"The 5 Stages of Business Ownership - What to do Next in the Life of Your Business?"

Bruce Leech and Dave Jackson, Co-founders, evolve

Bruce’s business owner story started with his father and both of his grandfathers owning their own businesses. He began his career at Harris Bank and quickly realized that he was not cut out for corporate life. He founded CrossCom National in 1981 and it has been a journey ever since. CrossCom installs and services voice and data systems for large retailers including Walgreens, CVS, Kohl’s, Sears, TJ Maxx and Wal-Mart. In addition, he started CrossCom UK to service and support US and UK retailers in the UK and lived abroad in the late 1990's. CrossCom attained over $90 million in revenue and has developed a network of over 1500 service companies across the US to provide support to the national retailers. In 2002, things shifted for Bruce after 20 years at the helm and he handed off the CEO title and began his transition journey. This lead to a partial sale of CrossCom to a private equity group in 2004 and while Bruce is still on the Board, he removed himself from the daily operations. This created a serious void in his life, which was partially offset by some of his philanthropic work. Bruce continues to serve on the Advisory Boards and is helping develop entrepreneurship programs at Michigan State University, where he earned his BA and also at DePaul University, where he earned his MBA. He is also on the Board at Solidarity Bridge, which takes medical teams to Bolivia each year to help serve the poor. Bruce realized he also wanted to stay engaged in business and has been doing some consulting and Co-Founded evolve to help business owners with their transition plans.

Dave’s business owner story started in 1989 when he began building FirstChoice Health, a mid-sized home health company serving the northern Illinois and St. Louis markets. FirstChoice offered unique and innovative services with an employment culture of hiring and rewarding the best, the brightest and most professional staff in the field. The sale of the business occurred in two stages. Our equipment subsidiary was sold in 1996 to a privately held company who was looking to acquire market share in Chicago. The sale of the core business to a publicly held acquirer closed during the summer of 1998 after almost a full year of on-and-off negotiations. In addition to co-founding and co-leading evolve, today Dave is an active investor in several privately held businesses; he provides volunteer leadership to numerous not-for-profit organizations; and passionately mentors business owners through their personal owner transition journey. Dave holds a BA in Business Administration and a BA in Public Policy from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.

"Find Your Profit Leaks – Maximize the Opportunities for Improving the Cash Flow Hidden In Your Business"

Fred Parrish, President. The Profit Experts

Fred Parrish is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The Profit Experts™. During a 30-year career he has held positions from staff accountant to CEO in both public and private companies with revenues ranging from $2 million to $3.5 billion. Fred has served on the Board of Directors for 10 organizations in aerospace, manufacturing, healthcare services, insurance, international missions, technology and document management. He has extensive experience in directing and overseeing company operations, managing corporate resource development and directing strategic planning for domestic and international organizations. With this broad experience in both operations and financial management in a wide range of industries and at all levels of the organization, he has developed a proven process for optimizing operational analysis, dynamic cash flow management, staff efficiency planning, profit mining and organizational development. He is the author of The Profit Mentality, a guide for maximizing entrepreneurial success by taking control of the financial dynamics critical to profitability. Fred is a speaker and instructor on subjects related to profit and cash flow optimization.

"Gen – Y Coffee and Work” Is a Culture"

Casey Fictum, Founder/President, Hi! Gen Y

"There are two types of people in the world...I want to be the third"


Casey Fictum is the founder and owner of Hi Gen Y! - an independent advising company that specializes in formulating effective and efficient digital marketing strategies for businesses looking to reach Gen Y audiences. He also holds the role of Product Marketer for Acxiom Corporation - A Global Interactive Marketing Services company. As a product management and digital marketing professional, he has worked on managing and implementing strategies in the areas of product lifecycle process, product development, email marketing, print advertising, SEO, social media, thought leadership, mobile marketing, geolocation targeting, online branding, and more. As a young professional in Chicago, IL, Fictum looks to innovate successful solutions for the companies looking to capitalize on our digital world. He loves his job and continues to pursue hobbies outside of work including rock climbing, learning piano, and wishing for the Philadelphia Eagles to win a Super Bowl. Fictum claims that he owes 98% of his accomplishments to the friends, family, and coworkers that supported and educated him throughout his life.

