Committee on Individual Income Taxation, and is active in the Committees on Teaching Taxation and Low Income Taxpayers.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm New Start-Ups in the Non-Profit SectorOlive Branch Denis McCarville

CEO, Uta Halee/Cooper Village

There are thousands of entrepreneurs in this country that are heading up Non-Profit organizations. Much like entrepreneurship in the Profit Sector, entrepreneurs in the Non-Profit Sector are most often motivated by ideas often borrowed from other fields but uniquely applied to catch the attention of their new customers. While the mission is seldom discussed by the Profit Sector, successful entrepreneurs from both sectors must keep the mission of any venture at the top of the list in order to stay successful. This seminar will discuss the ways to harness the entrepreneurial spirit to attain the mission of a Non-Profit organization. We will examine various examples of Non-Profit success stories and look at the goals of these Non–Profit ventures after they have been established and how they have changed to maintain their success. Finally, we will also dispel the myth that non-profits don’t make money. Denis has been instrumental in the continued development of the only behavioral health continuum of care exclusively for adolescent girls in the Midwest. Uta Halee is a freestanding, JCAHO accredited, behavior health treatment center for adolescent girls with Residential Treatment, Crisis Residential, Day Treatment, Intensive Outpatient, Family Support Services and a Therapeutic Shelter Care program. Denis has primary responsibility for the overall administration of the Village. In addition to this, Denis is CEO of Cooper Village.


1:30 pm-2:15 pm Multi-Channel Marketing & Distribution at Papagenos.ComYankee Hill III Gene Gage

Founder & President, Papa Geno’s Herb Farm

Gene G. Gage is the founder of Papa Geno’s Herb Farm, which ships live plants to all fifty states. Papa Geno’s markets its products through magazines, catalogues, direct e-mail and several websites, and expects that 65% of its business this year will come via the Internet. Papagenos has been featured in several national publications, including Inc magazine. One of the keys to the success of this entrepreneurial venture are strategic partnerships between Papa Geno’s and key gardening catalogs, magazines and e-commerce sites. The safe and timely delivery of Papa Geno’s products to consumers’ homes is the cornerstone of the business. Gene will discuss a wide range of marketing & distribution issues, from designing effective shipping cartons to the development of communications software capable of interfacing with multiple clients.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Automating Your New Entrepreneurial Venture: Internal IT SystemsGarrat I, II and Infrastructure Technologies-What are They and Do You Care?

Lyle PetersenChief Technology officer, Nanonation, Inc.

From an operational perspective a discussion of internal information systems and infrastructure technologies you may need in supporting your new entrepreneurial environment. Short term and long term considerations as you grow your new venture. Some advice in navigating the various technology decision land mines. Lyle Petersen serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Nanonation, Inc. With more than 25 years of experience in the Information Technology arena, Lyle leads the technology group bringing together technical and vertical market expertise to Nanonation and its clients. The former Vice President of Corporate Information Systems for Infocure Corporation, Lyle blends technical, leadership, and management skills in one of the company's most critical roles.

1:30 pm-2:15 pm Improving Space Shuttle Tile Production Using SimulationHawthorne Room David A. Tucker

United Space Alliance, NASA

United Space Alliance is the prime contractor to NASA for the Space Shuttle Program. Each of the four Space Shuttle Orbiters has over 10,000 thermal tiles that protect the vehicle from high temperatures during space flight. Some tiles are damaged during each flight and must be replaced prior to the next mission. This presentation describes the development and utilization of a ProModel simulation model to improve the manufacturing of orbiter tile at the Thermal Protection System Facility located at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. As a result of extensive experimentation, the model was used to answer questions regarding the utilization of resources such as equipment and employees, shift assignments, shop layout analysis, process step sequencing, and capacity planning. Overall simulation results demonstrated a 40% gain in the process using the selected improvements. David Tucker is a Project Leader in the Processing & Manufacturing Group at United Space Alliance located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He has over 20 years experience working with teams and improving operations. Dave has extensive background in numerous process improvement tools ranging from statistical process control techniques to team facilitation methods. He began using the ProModel simulation application three years ago as a tool for team process improvement projects. Dave has a BSBA in Management from the University of Central Florida, 1983.


