Our Team

Our Staff

Shane Kirby

Executive Director
Shane Kirby, in his role as director of Columbus State’s Grants Office, worked with Goldman Sachs to bring the 10,000 Small Businesses Program to Central Ohio. He has twelve years of experience at the Columbus State Community College working to plan, develop, and manage hundreds of strategic initiatives and projects. Since taking over the grants office in FY14, he and his team grew the grant portfolio of active projects from 24 for $12 million to 98 for $70.4 million in FY20.

Shane earned a Master of Business Administration, with distinction, from Keller Graduate School, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida as a double major in Finance and Marketing. In addition, Shane has served as an adjunct instructor at the College for over a decade and holds certifications in Quality Matters, NCURA Research Administration and Compliance, tutoring, and supplemental instruction (SI). Shane has owned multiple small businesses including being an independent insurance agent, licensed in life, health, and annuity insurance, since 2005.

Stephanie Hall

Outreach and Operations Manager
Stephanie has been with Columbus State Community College since November of 2017 and joined the 10,000 Small Businesses program with southern Ohio launch in June of 2019. She oversees the program operations, outreach and recruitment efforts, program partnerships, cohort delivery, and alumni activities for 10,000 Small Businesses.

Stephanie is passionate about education and has over 20 years of experience in higher education. Before joining the Grants Office team at Columbus State Community College, she spent 12 years in management and director level positions at The Ohio State University. In addition to her current role with 10,000 Small Businesses, she serves as an adjunct instructor with the college. Additionally, in support of her local community, she served for five years as a Commissioner for the City of Dublin, Ohio on the Community Services Advisory Commission.

Stephanie is currently a PhD candidate in Philosophy and History of Education from The Ohio State University. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Art Education from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from George Mason University.

Audra McIntosh

Business Advisor
Audra McIntosh is a seasoned business and marketing strategist. Her work has included business consulting, brand positioning, competitive analysis, marketing research, and integrated marketing programs.

For the last two years, Audra has been a Business Advisor in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton and for the national cohort. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Business Management Program at Columbus State Community College. She has over 15 years of teaching experience and has also served as adjunct professor at Franklin University.

She has served in strategic marketing and leadership roles in both entrepreneurial and corporate environments for the last 25 years in industries ranging from professional services, real estate to financial services. In addition, through her own business, she has helped small businesses create growth through training and development, organizational change, leadership development, and strategic marketing.

Audra holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Bowling Green State University.

Rea N. Waldon, PhD

Business Advisor
Rea Waldon has over 25 years of experience working with owners to grow their businesses.  Her background includes working as a commercial lender for several major financial institutions, a business advisor for a minority business development agency, and teaching business courses at the college level. 

Rea was directly involved in securing and hosting a Small Business Development Center and is the founder of WBEC-ORV, an organization responsible for providing certification and training to approximately 1,000 women business owners in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. 

Dr. Waldon currently owns and operates a business consulting firm that provides strategic guidance and training for small and medium-sized businesses.  In addition, she has provided coaching and facilitation for the SBA’s Emerging Leaders Program, Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program, Vistage and is a Certified Business Adviser.

Rea holds degrees in accounting, management information systems and interdisciplinary studies (public policy and urban economics.

Chelsea Elliott

Alumni Coordinator
Chelsea Elliott began her career at Columbus State as a College Credit Plus student advisor before joining the team within the Grants Office. She provides across the board project support for the operation of the 10,000 Small Businesses Program with specific focus on alumni-related activities at Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton locations.

Chelsea is an avid supporter of entrepreneurs and small businesses and works to help these small business owners and their teams bring structure and support to their work. Her passion for emotional intelligence comes from her background in psychology, macro social work, and years of exploring the significant role emotions and mental health have on daily lives.

Chelsea received her Master of Social Work from Boston College, specializing in social innovation, and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The University of Cincinnati.

