2012 Judges

Mary Jane Bedegi
CFO, Nokia Growth Partners
Mary Jane led Nokia Growth Partners, the venture capital arm of Nokia Corporation to establish offices in China, India and Europe. She has been a CFO for several emerging companies and venture capital firms over the past 10 years. Previously she held various finance positions including the VP of Administration at a start-up telecommunications venture-backed firm and eight years at Silicon Graphics after extensive technical accounting, SEC experience and external auditing as a principal at Ernst & Young. She received her M.B.A. in Finance from UC Berkeley, B.S. in Accounting from the University of Idaho and is a Certified Public Accountant.

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.

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.

Greg Brown
Senior Partner, CAPROCK
The CAPROCK Group, a multi-family office serving ultra-high net worth clients. Prior to joining CAPROCK, he was an active investor and entrepreneur with a background in product and business development strategy, capital formation, and mergers and acquisitions. As a partner with The Sienna Group, a middle market private equity investment group, he played a key role in identifying, transaction structuring, acquiring and developing several investments. Prior to Sienna, Greg launched, built, and sold three technology companies. Greg earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York and the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley and a B.S. in Business from the University of Idaho.

Tom Bundy
Board of Directors, Helac
Tom earned his degree in Production Operations Management from the University of Idaho College of Business & Economics. After graduation Tom went to work for Boeing in the corporate office as industrial engineering supervisor, General Manager and then worked directly for the CEO and President. Tom then was hired to work with Delta Point Consultants as a partner and owner. After growing the firm to a $40 million company with 50 associates they sold the firm to General Physics. He continued to consult, became a CEO of a software development start up, purchased and sold several companies and now is working with a growing manufacturing company in the Puget Sound area. Tom continues to serve on two boards of directors as well as a member of the CBE advisory board.

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.

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.

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.

David Spurling
Board of Directors, Evergreen Business Capital
David is Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Heritage Financial Corporation, a bank holding company headquartered in Olympia, Washington. Over his 30+ years in banking he has made thousands of business loans and has reviewed hundreds of business plans. He attended the University of Washington where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his MBA degree. He serves on the board of directors of Evergreen Business Capital and chairs that organization’s loan committee. He has also served as a SCORE counselor, providing business advice to entrepreneurs. His son, Steve, is graduating from the University of Idaho this spring with a degree in Geology.

Robert Urso
COO, KMS Solutions
As a sought out strategy consultant, Bob is able to help organizations assess and improve their external market focus; identify and successfully pursue compatible verticals; optimally align operations and market development resources; and find internal efficiencies. His experience is in providing clients with technology based solutions, specialty manufacturing & systems integration, and professional services spanning the entire Federal sector as well as the State and Local sectors. Bob has an M.S. in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a B.S. in Accounting, from the University of Idaho in 1980. He is also a graduate of the US Naval War College’s Strategy & Policy Course and is a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve Component.

Gail Urso
CEO, KMS Solutions
Gail's career in the federal contracting professional services field has spanned over 24 years in a variety of positions. In all of these programs she worked in multifaceted joint government/contractor environments coordinating timely achievement of program milestones, analyzing the nature and implementation requirements of proposed system engineering changes, and providing technical analyses leadership in resolving system alternation issues. A self-made woman, Gail has attended Roger Williams University, is a certified DoD Computer-Aided Acquisition & Logistics Support (CALS) logistician, and has also completed technical training courses on government proprietary database systems.