SPEAKER: Brian Tsuchiya

Founder of Startup Guru

Brian Tsuchiya is an authority on crowdfunding, after spending the last 8 years researching a variety of methods he has unique experiences with crowds. Including having a company entirely funded with "sweat equity" from over one hundred people. Managing that many shareholders is unique for a privately held startup. Brian also has raised over $2M of private equity.

Brian is the founder of StartUp Guru and started his entrepreneurial journey 18 years ago and has since launched ten startups. Startup Guru is the culmination of this extraordinary journey. He has openly shared for the first 40 years of his life he primarily served himself and lived a life without purpose.  Then in June of 2006 he read a book that would change his life forever.  He embarked on a journey that connected his life purpose with his entrepreneurial career.  Through this work he understood his patterns and defined his life in a way that revealed his purpose.  Forged in him was the way of the entrepreneur.

PANELIST: Anthony Santarosa

Serial Entrepreneur

Anthony Santarosa is a serial entrepreneur. His most successful venture was Niagara Tank Lines, a chemical transport logistics company. Founded in 1998 with no vehicles and $0 revenue, Niagara Tank Lines grew to a fleet of 50 tank trailers $8.7M in revenue. Anthony sold the management portion of his business in May of 2009. Niagara Tank Lines and its subsidiaries still own the trailer fleet and property which are on lease to other parties.

Anthony has also had entrepreneurial ventures in residential construction, retail, vehicle manufacturing, and heavy equipment maintenance.

Anthony is married to his wife of 17 years, Susan. Together they have four children, Alessandra, Anthony II, Annah and Amelia. A avid hockey fan, Anthony holds a Level 4 Coaching Certificate from USA Hockey and has coached several youth hockey championship teams.

PANELIST: Lisa Cratty

Co-founder of Teagan and Mack, Sew Specialized and Mama Jane’s

Becoming a mother changed Lisa Cratty in a way that she could never have predicted.  Lisa became a lot more in tune with what’s going on in the world today, the effects on our environment and the toxins our children are exposed to.  She decided that it was time to be a part of the solution and was inspired to found Teagan and Mack, an eco-friendly baby clothing line.  Founding Teagan and Mack gave her an intimate understanding of the process that entrepreneurs go through when developing products and taking them to market. 

Sew Specialized, is their design and development company, where they specialize in helping other entrepreneurs bring their concepts to market. 

In January of 2011 Lisa created the concept of Mama Jane’s, an online marketplace for moms with a social environment.  She created this model due to a gap in the market.  The popularity of online shopping diminishes the social connection for moms.  Mama Jane’s is a place where moms can connect and shop while never having to leave the site.  They saw an opportunity to capture an exploding market in a revolutionary way and plan to launch the business in November of 2011.

Lisa currently lives in Louisville, CO and she is grateful everyday for the ability to do what she loves while spending so much more time with her family.

HOST: Steve Baker

Senior Fellow, Business Advisor and Author

Steve Baker is a small business advocate with a passion for business and a drive for success. As a founder of successful companies, a corporate executive and business advisor, he has over 25 years of experience developing and launching new businesses. He has led companies in every phase of business cycle from startup to exit in both private and public sectors. He guided one of his startup companies through a successful public offering of stock (IPO) and achieved revenues of $500 million.

Steve directs business development and strategic marketing, and has taken companies from startup to millions of dollars in revenues in such diverse industries as international travel, financial software, franchising, manufacturing, ergonomics, medical devices, migraine headache treatment, and an international medical wellness resort.

As a small business advocate, Steve thrives on the challenge of solving problems that impede business growth and success. As a Senior Fellow at the DaVinci Institute, a futurist think-tank, he enjoys helping entrepreneurs succeed. He is the author of the award winning book Pushing Water Uphill With A Rake and is a frequent public speaker to business groups and university students, discussing entrepreneurship and ethics.