High-tech companies are sprouting up throughout the region, helping to revitalize our local economy. Rising Stars, a quarterly event, showcases the entrepreneurs who are building Rochester’s emerging technology companies. It offers an opportunity to hear their personal stories and meet the individuals behind Rochester’s “rising stars.”

This Rising Stars event focuses on two successful entrepreneurs, founders of software companies that took very different paths to creating products that earned them credibility - and market share - in the highly competitive world of commercial software. Both have created lasting companies that actively demonstrate the innovative capabilities and technical strength of our region.

Larry Peckham founded LPA Software early in the 70’s as a custom software house, but in the early 90’s, he and the team created LPA Plan, the industry leading solution for service parts planning. In 2000, Larry retired as chairman of the company, now called Xelus, executing a successful exit strategy. He’ll talk about what it takes to run a profitable software business and maybe – just maybe – we can get him to tell us how to set our own sights for a successful exit strategy after a long and illustrious career.

In 1996, Don Culeton founded Info Directions, a software development company that provides core rating, billing and customer-care solutions to the integrated communications marketplace. Info Directions has established itself as a leading provider in its industry, and its reputation as a top notch business in our region is spreading rapidly. Don will talk about some of the experiences that he and his team have shared in creating and growing Info Directions through a period that included some of the software industry’s highest highs and lowest lows.

[Register below]

SPEAKERS:

• Larry Peckham, Retired CEO, LPA Software/ Xelus, Inc.
• Don Culeton, President, Info Directions, Inc.

AGENDA:

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

SPONSORS:

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Don Culeton

Don Culeton is the founder and president of Info Directions, established in 1996. Info Directions designs, hosts and installs net-centric billing, rating, order management, workflow and selling solutions. Under Don's stewardship, Info Directions has grown from start-up to industry leader, earning recognition as one of Inc. Magazine's entrepreneurial growth leaders, a Rochester Top 100 company, and one of the fastest growing independent software vendors (ISVs) for Windows in North America according to the Microsoft "Winning on Windows" ranking.

Before establishing Info Directions, Mr. Culeton spent more than 25 years as a programmer and manager at some of the world's leading telecommunications and technology innovation companies. He started his career at Bell Labs and went on to hold senior-level programming and management engineering positions at Computer Consoles (now part of Nortel Networks), Eastman Kodak Company and Frontier Communications. Culeton earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in computer systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a Microsoft Certified Professional. He has been a speaker at numerous industry events and is active in the community, serving on the Canandaigua National Bank branch advisory board and volunteering with the local Dollars for Scholars® scholarship program.

Larry Peckham

Larry Peckham has been a business leader in the Greater Rochester area since the early 1970's, having then founded LPA Software, Inc. / Xelus, Inc.; he retired as the Chairman in 1999. LPA Software, Inc. / Xelus is recognized as a world leader in inventory planning software for the high-tech field, field service, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) markets. LPA / Xelus was recognized as a Rochester Top 100 company for eight of his last nine years.

Mr. Peckham began his career as a Distribution Engineer for Xerox Corporation in 1969. He was named 1998 Business Person of the Year by Business Strategies Magazine. Mr. Peckham graduated from SUNY at Buffalo in 1969, earning a BS in Industrial Engineering, and received his MBA in 1974. He has a special interest in the Community and is an active member of many organizations including the Greater Rochester Enterprise, Center for Governmental Research, and the Monroe Fund; the Town of Webster; Nazareth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and SUNY Buffalo; the American Heart Association, and the United Way of Greater Rochester.