Instructors

Curt Anderson

Curt Anderson founded an eCommerce company in 1995 that was ranked 3X on the Internet Retailer Magazine Top 1000 eCommerce Companies. Curt is the author of “Stop Being the Best Kept Secret” and founder of B2Btail.com, an eCommerce resource guide for manufacturers.

Kirsten Austin, President DCSC

For over thirty years Kirsten Austin has been involved in the software business with a focus on manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment. Her company developed a WMS and Shipping Solution and now offers consulting for manufacturers, fulfillment and distribution companies. Learn more at www.dcsccorp.com

Adam Baker

Adam Baker, a former military officer turned entrepreneur, is an expert in operations management and cost reduction. His varied experience spans from crucial roles in the government to the private sector to heading his own enterprise, Schooley Mitchell of Erie. Leveraging cutting-edge software, Adam helps business leaders in manufacturing optimize services and minimize operational costs. Adam will bring these insights to MNI University’s 2023 Manufacturing Month webinar series, as he shares the stage with other industry experts focused on equipping attendees with 30 impactful, rapid-fire strategies that can be executed within the first month of acquiring a manufacturing business, each designed to boost the bottom line immediately.

Maggie Blume

Maggie Blume is an Account Executive at Mailshake – a sales engagement software. Maggie has been consulting sales reps about cold email for the past 3 years on how to get better results. She currently lives in West Virginia and is part of an economic development program called Ascend West Virginia. 

Chase Bodor

Chase Bodor is a project coordinator at Plastics Plus Technology Inc – a contract custom injection molding company in Southern California. In his role, Chase helps engineers and product development teams by bringing their designs to production and managing the manufacturing portion of the project. This includes sourcing molds, offering design recommendations, managing production schedules, and more. As a member of the plastics industry, Chase sees both the good and the ugly of plastic use. His diplomatic approach to sustainability offers insight into how significant plastic is in our lives and the substantial efforts to reducing environmental impact. Tune in to learn more about legislature that affects the plastics industry (and consumers), the circular economy, and other recycling and sustainability efforts in plastics.

Charlene Brown

Charlene Brown, known as The Brand Misfit™, is a motivational speaker and expert in technology implementation and strategic web development. With over two decades of experience, Charlene has revolutionized the way Misfit Entrepreneurs™ use tech to unapologetically stand out from the crowd. A favorite for her dynamic and engaging style, Charlene leaves audiences inspired, empowering them with innovative, actionable strategies to transform their digital presence. She stands as a beacon of innovative thought and a staunch advocate for Entrepreneurial Uniqueness in a tech-centric world.

Dave Crysler

Dave Crysler is the principal operations consultant at the Crysler Club and host of the Everyday Business Problems Podcast. Having spent nearly 20 years working for a publicly traded corporation that grew through acquisition provided Dave with the opportunity to optimize and grown several different businesses during his career. Entering entrepreneurship, Dave quickly realized there was a tremendous need within mid-market manufacturing and distribution businesses to leverage systems that optimize planning, people, processes, and technology. It was during this time Dave developed the operations framework that he uses to optimize your existing resources, freeing them for driving growth and operational excellence.

Dave was recently recognized by PEX (Process Excellence Network) as a Top 50 thought leader in Operational Excellence for 2023.

Nicole Donnelly

Nicole Donnelly provides Fractional Marketing support for small B2B manufacturers .  She is a Certified HubSpot Partner, and Certified Google Ads specialist who has helped her clients achieve 20+% increases in year over year profit using the Inbound marketing methodology.  Nicole brings over 15 years experience as an account manager leading projects for Fortune 100 companies and SMB’s. 

Russ Hedge

Russ Hedge is a Marketing Coach, Keynote Speaker, Livestreamer/Podcaster, Livestream Producer and Author of “Befuddled? LIve the Life You Choose!” He is a positive force in today’s busy, hectic, and often negative business environment.

He is a master connector, working in marketing and sales for over 30 years. He has been recognized as a Top Salesperson in multiple industries and for his skills in Networking and Connecting!

Russ loves to encourage, inspire, and make people smile. That’s why he is known as an “Inspiration Specialist.”

He has been married to his beautiful wife Leah for over 35 years and has 2 adult children, Kyla and Connor, and a daughter-in-law, Gabby. His goal is to add value to people by encouraging and helping them live a more engaged and positive life.

Russ is available to Speak at events, one on one or team coaching, and consulting. He is here for groups looking to be inspired and move forward in life with a positive mindset and purpose.

Check out his website at www.russhedge.com and schedule time to chat, or contact Russ today at russ@russhedge.com. Also, check out his video/podcast “Marketing with Russ… aka #RussSelfie,” and Live Shows, “The Experience Live with Russ & Scott, and “Russ Reals Live,” all available weekly on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and most audio podcast platforms.

