Speakers
Jennifer Wangler, Vice President, Technology, The Right Place | Director, Technology Council of West Michigan
Jennifer Wangler is the Vice President of Technology at The Right Place. She provides retention and expansion assistance to Right Place clients in Kent County and site location assistance to national and international IT and tech companies. She also serves as the Director for the Technology Council of West Michigan.
Joe Gallagher, Co-Founder of 86 Repairs
Joe has spent 15+ years of his career leading product innovation efforts across industries, the common theme being digital transformation. Whether it was at Home Depot, where he lead financial and omni-channel product design and implementation efforts, or at Oliver Packaging and Equipment Company, Joe has made a niche career out of combining physical products, service offerings, and the deployment of strong online integrations. 86 Repairs is the company he helped co-found in 2019. Joe now leads the product team at 86 Repairs to deliver a novel platform experience for commercial kitchen operators across the United States.
Ryan Graffy, Director of Engineering at 86 Repairs
Ryan has spent over 20 years leading engineering teams and building mission-critical products across industries — from avionics to healthcare. Ryan is now the Director of Engineering at 86 Repairs, a venture-backed restaurant tech company headquartered in Chicago. Ryan is responsible for the company’s software architecture, data strategy, and technology roadmap. His passion is hands-on leadership where he can focus on technology transformation, delivering business value, and helping his team thrive!
Brian Anderson, CEO of Augusto Digital
Brian Anderson co-founded Augusto in 2016 and currently serves as the CEO. Brian has a passion for helping start and grow SaaS businesses. He has bootstrapped and operated multiple post-revenue SaaS ventures including Tourneytopia.com, PayIt2.com, and TallySheet. He is currently working on Engage, an opinionated engagement management platform that project managers use to improve client experiences.
He serves on the Right Place advisory board for the West Michigan Technology Council. He is a mentee in the 2024 class of the Jandernoah Entreprunerial Mentorship program. Brian holds multiple certifications from AWS, Microsoft, and Hubspot. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.
Tyler Mauer, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation, Iris Technology Inc.
Tyler Mauer is a relatable, long-term entrepreneur and innovator who has made a significant impact working with over seven startups in the past seven years. He is known for his strong focus on problem-solving, collaboration, and dedication to bringing ideas to life. In 2019, Tyler co-founded Iris Technology Inc., where he has used his experience to help Iris become a leading solution for companies looking to adopt artificial intelligence to tackle challenges and create efficiencies. As the Director of Innovation at Iris Technology Inc., Tyler is committed to shaping a safe and accessible future for AI creation and deployment.
Well-respected for his ability to apply technical concepts to practical applications, Tyler has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions that drive success. His leadership skills and deep understanding of AI technology have helped shape the development and creation of solutions Iris is pursuing. With a passion for AI and a relentless pursuit of excellence, Tyler is always on the lookout for opportunities to bridge the gap between remarkable technology and an awesome user experience.
Jason Porritt, Principal Consultant at Atomic Object
As a Principal Consultant & Developer at Atomic, I draw on two decades of development and project leadership experience to build effective teams, identify and solve the right problems, architect excellent technical solutions, and guide our clients and teams through the custom software product journey. Since joining Atomic Object in 2010 I’ve worked with teams to replace large, complex internal business software, build engaging consumer-facing mobile apps, and delivery many other variations of valuable software. I love collaborating with teams to solve hard problems that are worth solving.
Mark Johnson, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Michigan Software Labs
Mark co-founded Michigan Software Labs with a simple mission: to build software for clients like we'd want it built for us. As a frequent technology contributor for the Forbes Technology Council, Mark has been named one of the Grand Rapids 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders in West Michigan and the 40 under 40 by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Mark is passionate about building things that make people's lives better. Whether it's developing software that helps businesses scale more efficiently or creating daily videos that allow people to improve their leadership abilities, he loves finding new ways to help others grow and succeed.
