1 Betsey OHagan Merkel Email: betseymerkel@gmail.com Website: http://www.betseymerkel.

com/ Technology-based Community and Economic Developer Passionate about using new technologies to build communities.

Coach, mentor and trainer Engineer, collaborative technologies for connected neighborhoods and regions Publisher, social media, social networking, campaigns and research Author, Open Source Economic Development Designer, I-Open Civic Forum Process

Work History ISIS-Interactive Social Intelligence Systems, Cleveland, Ohio 2012 - Present ISIS-Interactive Social Intelligence Systems is an end to end value-based communication system to attract and retain talent by accelerating connectivity, conversations and communications for business development in emerging markets. 2013 Director, Comfort Is Strength Communications Social media marketing to promote research and industry opportunities for Katharine Kolcaba, RN, MSN, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. Supported communications for Comfort Theory, a patient-centered model of nursing care and in addition, developed Comfort Is Strength, a unique social business brand using integrated collaborative technologies and social media tools, and collected and curated multimedia content for blog, social media and community platform development. Increased and supported online student global industry engagement and conversation. 2012 Director, Ohio City Power Communications - Designed and constructed web, publishing and e-commerce infrastructure, information architecture, SEO, analytics, social media knowledge libraries, and communications for community mobile access. Managed collection and curation of multimedia through investment filter assuring consistent branding and value creation for this faith-based economic development initiative. Provided on-the-ground support to executive director, program leaders, service community and peer organizations. Engaged local businesses to sponsor recreation programs, skills training, and employment opportunities for the homeless and jobless in Cleveland, Ohio. A pro-active approach to communications supported by a branded social media tool set attracted 87K views in nine months, positively affecting community-wide engagement.

The Institute for Open Economic Networks, Cleveland, Ohio 2005 Present The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational economic development organization incubated at Case Western Reserve Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/

2 Universitys, Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio. I-Open identifies and develops new practices and tools in tech-based Open Source Economic Development (OSED). OSED catalyzes strategic, open economic networks generating entrepreneurial cultures that advance regionally based, globally competitive innovation economies. While at I-Open and in addition to research publication, Betsey leveraged collaborative technologies to develop and publish civic intelligence for innovation and entrepreneurship. I-Open Co-Founder and Director - Developed and deployed new social practices and collaborative technology tools best suited for economic and business development; identified and connected civic, business, academic and government leaders in broadcast global conversations; coach, mentor and trainer of collaborative leadership, social network building and project management skills to civic entrepreneurs. Provided technology, operations and logistic community support for face to face and online communities. 2006-2007 Partner and Program Manager, Midtown Mornings In collaboration with Cleveland based creative digital media brand firm to host and convene weekly civic gatherings of entrepreneurs interested in building social connectivity for business development in the creative industries and technology. 2006-2008 Partner and Program Manager, Midtown Wednesdays a weekly public forum in collaboration with Myers University, Cleveland, Ohio. Cultivated student, administration, faculty and business leadership social network connectivity and managed community communications. 2007-2009 Partner and Program Manager, Midtown Brews - Managed strategic network building, communications, collaborative technologies, social media, and broadcast civic forums for Midtown Brews, a Northeast Ohio based entrepreneurial community convening broadcast conversations focused on innovation in technology, health care, creative industries and energy for business development. Midtown Brews strengthened creativity, social networks, and collaboration for business development. In partnership with Cleveland technology companies. 2008-2009 Partner and Program Manager, Womens Enterprise Network Managed strategic network building, communications, collaborative technologies, social media, and broadcast civic forums of Womens Enterprise Network, a Northeast Ohio based inter-generational community of women and girls focused on broadcast conversations and the development of global friendship networks. In partnership with Judson Living, a retirement community in Cleveland, Ohio. Designer and Manager, Civic Intelligence Library Designed, collected, curated and managed digital communications in support of civic interviews and public conversations for open economic networks; developed database protocols and processes; co-lead civic conversations, and integrated social media, web platforms and web 2.0 publishing tools, developing a network of multi-media civic intelligence libraries as the basis of community marketing and communications. I-Open libraries contain over 10,000 minutes of 100+ research and industry entrepreneur interviews and public issue conversations representing regional, national and global business, government, academic and civic leadership. From 20102011, I-Open libraries attracted over 1,225,000 views. I-Opens six broadcast channels were watched for a total of eight thousand hours from 2008-2010. Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/

3 Published Author & Presenter in Open Source Economic Development ranking #8 out of 35 accepted articles by global research peer-review publication committee lead by research leaders from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Collective Intelligence, Savannah College of Art & Design, and Wayne State University, School of Engineering. COINS-Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference, Savannah, Georgia MayNovember 2010 The Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference is a global collaboration of research leaders at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Center for Collective Intelligence, Savannah College of Art & Design, and Wayne State Universitys School of Engineering. The Conference gathers research leaders representing universities world wide, publishing findings related to creativity, networks, and collaboration, the elements of Swarm Creativity. May 2010-Oct 2010 - Global Social Media Strategist - Collaborative Technologies, Content Publisher, and Community Manager at Collaborative Innovation Networks COINs 2010 Conference - six-month collaboration with research leaders representing the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys (MIT) Center for Collective Intelligence, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), and Wayne State Universitys, School of Engineering. Built global research-industry networks, social media architecture, blog and micro-blog publishing, community manager, established multi-media knowledge libraries attracting 130,000+ viewer minutes, 21-days post event. Assisted training student volunteers in broadcast and collaborative platform technology applications. (Please see Conference Steering Committee Letter of Recommendation http://www.betseymerkel.com/letter-ofrecommendation.html)

Near-Time.com, Raleigh, North Carolina 2006-2009 Developer of Near-Time.com Collaborative Technology Platform for Civic Engagement While at The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open), Betsey constructed, developed and deployed the Near-Time.com collaborative software platform for business enterprise development in Northeast Ohio, with specific applications in research-industry network building, member communications, enterprise projects, and collaborative community development.

