60 ideas in 60 Minutes

It will just last 60 minutes, but the attendees at the third annual 60 IDEAS IN 60 MINUTES event will walk away with the collective knowledge of outstanding local business leaders providing some of their top tips, tactics and techniques.

These business professionals will each share 10 of their most successful programs and initiatives - both big and small - that can be applied to any sized business. Attendees will take with them all 60 ideas in a special exclusive supplement, complete with areas to take notes.

Please join us at the beautiful Via Bella Banquets located at 5412 South La Grange Rd. in Countryside. The morning will begin at 8am with networking and breakfast buffet and the program starting at 8:30am.

Ticket's are available online and are as follows:

LGBA Member - early bird, purchased by January 8th: $30

Non-Member - early bird, purchased by January 8th: $35

LGBA Member - purchased after January 8th: $35

Non-Member - purchased after January 8th: $40

Table sponsorships are available for up to 8 participants. Please contact Nancy Cummings at the La Grange Business Association, [email protected] or 708-582-6510 for details.

Join us for this fast and informative morning where you'll have the opportunity to hear from the following noteworthy panelists:

MODERATOR:

Rita Haake – Center Manager/Program Manager for College of DuPage Business Development Center

Ms. Haake has been the Center Manager for the Business Development Center (formerly the Center for Entrepreneurship) at College of DuPage since 2011. The Center for Entrepreneurship houses the Illinois Small Business Development Center program (SBDC), Illinois International Trade Center program (ITC) and the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center program (PTAC). Her career at the college has spanned 28 years with 22 of those years focused on the development and growth of small business in government contracting. Her varied responsibilities include running the operations at the administrative level for the three centers while still working within her passion of advising on government contracting. She is proud that her team has been able to substantially increase annual performance measures of all programming and advising year over year and prove impact in the success of small business in DuPage County and beyond. Her team advises in business planning, marketing, financial analysis, international growth, certifications, government contracting and more. Rita is certified as a Contracting Procurement Professional (CPP), Contracting Assistance Specialist (CCAS), US Veteran Administration Federal Contracting Certification Mentor (FCC), US Veteran Administration Verification Counselor and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northwood University, Michigan. 

PANELISTS:

Michael Delfini – President & CEO, Kohl Children’s Museum

Michael Delfini is a 30-year museum executive whose career has centered around supporting mission-based organizations focused on making a difference in the world. As the President & CEO of Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago, located in Glenview, Michael oversees all daily operations of the Museum as well as set strategic direction for expansion of the Museum's exhibit offerings, fundraising, and access and inclusion programs designed to address the learning needs of young children ages birth to 8.

Michael most recently served as COO at Black Ensemble Theater and Executive Vice President & COO at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. As COO of Shedd Aquarium, Michael oversaw the aquariums learning/education, conservation, planning and design, and facilities functions. He led Shedd’s design team in creating award-winning special exhibits, including Seahorse Symphony, which won the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Exhibit Award in 1999; Amazon Rising: Seasons of the River, winner of exhibit awards from both the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the American Association of Museums in 2001; and the Oceanarium Re-imagined project.

Delfini’s expertise in graphic design, branding, and strategic communications planning has helped to support two major capital campaigns at Shedd: the $60 million Fund for the Shedd and the $100 million Next Wave campaign in addition to overall branding efforts. 

Marilynn Kelly Gardner – President & CEO of Navy Pier

Marilynn Kelly Gardner is a visionary, strategist and passionate advocate for Chicago. As President and CEO of Navy Pier, Chicago’s mission-driven cultural district and one of the Midwest’s leading destinations, Gardner has built a strong reputation as one of the city’s most respected leaders. Navy Pier is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in 2011 to maintain Chicago's historic Navy Pier and oversee the redevelopment of one of the most important civic landmarks in the United States and the top-visited leisure destination in the Midwest.

Kerri Klun, Co-Founder; Vice President of Client Delivery at Red Foundry

Kerri has more than 20 years of experience in software product development, project management, and building successful teams. She currently is VP of Client Delivery at Red Foundry, a mobile app and web development company, as well as the Co-Founder of Savvy Blue, a company focused on lifestyle improvement through gratitude and appreciation. Kerri began her technology career in business intelligence and data warehousing, progressing to leadership positions across industries at Chicago Public Media, Press Ganey, and YMCA of the USA. She has an entrepreneurial spirit, holds a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute, and is a champion of women in technology through board service and mentoring.

John Paquet, Executive Producer, Intersport

John is an Emmy-Award winning producer that started his production career at CBS Sports in New York. For 13 years he honed his craft working on projects including the Super Bowl, Final Four, Tour de France and the Masters. In 2012 he joined Intersport in Chicago where he led the production business and diversified the offering to include original productions as well as content marketing utilizing live, taped and graphic production techniques. Notable projects include: Earn Everything (ESPN+ original), #theDebut (Twitter and Gatorade), #FridayNightStripes (Twitter and adidas) and the live broadcast of the James Beard Foundation Awards (Twitter).    

Dan Romanelli, Chief Strategy Officer, USAM Group

Dan’s career in financial technology has taken him from the back office to the front, software and network engineering to product management and executive leadership. It has provided international experience with exchange, broker/dealers, clearing firms and vendors. USAM Group Inc. engages with fintech vendors to help them successfully navigate new product launch and early-stage growth. Dan’s prior experience includes senior roles at NYSE Technologies, Merrill Lynch and Delta Risk, LLC.

Mark Starsiak – Vice President of Sports Properties, Intersport

Mark oversees the growth and development of the company’s properties division that includes almost 10 events and tournaments throughout the course of a calendar year and ranges from basketball and football to esports and trade competitions. Mark has spent 15+ years in the sports and entertainment business, establish and operating large scale properties. From golf to actions sports to basketball, he has had the privilege of working with many of the premier talents, broadcast partners, and brand sponsors in the industry. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and holds a masters in sports management from Northwestern.