Brady Konya, Board Co-Chair
As owner and co-founder of Middle West Spirits, central Ohio's first artisan distillery, Brady Konya brings over 15 years of sales, marketing and entrepreneurial experience to the Wonderland Advisory Board.
Prior to launching Middle West, Brady held several senior management positions spanning nearly a decade at Avenue A | Razorfish, the largest independent digital marketing firm in the world. Brady eventually oversaw Global Business and Client Development efforts across 22 offices in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific, where he played a key role in growing the company.
Brady joins the board as an Italian village resident, Weinland Park business owner and Short North commercial property owner and developer whoʼs recently completed over 12,000 square feet of mixed-use properties. Prior to Wonderland, Brady held board positions with the Seattle Treatment Education Project and NW Aids Foundation, now part of the Life Long Aids Alliance in Seattle, WA. Brady holds an MBA from Seattle University, and a BA from the University of Washington.
Ben Maiden, Board Co-Chair
Ben Maiden is a committed leader looking to utilize his extensive experience in the private sector in the service of new models of social entrepreneurship in the fields of arts and culture, and homelessness/supportive housing.
Ben had a distinguished 31 year career at Battelle that included leading its $600 million per-year worldwide environmental business, and establishing and directing a corporate venture organization that launched three technology based start-up enterprises that attracted over $150 million investment in capital.
Since retiring from Battelle in 2006, Ben has focused on using entrepreneurial principles and experience to develop and implement new models for social entrepreneurship. He has served as a consultant on such matters with the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, the Children’s Hunger Alliance, the Franklin Park Conservatory, and with a start-up social enterprise emerging from OSU's Fisher College of Business.
Ben takes community service seriously. He's led the Columbus Environmental Advisory Committee and the Columbus Community Risk Panel. Ben has also consulted with or served on the Boards of the Columbus Museum of Art and the Melville Charitable Trust, and the Advisory Committee of OSU's Knowlton School of Architecture.
Jeffrey J. Smith, Board Treasurer
Jeffrey J. Smith, CPA is a self-employed consultant providing accounting technology solutions to private sector companies and nonprofit organizations. Prior to starting his own business, Jeff worked as a consultant at Streff & Associates, Inc, an information management firm specializing in the implementation of financial software for small and midsize companies. From 1990-1997, Jeff served in a number of professional capacities, rising to Chief Financial Officer of the New Albany Investment Company (formerly Wexner Investment Company).
Jeff is a 1986 graduate of The Ohio State University with a BSBA in accounting and management information science.
Jeff has served on the HRC National Board of Governors as well as co-chaired and served as Treasurer of the Columbus HRC Dinner and the Columbus Steering Committee. Jeff also served as President of Reality Theatre, and was the Alumni Board Treasurer and Chapter Counselor for the Ohio Gamma Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.
Currently, Jeff is Board Chair for Equality Ohio and President of the Short North Civic Association (formerly Victorian Village Society) and has served as Treasurer of both organizations. He also serves on the board of the Short North Foundation.
Melissa Starker, Board Secretary
A passion for the arts has guided Melissa Starker's entire professional career.
As an editor and award-winning writer, Melissa helped shape the arts coverage for Columbus Alive for over a decade. She currently contributes arts writing to both Alive and the Columbus Dispatch, as well as covering film for Alive, the webzine Rocker, and in her Tumblr blog The Once Over Twice.
While at Alive, Melissa also founded and programmed the Alive Deep Focus Film Festival, a weekend-long festival of local and independent film, from 2005-2008. She previously held management and marketing positions with film presenters in Columbus and her hometown of Boston, including the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation, Drexel Theatres and Gateway Film Center.
Her resume also includes volunteer work with the Short North Civic Association, and stints with arts non-profits the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Boston-area concert promoter World Music and the Opera Company of Boston.
David Bailey
As a member of the Columbus creative scene, David Bailey has worked for nearly a decade with community developers and business owners in the fields of architecture and design. His work in the city took root in the Short North, where he engaged with developers on such projects as Dakota on High, Ibiza on High and Union Bar and Cafe. Prior to working as an independent consultant, David was a designer for Karlsberger Architecture and Meyers+Welsh Architecture and Design.
In 2004, after becoming intimately acquainted with the artisanship of the field through independent studies at Ohio State, David co-founded Adapt Ltd., a modern custom furniture operation. Day-to-day operations include managing design projects for custom and contract clients in the fields of design & interior, retail, hospitality and restaurant. David's background in project management is due in part to his experience as a store designer at Abercrombie & Fitch, where he completed projects for Gilly Hicks, A&F, Hollister and Ruehl.
While obtaining his Master of Architecture in 2008, David teamed with Finnish architect Kivi Sotamaa to organize symposia and design critiques around the world, including the Angewandte Kunst (Vienna), SCI-Arc, UCLA, Columbia and Azul Rey Symposium in Mexico City. Obtaining a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Fine Arts (GISFA) was among his achievements and has contributed to his passion for fine art, installation and digital design. David is currently consulting with real estate investors, developers and business owners to renew existing cities and urban areas.
