2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 1
St. Norbert College congratulates our Future 15 honorees
Meredith Hansen
Billy Korinko
Cathryn Siolka
Bradley LaPierre
’13, MBA ’20
’09
’19
MBA ’18
Your alma mater is proud of you!
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2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 1
Current Young Professionals is a program of the Greater Green Bay Chamber that works to engage, develop and retain young talent in Greater Green Bay. Current provides an opportunity for individuals to participate in professional development, social networking and community engagement opportunities within Greater Green Bay. Current created the Young Professional Awards in 2007 as a way to honor those who advance our mission by profiling best practices that could be adopted by other local individuals and organizations. Additionally, Current sought to recognize area young professionals in our community who are achieving noteworthy accomplishments and contributing to the overall quality of life in Greater Green Bay. All finalists are recognized and recipients awarded on night of Future 15 & Young Professional Awards.
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S H O15P& Young O N LProfessional I N E @Awards GREENBAYFLORAL.NET 2 | 2021 Future
920-465-2123 GRADSTU@UWGB.EDU
PRESENTED BY
Ashley Bethke, community engagement program officer, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
ommunity engagement is much more than a job for Ashley Bethke. It’s in her DNA. As a board member of COMSA, a nonprofit serving immigrant and refugee communities, Bethke has led the development of accounting practices and financial management and has supported the organization’s strategic planning process and continued development. She serves as co-chair of the Current Young Professionals’ social engagement committee—designing and facilitating strategic planning to identify a purpose statement aligned with Current’s mission to measure impact and share Current’s story. Bethke designed and helped build the new bouldering cave at GBASO, where she volunteers in providing a safe area for youth to engage in action sports, education and mentorship. She also coaches soccer with Wisconsin United - De Pere and volunteers with Team River Runner and Baird Creek Mountain Bikers. “My goal is to ensure that our community is socially connected in a way where diverse groups with different experiences work together to identify their common values and diverse needs,” she said. With her move to Green Bay, she led community initiatives to support local schools with career education
programs, including redesigning and launching a new career expo model with 1,500 eighth-grade students, expanding to 3,600 students in the second year. Bethke shifted her community collaboration into working with local nonprofits when she joined the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation in 2018. In her role, she has improved processes and communications, including simplifying the process for nonprofits to apply for funding, access resources and share the impact of their work. “My goal has been to take engagement to a deeper level by getting to know the organization and their work from personal experience, and to create content that our communications team can use to engage younger generations,” she said. “I believe by engaging in this work and collaborating, we will not only be a diverse, equitable and inclusive community at leadership levels, but also across all corners of the community.” Learn more about Bethke at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
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Bryan J. Carr, associate professor, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
ryan Carr works to create a community that is media literate and critical of surrounding information. As associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Carr teaches topics ranging from game studies to radio broadcasting to mass media advertising. As part of UWGB’s Center for Games and Interactive Media, he develops revolutionary curriculum and outward-facing media channels based on video games and its culture. He’s currently working on two books regarding issues of race, gender, representation and transmedia depictions of superheroes which will be published by 2022. He produces a column on the UWGB blog and has created a 37-episode pop culture podcast. He has earned multiple institutional research grants, been awarded the 2020 Pride Center Lavender Faculty Leadership Award and 2018 Student-Nominated Teaching Award and received a fellowship to study the scholarship of teaching and learning and develop original research on gamification in the classroom. He’s hosted video game tournaments and family activities at annual holiday events to coordinate fundraising for the HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital Child Life
Program. The events funded the purchase of more gifts, electronics and other beneficial items for pediatric patients and their families. Carr is the advisor for the Black Student Union at UWGB, helping to develop programming, communication and outreach efforts, and serves as a liaison between the students and university faculty. Carr states: “I feel too often that universities and academics cordon themselves off from the public and write and communicate primarily with each other. Green Bay is a dynamic, growing community benefitting from increasing diversity and innovation.” His plan includes investing time and resources into outreach, using technologies and teaching to expand access to knowledge and education. “I want to find ways to open the doors and allow the public the chance to learn new ideas regardless of finances, time and resources,” he said. “Meaning more presentations, virtual ‘field trips,’ certificates, service-learning efforts and other activities that benefit both the academy and our local population.” Learn more about Carr at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Diana Delbecchi, community schools resource coordinator, Green Bay Area Public School District