Brad Natelborg, Director of Project Leadership at Twisthink
As the Director of Project Leadership at Twisthink, Brad brings over 10 years of experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex projects from conception to completion. With a background in software development, Brad is passionate about finding unique solutions to challenging problems. He is a results-driven leader who exercises innovation excellence to guide his team in delivering impactful, digital solutions that exceed client expectations. He understands the importance of effective communication in ensuring successful project delivery and uses a collaborative approach to create outstanding client experiences. Brad earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Grand Valley State University and a Master's in Computer Science from Marquette University.
Brandon Arrendondo, Staff Software Engineer, BISSELL
Brandon Arrendondo is a Staff Software Engineer at BISSELL Homecare Inc. He has been working with embedded and connected devices at BISSELL for nearly 5 years, and prior to BISSELL, he worked at Whirlpool Corporation on embedded human-machine-interface (HMI) and connectivity systems. He worked on similar data problems at Intel Corporation for fab workflow automation.
Josh Freeney, Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy, Grand Rapids Public Museum
Josh Freeney is the Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy at the Grand Rapids Public Museum with a rich 10-year history and expertise in full-stack design and development. He is also the Founder, and Technology Lead of YETi CGI an R&D Lab masquerading as a game studio that specializes in creating integrated solutions for ambient user experiences including AR/MR, AI, and non-traditional integrations in education, enterprise, healthcare, and defense. Josh co-founded YETi CGI with others in 2010 after teaching game design and development at Ferris State University for five years. Trusted by major brands like Google, Microsoft, Steelcase, and Mattel, he has shipped hundreds of products and experiences.
Zachariah Booker, Chief Executive Office, Mentavi Health / ADHD Online
I am the Chief Executive Officer of Mentavi Health / ADHD Online. The company started in 2018 with a mission to improve the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. This was a “passion project” for me: I have ADHD and have children with it as well, so I know first-hand how individuals and parents struggle with a six- to nine-month wait time to get their children scheduled to be seen by a psychologist. Mentavi Health aims to change that.
Mentavi Health / ADHD Online has built a network of psychologists and clinicians across the United States. We work with only the best providers to break down the barriers that stand in the way of better mental health and improve the quality of life for our patients. We do this through a combination of virtual diagnostic assessments and multi-tiered therapies (including both medication management and teletherapy counseling) to give our clients the kind of support that they need to thrive.
Andrea (Dre) Wallace, CEO, Opnr
Music producer/DJ, entrepreneur and technologist, Andrea Wallace (best known as Dre) has passion for the arts and empowering those who are part of the creative economy. A Michigan native, Dre has spent the last 13 years strategizing innovative technology solutions for companies across a variety of industries. Dre has also been an accomplished music producer and DJ for nearly 15 years under the moniker SuperDre, performing at venues around the world and producing music for other artists and film. With that strong passion for music and technology, Dre is at the helm of Opnr, a two-sided national entertainment marketplace that removes the time and friction associated with the talent booking process for live performances and appearances using one consistent and easy digital platform.
Follow Dre's adventures on social at @superdrizzy
Graphic Artists
Alysha Lach White, Illustrator and Experiential Designer, Founder/CEO of Little Space Studio
After a decade of experience incorporating UX, human-centered principles, and rapid prototyping, Alysha's honed her career expertise into creating Little Space Studio, a coworking space for freelance and small business professionals that provides holistic community-powered business support, effective and inclusive workspace, and a vibrant and supportive creative ecosystem. Her next venture into experiential design brings together technology, physical space, and accessible design practice as a way to empower community connection and support companies with dynamic prototyping opportunities and collaboration.
Laura Leenhouts, Newell Brands
An architect by education, Laura works in innovation for Newell Brands, a large CPG with brands such as Sharpie, Rubbermaid, Coleman and Graco. Laura is part of the Innovation Group at Newell-- a small team of people tasked with challenging existing mindsets, business models, and protocols in order to encourage the discovery of rich, unexplored market spaces. In addition to her role at Newell, Laura is a graphic recorder, listening, synthesizing and creating- in real time- visual representations of information, ideas and conversations.