Born and raised in the Mountain West in a state that boasts more antelope than people, he found his way to Iowa with the opportunity to play college baseball.  He graduated a Hawkeye with a degree in Economics before embarking on a diverse and winding path of business and relationship development opportunities.

He is a sharp dressed, smooth talking, Tough Mudder that between Crossfit workouts and climbing the 14,000 ft peaks of Colorado spreads the gospel of the Iowa City area in an effort to attract business to the region.  From Automated Vehicles and Education Technology to Natural and Organic Foods, Tom takes his work seriously, but rarely himself. He found his way to ICAD via a sorted and checkered career history with roles at Allsteel, Tippie College of Business, and community place-making with the Blue Zones Project.  Along the way he has lived in Silicon Valley and Austin, TX, but proudly calls Iowa City his home.

His journey with Strategic Doing started in Dec 2016 and has led to over 45 local practitioners being trained since January 2018.  He became a CWL in September 2019 with the goal of achieving  Fellow in 2020. He has participated in nearly 2 dozen engagements to date and is working closely to become an SD Affiliate in partnership with the University of Iowa.

He is married with two teenage step-sons, three dogs, and a cat that keep things interesting outside the office.  He volunteers his time as a High School baseball coach, enjoys golf, cooking, and a good bike ride.  The simple things in life, like good beer, good food, and good conversations along with family and friends are what he finds the most rewarding.

Phone: (563) 506-3280

E-mail: tbanta@icadgroup.com

Jennifer Horn-Frasier of Bluebird Sky strategy consultancy helps people, organizations, and coalitions tackle challenging problems, quickly form collaborative networks, and get to where they want to be. Equally at home in established systems and in startups, with the big picture and the details, and with structure and ambiguity, Jennifer is a skilled problem solver and facilitator.

Jennifer became a Strategic Doing™ practitioner in 2019, a Certified Workshop Leader in 2020, and a Strategic Doing Fellow in 2022. She guides groups using Strategic Doing to address a broad range of problems, such as regional opioid abuse issues, the future of a community pantry, establishing a new multidisciplinary research center at a state university, and much more. She is available to lead the 2.5-day Strategic Doing practitioner training.

Prior to founding Bluebird Sky, Jennifer held roles including director of strategy and programs to launch and operationalize the brand-new ACT Foundation; director of marketing and communications with ACT, Inc.; product development and program manager for a suite of tests measuring workplace English communication skills for an international market; director of strategic partnerships for ACT, Inc.; workforce development research program manager; and junior high and high school language arts teacher.

For fun Jennifer rides bicycles on gravel, dirt, pavement, and snow; plays bass guitar, sings, and occasionally plays flute in various bands; writes poems and stories; volunteers in her community; and goes on adventures with friends and family.

Charles Klasson is your Strategic Doing guide. His ability to translate vision into action and provide tangible results has set him apart and allowed him to help lead a wide range of organizations—from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between. With his passion for both future technologies and the natural world, his energetic vision makes him uniquely qualified to guide your successful implementation of Strategic Doing.

An increasingly complex world of challenges and opportunities is giving rise to localized ecosystems that offer a collaborative approach to effectively addressing both, leaving traditional hierarchical mindsets and management approaches behind. Organizations that commit to these innovative ecosystems are poised to make massive contributions to society through purpose-driven engagement. Charles has the skills and experience to guide your organization through these new ecosystems by helping develop new leadership skill sets, behaviors, and ways of working together.

As the founder of AMPx, Charles is the curator of the newsletter, the AMPx Navigator—Riding The Wave, which provides a daily connection to our ever-changing universe. The newsletter enables readers to navigate the intersections of technology, society, and nature while seeking innovative and disruptive solutions to the challenges facing humanity today—and into the future.

Charles' curiosity and passion for leveraging emerging technologies to solve the world’s biggest problems is supported through his ongoing participation as an Abundance 360 Member. A360 is a year-round Mastermind and Executive Program led by Peter Diamandis at Singularity University. The program is driven by continuous engagement with a select group of entrepreneurs, investors, and CEOs focused on harnessing the latest technology trends to solve significant global problems. Charles’ access and proximity to innovative thought leaders is an additional asset to be leveraged by your organization.

Charles has also been involved in the academic innovation ecosystem with the University of Iowa, including being a Board Member of the University of Iowa Research Foundation, focused on technology transfer and building relationships with researchers while working collaboratively with industry and startups. In addition, Charles is an Advisory Board Member of the Institute for International Business and John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, fostering international entrepreneurship. As part of his involvement, Charles coaches Mandela Washington Fellowship entrepreneurs participating in the State Department YALI program through the UI.

In addition to his many interests in the business and technology worlds, Charles participates in a variety of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, yoga, meditation, and simply spending restorative time in nature with his family.

Phone: (515) 441-0031

E-Mail: charles@ampxcoaching.com