MADE IN VERMONT

Join us Thursday, October 17 at 9 AM at HULA LAKESIDE for Made in Vermont—a panel discussion focusing on how Vermont businesses can expand into global markets with leading experts on international trade, manufacturing, and financing, hosted by Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak.

We’ll be joined by The Honorable Owen Herrnstadt, Member of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Export-Import Bank, in addition to BETA Technologies Chief Financial Officer Ed Eppler, and Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) Chief Executive Office Cassie Polhemus.

Whether you’re an established business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur, this event offers a unique opportunity to learn from industry experts, connect with local leaders, and discover how to leverage programs and financing solutions to expand your business internationally.

The event is free and open to the public.

Join us from 9 to 9:30 AM for a light breakfast and networking. The panel discussion will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session, concluding at 11 AM.

- Mike Pieciak was inaugurated as Vermont's 31st State Treasurer in January 2023, focusing his tenure on financial equity and rebuilding the middle class. One of his key achievements was championing the "" program, providing over 80,000 Vermonters access to a retirement plan. He also expanded the "" program and prioritized housing development, announcing $55.5 million in low-interest loans to help construct over 1,100 housing units statewide.

In 2024, Mike led efforts to establish the "" program, aimed at helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds build wealth and secure their financial futures. His office is currently developing a pilot program to explore its broader implementation.

Prior to serving as Treasurer, Mike was the commissioner of Vermont’s Department of Financial Regulation, where he played a vital role in the state's pandemic response. Originally from Brattleboro, Mike now lives in Winooski with his husband Will and their English Setter, Jetty.

- On July 13, 2022, the U.S. Senate confirmed Owen E. Herrnstadt to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Mr. Herrnstadt was sworn in on July 15, 2022. Owen Herrnstadt served as the Chief of Staff to the International President and Director of Trade and Globalization, at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. As Chief of Staff, he assisted in running one of the largest manufacturing and transportation unions in the world. As Director of Trade and Globalization, he developed policy for international trade, economic investment, international labor standards, and human rights matters.

Mr. Herrnstadt has taught employment and labor law as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s National Law Center and international employment and labor law at American University’s Washington College of Law. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former member of the U.S. Export-Import Bank Federal Advisory Committee, U.S. State Department Federal Advisory Committee on International Economics, Co-Chair of the State Department’s Stakeholder Advisory Board on OECD Guidelines, Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board and the Industry Trade Advisory Committee 1 (Aerospace). Mr. Herrnstadt has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He has made numerous presentations on labor and employment law, international employment and labor law, corporate social responsibility, trade, manufacturing policy, human rights, and industrial relations in the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Herrnstadt was born in Ames, Iowa and received his BS, MS (Industrial Relations) and JD degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

- Ed is the Chief Financial Officer at BETA Technologies, a Vermont-based company that is developing an electric transportation system to make aviation greener, safer and more accessible. This system, which will reshape the way we move cargo and people, includes all-electric aircraft, the most extensive multi-modal electric charging infrastructure in the U.S., and a program to train the next generation of pilots.

Prior to joining BETA, Ed served as global head of Aerospace and Defense Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs. With 30 years of investment banking experience under his belt, Ed brings to BETA his vast knowledge of raising capital, advising on M&A transactions and public and private financing in the aerospace market.

Ed developed a deep appreciation of the outdoors during his time spent in Vermont while in college. As a result, he was inspired to apply his financial skills toward green and future-focused solutions. For Ed, being part of the BETA team is a dream fulfilled. He retired from investment banking to help BETA achieve its ambitions to connect communities through green transportation. He is excited to be back in VT where he can pursue backcountry skiing and cycling and is eager to experience life in the cockpit after spending millions of miles in coach. Ed holds an M.B.A. in finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.A. in history from Middlebury College.

- Cassie Polhemus became Chief Executive Officer of the Vermont Economic Development Authority in April 2019. She joined VEDA in 2013 as a Commercial Lender, was promoted to Director of Operations in 2014 and Chief Operating Officer in 2017. Cassie has over twenty years of experience in commercial lending and risk management with financial institutions. Prior to joining VEDA, she was Senior Vice President and Risk Manager for Northeast Member Business Services, a credit union service organization providing small business lending services to credit unions in New England and California. From 1987 to 1999, she held various commercial lending and credit management positions at banks in Connecticut and Vermont. Cassie earned a B.A. in Economics from Williams College.

Host or Publisher Office of the Vermont State Treasurer