Dave Daughton is a retired educator from Corydon, Iowa. He began his career as a high school Biology teacher and coach, and served as a high school Principal and district Superintendent.  He retired in 2019 after 36 years in education.  Dave is currently “failing at retirement”, with roles as the Government Relations Director for the School Administrators of Iowa and as a Legislative Advocate for Rural School Advocates of Iowa. 

As a part of his business, Three D Solutions, LLC., he serves as an educational consultant for various entities, as well as providing leadership training, mentoring and coaching.  Dave also serves on several community boards and is very involved in community development. 

He and his wife Dixie have 11 grandchildren and enjoy ball games and concerts, as well as outdoor activities on their farm.

Dave's education includes Drake University - Education Specialist Degree, Drake University - Masters in Education, and Central College - BA Degree

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Lora Friest is a Tourism Liaison for the Iowa Tourism Office at IEDA. She engages industry partners in implementation of the Iowa Tourism Office’s innovative Marketing Plan, administers the Iowa Tourism Grant and works one-on-one with tourism partners to increase understanding of ITO programs, branding, marketing, economic impact data and other insightful research. She serves as ITO’s liaison to several partner groups including the Iowa Scenic Byway Program, the Iowa Trails Summit and Bird Friendly Iowa. She has 25 years of experience in economic development, including over 20 years as Executive Director of NE Iowa RCD where she built a reputation as ‘a systems change expert’ who fostered partnership and ingenuity to implement hundreds of millions of dollars in projects that benefited downtowns. 

Jason Gross is the Chief Strategy Officer for TruStage, a Madison, WI - based insurance and financial services carrier. In this role he is responsible for leading enterprise strategy and delivering competitive and consumer insights through the Strategy and Insights department he leads.

Prior to joining TruStage, Jason held positions at ManchesterStory, an early-stage FinTech and InsurTech venture capital firm, and at insurance carriers EMC Insurance, Nationwide, and Principal Financial Group.  His roles ranged from leading corporate strategy, innovation, ventures and business transformation functions. Prior to his work in insurance and financial services, Gross also spent 10 years working in the political and public policy arena including service as the Asst. Chief Clerk of the Iowa House of Representatives and Executive Director of Iowa’s National Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.

He is a frequent speaker on a range of topics, including innovation, leadership development and organizational transformation. His leadership in insurance innovation has been recognized with the “InnovationIowa” Innovation Leader award while at EMC, two NAMIC Innovation Best-in-Class awards and the Plug-and-Play Corporate Innovation award. Gross graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Economics.

Outside of work, Gross is a practicing artist (www.jwgrossstudio.com) and an active member of industry and community organizations including the Global Insurance Symposium (former Co-Chair), the Global Insurance Accelerator (former Vice Chair), the Iowa Association of Business & Industry (former Board member and Foundation Vice Chair), Leadership Iowa (former Chair, Board of Governors), the Des Moines Art Center (currently President of the Board of Trustees) and Central Iowa Shelter & Service (former Board Chair).  He and his wife, Dia, live in Des Moines and have two daughters studying at Iowa universities.

Owner of Emerge Marketing Solutions, Shelly Greving, is passionate about revitalizing rural Iowa communities. As a marketing professional and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience she has worked closely with communities such as DeWitt, Ames, Manning, Coon Rapids, Audubon, Manson, and Calhoun County. Her team is also the driving force behind the Evolution of the Heartland initiative and Off the Beaten path video series.

In 2016, Shelly founded Emerge Marketing with a vision to empower Iowa communities, small businesses, and non-profits. She leverages her expertise in strategic planning, brand development, and creative marketing to help them reach their full potential. Shelly believes a cohesive brand, comprehensive strategy, and effective plan are key ingredients for success, regardless of the organization or business.

Her passion, energy, and strategic creativity are contagious. Shelly connects vision with action, inspiring and motivating organizations to step outside their comfort zone, discover their potential, and pursue new opportunities.

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Christopher Porter is the director of the artificial intelligence program at Drake University and an associate professor of computer science. Prior to coming to Drake in 2016, Porter held postdoctoral positions at the University of Paris Diderot and the University of Florida.  He received a joint PhD in mathematics and philosophy in 2012 and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Gonzaga University in 2003.

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Chris Snider is a professor in the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He teaches social media and digital media strategy courses. Prior to joining Drake, Chris was a journalist in Baltimore, St. Louis and Des Moines. He moved to Des Moines in 2005 to start Juice magazine. 

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