About
I am a fourth-generation entrepreneur who has driven change in business for 30 years. I am an award-winning servant leader who firmly believes that organizations and leaders must give back to the communities they serve.
I have participated in some tremendous organizations, including Junior Achievement of Delaware. As a young would-be entrepreneur, I participated in their youth programs. As an adult, I have been a coach, judge, donor, Board Member, and Chair Emeritus.
I have been active in area incubators such as New Castle County Chamber’s Emerging Enterprise Center as a founding member and in the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship program as a volunteer, judge, and advisor to student businesses.
Additionally, I have been a Fellow Member of the Christiana and Wilmington Rotary Clubs for many years and a member of the state and local Chambers of Commerce working with employee relations, small business, and at the board level. I have also been active on the boards of private companies and non-profit organizations.
On the professional side, I have been active in Staffing and Human Resources industry groups at the leader and board levels.
In the workplace, I strive to foster a culture that encourages employees to be themselves and take risks. I advocate trailblazing through thought leadership.
As a result:
- Our companies have made the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America 10 times.
- Chris Burkhard was selected as Delaware’s Small Business Person of the Year in 2020 by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
- Placers earned a fifth ranking in Top Places to Work in Delaware for 2022
In addition to my experience as a business leader in the community, I am a Scaling Up Coach. I take pride in my innovative approach as a mentor/coach who helps other business leaders reach their full potential, personally and professionally. I am proud to share that I have coached and helped develop five companies on their journey to making the Inc. 5000 list.
The last thing I’d like to share with you is something I am passionate about. My years in business have been great, but I love the creative nature of sharing Outside Insights as an author, blogger, and speaker on workforce realities, leadership, business, business culture, and life.
“Most of these guys are longtime friends and we backpack a few times a year including the Rainier trip, We called ourselves the Misfits. Misfits is a famous name for adventurers as the founders of Patagonia, North Face and Royal Robbins called themselves the Misfits too!”