Founder & CEO, Southwest Data Products
Martin Ament is the Founder and CEO of Innovative Metal Industries, Inc. (IMI/SWDP) and serves on its Board of Directors.
Before founding IMI in 1987, Martin’s professional track was in Middle-Market Business Finance, specifically with several banking institutions in Southern California. Martin served as the Senior Credit Officer at an independent multi-branched bank that specialized in financing medium sized metal manufacturing companies.
Starting IMI with two employees in a 500 sq. ft. garage, (one of which still works for the company today) Martin built IMI/SWDP on the premise that you can gain customer loyalty, satisfaction and company growth, while providing a secure future for his employees by using his three favorite words: “Yes” & “No Problem”.
Although able to fully analyze a financial statement, his passion is the entrepreneurial process of problem solving for the client and the company. Progressively using agile and visual manufacturing lanes, he has grown the company by encouraging high touch, engaged partnerships rather than just supplier channels to some of the world’s largest tech companies.
Co-Founder & CEO, Upward Projects/Postino Restaurant Group
Lauren Bailey is the CEO & co-founder of Upward Projects. Named to the Nation’s Restaurant News “Power 50” list in 2019, Lauren focuses on strategy, conceptualization and development for 15 restaurants over five brands in three states. Five additional locations are currently in development. Recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing companies for the fourth year in a row, Upward Projects places an emphasis on preparing high-quality food and adapting and reusing historically relevant buildings that are an integral part of the neighborhoods they serve. The brands are comprised of Postino, Joyride Taco House, Windsor, Churn Ice Cream and Federal Pizza. Collectively, Lauren is responsible for growth and vision of the existing company as well as future projects.
Recently named to the Arizona State University Foundation’s Board of Directors, Lauren helps to oversee the nearly $1B endowment for this university, named the most innovative school in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020 college rankings. A proud ASU graduate, Lauren is also the first alumna to study under current ASU president Michael Crow to now serve alongside him at the Foundation. Lauren also sits on the Grand Canyon University Colangelo College of Business Advisory Board, and is a proud “big sister” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. Lauren previously completed a five-year term as a board member of Local First Arizona, is a former Steering Committee Member for Devour Phoenix, and a former board member of the Entrepreneurs Organization. Inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame as “Restaurateur of the Year”, Lauren has been honored as a “Food Pioneer” by the Arizona Restaurant Association, named by the Phoenix Business Journal as the “Outstanding Women in Business” and selected as a finalist for the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Lauren was raised in the state of Indiana and has inhabited a fair amount of cities up and down the East Coast, including New York City and Nantucket. She attended Arizona State University, graduating in 2002 with dual degrees in Communication and Fine Art. In her spare time Lauren travels the world, chases her 7-year-old, hunts for vintage treasures, creates art, cooks dinner for friends, and spends time with the most important people in her life.
Founder, iMortgage
Dean started in new home sales and finance back in 1979 in Arizona, spending the next 40 years working in the industry. In 1999 he and his business partner Jay Johnson started iMortgage.com. iMortgage’s main focus for the first six years was creating joint ventures with home builders, allowing the builder to offer a fully branded mortgage company that improved customer experience while also providing the builder an opportunity to enjoy a significant share in profits.
iMortgage doubled in size every year for the first 6 years until the illustrious mortgage meltdown in 2007-2008. The company survived the crash by adding distributive retail and once again started on a quick growth trajectory. By 2013 the company had 2,500 employees and was doing several billion dollars a year in closings.
In November 2013, the company sold to loanDepot, where together the merged companies became one of the five largest lenders in the country, lending in all 50 states. Dean has stayed on at loanDepot in an advisory role. He spends the majority of his time with other personal investments, including producing movies and working with a few start up companies around the country.
Dean Bloxom has been married to his wife Jill for 39 years. They have three boys, two of whom are married with two beautiful children of their own, and their youngest son will be graduating from Grand Canyon University next year. In his free time, Dean plays too much golf and is a professional clogger.
Founder, Integrity Mold
Mike is an entrepreneurial leader with over 30 years of strategic and operations management in the manufacturing industry. Mike has successfully navigated the entire business cycle from start-up to exit, spearheading two separate greenfield start-ups, growing the companies beyond the incubator stage to long-term sustainability, and ultimately transitioning ownership to new acquirers. As Founder, President and General Manager of his prior companies, Mike is well-versed in leading organizations with a people-centric, hands-on approach that results in highly profitable and high-performing companies.
Mike founded Integrity Mold, an Arizona-based leading supplier of custom injection molding and tooling services for customers with highly engineered plastic components, in 2005 and led the company as President and General Manager until 2019. Montage Partners invested in Integrity Mold in 2015 alongside Mike, who led the sale of the company to Westfall Technik in 2017.
Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University.
