Cofounder of Leading Role, a virtual reality startup focused on interactive content creation. Leading Role is a New Ventures Accelerator graduate.

Stan’s personal entrepreneurial experience includes startups of three family businesses, a financial institution, a mobile diagnostic health care provider, and several non-profit organizations. He is currently involved as an advisor or director in the start-ups of new ventures of students, faculty in the medical school, alumni and area entrepreneurs.   During his career, Stan has also served on the boards and as an officer of over 30 organizations within education, health care, finance, retail, manufacturing, e’commerce, and not-for-profits.  
 Wake Forest Angell Center for Entrepreneurship (WF-ACE) (1998-Present). Executive Professor and founding director of the Wake Forest University ACE, including it’s Family Business Initiative. 
• Affiliate Professor, Bordeaux School of Business (2001-Present) Faculty appointment to teach entrepreneurship.
• Affiliate Professor, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (2003 – Present). Faculty appointment to teach entrepreneurship
• Family Business Initiative (1995-1998). Director of University of South Dakota-School of Business state-wide program designed to improve the success of family businesses through life-long learning, research, consulting, and other out-reach activities. 
• University of South Dakota (1997-1998). Appointed to a faculty position as an assistant professor, School of Business, and USD Graduate School.
• Entrepreneur/Family Business Consultants (E-FBC) (1995-Present). Principal of E-FBC that provides interdisciplinary consulting services (strategy, family business issues, facilitation, etc.) to regional and international organizations.
• SBDC (1992-1995). As part of a research assistantship at Texas Tech I presented seminars and provided organizational counseling services.
• McGuffey’s Inc. (1990-1991). Founder and CEO of five-store retail chain dealing in discounted catalogue clothing. Business sold in 1991.
• $10 Shoppe (1986-1990). Founder and CEO of fifteen store one price clothing chain located in Texas.
• The Hollywood, Inc. (1972-1990). CEO of five-store moderate ladies apparel chain.
• Ernst & Young (1969-1972). Management consultant dealing in M&A, system design, and cost studies within health care organizations, utilities, manufacturing firms, and governments.
• Army Test and Evaluation Command (1967-1969). Transportation test officer.
• Texas Instruments (1966-1967). Control administrator for pricing and compliance.

Graduate of Appalachian State University and Wake Forest University, Vice President of Economic Development with the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.  Involved in several groups dedicated to helping small businesses in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. 

People hire me for Marketing Strategy, Information Architecture, Copywriting, Content Strategy, User Experience (UX), Creative Direction and Project Management. Most of my work over the last decade has been designing with words and helping companies succeed by rethinking their marketing and simplifying strategy. I’ve been fortunate to learn from and work with a bunch of amazing and brilliant people.

Values:
Integrity. Excellence. Collaboration. Commitment. Fun. Curiosity.

You can find me online at davidhorne.me. When not spending time with my family or writing, I play golf. I used to play professionally but ran out of talent or money (or both). If you ever want to tee it up, don't hesitate to drop me a message.

Mr. Platz is a co-founder of SilkRoad technology where he helped grow the company into one of the largest SaaS providers in the HR/talent management space with 2,000 installations including 10% of the Fortune 500. There, Platz was responsible for SilkRoad's service, support and R&D organizations. Platz pioneered Employee Onboarding Software, creating the software category along with the product that is the dominating market leader. Platz has worked with hundreds of companies on Talent Management, Employee Engagement and general HR strategies and is an avid speaker on topics related to the intersection of employees and software.

Prior to founding SilkRoad, Platz was the Vice President of product management for divine, inc. where he led the product strategy and direction for divine’s widely recognized and award winning content management and collaboration products.  Platz brings a 17-year career in developing Internet products, e-business initiatives and e-commerce solutions with a variety of high-tech start-ups. These include Zentropy (acquired by IPG), where he served as Director of E-Commerce and launched the inaugural e-commerce initiatives of some of the world’s largest brands, Globalist Internet Technologies where he was partner and managed R&D, and InfoBand, an Internet consulting company he founded in 1995.

In 1996, Platz co-founded A List Apart, the highly acclaimed Who’s Who of Internet developers that has grown into one of the largest and most popular independent development Web sites. He also was a fellow founding member of the Web Standards Project, a group formed to push Microsoft and Netscape to adhere to common standards, helping to pave the way for the innovation and possibility that today’s web offers.

Scout IoT delivers wireless analytics and controls for manufacturing facilities. By using cutting-edge wireless protocols, we can aggregate data from thousands of sensors without interfering with existing plant wireless networks. The data are fully encrypted in transmission and the gateway which collects the data costs a fraction of what you're used to paying.

Get ready, the IoT revolution is coming to manufacturing and facility management!

Amber S. Koger is an associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.  She focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate governance and general business and corporate law. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Koger worked as an associate in the Minneapolis, Minnesota office of an international law firm, representing clients over a broad range of industries including the sports, entertainment and fashion industries. Ms. Koger assisted clients with a variety of matters, including all aspects of entity selection, formation and dissolution, negotiating commercial agreements and helping clients buy and sell businesses. She also advised boards of directors and management of organizations on governance, legal compliance and legal implications of business strategies and decisions. Ms. Koger was recognized as an “Up & Coming Attorney” in 2013 by Minnesota Lawyer, a North Star Lawyer in 2013 by the Minnesota Bar Association, a Lawyers of Color’s “Hot List” Honoree in 2013 for the Midwest Region, and a featured member of the Young Lawyers’ Group of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice.

