About Our Speakers

Tori Matejovsky is the Executive Director for Great Northern Development Corporation (GNDC), a non-profit community and economic development organization serving six counties in northeast Montana.
Tori began her career in rural economic development in 2006 with the Fort Peck Community College Agriculture/Extension Department in Poplar, MT, where she provided technical assistance to Native American agriculture producers. In 2009, she completed the Leadership Montana program and LEAD21, a leadership training program for Land Grant University professionals. In 2012, Tori took a position with GNDC as a Resource Coordinator for the Eastern Montana Impact Coalition (EMIC), a 16-county coalition formed to document the impacts and opportunities energy development has on the communities of eastern Montana.

Although born in Glasgow, MT, Tori grew up in Bellingham, Washington. Tori has family roots in Wolf Point and Butte, MT, and returned to northeast Montana soon after graduating from Willamette University in 2004. She is married to Dana Matejovsky, a fourth-generation farmer/rancher from north of Wolf Point. Tori and Dana have three children – Annaleigh, Cash & Addison. Tori serves on several local and statewide boards of directors, including Northeast Montana Health Services, Montana Economic Developer’s Association, and NeighborWorks Montana.

Website: GNDC

Shannon was born and raised in Great Falls Montana, until her Mom and Dad got a wild hair and decided an adventure overseas would be a great learning experience for the family. So, right after she graduated from kindergarten her father (an Agricultural Engineer and retire Lt Colonel) accepted a job with US Aid and the entire family was moved to Izmir Turkey where her Dad taught the Turks how to irrigate their land. Shannon spent the next 4 years going to school in an old tobacco warehouse, learning the language and traveling all over Turkey, Greece, and the surrounding Mediterranean islands.

In July 2021 Shannon returned to Turkey after 40 years with her oldest sister and revisited all the places she had seen when she was young, boy have times changed. Shannon loves adventure and lives to travel so stay tuned for her next adventure.

Shannon has spent the last 30 years working with the public in one way or another; from being a Loan Officer at a Bank to running a Noxious Weed Program, then to the Department of Transportation as an Accountant (which did not match well with her personality). Shannon has been working in the Office of Civil Rights since 2002 working with Small Businesses all across our beautiful state plus the 7 reservations trying to help them promote their business with a variety of certifications, trainings, networking, marketing and strategic planning. She is involved with numerous Economic Development agencies and owns her own non-profit doing medical benefits for people in need.

Shannon has seen numerous success stories in the Small Business arena and looks forward to helping many more Small Business owners in Montana.

Website: MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

Emial: shahn@mt.gov

Nikki Edmundson, creator and owner of Canty Boots®, will be featured as keynote speaker. Nikki, of (cantyboots.com) disassembles and redesigns standard cowboy boots into short one of a kind ankle boots with pizazz. Nikki, together with her husband, raise their four children on a cattle ranch, continuing to access and disrupt the massive western fashion industry all while living in a town without a stoplight.

Canty Boots® is coming up on 12 years building a brand, 3 years with a full retail location and over 12 retailers nationwide. Canty Boots® have been seen on the feet of reality tv stars, athletes, models and singers maintaining a signature look while also evolving and bringing customers back for more. Join us as Nikki shares her trial and errors, getting comfortable with failure, building a brand through storytelling, and business during and after Covid.

Website: cantyboots.com

As President & CEO, Chantel Schieffer is the chief strategist and creator of connection for Leadership Montana. “Work hard, do good, and be kind” has been her motto over the past twenty-five years while making a career of building better communities through public service, private industry, and non-profit organizations. 

A lifelong Montanan, Chantel knows the power of bringing people together in collaboration to advance our treasured state. Chantel’s passion for community extends to her volunteer work as she has served too many statewide and local organizations to name. Chantel currently serves as International Vice President for Alpha Omicron Pi women’s fraternity.  

A student of leadership, Chantel is a graduate of Leadership Montana’s Class of 2010 and the inaugural Masters Class of 2019. She was honored internationally with the Alpha Omicron Pi Woman of Leadership Award in 2017 and in 2018 received the prestigious ATHENA Leadership Award. Chantel is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, trained by Dr. Brené Brown in 2019, and also a certified Gracious Space facilitator. 

For Chantel, her husband Dax, and their son Dax Michael, adventure is a family value. The trio can often be found playing outside, especially along the trails in their hometown of Helena. 

Website: leadershipmontana.org/

Dax Schieffer is the Director of Voices of Montana Tourism with a mission to serve as a united voice to communicate the immense value a sustainably-grown tourism industry provides for all Montanans . Schieffer also provides contract, non-profit management and marketing support for organizations with a focus on economic education and financial literacy. Prior to his work at Voices, he served on the executive leadership team for Big Sky Resort serving as the Human Resources Director following 10 years of marketing and public relations for the company. Schieffer grew up in Sidney, is a graduate of Montana State University-Bozeman and lives in Helena with his wife, Chantel, and nine year old son, lil’ Dax.

Website: voicesoftourism.com/ 

Email: dax@voicesoftourism.com

Jackie assists AE members with Human Resource needs through responding to hotline calls; conducting HR Needs Assessments; reviewing, developing and implementing Employee Handbooks; performing on-site HR services through AE’s HR Partnering program; conducting training; assisting members with recruiting; and, developing policies and programs including wellness programs.

Website: associatedemployers.org

Lorene Hintz, Regional Director for the Small Business Development Center at Big Sky Economic Development, manages the Big Sky Trust Fund Job Creation grant program. As an Accredited Business Consultant, Lorene is a passionate advocate and champion for small business owners and entrepreneurs. She provides business technical assistance, marketing research, financial analysis/projections, loan packaging, and one-on-one consulting.

Her experience includes 16 years of retail business ownership, co-owner of Hintz Trucking, and eighteen years as a Small Business Development Center Regional Director. Lorene strives to recognize business owners’ needs, promote opportunities, and inspire growth in start-up and existing businesses. She is a volunteer mentor for entrepreneurial development programs across the state, including Early-Stage Montana, Rock31, Veteran’s Business Outreach Centers, and the Women’s Business Center.

Lorene was named America’s SBDC State Star in 2010, is a member of Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA), Accredited Small Business Consultant (ASBD), Certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), certified NxLevel trainer, Profit Mastery consultant, and a certified Core Four Trainer.

Website: bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org

Phone: 406.254.6014