Tag Archives: vermont speakers

Ignite Burlington 2016 | Speaker Videos

November 21, 2016

Thank you again to everyone who attended Ignite Burlington 2016! What a treat to share the evening with such an inspiring group of speakers and community members.

Adam Hergenrother started Hergenrother Foundation in 2013 to give back to the communities in which he and his team members live, work and play.

Hergenrother Foundation’s mission is to transform lives through strategic giving, so that everyone can live the biggest life possible. Hergenrother Foundation supports housing and youth leadership and mentorship non-profit organizations around the country. By supporting Hergenrother Foundation, you are investing in the future of your community. Hergenrother Foundation is also dedicated to bringing educational and inspirational events to the Greater Burlington area, to heighten awareness for the power that every person, regardless of age, can live a life without limits.

We also want to give a special thanks to our sponsors – Kim Negron of Homebridge Financial Services and Paula Diaco of Write Stories Now. A musical performance from a local trio was also a highlight of the night. A2VT is a group of young men who landed in Vermont after war broke out in their birth countries. They sing, dance, rap and are a whole lot of fun.

The evening kicked off with a great social hour, killer small bites and closed with dessert and coffee catered by Bevo.

Ignite Burlington 2016 was packed with amazing speakers and supported by an incredible audience. We had a videographer on site to capture each talk. These amazing speaker videos are available now: IGNITE BURLINGTON 2016 VIDEOS

We welcome feedback on the event, please direct all correspondence to brita@adamhergenrother.com. Share your thoughts on the event and send along information to nominate yourself or someone you know as an Ignite Burlington speaker in 2017.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn all year long for information about Hergenrother Foundation, Ignite Burlington and other events hosted by the foundation.

Ignite Speaker Spotlight | Brian Armstrong

October 4, 2016

Presentation: Flowers in the Darkness

Brian Armstrong and his wife Lora Wilson founded Strong Will Real Estate which ranks as one of the top real estate teams in Vermont and for Keller Williams in all of New England. Brian has been in real estate for over 20 years. Brian launched his real estate career as a mortgage loan officer, closing just under 200 loans in his record year. In addition to his role as Principal Broker of KW Vermont and leader of Strong Will Real Estate, Brian owns 24 rental units.

Brian Armstrong is Co-founder and Principal Broker of KW Vermont. As co-founder and former CEO of Vermont’s first and only Keller Williams Realty office, Brian helped assemble a team of close to 75 agents in less than four years. KW Vermont now consistently ranks as one of the top companies in Vermont both for volume and units closed. Prior to co-founding KW Vermont Brian led a 10 office REALOGY franchise where he hired over two-thirds of the company’s agents and half their top producers. Under Brian’s leadership, the company consistently ranked among the top three real estate companies in the state and the top three in the entire central New England Region for Century 21. Brian and his team represent several large national lenders including the Veterans Administration, HUD, and FNMAE. In addition to residential real estate, Brian and his team specialize in distressed and multi-family properties. His team consistently ranks among the top 5% of Realtor’s nationwide.

Website: allburlingtonhomes.com

Contact: barmstrong@kw.com

Reserve your Ignite tickets here: IGNITE BURLINGTON 2016

Ignite Burlington info: https://www.hergenrotherfoundation.org/events

Ignite Burlington 2014 | Speaker Spotlight – Mike Smith

October 2, 2014

Presentation: How Navy SEAL Training Turned My Life Around

Until just recently, Mike Smith was the Vermont State President of FairPoint Communications. Mike led the company’s successful regulatory reform efforts in Vermont, which enabled the company to compete on a more level playing field and respond to the needs of the customers. He provided focused leadership to the Vermont operations, from the company’s reorganization to the nearly $80 million in broadband build out across the state that has connected 90 percent of FairPoint’s Vermont markets with high-speed internet. Mike also led the company’s national corporate communications efforts.

“Mike’s efforts have been instrumental in transforming FairPoint into a leading communications provider in Vermont,” said CEO Paul Sunu. “He has helped the company adapt and excel with his determination, leadership, and commitment to being the best.”

Mike’s career spans more than 30 years with experience in executive leadership positions in both the public and private sector.