Katelin Franklin

Program Coordinator

Katelin Franklin joined the Columbus State Community College team in February 2022. As a Program Coordinator with the Grants Office/Office of Advancement, Katelin supports all the strategic and administrative needs of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Columbus. With over eight years of experience working for dynamic organizations in the private and public sectors, Katelin implements a unique approach to programmatic efforts.

Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Katelin is dedicated to the success of the community and all its members. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from The Ohio State University and after working as a local youth counselor, she made the decision to study Public Administration to focus on strategies capable of effecting widescale change. After obtaining her MPA from Ohio University, Katelin went on to work in various development and outreach roles for nonprofits, global companies, and small businesses before joining the Columbus State Community College Grants Office team.

Faculty

Currently in Recruitment

Lead Faculty
Mod 1: You and Your Business
Mod 9a: Action for Growth
Mod 9b: Putting It All Together
Columbus State Community College

 

 

 

David J. Hensley, II

Mod 2: Growth and Opportunities
Cincinnati State Community and Technical College

David is the program chair and professor of the Business Management program at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. He received his B.S. and MBA degrees from Franklin University. Technology has always played a key role in his life. Throughout David’s career, he has taught and developed courses on Business Management, Microsoft Windows (Desktop and Server OS), Macintosh, Linux, Information Systems for Managers, Networking and Microsoft Office suite applications. He also presents annually at conferences on the latest technology trends in business. On a personal note, he has owned race horses that have competed across the United States.

Stani Kantcheva, EdD, CPA, CMA

Financial Statements Workshop
Cincinnati State Community and Technical College

A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Stani holds a master’s degree in Engineering and doctorate degree of Educational Leadership. After relocating to the U.S., Stani earned an Accounting Certificate at Cincinnati State and subsequently became a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant. Her doctorate research was focused on improving student success at Cincinnati State.

After working at KPMG and Copernus Inc, Stani joined the Cincinnati State faculty in 2005. She teaches numerous accounting courses in traditional classrooms and through online instruction. Her current teaching includes Managerial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, and Auditing.

Outside the classroom, Stani serves as the Accounting Program chair, as a member of the College’s Budget Advisory Team, Honors and Eickenhorst Scholarship Committees, and on the Business Division Social Committee.

John Eldridge

Mod 3: Money and Metrics
Columbus State Community College

John Eldridge is currently the Financial Management Program Coordinator at Columbus State Community College where he has been an Associate Professor of Accounting since 2011. He works as the Distance Learning Lead for the college and is the lead instructor in Managerial Accounting, Governmental Accounting, and Corporate Finance.

John Eldridge holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Business from Ohio Dominican University. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate at North Central University.

Terrie Stolte

You Are the Lender Clinic
Columbus State Community College

Terrie Stolte has been a full-time instructor in the Business Programs Department since January 2011 and as an adjunct since 2006. With over 30 years of domestic and international experience in the corporate world as Finance Director, Controller and CFO, she brings many real-life situations to the classroom to enhance the teaching of any subject matter.

At Columbus State, Terrie participates in many of the college’s initiatives including Campus Cupboards, Service-Learning and Student Support Committees, Society of the Compass Award team as well as a CARES advocate. Terrie is a CPA, earning a BA in Accounting and Finance from Rider University in Lawrenceville NJ and an MA at Ohio Dominican University.

She regularly teaches Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Federal, State and Local Taxes, Tax Practice, Intro to Non-Profit MGMT, Legal and Financial Issues in Non-Profit MGMT and various Business Management courses.

Theresa Lechton

Mod 4: You Are the Leader
Columbus State Community College

Theresa Lechton has over 15 years of university teaching and academic administration experience. She teaches Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy at both the undergraduate and graduate level at Columbus State Community College and University of Maryland Global Campus.
Her corporate experience spans several industries (education, utilities, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit and consulting). Most of her career was spent in introducing process and organizational improvements, change management, strategy development, intraprenuership, and leadership training. In her consulting positions, she has worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies.

