Sontag Resources

Advisors are local individuals with subject matter expertise who have agreed to share their time and expertise with groups of individuals who would benefit from such guidance. While these individuals may not have first hand entrepreneurial experience, there is no doubt that they will be able to help you along your journey. The link below provides a list of advisors along with a brief biography and some keywords (relating to roles, areas of expertise, and industry knowledge) for each. If you believe that you would benefit from meeting with one of our advisors, please send a request to ozmencenter@unr.edu to receive a formal introduction.

• Bernhard W. Bach - Director Of Undergraduate Laboratories, UNR Physics Department

  Key Roles

  • Founder
  • Owner

  Key Skills

  • Product development
  • Venture capital investment (recipient)
  • Exit process through acquisition

  Key Industries

  • Aerospace instrumentation
  • Precision engineering
  • Advanced manufacturing

  Biography

  Bernhard Bach’s background is in precision engineering and advanced manufacturing. He was the founder and/or owner of two manufacturing firms that produced precision optical components. These firms developed novel instrumentation for aerospace companies and governments for use in space flight programs. Dr. Bach’s firms also produced optical components for fiber-optic communications. He has taken hi-tech firms thru the process of venture capital investment and acquisition. Dr. Bach has a PhD in Physics and served on the NSF’s industrial advisory board for Engineering Research in Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology. In 2018 Cambridge University press published Dr. Bach’s book A Student’s guide to Infinite Series and Sequences which focuses on applied problems.
• Thomas Burnham - Assistant Professor of Marketing, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Co-founder

  Key Skills

  • Operations
  • Marketing

  Key Industries

  • Transportation; pedestrian safety
  • B2G sales

  Biography

  Thomas Burnham is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Nevada, Reno. He co-founded a start-up company that designed, manufactured and sold solar-powered, wirelessly-activated crosswalk warning light systems nationwide. In recent years, he has assisted a variety of Reno-area startup companies in operations and marketing capacities. Dr. Burnham received a BA from Rice University and a Ph.D. in marketing strategy from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Tod Colegrove - Director, DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library

  Key Roles

  • Entrepreneur
  • Director, Science & Engineering Library with maker space

  Key Skills

  • Physics
  • Information technology

  Key Industries

  • High-tech private industry
  • Telecom
  • Information science

  Biography

  Tod Colegrove is a physicist, serial entrepreneur, and professional librarian. He holds doctorate and Master’s degrees in physics, a master of library and information science degree with concentration in competitive intelligence and knowledge management, has over fourteen years of experience in high-tech private industry, and has taught physics, astronomy, and honors coursework at the University for over a decade.

  A recognized leader of the maker movement, and a pioneer of the impact that makerspaces in libraries can have on learning, discovery, and engagement, under Dr. Colegrove’s leadership the library went on to become the first academic library in the United States to offer 3D printing and scanning services available not only to students and staff of the University, but to members of the greater community. The resulting explosion of innovation and creativity resulted in the library being named one of the Most Interesting Makerspaces in America by Make magazine, and receiving the Most Innovative Space Award from the regional economic development authority. His work is acclaimed internationally, with invited presentations ranging from TEDx speaker and congressional panels in Washington D.C. to international service that has ranged from work with the International Baccalaureate program in The Hague, to opening a makerspace/Fab Lab with the Belarus State University Fundamentals Library in Minsk, Belarus, and, most recently, work with the top colleges and libraries in China at the intersection of libraries, innovation and entrepreneurship, and design.
• Mike Cutler – Entrepreneurship Faculty, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Founder 

  Key Skills

  • E-commerce strategy
  • Local event marketing

  Key Industries

  • Non-profit

  Biography

  Michael Cutler is a Reno native, and UNR alumni. As a teenager he assisted his parents with a small retail business, where he discovered a passion for startups and ideation of business models. In high school, and through his college years, Michael started, developed, and partnered in starting up several businesses and non-profit organizations, including the Reno International House, EarthTrek Gear, International Friends of Reno, Midtown Merchants Association and others. Experience and specialties include e-commerce strategy, and local event marketing. Michael has enjoyed supporting and counseling immigrants and international students in business formation, and now UNR students. Mike is teaching ENT 404, Entrepreneurship Marketing, Fall semester 2018.
• Chris Howard – Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Corporate principal/venture capital partner
  • CEO & Principal, Northstar Investors

