2022 Entrepreneurs Forum Presenters

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  Jim Weber CEO - Brooks Running Company

  In seventh grade at a Minnesota middle school, Weber dreamed of being either a professional hockey player or a CEO when he grew up. After hanging up his skates in college, Weber became a CEO for the first time at age 30, finding his love for leading people, growing brands, and creating successful businesses.  

  Weber joined Brooks Running Company as CEO in 2001 and is credited for the Seattle-based company’s aggressive turnaround, focusing the team solely on delivering personally inspiring products and experiences that keep people running. The business and brand success caught the attention of Warren Buffett, who declared Brooks a standalone subsidiary company of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2012. Ernst & Young awarded Weber “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Pacific Northwest region in 2013, and in 2015 Runner’s World named him one of the most influential innovators in the running industry.  

  Weber’s professional journey includes leadership roles for several consumer product brands such as chairman and CEO of Sims Sports, president of O’Brien International, vice president of The Coleman Company, and various roles with The Pillsbury Company. Weber also spent several years in banking as managing director of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Seattle Investment Banking practice, and as a commercial banking officer at Norwest Bank Minneapolis (now Wells Fargo).  

  Weber received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and a Master of Business Administration degree with high distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Author of the upcoming book Running with Purpose, he currently serves on the boards of directors for Brooks and the Tuck School and resides just outside Seattle with his wife, Mary Ellen, who first caught his attention on the ice during high school. 

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  Armando Camacho President and CEO - Amherst Wilder Foundation

  Armando Camacho is the president and CEO of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. He leads the organization’s work to improve lives today and for generations to come through services, research and community building. He is the seventh president in the foundation’s history.

  Armando is an experienced nonprofit leader with deep connections to Saint Paul. Prior to joining Wilder, he served as president and CEO of Opportunity Partners, one of Minnesota’s largest nonprofit organizations providing job training, employment and residential support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Formerly he served as President of Neighborhood House where he led a strategic redesign and expansion of programs to better support the housing, education, wellness and basic needs of the Saint Paul community. He began his career in education and has held multiple leadership roles in both the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Public School districts.

  Armando was born in Puerto Rico and came to St. Paul’s historic West Side at the age of six. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor’s degree in special education and earned a master’s degree in education from St. Mary’s University. He has earned numerous awards for his leadership from Minneapolis Public Schools, St. Cloud State University, and other community organizations. Most recently he was recognized as one of Twin Cities Business Magazine’s 100 People to Know in 2022. Armando was among 30 Minnesota leaders chosen to serve on Governor Walz’s One Minnesota Transition Advisory Board. His current board service includes the Bush and Mardag Foundations, Regions Hospital, the Constellation Fund, and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.

  Armando lives in Roseville with his wife, Angela. They enjoy spending time with their two adult children who both live in the Twin Cities area.

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  Carl Casale Sr. Agriculture Partner - Ospraire Ag Science

  Carl Casale is a purpose-driven executive and respected thought leader in the ag and food industries.

  His three decades of experience leading globally influential companies across these sectors provide unparalleled insight into the converging forces that will soon fundamentally transform global agricultural systems. Casale’s proven expertise aligning organizations with outcomes and his keen understanding of market dynamics and trends enable him to innovate, execute and create opportunity.

  A fourth-generation farmer himself, Carl identifies ag tech investment opportunities that support sustainable food production. In 2018, he helped launch Ospraie Ag Science, the venture arm of Ospraie Management. In this role, he leads successful venture campaigns for select companies that help farmers do more with less environmental impact.

  In Casale’s seven years as the CEO and President of CHS, Inc., the company returned $3 billion to its owners, invested $9 billion in new capital expenditures and nearly doubled the size of its balance sheet from $8.7 billion in 2010 to $17.3 billion at the end of fiscal 2016. Casale focused on prudent fiscal management and enhancing management systems at the company.

  During his tenure, CHS was the only major firm in the industry to manage
  through the recent economic decline without a planned reduction in workforce, instead relying on strategic cost reductions. During this period, Casale reduced working capital by $400 million to help fund a $2.8 billion transformational investment in CF Nitrogen – without taking on an undesirable debt level. The result was an 80-year agreement and a significant new profit source for the co-op’s farmer-owners.