2:30 pm-3:15 pm He Said, She Said, I Said, You Said: Research and Writing in a BusinessArbor Room I Context

Dr. Jill Morstad & Dr. Rick EvansProfessors, UNL

How do businesses use research, and how do they include it in written materials? A successful report presents information about potential customers to enable account representatives, marketing specialists and strategic planners to enhance or develop business relationships. A business researcher must learn how to select pertinent information and summarize or synthesize it into a usable presentation. Morstad and Evans will illustrate ways students working in professional communications learn how to compose and create print and electronic texts; select appropriate details and information; improve clarity; sound authoritative and persuasive, and choose appropriate styles and formats for the audience and the issue being addressed.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm The Role of Positive Psychological Capital in Successful New VenturesArbor Room II Dr. Fred Luthans

George Holmes Distinguished Professor of Management, UNL

Most practicing entrepreneurs and the academic literature now recognize that there is a need to go beyond financial (economic) capital to be successful in starting and sustaining new ventures. Most attention has been given to what is termed “human capital” (i.e., education, experience, knowledge and skills) and maybe “social capital” (i.e., relationships, networks, and connections). This session goes beyond human and social capital by what we are calling “positive psychological capital” (i.e., confidence, hope, and resiliency) which can be developed (as opposed to fixed personality traits) and contribute to successful new ventures. Dr. Luthans is a George Holmes Distinguished Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has received rave reviews from past seminar participants on his ability to impart practical management techniques and current research findings. Dr. Luthans has acted as a consultant and trainer for many Nebraska companies and has done considerable work with Wal-Mart and Rural Electric Cooperatives nationwide. He is also a Senior Research Scientist with Gallup, Inc.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm Diversions Program for Inner City Youth – A Nonprofit New Start-Up Olive Branch Venture

Albert WillisFounder, Inner City Resource Development, Inc.

Albert Willis began his career in 1980 with Mid-American Liquidators, which was Nebraska’s first minority owned salvage business. Mid- American Liquidators originated with the resources Albert received from negotiating a $3.5 million dollar salvage contract. Albert is currently the exclusive liquidator of hotel merchandise for the Marriott Corporations – Residence Inns, renovation projects. Albert has recently founded Inner City Resource Development, Inc., a 501 nonprofit youth and adult personal development organization. He is also developing a lecture network to promote youth activities to include: Bicycle Motocross Racing, Introduction to Adulthood Academy, Entrepreneurship Incubator, and reprinting and updating an 1851 book called The Youth Director. Albert divides his time between Houston, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska.


2:30 pm-3:15 pm E-Business is Still About ServiceYankee Hill III Darcie & Kent Krueger

Founders, SitStaycom

Darcie and Kent Krueger serve up the very best in customer service from their online dog supply store, SitStay.com. SitStay started as a hobby in a spare room and then doubled in size every year now becoming an internationally known Internet store. Customer service will always be the number one priority at SitStay.com. Their rapid attention to service has gained the Kruegers the perfect customer base, speaking engagements across the United States, and free press in the New York Times, Lincoln Journal, Tufts, Long Island News, United States Postal Mailers, spotlights in TV news segments around the world, and an upcoming feature in Inc. Magazine’s March issue.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm How to Maximize the Effectiveness of your Web Presence Garrat I, II Brian Ardinger

Director of Business Development, Nanonation, Inc.

This session will focus on developing an effective web presence through user focused design and usability testing. The session will identify common pitfalls and issues for new ventures when developing a website, as well as strategies for testing and deploying web resources. Brian Ardinger is Director of Business Development at Nanonation where he is responsible for marketing and strategy development. As a former senior consultant at Gartner Group and head of research at Ion Global, Brian has served as a specialist in the areas of user experience and customer relationship management with more than 12 years of experience in the customer technology arena. He holds a Bachelor's degree from University of Nebraska at Omaha and an MBA from Penn State University.