  Key Skills

  • Operations
  • Technical, financial, and economic strategy

  Key Industries

  • Pet products
  • Active outdoor wear
  • Medical services

  Biography

  Chris Howard is the Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives and is also a faculty member overseeing the entrepreneurship academic curriculum in the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the past 37 years as a corporate principal or venture capital partner, Chris has bought, sold, and/or invested in 28 companies. He is the current CEO and Principal of Northstar Investors, specializing in the provision of operational guidance and devising technical, financial and economic strategies. Chris teaches BADM 794 Value Creation Measurement.
• Thomas Kidd – Associate Professor of Biology, UNR College of Science

  Key Roles

  • Associate Professor

  Key Skills

  • Business development presentations

  Key Industries

  • Biology
  • Biotechnology

  Biography

  Thomas Kidd is an associate professor in Biology. He worked at the biotechnology company Exelixis Inc. for four years that included the initial public offering in 2001. He led a program modeling diabetes and cancer in fruit flies to identify new drug targets and participated in business development presentations on diverse aspects of modern biology. He was the inaugural fellow in the Research and Innovation Office’s Leadership program in 2017. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin, Oxford University and UC Berkeley and holds several patents related to nerve growth and cancer.
• Kelly Northridge - Founder, Audacity Fund

  Key Roles

  • Angel investor
  • Entrepreneur

  Key Skills

  • International business and economics
  • Finance
  • International strategy

  Key Industries

  • Corporate services
  • Fashion
  • Biotech
  • Health tech

  Biography

  Kelly Northridge is an angel investor who has worked with, started, and grown several entrepreneurial ventures over the past 20 years across industries including corporate services, fashion, biotech and health tech. She has a background in finance including venture capital and mergers and acquisitions; economic impact; international strategy; change management and organizational development. She holds a BS in International Business and Economics, cum laude, from the University of Nevada, Reno, an MBA focused in International Sustainable Development from Cornell University, a Master’s in Public Health focused in International Health Management from UCLA, and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford researching how and why investors invest in women and girls. Kelly is an avid supporter of the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and is pleased to serve as the CEO-in-residence at the InNevation Center, as well as the leader of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative at the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship.
• Jeannie Reeth - Professor of Entrepreneurship and Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Coordinator, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • CEO & Founder, Pinch This
  • Consumer Marketing, eBay

  Key Skills

  • Marketing
  • Strategy

  Key Industries

  • Online retail marketplace
  • Management consulting

  Biography

  Jeannie Reeth is a global Marketing leader and General Manager with more than 20 years of experience growing companies and brands of all sizes. She spent over a decade at eBay where she led Consumer Marketing for North America, managed eBay’s International Marketing team across 30 countries outside the US, and built eBay’s Social Business Unit from the ground up. Ms. Reeth brings a combination of strategic insight and operational rigor to everything she does and is passionate about developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and marketers. Ms. Reeth received her BA from Harvard University and began her career at Bain & Company in strategic consulting before helping to build multiple start-ups in the Bay Area in the late ’90’s. She currently serves as the President of the Harvard Club of Northern Nevada and is CEO and founder of a small gourmet spice business.
• Jeremy Tiedt – Director of Advising, Recruitment & Retention, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Director of Advising, Recruitment and Retention, College of Business UNR
  • Co-founder & Chief Operating Office, MyCombine

  Key Skills

  • Organizational strategies, objectives, and operations
  • Operations

  Key Industries

  • Sports and recreation
  • Consulting

  Biography

  Jeremy currently holds a position as the Director of Advising, Recruitment and Retention within The College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno. He also serves as an adjunct instructor within The College of Business where he teaches courses focusing on entrepreneurship. He previously served as Co-Founder and the Chief Operations Officer for MyCombine. In his role with MyCombine, he was responsible for the development and management of organizational strategies, objectives and operations. Jeremy has previously worked in collegiate athletics at two Division l universities, and was a Division l student athlete himself, in track and field at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a Master of Science in Administrative Leadership: Focusing on Collegiate Athletics, both from the UWM.
• Matt Westfield – Entrepreneur-in-Residence, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Founder/Co-founder, various startups
  • Serial entrepreneur
  • Investor

  Key Skills

  • Raising startup funding

  Key Industries

  • Scalable software
  • Horticulture
  • Graphics
  • Promotional products
  • Scalable non-profits

