Bob Bozeman - Lead Judge
General Partner, Eastlake Ventures
Bob Bozeman loves being involved in entrepreneurship events because entrepreneurship is the only thing he does, and has seen true entrepreneurship work very well. Bob decided to be a judge for the Future Four event because entrepreneurs need feedback, “the best adjust based on the best feedback, so that circle is important to understand and to participate in”. He believes that the Future Four event is important for students to participate in because "students who learn from these kinds of experiments become motivated to become involved with business, and they relate to the demands and requirements to package solutions in the best way to be successful."
Executive Director, 3Core Inc.
Both of Marc Nemanic’s parents each owned their own
businesses, so he has lived and breathed entrepreneurship from an early age.
Running 3Core is an exercise in change and novelty so he has to be
entrepreneurial each day. “In today’s changing economy, creating new
enterprises, whether for profit or for social objectives, will become the norm
as opposed to the exception. Jobs will increasingly be self-developed by people
as institutions shed traditional jobs and rely on a contingent workforce,” something which he has seen and experienced over many years as the executive
director of 3Core, and previously as the Deputy Director of the Shasta County
Private Industry Council. Marc chose to be a Future Four judge because he
believes that an event like this is the first step in building momentum for
entrepreneurship regionally and with partner institutions. He believes that it
is essential for young entrepreneurs to get involved with events such as the
Future Four because, “every journey starts with the first step. Involvement
will spark students to see the possibilities and opportunities. Like-minded
people can share and support each other as the journey begins. Not everyone
will be a prototypical entrepreneur, but it takes many different skills and
creative talents so that something is created and gives consumers something of
value. Events like this open doors and minds to the future.”
Thomas Villa
Product Director, Education Products & Services, Verizon Wireless
“In today’s business environment, innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand.” Thomas Villa has over 20 years of service and management experience both domestically and overseas within the wireless industry, and throughout that time has worked for some true entrepreneurial companies. Those companies have in common the ability to look out into the future, identify needs, and translate those needs back to present day roadmaps that deliver disruptive, innovative, value added products and experiences. Tom loves that CSU, Chico’s Center for Entrepreneurship is promoting an environment of Ideation, “free thinking that could change our lives”. Being given the opportunity to judge this event where students are “at the bleeding edge of changes that could and should occur…it would be difficult for me not to support that both professionally and personally.”
Lance Blanshei
Managing Partner,
Blanshei Partners, Brand & New Products Development Consultancy
Founder, Tea
Innovations, Inc.
Lance Blanshei has had over 20 years of driving food and
beverage innovation vis-a-vis new product and brand development for Fortune 100
CPG firms. He also created what is described as the most innovative and
successful foodservice tea concept in the country. Lance chose to be a judge
for the Future Four event as he is pleased to support Peter Straus and his
amazing program. Lance believes that the Future Four event is, “an exceptional
opportunity for CSU, Chico’s aspiring entrepreneurs to realize the potential of
putting their ideas and passions on the line in a competitive review”.
Serial Technology
Entrepreneur
Jeff Spence has been involved in buying, building, and
selling technology companies for more than 15 years. He has raised capital and
built teams on six continents across dozens of countries, and currently advises
a half dozen technology companies. Jeff chose to be a judge for the Future Four
event because he believes that “entrepreneurial leadership skills are learned,
not inherited at birth” and that “these skills will have the greatest impact on
our economy and society over the course of the next 20 to 50 years.” Jeff
believes that an event like the Future Four is important because the type of
competition allows students to gain the benefits of in-market successes and
failures without having to endure the typical time and expense of these in real
life. He says, “the business and innovative discipline that participants have
to exercise to be successful in these competitions is difficult to teach
through traditional classroom business curriculum.”
Louis Stewart
Louis Stewart
Deputy Director, Innovation
and Entrepreneurship, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic
Development (GO-Biz)
Louis Stewart’s current role is to help California develop
an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurship, promotes long term economic
growth and facilitates job creation through innovation. He wanted to be a judge
for the Future Four because he saw it as an “excellent opportunity to get
involved at the grassroots level of entrepreneurship as well as become aware of
up and coming innovation in the region.” Louis believes that events like the
Future Four are important because “students are the future of innovation and I
believe innovation drives the global economy so it is imperative for students
to participate in events such as these so that we understand how to reduce
barriers based on what is presented and they inform us about what is coming.”
Associate Dean of
Business (interim), CSU Chico
Julie Indvik’s involvement with entrepreneurship has been “layered”.
As the department chair in the early 2000’s, she initiated the development for
the CSUC Entrepreneurship Program in the Management program. In 2007-09, she
redesigned the academic program as the current major for Business students and
the current Minor available to any student on campus. “Our program is
definitely an example of bricolage:
making the most of the resources at hand to create something new.” Being so
involved with the Center for Entrepreneurship since its development in 2005, it
was an easy choice for Julie to be a part of this landmark event. The academic
entrepreneurship program, the Center for Entrepreneurship, and the student club
Collegiate Entrepreneurial Association have spent a great deal of time offering
tools, practice, experience, and guidance so that students can start new
ventures. “This event is the culmination of many faculty and many students across
the four campuses working and learning for months to turn creative ideas into
viable ventures.”
Dan Ripke
Director, Center for Economic Development and Northeastern
California SBDC
Dan Ripke has spent 26
years of his life supporting entrepreneurs, and works with approximately 3,000
small businesses annually. He has been a strong supporter for student
entrepreneurs across 23 counties, so being a judge for the Future Four event was
an easy decision for him. Dan believes that it is essential for students to be
involved in events like the Future Four, because “students need to understand
the important opportunities created by applying their technical skills, natural
talents, and energy to start new enterprises.”
3Core, Inc. is proud to be a partner with the Chico State Center for Entrepreneurship, and to sponsor eWeek.
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