Robin Phelps
Robin Phelps founded and is the managing director at Innovation Economy Partners in Denver, Colorado. She is an accomplished technology entrepreneur, business development executive, and economic development professional, involved in strategic growth of entrepreneurial businesses, rural communities and innovation economies. She is also the National Strategic Research Team Leader at the National Centre for Economic Gardening. Ms. Phelps has over 25 years of experience in business development, sales and as an executive in technology start-ups and new corporate ventures.
Ms. Phelps' presentation will focus on the concept of Economic Gardening, a term used to describe an entrepreneurial-driven approach to economic development. Research shows that most jobs are generated by small, local businesses. Rather than concentrating on efforts to recruit large business to one's commmunity, Economic Gardening fosters growth of businesses already within the community by providing support to local entrepreneurs developing innovative products and services.
John Schneider
John Schneider is the Executive Director with the Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC) for the State of North Dakota. The APUC is an office with Economic Development and Finance, a division of the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The mission of the APUC is to create new wealth and jobs through the development of new and expanded uses of North Datkota's agricultural products. The session will discuss how entrepreneurs in North Dakota work with primary producers to bring new wheat-based products to market. North Dakota is similar to Manitoba in respect to its agricultural products, challengs with rural depopulation and efforts to increase value-adding opportunities for primary products in order to create jobs and new markets. North Dakota does not have a single marketing desk for grain, allowing farmers to market their products directly. With this new reality beginning in Manitoba and Canada, the session will highlight how Manitoba entrepreneurs can work with producers to capitalize on value-added opportunities.
Dr. Jeffrey A. Stamp
Dr. Stamp grew up on a farm in west central Minnesota. Like a lot of kids on the farm, he spent his days doing chores, playing in the fields, and dreaming about the big world beyond the fence line. His journey led to a PhD in chemistry and applied mathematics from the University of Minnesota. His corporate life was spent as a master product developer and brand creator at both General Mills and Frito Lay. He was the inventor and creator or Baked! Lays which achieved $230 million in first year sales. After corporate life, he has built 7 different successful entrepreneurial startups. He has taught at over 35 universities across the world and is highly sought as a speaker, giving an average of 45 keynotes worldwide each year.