  Biography

  Matt Westfield is a Serial Entrepreneur/Investor. His specific startup acumen is in: Scalable software, Horticulture, Graphics, Promotional Products, Scalable non-profits. He has been a Founder/Co-Founder in 7 startups with 4 cash Exits, and 3 interesting experiences! His 1st cash exit was @ 28, when he sold his debt-free design/build company. Matt is an Owner/Partner in 3 unrelated for-profit companies, and on 4 Board’s. His latest software venture as cofounder of LezGo.io – the 1st ERM -Entrepreneurial Relationship Management software. He is the founder of Entrepreneur’s Assembly (www.EA-Global.org ) – Award-winning Nevada non-profit dedicated to mentoring startups with systems and accountability. 6 Nevada chapters & 6 African Affiliates (www.EA-Africa.org). He has raised over $5M for early stage startups. He was the charter Judge for the Reynold’s Governor Cup Biz Plan Competition and charter policy member for the Sontag Business Competition. As a business plan mentor, his winners include 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018. He is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence, University of Nevada Reno College of Business, as well as the Adams Hub incubator, Carson City. Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing from City University, Seattle. Matt is an Adjunct Professor for the University of Nevada, Reno– College of Business since 2011. He is the Chairman Emeritus of JOIN Inc., a $5M private non-profit with 8 chapters around Nevada (2006 to 2012).
• Mitch Winterman – University Librarian, UNR College of Business

  Key Roles

  • Founder
  • Business and Economics Librarian, UNR

  Key Skills

  • Research assistance
  • Consumer demographics and psychographics
  • Competitive intelligence
  • Financial analysis

  Key Industries

  • Online retail
  • Auto/marine
  • Higher education/ academic publishing

  Biography

  Mitch Winterman is the Business and Economics Librarian and works with faculty and students in the College of Business to help access and utilize the resources they need for learning and research. Mitch helps support campus and community wide entrepreneurship efforts, and provide research help for individuals, small business members, students, and faculty. Mitch was the founder and president of Spider Marine Electric Supply for over 10 years and has founded and helped create numerous other startup ventures. He has professional expertise and can assist with research in the areas of consumer demographics, psychographics, and decision making, market research, industry research, competitive intelligence, and financial analysis. Mitch has an M.L.I.S. from Florida State University and received a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Consultants are University professors with subject matter expertise who have agreed to share their time and expertise with groups of individuals who would benefit from such guidance. While these individuals may not have first hand entrepreneurial experience, there is no doubt that they will be able to help you along your journey. The link below provides a list of consultants along with a brief biography for each. If you believe that you would benefit from meeting with one of our consultants, please send a request to ozmencenter@unr.edu to receive a formal introduction.

• Anne Carpenter – Lecturer of Economics, UNR College of Business

  Areas of Expertise

  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance

  Biography

  Anne Carpenter graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance at Missouri State University and received her Ph.D. in Economics at the University of California, Irvine. She has experience in the banking industry and extensive expertise in business loans, acquisitions, financial reporting, and cash flow analysis. Her research interests are in financial and economic decision-making, workplace incentives and compensation, and business strategy.
• Wesley Califoux - Associate Professor of Chemistry, UNR

  Biography

  Professor Wesley A. Chalifoux was employed for 4 years at Raylo Chemicals (currently Gilead Sciences, Edmonton) while completing his undergraduate degree. At Raylo Chemicals he gained experience pertaining to the business of large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing. Dr. Chalifoux is currently an associate professor at the University of Nevada in the Department of Chemistry. His research focus is the synthesis of semiconducting organic materials and their use in applications such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and as organic photovoltaic (i.e. solar cell) materials. He has filed three patent applications to date and has partnered with private industry to develop new technologies that utilize the organic materials developed in his laboratory.
• Liz Heiman – Chief Strategic Officer, Alice Heiman, LLC

  Key Roles

  • Chief Strategy Officer, Alice Heiman LLC
  • Founder Regarding Sales, LLC
  • Sales & Strategy Consultant

  Key Skills

  • Building a B2B Sales Organization
  • Developing Sales Strategies
  • Sales messaging
  • Enterprise Sales

  Key Industries

  • SaaS
  • Medical
  • Construction
  • Professional Services

  Biography

  Liz Heiman, Chief Strategy Officer at Alice Heiman, LLC, is a structural thinker, strategist and sales consultant focused on building B2B sales organizations for start-up and mid-size companies to achieve extraordinary growth. Liz meticulously creates a roadmap of the stepby-step processes for sky-high results. Liz has a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is well-schooled in digging through data to find meaningful information. Her extraordinary background delivers clients concrete solutions to often amorphous sales problems. As the former Director of Asia Pacific for Miller Heiman, Inc, Liz is excelled at selling to Fortune 500 companies, and helping their sales teams improve their enterprise sales results. For the last 20 years, Liz has been guiding entrepreneurs to build B2B sales organizations that excel at the complex sale. Liz is currently a mentor with both Entrepreneur Assembly and StartUpNV.
• William (Bill) Huddleston - PMP®. Professor of Project Management, Certification Planner LLC.

