Meet Our Amazing Team

In 2022, our Program graduated 12 Learners from the CE / Power Platform Certification Track. In 2023, that same Program graduated 18 Learners. Across those thirty graduates, they hold more than 40 certifications and continue to seek more certifications on their own as they grow in their careers today.

The 2024 Cohort kicked off in the Spring with a focus on Microsoft Fundamentals and then selected their Focus Track of either Power BI, Finance & Supply Chain, or CE / Power Platform. Each Track has just completed their Capstone Projects and are in the midst of taking their Certification Exams and will graduate in early February. We expect to graduate upwards of 60 Learners achieving our first milestone of 100 Graduates!

It takes Staff, Board Members and an Army of Volunteers to ensure our Learners are supported throughout their Program journey. Meet the village who makes that happen…

Acting Executive Director

Carol A Smock

A thirty-five year business veteran, Carol has built businesses and consulted in multiple industries from call centers to non-profits with one thread in common throughout – technology. Specifically, customer relationship management – initially as a marketing and database concept, and ultimately as a technology platform. Her background, expertise, and passion makes her the right leader for TechFluent Academy as the organization builds on the foundation established by its Founder, Liz McGlennen.

During her career in the CRM space she built an independent consulting business implementing Microsoft, Salesforce, Zoho and Sugar business applications before joining some of the most prestigious mid-sized consulting firms in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem – Armanino, Tribridge and RSM. 

Carol is a seasoned executive with a passion for delivering results and developing high-performing teams. She loves wine and bourbon, dogs, travel, cooking and spending time with friends and her siblings, nieces and nephews.

Program Manager | Minnesota

Morayo Allibalogun

Morayo’s journey in the Microsoft Business Application space began with her participation in a program aimed at providing training and mentorship to career switchers and underserved communities. As a graduate of this program, Morayo gained hands-on experience with Microsoft Power Platform, allowing her to build a strong foundation in technology.  

As a previous Microsoft Dynamics 365 Analyst at Ludia Consulting. She analyzed business processes, implemented Dynamics 365 solutions, collaborated with clients, and provided support and training. Her analytical skills and attention to detail helped organizations streamline operations and improve efficiency.  

Morayo’s dedication did not go unnoticed. She quickly became known for her ability to leverage technology to solve real-world problems, which led to her involvement in tech initiatives and speaking engagements. Her journey is a testament to her passion for technology and her commitment to making a positive impact. 

Today, Morayo continues to inspire and support the next generation of tech professionals at TechFluent Academy, ensuring that technology remains an inclusive and accessible field for all. Her passion for technology and community service has earned her recognition as a top mentor in the tech space. 

President | CPO/CPXO at CongruentX

Mike Hauck

Mike co-founded congruentX as a result of almost 20 years of corporate IT leadership positions and 15 years of consulting for a half dozen consulting firms. Mike’s focus is on people both within his organization as well as his clients and his passion is mentoring and helping people achieve their goals. Mike is a lifelong student of leadership, psychology and technology that being with his 10 years in the United States Army Reserves. His journey with Microsoft Dynamics and the Power Platform began in 2003 when he implemented it for an Insurance Brokerage Firm where he was the VP of IT/CIO and he’s been focused on the platform and all things CRM and CX since. He has introduced and educated over 100 people to the platform through several Academy programs. Originally from Hershey, PA he now lives in the Tampa, FL metropolitan area with his Wife and 3 children and his passions include anything with wheels and being outside enjoying the Florida weather.

Ex Officio | Co-Founder of Aeterna Media

Tayo Daniel

Our program is focused on providing training and education on the skills needed to be successful in a tech job, both from a technical perspective as well as consulting, networking, and writing skills. We’re bringing people into the industry I already know and am a part of – the Microsoft business applications community, where we can leverage no-code tools like Power Platform to create solutions for businesses without needing to write code. This is a huge growth industry that shows no signs of stopping, so it makes a great career entry point.

We bring together free online resources from Microsoft with live virtual training from experts, as well as providing one-on-one mentorship with industry veterans for every participant. 

Vice-President | Co-Founder of Ludia Consulting

Lucas Diaz

Seasoned and experienced business leader specializing in complex global Microsoft Dynamics ERP software solution delivery management and sales through the Microsoft partner ecosystem. Results oriented team player and mentor focused on establishing productive strategies while helping clients navigate the complex intersection between business strategy and growth.

Secretary | Senior Director D365 CRM at Velosio

Jason Wietharn

Jason is a business and technology advisor, with the reputation for helping people achieve their north star. Strength in creating the long-term vision and road map aligned to business needs that achieves desired outcomes. He has 17 years of experience with selling and implementing the Microsoft Dynamics product and over 28 years in business applications with sales and operational experience. For Jason success has been a journey through diversity, team collaboration, and a focus on doing what is right. An outdoor enthusiast that lives just north of Pittsburgh, PA on a farm with his wife, dogs, and horses.

Treasurer | Vice President of Finance Consulting at Winfosoft

Sienna Howlett-Wagner

Sienna is a Microsoft certified D365 F&SCM Finance Functional Consultant and Solution Architect, who spent 15+ years in end user accounting roles before moving to the consulting side. Her passion has always been in the non profit, education, and community support space, and in addition to working in several such organizations in an accounting role, she has guided other community based non profit startups and started her own small, local, animal rescue. 

