IMPACT 307 Staff

Our staff are knowledgeable and capable counselors and mentors who have impressive educational, corporate, and functional backgrounds that can be directly applied into start-up guidance and toward serving as de facto management or advisory boards for those companies.

Learn more about each member of our team below.

Derrek Jerred

Senior Director, IMPACT Laramie | Serving Southeastern Wyoming

(307) 766-6395
djerred@uwyo.edu

Education:

B.S. Business Administration, University of Wyoming

International Economic Development Council Certified Economic Developer (CEcD)

Specialties/Focus:

Economic Development

Strategy

Business Development

Background & Accomplishments:

Derrek Jerred was appointed Senior Director of IMPACT 307 in September 2022.

Previously, he was the Director of Business Attraction for Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development entity for Cheyenne and Laramie County, Wyoming. Over his eight and a half years at Cheyenne LEADS, he held the Director of Business Retention & Attraction and Business Development Specialist positions as well.

Derrek was named one of Wyoming’s 40 Under 40 by the Wyoming Business Report in 2017 and is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming’s Class of 2018. Derrek actively looks for volunteer opportunities and officiates hockey. Derrek enjoys golfing, traveling, attending concerts, and cooking. Derrek is originally from Gillette, WY and has never passed up a medium rare ribeye or a karaoke opportunity. Derrek genuinely wishes that there was more time in the day for ceramics.

Monica Jo Patten

Assistant Director, IMPACT Laramie | Serving Southwestern Wyoming

307-466-3963
monica.patten@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

B.S – Chemistry, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA

M.S. – Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

MBA – Indiana University Bloomington

 

SPECIALITIES/FOCUS

  • Startups to mature businesses looking for growth
  • Consumer focused innovation
  • New product development from early research to manufacturing
  • Intellectual property landscaping and strategy

 

PRODUCT/TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE

Organic synthesis, small molecules, polymers, organometallics, pharmaceuticals (oncology, antiviral, and ophthalmology), FMCG, consumer products, dyes (oxidative and direct), prototyping and testing, formulation, OLEDs, intellectual property landscaping, quality control, stability testing, chemical research and manufacturing equipment, technical transfers, outsourcing

 

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Monica joined IMPACT 307 in February 2021 after a successful career in chemical industry spanning from early research to late stage development. Monica began her career as a medicinal chemist at Pfizer. At Procter & Gamble she did R&D on hair dyes. She is an inventor of syntheses of ME+TM, which is an oxidative dye for hair colorants. ME+TM has been used in reformulations of flagship brands for Wella and Clairol, and provides lower risk for consumer allergy developments. Combined sales of Wella and Clairol brands are approximately $1 billion/year. Also at P&G, Monica led a group which reviewed current patent and academic literature in the field of color science. Her summaries of these findings helped inspire new projects and internal collaborations across global P&G. At PPG, Monica developed manufacturing methods for 3-5 new OLED materials a year. Through PPG’s partner, UDC, these materials have been commercialized and sold for use in OLED screens. Monica is an inventor on five patents (issued and filed).

 

From Harvey Mudd College, Monica received her B.S. in chemistry and a strong foundation for working across all technical fields. At UIUC, she trained in synthetic organic chemistry in the labs of Scott Denmark. During her MBA from Indiana University Bloomington, she consulted for a Fortune 500 process engineering company and a small health care startup. She is originally from Wyoming (Gillette and Green River).

 

Josh Keefe

Assistant Director, IMPACT Cheyenne | Serving Southeastern Wyoming

307-631-9133
keefej@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

Masters in Business Administration, Regis University

B.S. Finance, University of Wyoming

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Financial Analysis
  • Business Development
  • Operations

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Josh Keefe was selected as Assistant Director of IMPACT 307 in April 2023.

Previously, he was a Commercial Lender for Platte Valley Bank, and the Economic Development Finance Manager at the Wyoming Business Council, the economic development entity for the State of Wyoming. Over the previous eight years in these two roles, not only did he help business startup, but also expand their services.  In addition, Josh spearheaded legislation to help Wyoming businesses transition smoothly from one owner to another; keeping jobs alive in small communities.  Josh was also an integral part of the Business Relief Programs (BRP) of 2020, in which grants were made to help keep Wyoming businesses open during the COVID pandemic.

Josh was named one of Wyoming’s 40 Under 40 by the Wyoming Business Report in 2019.  Josh volunteers on multiple boards across the State and helps coach youth sports teams.  Josh enjoys golfing, traveling, attending concerts, and sporting events; especially UW.  GO POKES!  Josh is originally from Cheyenne, WY, loves classic cars and useless knowledge.

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Eric Schlidt

Director, IMPACT Casper

(307) 315-6401
casper@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration, University of Wyoming

M.S. Health Service Administration, University of Wyoming, ConcentrationHealth Institution Leadership

B.S. Physiology, University of Wyoming, Concentration Neuroscience

B.A. Honors, University of Wyoming, Minor Economics

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Operations
  • Strategic Planning
  • Administration and Leadership

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Eric Schlidt was appointed Director of IMPACT Casper in January 2020. He serves on a variety of local and statewide boards including the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board, the Advance Casper board, the Casper College Marketing Advisory Board, and the University of Wyoming- Casper Bachelor of Applied Science Advisory Board.

