2013 Business Plan Competition Judges

Andrew Bielat
CEO, EIS Analytics
Andrew is a nationally recognized expert in business performance and leadership. Andrew’s background in corporate America as a fast-track leader in Frito-Lay, an executive accountable for organizational performance in the commercial nuclear power industry and an executive director of manufacturing in the steel industry, followed by a decade as an executive adviser for hundreds of business executives, uniquely enabled him to develop the management analytics EIS now provides. He recently co-written a book with Eugene Bryan called The BestPossible® Enterprise, A Comprehensive Guide to Optimal Profits.

Patrick Binkley
Vice President of Engineering, Zumobi
Pat started his career as a software engineer for FourGen software, a startup company focused on next-generation accounting software. Pat transitioned into executive leadership positions at AT&T Wireless, Walt Disney Internet and Real Networks. During this time, Pat led product development efforts integral to our daily lives in the mobile, internet and digital media space. With a passion for technology and startups, Pat transitioned back into the startup scene with a mobile payments initiative at Modiv Media. Zumobi provides mobile publishing services and mobile advertising solutions to some of the world’s largest media companies and magazine publishers. Pat has a bachelor’s degree in business, management information systems from the University of Idaho.

Pamela Bird
Founder & CEO, Innovative Product Technologies
Pamela is an internationally recognized commercialization expert for IPT, a product and technology based market commercialization corporation. Pamela is a “key player” in the technology-transfer process. She is a liaison between inventor organizations, venture capital organizations, entrepreneurial networks and research park facilities. She also works with manufacturers regarding production of new products and with investors to capitalize new business ventures. Pamela also founded the Inventors Educational Foundation. This is a non-profit public charity to assist in the educational, as well as commercialization needs of innovators and entrepreneurs with new ideas, products and technologies from all ages and walks of life. She has been interviewed by ABC's 20/20 as one of the top innovation experts in the country.

Meg Carlson
President & CEO, Prosperity Organic Foods, Inc
Meg has a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho and an MBA from Washington State University. She is an Emeritus member as former Chair of the College of Business and Economics Advisory Board. Meg is president and CEO of Prosperity Organic Foods, Inc., makers of Melt Organic spreads. Meg has been principal and co-founder of Carlson Hall (CH), a M&A advisory firm facilitating both business buy and sell transactions for privately held companies, since 2002. She has an extensive background in strategic business development and general management gained through nearly 20 years of experience in corporate management.

Doug Chadderdon
President & CEO, Great Floors
Doug is the President, CEO, and majority owner/managing partner of Great Floors, headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. From 17 Northwest locations, Great Floors, LLC serves the needs of Idaho and Washington. Doug, a Coeur d’Alene native, previously worked in Seattle in the banking industry for most of the 1980s. In 1993, Chadderdon took over the leadership of the family business. Under Doug’s leadership sales have grown tenfold, from $12 million in 1992 to $128 million. Doug graduated from the University of Idaho in 1982 where he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing. He serves on the College of Business and Economics Advisory Board, the Idaho Community Foundation Board and the EPSCoR Committee.

Todd Dompier
Managing Partner, Idaho Packaging Co.
Idaho Packaging Company is one of the largest full service agricultural packaging distributorships in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating in 1993 with degrees in finance and English from the University of Idaho, Todd went into sales work for Pacific Container & Supply in Idaho Falls. After quickly establishing a multi-million dollar book of sales, Todd was asked to be a partner of Idaho Package Company it bought out Pacific Container. Along with his pre-existing sales commitments, he serves as marketing director for IPAK and helps establish new sales throughout the Intermountain region. He splits his work time between IPAK’s two locations of Boise and Idaho Falls.

Michael Graff
Co-Founder, Navigating Cancer
Michael is the co-founder and head of product and operations for Navigating Cancer, a platform for connecting cancer patients with their health care team, copies of their own health records and personalized content specific to their conditions. Previously, he was a senior vice president at Ancestry.com, responsible for consumer and family site strategy, design and development. Before that, Michael spent 14 years at Microsoft as a general manager, product unit manager and group product manager for products such as Microsoft Access, PowerPoint, Office, MapPoint, STreets and Trips and Windows Mobile.

C. Scott Green
CEO, Pepper Hamilton LLP
Pepper Hamilton LLP is one of the largest law firms in the world. The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals internationally. Scott is responsible for leading the approximately 1000 attorneys and staff that comprise Pepper Hamilton. He was formerly the Executive Director for the law firm of WilmerHale and was responsible for that Firm's operations located in 14 offices in 5 countries. Scott has over 20 years management, finance and compliance experience and is an award-winning author. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Idaho and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Scott lives in Glen Head, New York with his wife, Gabriella and their two children.

Edward Hawkins
Founder & KOV, Litehouse
A lifelong veteran of Litehouse. He grew up working in the family restaurant in Hope, Idaho, which his parents had purchased in 1958. After college and a short time as an elementary teacher - 25 year old Edward joined the dressing business full time in 1977. This had been his passion to do so from childhood and his first official job was as a mixer in the production department. He was also the financial manager and in 1985 added responsibility for all operations. He served as CEO from 1986-2011, and also held the office of president from 2003-2008. Today Edward is on the Board of Directors and when asked what his role at Litehouse is, he proudly responds "Keeper of Values". He received a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from the University of Idaho.