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 2004 United States Vice-Presidential Debate - Manager, Communications, Community Outreach and Engagement for Program Development at Case Western Reserve University, Center for Regional Economic Issues in collaboration with 90.3 and WCPN Ideastream - member of leadership team for Northeast Ohio National Deliberation Day and By the People: America and the World, an initiative of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a project of civic engagement for the 2004 U.S. Vice

Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/

4 Presidential Debate. Distinguished by highest attendance of all national convening sites and attended by Mr. Lehrer. Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management, The Center for Regional Economic Issues (REI), Cleveland, Ohio 2002 2005 The Center for Regional Economic Issues (REI), formed in the early 1980s funded by the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank to provide Northeast Ohio Fortune 500 leadership with policy recommendations and economic investment advice. Director of Marketing, Programs & Strategic Network Development Responsible for communications and database management; assisting in coordination of and support for research and industry collaborations; programming, events and projects; coaching, mentoring and training entrepreneurs; management of Web 2.0 publishing and community building platforms (mostly wikis and blogs as this was pre-social media); and the development of integrated technology tools and social practices for strategic network outcomes of projects and programs. Civic Forum Engagement Process for Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Betsey Merkel developed a civic forum process of public relations, social networking and communications while at CWRU engaging over 3000 university research, students and staff; regional economic and workforce development professionals, government representatives, entrepreneurs and new business leaders over a 17-month period generating new social networks and supporting new enterprise initiatives and business development in the areas of renewable energies, water stewardship, land conservation etc., representing a diversity of emerging and previously undetected emergent economies. Managed all digital and print materials and four regional conference meetings. Supported by SBC Ameritech Global.

Equestrian Training & Education Center, Hunting Valley, Ohio 1998 - 2001 Co-Founder and Managing Director at Wildefields Managed office, promotion, events, and facility operations for Equestrian School; over 100 students and families; managed volunteers; $250,000 first year income. Managed Farm livestock operations and supplies, office, employees, volunteers, land use and equipment maintenance. Managed day-to-day historic facility restoration, initiated land conservancy proceedings and initiated the Education Centers not-for-profit application. Coryton & Co., Gates Mills, Ohio 1983 - 1987 Founder, Managing Director & Harpist Founded and Managed not-for-profit chamber music ensembles. Directed and produced concerts, residencies and master classes in the United States, Alaska, and China. Commissioned compositions by international composers. EDUCATION Cleveland Institute of Music Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/

5 Bachelor of Music 1980 Master of Music 1982 RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS Contextual Transmedia Communications, Betsey Merkel. COINS-Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference 2010. COINS-Collaborative Innovation Networks: An economic development tool for education, economic and workforce development in Open Source Economic Development, Betsey Merkel. ScienceDirect, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 2, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 6516-6531 Building Collaborative Communities in the Civic Space, Betsey Merkel, 2010. Whitepaper: Civic Forums as an Economic Development Tool, co-authored Betsey Merkel & Ed Morrison, 2005 HONORS AND AWARDS Klout Score 72 (avg) Kred Score Top 5% Global Influencers Level 731/1000; Outreach Level 8/10 LinkedIn Top 5% most viewed LinkedIn 200 million member profiles 2012 Link Tally Betsey Merkel Facebook page shared across four major social media sites a total of 8,512,897 million times 2012 Present, Named, Top Doers (That's people who get stuff done) List in Northeast Ohio 1992-1997 Office of the Governor of the State of Ohio, Public Education Seminar 1992-1997 Ohio Arts Council Artist Touring Program Award 1985 People's Republic of China, Guest of the Government, Performance/Teaching Tour 1985 Ohio Arts Presenters Award of Merit 1983- CWRU Music Education - full scholarship for Ph.D. Program 1977-1983 Salzedo School Performance Scholarship Award 1974 Graduating High School Class Science Award, Leadership Award, and Art Award COMPUTER SKILLS Microsoft Most standard programs: Office, Outlook, etc. Macintosh Most standard programs: Office, iMovie, Garage Band, iPhoto, Keynote, Pages, Preview, Omnigraffle, etc. Google Most standard programs: Gmail, Google+, Apps, Shopping, Blogspot, YouTube, Picassa, Google Earth Collaborative Platforms Joomla, Wikis, Ning, Near-Time Creative Media Software Audacity, Adobe, Banner Zest, etc Publishing Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/

6 Wordpress, Blogger, Weebly, Google Sites, RebelMouse, Scribd, Slideshare, SoundCloud, Vimeo, Flickr, Amazon, Paper.li, Livestream, Yudoo Social Media Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, About.me, Foursquare, Skype, Flip, Twitpic E-mail YourMailingListProvider, MailChimp, Constant Contact Cloud Dropbox, Wufoo Analytics, RSS, Tracking Google Analytics, Disqus, ShareThis, Feedburner, Klout, Kred, PeerIndex, E-Commerce PayPal, Google Merchant Software SightSpeed, Parallels, Cirilab, social network mapping INTERESTS Music, gardening, science, historical places, international cultures

Betsey Merkel Ph: 216-246-2447 Email: BetseyMerkel@gmail.com Web: http://www.betseymerkel.com/