Meet our community of business expertise
Mercy Corps Northwest Seminar presenters are experts in their respective fields and effective teachers. They represent a wide array of experience and skill, and deliver their presentations pro-bono to Mercy Corps Northwest. Below is a listing of current seminar presenters.
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Adrienne Hutchins
Adrienne Hutchins joined Greenberg & Associates Insurance in 2002 and became a partner in 2012. She is licensed in both Oregon and Washington. Adrienne specializes in the individual and small group markets, assisting clients with their health, life and disability insurance needs. Adrienne earned her Disability Income Associate designation (DIA) in 2009, which encompasses detailed knowledge of the health insurance industry, the role of disability insurance within the healthcare continuum and recent disability trends. She is a member of the Portland Association of Health Underwriters, the National Association of Health Underwriters and the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors. Adrienne is a native Oregonian and enjoys hiking, gardening and other outdoor activities. She lives in NE Portland with her family. Free resources and other valuable insurance information and links can be found on her website at http://www.greenberg-insurance.com, or email her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Amanda Janney
Amanda Janney is the Portland lead for Google’s 24 city field marketing team. Hired in April of 2011, Amanda and her team have been introducing Portland area business owners to a variety of Google products over the course of the last year. Amanda has been a Portland resident for 5 years, and loves everything about our wonderful city—especially the amazing selection of locally owned small businesses. She thoroughly enjoys working with business owners and helping them understand and find value in Google products. When she isn’t working, Amanda can usually be found enjoying Forest Park on foot and bike, the PSU Saturday Farmer’s market, or travelling around the country!
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Anna Hutson
Anna Hutson has been with Formic Media since the company’s inception, driving the strategy and execution of search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and social media marketing initiatives for clients such as Barre3, Beaverton Toyota, Continental Van Lines, Prometheus Real Estate Group, and Teva®. Leveraging her attention to detail and desire to provide top-notch client service, Hutson is responsible for the overall growth, strategy and retention of client accounts, the evolution and development of services, and internal marketing to help drive company growth. In addition to being a speaker and instructor at seminars such as Clark College Corporate Education and the Software Association of Oregon (SAO), Hutson also regularly contributes to Formic’s blog, monthly Seminar Series and has been published in industry publications such as iMedia Connection, Business2Communty and MarketingSherpa. Also active in the community, Hutson serves on the Board of Directors for the Cascade Academy Foundation (CAF), as well as the Associate Board for SMART (Start Making a Reader Today). Hutson’s background includes developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns using traditional media for clients at Datamark, Inc., a direct response, lead acquisition management agency in Spokane, Washington; where Hutson also earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Gonzaga University and is a proud “Zag for life.” As a Seattle native, Anna brings a Pacific Northwest love for the outdoors and can be found cheering on the Zags, playing with her dog, or downhill skiing.
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Austin Buchholtz
Award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and writer, Austin Buchholtz is passionate about creating enticing, effective branding to help businesses and non-profits flourish. For over seven years, he has been working in print and web in both Sydney, Australia and Portland.
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Bill Horton
Bill Horton began BizFix to challenge, encourage and inspire small businesses to become incredible.
Moving from a career in corporate Sales Training and Customer Engagement to owning a successful specialty market for over 12 years, Bill realized his true passion while offering business advice to neighboring retailers and consultations with customers ready to start their own ventures. These were the conversations that drove him to sell his shop and start BizFix.
Bill runs BizFix with the firm belief that every business owner has the opportunity to improve their process. To grow their capacity. To reignite the passion that drove them to start their business in the first place, and using it to improve their bottom-line and ultimately their lives.
Bill is ever honing his craft while helping as many business owners as he can. He develops curriculum and teaches at Mercy Corps Northwest, preparing entrepreneurs to operate their own businesses. He provides advising for Portland Ten, a company that runs and licenses capacity-building business programs, and he volunteers with community outreach programs at the University of Portland’s Center of Entrepreneurship.
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Carmen Voilleque
Carmen E. Voillequé is the co-author of Evolutionaries: Transformational Leadership – The Missing Link in Your Organizational Chart with business partner Randy Harrington, PhD. Ms. Voillequé is also the CEO and co-owner of Best Practices Media, co-founder of Strategic Arts and Sciences, and Principal consultant for Extreme Arts & Sciences. Her background is in education psychology, adult learning, and organizational development. She also has over 15 years of experience in public speaking and facilitation and is nationally respected for her ability to provide advanced strategic planning for complex partnerships, systems, associations and networks to achieve significant organizational change. Ms. Voillequé has narrowed her focus to strategic planning, change management and the development of high performance teams in the last five years of her career. Her varied experience allows her to bring a combination of fresh perspectives and deep knowledge to her work with private, non-profit, and public organizations.
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Carolyn Campbell
Carolyn is an international speaker and workshop facilitator known for powerful, community-focused marketing and co-creative leadership development. Weaving her expertise as a theater director and producer, concept designer, speaker and coach, Carolyn helps people uncover their vision, then connect with others to have greater impact. In a fun, dynamic way, she pushes leaders and business owners to trust AND act on their unique approach to building thriving businesses and organizations—with powerful results.
She has facilitated workshops for international coaches’ conferences, business associations, global nonprofit organizations and national arts councils. In addition, her writing has been featured in newspapers, magazines, e-zines, and on the web.
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David Vanadia
David Vanadia is an an independent artist and experienced consultant/trainer who has conducted workshops for organizations large and small including Reader’s Digest, United Digital Artists, Entertainment Weekly, and Web International. He enjoys helping others become empowered through digital storytelling.
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Gilbert Gleason
H&R Block Tax Preparer
Gilbert Gleason is currently a tax preparer with H&R Block. He has 25 years of management experience in the non-profit arena. His areas of expertise include Charitable giving, Income from multiple States, Small Business, Sole Proprietor, or Self-employed, Partnerships, Corporations, Not-for-Profit organizations, Help with IRS or State notices / audits, and Tax Planning.
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Heather Scwartz
Heather Schwartz has been with Anvil Media for 4 years focusing on paid search and SEO initiatives for clients. Heather has been published in industry publications such as PPC Insider, spoken at local Portland events like SEMpdx, in addition to contributing to PPC specific whitepapers at Anvil. Heather also holds her Google AdWords and Analytics certifications. As Account Director, Heather has been the lead on eCommerce accounts such as Lucy Activewear as well as non-profit accounts such as The Nature Conservancy and International Rescue Committee. Heather is also dedicated member of the Portland Advertising Federation(PAF) co-chairing PAF’s internship program, COLABORATORY.
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Jackie B Peterson
author of Better, Smarter, Richer
Jackie B Peterson, author of Better, Smarter, Richer, is a CPA, business consultant and coach. She has worked with small businesses and creative entrepreneurs for over 30 years. The advice she offers comes from her many years of working with her clients and coaching them to financial success. For the last 10 years Jackie has been a strategic advisor and instructor for the Small Business Development Center of Portland Community College. In that role she has helped hundreds of small business owners gain the skills to create successful enterprises.
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Jen Barth
Jen Barth is a Small Business Branding and Marketing Coach and Founder of Big Small Brands and JSB Consulting. She has over 15 years of experience as a corporate and agency marketing executive, with expertise in Brand Identity & Strategy, Market Research, Web Content & Design, and Brand Management. Her client work has included B2B services, consumer goods, entertainment, education, energy, healthcare, nonprofit, retail, and technology sectors. Jen is passionate about helping small businesses grow through brand + communications development, marketing, and revenue generation support. In her spare time, she keeps busy chasing her identical (yet nothing alike) twin daughters around Portland, and volunteering with several local nonprofits.