2:30 pm-3:15 pm The In-Processing System at the United States Military AcademyHawthorne Room Dr. Michael Nowatkowski

Asst. Professor, United States Military Academy

Each July, approximately 1200 new cadets are welcomed to the United States Military Academy during Reception Day (R-Day). Amid the mass shuffling of bodies and the yelling of the upper-class cadet cadre, all 1200 new cadets must completely in-process. Changes are made to the in-processing system in an attempt to make it more efficient. However, the effects of these changes can only be gauged once a year during the following R-Day. In an attempt to expedite the refinement process, the R-Day administrators approached us to create a simulation model that could be used to analyze the effects of proposed changes to the system prior to the next R-Day. Using simulation software, we created a simulation of the in-processing system and conducted a statistical analysis of the results in order to recommend improvements to the system. Michael Nowatkowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy, where he teaches discrete-event simulation and computer-aided systems engineering. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.


3:30 pm-4:15 pm Greater Productivity Through Communication with the People Doing Arbor Room I the Work

Gwen Jolley WiltseeDeloitte & Touche

Oftentimes in today’s corporate environment, the IT people who are actually doing the work to deliver the new product, create the new customer support mechanism, or streamline the internal processing backlog, have no means of getting answers to the questions that they need for decision making. Even at the CIO level, the other members of the executive team may have little time or patience to explore areas where they feel either ill informed or ill equipped for decision making. The end result is that the time and money that is spent to develop the product or create the new customer support mechanism is wasted. IT gets the reputation of being unable to deliver and the IT staff becomes frustrated with their own inability to be heard. How can we change this cycle? Gwen Jolley is currently a senior manager with Deloitte & Touche, heading up the real estate practice for the Southeast Region for Management Services and Solutions. Prior to joining Deloitte & Touche, Ms. Jolley’s career had a very international flavor as the CIO for Lend Lease Europe headquartered in London, England and a two-year assignment as the CIO for Lend Lease’s Real Estate Investment Company in Sydney, Australia. Gwen’s background was a small rural community in Arkansas before graduating from the University of Central Arkansas and moving to Washington D.C.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Guaranteed SellingArbor Room II JimVanderslice

Founder & President, Niche Marketing, Inc.

Learn what works to the dollar. Know that mission statements are valueless without a special kind of intent. Find out why response rate is more important than sales and profits. Open your eyes to the certainty, that the indirect approach to selling is always more successful and you probably don't even know what it is. In short, learn what you didn't know, that you didn't know about successfully selling for a small business. Jim co-founded Niche Marketing, Inc. when he was 29. Niche Marketing's most valuable service is called Guaranteed Selling. Guaranteed Selling finds ways to produce at least $20 for each dollar in a client's marketing budget. Mr. Vanderslice earned a B.S. in Business in from UN-L in 1984 and a M.A. in Marketing from UN-L in 1991.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Getting Results Without Authority in a Social OrganizationOlive Branch Dr. Tom O’Connor

Director, E.J. Faulkner Writing Lab, UNL

Most of us want to succeed in our new business ventures. As we do, and especially as we do so over extended lengths of time, we tend to gain valuable, work-place knowledge. We often acquire more responsibility and more authority. However, organizations are hierarchically structured. There is you as the boss, the assistant boss, and so on down the line. So, the importance of authority often becomes the most critical aspect of our success. This seminar will explore the dynamics of these hierarchical structures. We’ll explore what ‘being the boss’ means and that you can influence other people’s work-place behavior with your leadership and authority. Dr. Tom O’Connor is the founding Director of the E.J. Faulkner Writing and Speaking Lab in the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.


3:30 pm-4:15 pm Changing with Your E-MarketplaceYankee Hill III Brandon Dupsky

Founder and President of Sell2All, Inc.

