High-tech companies are sprouting up throughout the region, one of the driving forces in the revitalization that has taken place in our local economy. Rising Stars, a quarterly event, showcases the entrepreneurs who are building some of Rochester’s most successful technology companies. It offers an opportunity to hear their personal stories and meet the individuals behind Rochester’s “rising stars”.

Can you build a business based on making some other company a whole lot better at what they do? Absolutely! We’re going to meet two CEOs who built 15-20 year success stories by doing just that.

When Bob Baden and his partners started Rochester Software Associates, they created a product that was instrumental in helping Xerox to sell more of its high-end print systems. They’ve continued to innovate for others over the years and today RSA's WebCRD provides print job submission, workflow management and customer service for schools and companies across the nation.

Dale Canning is a co-founder of Premier Technical Communications. At Premier, they understand that high-quality communications surrounding a company’s product or software improves the customer experience, maximizes the product's value, and reduces the costs needed to support it. As the landscape changed, they expanded to use the latest in media technologies to deliver communications worldwide using various formats including: the Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, wireless, print, and the classroom.

As always, the Rising Stars series gives us an ‘up close and personal’ look at what it takes to found and grow a successful business in the Rochester region.

[Register below]

SPEAKERS:

• Bob Baden, President, Rochester Software Associates
• Dale Canning, President & CEO, Premier Technical Communications

7:30-8:00 am	Refreshments and Networking
8:00-9:00 am	Presentations
9:00-9:30 am	Q&A and Meet the Speakers

SPONSORS:

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Bob Baden

Robert Baden is founder and President of Rochester Software Associates, Inc., a software development company that specializes in products and services for digital document production. RSA has been named to Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500, the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500, the Inner City 100, and the Rochester Top 100. RSA was recently named Overall Software Business Partner of the Year by Xerox Corporation.

RSA has over 1000 customers worldwide, and maintains software distribution relationships with IBM, Xerox, Eastman Kodak, Ikon, Konica-Minolta, Ricoh and Canon.

Prior to founding RSA, Bob was a Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from the State University of New York at Brockport and an M.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan. Bob has served on the board of several high-technology companies and is a trustee of the SUNY Brockport Foundation and Geva Theatre Center.

Dale Canning

Dale Canning is President and CEO of Premier Technical Communications. A co-founder of Premier, Dale has held various positions within the organization, from financial to operational, and from billable producer to senior executive. Now as the sole owner of Premier, Dale provides the organization with full executive leadership while still providing his skills and experience to Premier clients.

Performance support material development has been the focus of Dale's career for nearly twenty years. As a former Master Training Specialist and curriculum developer for the US Navy, he gained invaluable experience in live, stand-up instruction and curriculum development for instructor-led training. He has since embraced the technology and techniques for distance-learning, with experience in the development interactive videodisc, computer-based training, video tape, and web-based media.

Dale has extensive experience in the area of process improvement, specifically in the areas of LEAN and Six Sigma. He was instrumental in the development of course for the Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Excellence in LEAN Enterprise, and the Six Sigma Academy, for which he created a course, entitled The Six Sigma Executive.

Dale is the Marketing Chair for the Greater Rochester Quality Council, Reviewer for the Empire State Advantage, Board Member-at-Large for the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center, and former Executive Board member for the Boy Scouts Otetiana Council.

He has a Bachelor of Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from the San Diego Campus of National University.