About NEW END
Your untiring work and commitment is what makes the Fox Cities a special place to live and work.”
Chip Coenen
VP Business Development
Lakeview Credit Union
VISION
NEW END is an event dedicated to the specific needs of entrepreneurs by celebrating the entrepreneurial lifestyle during a motivating, inspirational day combining networking, education, and collaboration throughout the New North with the purpose of evolving the economy and our way of life.
HISTORY
NEW END was conceived by a chemical engineer who was downsized from a large Northeastern Wisconsin corporation. The engineer completed the E-Seed entrepreneurial training program offered by the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College, launched two businesses, and became involved in entrepreneurial activities in the region.
The engineer, now turned entrepreneur, in conjunction with what would become the NEW END steering team, recognized the need for networking, educational, and collaborative opportunities focused on the unique needs of entrepreneurs in the New North. With support from Fox Valley Technical College, generous sponsors, and hard working volunteers, NEW END became a reality in the Spring of 2005.
NEW END Steering Team
Autumn
Hill - Co-Chair
Autumn Hill Creative, LLC
Autumn Hill is a Fox Valley native, earning her BFA degree in Advertising and Graphic Design from Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design in Denver, Colorado. Autumn also holds a certificate in Web Site Development from the Colorado Institute of Art.
Autumn returned to her home, the Fox Valley Region of Northeast Wisconsin, in 2003 and launched Autumn Hill Creative, LLC in June 2004 with her mother and business partner, Yvonne Kehl. Autumn Hill Creative offers high quality advertising, design & printing, and web site development services.
The E-Seed class offered by the Venture Center helped forge the foundation upon which their business is built. They developed a comprehensive business plan, gained professional advisors, dedicated mentors, and an ever-expanding network of business contacts. All of these resources have been invaluable to the success of their business.
Autumn serves as Chair of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry Small Business Committee, and Co-chair for the Northeast Wisconsin Entrepreneur Networking Day (NEW END). She is on the Board of Mid-Day Business & Professional Women (BPW), and is a member of Business Networking International (BNI), FoxWIT, the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA), and the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Joey Reader - Co-Chair
A-Mazing Events, LLC
Joey Reader is founder and owner of A-mazing Events, LLC a full service event
and meeting planning company. Joey is a Fox Valley native earning her bachelor's
degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Before launching A-mazing Events, Joey worked for a large international company as a Regional Employee Relations Specialist and then for a family owned business as Human Resource Manager providing her with 10 plus years experience coordinating events and meetings of all sizes.
Additionally, she serves as chairman on the Couples Connection committee at her church where they regularly host events promoting healthy marriages. Joey lives in Little Chute with her husband and three boys. During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Robyn Gruner
AT&T
Born and raised in the Milwaukee area, Robyn Gruner is a 2005 addition to Northeastern Wisconsin. Gruner works full time as a business-to-business Telecommunications & Information Technology Consultant for AT&T. Gruner lives in Hortonville with her husband, their son Drew, and their two cats Bob & Ben. Her free time is spent at various Fox Cities and Green Bay Chamber events. She is currently co-President of Mid-Day Business & Professional Women (BPW), a Board member of Best Friends of Neenah-Menasha, a volunteer in the Junior Achievement education program, a volunteer for the Fox Valley Humane Association, and an enthusiastic advocate of the New North!
Yvonne Kehl
Autumn Hill Creative, LLC
Yvonne Kehl volunteers with NEW END as Chair of the Marketing Committee and
is an enthusiastic supporter of entrepreneurial collaboration in our region.
Yvonne is co-owner of Autumn Hill Creative, LLC and serves as Sales and Marketing Director. Yvonne's background includes Business Administration, Sales, and Marketing.
Amy M. Pietsch
The Venture Center, Director
Amy is a former entrepreneur turned intrapreneur, who is currently executing
the Venture Center business plan and working with the Venture Center staff to
turn the ideas it contains into reality. Amy Pietsch has worked with entrepreneurs
and small business owners throughout northeast Wisconsin and beyond. She
has been providing them with practical, straight-forward counseling, technical
assistance and consulting services for the last 10 years. Amy has worked with
hundreds of start-up and existing entrepreneurs, guiding and advising them through
the development of feasibility studies, business plans and successfully accessing
debt and equity financing. People who have worked with Amy know she is
passionate about assisting entrepreneurs and small business owners to realize
their potential and she uses her energy and enthusiasm to champion their cause. Amy
resides in Waushara County with her three children and future entrepreneurs,
Sadie, Cole and Paul.
Mary Schmidt
Schmidt Communicates, LLC
Mary is president of Schmidt Communicates, LLC, a public relations/marketing consulting firm with clients throughout the New North. In addition to working in a variety of advertising and marketing positions for large corporations and consulting agencies, her background includes stints as a working journalist. Mary helps her clients translate their business activities into strong messages that build organizational reputations by using a variety of marketing tools with an emphasis on strategic message development. Clients have benefited from her ability to review an organization’s business activities and translate those into creative tactics across the range of integrated marketing tools. Mary has a journalism degree from UW-Madison and is a member of several service groups and non-profit organizations.
Christina Trombley
Small Business Development Center, UW-Green Bay - Director
Christina holds an MBA from UW-La Crosse and BA from
UW-Eau Claire. She provides training and research for business owners and managers in Northeastern Wisconsin, teaches classes for new entrepreneurs, and has accepted numerous committee and task force appointments. She has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, guiding them in starting their business, bank financing, management issues and more. She has over fifteen years of experience in marketing, public relations, advertising and sales in several industries, including healthcare, food service, and non-profits organizations, developing marketing plans, creating advertising and promotional plans, and coordinating special events.
Christina has won several notable recognitions, including receiving the “State Star” Award for Wisconsin from the Association of Small Business Development Center, the La Crosse YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women, and the recognition of a “Top 20 Business Leader Under Forty” by the River Valley Business News. Prior to joining the SBDC at UW-Green Bay, she worked for the SBDC in La Crosse, WI.
Gary
Vaughan
The Venture Center
Vaughan had been a partner in a privately held manufacturing
company, Appleton Sign Company in Neenah, where he oversaw financial reporting,
human resources and safety compliance issues. Prior to that, he had held
several other management and administrative positions with corporate and
small independent companies.
Gary is married to Sharon who works in Little Chute School District and has two grown children living in Milwaukee.
Dale Walker
The Venture Center
Walker has more than twenty five years of business management experience including owning and operating six retail outlets in Illinois and Wisconsin. Most recently, he started New Horizons Computer Learning, growing the firm to seven locations throughout Wisconsin and providing customized IT training solutions. Walker has a bachelor’s degree in finance the University of Wisconsin—Madison and is currently pursuing a Master's degree from the University of Phoenix.
