Sounding Board Groups
Early Stage
Early stage entrepreneurs are in the midst of launching a new business or have been in business for under a year with fewer than 3 employees.
First Stage
First business owners have less than 10 employees and have been in business for over a year. Eligible owners show great potential for future growth.
Second Stage
Second stage businesses have between 10 and 100 employees and are looking for new ways to grow. There is great potential here for a peer group to share experiences to aid in growth.
Benefits of Peer Groups
Peer groups have been shown to accelerate business growth and serve as a source of support for small business owners. Check out these case studies from PeerSpectives peer group members to learn more.
The PeerSpectives Program
Sounding Board Groups are licensed by the Edward Lowe Foundation to use PeerSpectives Roundtable System. Learn more about it!
Your Licensed Facilitators
Kelly Berry and Beth Crowell are licensed PeerSpectives facilitators through ResourceAbility and able to support all three stages of groups across Western Wisconsin.
About Us
Kelly Berry
Kelly is the co-owner of ResourceAbility, LLC. She has been working with entrepreneurs and second stage businesses for over 10 years. She holds a certification as a Market Research Specialist with the National Center for Economic Gardening and works with the Wisconsin Center for Business Intelligence as a market researcher. In addition to market research consulting, Kelly also teaches in the MBA program through the UWEC MBA Consortium and faciliates the Entrepreneurial Training Program through the Small Business Development Center. Kelly was recognized as the Business Woman of the Year in 2018 by the Western Dairyland Women's Business Center.
Beth Crowell
Beth Crowell has almost fifteen years of experience supporting entrepreneurship and business growth as a fund manager for a regional business revolving loan fund and loan officer at a community bank in Eau Claire. Beth has completed training through the WholeBeing Institute’s Positive Psychology Coaching program, is a certified Financial Coach through the United Way, and is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional. Beth was recognized as the Business Woman of the Year in 2017 by the Western Dairyland Women's Business Center, and serves as a board member supporting economic development and female entrepreneurship in the community.