Northstar Thinktank and The Business Coaching Team

Northstar Thinktank is an exclusive team of business experts who have guided the success of more than 2,500 companies throughout the world. We are an international leader in providing customized business programs for entrepreneurs and small enterprises. Current clients include entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, Germany, and elsewhere.

Everyday the Thinktank team scours the world marketplace for valuable information and emerging business trends. This information is summarized, distilled and then delivered in such a way that small enterprises can quickly put it to work, keeping them far ahead of the curve.

Using a collaborative, customized approach, we move clients forward in every part of their businesses; from strategic planning to day-to-day operations.

As an organization who thrives on the process of building great companies—and in a world of business challenges, our clients depend on us for world-class direction, for performance breakthroughs, and for the inspiration to take their businesses to the next level.

JEFF CHAVEZ
President and CEO

Jeff is a seasoned entrepreneur who knows something about the process of building successful companies. Over the last 15 years, he's raised millions from investors and has been directly responsible for the creation of several multi-million dollar organizations.

Jeff began his entrepreneurial career in 1992, as the Founder of Foothill Fire Safety Co. (FFSC), an industrial service organization with over 12,000 clients throughout Southern California. He continued to manage FFSC while forming a second company, Home Healthcare Direct, which distributed medical supplies within “assisted living” environments. Both companies were successfully acquired in 1997.

From 1999 to 2002, Jeff served as Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DispenseSource, Inc. (now Nexiant, Inc.). With more than $10 million in venture capital behind him, he quickly established Nexiant as one of the leading providers of automated inventory systems within the industrial and manufacturing environments. The company has emerged as the world's leading provider of automated inventory systems, securing over $30 million in venture financing, and serving clients such as Chrysler, BF Goodrich, Xerox,and Honeywell.

In 2003, Jeff launched Northstar Ventures and the Northstar Thinktank, a company whose business model draws on Jeff's entrepreneurial passion. He is responsible for recruiting some of the world's leading business experts to the cause of developing world class curriculum, training, and mentoring programs, for entrepreneurs and small enterprises.

Jeff is a successful author and public speaker, who has a passion for effective communication, learning, and personal development. He is an avid runner, surfer and wake-boarder. He lives in Austin, TX, with his wife and 3 children.

JAY VAN SICKLE
VP of Project Management

Jay joined the Northstar team in 2004 as Sales Director and General Manager. His excellent communication skills and an amazing ability to motivate and manage our successful sales team puts him head and shoulders above his industry peers.

Jay is a successful Project Manager, Business Analyst, and Consultant, having previously managed various projects for international companies such as Mercer, Hitachi, Arthur Andersen, and KPMG Peat Marwick. Jay's broad expertise extends to assisting professional teams to work cohesively together, enabling them to produce outstanding results.

He's been involved in managing Enterprise Management application implementations for (Arthur Andersen), managed client projects for fully integrated Human Resource Outsourcing with Mercer, and facilitated strategic company-wide assessments for Hitachi. Jay, combining his extensive direct sales experience with his detailed consulting background, facilitates the consultative selling approach of Northstar Thinktank.

As a goal focused, detail oriented, manager, Jay is a talented self-starter, who effectively produces results while maintaining his strong work ethic and compassion for his associates. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Utah and lives with his wife and two children.

ANYA HANSON WENDT
VP of Education and Curriculum

Anya is responsible for the ongoing development of curriculum and the effectiveness of the mentoring and training team. She is a powerful and dynamic coach and trainer, who has worked with thousands of individuals and organizations over the past 10 years - from entrepreneurs to executives – to remove barriers to performance and accomplish their objectives. Her extensive background in interpersonal communications make her a highly sought after ally for entrepreneurs and executives alike.

Anya's professional passion is inquiring with business people, at all levels, into how to distinguish the thought processes that limit their power and effectiveness, both on a personal and organizational level. In doing so, she is able to contribute to their growth and development, watching them accomplish results beyond their own imagination.

Prior to joining Northstar, Anya served as Vice President and General Manager of Valeo Consulting Group, an executive coaching and consulting firm. In addition to management consulting, Anya facilitated productivity management and leadership programs, executive work-sessions, and retreats for a wide range of clients.

She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin, School of Communications, including Graduate Studies, Social Development in Children at the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds Coach training certificates from Coach University, Corporate Coach University, and Leadership Coaching and Facilitation training from Landmark Education Corporation.

Anya lives with her two children in Austin, TX.

GIORGIO NALLIRA
Controller

Giorgio is a highly successful Financial Director, Small Business Consultant, and Accountant, who formerly worked with National Corporations such as: Fidelity National Financial, American National Financial, Ticor Title, Inc., and American Document Services, Inc.

Giorgio is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has established himself as a Financial Business specialist for the past 11 years. With extensive and broad-based knowledge in project management, departmental development, and financial growth planning, Giorgio's expertise has been to help organizations in the development of financial policies and procedures, company-wide financial assessment, as well as general accounting principles.

Specifically, he has been involved in the merging and creating of financial departments for ADS and Ticor Title, developing accounting software packages for ADS, and controlling all aspects of the financial cycle for growing organizations.

Giorgio brings a commitment to excellence to the Northstar organization and has been extremely effective in the past in helping organizations maintain a high standard of ethics and profitability throughout his tenure. Giorgio lives in Austin, TX with his family.