"Health Care Industry Overview and How Health Reform Legislation Impacts You and Your Bottom Line"

Matt Smith, MBA, PHR, Lockton Companies LLC

Matt joined Lockton in 2007 as an Account Executive. Prior to this position, he served as a Senior Underwriter at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. Matt also worked in various roles for CIGNA in their Connecticut office from 1998 to 2005 before relocating to the Kansas City area. Matt completed his MBA degree from the University of Connecticut in 2006, and he earned his B.A. in Human Resource Management from James Madison University. He has gained experience in underwriting, sales, leadership development and billing throughout his career. Matt has dealt with a wide spectrum of clients that range from small, fully-insured groups to large, multi-size national accounts. He currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Director of Communications for the Society of Human Resource Management of Johnson County.

"Sales Training Is Twofold"

Rick Leffke, President, R.C. Leffke & Associates

Rick has been working with clients to increase their sales and customer service efforts for over 25 years in the roles of sales strategist, sales manager, sales coach and trainer.

He owned one of the largest training franchises of a world-renowned international training organization, growing sales by 163% in a 5-year period. He was consistently a top award winner being recognized in the top 5% of the worldwide 1,000 person sales force every year. Rick is also a top performing sales coach assisting sales people in their quest to be on top. Rick is one of the most dynamic sales coaches in the sales and service arena. He is also an author and motivating speaker. Rick has developed and implemented hundreds of selling strategies for clients such as AT&T, The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Chronicle, Cox Communications, J P Morgan Chase and Nokia. Over 30,000 sales people have had the opportunity to attend many of the different workshops that Rick has created for clients.

"The Art of Romancing Coffee with Your Customers"

Tim Cleland, Sales Manager, Gaviña Coffee
Mike Tompkins, President Tompkins & Associates

Tim Cleland spent over 20 years in the non-carbonated beverage equipment business as a manufacturer’s rep and manufacturer. For the last 13 years Tim has worked as the Food Service Sales Manager for Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, a mid-sized roaster located in Southern California whose numerous divisions supply the Specialty Coffee, Food Service, OCS & Vending, Grocery, Club Store and Private Label industries. He has worked with large national chain accounts as well as many independent operators in the Office Coffee, QSR and Food Service industries. Tim is an experienced Barista and Certified SCAA Brewing Technician. He holds a BS in Business Administration with a major in Management.

Mike Tompkins is a 16-year veteran in the Coffee Service industry, including development of the Café 98 brand of thermal brewing equipment and sales management for NEWCO Enterprises, Inc. He serves the Specialty Coffee Association of America as a member of the Technical Standard Committee and also works with the Training Committee to present classes on coffee brewing science and protocol. Mike has facilitated QCCP since the inaugural session in 2000, he was instrumental in the design of the program and the material presented. For each new session he keeps the material current and relevant to reflect industry trends. Mike has been a positive influence in getting coffee service operators to focus on the art and science of coffee brewing. His passion for teaching and for coffee is evident at each session. Currently Mike is a coffee industry consultant.

"Building the Ticket Using a Coffee Tasting and Allied Products"

Leo Fante, Director of Business Development, Consumers Choice Coffee

Leo has over 30 years experience in the coffee business. During his career he served as president of the Tri-state Coffee Service Association and Midwest Coffee Service Association. He is a past vice chairman of the National Coffee Service Association (NCSA) and chaired its last two conventions in Reno, Nevada and New Orleans. Fante is a NCSA certified design consultant, as well as a Specialty Coffee Association of America Expresso Training Specialist. In addition, he is a past winner of the Golden Cup Award for excellence in brewed coffee. Leo was the recipient of the NAMA 2010 Coffee Operator of the Year award.

"Turbulence in the Market "

Miles Small, Editor-in-Chief, Coffee Talk Magazine

Miles Small is Editor and Co-Owner of CoffeeTalk Magazine and the Daily Dose, the leading trade publication focusing on issues in the specialty coffee industry and the world in which the coffee industry does business. CoffeeTalk and the Daily Dose are distributed worldwide through print and digital media. Miles is a member of the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America), The National Coffee Association, the James Beard Foundation, the National Restaurant Association, the NASFT (National Association of Specialty Food Trades), as well as other organizations.