EVP, Director of Private Banking, National Bank of Arizona
Mary Holman is Executive Vice President and Director of Private Banking at National Bank of Arizona® . She is responsible for strategically growing the Private Bank through enhanced services and credit solutions for high-net-worth clients. Mary has more than 35 years of banking experience and is an active member of the bank’s Executive Management Committee. She most recently served as the Credit Solutions Group Manager and was responsible for leading the Small Business, Business Lending Solutions, and Consumer teams. While growing and developing her team of analysts, Mary introduced the Business Lending Solutions group in 2016, which expanded CSG’s services to include loan structuring, underwriting and credit oversight for C&I, Corporate Banking, Private Banking and Commercial Real Estate Banking. Prior to joining NB|AZ® , she was a Senior Vice President for Enterprise Bank and Trust. Mary has been recognized as: one of the most influential Women in Business by AZ Big Media; a member of Zions Bank Top Female Banking teams; Outstanding Women in Business by the Phoenix Business Journal; and was honored as the Pi Beta Phi International Recipient of the Carolyn Helman Lechtenberg Crest Award for professional achievements. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona.
Mary is Vice Chair of Act One, she is also a Steering Committee member for Gabriel’s Angels and a member of the Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary, as well as Pi Beta Phi Fellowship Committee member. She is the President of National Bank of Arizona’s Women’s Financial Group, which was established to provide women a local resource for financial planning, business services, educational and networking opportunities as well as peer mentoring. Mary understands the power of connections, collaboration and community and is dedicated to the growth and development of businesswomen throughout the Valley. She has been involved in numerous nonprofit organizations throughout her career, including serving as the YWCA Board Co-Treasurer, Mary is a graduate of Scottsdale Leadership, Class XXIV, and a past President of the Risk Management Association.
Principal, REDW
Christina Roderick has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting and leads REDW’s Tax practice as a Principal in the firm’s Phoenix office. Working primarily with privately-hold businesses in the manufacturing distribution, real estate, technology and healthcare industries, Christina helps her clients maximize profits through smart tax structuring, structuring and complex reporting, multi-state nexus and compliance, credits and incentives, and accounting methods. Christina enjoys speaking with local business associations and clients on such topics as
structuring, taxation and business succession.
Christina holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Arizona State University and a Masters in Taxation from Golden Gate University.
Christina is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Arizona Society of CPAs (ASCPA). She is also vice-chair of the Arizona State Board of Accountancy Tax Practice Committee and a member of the ASCPA’s legislative committee. Christina is certified in MANEX Basic and Advanced by the Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence.
Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Jeff Servais has more than 15 years of public accounting experience and is the deal services leader. Jeff works with a variety of clients from development stage to private multi-national companies. His industry focus areas are manufacturing, technology, health care, distribution, and business services.
Technical experience
– Has a concentration of knowledge in providing accounting and transaction structuring advice for leveraged recapitalizations, purchase accounting and, assessing quality of earnings, and GAAP accounting
– Has led financial accounting due diligence projects for private equity investor groups and venture capital funds, primarily in the technology, business services, and manufacturing industries
– Has experience with critiquing financial models and reviewing target companies’ financial performance to identify cost reductions and/or operating efficiencies
– Has worked with management teams of private equity-backed portfolio companies to complete add-on acquisitions and platform investments
Education and professional involvement
– Bachelor of science, business: accounting and finance, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
– American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
– Licensed in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas
Principal, CAPTRUST
J.T. joined our team in 2020 from MRA Associates. He provides portfolio management, financial planning, and other wealth management services to successful families, foundations, and institutions to help them understand and achieve their financial goals.
Prior to MRA Associates, J.T. was a senior investment manager at BOK Financial where he served clients using the skills honed at JPMorgan Private Bank and CTC | myCFO, the multi-family office unit of the Bank of Montreal. In these roles, J.T. gained valuable experience managing investment portfolios, conducting asset allocation studies, creating financial plans, and identifying opportunities to add value to his clients’ financial situations. He has been providing investment and wealth management advice to clients for over 10 years.
J.T. currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife and two boys. He enjoys sports, music, camping, and travel in his leisure time. To give back to his community he volunteers at his church, coaches youth sports, and has served as a board member of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona, where he is still actively involved.
Education
– Master of Business Administration degree in global finance from the Thunderbird School of Global Management
– Bachelor of Business Administration degree in international business and business economics from Ohio University
– Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA)
– Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA)
– CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Partner, Osborn Maledon
Andy Western, a partner at Osborn Maledon, advises clients on business transactions, as well as serving as outside general counsel to entrepreneurs and business owners. He represents both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions, and startup companies and investors in angel and venture capital financings. He is experienced in representing small and medium-sized enterprises and startup companies in various corporate matters, including formation and organization of entities, joint ventures, licensing, and contract review and negotiation. Prior to joining Osborn Maledon, he practiced with Latham & Watkins in Southern California. He is an active community leader, including currently serving as the Chair of the 2021-2022 Fiesta Bowl Committee. He previously served as the Games Operations Chairman of the 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl. He was the Fiesta Bowl Committee’s 2017-2018 Outstanding Yellow Jacket (Member) of the Year.
