2007-2008 PUBTALK KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
FEBRUARY 21, 2008
KEITH SHIPMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HORIZON BROADCASTING GROUP
 Keith was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Horizon Broadcasting Group in March of 2003. He co-founded Horizon Broadcasting Group in 1999, and helped create a stable of 12 radio stations in Central Oregon (Bend), Boise and Twin Falls, ID and a minor league baseball team.
Keith began his commercial broadcasting career as an on-air personality at KPUG-AM (Bellingham, WA) in 1978. In 1983, he embarked on a 17-year stint in Seattle broadcasting, 13 of which were spent with KCPQ (Fox) Television as its Sports and Public Affairs Director. While at KCPQ-TV he was part of a successful management team that contributed to the significant growth of western Washington's FOX network affiliate. He was responsible for sports programming and creating and managing several outreach programs that developed new business opportunities and provided a foundation of community involvement. He also worked for KOMO-AM (Seattle), KIRO-AM (Seattle) and helped launch the Pacific Northwest's first all-sports radio station, KJR-AM (Seattle) in 1991.
Mr. Shipman served on the board of directors for the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association for five years, and presently serves on the Professional Advisory Board for the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at his alma mater, Washington State University. He is past chair of the Board of Governors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, serves on the Board of Directors for Deschutes United Way, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon and the Deschutes Children's Foundation and is a member of the Mt. Bachelor Rotary.
JANUARY 18, 2008
ALLEN ALLEY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE; CHAIRMAN OF PIXELWORKS, INC.
 Allen Alley has over 30 years of experience in multiple disciplines from engineering to marketing, venture capital and entrepreneurship. In 1997 Alley co-founded Pixelworks, Inc., one of Oregon’s leading technology companies. The firm designs and develops "system on chip" semiconductors and software that drive the flat panel display industry. Alley stepped down as president and CEO of Pixelworks in early 2007 to take on the assignment of Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Kulongoski. In that role, Alley oversees economic development, technology, transportation, workforce training, and energy policy areas. He continues as chairman of the board of directors at Pixelworks and will share with the PubTalk audience "lessons learned" from his early, formative days in Silicon Forest.
From 1992 to 1996, Alley served as the VP, Corporate Development, Engineering and Product Marketing for In Focus Systems, a leading electronic display company. From 1986 to 1992, Alley was a General Partner of Battery Ventures, a venture capital investment firm. From 1983 to 1986, Alley was the Director of Mechanical Computer Aided Engineering of Computervision Corporation, a computer-aided design software developer. From 1979 to 1983, Alley was a Lead Mechanical Engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Division. From 1976 to 1979, Alley served as a Product Design Engineer for the Ford Motor Company. Alley holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
NOVEMBER 15, 2007
PAUL HAIT, PAUL HAIT MANAGEMENT, LCC
 Paul Hait is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and consultant. A swimmer who overcame a serious back injury and paralysis while at Stanford, Hait went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal after just four and half months of training; the following year he broke all world records in the 100 Meter breaststroke. Hait earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design from Stanford University and worked as an engineering manager at Varian Associates prior to becoming an entrepreneur.
Early in his business career, Hait founded Pemmican Beef Jerky, which he sold to General Mills in 1978. The brand is now the third largest selling beef jerky in the world. After a management stint at General Mills, Hait followed his entrepreneurial muse to Central Oregon, where he founded Pyromid Inc,.designed and patented 26 products related to environmental outdoor cooking systems, and built a 30-employee company in Redmond. Today, through Paul Hait Management, LLC he manages American Innovation Enterprises, Inc., a technology funding company created to commercialize the potential of FFACS (Freon Free Air Conditioning System) technology as well as other ventures.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2007
DENNIS MURPHY, PRESIDENT OF HAYDEN HOMES
Murphy shares insights about Hayden Home’s culture, the company’s growth and “lessons learned” from surviving the ups and downs of residential real estate development throughout the Pacific Northwest. With annual revenues of $125M, Hayden Homes creates high quality residential communities in Oregon and Washington, building approximately 600 homes a year.
Murphy has been instrumental in the growth and direction of Hayden Homes, serving as President since 1999. A graduate of California State University Chico (CSUC)’s Civil Engineering program and the Harvard Business School, Murphy knew at an early age that he wanted to be involved in engineering, construction and business. He designed his first subdivision when he was 17 years old and by 19, had designed and built his first two houses.
Murphy is active in various professional and charitable organizations. He is Chairman of the Board of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization, serves as a Big Brother, is Finance Officer and a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Murphy is actively involved in managing the Hayden Giving Fund, a non profit organization which benefits individuals and groups in need of funding, and the Hayden Home Grant, similar to Habitat for Humanity.
