Wayne Beeson Email & Phone Number

Chattanooga, Tn, Us

Global

My entire career has been dedicated to either launching or expanding new businesses.

United States And Ukraine

WelcomeNST currently focuses on refugee private sponsorship and resettlement. WelcomeNST is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is a Private Sponsorship Organization (PSO) affiliate of Welcome Corps, the U.S. Department of State's official private refugee resettlement program. WelcomeNST recruits, trains, and supports Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs), also referred to as Private Sponsor Groups (PSGs) by Welcome Corps, in communities across America, and matches them with refugee families from Ukraine and now from other countries around the world. A friend and colleague from a church assignment where we served refugees, asked me to help launch WelcomeNST in August 2021 in response to the Afghan evacuation.I have been privileged to help in the following areas.NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT:► Expanding the organization both nationally and internationally► Establishing operations in UkraineHUMANITARIAN RESPONSE:► Humanitarian aid deliveries to refugee shelters across Ukraine (3 months in-country)► Initiated Rebuilding Ukraine efforts to provide modular houses for displaced Ukrainian families► Presented Uniting for Ukraine resettlement opportunity at dozens of refugee shelters to hundreds of refugees and internally displaced peoplePARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:► Arranging partnering relationships with large religious organizations and other organizations to facilitate the formation of NSTs/PSGs► Validating the community-based refugee private sponsorship resettlement model► Establishing WelcomeNST as a PSO affiliate with the U.S. Department of State’s Welcome CorpsREFUGEE RESETTLEMENT:► 3,000+ volunteers► 100+ NSTs/PSGs► 600+ refugees resettledEVENT SPEAKER:► Speaking to faith-based and business organizations about the leadership benefits of serving refugees Explaining how individuals and organizations can privately sponsor and welcome refugee families to America Please reach out.

Global

Private geopolitical monitoring and analysis for startup portfolio.

Greater Boston Area, Global Client Base

VMS Software, Inc. (VSI) was a startup company in 2014. The company licensed the OpenVMS operating system — the most secure operating system in the world — running mission-critical applications for government and military, financial institutions, industrial and educational institutions worldwide -- from Hewlett-Packard (HP). The operating system ran exclusively on HP servers, which HP was preparing to sunset. VMS Software’s first objective was to migrate the OpenVMS customers from HP to VSI where OpenVMS was now supported and upgraded. The second objective was to modernize OpenVMS and port it to x86 hardware for broader applications in the market.The CEO of VSI, who knew my entrepreneurial background and experience with startups, invited me to join the startup team, first as Director of Business Development to help with the customer migration objective. Based on the success of that effort, he subsequently asked me to launch the first OpenVMS Services effort as Director of Services. As Director of Business Development, I was charged with the global outreach to the client base. I was a direct report to the CEO and was responsible for the initial outreach to the worldwide OpenVMS install base. As with most startups, the leadership team members often have multiple functions. This was certainly true at VSI. I worked closely with the CEO and VP of Engineering to develop the initial company strategy, develop workflows for key processes, and analyze products for development, all to recruit the global install base from Hewlett-Packard to VSI's client list.As Director of Services, I recruited and managed strategic partners. I was responsible for defining our initial service offering, recruiting and managing technical consulting partners to deliver IT services and promoting these services with large customers in various countries worldwide.

Greater Salt Lake City And Greater Boston Area

After the end of my contract with Certiport in 2009, I immediately reestablished my business development services business and, after contacting colleagues in the new venture community, pursued a series of new startup opportunities in the greater Salt Lake City area.Although I enjoy having an agreement with a larger startup that takes all of my time, I am also comfortable as an entrepreneur having a number of startup clients whom I provide business development services for, or actually starting new business ventures myself.This period was an enjoyable combination of those business arrangements, and it seemed good to be independent and flexible.During this period of time I:► Partnered with a colleague and set up an employment testing center to test potential TSA employees for government employment► Provided consultant services to Golden Lamp, a USCIS-administered EB5 Visa immigrant Investor regional center► Worked with a colleague to generate associate leads for a Thrivent Financial venture► Pursued various education projects with Juxta Labs, previously ClassTop, Inc., focusing on their Coursefeed learning management platform► Promoted IT education with various for-profit colleges in UtahWhen for family reasons I needed to relocate to the Greater Boston Area in 2014, I was easily able to shift my entrepreneurial focus to that area. Personal contacts resulted in new opportunities, ultimately leading to the major startup opportunity with VMS Software, Inc.

