Robert Ferreri
Executive Director, ENTERPRISECorp
502.625.0044
RFerreri@GreaterLouisville.com
As Executive Director of Enterprise Corp. Bobby is responsible for directing Greater Louisville Inc.'s efforts to create an environment that fosters entrepreneurship. Focusing on cultural improvement, client services and the development of meaningful community infrastructure for entrepreneurs, Enterprise Corp. is in constant pursuit of making Louisville and entrepreneurial hot spot.
Prior to joining ENTERPRISECORP, Bobby was the Director of Headquarter Relocations for Greater Louisville Inc. His position personified the city's recognition of the importance organizational headquarters have on the community. As such, Bobby led Greater Louisville Inc.'s focused initiative to identify, inform, and attract well-suited corporate, regional and association headquarters to the Louisville area through a proactive outreach effort. During his time at Director Bobby lead an effort to recruit 15 headquarters to the Louisville area, leading to the addition of over 1000 professional jobs to the Louisville region.
Prior to joining Greater Louisville Inc. in 2006, Bobby worked at Ferreri and Fogle, PLLC where he practiced Employment law and specialized in workers' compensation litigation. He holds a B.S. in finance from Miami University a Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Louisville.
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Lisa Bajorinas
Managing Director, Growth Capital and High Impact Program
502.625.0133
LBajorinas@enterprisecorp.com
On behalf of GLI's EnterpriseCorp, Lisa manages a portfolio of select, fast-growth companies headquartered in greater Louisville. As a High Impact Portfolio company – a private/public partnership -- each business is evaluated to understand its growth opportunities and challenges and receives assistance in the areas of growth capital, tax incentives, talent attraction, site selection and local market exposure. The associated program also includes a peer community of fast growth business leaders taking advantage of leadership, education, networking and recognition opportunities to support the community's business expansion strategy. The program’s vision is to make greater Louisville an easy place to grow a business. Under her leadership, the High Impact Program has received the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Excellence in Economic Development Award, was a finalist for the CoreNet Global Economic Development Leadership Award, and received Honorable Mention from the International Economic Development Council's Excellence in Economic Development Award.
Given that capital enables business growth, Lisa also manages both the Louisville Enterprise Angels investor network and the Vogt Invention and Innovation Fund to match entrepreneurs with all sources of private equity funding. She vets and coaches solid investment deals to bring to the Enterprise Angels and oversees a business plan competition offering up to $250,000 per year in grant monies to early-stage startups. In 2010, Lisa managed the community-wide task force to update the State of Entrepreneurship report as an integral element of the region’s visioning 2020 work.
Lisa’s career began in the online travel industry in Miami with Eastern Airlines and System One Corporation through progressive technology positions. She was appointed business unit leader of product management for System One, a travel distribution company, responsible for their distributed software product line and pioneered the companies' project management methodology. Later, Lisa led the product marketing and project management for Amadeus' eCommerce products for their North and Central American markets. In Silicon Valley, Lisa was responsible for the marketing and sales launch of a new software application for Amadeus' partnership with BroadVision including managing a global team of developers located in Nice France, Miami, and San Francisco. Lisa joined the economic development team at Greater Louisville Inc. in 2003 and EnterpriseCorp in 2009. She holds a B.A. in organizational psychology and an MBA, both from the University of Miami (FL).
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David Oetken
Managing Director, Business Advising
502-625-0012
DOetken@enterprisecorp.com
David Oetken is a life-long Louisville ‘local boy.’ He is a graduate of Atherton High School and Bellarmine University where he earned both B.A. and M.B.A. degrees.
Dave began his business career in the sports / entertainment industry primarily in ice skating and ice hockey. He has owned and managed three ice rinks and earned the Manager of the Year award from the Ice Skating Institute of America. In addition, Dave was operations manager for several professional ice hockey teams in both the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL).
He also owned, operated and sold several businesses in the food industry primarily in manufacturing and wholesaling. From there, he moved into the restaurant field and owned and operated a number of franchise concepts including Dakota Steakhouse and Steak Escape.
Currently, Dave is ENTERPRISECORP’s Director of Business Advising. He is also President & CEO of Louisville News Company and has been with the company since 1991. Louisville News is the largest distributor of thoroughbred racing publications in the eastern USA. David is an active member and past Vice-Chairman of the (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and volunteers at the Louisville Small Business Development Center
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Tendai Charasika
Director, Innovation & Commercialization Center
502.625.0140
TCharasika@enterprisecorp.com
As Director of EnterpriseCorp’s Innovation & Commercialization Center (ICC), Tendai is responsible for providing key client services to a portfolio of early-stage, technology-based companies that includes but is not limited to idea assessment, business advising, and capital acquisition. Tendai’s assistance enables his clients to maximize product development effectiveness, drive new revenue growth, and realize their profits throughout a product’s life cycle.
Prior to joining EnterpriseCorp, Tendai worked at Summit Energy Services (Summit), a global leader in energy management and sustainability services, founded in Louisville in 1991. As the lead Sustainability Analyst hired by Summit, Tendai worked “intrapreneurially” to help grow the Sustainability department with a core focus on client needs such as strategy execution, the development of innovative products & solutions, and relationship management. Additionally, Tendai is a 2009 graduate of the University of Louisville’s top-ranked, global Entrepreneurial MBA program and has been very active in strategically advising, mentoring and participating in the creation of startup companies in the Louisville community.
Tendai is a proud Louisville native and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, both from the University of Louisville. In 2010, Tendai was recognized as one of Louisville’s “Top Forty Under 40” business professionals in the Louisville community by Business First.
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