Board of Directors

I was born in England so long ago I can’t remember where or when. On my circuitous journey to the state of Minnesota I have worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Philip Morris, McDonald’s, Intel and Wrigley across five continents and have travelled to over 80 countries.

During my global leapfrogging my primary roles included general management, strategic marketing and client services and I often cite that my diverse experiences is the number one reason I am able to help clients to quickly adapt to changing cultures, economies and situations.

In 2012 I left my corporate career and started my own consulting practice in Chicago called ConnXN Consulting. Fortunately my business took off quicker than the understanding that ConnXN was a creative way of saying ‘Connection’. In 2013 we moved to Minnesota and I now work with business owners and leadership teams who feel their original strengths have been diluted by all the other things it takes to run and lead a business and they start to feel overwhelmed and unhappy. I am their your guide that helps them get back to doing what they enjoy and bringing the fun back to them and their business.

As a lifelong sports nut, I follow practically all sports except ice fishing (is that even a sport?) but soccer is my passion. I’m very happily married and have 2 sons and a daughter.

JoAnne Funch has been an entrepreneur since 1996, with a background in sales, marketing, and product development.

Since 2008, she has helped professionals and teams build visibility, credibility, and real influence on LinkedIn®. JoAnne’s work goes beyond “how to use the platform.” She helps people think differently about relationships, showing them how to build a network of valued connections that leads to opportunities.

JoAnne works with business owners, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and corporate leaders who want a practical LinkedIn strategy that supports their relationship-building goals. The result is stronger positioning, more exposure, and a clearer path to greater impact and income.

She believes most people are craving meaningful connection and the chance to be heard, both personally and professionally. That belief is at the heart of her approach and why her clients leave with more than a better profile or content plan. They gain a simple strategy for showing up with clarity, building trust, and staying top of mind with the people who matter.

I have spent my career as a Business Banker working with Entrepreneurs to provide the tools and capital they need to grow their businesses. With over 20 years of commercial banking experience, I have worked with a wide variety of businesses to structure a deposit and loan relationship that fits their specific needs. I view my role as an advocate and consultant to my clients, building long-term relationships. I specialize in working with privately held businesses from start-up to revenues of $30+ million, deposit relationships of all sizes and lending relationships from $250k to $5 million.

As part of Minnwest Bank’s Commercial Banking Team, I strive to create banking relationships that are as unique as the businesses and business owners that I work with. Minnwest Bank offers a full range of financial services including cash management services, business loans and lines of credit, SBA Loans and many online and mobile services.

As a type A graphic designer, I help solopreneurs and non profits save time and money on their logos, websites and visual elements. It delights me to create and elevate brands doing what I do best so that others can do the same.

When I’m not aligning elements just so or analyzing fonts, I can be found with my husband, daughter and son, reading, outdoors and/or dreaming about the Minnesota State Fair (Team Pronto Pup).

I started my career working in a mid-size manufacturing company. It is the best education I could have received. I learned that the best way to improve the work being done in a company is to go to the people doing the work. They know what the problems are and they know how to solve them. We just need to ASK them and then give them the tools to make the improvements.

I spent 20 years of my career in manufacturing. In 2016, I started my business, Gayle Noakes Supervisor Success, working with manufacturing supervisors to develop their leadership skills.

I’m Christine Tierney, founder of junebird creative and a digital marketing strategist obsessed with helping businesses get clear and communicate with purpose. I work with teams that are tired of guessing their way through marketing and want strategy they can actually use. My focus is brand strategy, marketing strategy, and the hands-on execution that turns both into real traction.

My background blends the analytical and the creative. I hold an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a dual degree in Biology and Studio Art from St. Catherine University. I’ve spent more than 15 years building brands, designing and developing WordPress sites, shaping digital experiences, and translating complex ideas into marketing people actually understand.

When I’m not working you’ll find me at a park with my three boys (total boy mom!), running the trails in the east-metro (frequently with the double-jogger, occasionally with my husband), or doing a something that involves a trip (or two) to Home Depot.