JUNE 14, 2007
INVESTMENT PANEL
MODERATOR WAYNE EMBREE, VENTURE CAPITALIST
As Managing Partner of Cascadia Partners, Wayne co-founded the firm’s five most recent investment funds and has created nearly 20 spinout companies from research universities and corporations. His background includes development of economic programs and policy analysis in both Oregon and Arizona. Wayne was a founding board member of the Oregon Bioscience Association, the Oregon Young Entrepreneurs Association, and the Northwest Capital Network. For more information, visit www.cascadiapartners.com
PANELIST ROBIN GOULD, ANGEL INVESTOR
Robin Gould, angel investor, spent most of his working career with large, privately-owned, family- run, consumer goods companies. With the Mars Corporation, he held various positions including Vice President of Finance, Chief Information Officer, and Strategic Planning Director. With E&J Gallo Wineries, he was CFO. Since retiring in 1993, Robin has provided consulting services to various businesses and sits on the Board of Directors of several companies.
PANELIST MIKE OSBORN, START-UP VETERAN
A veteran of six startups, Mike was CFO at Nexsys, a local software developer for banking, and at IntelliChem, developer of electronic lab notebooks for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical industries. As the founding CFO of Washington-based Digital Systems, Mike helped grow the telecom company to $50M revenues in 5 years, steering it through a $40M IPO. Mike’s practice now focuses on early stage companies, preparing for initial financing as well as offering post-funding financial management; visit www.mikeosborn.net for more information.
PANELIST VIC PETROFF, RIVERLAKE PARTNERS
Vic Petroff brings an extensive background in building and operating successful industrial and consumer products companies to Riverlake Partners. He led a successful turnaround as President of Precision Interconnect (PI), manufacturer of electronic interconnects for the medical equipment industry, eventually selling the $165M company to Tyco. Vic has held executive management positions with Omark Industries, Inc.; Pacific Biomedical, Inc.; US Bancorp; and Gamblin Artists Colors Co., and serves on multiple boards. Vic holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School an AB in Economics from Stanford. For more information: http://www.riverlakepartners.com/
MAY 10, 2007
RENE FRITZ, SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR
 Dubbed a “serial entrepreneur” by Inc. Magazine, keynote speaker Rene Fritz has managed or co-founded over 23 companies and raised over $21 million in angel capital. His latest success is Stormwater Management Inc., a 10-year run sold for $64 million in cash. In addition to two new startups, Engaging Media Inc. and 8MinuteCoach.com, Fritz runs Chief Executive Forum, an organization he founded in 1989, to mentor other business owners. For more information about Fritz, visit the Chief Executive Forum at http://www.ceforum.com/bioie.htm
APRIL 12, 2007
BILL WILLITTS, DEVELOPER OF SISTERS- FIVEPINE RESORT
"Throw the rope back across the fence"
Bill Willitts is truly a renaissance man. He supported his young family of five doing construction work. Given an opportunity to take over the  family import business, he became a successful entrepreneur, growing company sales from less than a million to $25 million when he sold it to Hallmark and retired at age 44. That event prompted Willittsand his wife Zoe to move to Sisters, where the dream of a health and wellness resort campus took shape. Willits’ twelve-year vision is now reality as the FivePine Campus - encompassing a 12,000 SF classic Northwest style lodge, 24 upscale cabins, and a stunning meeting conference area - opens its doors. The campus joins the existing Shibui Spa, Sisters Athletic Club and Sisters Movie house.
With deep roots in his adopted community, Willitts became an unlikely political activist and an advocate for Sisters schools and livability. He’s been a force for making affordable housing in Sisters a reality, successfully fought for passage of Sister’s school bonds, raised money for additional classrooms, and headed up the SOAR Levy for after school programs for kids. Recognizing his considerable advantage, Willitts will share his life philosophy to “throw the rope back across the fence,” creating opportunity and success for others.
MARCH 8, 2007
BILL SCANNELL, PRESIDENT, STRUCTUS TECHNOLOGIES
"Revolutionizing the Drywall Industry"
 Bill Scannell was appointed as President of Structus in August 2006. During his nine year tenure with the company, Scannell has played a pivotal role in guiding the growth and development of the company - through the perils of a startup enterprise to relocating the company from Hawaii to Central Oregon to the complexities of a rapidly maturing corporation. Scannell joined Structus in 1997 during its early stages, was quickly promoted to National Sales Manager and then to EVP of Business Development. Structus designs and manufactures innovative solutions for the building industry and is credited with revolutionizing the drywall trade with the incorporation of structural laminates into the product. A major proponent of Lean manufacturing principles, Scannell has overseen Structus’s adoption of disciplined, continuous improvement and cites its implementation as a major reason behind year over year performance gains. Structus was named Central Oregon’s Business Success Story of the Year at the 3rd Bend Venture Conference (BVC) in 2006. Find out more about the company at: http://www.structus.com.
FEBRUARY 8, 2007
LANCE NEIBAUER, FOUNDER AND DESIGNER, LANCAIR
"Innovation in the Aircraft Industry"
Neibauer has been at the forefront of redefining the modern airplane for the last two and a half decades. A graphic artist by training, his acclaimed designs are known  as much for their unconventional beauty as their state-of-the-art engineering and safety. After initial success in the homebuilt market in the 1980s, Neibauer successfully took on the general aviation market in the 1990s, producing the first new four-seat aircraft to achieve FAA certification in over 30 years. A testament to his unique combination of art and engineering, the Lancair 320 was the first airplane to be featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Neibauer dicussed business challenges in the high-barriers-to-entry aircraft manufacturing industry, raising equity capital and building successful companies.
