Louise Shirley brings over a decade of expertise in education, facilitation, and program leadership to her role in NEXTUp Leaders. Formerly the Program Director of the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, Louise has led both staff and volunteer teams with a focus on impact and connection. She previously taught undergraduates at Washington State University and served as the Curator of Natural History at the High Desert Museum, where she designed and led learning experiences for diverse audiences. A dedicated lifelong learner and community connector, Louise is passionate about creating engaging, accessible opportunities where participants gain insights both from experts and each other.

Talena Barker’s work focuses on strengthening the continuum of workforce, community leadership and talent development through the Bend Chamber’s BendNEXT Foundation. This work happens by increasing participation in meaningful work experiences, growing a strong young professional development network, and nurturing community succession planning through education and connections. With a background in non-profit development, communications, entrepreneurship and lobbying, Talena’s passion lies in finding creative pathways to solve problems and break down barriers to growth.

Katy Brooks’ vision for the Bend Chamber is to catalyze an environment where businesses, their employees and the community thrive. Her background in economic development, coalition-building and government relations enables her to understand public policies and issues to advocate for the businesses of Bend as well as forming partnerships and alliances that support a growing business community. 

Her career has included over 20 years working in public affairs and economic development for the ports of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. She has been a public affairs and strategic planning consultant for public and private organizations in Oregon, Washington and Alaska, and managed community relations for the Oregon Department of Transportation.  

Katy received a BS at Southern Oregon University with graduate studies at Portland State University. She has received extensive training in facilitating public issues and resolving conflict. 

Sean Minard  brings a wealth of expertise in leadership development and organizational strategy, making him a valuable addition to the NEXTUp Leaders program. With a proven record of fostering high-performing teams, both in-person and virtually, Sean excels in training leaders to manage and motivate remote teams effectively. His insights on building connection and accountability across distances, along with his passion for empowering individuals to reach their full potential, position him as an inspiring speaker for new managers and leaders.

Kristi Runberg, RN BS BSN MSN PCCN comes from the Pacific Northwest with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare, ranging from public health and social services to bedside nursing, clinical leadership and education/training and development for healthcare professionals. Her experience as a nursing leader ignited her curiosity around what allows the most effective teams to thrive amidst the challenging, ever-changing climate of healthcare. With this, she transitioned her career to explore the world of training, culture, and leadership development to support clinical excellence and quality patient outcomes.

Kristi completed her Master of Nursing with focus on Leadership in Healthcare Systems and has since both led and consulted with successful culture change initiatives in her role as a Leadership Development Consultant, and active community member supporting local nonprofits. She quickly discovered that multidisciplinary team dynamics and communication were key to effective, team-based, and patient-focused outcomes, amidst variable circumstances. Her aim is clinical excellence in her rural community, where she recognizes the responsibility and privilege of serving the community as a team member of the sole provider of acute care in the area.

Kristi’s passion for teaching and developing others to design, develop, execute, teach and sustain effective culture change continues as she serves as external faculty for the American Hospital Association with the Team Training efforts, the Central Oregon OHSU Alumni Association VP of Membership, and an actively engaged community member.

Eric Plantenberg is an entrepreneur who shares his personal passions with the world. In his 20s and 30s, he turned his commitment to personal development into a business that worked with over 2,000 companies and tens of thousands of clients. In his 40s, he scaled his hobby of making kombucha in his home into Humm Kombucha, a top-five kombucha brand in the world.

Now, he and his wife Cheri have taken their lifelong interest in mental, emotional, and physical well-being and created a one-of-a-kind experience called the Abundant Living Retreat. Eric is a proven team builder and educator who values strategic partnerships and collaboration. An avid outdoorsman, Eric has whitewater kayaked and climbed mountains on six continents, including summiting Mount Everest.

Erik Berglund grew up in the Central Oregon community. Having graduated from Bend High in 2002, he found himself questioning the feasibility of building a life here and pursuing a career. How can a local kid make enough to buy a home and raise a family in an economy built on boom/bust construction and tourism? Passionate about changing that for his daughters, Erik collaborates with business owners dedicated to transforming this vision into reality by bringing more career options and higher paying jobs to the community.

Erik is a business coach, Interim CxO, and founder of the Language of Leadership. He helps business owners build out the systems, processes, and products they need to scale, and then exit their businesses. He helps owners and executives grow as leaders, by focusing on the words they use to lead their people.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Erik finds joy in spending time with his two daughters, his loyal dog Myka, and his incredible wife.