Startup College
®
Entrepreneur Boot Camp
June 10-11, 2025
Thank you to our Event Sponsors:
QCA's 25th Annual
Entrepreneur Boot Camp
Speakers
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Antony Seppi is Director of the Alloy Growth Labs (a Top 10 Business Incubator) in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is responsible for coaching, strategy, partnership, programming, operations, and outreach within the "startupcincy" community. Prior to that he was co-founder of an award winning incubator and accelerator program in Hamilton, OH. His background is in urban planning, specializing in economic development, small business, and collaborating across multiple organizations to leverage the assets of communities to transform them into places where small businesses thrive and grow.
Antony Seppi Director, Alloy
Growth Labs
Sally spent 36 years with The Dow Chemical Company and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. Since retiring she has started her own consulting business, Strategic Product Development, which focuses on the front end of the innovation process. She also mentors start-ups and entrepreneurs through various programs in the Cincinnati area and at Purdue University. Sally has been active in The Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) since 1988 both nationally and at the chapter level.
Sally Kay
Strategic Product Development
Marvin Abrinica
Wunderfund
Marvin is the founder of the Thrivera, a brand consulting agency in the Cincinnati entrepreneurial ecosystem. He helps entrepreneurs create their brands to help them get funded and into growth stage. Prior to Thrivera, Marvin spent 18 years with Procter & Gamble as a Brand Manager, Sourcing Leader, and Corporate trainer. He’s an active advisor and investor to startups including Frameri, Wyzerr, and many others. Marvin is also a public speaker & leadership trainer who regularly gives talks on branding & marketing for businesses, accelerators, incubators. He gave his first TEDx talk in 2014.
Tom Humphrey joined Wood Herron & Evans in 1993. He concentrates his practice on electronic, software and computer technologies, including systems and methodologies for practicing and doing business. Tom is involved in acquisition, licensing and analysis of all types of intellectual property, and litigation relating to intellectual property.
“Businesses need to understand how IP relates to their products, their customers, and their competitors, and use that understanding to optimize their use of IP. That’s why I’m here.”
Tom Humphrey
Wood Herron & Evans
Dr. Glenn Platt is Gameful Strategist at JukeStrat a boutique consulting group focused on venture building; transformational, social justice & impact consulting; communications & media strategy; and brand & market positioning. He has been a Professor at Miami University for almost 3 decades. He brings insight from the frontiers of digital marketing, technology, video games, design, and business to build next generation models for higher education and industry.
Dr. Glenn Platt
Miami University
& Lyceum AI
Mark Faust is CEO at Echelon Management International a growth and turnaround consultancy since 1990. Mark is a published author, professional speaker, and advisor to founders and CEOs. He has worked with many Fortune 500 CEOs, hundreds of #1 sales performers and thousands of his client's top customers, uncovering literally over a Billion in new review that his clients have realized.
Mark Faust
Echelon Management
Drew Boyd
University of Cincinnati
Mike Halloran
Xavier University
QCA Member
Tony Shipley
Founder & Chairman
Queen City Angels
Scott Mindrum
QCA Member
Drew Boyd is Professor-Educator of Marketing and Innovation at the University of Cincinnati's Master of Science in Marketing program. In addition, he is a LinkedIn Learning Instructor who shares his marketing expertise to a global audience. He is a C-suite advisor on creativity and innovation, international public speaker, award-winning author and podcaster. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts, trainers and thought leaders in corporate innovation methods.
Michael Hurley
Calfee Halter
Michael Hurley represents businesses on formation, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and venture capital arrangements. He provides counsel to venture capital and buyout funds, start-up companies and investors in such funds and companies, as well as assisting clients access the capital markets through angel and venture funding rounds. His counsel covers full spectrum of the business cycle - from start-up through maturation and exit strategies - and a broad range of industries, including chemicals, construction, healthcare, energy and consumer products.
Mike Halloran is currently a professor at Xavier University for MBA and entrepreneurship. He has lots of experience in digital marketing where he has worked for large and mid-size companies as well as plenty of startup experience. He is a serial entrepreneur that is continuously seeking new ideas and helping students turn their business ideas into a reality. He is an investor for Queen City Angels and the VP of Marketing and Mentoring for OCEAN Accelerator Programs.
Melissa Monich is a retired VP of R&D at Procter & Gamble, where she led global teams and managed budgets up to $300 million. With expertise in innovation strategy and talent development, she earned the CTO Pathfinder Award for advancing women in R&D. She’s been an investor with Queen City Angels since 2019 and serves on a pet products board. Melissa is also the mayor of Wyoming, Ohio, a dedicated volunteer, and a University of Toledo Distinguished Alumna in chemical engineering.
Melissa Monich
QCA member
Tony is Founder and Chairman of Queen City Angels. QCA is an inaugural member of the Angel Capital Association. Tony served as Past Chair of ACA and Chairs the AIF Seed the Future Campaign. He has founded and/or invested in over 50 start-ups and has served on various QCA portfolio company boards. During his career he worked as an engineer and marketing manager. In 1981 he founded Entek Scientific, a software company providing mechanical engineering application packages that he built to be an internationally recognized supplier of plant machinery monitoring systems. He sold to Rockwell Automation in 2000.
Tom O'Neil
QCA Member
Tom is a seasoned CPA with over 30 years of experience in audit, SEC reporting, M&A, internal controls, and regulatory matters. He currently serves in his firm’s National Office overseeing PCAOB activities, inspections, and quality reviews. Previously, he was Assurance Practice Leader and Managing Partner in multiple regional offices. Tom has worked with Fortune 100 and Russell 2000 clients across various industries. A University of Dayton alum, he actively serves on several nonprofit boards and advisory councils.
Scott is serial entrepreneur having founded two startups. He is the former Founder & CEO of CRÓ“KN, a leading digital solution revolutionizing the death care industry and Making Everlasting Memories, an Internet-based publishing company which offered its’ customer members digital archive and state of the art paper publishing services for important personal events and memories. With a strong background in M&A, venture capital, and executive leadership, he is also an active member of IrishAngels and Queen City Angels, supporting early-stage ventures.
Andy Kaiser
QCA Member
Andy is a seasoned C-level executive and former CFO of Cincinnati Bell, where he led a $2.9 billion take-private transaction. He co-founded Howard Roark Consulting, focusing on launching tech ventures. With deep expertise in leadership, strategy, and capital deployment, he has invested billions in organic and inorganic growth. Andy brings cross-industry and board experience, holding degrees from Wright State University and the University of Cincinnati. He also serves on several nonprofit and academic boards.
These are just a few of our guest speakers that will guide your professional development during the Boot Camp!