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Jennifer de Thomas
Jennifer de Thomas thrives on organizing people’s financial lives so they are free to concentrate on what they love to do. Planning is fundamental to the integrity of your financial life. Everyone, whether they are just starting out, just starting over, or just starting to retire, benefits from a plan that accounts for each piece of their financial puzzle, not just their portfolio. Identifying priorities, uncovering underlying relationships to money and aligning values with their hard earned savings is at the top of her priorities.
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Jill Nelson
INUS Group CEO Jill Nelson is a relationship and business coach as well as a community leader. Prior to founding INUS Group LLC she worked as a management consultant and in managerial capacities in several different industries. She has served on numerous not-for-profit boards in executive capacities. As a coach & consultant she works with individuals, teams and organizations to create powerful lives and dynamic relationships whether at work, at home or just for fun. She has led retreats, seminars and workshops across the country. Ms. Nelson holds an MBA from Drake University in Des Moines, IA and a Masters of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO, and is trained in relationship & organizational systems coaching.
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John McPhee
John McPhee is the Director of Client Services at Formic Media. Originally from the Midwest, John decided to venture West in 2003 to kick start his career in Internet Marketing. Upon arriving,McPhee was employed by BetterManagement.com (BMC), a SAS-owned company, to take on the role of Internet Marketing Specialist where he handled all aspects of BMC’s SEO and PPC strategies. After a two year stint at BMC, McPhee moved into the agency world at Anvil Media in 2005. Here McPhee provided SEO, PPC and social media strategy working on a number of travel/tourism (Provenance Hotel Group, Travel Portland, Jackson Hole Central Reservations, Travel Oregon), B2B-focused (Axway, ColumbiaSoft) and B2C clients (gDiapers), earning multiple social media marketing (SoMe) awards for strategy and performance in 2008 and 2009. McPhee has also presented at various SEMpdx and PSU events, and volunteered to work with the PSU multimedia class on a project for Portland Center Stage, as well as donated his time to the SMART reading program for the past four years. Looking for the next step in his career, McPhee joined Formic Media (Anvil’s sister company) as Director of Client Services in 2010. McPhee is excited for the opportunity to work in a start-up environment with a talented team, and help move the needle for small business owners looking to increase their online visibility and sales.
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Kent Lewis
With a background in integrated marketing, Lewis left a public relations agency in 1996 to start his search engine marketing career. Since then, he has focused on helping clients solve business problems via the Internet. Lewis founded digital marketing agency Anvil Media, Inc. in 2000, to help clients grow their businesses via search engine and social media marketing. In 2008, he created Formic Media, a sister agency to Anvil, specializing in digital marketing and website development for small business. Lewis has worked at a variety of full-service agencies and was also Director of Marketing and Business Development at goodguys.com. He is Co-founder and Past President of emarketing agency, eROI, as well as SEMpdx, an SEM professional trade association. Lewis sits on advisory boards for emerging companies like ABCInvesting, NeutralSpace, Nozzle Media and Public Marketspace. He also speaks regularly at industry events and has been published in books and publications including DMNews, iMedia Connection, Online Marketing Connectand Portland Business Journal. Lewis is an adjunct professor at Portland State University, where he teaches an SEM Workshop, and also tours nationwide with OMS, teaching the Digital Marketing Essentials Workshop. He sits on the board, marketing and executive committees for SMART, a statewide early literacy program. In 1999, Lewis found pdxMindShare, a networking group and online career community, designed to help connect Portland-area employees and employers. He is the recipient of Portland Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2004. Lewis enriches his personal and professional life by co-hosting a weekly Internet radio show, DadsUnplugged, and honing his business acumen via The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).
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Kevin Hohnbaum
Kevin joined Social Bridge Media as the Vice President of Business Development after specializing in strategic planning, creating business partnerships and building sustainable sales systems and community marketing programs while working with more than forty companies in the U.S. and Canada including, locally, the Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers. Social Bridge Media works with businesses, government agencies and non-profits to create and execute social media strategies. Avid Oregon Duck fans, when Kevin and his wife, Jane, are not spending time with their grandkids or working on their 110-year-old farmhouse, they lead worship at their community church, play in various musical groups, organize mission trips to Mexico and spend time relaxing at their cabin on the Siletz Bay at the Oregon coast.