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aving worked at a refugee camp in Greece while pursuing a graduate degree abroad, Diana Delbecchi created the United ReSisters. Delbecchi wrote a grant for a book by a group of young women who shared their stories of strength and survival. The group served as cultural ambassadors, giving talks throughout the area on their experiences. Delbecchi and the United ReSisters are focused on forming a better community for female immigrants and refugees. Delbecchi has championed increased access to college for first-generation, undocumented and refugee students during her seven years in higher education. Delbecchi noted that culturally responsive curriculum can improve literacy and writing scores, increase family engagement in schools, raise high school graduations rates and open doors for children in the community to become the next generation of leaders. Delbecchi earned a master’s degree in human rights in 2016, having studied the right to education for undocumented youth in America. She attended the 64th session of the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in Geneva, contributed to “Journey to Refuge: Understanding the Refugee, Exploring Trauma,
and Best Practices for Newcomers and Schools,” was the 2018 keynote speaker for an event and book discussion and was selected to attend the 2018 summer institute at York University. Delbecchi received the 2020 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for her work abroad and locally. She served on the United Way impact initiative committee, ran a summer youth program for refugees through COMSA and served as an election inspector for the 2020 presidential election. She has also mentored youth from COMSA and United ReSisters, helping young leaders discover their passions and build a plan to achieve their dreams. “Green Bay has grown a lot, but I know we have further to go,” she said. “Our community is more diverse now than ever before and I want Green Bay to be a home that celebrates and keeps that diversity.” Learn more about Delbecchi at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Cassandra Erickson, Green Bay Rights for All organizer, American Civil Liberties Union
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
mpowering disenfranchised voters to mobilizing climate action, Cassandra Erickson is just getting started. Erickson was elected to the Brown County Board of Supervisors in spring and earned endorsements from the Wisconsin Conservation Voters, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Citizen Action of Wisconsin. Erickson organized three relief trips to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, which included beach cleanups, reforestation and wildlife rehabilitation. She serves as the Brown County chair of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress to assist the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other governing bodies in responsibly managing the environment and future of wildlife. She earned the River Alliance of Wisconsin’s 2018 Water Hero Award for environmental achievements. “By developing volunteer teams and advancing the leadership of people most impacted, I work to increase direct engagement between citizens and elected officials through nonpartisan, issue-based advocacy, as well as provide important information and resources so all eligible voters may successfully exercise their right to vote,” she said.
“As a trained legal observer, I have the responsibility to document and defend our constitutional rights in a way that is objective so [that] any evidence of misconduct or obstruction can be challenged in court.” As a former director of a children’s entertainment company, Erickson managed a team that appeared at community events and fundraisers, such as the MakeA-Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes, March of Dimes’ March for Babies and the 10th annual Down Syndrome Awareness Walk. “I trained and employed a cast of performers equipped with the great responsibility to inspire magic in the lives of all children and family members of our community, no matter class nor background, while giving special consideration to those battling terminal illnesses,” she explained. Erickson calls herself goal-oriented and committed to giving back and engaging others to do the same: “It is both my hope and our collective responsibility to overcome division by promoting a more thoughtful and engaging public discourse.” Learn more about Erickson at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Meredith Hansen, campus education and prevention project manager, St. Norbert College
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
eredith Hansen has devoted her career to improving the quality of life in this community. Hansen obtained an MBA to better understand how business acumen could improve a nonprofit organization. She took the initiative to conduct a qualitative research thesis to analyze how for-profits and nonprofits could be unique in their social responsibility. Hansen indicated that using this framework to connect for-profits and nonprofits for sustainable change will move the needle on poverty, homelessness, transportation issues, economic growth and healthy living. She was named a 2019 Brown County United Way Outstanding Emerging Leader for her contributions to the community, served on the Beyond Health Taskforce for seven years as part of the core team to launch a county mental health resource database and develop the Food Drive 5. Part of Wello’s Farmers’ Market EBT Double Your Bucks implementation grant team, she helped bring FoodShare benefits to local farmers’ markets. With the Aging Network of Greater Green Bay steering committee, she helped bring professionals together for education and networking.
Hansen has volunteered at Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary for the past seven years, assisting with fundraising events and caring for animals. Chair of the United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society, she has led community service activities and long-term projects dedicated to serving youth; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the United Way Neighborhood initiatives, including mentoring at Elmore Elementary School. Part of Current Young Professionals’ YPAC committee, she connected young professionals to local advocacy efforts, government officials and community projects. Her priorities have included seizing opportunities to engage people of color at all levels, such as board members and organizational leaders, in order to be representative of the community in a way that makes others feel welcome and respected. “We need to inspire the young generations of the majority minority in our school systems, making it our mission to help all community members find their passions locally, keeping their incredible brain power in Northeast Wisconsin.” Learn more about Hansen at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25. 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 5
Marissa Heim, grants and outreach manager, Golden House, Inc.