In her current role at Winfosoft, she is bringing the culmination of her experience to help build a practice and grow a team with a culture of growth and inclusion. 

In her ‘spare’ time she cuddles with her foster animals, comes up with creative new garden ideas for her partner to build, and when lucky sits down with a good book. 

 

Board Member | Co-Founder of DGB Management LLC & Twin Cities Hospitality

Nabil Ghebre

Nabil moved to Minnesota to chase a dream. Growing up in Grand Rapids MI in a family of 7 where hard work and education was strongly encouraged. Nabil attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota and started his professional career at Richfield HQ Tech Giant Best Buy Inc. With his background in design and retail he joined the space management team as an analyst and moved on to be a Planner where he manages the space at a macro level dedicated to Appliances.

He also got the entrepreneurial bug early in Minnesota and loves seeing people eat, laugh and network. To achieve this he created DGB Management LLC & Twin Cities hospitality. Along with few partners, he owns and operates a couple restaurants, bars and food concepts which include: Gold Room Restaurant & Lounge, STEPCHLD Restaurant, Hyde Kitchen & Cocktails, Nashville Coop Rochester, and Love You Cookie.

Nabil is married and has two beautiful children. His passion is to help bridge the gap using technology as a tool to provide opportunities to those who most need it. He lives by the great words of former President Barack Obama, “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”

Board Member | Founder & CEO of Item by Item Learning Platform

Elif Item

Elif Item has worked for over 17 years in Axapta, AX, and Dynamics 365 space as a learner, consultant, trainer, project manager, and consulting director before setting out to start Item by Item (IBI) Learning Platform. She is not only an expert in Microsoft Dynamics 365 but also an accomplished instructor in the classroom and online as well. She is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), a Certified Technical Trainer, and a Microsoft Certified Professional. She is known in the industry for her ability to understand the training needs of learners and organizations and provide appropriate expertise and training to get them ready to implement and use Microsoft Dynamics 365 effectively. Elif has founded the Item by Item (IBI) Learning Platform to provide the much needed and state-of-the-art online training tool to teach real “skills” to learners, measure and monitor their progress effectively, and get organizations ready for using Microsoft Dynamics 365 from day one.

Elif Item is also an integral part of various D365 user communities. She volunteers her time and resources to connect with other community members and make D365 space a welcoming and inclusive environment. She is involved in local D365 community events as well as national conferences and summits.

Outside of work, Elif enjoys travel, yoga, pastel painting, and spending time with her two kids, and her husband Cem.

Board Member | Technology Sales Senior Director - Business Applications at Microsoft

Brion Reusche

Brion is a Senior Director at Microsoft and over the course of 18 years, Brion has held numerous positions within the Dynamics 365 ecosystem at Microsoft, end users, and in the partner channel.

This breadth of experience and opportunity runs the gamut from support and project implementation through channel management, global go-to-market strategy, and leading teams. Having seen firsthand the dividends of tethering a career to business applications and the Microsoft ecosystem, Brion has a passion for connecting like-minded interests, and injecting talented people into the Dynamics ecosystem.

Brion, wife, and daughter live in Denver, Colorado where they enjoy cycling, skiing, and University of Denver hockey games. Committed to lifelong learning, Brion is an avid reader and is currently pursuing his EMBA at DU.

Board Member | Senior VP of Product Management at IFS

Ben Vollmer

Ben Vollmer joined IFS with the primary objective to enable customers to maximize the three areas that define moments of service: customers, people, and assets. Regardless of complexity, he takes a customer-centric approach in understanding an organization’s business goals and their processes, while aligning them with IFS’s capabilities to create exceptional customer experiences.

As SVP of Product Management, Ben owns IFS’s strategic roadmap for the product and its industry-leading capabilities. He also oversees IFS Labs, which applies the latest thinking around consumer technologies, digital trends and innovation to IFS’s software solutions.

Ben has over 25 years of experience in consulting, sales, and product management at General Electric, ePartners (acquired by DXC) and most recently, Microsoft. At Microsoft, he was responsible for the development and execution of a commercialization strategy for Dynamics 365 Field Service, advancing its global go-to-market efforts, as well as focus on strategic customer engagement. At ePartners, Ben worked to establish new offerings and geographic coverage models globally. ePartners was the first business applications partner with a national footprint for Sage and Microsoft, comprised of over 1,200 team members and 8,000 customers.

On top of his passion for technology, he is an avid car and audio enthusiast.

Our Professionals

Our Awesome Volunteer Team

Jessica Jolly

Volunteer
‍"Data Quilter specializing in Microsoft Fabric"

Margaret Korfhage

Director of Marketing
"I grow love between customers and organizations and their brands"

Meron Gebremedhin

Learner Ambassador
"Sr. System Engineer at Applied Innovative Technologies"

Ed Gonzales

Trainer Manager
"‍Power Automate Solution Architect at EY"

Robert Pindar

Learner Success Manager
‍"Technical Sales Director at Microsoft"

Ashley Steiner

Executive Assistant
"Independent Consultant for Dynamics 365 & Power Platform"

Vandana Sharma

Microsoft Partnership Manager
"Principal Program Manager at Microsoft"

Evan Watson

IT Manager
"‍Senior CRM Project Lead at HCL"

Our Volunteers

Class of 2023 Volunteers

Advisors/Mentors

Interviewers

Volunteers

Industry Coaches

Trainers