Dietmar Kluth
President, Kluth Associates
Kluth Associates, LLC, is a consultancy focusing on strategy and new business development. He has 21 years of progressive experience with the H.J. Heinz Co., including founding president of Seoul-Heinz, Ltd. (in Korea) and vice president of sales & marketing at Ore Ida Foods, Inc. Kluth has extensive experiences in sales, product marketing and business process improvement. He received a bachelor’s degree from University of Idaho in 1966, a MBA from University of Utah, and earned a doctoral degree from the Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University. He is a past board member of the University of Idaho Foundation.

Liese Razzeto
Northern Division President, Wells Fargo
Liese serves as Community Banking President for Idaho Region's Northern Division, a position she had held since 2008. She is responsible for managing 42 stores and more than 350 team members. Liese joined the company in 1984 as a consumer loan officer in Twin Falls and has since served as a store manager and business development officer. Before being named to her current position, Liese served as North Idaho district manager. She attended the College of Southern Idaho and the University of Utah and is a graduate of the Northwest Commercial Loan Schoool and the Pacific Coast Banking School. Liese is a member of the Kootenai Hospital Board of Trustees and the Kootenai Medical Center Foundation Board.

Michael Richards
Senior Partner, KPMG
At KPMG, Michael he leads the firm’s West Region Transaction Services practice and provides merger and acquisition advisory services to large and middle-market private equity firms. He has more than 23 years of professional and M&A experience. Before, joining KPMG in 2012, Mike spent 19 years with Deloitte and three years as a principal at Calera Capital (formerly Fremont Partners), a private equity firm associated with the Bechtel Group with more than $2 billion under management.

Ben Rolphe
CEO, Rolphe Industries
A retired businessman, considers himself a true entrepreneur. He identifies himself as a 'Vacuum Seeker'. During his business career he successfully started, operated and sold sixteen companies. His business philosophy is that an individual desiring to succeed must be willing to, as he states, “Get down and pick with the chickens.” Ben has served as a director for fourteen companies and organizations. Currently he is a director for North Idaho College Foundation and on the CBE Advisory Board and recently retired from being director of bankcda Community Bank of North Idaho. Ben is a published author of How-To books, biographies and fictional novels. He attended Law School at the University of Santa Clara. He is a decorated Air Force combat veteran of the Korean War.

Ric Rocca
President, Darios Investments
Ric graduated from the University of Idaho in 1977 with a degree in finance. Ric received his MBA from Washington State University in 1980. He held a variety of financial and executive positions during his corporate career at Marriott/Sodexo (vice president of finance and planning, SVP or operations) and Renaissance Learning (president). Ric currently lives in Spokane and is president of Darios Investments - a franchise of Jimmy Johns Sandwich shops. Darios operates five Jimmy Johns in Spokane and has the rights to five more stores - including one in Moscow.

Tom Ryan
CEO, Athena Chiefs
Athena Chiefs combines Angel investing and consulting for early stage companies in the Pacific Northwest. Tom started his career with Andersen Consulting and Cambridge Technology Partners and spent 12 years in the systems consulting business before devoting himself to the startup world full time in 1999. Since then he has been a VP of Services, VP of Sales, COO and CEO of various software and wireless firms. He is an advisor for several start-ups in Washington and Idaho (including the winner of the 2010 VIEW competition) and runs a social group of 25+ startup CEO’s called “Birds of a Feather”. Tom has degrees in Management and Computer Science from the University of Idaho.

Gene Taft
President, Summit Marine Services
Gene is managing partner of Louisiana Mid-Stream Terminals. Gene earlier served as regional vice president of Kinder Morgan Terminals and president of International Marine Terminals, which he joined in 1991. Previously, he worked at CSX Railroad and RailTex, in various marketing and management functions. Gene received bachelor’s degrees in geography and economics at the University of Idaho and attended West Virginia University in Mineral Economics. Gene also holds an MBA from Tulane University. He is a governor appointee on the Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commission and serves on the Executive Committee of the International Dry Bulk Terminal Group.

Bryan Timm
Executive Vice President & COO, Columbia Sportswear
Mr. Timm joined Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ:COLM) in June 1997 as Corporate Controller and was named Chief Financial Officer in July 2002. In 2003 Mr. Timm was named Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer. In May 2008 he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and named Executive Vice President in October 2008. Prior to joining Columbia, Mr. Timm held various financial positions with Oregon Steel Mills (NYSE:OS), a progressive mini mill steel producer, from 1991 to 1997, rising to Divisional Controller for CF&I Steel, Oregon Steel Mills' largest division. From 1986 to 1991, Mr. Timm was an accountant with KPMG LLP, one of the big 4 accounting firms. Mr. Timm is a member of the Board of Directors of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ), a unique community bank with over $11.5 billion in assets. He is also on the board for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to secure philanthropic support for Oregon’s premier pediatric center. He also serves on the College of Business and Economics Advisory Board for the University of Idaho.