Mentor

Are you a local industry professional with a passion to help aspiring entrepreneurs? Fill out our application to join the Start Peninsula Mentor Team!

Fractional CTO/VP of Engineering at Kuzaa LLC
Guillermo Fisher is a fractional CTO who helps startups build, scale, and retain high-performing software engineering teams. Prior to consulting, Guillermo served in SVP of Engineering, Director of Infrastructure, and Director of Product roles. He’s built and scaled globally distributed teams, developed dynamic leaders, and delivered complex technology solutions at organizations of various sizes and stages—Fortune 500 companies, early to mid-stage startups, as well as PE-backed and VC-backed entities.

Partner at Wing Venture Capital
Tanay Jaipuria is a partner at Wing VC where he invests in early-stage B2B software startups. Prior to that, he was a Product lead at Instagram where he worked on creator monetization, a Product Manager at Facebook where he built new ad products and a consultant at McKinsey. He also writes a weekly newsletter on the business of technology read by 7,500+ investors and founders and has written for publications such as TechCrunch and Huffington Post. He is also an angel investor and has invested in over 15 startups around the globe.

Franchise Owner of two UPS Stores
Eddie Montero has been the franchise owner of two UPS Stores in Williamsburg and Gloucester over the last 5 years. He is a 27-year US Navy veteran with experience in Operations, Acquisition, Distribution, Training, and Customer Service. He has been a part of the Launchpad’s Start Peninsula environment for several years. He enjoys offering support to those in need of a hand up, not a handout! Eddie is eager to connect with others and discuss goals, achievements and connections. Eddie is very excited to return to the Start Peninsula environment.

CEO, Couragio Consulting
Gary Plaag is the CEO of Couragio Consulting – a communication and presentation skills coaching practice in Williamsburg, Virginia. Before coming to Williamsburg, Gary spent 8 years as an adjunct instructor at George Mason University where he led courses in: public speaking and business and professional communication. In addition to his teaching experiences at GMU, Gary also received his master’s degree in Communication from the University.

CEO, Array Digital
Erik J. Olson is the Founder & CEO of Array Digital – a digital marketing agency in Virginia. He is the host of the Journey to $100 Million, a daily podcast and Amazon flash briefing, as well as the host of Marketers Anonymous, a monthly marketing meetup. Erik speaks often on the topics of entrepreneurialism and digital marketing. Find Erik online at iamerikjolson.com.

Franchise Owner of two UPS Stores
Rick Poeppelmeier, a native of Dayton, Ohio, graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science-Finance in 1989. He received his Commission through the Navy ROTC program and served for over twenty-one years in a variety of overseas locations before retiring as a Commander. As a Supply Officer, he was part of a small community of personnel managing all logistics operations, including purchasing, pay, and inventory management, serving as the business professionals of the Navy.

President, Proximo Marketing Strategies
Courtney Riley is the owner of Proximo Marketing Strategies, an international digital marketing firm based out of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Courtney has also worked as adjunct faculty at Thomas Nelson Community College, educating students on best practices for marketing in the 21st century. Courtney serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations as well. She is the proud parent of two children and married to the love of her life. Courtney is passionate about empowering individuals to find balance between family and the entrepreneurial life and attributes her own personal and professional success to her faith in Christ!

President, Arcphor | Executive Director, StartWheel
Tim has extensive experience in business development, early-stage startups, entrepreneurism, marketing and information technology. Tim is the President of Arcphor, a locally based business that works with early-stage startups and small businesses. Tim also serves as the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization focused on consolidating and coordinating the entrepreneurial efforts across Hampton Roads, Virginia. Tim was the former director of the Launchpad, an award-winning business incubator located in Greater Williamsburg, and a Lead Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton.