Board Members

Executive Committee

Beth Parkhill, Chair

Beth is the founder of Mentor Planet, a social enterprise which matches mentors with social entrepreneurs and social innovators. Beth has an entrepreneurial spirit, working in new positions, new product launches, and new organizations throughout her career.  After working for the University of Minnesota, Cardiac Pacemakers, and Wells Fargo, she worked for a Minneapolis marketing firm before launching her own consulting business in 1992. She has more than 30 years of experience in financial services and strategic marketing.  During the past 12 years, she has focused her efforts on nonprofits and social enterprise.  Her consultant clients included both for profit and nonprofit organizations: JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Private Bank Minnesota, ELCA Board of Pensions, PPL (social enterprise), Tasks Unlimited (social enterprise), and others.   Beth currently serves on the board of PPL, Tasks Unlimited, the MinnPost Advisory board, and the Minneapolis and Tours Sister Cities Association.  One thing people don’t know about Beth is that she used to work for Dudley Riggs.

Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, Vice Chair

Bio coming soon!

Mary Serie, Secretary

Mary has been involved in social enterprise, and in her current position as President of National Day One, LLC, for 3 years.  She is responsible for helping to set a clear vision and strategic direction necessary to ensure financial viability and long-term sustainability.  Previously, she was active as an analyst, strategist, and member of a merger and acquisition team that involved working with various agencies in the not-for-profit world.  Mary currently serves as Treasurer on the board of Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, as well as being a co-chair of the program committee of the Minneapolis/St Paul Not-for-Profit Financial Group.  She has a degree from Metropolitan State University and has her CPA certificate. One interesting thing that people do not know about Mary is that she enjoys trekking and mountain climbing.

Beth Mammenga, Treasurer

Beth is the Director of Operations with CityKid Java, a social enterprise in South Minneapolis supporting Urban Ventures. She previously worked as a Software Application Consultant for TIES, a nonprofit social enterprise in Saint Paul, assisting Minnesota school districts effectively use technology in education, and as Business Development Manager at Goodwill/Easter Seals, where she was responsible for researching new earned income ideas and developing business plans. Beth has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and a Master’s in Business Administration from Bethel University. 

Board Members

Greg Bauman

Greg is the business development specialist at Innovative Packaging Solutions (IPS), a division of Lifetrack Resources that provides packaging and light assembly services for contract clients, while offering unique employment and training opportunities for persons with little work experience. Greg has over twenty years of experience in real estate and business franchising industries, and has previously managed several business operations. Greg leads marketing and new business development activities to achieve sales, customer and product/service diversification goals, as well as identification of new service and business opportunities for IPS, provides marketing expertise, leads strategy and exploration for market-based alternative revenue opportunities, and provides business research and planning support for new social enterprise opportunities. Greg holds a bachelors of science from Minnesota State University –Mankato.

Scott Cole

Scott is a co-founder and director of Founding Futures. Over his 35 year career, he has owned and sold several technology companies, provided senior leadership for many high tech enterprises as well as management consulting and organizational development services for nonprofit as well as for-profit organizations. His passion for transforming education was ignited first as the director of a K-8 Waldorf school where he was instrumental in guiding a five year growth initiative. Scott later became director/principal of an inner city charter high school, guiding the transition from private to charter, leading it through a particularly challenging time. He is committed to eliminating the education disparity that exists in America, and believes one of the most powerful ways this can be accomplished is through connecting technology services and the many service providers who support families and schools in pursuit of closing the achievement gap.

Laurel Hansen

Laurel has been involved in social enterprise for 25 years. In her current position as Business Director at Arc Greater Twin Cities, she is responsible for Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores & Donation Centers, including the development, operations, volunteers, donations, real estate, and community outreach for Arc’s thrift businesses. Prior to that, she worked for a venture capital group. Laurel attended the University of Minnesota and has a St Thomas Mini MBA in retail business management. She is an active member of the St. Paul and the Twin West Chamber of Commerce and is a graduate of Twin West’s leadership program. Laurel’s family owns Dean’s Supermarket in Osseo, MN.

