MEET OUR 2024 SPEAKERS

Ken has provided wholesale SBA 504 1st mortgages for Morgan Stanley through CDC Capital Markets since 2010 and has been with CDC Small Business Finance since 1991. His depth of knowledge, a result of over 30 years of experience in the SBA lending industry, allows him to navigate the process efficiently and smartly. Ken has closed over 1,000 SBA 504 deals while always prioritizing superior customer service.

Ericka Adams is the owner of Adams Dental Assisting Academy and has been in the dental assisting field for over 30 years. She has been teaching dental assisting since 2006 and is passionate about the dental field and her students. From The Ohio State University, Ericka Adams received her Bachelor of Arts degree and served in The United States Army Reserves where she first studied to become a dental assistant. Aside from loving her career as an entrepreneur, she also loves spending time with her husband Guy and their two fur babies, Bailey, and Moriah. She’s looking forward to expanding her school and continuing helping students achieve their goals, one dream at a time.

Romualdo (Romy) Ancog is the Lead Export Finance Manager covering Michigan, Indiana, and Northern Ohio for the SBA Office of International Trade whose mission is to enhance the ability of small businesses to compete in the global marketplace. Working out of the US Export Assistance Center in Detroit, Romy helps brings traditional trade finance services typically reserved for large corporations to small businesses. He works with lenders to structure complex foreign buyer transactions using SBA loan programs as well as credit insurance and other partner programs. Romy joined the SBA in 2008 following a long career in commercial banking. Leading the Michigan SBA Lending team, he grew SBA lending in the state to over $1 billion for the first time. Romy created and managed the Great Lakes Lenders Conference. His diverse background in finance has made him a foremost authority on small business lending. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan where he received his BA, and Romy has an MBA from the University of Detroit.

DawnDeRidder has enjoyed over 30 years in her SBA Lending career. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance in 1990 from Grand Valley State University, and her NAGGL diploma in 2005, and is a true advocate for small business lending. Dawn has experience in all aspects of the program, with a strong focus on both the underwriting and sales side and has worked for both small and large financial institutions. She has developed her career in both Michigan and Indiana in the roles of SBA Underwriter, SBA Sales Specialist, SBA Lending Manager and Government Programs Manager. Dawn is currently the Executive Vice President and Director of Government Guaranteed Lending for CIBM Bank, headquartered in Champaign, IL and is based in Indianapolis, IN.

Chris Cook serves as Managing Director – Capital Access for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. In this role, Chris is responsible for developing and managing MEDC’s small business lending programs with a focus on supporting the MEDC’s effort in helping Michigan based companies obtain commercial financing which would otherwise not be available under conventional terms. Since their creation these programs have resulted in over $1 billion in new private sector investment in Michigan. This includes oversight the Michigan Strategic Fund’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (“SSBCI”) allocation. Chris is responsible for development and application for the loan and equity programs funded by SSBCI 2.0. Chris received a BA in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. He has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, including assisting small businesses secure financing through a variety of sources including the support of SSBCI and SBA. Prior to joining MEDC, Chris was an underwriter for Michigan Certified Development Corporation

Carolyn Cassin is a nationally recognized healthcare CEO and social change agent. She is an expert in operational leadership, financial analysis, and innovative strategies that drive profitability and market share. Carolyn started two hospice companies, one of which became a publicly traded company in 2005, VistaCare (NASDAQ:VSTA) and led the turnaround of two other failing hospice organizations into highly profitable exits. Her expertise is in growing and scaling companies from $200k - $250 million with top and bottom line growth and positive EBITDA. Carolyn also has extensive regulatory compliance and public policy experience and led a team that wrote and vetted the development of national Medicare Hospice Rules and Regulations. In 2010 Carolyn launched the first of three Venture Capital Funds under the BELLE Michigan brand, the first women General Partner of a fund that invests in women owned businesses with her own resources. Her third fund, BELLE Michigan Impact Fund, launched in 2018 with 67 women investors. Seven years ago, Carolyn created a statewide micro finance program for women entrepreneurs, Michigan Women Forward, which now invests in over 100 low to moderate income women annually.