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arissa Heim was satisfied with her work serving homeless young adults, it fed her passion to help others. However, she knew she could do more. Now, as a grant writer and outreach manager at Golden House, a domestic abuse program and shelter serving families and individuals, she has started new, innovative programming for young adults focused on relationships. She has created new partnerships, identified gaps in service and focused on targeted youth groups for increased impact. This included providing weekly in-person support to youth such as teen parents and those incarcerated in the juvenile justice system. She has increased grant revenue by more than $500,000 through seeking out new opportunities that hadn’t previously been considered. Heim, a first-generation college graduate, earned her master’s degree and is the only one in Brown County who is a certified family life educator (CFLE) through the National Council on Family Relations. As a Level 3 trained CFLE through The Gottman Institute with an educator certification from One Love, a national re-
lationship education program, she has been invited to speak nationally. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, Heim served in the AmeriCorps at Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a reuse store that serves as a funding arm of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. In college, she volunteered and interned with a number of social service agencies, including the humane society, health and human services department and the local high school. Other roles have included providing her input and expertise through committee involvement, including on the Coordinated Community Response committee for domestic violence and sexual assault. Heim has started one of the three domestic violence high-risk teams in the state that connects key community partners in the goal of meeting victims’ needs and supporting them throughout the court process. She has been nominated for the Women of Strength recognition and said she does not believe a work title defines a person—that everyone can learn from each other. Learn more about Heim at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Chelsea Kocken, director of sales and marketing, Thornberry Creek at Oneida
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
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here are many ways to give back to the community and Chelsea Kocken has encouraged many individuals to find their passion. “I will always express my feelings to everyone that I can about how important I feel it is to be involved in the community however they feel comfortable,” she expressed. “If it is mentoring youth, caring for animals, getting involved in politics or anything else, being involved makes a difference.” With more than six years volunteering with local veteran’s organization 4th H.O.O.A.H., Kocken has played an important role in fundraising, event planning, marketing and community engagement and fundraising. She has helped bring together dozens of neighbors through event planning, fundraising, newsletter creation and creative contests as a board member for her neighborhood association and has served as vice president of the John Muir Park Neighborhood Association. “This is the community that I will be raising my children in, and I feel very strongly about being connected to the people that live here,” she commented. “I have helped to create many lasting relationships by bringing
people together, whether it be encouraging them to attend an event, volunteer for an organization or support a cause.” While with On Broadway, Inc., she helped spur the growth of the downtown district by hosting more than 60 events annually, many of which she created. Her efforts received recognition for creativity and community impact, including Best Special Event awards from Wisconsin Main Street three years in a row and Best Public/ Private Partnership in 2018. As director of sales and marketing at Thornberry Creek at Oneida, Kocken has created 10 new events, which has attracted hundreds of people, generating new revenue, customers, and initiatives. She has also begun creating new marketing and sales strategies. Kocken plans to continue her work with organizations by volunteering and connecting them to events and initiatives she is engaged in. Overall, she expressed an interest in helping others grow their community and awareness. Learn more about Kocken at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Joshua Kohnhorst, wealth operations associate, Nicolet National Bank
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
strong work ethic and a servant leadership mindset have guided Joshua Kohnhorst throughout his career and influenced his accomplishments. In his role as a loan processor, Kohnhorst saw the need for creating efficiencies while leading the training program for new loan officers. He created a program to help determine the documentation needed for loan support, his simplified checklist clarified the loan officer process for meeting with customers. Having earned the Spirit of Current award, his work has been recognized for going above and beyond in volunteering. He has contributed hundreds of volunteer hours through three organizations, including leading members as the chair of Current Young Professionals’ ambassador committee, which is responsible for welcoming new members, engaging local employers and retaining talent from local universities. He became a member of the executive committee of his alma mater’s alumni association, leading a team of six to boost the alumni role in recruiting the next generation of students. Before moving, he served on the Ashwaubenon
public works and protection committee for three years, assuring ordinances were enforced for higher quality of life in the village. “This year challenged even the soundest financial plans. This year taught us that rainy days will come, and we should be prepared the best we can for that rainy day,” Kohnhorst said, noting that his industry offers people the opportunity to build spending plans, evaluate savings and reduce overall debt load. “I plan on creating an awareness of the existing public resources already available while also volunteering time to help others with the items mentioned above so everyone can be adequately prepared for the unknown.” Just as important is the community’s issues around negativity and divisiveness. Kohnhorst has a plan to create a webinar series showcasing the good that is happening in the greater Green Bay area. “We as a society have so much to be grateful for, and we need to show it,” he said. Learn more about Kohnhorst at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Billy Korinko, director of the Cassandra Voss Center, St. Norbert College
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
illy Korinko has spent his career creating spaces for complex conversations around social issues. Korinko has engaged people in challenging narratives about race, gender and sexuality and initiated discussions to create more equitable relationships. He helped assemble a team of educators who engaged colleagues in conversations about being actively anti-racist, encouraging honest and hard conversations regarding racism and equipping participants with skills and tools to confront injustice. “This work has demanded that I model having a teachable spirit, an openness to discomfort and an ability to push up against ‘Midwest nice’ – which often leads people to avoid difficult conversations,” he said. “I believe that this work needs to be grounded in powerful relationships for it to have the greatest impact, and that belief has provided me a consistent focus for my work.” In 2020, Korinko completed his Ph.D. in gender and women’s studies from the University of Kentucky. He is the director of the Cassandra Voss Center at St. Norbert College, where he promotes and facilitates conversations and creates spaces where dialogue can
thrive. He’s been recognized for his research and teaching—receiving the University of Kentucky Award for Outstanding Teaching. Korinko has coordinated domestic violence prevention trainings for local organizations and is helping others build diversity within their boards. In the past year, he has led individuals in the Greater Green Bay area to support both nonprofit and for-profit organizations expand the diversity of their boards and identify systematic barriers toward board engagement in an effort to build long-term strength. “Over the next five years, I want to help the Greater Green Bay area become a radically more inclusive space,” he stated. “I want to do this by creating spaces where people have complex conversations about issues related to identity – and I will do this in the only way I know how: By meeting people where they are, creating a welcoming environment and grounding work in the best and most engaging scholarship.” Learn more about Korinko at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
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Brad LaPierre, production manager, Infinity Machine and Engineering Corp.
