Dave Oetken
Dave is the Director of the Louisville Small Business Development Center. He is an entrepreneur and angel investor dedicated to helping Louisvillians start, run, and expand their businesses. He can be reached at [email protected]
Suhas Kulkarni
The concept for RISE Louisville was born out of the realization by Mr. Suhas Kulkarni – an immigrant entrepreneur himself and currently Director of the Office for Globalization for Louisville Metro – that Louisville has an untapped pool of talent for city-wide economic development in the form of immigrants and refugees who have made, or could make, Louisville their home. Given organized assistance, this population has the potential of becoming drivers of economic growth in our area.
Don Keller
Mr. Keller has had over 40 years of management experience for-profit world in manufacturing, operations and marketing in several different industries and companies. He has progressed from Industrial Engineer, Manufacturing Services Manager, Sales Manager, Vice President of Operations, General Manager, President and Chief Operating Officer.
During his career, Mr. Keller, has been successfully responsible for the Profit & Loss of five different manufacturing companies including two leveraged buyouts and three turnarounds. Also he has completed two company start-ups and completed two acquisitions.
In addition in the last eight years he has used his “for-profit experience” in the non-profit world by advising, coaching, counseling and mentoring new and existing 501-C-3 organizations on a volunteer basis. Primary objective is to encourage the adoption of social enterprise activities to off-set the declining grant opportunities. While as volunteer with SCORE- Louisville he was elected by his peers to be Chapter Chairman, and was appointed the District Director of KY, Southern. IN, and Southern, IL and has the responsibility for 139 volunteer senior executives in four Chapters, and nine branches offices.