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Core
Team
The key
principals in IdeaWorks, LLC
include David H. Brenner and Tom Edwards. Their experience and
expertise lies in new business venture formation and development,
strategic analysis and planning, sales and marketing, new products
and services development and new market intelligence.
 David
Brenner, Managing Partner:
Entrepreneurial
senior executive with almost 30 years domestic and international experience in leading
successful start-up, high-growth and turnaround companies,
acquisitions, partnerships and divestitures. A lifelong sales & marketing
expert, he brings strategic insight and executional discipline to
enter and develop entirely new channels of distribution, new markets
and new business growth models. Passionate to exploit untapped
opportunities to stimulate market growth, acquire and develop new
customers and outperform competition on all key measures.
Created and led entirely
new subsidiaries for Kelloggs USA and Amway. Mr. Brenner was
President, US Subsidiaries for Kellogg Company and Managing
Director, Kellogg Company of Great Britain Limited. Mr. Brenner
began his career in marketing with Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.
Mr.
Brenner currently serves on numerous boards, including as Chairman of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, the prestigious
State of Michigan business plan competition, and as President of the
Western Michigan Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. He
is a 1973 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He is also an
IrishAngel with the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the
University of Notre Dame.
 Tom
Edwards, Managing Partner:
Prior
to co-founding IdeaWorks,
LLC
Mr.
Edwards was a Vice President in Amway Corporation’s New Business
Ventures unit. Other positions held during his 29-year career at
Amway included executive management in marketing, new business
development and R&D product development. Before joining Amway
Mr. Edwards worked in Continental Oil Company’s petrochemical
research division.
Throughout
his 35-year career Mr. Edwards has been deeply involved in new
business ventures. He pioneered Amway’s entry into household
electronics and security systems, water and air treatment systems,
and services. His efforts led to an almost five-fold increase in
consumer durable goods sales to $1 billion per annum. Mr. Edwards has
extensive experience in leading complex multi-party product
development projects, negotiations for products and
services, and the purchase and sale of entire business units.
Skilled at working with small start-up companies with good product
ideas, he is receptive to and protective of their needs and values
while helping them adapt to do business with large companies.
Mr.
Edwards has held board positions in many industry associations,
including The Soap & Detergent Association, the Cosmetics
Specialties Manufacturers Association, and the American Oil Chemists
Society. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Central State
University in Oklahoma.
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