Richard H. Bell, II (Rick), Founder, Chairman and CEO of Harvard Business Services, Inc. Rick started the Delaware company formation service in 1981 in Wilmington, Delaware to offer an easy and inexpensive way for individuals to go into business for themselves and fulfill their dreams. Today the company employs 25 people and helps over 5,000 people per year to start their own company. Rick grew up in publishing as the son of the President of Highlights for Children magazine. After college in Switzerland, Italy and Ohio, Rick worked for Rolling Stone magazine in San Francisco in its infancy. In 1980, he moved from California to Delaware to work for The Company Corporation, where he helped revolutionize the company formation business. For the past 28 years, Rick has built HBS into one of the largest companies of its kind, with clients from around the world and all across the USA.
Michael Bell, Director at HBS has been working in the company in a variety of aspects since a young child and is the son of Harvard’s Chairman and CEO. He was born and raised in Delaware yet traveled extensively while attending high school in Switzerland. He then went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Lynn University. He returned home to come on board full time to HBS in the summer of 2009. Mike will be working in each department to learn all processes and details. In addition, Mike will be producing and directing videos for Harvard. These videos will be used as a valuable tool for our marketing efforts and will feature our employees. They will be viewed on both our website and YouTube. He has the commitment and passion to continue running his family business well into the future.
Tom Caso is a veteran of sales, sales management and sales training, with over 30 years experience in the professional publishing industry. After retiring from a large legal and business publisher in 2005, he started KASH Associates, an affiliate of Integrity Solutions Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ. KASH derives its name from an acronym for Knowledge, Attitude,Skills and Habits. The Company specializes in sales and service productivity development. Caso is a graduate of Providence College and has completed course work in Industrial Psychology at the University of New Hampshire. He is a registered certified facilitator for programs published by Integrity Solutions, Inc.
Matt Cholerton is a Human Resources professional based in New York City. Matt currently oversees all things HR (among other things) at a VC backed, hi-tech startup in NYC and occasionally details his thoughts about how we can use HR to propel the organization forward on his own blog EveryOneHatesHR.com. Previously, he spent several years at a small consulting firm managing HR projects across a wide range of industries. His work there included implementing effective performance management systems, creating job specs and organizational structure, clarifying expectations, increasing productivity, implementing compensation strategies, and increasing workplace satisfaction. Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University, with a concentration in Japanese and Business Communications. Matt is a music enthusiast, enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, and spending time with his three kids (who have significantly reduced any time cooking, traveling and reading).
Christina Cornelius is a writer and editor, an entrepreneur and an educator, who currently lives with her husband in Lugano, Switzerland. Born in California, the oldest of four children of a naturally creative, psychologist-turned-work-at-home mom and a dynamic, ambitious entrepreneur, Christina always knew she wanted to be a writer. She crafted her first piece at only three years old, a song entitled, ‘I can’t believe we are moving from California,’ the Ukulele version of which she took on tour…all the way across the country. Needless to say, she grew up on the East Coast and then headed south to Emory University in Atlanta for college, where she graduated with a Bachelors of Art Degree in English. She has worked as an editor and freelance writer for CNN and the High Museum of Art and spent four years as a curator for an Atlanta-based Art Consulting firm. In 2002, Christina formed her own company, The Writing Studio, LLC through Harvard Business Services and in 2009; she started to think out loud in the blogosphere.
Jake Cornelius is an avid reader of almost anything. He has a BA in International Relations and is a librarian at a small university in Lugano, Switzerland. Jake has been reading incessantly since he first got his hands on a book, worked at a bookstore when he first began college, and has no expectations of ever being without a book. Jake’s political science interests keep him picking up books that may offer information about decision making, game theory, economics and the like. When not working or reading, Jake grabs his camera and hikes around the Alps.
Haim Factor is a registered USPTO Patent Agent with nearly a decade of experience in patent drafting, prosecution, and overall IP strategies. His clients take advantage of his rich experience of over 25 years in business development of a wide array of B2B and B2C products and his experience with intellectual property protection both within the US and internationally. He can be contacted at: haim.factor@1st-tech-ideas.com and at 302-200-1424.
Amy Fountain has been a member of the Harvard Business Services team since April 1998. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The University of Delaware in 1996, followed by working at a local Accounting Firm for two years. Amy began her career at Harvard Business Services as a Franchise Tax Specialist. She used her meticulous accounting skills to ensure on time and accurate franchise tax report filings for Harvard’s clientele. In 2001, her role at Harvard Business Services grew to include the position of Office Manager, managing and training a staff of more than 20 team members. Amy’s capabilities and performance led to her next appointment as Director of Business Filings in 2006. During that time, she orchestrated the broad array of processes that include the formation and maintenance of Delaware companies for both domestic and international clients. In 2009, she was promoted to Director of the Franchise Tax Department and assumed her initial responsibilities at Harvard Business Services. She currently assists tens of thousands of clients worldwide with the filing of annual State of Delaware franchise tax reports. Her years of experience helped to create our easy to use online franchise tax payment system, which can be found at www.delawareinc.com/payft.