Www.sell2all.com will discuss what it takes to grow a small startup company and build it into a multi-million dollar corporation. Starting the company during the heydays of the “Dot Com” explosion in 1998 and surviving the vast amount of Dot Com crashes over the past few years Sell2All is now positioned to experience a growth rate above 300% for 2003 and beyond. How did the Sell2All team do it, what does it take to be successful in the Dot Com world these days, and what are some of the issues of growing a small company into the rapid growth stages, are some of the questions Brandon will answer. Sell2All, Inc. is positioned as a leading provider of selling, marketing, and logistics solutions for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers specializing in areas of surplus inventory, customer returns, promotional activities, and fundraising events with an expertise in "Dynamic Marketplaces". Brandon Dupsky is Founder and President of Sell2All, Inc and has over 10 years experience in the inventory management and logistics fields prior to starting Sell2All in 1998. He currently manages the Sell2All operations with a team of 27 employees. Brandon graduated with his MBA degree at the University of Nebraska in 1999.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Making Technology Ventures Happen: Build a Better MousetrapGarrat I, II Bradley Walker

President & CEO, Nanonation, Inc.

This session will offer a framework for evaluating, planning and implementing technology-based ventures. In addition to creating a road-map for new businesses, the program will highlight key requirements for prospective technology entrepreneurs and offer tactical strategies for navigating the waters of new venture creation. Bradley Walker is President and CEO of Nanonation, Inc., a Lincoln-based software development company focusing on digital media customer touch-point technologies. This year Nanonation was recognized with the Compaq Award for Excellence in Interactive Design and received the Kiosk Award for Interface Design Excellence. Prior to launching his current venture three years ago, Mr. Walker was a founding partner in UNIDENT, LLC., a software venture in health care technologies. Mr. Walker holds 2 U.S. Patents for computer system designs, and has served numerous industry groups including the ANSI DICOM Standards Committee for digital imagining in health care. He has spent the last 13 years in entrepreneurial technology ventures and brings a wealth of insight in evaluating, creating and leading business opportunities here in the heartland.

3:30 pm-4:15 pm Improving Productivity and Increasing Jobs with Business IncubatorsHawthorne Room Charles W. Henderson

President, University of Nebraska Technology Park

Chuck Henderson, President, University of Nebraska Technology Park, will present “Incubation Hatching New Program and Companies for Rural and Mid-Size Cities”. Rural communities and mid-sized cities, regions with fewer than 400,000 persons, are generating job-creation programs supporting new ventures. How amenable are rural and mid-sized cities to incubators? What advantages and disadvantages do these regions have with incubation principles? What do some of the practitioners in these regions tell us? From college to your own business via the incubator. Charles Henderson came to Nebraska from the Michigan Center for High Technology (MCHT) where he was President of one of the largest technology incubator centers in the United States.

4:30 pm-5:15 pm Congressman Tom OsborneGrand Ballroom

“Entrepreneurship and the Rural Initiatives Project in

A fourth generation Nebraskan, born in Hastings, Congressman Tom Osborne represents Nebraska’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Osborne has aggressively worked to increase economic diversity and encourage economic development across the Third District. In November 2001, Rep. Osborne introduced the Economic Development and Information Technology Handbook and Resource Guide that provides a blueprint for individuals, companies and communities looking to invigorate economic development efforts through technology. The handbook was designed to serve as a one-

stop shop by offering instruction in cultivating entrepreneurship within rural communities. Throughout his first term, Rep. Osborne held forums devoted to economic development and technology. A major concern for Rep. Osborne has been to boost economic development as well as find ways and opportunities to keep more of Nebraska’s talented young people in the state. Rep. Osborne remains a fighter for small businesses across the Third District, by supporting policies geared to create jobs, deploy technology, lower small business’ taxes, and strengthen rural communities.

thursday, february · web viewchuck henderson, president, university of nebraska technology park,...

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