Our Team
Wake Tech’s Startup Center is home to the Wake Tech Small Business Center and Entrepreneurship Initiatives. Whether you have an idea or are in business, we offer free tools to help you succeed. Learn more about how businesses usually work with us by visiting the How we Work page.
Dana Cassell
Small Business Counselor
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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Dana Cassell specializes in helping clients with strategic planning and digital marketing. Dana also helps people in the beginning startup phases of establishing their business.
The majority of her work focuses on defining brand strategies and strengthening her client’s businesses by better leveraging their brand and reaching their target markets. Dana also excels at helping clients integrate digital marketing into existing business plans, and frequently spends time educating on effective digital marketing management.
Katie Gailes
Director, Entrepreneurship Initiatives
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1004 (office)
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Katie Gailes
Director, Entrepreneurship Initiatives
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1004 (office)
Alisa Johnson
Small Business Counselor
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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Alisa Johnson has over 17 years of experience in Human Resources. One of her primary responsibilities has been in developing and training the management of employees. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work and a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Training and Development. Ms. Johnson earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2007 and the Society for Human Resource Management-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification in 2015. She has extensive experience in coaching and has successfully assisted her clients with planning. Ms. Johnson’s clients credit her with helping them develop leadership skills.
Ms. Johnson has a genuine and enthusiastic interest in assisting small business owners. She is committed to helping small business owners develop their business sense and “know-how”, which will facilitate successful navigation within the community and positively add to the economy.
Tony Jones
Small Business Counselor
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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Tony Jones is a marketing and business development specialist uniquely qualified with thirty years of marketing and sales experience: special emphasis on developing marketing and sales campaigns, merchandising and advertising techniques, public relations exposure strategies, staging sales momentum, television, radio, and video production. In addition, Tony has experience in electronic marketing and database development and management.
Tony was an owner of a HUB Certified painting company with more than 60 employees and $4m in revenue before selling the company
Karriem Kanston
Small Business Counselor
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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Karriem Kanston is currently the Lead Faculty for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.
As the founder and president of Kanston Development, a small business development and leadership group he has led for 17 years. Karriem holds an MAT in Entrepreneurship and Business from Johnson and Wales University and has extensive experience teaching college students and business owners courses related to entrepreneurship, business, leadership, and finance.
Ben Kittner
Small Business Counselor
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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Ben Kittner has been an entrepreneur, communicator, marketer, funder and educator in the Research Triangle region for nearly three decades. Leveraging his business experience, communications and marketing skills, personal contacts, and community resources, Kittner helps entrepreneurs identify and validate assumptions, conduct market research, identify target customers, focus their business plans, tell their stories and market their services and products.
During his career, Ben worked in communications and marketing for PBS television, the National Education Association and College Foundation of North Carolina, helped create a public affairs TV network for the State of North Carolina, started, grew and managed a public relations firm that specialized in technology and healthcare clients for 15 years, taught public relations and marketing courses at NCSU, and has counseled and advised hundreds of students, nonprofit leaders, investors, corporate executives and entrepreneurs.
Specialties: Focusing business concepts, market research, and validation; public relations; marketing and communications.
Cherith Roberson
Director, Small Business Center
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1007 (office)
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Cherith Roberson
Director, Small Business Center
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1007 (office)
Cherith is the SBC Director. She oversees the SBC daily operations, workshop schedule, facilitates sessions, and is a small business counselor.
Her expertise lies in early start-up growth, strategic planning, business planning, and financial planning. She enjoys working side by side with clients to give them access to tools and resources for a successful business.
Laura Rodgers
Business Development Professional/ Cybersecurity Compliance
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
RTP Campus
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919-314-7317 (office)
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Laura Rodgers
Business Development Professional/ Cybersecurity Compliance
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
RTP Campus
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919-314-7317 (office)
North Carolina Military Business Center
Chris Roix
Operations Assistant
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1019 (office)
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Chris Roix
Operations Assistant
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1019 (office)
Chris supports the operations and logistics of the Small Business Center. She’s been with the SBC for 13 years and is passionate about helping small business owners develop and grow.
Juleen Weber
Community Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Initiatives
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1024 (office)
Western Wake Campus Library
Katy Hoffler, MLIS
Campus Librarian
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1401 (office)
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Katy Hoffler, MLIS
Campus Librarian
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1401 (office)
- 919-866-5721 Library
- https://researchguides.waketech.edu/WesternWakeLibrary
Jackie Kilberg, MLS
Library Technical Assistant
[email protected]
~ Contact Info ~
Western Wake Campus
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919-335-1053 (office)
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