Greater Salt Lake City Area - Moscow, Russia

Certiport, now a Pearson VUE business, was established in 1997. Certiport began with the exclusive global contract to develop and deliver certification exams for the Microsoft Office Specialist credential, and now works with over a dozen industry-leading certification providers to bring their programs to market and delivers exams through an expansive network of over 15,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide, delivering millions of exams each year in 148 countries and 27 languages. In late 2004, a colleague with whom I worked on the Franklin Templeton Bank project a few years prior, reached out to offer me a contract with Certiport in a business development role. My initial challenge was establishing a corporate channel in the United States and managing corporate clients and promoting "Digital Literacy" and "Close the IT Skills Gap" campaigns. When Microsoft asked the company to develop a presence in the BRIC countries, I negotiated an agreement to go to Russia.My time with Certiport included living in Moscow, Russia, and expanding the company internationally, including:► Established Certiport certified testing centers ► Established and expanded a partnership to service Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia.► Worked with the Gorbachev Foundation in Moscow on a digital literacy program for Russian orphanagesThe Great Recession in Russia coincided with our launch of business operations there. Russian financial markets were in crisis and the recession was compounded by political fears after the war with Georgia. To make matters worse, the price of Urals heavy crude oil lost more than 70% from its peak of US$147 on July 4, 2008. I arrived in Moscow on July 8, 2008. After nearly two years in Russia, I gained valuable experience but returned having learned a hard lesson in geopolitical risk analysis at the expense of my contract with the company.

Omaha, Ne

Commercial Federal Bank was a full service regional bank, taking deposits and making loans, provided other services for the public, and expanding its operations in the mid-west and into Colorado. It was merged into Bank of the West in 2005.For personal reasons, I moved from Utah to Omaha, Nebraska in 2000 and continued to work with Franklin Templeton Bank. The CEO frequently came to Omaha to meet with First Data. As a result, I was part of the banking network in Omaha and was invited to help start the small business banking effort for Commercial Federal Bank when my project ended with Franklin Templeton Bank.At Commercial Federal Bank I was part of the first small business lending team that helped expand the bank’s services to the small business niche in preparation for the bank to be merged.While I was at Commercial Federal Bank I fortunately was able to take advantage of my entrepreneurial background to:► Develop and execute strategies to acquire clients for loans and other bank services ► Manage a portfolio of commercial loans► Open a loan office in Lincoln, Nebraska► Helped establish the small business underwriting operationAlthough I enjoyed my experience in the banking industry, I needed to return to Utah for personal reasons, and was grateful when a former colleague from Franklin Templeton Bank reach out and offered me a contract with Certiport in Greater Salt Lake City, Utah.

Salt Lake City - Omaha

Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Franklin Templeton Investments, was a startup bank in 1999 and was one of the first online banks with no “brick and mortar” locations for customers. It was conceived by Franklin Temple Investments to service its investment customers, and because of friendly banking laws, was established in Salt Lake City, Utah.The CEO that was hired to start the bank from scratch had attended one of my entrepreneurship seminars a few years earlier and we had stayed in touch. He was interested in making the IT education loan product we had previously discussed a product for the new bank he was starting and asked me if I was available and interested in being part of the startup team at Franklin Templeton Bank.As a direct report to the CEO, my role at the bank was as Business Development Director for Education Lending, but my experience as an entrepreneur was initially more relevant since we did not yet have a bank, a way of taking and approving online credit applications, executing online loan documents, or a channel through which we would sell the loans, or marketing material to describe the product to either channel partners or borrowersMy time with the Franklin Templeton Bank project was characterized by an entrepreneurial mindset, as usual, and was able to:► Acted as entrepreneurial advisor to the CEO► Conceived an IT education loan product to finance the tuition for Microsoft technical certifications► Created a credit enhancement strategy that facilitated loan acceptance from all applicants► Produced the marketing and sales strategy and collateral for the product► Developed a national channel of IT training companies (like Productivity Point International) through which the IT education loans could be marketedWe successfully launched the bank, but Franklin Temple Investments decided not to continue the IT education loan product because of their concerns relative to the “.com bubble” of the time.