Kacey Campbell Brankamp
Kacey Campbell Brankamp is the retail recruiter for Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID), an association of property owners in downtown Columbus. Kacey’s responsibilities include implementing a retail recruitment effort which began in January 2010 at the request of the SID with support from the City of Columbus. In this capacity, Kacey develops ongoing relationships with hundreds of independent and local chain retailers, works with prospective retailers to connect them with real estate brokers, provides information about Downtown’s retail demand, and supports business owners as they consider a move downtown. Kacey has worked with Capital Crossroads for over four years serving as promotions coordinator. Her responsibilities included overseeing special events such as the Pearl Market, and managing communications and marketing services prior to the retail recruitment program. She holds an inactive real estate sales license and earned a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Psychology and Small Business from the University of Vermont. She is a resident of the Short North, and a proud COTA rider and locavore.
Roy Gottlieb
Roy Gottlieb has practiced general dentistry on Morse Road at I-71 for over 25 years. During that time he has served on the Directorʼs Circle Council of the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Red Herring Theatre Company Board, the Kristina Isabelle Theatre Company Board and the Available Light Theatre Company Board. He presently serves on the boards of the King Arts Complex and the Roy G Biv Gallery for Emerging Artists. In addition to board service, Roy has contributed to the success of several projects with CCAD, OSU and other arts organizations. He received the King Arts Complex Dream Award in 2006 and The GCAC Community Arts Partnership Award in 2009.
Jeff Houser
Jeff Houser is an associate attorney at the Columbus office of Crabbe, Brown & James, LLP. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University and a J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Jeff has been practicing with Crabbe, Brown & James since his admission to the Ohio bar in 2003, concentrating his practice in the areas of civil litigation and business law and amassing significant experience representing nonprofit organizations.
He has represented several local arts entities in connection with various matters, including the King Arts Complex, the Lincoln Theatre Association and the Columbus Museum of Art. He also serves as assistant general counsel to nonprofits the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Board of Directors of USA Track & Field. He has counseled nonprofits through the process of incorporation, application for tax-exempt status, various business and finance transactions, and ongoing issues of governance and best practices.
Jeff was named an “Ohio Rising Star” in the 2009 edition of Ohio Super Lawyers magazine. He regularly volunteers his time to the Ohio Center for Law Related Education and has served as volunteer Legal Advisor to a local high school Mock Trial team.
Mike Minnix
Mike Minnix is the owner of Eartha Limited, an environmental consulting and bioproduct distributor focusing on the service and event industries. Eartha's programs have been seen at many of the nation's largest events including Super Bowl 43 and 44 and the American Quarter Horse Congress.
Mike speaks and writes on the topic of environmental policies and their effects on small business. Recently he joined the board of GreenColumbus and the Columbus Chamber Green Council. Heʼs a decorated veteran of the Ohio Air National Guard, a green advocate and a dumpster diver.
Matthew Ungar
Matt Ungar graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Product Design in 1973 and learned to handle hard work through two years on a dairy farm.
Starting as a product designer at Bigham Sign and Display on Goodale Ave, Matt later moved to his familyʼs furniture store in the Yukon Building and started Functional Furnishings in 1976, growing with the Short North and eventually opening three locations with over 40 employees. His hands-on approach included buying, merchandising supervision, marketing and customer service. After Functional Furnishings closed with the sale of the Yukon Building, Matt worked as a retail consultant with the Wexner Center during its building refurbishment on fixture design, buying and merchandising.
Matt has served as the Director of Advancement for Columbus AIDS Task Force and oversaw all aspects of 2006ʼs Art for Life, which generated a record total of $850,000. He was also proprietor of Design Within Reach at Easton Town Center, from 2006-2009.
Pat Wynn Brown
Pat Wynn Brown is a performer, writer, and philanthropist. Her ‘humor-memoir’ Hair Theater shows travel across the country (www.HairTheaterBeautySchool.com). These fun and inspirational performance pieces, in a variety of theme episodes, are often featured entertainment at women’s health events and conferences. Pat is also a frequent M.C. and producer of events and shows.Pat is a former newspaper humor columnist and a three time winner of the James Thurber Writing Contest. There is a charitable wing to her Hair Theater shows that assists women and girls in financial need with wigs, necessitated by chemotherapy. For this work, Pat was named an Outstanding Woman by Sunny 95 radio. She was also a two time finalist for the Business First Health Hero Award and a finalist for the Jefferson Award. She has a B.S. in communications from Ohio University and an M.A. from The Ohio State University. As a special experience, Pat was a Rockette in NYC for one day.Being a Columbus native, Pat knows that our city is a vibrant arts community.
Her interest in Wonderland and serving on the board comes from that knowledge but also from her personal experience with the power of the arts to not only ignite, entertain, and please the senses, but also to heal broken hearts and spirits. One of the best and most frequent comments she receives after a show is, “I needed that laugh more than you’ll ever know.”
Photos: Meghan Kwast