He began his career serving honorably in the U.S. Navy, first with Underwater Demolition Team 21 and then as a member of SEAL Team Two.

Mike was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives and served on the House Natural Resources Committee from 1977-1978. He was the town manager of Hardwick and then spent five years in Boston working for the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) and ultimately as a partner of the MMA Consulting Group in Boston.

As the general manager of the Public Employer Risk Management Association (PERMA), he assisted in the revitalization of an insurance company for local governments in New York.

Mike was appointed deputy state treasurer for the State of Vermont under Treasurer James H. Douglas, serving from 1995-1999.

In 1999, he was named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Yankee Captive Management, a captive insurance management firm, and a partner at the insurance firm of Hackett, Valine and MacDonald in South Burlington, Vermont. Governor James H. Douglas appointed him Secretary of Administration in 2003. In 2005, Mike was appointed Secretary of Human Services and then reappointed Secretary of Administration by Governor Douglas in 2006.

He is a native Vermonter, born in Rutland. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont in Burlington, from which he earned a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Mike recently served as a member of the Vermont Pension Investment Committee and the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is a current board member of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, The Flynn Center for Performing Arts, and Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

He lives in Westford Vermont with his wife, Mary. They have two grown daughters.

Email: michael-smith@msn.com

Reserve your Ignite tickets here.
Ignite Burlington info: www.hergenrotherfoundation.org/events

Ignite Burlington 2014 | Speaker Spotlight – Kris Gruen

September 27, 2014

Presentation: Unstereotypical: Allowing The Road Less Traveled To Define You

Kris Gruen writes songs about grown up life infused with a mystic wonder, softening the world’s sharp edges like a glass of exceptionally fine bourbon. Building off the success of his critically acclaimed albums Lullaby School and Part Of It All, Kris released his new album, New Comics From The Wooded World, in the summer of 2013. On past tours, Kris has shared the stage with Sean Lennon, The Avett Brothers, Belle & Sebastian, Alejandro Escovedo, Jesse Malin, Nicole Atkins, Anais Mitchell, and more. As the full-time Director Of WGDR, Goddard College Community Radio, Gruen truly defies the typical lifestyle of the professional musician, balancing an international music career with a full-time, upper level management position in higher education. Since his start at the college, Gruen has guided the forty year-old college/community station to new levels of external recognition, financial stability and academic relevance for its licensee. Kris lives with his wife and two daughters on a family farm nestled deep in the beautiful Worcester range of Central Vermont.

Twitter: @krisgruen

Facebook: www.facebook.com/krisgruen

Reserve your Ignite tickets here. Ignite Burlington info: www.hergenrotherfoundation.org/events

Ignite Burlington 2014 | Speaker Spotlight – Mary Powell

September 23, 2014

Presentation: Engaged Leadership

Mary Powell has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Green Mountain Power Corporation since 2008, following seven years as Chief Operating Officer. Mary initiated and implemented a strategic and comprehensive restructuring of the company that dramatically transformed Green Mountain Power and has been the backbone of a cultural transformation and service quality improvement.

Mary launched an ambitious energy vision to provide low carbon, low cost and reliable power to Vermonters. As a result, the company has built Vermont’s largest wind farm, is building New England’s Solar Capital in Rutland Vermont and has installed smart grid technology across the entire utility infrastructure. In 2012, Mary led an acquisition of Central Vermont Public Service, with a promise to generate $144 million in savings for customers. GMP has grown from serving 88,000 customers in 2008 to serving well over 260,000 customers, with revenues of more than $640 million and $1.3 billion in assets.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreenMountainPower

Reserve your Ignite tickets here.
Ignite Burlington info: www.hergenrotherfoundation.org/events

Ignite Burlington 2014 | Speaker Spotlight – Colin Ryan

September 19, 2014

Presentation: A Stand Up Life

Colin Ryan is a stand-up comedian who speaks to students and adults about money, confidence and happiness, and offers trainings on public speaking. Colin was named one of the top 10 youth presenters in the nation, and to date has spoken to over 50,000 students and adults. He works with schools, corporations and nonprofits across the country.

Twitter: @colinryanspeaks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/astanduplife

Reserve your Ignite tickets here.
Ignite Burlington info: www.hergenrotherfoundation.org/events