Previously, he was the Associate Director for the Master of Science in Health Services Administration at the University of Wyoming and the track director of Health Institution Leadership. He has worked in healthcare administration, business development and geriatrics in rural Wyoming. In 2021, he was the Rural Health Fellow for the National Rural Health Association.

Eric’s degrees from the University of Wyoming include: Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Health Service Administration with a concentration in Health Institution Leadership, Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and a Bachelor’s of Arts in the Honor’s Program with a minor in Economics. While enrolled in his graduate studies, he was the operations manager of a reproductive clinic in Laramie, Wyoming. He started his own company and managed a remote placer gold mine in the Yukon Territory. He has had experience working in hospitals and clinics throughout Wyoming.

Mr. Schlidt currently lives in Casper, Wyoming with his wife and son where he enjoys the vast wilderness that is Wyoming and exploring its beauty. He is an active member of Rotary and a certified Advanced Open Water Diver. He enjoys world travel and has made it to six out of the seven continents.

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John Glassburn

Assistant Director, IMPACT Casper

(307) 315-6404
glassbur@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

B.S. Finance, University of Wyoming, Minors Economics, Banking and Financial Services
B.S. Accounting, University of Wyoming

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Cost reduction and business expansion
  • Financial preparation and analysis
  • Cost accounting across multiple industries

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

John joined the IMPACT 307 (formally WTBC) team in October 2011. John works with clients to make sure that they have accurate financials so that they can make proper decisions based off these financials. He also works with clients to research and explore areas for business expansion and cost reduction. Before joining the IMPACT 307 team, John worked in a family owned furniture business, where he worked as both a bookkeeper and builder.

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Brian Young

Assistant Director, IMPACT Casper | Serving Central Wyoming

(720) 365-6694
byoung13@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

B.S. Business Administration, University of Colorado at Boulder

J.D. Juris Doctor, University of Idaho College of Law

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Company Structure
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Small Business Financing

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Brian has over 20 years of experience with companies ranging from startups to global corporations. He has held leadership positions at publicly traded corporate entities and founded several small businesses. His background includes governance,  taxation, and executive management.   He has also studied business in graduate school at the University of South Dakota.
Whether playing golf, going fishing, or hiking in the beautiful Wyoming mountains, Brian enjoys everything the great outdoors has to offer.
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Scot Rendall

Director, IMPACT Sheridan

(307) 675-1939
srendall@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

B.A. Economics-Business, University of California, Los Angeles
MBA, Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Strategic planning
  • Business analysis
  • Cost reduction
  • Process improvement

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Scot joined the IMPACT 307 in April 2018. Prior to leading the Sheridan Incubator, Scot spent several years providing CFO leadership and business consulting to small and mid-sized, privately-held companies. He would work alongside business owners to improve their operations, establish strategic growth plans, and achieve a higher level of business success by increasing revenue, profits, and the overall value of their companies. His consulting practice covered a number of different industries, including oil field services, manufacturing, real estate, and construction contracting. Eight of Scot’s client companies went through business transitions, including one that resulted in a $50 million sale of a packaged foods company to a private equity firm. Scot began his career in accounting and assurance services for Ernst & Young, one of the “Big 4” international accounting and consulting firms.

After completing his Berkeley MBA, he spent 15 years in various operational financial management roles with Intel Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Agilent Technologies. In addition to his financial expertise, Scot has acquired an understanding of success factors in all functional areas commonly under the responsibility of the CFO and Administration functions, including human resources, information technology, legal, and risk management.

John Wetzel

Business Counselor, IMPACT Park County

(307) 272-0085
jwetzel2@uwyo.edu

EDUCATION

BA, History, Minor in Business; University of Wyoming

MA, Industrial Education, Graphic Communications; Clemson University

SPECIALTIES/FOCUS

  • Marketing
  • Business Operations
  • Administration and Leadership

BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

John joined IMPACT 307 in July, 2022. After traveling in Europe for several months, riding 3,600 miles on a bicycle, John landed in Denver, CO, to start a career in the printing industry. He moved to Powell, WY, in 1992 where community development and family became his life’s focus. John worked in the publishing business for 30 years, primarily in advertising and sales, partnering with companies of all sizes to promote and grow their profits.

John served on the Powell City Council for 11 years and is currently in his second four-year term as Mayor. Experience in both private industry and government have honed his knowledge of project planning and personnel and financial management necessary for successful business operations.

Among his other volunteer commitments, John is a graduate of the Leadership Wyoming Class of 2020 and serves on the organization’s board. In his free time, he takes advantage of Wyoming’s outdoor fun by floating rivers, pheasant hunting, and golfing.

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