Heather Garza, Sales Executive at HBS grew up in Orlando, FL where her parents were successful business owners. From an early age her parents taught her the hard work and dedication that it takes to be a thriving entrepreneur. Along with living in Florida, Heather spent several years traveling and living in all parts of the North American continent. She lived in Canada for nearly 2 years and then moved to Mexico where she lived for 6 years. She moved to Delaware with her husband and worked in the banking industry for several years where she found a passion for helping entrepreneurs. Heather found it to be very rewarding to help new business owners find the funding and point them in the right direction to get their dreams up and running. When Heather started working at HBS, it was a perfect fit. She really enjoys talking to new people every day from all over the globe and helping them make their business ideas a reality. Her fluency in English, Spanish, and Sign Language and familiarity with various international governments has helped her reach out to international entrepreneurs.
Carleigh Lowe is the Managing Editor of The HBS Blog. Most recently she worked at Dwell Magazine and Chronicle Books in San Francisco where she lives with her husband and daughter. While working in traditional publishing she realized that she wanted to be a part of the blogosphere the “next frontier” of publishing. By sharing ideas and information on The HBS Blog she hopes to empower people to follow their bliss. Carleigh admits that she often daydreams about businesses she wants to start, but needs a little more encouragement to take the plunge. She hopes that by running this blog her entrepreneurial dreams will manifest into a reality.
Brett Melson, Director of U.S. Sales for HBS, a graduate of Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Delaware, Brett’s career at Harvard Business Services started where many well-known success stories through the years have originated: the mail room. Brett excelled at managing and organizing what is a very mail-intensive business, receiving and routing many thousands of pieces of mail in a timely manner, not just for Harvard Business Services but important documents on behalf of clients. Once Brett had the opportunity to interact personally with those clients, however, another talent came to the fore. With a natural feel for the issues and concerns clients face, Brett created sales opportunities across a whole new spectrum of business owners. Since then Brett’s knowledge of Delaware business entities has become encyclopedic. In addition to managing and training other members of the company’s sales staff, he is able to help customers across a broad range of business and professional fields, including accountants, attorneys, Tenant-in-Common groups, consultants, trades people, and those in the transportation industries just to name a few.
George Merlis is a media trainer and crisis communications consultant who uses his forty-year print and broadcast media career as the basis for his workshops and consultations. Over the last two decades, Merlis has trained spokespersons in commerce, science, government and entertainment. As the go-to trainer for NASA and the popular music sector his clients have ranged literally, from rocket scientists to rock stars. ABC News morning anchor Diane Sawyer said of him: “George Merlis knows everything about blasting through the back-ground sound and making your point. He is not just a great coach for acing a media interview – his rules work for all of life.” He is the author of “How to Master the Media.” As a TV producer, Merlis has been nominated for nine national Emmy awards and has won one. He has been executive producer of “Good Morning America,” “The CBS Morning News,” “The Dick Cavett Show” and “Entertainment Tonight.” He has conducted or overseen more than 10,000 interviews, the vast majority of them on live television — the most demanding situation for both interviewer and interviewee.
Gregg Schoenberg is a San Francisco-based finance professional who is just as passionate about well-crafted prose as he is about global economic affairs. He has 18 years of experience trading equity and derivatives for some of the world’s largest asset managers, but away from the office he prefers to support local businesses and entrepreneurs. Through his writing for The HBS Blog, Gregg hopes to give small-business owners a better understanding of fundamentals and current affairs in economics and finance and how they affect our daily lives. Gregg has a BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, is happily married to a dancer/filmmaker and just welcomed a daughter into their life. Check out his website http://www.greggschoenberg.com/.
Devin Scott, Sales Executive at HBS was born in Lewes, DE and attended Cape Henlopen High School. Graduating from Cape with several scholarships he then attended Delaware State University, majoring in Business Administration. He graduated in 2001 with Honors( Cum Laude). Devin started running a cell phone business while in college in 1999 and has been in business ever since. He has promoted all types of products from telecommunications and gift baskets to nutritional products. Devin first came in contact with Harvard when forming his own corporation for real estate purposes in 2007, so he has a natural rapport with people who want to form a company. Devin’s Grandfather, George HP Smith, was mayor of Lewes for 5 terms and before that was a member of the Lewes City Council for 18 years. He is often credited as one of the people whose contributions to city government made Lewes, DE the wonderful place to live that it is.
Paul Sponaugle, IT/Systems Administrator for HBS, but was a part of the Sales team for 4 years before assuming his more recent role. Born and raised in the coastal resort area Sussex County, DE, Paul is the son of locally well-known restaurateurs who taught him very early in life the value of hard work and dedication. As with all family businesses they require the whole family to participate, so as soon as he was legal age (and maybe a bit before) Paul found himself washing dishes as a teenager at his parents’ establishment. It was there he began to learn business, and more importantly the “business of people”, and how courtesy and great service can go a long way. During Paul’s college years he began messing with computers, but never really considered it as a career. He spent two years in the mountains of Morgantown, WV, before deciding to complete his B.A. in Biology at U of D as a Fighting Blue Hen. After graduation Paul had no prospects of going into the medical field, so he returned to Delaware’s beaches where he resumed work at his family’s restaurant and at a local nightclub, this time as a server and bartender. Over the next few years Paul continued to sharpen his customer services skills, but the long hours had him looking for a change of pace from frenetic restaurant life. In December of 2004, he parlayed his computers skills and his people skills into a career with Harvard Business Services.
David Zeigler is a former Sales Executive with Harvard Business Services, Inc. in Lewes, DE. He graduated from Salisbury University in 1985 and has a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Pre-Law. Born in Pennsylvania, David has been a sales professional for more than 20 years. David lives in Lewes with his wife and son.