Lori Highby

Lori Highby is a podcast host, speaker, educator, and founder of Keystone Click, a strategic digital marketing agency. Using her vast multi-industry knowledge – gained from experience and education. She has the ability to see the potential of greatness within the already established good of a business. Through strategic actionable moves, she has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as ABB and Syngenta to micro-business owners, to achieve their marketing goals. Lori carries her energy and drive into her professional engagements in order to empower and educate other fellow life-long learners.

Macay Hunter

Macay Hunter, a manufacturers’ representative with Miles Products in business since 1979, is dedicated to helping customers quickly identify which manufacturing processes, suppliers, & design practices are the most efficient & economical for their application. Macay works with medical device, consumer, commercial, & industrial product OEMs throughout the planning, design, and implementation stages of their plastic & metal manufacturing in the USA. His focus is using processes like injection molding, structural foam molding, vacuum forming, rotational molding, additive manufacturing, & die-casting. Macay enjoys spending time with his wife & son, especially at Cleveland sporting events & exploring Lake Erie.

Cherise Kennerley

Cherise Kennerley has been in marketing for over 29 years. She held a variety of successful executive-level marketing and sales roles within various organizations working internally with C-Suite and externally with advertising and public relations agencies. She has completed over 100 trade shows both in-person and virtually. Regardless of medium, she generates results including potential new business, speaking engagements, partnerships, and customer reference relationships.

Whitney Koch

Whitney Koch is a content writer and account manager at Keystone Click. A graduate of Penn State University, Whitney taught German for 4 years before getting her start in manufacturing as a technical writer. After 5 years of writing instruction manuals, she moved into marketing as a communications specialist. Her passions are building brand awareness, growing communities, and supporting American manufacturing through social media. She is a proud wife, boy mom, cat person, and neurodivergent.

Sneha Kumari

Sneha Kumari is a Supply Chain Operations leader with over 12+ yrs of experience driving operational excellence across industries like Industrial Manufacturing, Automotive, Oil and Gas, Prefabrication manufacturing, and Retail. She is a Lean Six Sigma certified professional with a decade of experience leading Quality, Supply chain, and Operational activities. She was also recognized as one of the few Operations Women Leaders by McKinsey and Co. for her experience in the field of operations and is recognized as one of the Top 50 women to follow in ERP by SourceDay. She is a huge advocate of Lean and believes in using Lean tools to drive continuous improvement across multi-million $$ projects she has led throughout her career. Apart from this, she loves nerding on Circular economy, ESG initiatives and advocates for the power of the Supply Chain in making Circularity happen. When not working, she loves dancing with her kids and taking them out in nature!

Sri Majabir

I help entrepreneurs create engaging videos that make them money from videos, live streaming. I have a team where we have a done for you service to help you out back time into your work week .

Dave Meyer

Dave Meyer is President/Founder of BizzyWeb, a growth marketing agency in Minneapolis. Dave is a national speaker/trainer for Google and HubSpot, was the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, and is a recognized thought leader in digital marketing, inbound marketing, SEO, email marketing and sales enablement, where he’s delivered hundreds of talks to tens of thousands internationally.

Kati McDermith

Otherwise known as the Manufacturing Hype Girl, Kati McDermith is a supporter of U.S. manufacturers. She has 16 years of experience in telemarketing / lead generation in many different areas of business, from party supplies to mail order prescriptions to fasteners. As a lead generator, she was so impressed with the quality of MNI’s data and ease of use that she came to work with MNI and now serves as their Brand Ambassador. She loves travelling with her husband across the country and identifying manufacturers along the route or finding interesting things from history that were made in the US.

Nigel T. Packer

Nigel T Packer is a Digital Customer Experience Consultant and Trainer.  He is also an author and business speaker. For over twenty-six years he has used his extensive knowledge and broad range of experiences to engage, educate and entertain business audiences across the UK, Europe, and the USA. His subject expertise includes digital customer experience optimisation, digital customer experience journey mapping, e-Business strategies, effective website development, and International digital business strategy.  He heads a consultancy practice: PelaTis Online Ltd.

His career started in electronic engineering working with others in the development of orthopaedic stimulators, breathalysers, and voice recognition software. In his late 20’s he moved into production and mechanical engineering learning the skills of business growth through innovation and invention. In the mid 1990’s, through Nigel’s innovation and design, his employer was granted 7 patents for reusable packaging systems.  In 1999, Nigel started his current career path, observing the opportunities in the new internet age. He has worked with many international, national, and local companies helping them transform their business models to the internet age.  He is currently writing a new book on Digital Customer Experience Optimisation.

Matthew Reynolds

Matthew Reynolds is a 2018 graduate from the University of Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Communications. Matthew has also received further training in commercial risk management through the Beyond Insurance Global Network.

