The Venture Center

Meet Our Team

The People behind Venture Center

Amy Pietsch

As Director of the Venture Center, Amy is focused on creating training and development programs that focus on business innovation and entrepreneurial ventures. Since 1997 she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs launch and grow their ventures in Wisconsin and beyond. Her technical entrepreneurial training taps on her experience with conducting feasibility studies, developing business plans and securing debt and equity financing for their ventures. The Appleton Post Crescent’s recent 50th Annual Report recognized and profiled Amy as being On the Rise and one of the people who is powering the Fox Cities’ progress.

Ms. Pietsch holds a BA, with honors, in Business & Management and Professional Communication from Alverno College. In 2000 she received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council. In 2001 Amy was certified as a NxLevel Instructor and prior to being named Venture Center Director, was the lead instructor for E-Seed™, a 15-week entrepreneurial training series sponsored by Fox Valley Technical College. In 2003 Amy was awarded FVTC’s adjunct faculty Instructional Excellence Award, in 2005 was named the first recipient of Alverno College’s Young Professional Achievement Award, in 2006 she received the Rotary Cutting Edge Award and in 2007 she received the Women of Distinction Award from Mid-Day Business and Professional Women.

Amy's current involvement with small business organizations include:

Judge for the State of Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest and in 2005 was a judge for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Wisconsin Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
VP of Programs of the Mid-Day Business and Professional Women.
Member of the Date to Collaborate New North/NEW END Planning Team.
Host of Fox Cities SCORE and Venture Center's BizTalk radio show on 1150 am WHBY.

Kathi Drake

Kathi Drake is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program, and for Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. Kathi holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, as well as a bachelors degree in Accounting and Finance.

Having always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, she has spent the past 25+ years working with small business in various positions. Kathi has been a financial consultant for small businesses, instructing them on the set-up of financial accounting software, and the day-to-day aspects of small business accounting. Kathi also owned her own retail business for seven years specializing in women’s designer clothing. The love of fashion was then transferred to the direct-sell designer clothing industry, where Kathi spent the past ten years as a District Sales Manager, Regional Manager, and Director of Training. This experience provided her with great experience and insight in sales and high-end customer service.

The love of training and helping small businesses grow and thrive have lead Kathi to her current and favorite position with Fox Valley Venture Center.

Kathi is also Certified Nx Level Instructor and on the Venturous Moms Advisory Board.

Jeff Ebel

Jeff is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program. He is the founder and past president of Ebel Woodworking, Inc., an architectural woodworking company located in Scandinavia, Wisconsin. He has been in the woodworking and furniture industry for over 35 years and started Ebel Woodworking in 1989. After selling Ebel Woodworking in May of 2007, he took an eleven month sabbatical, working part time as a consultant and volunteering for a variety of non-profit organizations. He currently works as a Sales and Marketing Representative for SAINTS Health Services for Business, a Central Wisconsin occupational health services provider.

As a volunteer, Jeff is active in the AWI, Architectural Woodwork Institute, serving a second two year term as a member of the development council, assists the Chapter Development Committee with leadership training, and recently completed a two year term as President of the Wisconsin Chapter of the AWI. He is also a volunteer counselor for and Chapter Chair of the Central Wisconsin Chapter of SCORE, volunteers providing free counseling to small businesses. He is on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Stevens Point and serves as an ambassador for the Portage County Business Council. His association with the many organizations provides myriad opportunities to utilize his skills as a presenter and leader.

Beth Ehlers

Beth is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program. She received a BBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame. She gained her Financial Management experience working for General Mills in Minneapolis, Gorton's of Gloucester in Massachusetts, and Kimberly Clark in Wisconsin, working in both the staff and plant settings. She has experience in bookkeeping, cost accounting, internal financial reporting, budgeting and analysis, fixed asset management, payroll, and capital expenditure analysis (cost-benefit analysis).

Beth gained her Operations Management experience while working at Kimberly Clark managing a team of 120 employees in the plant setting. In this capacity she gained experience with manufacturing equipment start-ups and steady-state efficiency, preventative maintenance, just-in-time inventory management, machine product loading, and personnel management (including goal-setting and performance reviews). She also gained training experience while managing the plant training department during this time.

An entrepreneur at heart, Beth has successfully operated several small businesses, including a sales consulting business with Southern Living at HOME where she built a team of 20 people and achieved top sales in Wisconsin for several years, and a financial consulting business focusing on small business accounting and analysis. In February 2009 she started her latest venture, co-founding E&S Entrepreneur Advisors which expanded her consulting business by adding business plan and start-up services to her accounting and analysis services. Beth's clients are involved in services, retail, and manufacturing/distributing industries.

Her experience as an entrepreneur has exposed Beth to the many challenges, constraints, and rewards of owning your own business.

Kari Esbensen

Kari coordinates the Venture Center and CAP Service’s Career and Leadership Exploration Program, which introduces disadvantaged but promising young adults to post-secondary career and entrepreneurship training opportunities and helps builds the skills necessary for academic and career success.

