Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Peter Apicella
Jeff Eakin
Jackie Stevenson
Craig Zamary

Peter Apicella

Peter Apicella returns to Lake Erie College where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a focus in marketing in 1990. At that time, he was also heading up sales for Famous Value Brands, a division of Philip Morris USE in New York City.

He has owned and managed Feren Gift Baskets & Wine, distributing gourmet gift baskets, fine wine and beer gift baskets, flowers and plants, fancy pastries and wines of Italy throughout the United States since 1993.

In addition to his service at Lake Erie College, Apicella provides marketing support for the Downtown Painesville Economic Development Group and is a trustee and board member of the Italian American Cultural Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Contact Peter at papicella@lec.edu

Jeff Eakin

Jeff Eakin is president of Marquis Financial Services LLC, providing investment banking services to middle-market companies, with a focus on raising debt and equity capital and advising buyers and sellers of businesses.

He co-founded three equipment leasing companies serving as the chief credit officer. These included a captive company for a major manufacturer of medical equipment; a wholesale company for a national equipment lessor; and a private, independent equipment lessor.

Prior to this, he was a general partner of Prescott, Ball & Turben, where he arranged debt financings for a variety of corporate, governmental and non-profit enterprises. Jeff began his finance career as an investment analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance after serving in the United States Army.

He has served on the board and as chairman of a non-profit children’s hospital and as an independent director of a public company.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Lafayette College and a master of business administration in finance with honors from Boston University.

Contact Jeff at jeakin@lec.edu

Jackie Stevenson

Jackie Stevenson is Founder and CEO of Spirit of Leadership LLC. In addition she provides services as a consultant, coach, therapist and educator. My commitment is to provide the context and professional service to inspire and empower individuals and their organizations to achieve their best purpose and well being in service of the greater good of the whole.

The intention of my work is to support individuals and their organizations to build a culture and capacity for leadership excellence, team performance, and organizational spirit within often unpredictable and fast changing environments. The service I provide is innovative and unique to each client, grounded in well accepted business practices and based on a positive "what’s working” and "what needs to change” perspective.

"My clients include a diverse population drawn from individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. I have provided leadership development for professional men and women embarking on their careers, youth from the inner city, individuals challenged with demanding leadership responsibilities, teams struggling to succeed, CEO’s questioning "for the sake of what do I go to work each day."

Jackie is the founder and director of the Lake Erie College "Experiential Learning with Horses: Developing Human Potential for Positive Change" Professional Development certificate program.

She is an adjunct professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. Jackie is on the faculty of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland where she teaches in the International Coaching Federation Gestalt coaching certificate program. She is a past director of the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland and of the Clinical Center of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. She is the founder of "Wolf Creek”; a wilderness based leadership and personal development program for women.

Jackie consults, teaches and lectures within the U.S. the U.K., Turkey, Israel and Mexico. She integrates Emotional Intelligence, Appreciative Inquiry, embodied awareness, best coaching practices, "experiential learning with horses and nature” into her strength-based professional services.

Contact Jackie at jstevenson@lec.edu

Craig Zamary

Craig Zamary launched his first business at the age of 24 from his kitchen table. He grew it into a successful corporation and sold it to investors in 2006.

The following year, Craig officially launched GreenEnergyTV.com in January 2007. He created an online television platform for individuals and companies around the world to share what they are doing to be green. Viewers can watch and upload their videos free of charge.

As of August 2008, there were viewers from over 160 countries around the world watching green videos on GreenEnergyTV.com. In November 2010 Green Energy TV was acquired by a Florida-based Private Equity Firm.

Craig Zamary is happily married and a proud father of four wonderful children.

Contact Craig at czamary@lec.edu