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Kevin Ohanesian
A lifetime Portland area resident, Kevin has been a certified public accountant for over 27 years. Coming from a line of business owners on both sides of the family, the entrepreneur bug was always biting him. After 15 years of working for small local CPA firms, he launched his own practice in 2000. Most CPA’s would stay put, but after growing the company from zero to 400 clients in six years, he sold the practice to start another business- Portland Payroll. Portland Payroll competes with the big boy payroll companies, but brings the local flavor and CPA expertise to the small business owners of the Portland Metro area. Their goal is to strengthen our small business community through mentoring, education, and partnering with others that can help. When not running the company with his business partner Mike Madrid, Kevin can be found spending time with his wife rooting for Oregon sports (we are Ducks!) and the Blazers.
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Kim Toomey
Kim Toomey has been developing and managing online marketing campaigns as a part of the Anvil team since 2007, after graduating from Gonzaga University. She specializes in web analytics and PPC a variety of clients include Integra Telecom, Concordia University, Salem Health and the Portland Trailblazers. She is an active member of the Web Analytics Association. Kim has also worked on several charity projects as a mentor through the Analysis Exchange program, as well as volunteers time for pro-bono clients such as Ronald McDonald House and the Community Warehouse. Outside of work, Kim stays busy with her husband and dog and will soon be adding their first child to the mix while exploring the outdoors, traveling and cooking.
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Maggie Palmer
Maggie Palmer is the principal/owner of MKP Creative, a full service Public Relations firm specializing in integrated marketing and social media. MKP represents clients in the health and wellness industry, tech start-ups, small businesses, non-profits and more. MKP clients enjoy both local and national attention, including features in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Portland Monthly, local network television and more. Maggie is also a published author and has written for various publications in Ohio, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, as well as produced television shows for the National Geographic Channel. Maggie is currently serving her second term as Marketing Chair on the Board of Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon. Maggie lives in SW Portland with her husband, young son and new baby girl. She is passionate about helping other entrepreneurs realize their dreams and achieve success.
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Mark Paul
Mark Paul has over thirty years of executive level leadership experience - including 11 years at Global 500 companies (Ford and Northrop Corporations, where he built a 250-person business unit in two years) and 20 years of business leadership consulting and interim executive work as Managing Partner at Synergy Consulting Group, an executive / business development consultancy. Synergy Consulting (http://www.synergy-usa.com) helps companies attract more customers, increase their revenue, profitability and company value. Mark has served on boards of directors and advisors for several companies.
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MarketLink
Michael Gurton is the Program Director of MarketLink, a service of the Oregon Microenterprise Network. At MarketLink, Michael oversees a program, funded by the Small Business Administration, the Portland Development Commission and several private foundations, that provides low-income and rural entrepreneurs throughout Oregon with customized primary and secondary market research. Michael provides research to Greater Portland Inc.’s Economic Gardening Program which has served 50 second-stage companies in the Portland-Vancouver metro. In addition, Michael provides research to Grow Oregon, the state-funded market research program for Oregon’s growth-oriented manufacturers. His background is in Competitive Intelligence, with experience in the software, pharmaceutical/ medical device and technology sectors. While not researching, Michael likes to run, keep bees and play with his 18 month old son.
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Marlynn Schotland
Marlynn Schotland is a sought-after speaker, communication strategist & trainer, creative consultant, and small business connector. A leader in the Portland, Oregon women’s entrepreneur movement since launching her communication & design firm, Urban Bliss, in 2005, she has helped hundreds of small businesses with public relations/marketing strategy, graphic & web design, business development, social media campaigns & blogging services, as well as communications planning, for over a decade. Marlynn currently serves as the President of FemCity Portland, a chapter of the national Femfessionals.com women’s networking organization, and founded one of the original networking organizations for mom entrepreneurs, The Power M.O.B. She has been named one of the Top Power Moms in Portland (Red Tricycle), Top 50 Women’s Business Blogs (Work at Home Mom), and a nominee for the Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and Orchid Award. She and her work have been featured in Entrepreneur.com, Oregon Business magazine, The Oregonian, Portland Business Journal, Parents magazine, Portland Monthly magazine, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and dozens of other local, regional, and national media outlets.