Jack Katzmark

As an experienced senior level executive with management responsibilities in the areas of finance, human resources, operations, risk management, strategic planning and information technology, Jack has worked both in the non-profit sector and private sector with financial service organizations. He joined Project for Pride in Living (PPL) in late 2008 and has direct responsibility for all financial activities, information technology, human resources and office support. He is a member of the Project for Pride in Living Enterprises (PPLE) board of directors, which is a social enterprise division of PPL. Prior employers include GMAC Residential Finance Corporation (ResCap), Norwest Corporation (Wells Fargo) and Ernst and Young. His nonprofit experience includes various volunteer roles with the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging and St. Matthew’s Day Care Center and parish council. Additional nonprofit positions include Interim CFO for PATH, Inc. and Business Director for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Jack has an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and undergraduate degrees in economics and accounting from the University of Minnesota.  He also completed a mini-MBA program for nonprofits at the University of St. Thomas in June 2007.

Brian Paulson

Brian Paulson has been involved in social enterprise and workforce development for 10 years.  In his current position as Community Impact Manager at Greater Twin Cities United Way, he is responsible for managing United Way’s strategic investments in workforce development.  Brian participates in multiple planning efforts related to workforce development, including Minnesota FastTRAC, the Governor’s Workforce Development Council, and Heading Home Hennepin and Ramsey efforts focused on employment outcomes for homeless community members.  Brian is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work, with a focus on community practice social work.

Tom Triplett

Tom has been involved in social enterprise for the past six years as an attorney, consultant and board member of the national Social Enterprise Alliance. Through his consulting business, Triplett Consulting LLC, he helps nonprofits around the country identify and evaluate alternative revenue streams. Very frequently, but not always, the recommended new revenue opportunities include social enterprises. Tom has a BA from Grinnell and a JD from Duke. He lives with a wide variety of critters on six acres of trees near the St. Croix River.

 

Ex-Officio

Colleen Ebinger

Colleen is founder and CEO of Impact Strategies Group, a strategy consulting firm that is working with Social Enterprise Alliance – Twin Cities to increase sales opportunities for chapter members. Colleen has been involved in social enterprise for ten years, since founding a self-sustaining internet center while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. Since then, she has consulted to nonprofits, governments, foundations, and cross-sector partnerships in nine U.S. states and four countries.  Other current and recent clients include the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, State of Minnesota Chicano Latino Affairs Council, Minnesota Department of Health, Carmen Pampa Fund, and Youth Express. Colleen has expertise in a range of policy issues and frequently writes about the intersection of politics, policy, and social innovation. She is an alumna of the College of Saint Benedict and holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She is also a policy fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Ann Johnson

Ann is currently the Director of the Center for Nonprofit Management at the University of St. Thomas. In this role, she is responsible for leadership and development for UST professional and executive development programs, including the Institute for Executive Director Leadership, the UST Symposium on Social Entrepreneurship, and the Mini-MBA for Nonprofit Organizations. Ann also offers professional consulting in capacity building, innovation, effectiveness, board growth, and business models. She has 30 years of nonprofit leadership and management experience, in addition to expertise in professional training and curriculum development. She has served as executive for health care, education, advocacy and grassroots organizations. Ann is currently a board member of DesignWise Medical, a nonprofit pediatric device company and social entrepreneur venture. She is an active member of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, an association of academic centers and programs of accredited colleges and universities dedicated to research and education in the sector, and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, which fosters the study of philanthropy, volunteerism and civic action.

 

Committee Members

Greg Bauman and Jenny Kramm (Lutheran Community Foundation), Programming & Events Committee Co-Chairs
Laurel Hansen (Arc Greater Twin Cities)
Steven Olinger (Nerica)
Mary Serie (Cornerstone)
Amy Wagner (MAP for Nonprofits)

Tom Triplett (Triplett Consulting) and Andrea West, Social Enterprise Marketplace Committee Co-Chairs
Scott Cole (Hardcoat Inc.)
Colleen Ebinger (Impact Strategies Group)
Steven Lockwood (Tasks Unlimited)
Steven Olinger (Nerica)
Brian Paulson (Greater Twin Cities United Way)
Beth Parkhill (Mentor Planet)
Josh Senso (Hammer)