This series brings outstanding local, regional or nationally recognized entrepreneurs who have liberal arts backgrounds to engage with students, faculty and the community.
2023
Thatcher and Shannon Davis are co-owners of Selamat Designs and Woven. Thatcher Davis graduated from Nebraska in 1990, and both attended the University of Washington—Thatcher Davis earned an MBA, and Shannon Davis earned a Master of Public Policy.
2022
After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Janna Ronert set her sights on a career in the skincare industry. Unable to find a skincare line without parabens or chemicals to solve her rosacea, she created a company out of her apartment. Today, Image Skincare has over 25,000 customers in more than 60 countries. Janna is also is the co-founder of Hush & Hush, a line of luxury beauty supplements, which launched in 2019.
2020
Peter Zandbergen, Executive Vice President at Union Bank and Trust, has 40 years of experience in banking and management including corporate banking, commercial lending, private banking, wealth management and strategic planning. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, majoring in ethnography/anthropology and a degree from the University of Colorado Graduate School of Banking. He is active involved in the community.
2018
Michael Zimm, Digital Media Manager at Digital Surgeons. He specializes in search engine optimization and search engine marketing.
Video of the talk is available here.
Prior to transitioning into the tech world, Michael received his PhD in Classics from Yale University. He has published articles on the value of the liberal arts and higher education in the Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, VentureBeat, and Quartz.
Digital Surgeons' clients include Arccos, Camelbak, LEGO, and Sperry.
