Age: 32
Occupation: Founder and CEO, BeraTek Industries
What was your first job?
Working with my dad in the family business, plumbing and heating.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Do your best, never give up, respect everyone.
How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life?
This was tough the first one or two years starting up BeraTek Industries because 90 percent of my energy was dedicated to learning and ensuring BeraTek was going to be successful. Currently, I try very hard to not work at home while I’m with my family. This year I started to restore and customize a 1969 Chevy C10 truck, which allows me to refresh my brain.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace?
I’m an early Gen Y-er with the habits and work ethic of Gen X and baby boomers. Despite the press on millennials, our generation is capable of doing hard work to produce the results any employer needs. The way we get to the results are different than the way it used to be done. Employers need to embrace this and allow flexibility on the ways we think about getting to the solution. Conversely, millennials need to have respect for the way employers are running their businesses and allow time to change.
What is the biggest issue facing the Corridor?
I think funding in general for entrepreneurs from seed to growth stages has a long way to go in the Corridor.
Who are your local mentors?
Lee Eilers, president and CEO, Marion Process Solutions; Chuck Hammond, president and CEO, Raining Rose; Eric Engelmann, executive director, NewBoCo, and founder of Geonetric.
