JEFF SAUNDERS
Jeff has significant experience across a number of industries including consumer products, industrial products & services, and specialty finance and insurance. Jeff currently services as an Area Presisdent for Private Client and Personal Lines at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. He has previously served as CEO of Lifesmart Technologies, President and Chief Operating Officer of TWG Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the Berry Family of Nurseries. Earlier in his career, Jeff worked as a senior manager at Bain & Company, a leading global strategy consulting firm, and as a senior consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Jeff graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and earned his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College where he graduated as a Tuck Scholar. He is also a certified public accountant.
ED KUKLENSKI
Ed Kuklenski has 36 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Mr. Kuklenski previously served as the Executive Chairman, President and CEO of Suture Express, a leading national distributor of wound closure and disposable surgical instruments. Prior to joining Suture Express, Mr. Kuklenski served in various leadership roles at Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA). He also served as an advisor to CHCA’s private equity investment fund and President of CHCA’s insurance company. Mr. Kuklenski previously held various sales, marketing and general management positions with American Hospital Supply Corp. and Baxter, Inc. Mr. Kuklenski was the co-founder of FoodBuy, Inc., the nation’s largest group buying company serving the commercial and institutional food industry. Mr. Kuklenski was also the co-founder of Insurance Point, a national insurance broker focused on health care institutions. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Children’s Hospitals, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, Children’s Medical Ventures, the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, iLife Systems, Medibuy, Patton Surgical, Promedix and VMI Medical. Mr. Kuklenski currently serves on the Board of Directors for Captify Health, Hospice Source, Medspeed, PT Solutions and StatLab. Mr. Kuklenski holds a B.S. from the University of Kansas, where he serves on the Dean’s Board of Advisors for the School of Business.
JOSH BAER
Josh helps people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs at Capital Factory, Austin’s largest co-working space and most active investment fund. Josh founded his first startup in 1996 in his college dormitory at Carnegie Mellon University and now teaches a class at the University of Texas for student entrepreneurs. He was recently recognized as a Henry Crown Fellow and Braddock Scholar at the Aspen Institute, a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations Young Leaders Forum, and an Eisenhower Fellow. He represents Austin internationally as a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations Young Leaders Forum, and an Eisenhower Fellow. Josh has lived in Austin with his wife Amy and three children since 1999. The best way to reach him is on Twitter @joshuabaer
PATRICK VOGT
Patrick is currently the CEO of The National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA), a membership organization that links colleges and universities to the nation’s largest college and career planning program for students seeking post-secondary guidance. Prior to NRCCUA, Patrick served as the CEO for both public and private digital media technology companies. He has held senior executive positions at some of the most prestigious brands in the world, including The Weather Channel, Sony, HP, and Dell. Patrick was most recently CEO of HealthiNation, an Emmy Award-winning health and wellness digital video company. Before HealthiNation, he was President of The Weather Channel’s (TWC) International Division where he led all business outside of the U.S. and across all product categories including digital, professional and TV.
Patrick is a technology leader, angel investor and popular public speaker, who has spoken on technology, entrepreneurship, and business across many venues including TED and the United Nations. Patrick received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the State University of New York at Oneonta and holds an MBA from the Hagen School of Business, Iona College.