Salt Lake City, Utah

The Salt Lake City office of Productivity Point International (PPI) was an affiliate of the international PPI organization. PPI specialized in the sale of IT training programs for individual customers as well as for employees of companies and government agencies, to train on the use of personal computer applications, and for technical people to train on networking, web development, and database technologies. As a result of my connections in the venture capital community in Salt Lake City, I was asked to help PPI Salt Lake transition from its focus on retail customers to a corporate client base and consider other ways to innovate and expand its business.My initial role at PPI Salt Lake was as a Business Development Team Leader, managing what corporate clients they had at the time, including the 3,000-plus employees working at the Church office building across the street from the PPI Sale Lake office. Soon, my entrepreneurial mindset changed my role. During my time with PPI Salt Lake, I was able to:► Manage the Church account as they migrated over 3,000 employees to Microsoft Explore and the Microsoft Office Suite of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.► Developed a “first-of-its-kind partnering relationship with the Salt Lake office of Microsoft based on the marketing concept to close the IT Skills Gap► Led the shift from a desktop applications training sales strategy to a Microsoft technical certification package sales strategy (higher unit sale price)► Initiated an IT consulting services offering to diversify revenue► Pioneered a revenue-sharing model with office building owners and ISPs to supply high-speed Internet services to office buildings and offer subscriptions to tenets► Increased revenue and diversified services which positioned PPI Salt Lake to be soldThe eminent sale of PPI Salt Lake was an incentive for me to look for my next entrepreneurial opportunity.

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

After divesting my interests in the commercial construction management business, I pursued new entrepreneurial opportunities. Inspired by Ronald K. Mitchell, a friend, and colleague who had done pioneering academic research on entrepreneurship and the analytical tools he developed, I established a small consulting practice applying these analytical tools: The New Venture Profile™ and The New Venture Template™.These tools were very effective for analyzing entrepreneurs seeking funding and the new ventures they were seeking to fund. During this time, I analyzed over a thousand business plans for venture consultants and venture capital firms, such as:► Venture Dynamics► Ralph Harding and Associates► Wayne Brown InstituteAnd additionally:► Marketed and delivered seminars and keynotes on entrepreneurship and new venture development► Maintained a weekly column on entrepreneurship for the Deseret NewsIn my previous endeavors, I was an early adopter of technology. I pioneered the use of CAD technology in our industry and was an early adopter of cell phones and portable computers. That interest in technology continued.Being part of the venturing community increased my interest in the developing Internet and personal computer (PC) technologies, and their application to business. Numerous opportunities were of interest, including business process reengineering projects where I would help design workflows and then apply the new PC technologies for efficiency.

Salt Lake City-Las Vegas-Seattle

Beeson & Company was initially a sales and management company but evolved to the umbrella organization for our business activities. The company and its subsidiaries primarily engineered, sold, installed, and maintained commercial refrigeration equipment for major supermarket chain stores and their distribution centers throughout the western United States. The company grew to have offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Redmond, Washington.I formed Beeson & Company, working with my two brothers, to expand and diversify Tri-State Refrigeration, a company founded by our father and his partners. However, our efforts far exceeded that original vision.My role was that of the entrepreneur and CEO. I was the visionary and saw ways to innovate, create new business opportunities around innovations, and go to market, as it were. I managed the business and my brothers managed the projects and client relationships.During my time in this role we:► Established commercial equipment refurbishing process in Salt Lake City► Opened an office in Las Vegas, Nevada, and acquired most of the supermarket chains as clients► Opened an office in Redmond, Washington (Seattle area) ► Pioneered the first computer-aided design (CAD) engineering service in the supermarket industry► Financed the establishment of Professional Engineering Services (PES), a mechanical and electrical engineering firm► Transitioned the Sax Thermal Manufacturing business from solar collectors to walk-in coolers and freezer construction for supermarkets.► Established Great Basin Mechanical, a residential heating company► Eventually acquired Tri-State RefrigerationFor various personal reasons, we sold the business, which allowed each of us to pursue individual interests.

Salt Lake City, Ut

Tri-State Refrigeration was a large commercial refrigeration company and had as its customers supermarket chain stores as well as smaller independent grocery chains. The company was a channel partner for large equipment manufacturers and sold, installed, and maintained large and complex refrigerated systems for their supermarket customers.My father was one of the founders/owners of Tri-State Refrigeration and my younger brothers had worked for the company as technicians and installers. After I graduated from college and was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Army, I returned home from military training and joined the startup team initially responsible for corporate sales.Initially, my role as a salesperson was to call on supermarket accounts in Northern Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. When the sales manager left the company, I was promoted to take his place. In addition, my father was very entrepreneurial. He and my brothers and I started a couple of businesses, with the blessing of our father’s partners.While I was at Tri-State Refrigeration, I was able to:► Expand our client base in my territory► Establish several large food distribution centers as customers► Manage large chain store accounts► Co-founded Sax Thermal Manufacturing, a solar collector manufacturing business► Co-founded Great Basin Mechanical, a residential heating company

International Relations Graduate Certificate, International Relations And Affairs

Blockchain Technologies: Business Innovation And Application

Artificial Intelligence: Implications For Business Strategy, Mit Sloan Executive Certificate In Management And Leadership

Bachelor, International Studies

Eastern European and Middle Eastern history, political systems and economies. Language: Russian.