Jill Nesbitt
CEO / Co-Founder
With an MBA and 20 years experience in private practice healthcare, Jill has successfully managed small businesses. Responsible for all aspects of the business, she is known for her ability to establish systems, reduce expenses and increase productivity. Trained as a state-level Baldrige examiner, she has a systematic approach to evaluate organizations and tie performance measurement back to vision and strategy. Although she talks her husband into doing most of the painting now, she knows the value of a clean, organized painting project setup and loves the ease of use of our paint can sealer.
Michael Lupelow
Inventor/Adviser
Michael is a Mechanical Engineer specializing in product design and development. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of North Dakota. He is also a board certified Engineer in Training.
Michael currently holds the position of All-Terrain Vehicle Design Engineer with Arctic Cat Inc. Previously he held the position of Product Design Engineer with Marvin Windows & Doors. With each company he has played a key role in the design and development of flagship products from concept to production.
Michael first came up with the idea for the Paint Can Sealer while working at a small hardware store during high school. He brought his idea to fruition a few years later when assigned a project to create a product for a course at UND. At the conclusion of the course Michael was able to utilize intellectual property resources at UND to apply for a patent for his invention.
Carlos Otterbach
Industry Consultant/Adviser
Carlos has over 20 years experience managing metal container manufacturing facilities that produce paint cans among other steel pails. For the last 10 years, Carlos has been the owner and distributor of metal containers in the US and around the world. With degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Accounting and Finance and a Master in Business Administration, Carlos has experience running an international trade company and speaks German, Spanish and English.
Ray Schlueter
Adviser
Ray holds an MBA from the DePaul University Kelstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Miami University in Oxford, OH. Ray is a proven sales leader in the consumer products field. With his 20 year career working for companies such as Black & Decker, First Alert, & Master Lock he brings a wealth of industry sales and marketing experience to our team. Ray is skilled at creating, coaching, and managing sales teams to sell and market to "Big Box" retail, specialty accounts, and Hardware Co-ops and Distributors in the US and Canadian markets. He also has extensive experience working on new product introductions to the retail marketplace.
John Mason Hughes
Adviser
John Mason Hughes brings to the table 36 years of painting experience. Attended George Mason University , where he settled in the art field. From print-making to Graphic design were his courses of choice. After working with his family in the custom home building field for years, he started John Hughes Custom Painting. His company is well respected in the DE and surrounding areas. He is the sole Pres./Owner of JHCP and has years of sales experience. Also add in that he worked the other side of the painting business in the retail Duron Paint Stores, then returning to the residential, commercial,and restoration paint field. In the year 2000 he invented the Banister Railing Drop Cloth , which is currently being sold ONLINE with Home Depot. John is looking forward to help bring this great product to market
Will Hogan
CFO
Will holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Chicago, and has earned the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation. Will’s business development experience ranges from opportunity, identification and evaluation to project management including specifying capability requirements, building teams, selecting and managing partners and vendors and strategic marketing. Over his 20-plus year career, Will has proven adept at driving initiatives within and across organizations, often employing consultative sales techniques at firms such as Amalgamated Bank, Aetos Capital/ AEA Holdings, Morgan Stanley, and Ernst & Young. Through Godfrey Companies, Inc., Will provided consulting services to growing companies on business planning, business development, and capital formation topics. Will also served as COO of Hillsdale Group, a developer of green energy generation projects, primarily in the developing world, where he led the company’s strategy and execution efforts, including project identification, evaluation, financing, and overall development.
Corey Park
Strategy Advisor
Mr. Park is a Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP), with additional (CHP) certifications at the highest level in Portfolio Analytics and Risk Management. He also attended the Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business (Leadership and Management) and has served in executive leadership positions for over 20 years. Mr. Park has closed several acquisitions and multimillion dollar lines of credit from hedge funds; as well as negotiated and / or closed many mergers, strategic partnerships, license and/or sponsored research agreements and joint ventures. As an experienced practitioner of business strategy, he has read, studied and applied numerous books and countless articles relating to business strategy (According to the Wall Street Journal, the most sought after executive skill set is strategic thinking).