Industry: Computer Software

Additional Information

About Lief

I'm a big fan of new media technology and have been working for the last decade in product research & development. I'm a fairly well-rounded entrepreneur. One of my greatest passions is business. That's probably one of the reasons I co-founded BusinessCard2.com and Workface Inc. I want to help fellow business people to more effectively market themselves on the web.

I acquired my education in Business Administration and Media Communications from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota. It's noteworthy that I also have attended the school of hard knocks and I've learned many lessons through trial and error.

As a problem solver, I'm charged with the purpose of inventing and developing new products that meet consumer & commercial market demands for convenience-based technologies. In July 2006 I broke off a new endeavor, Workface LLC, which has since grown into Workface Inc. (http://www.workfaceinc.com).

The website you're on right now (BusinessCard2.com) is a result of the technology development occurring within Workface.

Recognition: - Named #8 on Entrepreneur Magazine™ Top 10 American Entrepreneurs Under the Age of 30. - Inducted, at age 28, into the Self-Service Technology Hall of Fame for outstanding lifetime contribution to the advancement of self-service technology - 2005 Finalist for the Minnesota Cup Breakthrough Ideas Competition - 2006 Semi-Finalist for the Minnesota Cup Breakthrough Ideas Competition

Career Achievements - Founded ARC Product Development Company (sold 1996) - Worked on SJMC funding project at University of Minnesota (funds received, New Media Center built) - Co-Founded IntelliCom International (sold 2000) - Founded KIOSK (sold 2004) - Founded IIP (sold 2004) - Founded D3 (sold 2004) - Founded VOYAGI, Inc. (sold 2005) - Founded Valhalla Worldwide (est. 2004) - Co-invented several patent-pending media technologies (2002-2005) - Founded Consumable Media (est. 2004) - Invented perceptive recognition technology (2006) - Co-founded Workface (est. 2006) - Invented BCDA Retention Device (2007)

Personal Interests & Activities: - Member of Carlson School of Mgmt. Entrepreneurial Forum - Mentor to Carlson School Students (http://www.csom.umn.edu) - Member of "The Expert Network" - University of Minnesota - Member of the Minneapolis Workforce Council - Member of Social Capital Collective - Fund raising Events - Habitat for Humanity - Avid Gardener (grapes, strawberries, and more) - Technical & Scientific Writing (just edited a book on using Toyota Lean Mgmt.) - Marathon, Triathlon, & Extreme Distance Racing (I'm slow, but I finish) - Fishing, Hunting, and Outdoor Activities (did anyone say Jeremiah Johnson?)

My Favorite Macro Economic Quote: "Small firms with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.9 percent of the 26.8 million businesses in the country, both large and small. If America's small business were a separate economy, it would be the world's third-largest, trailing only the United States as a whole and Japan." - Todd Stottelmeyer - CEO of NFIB

My Favorite Entrepreneurial Quote: "Search and you will find at the base and birth of every great business organization was an enthusiast, a man consumed with earnestness of purpose, with confidence in his powers, with faith in the worthwhileness of his endeavors." - B.C. Forbes

Why I Take Risks: First off, I believe that "risks" are really just actions with undetermined outcomes. For emotional reasons, many people don't realize that mistakes are good things to have happen to us. We need to be bold and make mistakes to find out what actually works. If we walk around life mentally prepared for the worst case scenario, the worry drifts away.

Pages of a Magazine on my Wall: Pages 118-122 of the November 2005 issue of Business 2.0.

My Math Formula: Great Idea + Determination + Goal Setting + Concentration + Courage + Currency = SUCCESS!