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
rad LaPierre tracks his role as production manager at Infinity Machine and Engineering Corp. back to his Greater Green Bay Chamber Youth Apprenticeship program involvement. Job placement in a tool and die department at Kruger International led to his interest in pursuing a position within the engineering department at Infinity after graduation. Early days were punctuated by experience in each department of the company and two years as a mechanical engineer while pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering from University of Wisconsin-Stout. After receiving his degree, he then pursued an MBA from St. Norbert College. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, he was promoted to production manager where he leads employees from assembly departments and machine shop, fabrication and paint operations. He was one of 30 employees and was instrumental in managing the company’s exponential growth, bringing the company to its current employment of 185 people. As project coordinator, he managed and maintained the schedules of all projects in the organization. The project manager role added recruitment and management responsibilities for assembly, machine shop and paint employees.
LaPierre has not forgotten those early Youth Apprenticeship roots and serves as primary contact for high school students hoping to pursue a career in engineering or the trades and as a member of the West De Pere School District strategic planning committee. Prior to his MBA, he served as assistant chairman of the Northeast Wisconsin Ducks Unlimited chapter, recruiting members and donors to the main banquet that raises funding to rebuild habitats and protect wildlife in Wisconsin. LaPierre intends to build a stronger community and workplace through continued servant leadership, including cultivating the potential of individuals in his organization through community resources. “Growing the company in an important manufacturing industry in the Greater Green Bay area will improve our community by adding new well-paying jobs for people,” LaPierre said. “This includes increasing the cultural diversity of our workforce and recruiting more female engineers and production workers to our organizations.” Learn more about LaPierre at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Joshua Loritz, senior community relations coordinator, Familia Dental
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oshua Loritz has dictated his professional goals to “how can I make the world a better place?” Since he started his role as community relations coordinator in the healthcare industry, he has become a resource in bridging the underserved population with a much-needed service. Loritz has received the Chancellor’s Leadership Medallion Award from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for his outstanding engagement and contribution, completed a professional internship as a political affairs ambassador and raised funds for The Borgen Project, a global poverty organization. Fluent in Spanish, Loritz has engaged actively with the Greater Green Bay Hispanic community and is involved in several community organizations, including the Housing and Homeless Coalition, Family and Childcare Resource Center of Brown County, Forward Service Corporation and the local Catholic Charities chapter. Loritz has served as coordinator of the Network of Human Services Coalition, which is a network of more than 50 nonprofit organizations, private businesses and other entities devoted to creating a connection of support for the underserved community of Greater Green
Bay. He has also become a member of the Hispanic Inter-Agency Coalition. “Green Bay is an incredible city with a rich history. One of the oldest cities in the United States, it has grown to become a safe and comfortable place for families to prosper and grow,” he said. “One aspect of this city which I would like to improve is its approach to diversity.” As the Hispanic population grows to become the community’s second-largest demographic group, Loritz has recognized the opportunity to bridge and integrate growing minority communities with the rest of Green Bay, particularly through continued engagement and education as a primary tool. He has looked to lead the creation of a new coalition of human service organizations that are being planned, as well as facilitate a resource pool for minority populations of Greater Green Bay and allow for the exchange of new ideas and strategies embracing the community’s growing diversity. Learn more about Loritz at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Cathryn Siolka, human resources generalist, KerberRose
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
athryn Siolka has recognized the importance of providing the community resources needed to attract and retain talent. Her role managing campus recruiting for several KerberRose office locations was challenged during the pandemic when campus events transitioned to virtual platforms. It forced Siolka to adjust to a virtual setting, expand marketing through social media and engage with students through more proactive communication. Siolka oversees benefits enrollment and maintains personnel relationships within KerberRose. She contributes to improving staff onboarding functions, including new hire checklists for proactive communications, extensive onboarding guide and training videos for self-study. After completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resource management, Siolka completed her Society of Human Resource Management- Certified Professional certification, which designates her as an expert in the field. Two years in a row, she accepted St. Norbert College’s William E. Dargan Fellowship Award, a recognition awarded to a few business professional students annually. Siolka’s community involvement has included serving as president of St. Norbert College’s Colleges Against
Cancer group for planning events, managing financials and fundraising efforts and mentoring other team members. In Current Young Professionals, she has been a community partnerships committee member, SOUP captain, Give BIG Green Bay partnership co-captain and mentored new members. She serves on the board of Junior Achievement, where she plans events, reviews finances, recruits volunteers and assists with the Business Challenge. Siolka has served as treasurer of the Wisconsin Society of Human Resource Management at the collegiate level and programming co-chair for the state conference in 2021, managing registration, event logistics and other behind-the-scenes details. Her role as a recruiter has given her a unique perspective on attracting and retaining talent. “It is important to create a community that is ever-growing and evolving,” she said, noting that a first step is increasing mobility for the community through viable transportation options including mass transportation and improvement or creation of walking and biking paths. Learn more about Siolka at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Cameron Teske, visitor center director, Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
ameron Teske’s passion for travel led him to a career in tourism and hospitality. Teske is overseeing a project to create a visitor center, having already raised $4 million, which is expected to welcome six million annual visitors to the Greater Green Bay area. “This will be a place to tell our community story and promote many small businesses vital to Green Bay,” he said. His work has let him testify before Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly committees to secure funding and support for Northeast Wisconsin. He has been recognized by a leading international tourism organization as one of 30 up-and-coming tourism professionals worldwide under the age of 30. A publisher printed Teske’s book on Green Bay’s brewing history when an editor read his article on current Green Bay breweries. “I was able to bring to life on the pages some forgotten, yet formative, local historical characters dating back to the 1850’s through today who have helped make Green Bay what it is,” Teske remarked.
