Mihaela Vorvoreanu, PhD

Bio: Dr. Vorvoreanu (or, as her students call her, Dr. V) is an assistant professor in Computer Graphics Technology and Technology Leadership & Innovation at Purdue University. She studies the socio-cultural impact of new communication technologies. Before joining Purdue, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Clemson University, South Carolina, and the Department of Communication at the University of Dayton, Ohio. While at Clemson and UD respectively, Dr. V. taught various public relations and communication courses, and did academic research in the area of public relations and new Web technologies. She has published research articles in the Journal of New Communications Research, Public Relations Review and the Journal of Website Promotion and a book about online public relations: Web Site Public Relations: How Corporations Build and Maintain Relationships Online. Dr. V. (@mihaela_v) holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Purdue University. She is originally from Bucharest, Romania.

Matt Hunckler

Bio: Matt Hunckler (@hunckler) is a committed business adventurist with a knack for online marketing, branding, and starting up. Matt has experience with building and monetizing web-based businesses—leveraging email marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, and PR to increase site traffic and sales. He is the Director of Marketing for Slingshot SEO, a specialized agency that helps deserving brands achieve exponential business success through search. Matt also leads Verge, a community for entrepreneurs, software developers, and startup investors. The group has over 1,200 members and has helped over 30 Indiana-based companies grow and share their stories with the world.

Candace Armstrong

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Lorraine Ball

Bio: An accomplished marketing professional, Lorraine has won regional and national communication awards. As a published author, her articles on marketing, team building, and business development have been featured in Contracting Business, The New York Forum, The ACH&R news, Indianapolis Business Journal, and the Carmel Business Leader.

Her books, “The Entrepreneur’s Notebook”, “Confessions of a Networking Junkie” and “Business Map” are popular resources for small business owners across the country. Actively engaged in the Indianapolis business community, Lorraine serves as the Chair of the Hamilton County Entrepreneurship Advancement Center and an organizer of Indianapolis Startup Weekend. She is the recipient of the 2005 Rainmaker of the year award, 2007 Business Woman of the Year and in 2008 she was named to the IBJ list of Most Influential Women in Indianapolis. Lorraine has an MBA from the University of Texas and a BA in education from Queens College, City University of New York. She has been a member of the faculty at the University Of Indianapolis, Indiana Institute of Technology and Marion College. Today, you can find her at Roundpeg, a small business marketing firm, based in Carmel, Indiana. Along with an extraordinarily talented team, she shares what she knows about marketing; social media, and web design, helping small businesses, become big businesses.

Mark Cisneros

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