Matthew brings 6 years of experience to Dansig with a background in quantitative risk analysis, international risk, property and casualty insurance, and employee benefits. Matthew supports Dansig’s goal of being the risk management advisor of choice by focusing on maintaining an excellent advisor/client relationship, understanding its clients’ needs, and facilitating the best possible service. Matthew services clients in the healthcare, education, and manufacturing industries, as well as several others. He has experience servicing both main street businesses and Fortune 500 companies.

Gail Robertson

Everyone has a unique story.

GailNow’s mission, as a Curiosity Influencer and Public Relations Strategist, is to help deliver those stories to the world. She helps manufacturers – specifically those in moldmaking, to tell AND share their stories.

Take it from Gail – a recovering journalist- some stories – potentially even yours – can change the world. Gail provides virtual and in person coaching (in workplaces, events and tradeshows) to “break the mold” of traditional marketing.

Gail is also host of Curious Minds on her GailNow YouTube Channel – www.YouTube.com/@GailNow – where she shares ideas without prejudice, opinions without criticism, and the philosophy and reasoning behind her mantra: “Sign Up, Suit Up and SHOW Up.”

Gail is also a keynote speaker on curiosity, media and public relations – and tailors her messages for greatest impact.

www.GailNow.com

Ingor van Rooi

Ingor van Rooi is a woman of faith and a Community Connection Catalyst who believes in the power of Ubuntu; “I am because we are.” As a storyteller and power-connector, she amplifies the voices of inspiring change-makers while helping others build meaningful relationships that foster both personal growth and business success. A Strategic Business & Community Coach, Ingor partners with corporations and entrepreneurs to harness the transformative power of community; driving customer loyalty, brand advocacy, innovation, employee engagement and crisis resilience. Her goal is simple, but profound: to help businesses grow through genuine connection and collaboration.

A sought-after international speaker, Ingor shares her message of community, connection and purpose on global stages. She has also hosted segments that spotlight “ordinary” women doing EXTRAordinary things and created spaces where stories of resilience and purpose ignite hope and transformation. In addition to her professional work, Ingor is deeply committed to family, faith and giving back; contributing to various projects and causes aligned with her values. A published author, she is currently working on multiple book projects set for release by the end of the year, each rooted in her passion for uplifting others through connection and community.

Ruby Rusine

Ruby is a social media marketing strategist with almost two decades of experience in the United States. She specializes in optimizing content for B2B clients in the manufacturing and technology industries, with a focus on social media and blogging. She is the owner of Social Success Marketing, a B2B social selling agency, and the founder of PinoySocial.Media, an online social media university for Filipino virtual assistants.

Angela Thurman

Angela Thurman is an Electrical Engineer and Project Management Professional (PMP) with more than 30 years of experience in complex, technical project management. Her career spans multiple industries including aerospace, defense, telecommunications and manufacturing. She is the Founder and Principal Managing Director of Thurman Co., a project management consulting firm in Houston, Texas. In her free time, she volunteers as the Treasurer and Membership Director for the Texas Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and is also a member of the Houston Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI), National Contract Management Association, and Mensa.

Wesleyne Whitaker

Wesleyne Whittaker is a former chemist, accomplished sales strategist, leadership coach, and thought leader with over 15 years of experience in sales and sales leadership roles. With a passion for breaking barriers to success, Wesleyne has delivered winning sales strategies for B2B organizations. Known for expertise in sales coaching techniques and building sales enablement cultures, Wesleyne empowers high-performing teams and resolves customer challenges through problem-centric training. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Wesleyne excels in navigating complex sales processes and delivering exceptional value to clients.

Alex White

Alex White is the co-founder and CEO of Subcity. Backed by $3m from Homebrew and a great list of angels and institutions, Subcity is on a mission to democratize access to capital for America’s small businesses by digitizing thousands of local, state, and federal economic incentives and helping business owners and their finance teams file and claim the dollars they are owed. Since launching last April they have already helped dozens of manufacturers and other clients claim $10s of millions in economic incentives and tax credits.

Before Subcity, Alex co-founded Next Big Sound in 2008 and was the CEO until the company was acquired by Pandora (NYSE: P) in 2015. Alex spent 5 years at Pandora ultimately running all content and personalization across music, comedy, and podcasts. White and his co-founders were featured in Fast Company (#1 most innovative company in the music industry, 2015), Forbes (30 under 30) in the music category three times, Billboard (10 best music companies), Bloomberg BusinessWeek (25 under 25), Entrepreneur Magazine’s 30 under 30 list and in the New York Times, CNN, Inc. Fox Business, Washington Post, TechCrunch and many other publications.

Alex has a B.S. in Learning and Organizational Change and sits on the board of his college, Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Meaghan Ziemba

Meaghan Ziemba is a brand storyteller and marketer for industrial manufacturers with a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She has been writing for manufacturing since 2008 and hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector and its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan is a proud wife a Law Enforcement Officer and a mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee or a glass of whiskey.