  Areas of Expertise

  • Project Management

  Biography

  Bill holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a graduate of the University of Southern California with an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Operations Research. He retired from NASA HQ, Washington DC as a Program Executive where he directed the development of science-instrumented spacecraft manifested on the Space Shuttle and Expendable Launch Vehicles including managing budgets in excess of one billion dollars. Bill also provided management and technical guidance pertaining to supporting NASA organizations, served a technical expert for assessment & resolution of cost, schedule, and performance issues encountered in the development of science missions, and was a member of Independent Review Boards providing programmatic assessments and launch readiness recommendations. Prior to his NASA position he was a project manager supporting the development and logistic support for air-launched weapon systems at the Naval Air Systems Command, Washington DC and China lake Weapons Center. Bill is currently a Professor of Project Management at Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU), Los Angeles, California where he teaches project management as a specialty within the MBA program while providing an opportunity for students to augment an MBA degree with professional certification in project management. As a professor at MSMU he also serves as a mentor and coach for Title V (minority) students, Faculty advisor for MBA Capstone projects, and creator of the Research Associate in Project Management program providing MBA alumni the opportunity to acquire PM experience while optimizing the MSMU PM program content and structure.
• Hyo Jin (Jean) Jeon – Associate Professor of Education and Division Director, UNR College of Education

  Areas of Expertise

  • Marketing
  • Distribution channels
  • Sales management
  • International

  Biography

  Jean Jeon (Ph.D. University of Oklahoma) is an associate professor of Marketing at the University of Nevada Reno. She has experience with family businesses in various service sectors including restaurants, retailing, and construction. Her primary research interests are strongly influenced by her experiences with family businesses and involve business-to-business issues such as franchising, marketing distribution channels, sales management, and international business. Her research has previously appeared in forums like Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Small Business Management, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, and Journal of Marketing Channels.
• William Macauley – Professor of English, UNR College of Liberal Arts

  Areas of Expertise

  • Communications (written and oral presentations): business, professional, and technical communications including how to persuasively present concepts and ideas and utilize alphabetic, numeric and graphic information

  Biography

  William J. (Bill) Macauley, Jr. is a Professor of English and Director of the Composition and Communication in the Disciplines program at UNR. Bill has taught business writing, professional/technical writing, academic writing, and creative writing. He has worked closely with undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and professionals in fields ranging from Business to Theater, Psychology to Engineering, and Art History to Computer Science. In all of these fields, Bill has worked with writers to improve flow, clarity, precision, concision, organization, and efficiency. Bill has considerable experience working with proposals, planning documents, and pitches both written and presented, as well as documents that must move between alphabetic and numeric and/or between graphic and textual information. The foundational principles of successful communications are the same regardless of the medium; what makes each instance unique are the participants, purposes, exigencies, and contexts.
• Igor Makienko – Associate Professor of Marketing, UNR College of Business

  Areas of Expertise

  • Marketing
  • Consumer psychology
  • Behavioral pricing
  • Advertising

  Biography

  Igor Makienko received his masters’ degrees in mechanical engineering, journalism, economics and mass communications and a Ph.D. degree in business administration (Louisiana State University). He has extensive experience in advertising and marketing industry. His research has been published in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Promotion Management, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Marketing Education and others. He has also presented his research at numerous US and international conferences.
• Mark Packard – Assistant Professor of Business Management, UNR College of Business

  Areas of Expertise

  • Customer knowledge and value

  Biography

  Mark Packard is a California native who studied computer engineering in Utah at BYU and got his PhD in management at the University of Missouri in 2016. Mark’s research has studied the theory of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial judgment under uncertainty, innovation and its diffusion, and demand-side (customer) knowledge and value. He has published at top entrepreneurship and management journals, including the Journal of Business Venturing, Organization Science, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. He teaches Strategic Management and Managing Entrepreneurial Ventures at UNR.
• Dexter Ramsey – Senior Tax Manager, Eide Bailly LLP

  Areas of Expertise

  • Accounting
  • Finance and financial strategies

  Biography

  Dexter Ramsey is a Tax Manager at Eide Bailly LLP here in Reno and has over 10 years of accounting industry experience. He enjoys assisting clients from all industries with all of their accounting needs, more recently focusing on tax and startup strategy. Prior to joining Eide Bailly, he had worked at a few public accounting firms with focus in both tax and audit. A few years back he left public accounting to work as a technical accounting manager at a high-growth software startup, and helped prepare financial statements, clean up high-risk areas, along with the formation and tracking of key metrics in route to filing a successful IPO in October 2016. This experience recently led him back into the public accounting sector at Eide Bailly with the goal of helping small and developed companies adopt sound tax and financial strategies.