Problem-solver. Designer. Shepherd. Keith wears many hats, but his most important role is being the steady hand that steers the forward-hurdling vessel that is The Variable. After starting and running a design firm for twelve years, Keith founded The Variable in 2011 along with Joe Parrish. Their agency has recently been recognized as Southeast Small Agency of the Year by Advertising Ageand recognized as one of the Triad’s Fast 50 by The Business Journal, a result of really hard work focused on helping the agency’s clients overcome their fiercest, most unrelenting competitor – consumer indifference. Keith has made a career out of helping major brands grow and evolve, including Krispy Kreme, Lowes Foods, Wells Fargo, Hanesbrands and Planters Lifesavers. Using the core principles of design thinking, Keith is always looking for ways to inject divergent thinking and convergent innovation into the agency culture and client relationships. Using these guiding principles, he co-founded Sunshine Beverages and helped launch Buck O’Hairen’s Legendary Sunshine in 2013.

We work to provide business development services for start-up and small businesses across the country. One of our key differentiation points is we work with businesses that are having cash flow issues. We help them find the resources they didn't know they had in their business. We take those resources and reinvest them into system automation so the business owner can stay focused in their sweet spot, what they love doing most in their business. We work to create synergies for our clients with other clients to help increase cash flow and grow the businesses right away. 

I've been in the information technology field since 2004 and specialize in process optimization which have resulted in improved client satisfaction, increased revenue, and improved operational efficiency for my organizations. I've predominantly worked for Fortune 100 companies focusing on implementing solutions for improving back-office functions. Since last three years, my focus has been driving on implementing solutions for the end-user and streamlining back-office functions.

I developed the Face Caddy because there were no "customer friendly" products out there that made it easy to apply ice or heat to the face. There were all kinds of other ice/heat products, but none of them were made for the face. After many kinds of surgical procedures, such as oral surgery, face lifts, cosmetic injections, or for TMJ pain and migraines, doctors always seemed so dismissive by telling patients "put some frozen peas on your face." After spending several thousands of dollars in their office, THAT was their aftercare advice? Please. So the Face Caddy came about. It's the perfect way to apply ice or heat to the facial area. It's great for TMJ and migraine pain. And you adjust the amount of compression, so it feels just right for you. AND NO MORE FROZEN PEAS! In February 2012, I launched two new products, the Eyes Caddy and the Back Caddy. Like the FaceCaddy, these new wraps apply ice and heat therapy. 

Mona+Associates Design, LLC; Environmental Design Professional adept at critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership and creative development. Strategic thinker with an eye on critical analysis, cost controls, brand / identity design, and attaining your holistic space and vision. Biomimicry research and adaptive design and product development. 

Raina Haque, JD is the founder of Erdős Intellectual Property Law. For her, creativity and critical analysis go hand-in-hand. Raina is the polymath intellectual property attorney. She has deep respect for entrepreneurial endeavors; that is why she excels as an advocate for art, design, and innovation across multiple industries. She is an intellectual property attorney registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and trained by the agency in Patent Examiner Practice & Procedure. She counsels major healthcare and research institutions, startups, small businesses, and individual inventors.

Creative, results-oriented digital marketer with passion for visual, verbal and written communications. Social Media and Search Strategy and execution. Accomplished web designer, developer and content publisher.
Strategic digital marketer, embracing technology and new media as powerful communication tools. Innovative leader with over 15 years of team building experience. Leveraging high-impact, measurable social media and internet marketing solutions. Specialties: Marketing, Social Media, Web Design, Web Development, Graphic Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Training, Public Speaking, Logo Design, Living Gluten Free, Blogging, Facebook Marketing.

As Founder of Bruce Maxwell Consulting, Bruce provides interim executive services as CEO, COO or CFO to help startups get organized and funded. I also provided troubleshooting and due diligence services to venture firms. Bruce has over 20 years of experience raising private equity from Angel and VC investors and has personally raised over $78 million. Bruce can condense 25 years of experience at starting companies into a single sentence: "The amateurs focus on maximizing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, while the professionals focus on minimizing risk on the road to cash flow breakeven."

Fund Executive

Piedmont Angel Network

August 2014 – Present (9 months)The Piedmont Angel Network (PAN) is a committed capital angel fund that focuses on investment opportunities in early stage companies that present high growth opportunities. PAN has invested in 23 companies since 2002 with a primary focus on the life science, technology, software, and advanced materials fields. While the Fund has a preference to invest in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, PAN has made investments across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Storytelling is the human narrative that binds us. I help use the "story" to deliver ideas to reality. An accomplished marketer and product development executive with over 18 years of experience, I have helped other succeed, with successful project delivery in multiple market segments from B2B and B2C marketing efforts. Seasoned business leader with highly strategic approach and proven management of Permission based pull marketing strategies. Skills: Strategy, branding, direct marketing, product line development, new product development, agency management, partnership management, sales development, multimedia management and production.

I am a business lawyer at the Forrest Firm and spend most of my time forming new businesses, negotiating commercial contracts, and walking companies through strategic transactions, such as raising money and buying and selling businesses. I enjoy working with startup companies and small and medium sized businesses that have a need for effective and efficient legal counseling. At the Forrest Firm, we provide sophisticated, full-service legal counsel in a manner that is creative and customized to the client’s needs and expectations related to pricing, responsiveness, and accessibility. I often meet new clients who have missed business opportunities because their attorneys failed to move quickly enough in evaluating and advising on the risks associated with otherwise exciting opportunities in business. To help our clients meet the fast-paced challenges of modern business, we deliver qualitative excellence with unprecedented access and rapid response.

Design is so much more than pushing pixels on a screen. Over my 17 years of agency, in-house and freelance experience, I’ve learned to apply design thinking to approach business problems and discover unexpected solutions. I’m adaptable, flexible, adept at perspective-taking and a seasoned vet in project management and organization. Whether it’s fresh ideas for a loyal client or breaking ground with a new business venture, I’m ready to hit the ground running! 

Junior Graphic Designer at Fifth Letter