Kari Esbensen, is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) who possesses graduate degrees in Counseling Psychology and Environmental Studies. For the past twenty years, she has managed an independent consulting practice, Arborvitae Ecological Services, providing organizational and technical assistance to non-profits, communities, businesses and individuals in the cross disciplinary fields of sustainability, public policy, planning and the environment. She is also the owner of Arborvitae Counseling, LCC, which offers career and life counseling to youth and adults facing major challenges and transitions.

A life-long learner and educator, Kari has held adjunct teaching positions with Fox Valley Technical College in the Departments of Science and Natural Resources in addition to her current appointment. She has also held faculty appointments with the University of Wisconsin Extension, and coordinated educational programs on behalf of the Waupaca County Soil and Land Conservation Department, as well as the Department of Natural Resources. She is a member of the freelance staff of the Waupaca County Post, originating a monthly column, Sustainability in Tough Times, featuring practical, affordable and environmentally sustainable options for managing one’s business, home and community, highlighting the industrious spirit of Central Wisconsin’s rural small business entrepreneurs.

Kari feels fortunate to pair her devotion to the environment with the empowerment of others through her work and civic volunteerism. She continues to discover new ways to foster leadership skills in others through engagement with the natural world and sustainable design. A small business owner herself, she is elated by the 21st century interest in things “green”, excited to be in a position to capture emerging market opportunities and thrilled to help others capture them as well.
Kari was selected to receive the 2010 Friend of Conservation award by the Waupaca Land Conservation Committee. She holds an M.S. in Water Resource Management from the Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison,an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Vermont College of Union Institute and University and Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Andrea Hogan

Andrea Hogan is an instructor for the Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. After completing the Venture Center’s E-Seed™ Entrepreneurial Training Program in 2006, Andrea launched her own retail specialty home accent & gift business, Home Things!, Inc., which she continues to operate today.

Prior to pursuing her own entrepreneurial venture, Andrea devoted herself to the Human Resources profession in a career spanning 16+ years with a major manufacturing organization. Andrea possesses extensive experience in the areas of employment, compensation, benefits, payroll, and Human Resource Information Systems.

Her expertise in organizational effectiveness includes strategic planning, results-driven project identification, development, implementation, and assessment. Her experience encompasses change management, communication plan development, and training. In addition, she is well-versed in the attraction, retention, and development of human talent, the creation of job descriptions, performance management, and reward systems, as well as due diligence with respect to mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

As a small business owner herself, Andrea understands first-hand the challenges faced by small businesses today, making her uniquely qualified to assist business owners with the development of a Human Resources strategy to meet their current and future organizational objectives.

Andrea holds a BA in Communication from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and is a Certified Compensation (CCP) and Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) as accredited by WorldatWork®, the Total Rewards Association.

Al Lautenslager

Al Lautenslager is an instructor for the Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. Al has shared the stage with Mayor Rudy Guiliani. He has worked with Donald Trump and The Apprentice. Every year he makes numerous media appearances reviewing Super Bowl TV commercials.

Al Lautenslager is the president and owner of The Ink Well, a commercial printing and mailing company in Wheaton, IL, and the principal of Market For Profits, a Chicago based marketing consulting and coaching firm. He is a multiple, “Business of the Year” award winner.

Al is the featured marketing and PR expert for the online version of Entrepreneur Magazine and a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.
Al is a member of USA Today’s small business panel and also appears regularly on radio and TV. Al is also the co-author of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days, the most recent best-selling book in the guerrilla marketing series, which by the way hit the No. 1 spot on Amazon in Japan earlier this year, author of The Ultimate Guide to Direct Marketing and numerous other marketing and business books.

Jim Marshall

Jim is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program.
His education background includes: MBA- General Management from Case-Western Reserve University, 1969, MS- Metallurgical Engineering from Wayne State University, 1964 and BS- Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, 1958.

He has utilized consulting and coaching skills as well as small business management know-how as administrator and owner of four small service businesses over the past 12 years. Prior to this he assisted family owned companies to develop and implement strategic plans. These experiences included being a coach for a younger family member in one business and helping to introduce new imported products into another family business. He served as intermediary with son and father in a U. S. family business and oversaw their German subsidiary. He also served as liaison and manager for a German family business that owned and managed companies in Germany, Austria and the United States.

At present Jim is a general business consultant and a sales engineer for manufactured products. He has 30 years of hands-on experience as a senior level executive. In his role as president of a 30 million dollar company supplying the paper industry, he became a specialist in team management. He has managed the turn-around of three companies, integration of international operations and developed strategies to sell companies. As an interim executive vice-president for several companies he performed all company duties and coached various executives. Areas of expertise include: continuous improvement process and change initiatives, strategic plan development and implementation, performance in engineering and research departments as well as management of community service and non-profit organizations and is presently on the board of directors for NAMI Fox Cities.