As a believer that a person is the average of the five people they spend the most time with, Teske surrounds himself with people who display traits and characteristics he wants to embody. “One of the biggest ways I’ve grown has been because of a variety of people I look up to for their wisdom, their leadership, their success and, overall, who they are as a person,” he said. Teske wants to see continued investment in attracting and retaining talent of all backgrounds and beliefs, making diversity a priority. “As a tourism professional and a lover of travel and people, my favorite quote is from Mark Twain: ‘Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness,’” he said. “We all must travel more, experience new places and meet new people.When we return to our communities, we each will be better for it, ultimately creating a better community and place to work, live and play for all.” Learn more about Teske at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
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Katie Trulley, academic advisor, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
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FUTURE 15 RECIPIENT & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALIST
atie Trulley has built her career around creating and maintaining inclusive communities that allow people to feel safe, respected and inspired. Academic advisor for more than 600 students each year and through other related initiatives, she has primarily been focused on supporting students and colleagues. She has served as part of a core grant project team that implemented a coaching model that accomplished a culture shift in the way more than 400 student-facing staff members work with students and each other. Trulley has been the co-chair of the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s (NWTC) diversity team where she helped to foster grassroots organizational change and engage senior leadership to spur systemic change. She was integral in developing a student campus climate survey and facilitated NWTC’s 40-hour staff diversity, equity and inclusion professional development series. “I love my job and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to help students transform their lives through education,” Trulley said. She expanded her efforts of creating a sense of belonging to the larger community, including serving on
the De Pere strategic visioning/branding steering committee responsible for modernizing the city’s marketing and branding initiatives, sharing best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion with a community partner diversity and inclusion group of local businesses and educators. “In 2019, I became chair of the community service committee at the YWCA and lead the group as we have refined the focus of the stand against racism series by elevating the sometimes-taboo topics that are hard for our community to address but necessary for us to grow,” she said. “Green Bay is a wonderful place to live, but we have a lot to work on. We need to tackle issues including racism, homelessness, climate change and talent retention,” Trulley explained. “No one person can or should be responsible for addressing all of these things. Rather, it will take the entire community: all ages, all backgrounds, all perspectives.” Learn more about Trulley at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Kim Westover, graphics and brand management, Belmark, Inc.
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im Westover has had the opportunity to support the community, though the desire has been in her all along. Westover has noted that one highlight of her community service with Belmark included launching and maintaining a fundraising golf outing for Donate Life Wisconsin, an organization that advocates for organ, tissue and eye donation. She had coordinated teams, collected donations, secured sponsorships and designed a day that, over two in-person events and one virtual event, raised more than $230,000 for the organization. A member of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin, she has helped navigate the safe and successful promotion and execution of programs and activities in a virtual landscape through the marketing and programs committee. Her committee role focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization which will help ensure those principles remain an integral part of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters’ values and mission. Westover’s involvement with local youth has included mentoring in the Brown County PALS Program, which
supports abused and neglected youth in Greater Green Bay. Westover mentored a 13-year-old girl with a history of neglect. Both experienced new perspectives, whether they were shooting hoops, biking, going for ice cream or participating in other everyday experiences. “She thinks she learned a lot from me,” she says, “but I learned just as much, if not more, from her.” She has also led a Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay program for students of Danz Elementary School, providing lessons on finances, budgeting and planning for the future. Through the program, she helped teams of young students develop their own businesses and navigate a weekly budget with hypothetical money management situations. In connecting with local Asian-Americans, she has begun work toward using the group’s platform and network to help bring opportunities to other Asian-Americans starting careers and taking leadership roles within the Greater Green Bay community. Learn more about Westover at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
THE GREEN BAY PACKERS CONGRATULATE THE 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards Finalists and Recipients
FEW WORDS CAN EXPRESS OUR G RATITUDE. WE’LL START WITH TWO:
k n a h T ou! Y
Learn more at packers.com/giveback
Thursday, May 13 Current Connect 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 21 Bike with the Mayor 4 p.m.