BRYANT JONES
Internet Marketing Manager

Bryant, Native Texan, has been an established presence in the Internet
Marketing, Lead Generation and Business Consulting arena, both on and
offline, for over a decade. Employing his insightful and unique approaches for
companies such as Fishingworks.com and HomeBuilder.com, he has consulted
and coached online marketers since 1995.

In recent years, focusing on lead generation, Bryant has adopted a “use what works” attitude, which has attracted an elite group of clients such as Quizno’s, Blimpie, Jenny Craig, Nestle’s Tollhouse, the Business Alliance and Lady of America, just to name a few. Bryant’s philosophy of getting his clients the “results” they want, has helped both large businesses and first time entrepreneurs to gain the upper hand on their competitors.

LEE FOLLENDER
Business and Personal Development Coach

Lee, having a background in Leadership and Management training, brings a high level of
communication skills and business acumen to her position as Senior Coach with
Northstar. Her ability to both create and deliver curriculum adds to her valued position on
the team. Along with her one on one coaching responsibilities, she develops new
curriculum, and manages and supports several Group Coaching programs as well as
management’s commitment to customer service excellence.
 
Lee’s commitment to ongoing professional development and her passion for contribution strongly influence her ability to provide the highest level of coaching and contribution to the growth and development of her Northstar clients. As an insightful, empowering coach and trainer, she has consulted with thousands of individuals and organizations over the past 18 years. She has done so for her own consulting firm, coaching and training leaders of organizations like Time Warner Cable and Dell, as well as in one-on-one sessions with entrepreneurs, committed to breakthrough performance results for themselves or their staff.

Her training includes studies in Quality Systems with Edwards W. Deming and Marshall Thurber, Training and Organizational Development with PDI and Coach University, Landmark Education, and the New York School for Visual Arts.

Lee lives in Austin, Texas and is the mother of three sons. She paints and sculpts, is an avid reader, and the loving caretaker of a rambunctious little dog and very patient cat.

ROBYN JAMISON
Business and Personal Development Coach

Robyn has been coaching, teaching, and training individuals for over 20 years. Her
background includes leading seminars and workshops for small and large groups of
individuals seeking to fulfill their life’s dreams.

Alan has been passionately involved with personal growth and transformational coaching
for over ten years. His keen intuition and highly developed communication skills allow him
to be a powerful and effective coach for others. He has also been a professional actor
for the last thirteen years and has coached and trained other actors, masterfully working
with his students to become powerfully self-expressed, clear, and present.

Business and Personal Development Coach

Darcy is a well recognized and seasoned e-business expert offering fresh insight and a
passion for e-business growth. She has a proven track record in planning, building, and .
launching successful dot.com and e-commerce businesses and is a powerful
entrepreneurial strategist. She is able to map the creative business vision, while
transforming and empowering individuals and organizations with the tools, techniques,
technologies and strategies to bridge the digital business gap.

Because Darcy has advised hundreds of dot.com businesses on internet marketing strategies, tactics, and profitable web development, she has everything needed to provide extraordinary coaching to Northstar’s internet entrepreneurial clients. Her extraordinary coaching skills and passion for internet marketing, help create an atmosphere of motivation and encouragement, fostering high levels of success for her clients’ business and personal growth.

She was nominated for the Working Woman Magazine’s “Entrepreneur of The Year” award by her peer group and has been profiled on the former Rosie O’Donnell Show. Darcy has also been featured in USA Today, Money for Women, Smart Money, Parenting, and Melrose Magazines, as well as numerous books on business and entrepreneurship, all lauding her skills and achievements in pioneering a highly successful national cooperative of women e-business entrepreneurs.

As a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, she holds a degree in advertising with an emphasis in Marketing. Darcy continues personal studies in the Science of the Law of Attraction and aspires to do public speaking, helping people to develop a “Millionaire-Mindset”.

Darcy resides in a small town outside of Austin where she lives wither her husband, and her young, budding entrepreneur son, Landen

ELIZABETH CRINEJO
Business and Personal Development Coach

Elizabeth, a powerful and committed coach, brings an amazing, diverse set of skills and
past experiences to the Northstar Ventures Coaching team. As a practitioner of
organizational and human development for over 10 years, her love of business, human
development and interpersonal communication has supported individuals and groups to
grow and develop to new levels of performance and results.

CYNDI SMASAL
Internet Marketing Advisor

Cyndi, having developed, and marketed hundreds of internet sites, is a master of website results. Her extraordinary ability to discern what's missing, to retool and strategically market products and services online, has made her a highly sought after resource for internet marketing expertise.

Reported results have ranged from a 600% increase in traffic over a 4 month period to an increased conversion rate of 18% on a site with over 35 different affiliate products.

Cyndi has a strong technical background, with over 15 years in the Software Development industry. Her technical skills, coach training, remarkable business results, and certification as a Guerrilla Marketing specialist, make Cyndi a highly valued resource for Northstar.

She has worked with clients as a professional Internet Marketing Consultant, in a variety of industries. They include: Private Investigation Services, Investment Management Service providers, Stock Trading products and consulting services, Information Products, Fitness Training, Network Marketing, and more. These businesses ranged between startup to over $5M in revenue.