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Mike Terry
Mike Terry has created innovative marketing and advertising campaigns for a myriad of clients throughout his 17 year career including HTC, Samsung, Rhapsody, NW Natural and United Way. Terry has honed his skills at a handful of Portland-area full-service agencies, most recently focusing on mobile clientele. He has worked with a host of clients across industries and geographies and has a depth of integrated marketing experience. Terry earned his degree in Marketing & Advertising Management from Portland State University. Outside of the office Terry is director/chief evangelist for the Portland Advertising Bowling League, gardens and stays active with his family.
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Peter Vaughan Shaver
Peter Vaughan Shaver is a Portland-based arts & entertainment attorney. His primary areas of legal expertise include general business law and intellectual property, with an emphasis on copyrights, trademarks, music and art law, computer and Internet law, real estate, consumer matters and non-profit organizations. Attorney Shaver, through his company, Sound Advice, LLC, works extensively with artists, musicians, designers, craftspeople and businesses of all types. He is a regular presenter of educational lectures and legal workshops at local colleges and arts-related organizations, including, Portland State University, The Art Institute of Portland, AIGA, The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Marylhurst University, the Graphic Artists’ Guild, the 100th Monkey Studio, American Federation of Musicians – AFM 99, and various PCC campuses.
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Suzanne Feucht
Suzanne Feucht has held positions as a bookkeeper, information systems manager, consultant and coach in accounting software systems, accountant, project manager and controller. SF Business Services provides accounting services to help companies accurately record data in an accounting system to provide critical decision making data and reports.
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Tom Howe
Tom Howe has been a practicing attorney for over 25 years and owns website company. His passion is helping small businesses succeed and prosper. He has written four books (law and software programming) and speaks at legal conferences throughout North America and technology conferences around the world. His practical and entertaining presentation style makes him a highly sought after speaker.
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Valérie Berset-Price
With over 15 years of international business development experience as a dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, Valerie is an experienced consultant, cross-cultural trouble-shooter, international speaker, and trainer. She offers practical insights on the essential tools necessary to achieve meaningful and profitable business results internationally. Valerie has an extensive entrepreneurial background in international business development and cross-cultural training. Over the past fifteen years she has worked for Swiss, Taiwanese, South African, French, Brazilian and U.S. companies. Valérie specializes in international troubleshooting, cross-cultural mediation, intercultural communication, and international strategies for management executives.
Valrie is a graduate of Swiss International Business School and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She is also a North American Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE.) Valerie is an international business expert for the Huffington Post, a frequent contributor to Training Magazine, the Vancouver Business Journal and other trade publications. She has lectured at Portland State University, the University of San Diego, and Oklahoma State University. Through her “Professional Passport®: Work Anywhere with Confidence” curriculum, Valérie provides training that brings the global business world into focus, bridging cultures to succeed in today’s global marketplace. The World Customs Organization, a United Nations agency, has solicited her training program to be included in the training of Customs officials in 178 countries. Valerie is fluent in English, French and Spanish. She resides in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. with her husband and daughter.
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Veronika Noize
Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Certified Professional Coach. Through coaching, classes and workshops, Ronnie helps small service businesses attract more clients. As a marketing coach, Ronnie helps her clients identify and implement the marketing tools and programs that will help them achieve higher levels of visibility, sales, and success. She speaks and writes frequently about how to implement low cost, high impact marketing techniques for entrepreneurs. For free marketing resources including articles and valuable marketing tools, visit her web site at http://www.VeronikaNoize.com, or email her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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