Monday, May 17 Mingle With a View 5 - 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 22 CYP Serves: New Leaf Garden Blitz 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 18 Trivia Tuesday 6 - 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 23 Picnic in the Park 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 19 Demonstrating your value in all aspects of the workplace | Speaker: Tanessa Klug 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
JOIN US FOR FREE
Thursday, May 20 SOUP 5:30 - 8 pm
CurrentWeek is a week-long celebration for young professionals to explore and engage with the Greater Green Bay community.
PROUD TO BE INVOLVED IN ALL THE AMAZING COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
t ha nk you t o our spon sor s
on Thursday, May 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for Current Connect at The Marq where you’ll learn all about this year’s exciting CurrentWeek!
For event details and registration, visit greatergbc.org/currentweek.
PRESENTED BY
Dr. Sadey Broecker, CEO and family chiropractor, Lux Life Chiropractic
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST
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r. Sadey Broecker has known a key to her early success as an entrepreneur was her hunger. When she moved back to De Pere and opened Lux Life Chiropractic in 2019, she was hungry to succeed and that hunger propelled action. “I know that my success as an entrepreneur was single-handedly earned through doing uncomfortable things,” she said, having joined the Greater Green Bay Chamber, local Rising Tide chapter and a De Pere women’s networking group, as well as attended Definitely De Pere meetups and events. As she developed her business, she continued to modify her work, including specializing in pediatric, prenatal and family care and providing consistent, weekly wellness care for continual prevention and education rather than reaction to problems. She has seen her business as an opportunity to provide education and knowledge about health to the community while empowering families with resources. Dr. Broecker has received both Webster and Torque Release Technique certifications and earned Epic Pediatrics’ 2018 Best Associate Doctor Award and 2019
Top Startup Entrepreneur Award. Within six months of Lux Life’s opening, it was awarded second place in Best of the Bay 2020 among 88 other chiropractors. Dr. Broecker noted that her chiropractic work is about more than back pain and headaches. She has supported children on the spectrum, struggling with ADHD, ADD, anxiety and sensory challenges, as well as infants with colic, constipation and poor sleep habits. She supported mothers during pregnancy and after birth and offered advocacy and education to parents concerned about the health of their children. She provided solutions for adults with anxiety, hormonal issues, digestive problems and low energy levels. “My team and I get to experience miracles and be a part of incredible stories of healing every single day,” she said. “By improving the health and wellness of the individuals and families that make up this community, we are simultaneously improving their quality of life on all fronts. Learn more about Dr. Broecker at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 12
Trevor Folker, owner/founder and lead clinician, MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST
revor Folker’s business model for cash-based performance physical therapy and athletic training was the most effective way he could help people. Insurance issues can prevent people from getting the care they need. Through this model, he has helped people learn to move more efficiently, become stronger and take care of themselves, be pain free and enjoy what they want to do. His plan charges a single rate with weekly visits that he said puts them on the road to recovery more quickly than traditional treatment. Folker began his career as a high school athletic trainer before getting his master’s degree in applied exercise science while working as an assistant athletic trainer at Concordia University. He opened MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation in May 2019. Key to his work is listening, that includes patient feedback through testimonials, referrals and follow-up communications. The business has built relationships with gyms and their members, as Folker helped people learn how to move better and take care of themselves. This
included providing free workshops on technique and sharing exercises daily on his social media accounts. He has written three e-books, shares materials on his website and posts to his blog on specific injuries with tips and tricks for recovery. “I am very passionate about using the body to heal itself and I fully believe that if you can give people more mobility, more stability, more strength and teach them how to move more efficiently, you can eliminate their pain for good,” he stated, noting that he doesn’t focus only on the symptoms, but treats the whole person. Folker has an understanding about the movement needed for optimal functionality and can break the movements down and rebuild them. Folker is proud of the ways that he has adapted to challenges inherent in opening a new business. He has worked hard to provide a service that is superior to larger settings and to make local connections that help him benefit the community. Learn more about Folker at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Julie Gile, president/CEO, Julie M. Gile Photography
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST
hen Julie Gile began making client connection her true goal rather than focusing on finances, her business began to flourish. “Genuine connection can’t happen in a 30-minute photoshoot, so I stopped doing them. Generic images don’t represent a brand story, so I stopped doing them. Busy images are noisy, so I stopped creating them,” she explained. “When I really stepped back and decided what kind of photographs I wanted to create, I knew I needed a different approach.” This meant quality over quantity; better versus bigger. Without a connection, photos lack the authenticity needed for visual marketing content to resonate with an audience.Through a detailed brand strategy call, current branding is reviewed with the client, drilling into the passion behind the brand and eliminating the busy, generic images that can’t be digested by the brain fast enough to hold a viewer’s attention. “My company shines a light on small businesses, telling their stories of passion and purpose fueling our economy,” she said. At first, online hype around scaling up, creating sales funnels and putting automation between her and cli-
ents created short-term gains but less personal investment. When she realized she wasn’t loving her work, she took a step back, leading to her reconnection with people over spreadsheets. “Never losing sight in the value of making people feel heard is key to bringing our local businesses front and center,” she said. “My plan is to continue building connections in support of local brand stories from small grieving ‘mom-preneurs’ to larger corporate businesses—all equally important to the energy of Green Bay.” Gile leaned into collaborative partnerships, considering local business products, services, spaces and people when preparing for a photoshoot. She provided exposure to two local bakeries when she engaged them in a product styling for a tea company, showcasing seasonal treats.With a project showcasing the National Railroad Museum’s wedding event space, she enlisted local vendors for elements, from floral details to décor rental and wardrobe. Learn more about Gile at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 13
Katrina Magnuson, owner and winemaker, LedgeStone Vineyards
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST
or Katrina Magnuson, business ownership is not an individual endeavor, it’s a way to collaborate with other entrepreneurs, champion their work and foster an environment of success for everyone. In this, Magnuson has built LedgeStone Vineyards into a place of community, connection and friendship. Magnuson saw an opportunity in her professional impact to support Wisconsin grape growers, showcase local musicians and provide a service platform for food trucks and more. Her career began with running a small winery, then serving as the small business representative of the Business Improvement District development in the famed RINO district of Denver. Providing avenues for small businesses to thrive remained the core of her development when she moved to the Greater Green Bay area. The vineyard hosts live music several times a week and hosts snowshoe events during the winter months, embracing what each season has to offer. She started First Friday Markets in 2018 to highlight what she considered the best of the industry with more than 2,000
guests of the vineyard market exposed to live music, food and custom pottery. “At our business, we were able to highlight not only what we believe in, but what we believed in our community and those around us,” she explained. “We were a direct impact to the growth of others, and we adore them as much as they admire us.” Magnuson has trained staff to take customers on a journey; to help them experience the new and the comfortable, learn about the process and leave the tasting room with greater insight. “I’m in a unique position that nearly every customer through the door is one we can talk with. Someone we can learn a bit about their path and perhaps make an impact in that journey,” she said.“If I can be a part of the positivity in their life, with a splash of wine or a story of other businesses to embrace, I believe Green Bay is off to better things.” Learn more about Magnuson at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
Rachael Phillips, family portrait photographer, RP Photography
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST
14 | 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards
achael Phillips started her photography business when she became an aunt several years ago. “When I held my hours-old baby niece in the hospital, my heart was so full,” she said. “I knew I wanted to provide my sister with high-quality images of her little human because kids grow so quickly.” By investing in education, equipment and editing software and remodeling a building into her studio, she took things to the next level. Phillips had to learn how to safely pose newborns, get genuine smiles from children and expand into photographing high school seniors and professional headshots. Phillips explained that she connects with clients through a phone conversation that reveals the client’s vision, followed by a complimentary in-home consultation that allows Phillips to meet the family, discuss wardrobe and measure wall space in order to recommend print sizes. She then gives clients a prep guide and family outfit guide, and she prepares poses and prompts for genuine smiles and heartwarming interactions—and fruit snacks or dog treats for potential bribes.
“I love seeing clients’ images turned into artwork to display in their homes,” she said. “I believe this is especially helpful to busy parents who may not have time to go print their images or new mothers who are home on maternity leave. While they’re snuggling their new baby, I am printing and delivering their images for them.” Phillips photographed more than 100 families for the Front Steps Project, a nationwide initiative during the pandemic to connect people when they couldn’t physically be together. Spurred to offer her services after seeing a Facebook post regarding their needs during quarantine, her efforts raised $2,000 for Freedom House and were featured through WBAY-TV, WHCY radio, Reader’s Digest and highlighted on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s website. She also offered discounted or free headshots to low-income individuals for employment needs. “I like to encourage people to succeed and contribute to our society in a positive way,” she said. Learn more about Phillips at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
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American Tent
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NEXT GENERATION BEST PLACE TO WORK FINALIST
16 | 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards
amily first” is a core value of American Tent. This principle has fostered a culture of trust and respect as the provider of commercial, party, event, and custom tents. With flexible scheduling and an overall understanding that office staff will get the job done when it works for them,American Tent has been able to accommodate a variety of lifestyle demands, such as working moms handling virtual schooling on their own, remote workers, and time off for hunting or pursuing other passions. Recognizing that not everyone can be available on an eight-to-five schedule, American Tent trusts team members to make scheduling decisions that work for them and their families. Leadership staff range in age from 22- to 72-years-old. They appreciate the learnings that run the gamut of generations. All team members have a growth mindset, unafraid to learn new things. Some employees offer wisdom and experience and have strong management skills while others learn, integrate, and innovate the ideas they’ve learned from their mentors. American Tent’s focus is to do what’s best for the team
and the company at every point, including being committed to celebrating healthy lifestyles and diversity, providing better-than-average pay and benefits, as well as incorporating environmentally friendly ways. Young employees choose American Tent because its leader can breathe success into them and the future of the company. He is a visionary who allows all employees to “find their perfect seat at the conference table” and ensures that if an employee is unhappy in their current role, they will work together to create a better one. The company has a youthful progressive culture and strives to ensure employees of all backgrounds feel safe and comfortable, are happy, and can succeed. This mindset is part of American Tent’s investment in “right position, right person.” American Tent communicates expectations and culture clearly, giving employees the resources needed to be successful and investing in employees through coaching, education, training and more. Learn more about American Tent at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
KerberRose
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NEXT GENERATION BEST PLACE TO WORK FINALIST
erberRose strives to be a positive influence and a helping hand in the communities it serves, both as a firm that is active in its community and a workplace that encourages community involvement with its team members. From paid volunteer time to charitable event support, sponsorship and participation, the certified public accounting firm and its staff devote time and energy to nonprofits, chambers of commerce, schools, youth activities, clubs and Rotary groups. The firm hosts Recycle Fests, supports the United Way and is involved in organizations, including B.A.B.E.S., Inc., the Child Abuse Prevention Program, Junior Achievement, Give Kids the World, local churches and schools, fire stations and other extracurricular activities. Beyond supporting the community, KerberRose believes in supporting employees and their families as well, with a strong people first mentality. They provide flexible scheduling with the opportunity to work remotely, as well as an Employee Assistance Program that supports team members and their families. Long before the pandemic, KerberRose allowed team members to arrange their schedules to best meet their needs, encouraged flexible time off and supported remote working.
