Laurie Pieper, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Topeka, Kansas, United States

Kansas, United States

Building programs, partnerships and services to support small business start, growth, innovation, and transition.

Topeka, Kansas, United States

■ Recruited into a newly designed role catered to my unique skillset leading a $700K budget expanding innovation and public-private partnerships to grow the small business community. ■ Transformed small business programming from 150% over budget to within budget, delivering measurable economic impact and public funds transparency in under a year. ■ Built objective evaluation rubric bringing accountability to the use of public funds while ensuring 100% of accepted program participants deliver measurable community economic returns. ■ Scrapped a costly and ineffective entrepreneurial program creating entirely new approach fostering 3X the volume of mentor feedback and high drive entrepreneurial ecosystem. ■ In less than 4 months’ time, built ‘first in the state’ proof-of-concept grants and programs jumpstarting innovation with potential high-growth start-ups.■ Generated unprecedented levels of engagement from university, regional, state and federal agency partners building positive community response to funding initiatives and enabling greater impact. ■ Brought together DEI & innovation programming resulting in 40% of one program’s participants being people of color and 50% of another’s being minority owned businesses. ■ Lifted regional ecosystem pivotal to a small metro market with 2 vital university engagement partnerships and a 3rd in discussion. ■ Helped one market gain traction as a hub of innovation by being the 1st small metro market to formalize agreement with tech platform bringing equity investors to the table with 50+ companies in under 6 months. ■ Built off typical ‘small business Saturday’ practices and shifted approach to a year-round ‘shop local’ campaign expanding local community engagement.

Ames, Iowa, United States

Former title: Tech Director.■ Took on the state’s first role as a Tech Director building cohort-based programs and tech/innovation specific services validating tech clients existed and needed resources for growth. ■ Led massive scale client engagement, building an information engine, to deliver up-to-date pandemic responses to thousands of businesses reducing losses and closures.■ Coached one client in under 2 years from proof of concept to go-to-market strategy and award winning pitch competitions, ultimately the complete idea-to-sales lifecycle.■ Supported a med tech client in socializing their information with Department of Defense tech scouts successfully raising awareness of their R&D. ■ Validated the value proposition for continued funding and ‘T’ credential for the SBDC (SBTDC) by leveraging extensive connections, networking, generating client referrals and bringing in the first tech clients in a new Tech Director position.■ Coached an AG tech start-up client to secure $1.1M in venture capital investment, the single largest outside investment at that time.■ Coached 6 clients into top 3 award spots in pitch contests gaining them critical access to early stage funding upwards of $40K.

Topeka, Kansas, United States

Former title: Advisor.■ In 3 months’ time, formed 30+ key partnerships for co-marketing, co-referrals & co-delivery of training and services enabling BRITE to hit the ground running as a new program.■ Brought in the highest level of high-growth potential clients in 10 years to local SBDC with entirely original program concept helping innovation clients access early-stage capital.■ Helped an innovation tech client avoid up to $1M in regulatory fines by supporting their international sales that provided critical early revenue as well as import capital for the community and local job creation.■ Selected as a national speaker for ASBDC & NASBITE conferences; presentation and international business plan created was later adopted by 2 other states’ SBDCs and applied across the globe.■ Successfully hosted 22 events and over 1,200 attendees in a new program’s first 6 months, helping local innovators with POC funding, winning pitch competitions in larger metro areas, and jumpstarting equity fund raising stages.■ Identified statewide need for trade programming and successfully partnered to have local center deliver highly specialized training that attracted out of state businesses as well.■ Overcame weak SBA and USDA regional relationships to average 5+ joint events annually, generating national level client success stories ensuring funding for years to come.■ Benchmarked another state’s successful innovation programming to successfully advocate for and influence the KS Dept. of Commerce for the creation of 5 types of matching grants and 2 new state level grants.

Topeka, Kansas, United States

■ Developed a successful program that created the largest client engagement for state level programming, retained revenue, and reached unprecedented numbers of clients.■ Mitigated outreach center’s historical underperformance, doubling its economic impact within 2 years and enabling the retention of funding while increasing clients and referrals.■ Delivered a model of outreach for women-owned small businesses and improved ability to serve underserved communities. ■ Drove 10X increase in conference attendance and a 72.2% increase in traceable economic impact by bringing first of its kind education to small business owners regarding access to capital. ■ Edited version: Over a 2-year period, restored and repaired relationships with local university partners and rehabilitated a poor reputation from many years prior.■ Identified gaps in existing programming, created a conference series connecting 200+ innovators and resource partners; programming was then adopted by 3 other states as a model approach. ■ Dealt with limited resources by building strategic partnerships at state and national level that increased program attendance by 400% without increasing program delivery budgets. ■ Awarded the State Star Award for ASBDC as well as prestigious board and committee appointments.

Manhattan, Kansas, United States

■ Co-owner handling all back end operations, elevating the professionalism of the environment, and highly successful in a male dominated workplace.■ Created HR benefits including retirement plans that improved employee retention by 30% as well as increasing employee tenure.

Manhattan, Kansas, United States

■ Owner and operator of a successful hospitality business where most businesses fail within the first 3 years; voted “Best of” for 5 straight years and served over 18K guests in a 20 year period.■ Developed a diversified revenue stream driving a 20% increase in revenue, offering highly customizable experiences and options for an underserved corner of the market.■ Successfully remained viable and maintained employees post 9/11 through investments in marketing and developing strong value propositions when all reservations for 6 months out were canceled within days.

Teaching (designing and teaching courses in History of Ancient Greek Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, Methods, Composition, and Introduction to Philosophy) Research (Metaphysics and Epistemology, History of Philosophy, and Philosophy of Religion)Service (served on and chaired department committees including hiring committees; student advising)

Teaching (designing and teaching courses in History of Ancient Greek Philosophy, History of Medieval Philosophy, and History of 19th Century Philosophy; and supervising teaching assistants)

M.A., Ph.D., Philosophy

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Philosophy

Activities and Societies: Volunteered to teach reading at the local Y, played intramural volleyball, took dance classes.Philosophy major.