Entrepreneurial Bridge

Details

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

8 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. with a reception to follow until 5:30 p.m.

Wedgewood Cove

2200 West 9th Street, Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007

Keynote: Connor Wray | JonnyPops

“From dorm room to national brand, a start-up story”

Learn how a trip to the grocery store inspired two college students to create an alternative frozen treat to the existing unhealthy options. Like any entrepreneurial journey, nothing goes in a straight line. Hear how Connor’s resilience and commitment to doing good with each JonnyPop has launched his business into a national brand.

About Connor Wray:
Connor is the co-founder and chief financial officer of JonnyPops. He is a committed and disciplined leader who has focused the organization on balancing business fundamentals while undergoing rapid growth and transformation, leading to consistent improvement in performance and profitability. Connor holds a BA in Economics and Computer Science from St. Olaf College, has been recognized as a keynote speaker at business, technology and entrepreneurship events across the country, and was named to the 2018 class of Forbes 30 Under 30 innovative and emerging leaders.

Bill Bartz | Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm

About Bill Bartz:
A 55-acre farm and a vision. In a quest to provide a unique outdoor experience for visitors, utilize the beautiful land they inhabit, connect with their local farming community and grow agritourism in the Waseca area, Bill Bartz and Emily Knudsen dreamed up and brought to life the Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm.

Bucky Beeman | Realty Growth, Inc

“Small moves, big impact: how social media has grown my business”

Learn how small, consistent actions on social media can create big results for your business. In this session, Bucky will share how he got started, what he’s learned and how you can make social work for you — even with limited time and resources. You will leave with tips you can use right away.

About Bucky Beeman:
Robert “Bucky” Beeman, a partner at Realty Growth, Inc, has worked with clients ranging from startups to investors and developers. He has 16 years of applicable experience in the real estate business with a specific focus on commercial sales, leasing and investment. He has successfully worked with Realty Growth to increase the company’s online marketing and branding in local, regional and national areas. Being born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota has allowed Bucky to have a great pulse on the market. Bucky’s family owns a small restaurant called Snappy Stop that has been in business since 1985. He has learned from his father that business is no easy task but with integrity, hard work and a great team it truly can be wonderful to own a small business. Bucky graduated from Century high school in 2008 and jumped right into small business with operating and growing a facility service company. The growth of this company led him to meet many property owners that ultimately helped him discover a great passion for commercial real estate.

Christine Lantinen | Maud Borup Inc.

About Christine Lantinen:
For over thirty years, I’ve worked in retail. At age 18, I got my first job as a store sales associate and went on to work in store management, product sourcing and development, marketing and sales, executive management and manufacturing. In 2005, I purchased Maud Borup. We are a wholesale manufacturer specializing in gourmet candy, confections and snacks for specialty and mass retailers and are now one of the top candy companies in Minnesota.

Our vision is to provide a high level of customer service to the retailers and wholesalers we serve through custom product design and development, a lean supply chain and green manufacturing practices. This year we produced 17 million units and brought 150 products to market, in addition to being one of only six thousand certified B Corporations in the world using business as a force for good.

Maud Borup factories are located in Le Center, MN, Plymouth, MN, and Delafield, WI, where we manufacture chocolate enrobed and molded items, cotton candy and soft candies and at which we provide both automated and hand labor contract manufacturing and packing. We are Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified at all factories, Fair Trade (chocolate) certified and certified to produce gluten free and organic products.

Gary Noble | Bio-Plastic Solutions

About Gary Noble:
Gary Noble is currently president and CEO at Bio-Plastic Solutions. Gary holds a BS in marketing and management from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Bio-Plastic Solutions is an innovator in the development, utilization, processing and marketing of ag-based raw materials used in the building, construction and furnishing industries. Their current products such as edge-banding, trims and corners are made from corn and soybean components grown in this region. Additional testing is being done to expand the products utilization in durable building components, such as wall coverings and protections, trims and moldings to exterior building components.

Over the past five years, they have experienced a significant increase in the building and trade industry’s desires to identify and utilize non-petroleum base materials. Gary’s ag-based business has invested 75% of R&D efforts for the past 13 years and will continue to invest at that rate with their strategic partners. Particular focus is on replacing components utilizing materials identified with health hazards. He is grateful to be located in this region because of the talent, innovation and expertise here.

Dr. Jeffrey Stamp | University of Minnesota

“What ideas need to survive in rural economies”

Entrepreneurs create value by solving problems for customers. Before they can serve customers in a rural market, all entrepreneurs must first solve three essential business problems to build a company that can compete in a marketplace. Dr. Stamp will lead a fast-paced journey through the life of an idea and discuss how to turn ideas into assets that delight customers so that you can become an idea champion for your business.

About Dr. Jeffrey Stamp:
Dr. Jeffrey Stamp has over 25 years of world-wide experience in bringing out the creative best in business professionals and university students. You will recognize Dr. Stamp by the products he has created while in corporate life. He was the inventor, creator and section manager of “Baked Lays,” for PepsiCo’s snack division Frito-Lay, which achieved $230 million in first-year sales and was named by Ernst and Young as the top brand introduction in the 90’s for the food sector.

Dr. Stamp is recognized worldwide as a master creative practitioner and has developed numerous methods that are designed to accelerate “Discovery Thinking” and cognitive fluidity. Dr. Stamp also resided as the endowed chair of entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of North Dakota, which was ranked 13th in the 2008 review of the top 25 undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship by Entrepreneur magazine and the Princeton Review of the 900 universities and college programs in the U.S. In 2008, Dr. Stamp was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award from the Acton Foundation.

His research is focused on the creative and cognitive processes that entrepreneurs use in idea creation, technology innovation and opportunity recognition.

Jena Thompson | Daisy Blue Naturals

About Jena Thompson:
Jena, a chemist and lifelong wellness advocate, was deeply frustrated by the greenwashing she saw across the beauty and wellness industry products labeled “natural” or “organic” that were anything but. Jena knew consumers deserved better, so she set out to create a company built on truth, transparency and truly clean ingredients.

At Daisy Blue Naturals, every product is thoughtfully crafted with integrity and backed by science. We don’t just claim natural, we live it. From plant-based skincare to holistic wellness solutions, our mission is simple: to make a difference in every life we touch. Because when you know better, you do better. And we’re here to lead the way.