JANUARY 11, 2007
AMY TYKESON, PRESIDENT, BENDBROADBAND
"Building Community in Central Oregon"
 As the leading independent operator in Central Oregon, Amy Tykeson has been the force behind a number of “firsts” in broadband technologies: the launch of high speed data in 1997, introduction of digital voice service in 2005, and implementation of an all digital video platform in 2005. Her zeal for technology initiatives is surpassed only by her passion for building community.
Currently, Tykeson serves as President of the Oregon Cable Telecommunications Association (OCTA) Board and chairs the small operators’ council as a member of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Board of Directors. She is Vice President of the Tykeson Family Charitable Trust and an executive committee member of the Economic Development for Central Oregon’s Board. Past experience includes the Young President’s Organization; Vice Chairman of the Catlin Gabel School Board of Trustees; University of Oregon Alumni Association Board.
NOVEMBER 9, 2006
GARY FISH, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, DESCHUTES BREWERY
"Creating a Premier Central Oregon Brand" .jpg)
Raised in Northern California, Gary was exposed to the beer and wine industry as the son of a grape grower. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Utah in 1979 and began his restaurant management career in Salt Lake City. After several years of managing/owning several successful restaurants, he moved to Bend in 1987 and opened the Deschutes Brewery & Public House (www.deschutesbrewery.com). In its first year of business, the pub produced roughly 800 barrels of beer. Deschutes Brewery produced and sold approximately 145,000 barrels of beer in 2005 and currently has distribution in eleven western states.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
KEN CHMIEL, FORMER VP TYCO FIRE & SECURITY
"Tyco: From Scandal to Survival to Success"
 Ken Chmiel was EVP of a company that was acquired by Tyco in late 2001. Within 9 months Tyco’s CEO, CFO and Chief Legal Counsel were indicted for various criminal offenses, the stock price dropped from $60 to $9, and a new management team was recruited to try and save the company. Prior to Tyco, Ken served in a number of executive management positions with Sensormatic, Morrison Knudsen, and Honeywell. He and his wife Maggie have recently moved to Oregon from Florida.
JUNE 8, 2006
LISA NIRELL, PRESIDENT OF NIRELL & ASSOCIATES
"Five Strategies to Energize Growth"
Lisa Nirell is the Founder of Nirell & Associates (www.energizegrowth.com) in Sunriver, OR. Lisa’s five growth strategies are based on a one-year proprietary research study of entrepreneurs. Lisa’s experience and exclusive research findings enable her to deliver profit-producing workshops and multimedia programs. She is also a nationally recognized columnist for The San Diego Transcript, Women in Technology (WITI), and several CEO publications.
MAY 11, 2006
JUDY JOHNSTON, CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF BLUE LAKE PUBLISHING
"From Plan A to Plan Z: The Secret to Successful Entrepreneurship - Just Keep Going"
Judy MacDonald Johnston and Rosie Welch launched Blue Lake Children’s Publishing (www.bluelakepublishing.com) in 2002 to develop children’s magazines starting with the pre-reading ages of 2-4. Prior to Blue Lake, Judy was the CEO and cofounder of Kibu Inc. - an online integrated marketing company servicing the teen girl demographic. The company raised $22M in 2/00 and in analyzing the post-crash outlook, the team decided to shut down the company and return the capital to the investors in 10/00. Before Kibu, Judy was the cofounder (with Irit Hillel and Rosie Welch) and CEO of PrintPaks Inc. - a developer of multimedia craft kits for kids.
APRIL 13, 2006
CAROLYN MCKNIGHT, DIRECTOR OF MBA PROGRAMS, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
"The Mythology of Leadership: What-s Your Story?"
 Carolyn McKnight oversees the execution of the new MBA+ curriculum in the School of Business Administration at Portland State University. An acknowledged figure in the area of corporate leadership and organizational development for over 25 years, she is responsible for executing the "360-degree assessments" and individual coaching that MBA+ candidates receive as an integral part of their graduate business degree experience at Portland State. McKnight also teaches a new class in Leadership Assessment and Development and leads the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Declaring that a mastery of emotional intelligence is as important as traditional business school skills, if not more so in today’s marketplace, Carolyn is leading the nation’s first program to integrate leadership development and management of innovation into the MBA experience.
MARCH 9, 2006
TY PETTIT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MICROHELIX, INC.
 Tyram H. Pettit has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Microhelix, Inc. since August 2002, and has also served as Vice-President - Finance and Assistant Secretary since June 10, 2004. Ty has been a director of Microhelix since 1998, joined the Company in June 2001 as Director of Business Development, and served the Company as Chief Operating Officer from December 2001 to August 2002. Ty has over 30 years finance and management experience in commercial and investment banking and held various executive positions with several small growth companies.
FEBRUARY 9, 2006
DONNIE CASTELMAN, PRESIDENT AND COO, EDGE WIRELESS
"How to Build a Successful Employee-friendly Company"
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