She has a B.S. in Engineering, an MBA and a Doctorate in Management. Her dissertation topic was “Effect of Geographic Migration on the Ability to Leverage Social Capital during Entrepreneurial Startup in the Manufacturing Belt.” She has worked with students and entrepreneurs in the development of over 750 business plans. In her spare time, she enjoys travel and writing/speaking about adding adventure into your life.

Currently in Recruitment

Mod 5: It’s the People
Sinclair Community College

 

 

Lesli Rice

Mod 6: Marketing and Selling
Cincinnati State Community and Technical College

Lesli Rice has been a brand strategist for the last eight years at Rice Education Consulting out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Rice Education Consulting is a strategic consulting firm that focuses on the development of an organization's people and their culture.

Rice is also empowering future leaders as a Tenured Professor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. As the Founder of 4 Pack Adventures, Rice has offered the public comprehensive travel planning since 2014.

Rice Graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from Xavier University in 2001, then went on to earn her MBA in Marketing at Northern Kentucky University by 2008.

Before being involved in her current achievements, Rice spent time as a Community Director at the March of Dimes. Rice successfully promoted their mission to volunteers, met heavy revenue goals for the company while implementing plans for training and fundraising events. Rice served at Procter & Gamble for nine years with her final role as a Marketing Specialist for Ethnic Marketing & Multibrand Commercial Innovation.

Roger Ball

Mod 7: Strategic Growth Through Operations
Columbus State Community College

Roger Ball has more than 20 years of executive business management experience in the corporate sector, and as an entrepreneur. He has vast experience in the technology industry, conducting business with major corporations, as well as state and local government agencies. He started the Midwest state and local government vertical market for one of the largest software manufacturing companies in the world. In three years, he and his team had statewide contracts, as state agencies standardized on their solutions, in four of the six states he was responsible for developing. As an entrepreneur, he started three companies and sold two. As the president and CEO of a manufacturing company, he led the company to international expansion with three locations and over 125 employees, garnering the distinction of being the largest non-construction MBE in the state of Arkansas.

He received his B.S./B.A. from The Ohio State University, MBA from Ohio University and Executive Management certifications from Northwestern and Cornell universities. Roger has a unique set of tools and techniques which have proven essential in his professional career. He has certifications in Lean Six-Sigma - Green Belt, Minitab, Microsoft Office, and Statistics, to name a few.

Roger is currently a faculty member in the Business Programs Department at Columbus State Community College. In addition to providing valuable consulting services for progressive small businesses, he enjoys preparing the next generation of business leaders. He teaches several business courses, including Principles of Business, Management and Organizational Behavior, Business Ethics, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management.

In addition to his business and professional experience, he shares his knowledge to benefit his community. His volunteerism has included board appointments to The Ohio State University Presidents Club, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, The Ohio State University Alumni Council, The Ohio State University Athletic Department, as well as the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Civil Service Commission, Financial Oversight Committee for the Little Rock School District - all of Little Rock, Arkansas, a drug and rehabilitation organization, and the Columbus State Community College mentoring program.

Dennis Trzeciak

Mod 8: Being Bankable
Columbus State Community College

Currently a Columbus State Faculty Member, and Adjunct Professor at Franklin University, Dennis Trzeciak facilitates adult learning through a variety of in-class and online learning activities in accounting.

Starting his career at Ernst and Whinney as senior auditor, Trzeciak quickly moved into the role as senior internal auditor, then assistant controller for Toledo Hospital. He then served Henry County Hospital as chief financial officer. Before taking his current role at Columbus State and Franklin University, Dennis Trzeciak was the internal auditor for SERS.

Trzeciak holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Cleveland State University, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Toledo and is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Public Accountant, and is certified in Risk Management Assurance.

Trzeciak won the Franklin Teaching Excellence Award in 2010, 2013 and 2016. He was also a nominee for Distinguished Teacher of the Year at Columbus State Community College in 2017 and 2018.