Jothi Nedungadi

Jothi Nedungadi is an instructor for the Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. Jothi has an extensive background in training, organizational development, performance improvement, market research, marketing and instructional design & development in the healthcare industry. She has been involved in Learning Management System implementations, 360 implementations, surveys & evaluations, for corporate wide initiatives and has managed technical and softskills training for Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical and medical insurance industry.

She is an active member of the United Way Impact Area Advisory panel to direct positive changes to strengthening families in the community. Jothi was AIIP’s (Association of Independent Information Professionals) 2007 Myra T. Grenier Award recipient for committed interest in contributing to the information profession. She is dedicated to improving the community while helping her business clients with their strategic information needs. She mentors information professionals nation-wide, and locally, provides business counseling services to SCORE clients.

Jothi has a MS in Education with a major in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. She has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts & Business Administration from University of Toronto, Ontario. Her varied knowledge and expertise has led her to her current endeavor - information research services. She is the Principal & Information Consultant of Competitive InfoSearch, LLC.

Susan Schuldes

Susan is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program. Susan received a BBA in accounting from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Susan worked as a staff accountant for Wipfli Ullrich in Green Bay and in the Internal Audit Department at Firstar Bank Corporation (now US Bank).

She has not for profit experience, including working as a treasurer for The First Congregational Church and on the Audit Committee for the United Way of the Fox Cities. She is also a trustee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Wisconsin. Susan trained the present treasurer for the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Appleton and has served in several other financial consulting roles. She has experience in bookkeeping, recording keeping, accounting basics, as well as money management (cash flow), inventory management, internal control procedures and lending/loan applications.

In 2009, Susan partnered with Beth Ehlers to form E&S Entrepreneur Advisors, LLC to provide area business with a full range of business guidance.

Janice Stark

Janice Stark is an instructor for the Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. After completing the Venture Center’s E-Seed™ Entrepreneurial Training Program in December of 2003, Janice launched, Rivers Edge Marketing, LLC in March of 2004 and continues to operate the business today.

Janice is a strategic marketing, branding and advertising expert. She has over 20 years of experience in the disciplines of marketing and sales, from strategic development through sales training and implementation. She has worked with non-for-profit, private, small, medium and Fortune 500 corporations, in various capacities.

Having grown up in a family with an entrepreneurial spirit (her father owned and operated a construction company and eight of her brothers and sisters currently own small businesses in the Madison area) Janice knew she wanted to own and operate her own business. Janice’s background has touched various industries in manufacturing, construction, technical, healthcare, finance, retail and much more. Being a small business owner along with her broad based industry experience brings practical knowledge to entrepreneurs.

Janice currently services as President for the Women In Management – Oshkosh Chapter and holds a double BA, with honors, in Business and Marketing from Lakeland College.

Mark Van Pay

Mark Van Pay is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program and the Pro-Seed™ Powered by E-Myth™ Training Series. Mark Van Pay, owner and founder of Convergent Marketing, has over 26 years of experience in the disciplines of marketing and sales. His well-rounded experience covers all areas of marketing, from strategic development through implementation. He has worked for small, medium and large corporations in various capacities. He is the former owner of an advertising agency in Green Bay, and serves on the Fox Valley Humane Association’s Board of Directors.

Mark is the Chairperson of the by-invitation-only professional development organization called the Senior Marketing & Sales Executive Group based in the Fox Valley. He is also an instructor with the Venture Center, an entrepreneurial development center based in Appleton, WI. As part of the E-Seed program at the Venture Center, he walks new business owners through the process of developing a comprehensive business plan and successful business model. Mark is also a judge for the annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan competition.

Mark is a periodic co-host of the Saturday morning talk show “Biz Talk” on WHBY AM. The show focuses on issues facing entrepreneurs today.

Dale Walker

Dale is an instructor for the E-Seed™, Entrepreneurial Training Program. His professional career spans twenty six years and includes experience in the oil and gas, consumer goods manufacturing, retail, and technology services industries. In particular, Dales eight years with the Pepsi Cola Bottling Group prepared him for the challenges associated with becoming an entrepreneur. In 1992 Dale launched what became a chain of six specialty retail stores in Wisconsin and Illinois. Upon the successful sale of these outlets in 1999, Dale then launched a professional services firm which now has 7 locations across Wisconsin. While still a partner in this business, Dale is currently the Director of Business and Industry Services with Fox Valley Technical College. In this position Dale is responsible to bring the resources of the college to the business community of the five county district in which the college provides education and technical services.

Dales holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is pursuing a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Dale's current involvement with small business organizations includes:

Charter Member of Strategic Area Networking Entrepreneurs (SANE) 2002 -2007
Certified NxLevel Instructor
Franchise Advisory Board-General Nutrition Centers 1995-1999
Member of NEWREP

Jill Seidl

Jill has held several administrative assistant positions including working for the City of Appleton and FVTC's Business and Industry Services prior to joining the Venture Center team. Jill as been working behind the scenes with the E-Seed™ Series since fall of 2003 and is currently the office coordinator for the Venture Center. She enjoys the energy of working with entrepreneurs and coordinating the events and services offered by the Venture Center—and is herself, a source of our team energy!

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