2026 SNL Forum Speakers

Joel Nedig

Co-CEO at Itamco

Joel is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of several startups raising over $30 Million in venture capital. He is currently the Co-CEO at ITAMCO, a world class precision gear manufacturer. He has 21 years of experience integrating manufacturing technology and software development.

In 2016, Neidig spoke at the White House by invitation of the National Economic Council in recognition of the progress that has been made by him and his companies in the Manufacturing USA program. Neidig sits on the Board of Trustees for MTConnect, an open-source royalty-free standard that is intended to foster greater interoperability between devices and software applications. He has been an active member of MTConnect since 2009. Neidig has also previously served on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Digital Manufacturing and Cyber Security Institute. Neidig is an awardee of the AGMA Next-Generation award and also the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award.

Since the founding of Manufacturing USA, Neidig and his company have been involved in over 25 research projects with National Labs and Institutes, including SBIR Phase 1, 2, and 3. Two of these projects transitioned to local tech startups, to which he is a founder of both, called Atlas 3D which was acquired by Siemens in 2019 and SIMBA Chain a blockchain startup raising one of the largest Series A in Indiana history.

Jeremiah Sinks

Senior Services Manager, Leadership Development at Purdue University MEP

Jeremiah provides leadership training and consulting services including Employee Attraction & Retention focused services. He is directly involved in the development and implementation of the Leadership Development offerings. In addition, he provides Lean, Quality and OSHA training in public workshops as well as onsite at manufacturing locations across Indiana and is utilized as a keynote speaker for multiple conferences.

Jeremiah has experience in the automotive, mining, and construction industries. His background includes Continuous Improvement training and implementation, Quality System Development, Project & Contractor Management, and Senior Management Development for daily operations and culture building; including the managerial functions of Human Resources, Operations Plant Management, Purchasing, Maintenance & Reliability, Training, and EHS. He has written two books – “The Field Does Not Come to the Farmer: Leading Gen Y & Z” and “The Field Does Not Come to the Farmer: Great Management Leadership”.

Beau Hallavant

Founder and Principal Technical Recruiter, Growing Groves

Beau Hallavant is the Founder and Principal Technical Recruiter of Growing Groves, a specialized firm differentiating by using recruiters with career-developed engineering and technical sales experience.

Beau’s understanding of industrial and technical nuances comes from years as a Manufacturing, Applications, and Sales Engineer before closing the chapter as an International Director of Sales for North America and Central Europe.

Industry exposure included machine tools, pumps, motors, compressors, gearboxes, material handling, and robotics.

He leverages a hands-on background to help companies attract the right talent and help candidates translate their skills into new opportunities.