KerberRose has a wide variety of benefits to support team members and their families, including those aligned to health and wellness as well as personal and professional development. The health and wellness offerings give all team members access to discounted fitness technology, financial incentives for wellness programs and mental and physical health support including gym memberships, fitness classes and weight loss or smoking cessation programs. Other incentives are geared toward attracting and retaining young talent. This includes a student loan repayment program, continuing education at no or discounted costs, paid professional education and memberships, certification organizations and continued learning for the career field. The company provides a discount of 20-percent on undergraduate courses and 10-percent on graduate courses through Lakeland University. The firm also provides interest-free loans for study materials, pays all sitting fees for select certification exams and awards bonuses for completion of select designations. Learn more about KerberRose at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
UnitedHealthcare
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NEXT GENERATION BEST PLACE TO WORK FINALIST
ore values of integrity, compassion, relationships and performance guide UnitedHealthcare in its mission to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. The company fosters a workplace culture that values diversity, integrates employees with local, national, and international engagement, builds community and sets employees up for success. These priorities are on display through numerous initiatives and actions. An intranet site provides access to an Inclusion and Diversity Learning System, which provides resources on diversity, intergenerational collaboration and bridging gaps in relationships. UnitedHealthcare has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as one of the best workplaces for LGBTQ equality and was included on job site WayUp’s list of Top 100 internship programs. In 2019, UnitedHealthcare invested $8.25 million in a five-year partnership with four historically black colleges and universities to develop a new data science initiative in Atlanta. UnitedHealthcare believes that no one knows the community better than individuals who live and serve there; that belief has led to the organization putting a premi-
um on social responsibility. Employees receive 16 paid hours to volunteer for a nonprofit of their choice. Plus, UnitedHealthcare and the health and children’s foundation provide grants to local and national organizations, invests in affordable housing, makes in-kind donations, participates in disaster relief and volunteer time and resources to providing high-quality affordable health care for everyone around the world. Locally, on-site initiatives have included donating 1,535 cans of soup and additional funds to Paul’s Pantry. With proceeds from a carnation sale, basket raffle and chili cook off doubled by the organization, more than $4,000 was donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Support of health equity and healthy lifestyles extends to support of employees as well.The company provides a wide variety of benefits programs and professional supports for employees’ personal and professional lives, including access to on-site wellness support from a licensed physician’s assistant, registered dieticians, a fitness coach and a free 24/7 fitness center. Learn more about UnitedHealthcare at the 2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards on March 25.
2021 Future 15 & Young Professional Awards | 17
FUTURE 15 RECIPIENTS & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
YOUNG ENTREPRNEUR OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Ashley Bethke, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation
Trevor Folker, MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation
Bryan J. Carr, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Julie Gile, Julie M. Gile Photography
Diana Delbecchi, Green Bay Area Public School District
Katrina Magnuson, LedgeStone Vineyards
Cassandra Erickson, American Civil Liberties Union
Rachael Phillips, RP Photography
Dr. Sadey Broecker, Lux Life Chiropractic
Meredith Hansen, St. Norbert College Marissa Heim, Golden House, Inc. Chelsea Kocken, Thornberry Creek at Oneida Joshua Kohnhorst, Nicolet National Bank
NEXT GENERATION BEST PLACE TO WORK FINALISTS
Billy Korinko, St. Norbert College Brad LaPierre, Infinity Machine and Engineering Corp. Joshua Loritz, Familia Dental Cathryn Siolka, KerberRose Cameron Teske, Greater Green Bay Convention &
Visitors Bureau
Katie Trulley, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Kim Westover, Belmark, Inc.
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