Be Your Own Boss Conference: Financing strategies and IP for your Franchise

Craig spent 25+ years in corporate IT software sales/sales management with companies including Oracle, Hewlett Packard, Micro Focus, and others before joining his wife’s business as a Certified Franchise Consultant.

Sue was also in corporate with IBM before deciding to stay at home with the kids while volunteering at school, the Board of Education, and non-profit fund-raising activities with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Pancreatic Cancer Network. Sue then decided to start her Franchise Consulting business in 2014 after the kids left for college.

Sue and Craig have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown children, and a 4-month-old granddaughter. They live in Alpharetta, GA, and have been in the Atlanta area for 30 years. They love to bicycle and hike with their 85lb dog, try new restaurants, travel the US and the world, and of course, spend time as much time as possible with their precious granddaughter.

Mr. Lesperance recently completed (2014) a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Lawrence Technological University (LTU) to better serve his clients with up-to-date knowledge about today’s technologies. Mr. Lesperance also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering also from LTU, a Master of Science in International Administration from Central Michigan University, as well as Juris Doctor (JD) in Law and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Intellectual Property from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.

Prior to and during law school, Mr. Lesperance was a test and design engineer for automotive seating at Lear Corporation. He later moved to Robert Bosch Automotive, where he was an automotive lighting test engineer. After a stint at Bosch, he moved to Hella Lighting Corporation, where he was a lighting product engineer. His final automotive engineering position was at the Ford Motor Company.

Mr. Lesperance is a registered patent attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, he is admitted to practice in Michigan and is a barrister and solicitor in Ontario, Canada. He is also a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (US), and the Eastern District of Michigan (including Detroit). Mr. Lesperance also holds US and Canadian citizenship.

Mr. Lesperance is a member of the American Intellectual Property Association (AIPLA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the Licensing Executives Society (LES), the International Trademark Association (INTA), and the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC).

In his spare time, Mr. Lesperance enjoys restoring classic automobiles, travel, and playing ice hockey.

Kelly Krueger is a Senior Consultant with Benetrends Financial.  Benetrends has been a leader in the financial services industry for nearly 40 years, helping entrepreneurs understand their funding options and develop smart capitalization strategies. Kelly has a well-rounded, empathetic approach to assisting her clients.

“The promise of business ownership is oth exhilarating and intimidating. For that dream to become a reality, the client must be able to obtain funding. It’s my job to help the client understand all their financing options and present them in a simplified manner.  Once the client understands their options, then they can make an informed decision on how best to move forward. It’s really all about taking time with the client to guide them through all the information.”

Prior to her position as a Sr. Consultant, Kelly was a Financial Services Professional with Prudential; where she earned the following professional licences: Series 6, Series 63, Life & Health.  She also worked as a Pharmaceutical Speciality Sales Professional for near 14 years for both Schering-Plough and Sanofi-Aventis.