Community of Interest: Workforce/Education

Dr. Bonnesen is the Director/Principal of Summit Technology Academy (STA) at The Missouri Innovation Campus, a national model for preparing high school juniors and seniors for college and for the high wage, high-demand professional workforce. STA serves students from 30 public and private high schools in the KC area.  STA has progressive programs that attract top talent and streamline their accent into key workforce sectors.  Dr. Bonnesen has over 24 years of experience in education.  He has received numerous awards and recognitions within the educational and civic spheres.  He holds a doctorate and specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Saint Louis University. In addition, he also has earned a master’s degree in school counseling and a bachelor’s degree in English education from the University of Central Missouri.

Ryan currently serves as President of the KC Tech Council, an industry association and regional advocate for Kansas City’s tech industry. He represents KC’s tech industry internationally as a board member, and treasurer, of the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), and serves as a member of the Federal Tax Advisory Committee for CompTIA.

In 2013, Ryan was mentioned as a "Rising Star," by KC Business Magazine and is a 2015 graduate of the Centurions Leadership Program. Recently, the Kansas City Business Journal listed Ryan in the “Power 100,” a list of the most influential business leaders in the KC region.

Ryan is a member of the executive mentorship program for the College of Business at Kansas State University, his Alma Mater. He is also involved with several other non-profit and charitable organizations in the region.

Aaron Alwell joined the DataBank management team as a consultant in the closing months of 2011. His immediate focus was on enhancing the company's brand image and awareness. Now in his permanent role, Alwell's impact can be felt throughout every facet of DataBank's branding, presence, and messaging. Aaron is a Marketing veteran with proven success in establishing brand identities in emerging markets. With over a decade and a half of experience in marketing both consumer and business technology solutions, Aaron’s specialties encompass both traditional and online marketing, ranging from hands-on advertising and design to website design, social media and SEO/SEM. Prior to DataBank, Alwell was the Vice President of Marketing for USAFact, one of the leading corporate background screening agencies. He has also held management-level marketing positions with a number of technology companies, including ViaWest, Dataside, and Internet America.

Tedrick Housh leads the Global Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection practice at Lathrop GPM.  For about half of his nearly thirty years as an attorney, Tedrick has helped clients address data security and privacy concerns through GDPR and CCPA compliance, adoption of information security and privacy policies, implementation of upstream and downstream vendor contracts, attention to privacy due diligence in corporate transactions, response to regulatory scrutiny and the handling of cyber- and privacy-related litigation. A frequent speaker on privacy and security, he is an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States & Europe (CIPP/US & CIPP/E). 

Debbie Kirchhoff, executive director of strategic initiatives, is responsible for community engagement and outreach in the Greater Kansas City region; and identifying and implementing opportunities for new initiatives that align with the strengths of Kansas State University. These efforts also position K-State Olathe as a springboard for growth opportunities for Kansas State University.
Kansas State University Olathe opened in April 2011 with the mission to expand potential through education, research and engagement in the Greater Kansas City Area.   

Bruce Scott has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development at INNOVA Consulting. He oversees sales, marketing and business development efforts, driving growth strategy and focus alongside the executive leadership team. Bruce has been with INNOVA since 2016 and touts more than 25 years of experience developing and growing new business, securing customer loyalty and forging strong relationships in the Kansas City business community.

Neelima Parasker has a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master’s Degree in Computer Science, and Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification. Neelima is the Owner, President and Chief Executive Officer of SnapIT Solutions®, LLC, an innovative technology services and solutions company with a mission to unleash our collective human potential to deliver innovative world-class technology solutions. 

An independent technology advisor and change management specialist. Entrepreneur, executive and non-profit board experience. Accomplishments have been recognized by a number of companies and national publications. Well known for a customer-first leadership approach that cultivates relationships and partnerships. Welcomes the opportunity to help companies adopt and embrace innovative solutions. A naturally curious person who loves people, sports & laughter. You can learn more about me at LinkedIn and Twitter.
 

I am the Vice President Innovation. My role is to implement the Innovation Hub consisting of an Exploration Zone, Strategy Activation, Innovation Central, The Idea Factory, What-if Machine and Percolator Sessions. I drive innovation thinking and tools into organizations.

Tom became Executive Director of PCs for People Kansas City on June 1, 2020, after successfully negotiating the asset contribution of the nonprofit previously known as Connecting For Good.  As the nation’s largest nonprofit recycler and refurbisher of computers for low income communities, PCs for People KC is demonstrating how nonprofits can scale to increase community impact as well as financial sustainability.  Secure e-waste recycling supports the distribution of reliable and affordable computers and internet to low income households throughout the country.  Through Tom's guidance, PCs for People Kansas City now employs 20 people, distributes over 5000 computers per year, and connects over 1000 people per year to affordable internet for the first time in their lives

Tim’s passion for communication has spanned two decades, focusing on executive coaching and training for most of that time. Prior to founding Presentr, Tim founded several companies focused on coaching and communication. Tim brings all his knowledge of the learning process and the most effective ways to help learners change their behaviors to his work and has leveraged his large database of clients to introduce them to the platform. When not focusing on getting people to stop using filler words, Tim enjoys binge-watching Netflix, cooking, and enjoying rich and unhealthy desserts.

As Ascend Learning’s Chief Technology Officer, Ash Siebecker is responsible for innovative strategy designed to mature our technology foundation with a focus on customer delight, efficiency and security.

Tech recruiter encouraging and challenging individuals to achieve higher levels of success and improve performance, personally and professionally.

A dynamic & versatile senior level IT leader with 25 years of diverse professional experience both domestically and abroad. A critical thinker who is uniquely versed in IT management, enterprise architecture, operational analysis, strategic thinking and IT innovation. Known to employ both traditional and innovative mechanisms in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for employers, colleagues, clients, and the community. A master of building, and maintaining, a sustainable and productive culture.
 

I've served many business and tech leaders in the Kansas City Metro and Heartland for over 30 years, providing consulting and solutions in every area of the tech stack, to remove complexity, while empowering their vision and business goals.  I appreciate meeting and connecting with people, developing long term relationships, tackling new challenges, am an eternal learner, and love applying new ideas to amplify and accelerate results.  I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my family and friends, working on personal passion projects and enjoying scenic locations.

SOTV is STEM education enrichment and a member of the NASA MIE Alliance.