Nancy Brooks-Lane

Katherine Carol

Ellen Condon

James Corey

Doug Crandell

Jim Huston

Jennifer Jones

Marsha Katz

Cathryn Maddalena

Urban Miyares

Jeri Moore

Steven Savage

Corey Smith

Raymond Steffy

Molly Sullivan

Stephen Swain

About Us » Mentor Collaborators

Raymond Steffy

Raymond Steffy (straja@aol.com) graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 with a Business Administration major. He brings over 35 years of business ownership, administration, marketing, and sales into the development of organizational support of Poppin Joe's Kettle Korn. Ray is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, a national curriculum of advocacy offered by the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities. He has served on the Iowa Council of Developmental Disabilities and on the Iowa State Work Task Force. Ray has business ownership experience in a 320 acre row crop farm with livestock. At Eaton Corporation, he created and executed the Employee Involvement Cost Savings Program at their Engine Components Division Plant at Belmond, Iowa. There he received the prestigious James R. Stover Corporate Award in April 1997. He is the customer service manager for Steffy & Associates overseeing seven offices.

Ray began researching the family popcorn trial sales effort with his son Joe, after attending a Partners in Policymaking Class in 2000, and a subsequent unrelated business trip. Ray visited the Anchorage City Market where he noticed an unusually long line of customers, compared to the other city market booth lines, waiting to purchase kettle korn. That sparked Ray as he quickly connected his son's interests and latent untapped talents with the potential opportunity to explore a future kettle korn small business with his then 15 year old son. "Can Joe work?" was a burning question within Ray, who had been bombarded with the "Joe can't work," mantra from well intentioned professionals. Returning home from Alaska, Ray contacted the owner of the kettle korn business at the Anchorage City Market and began the initial business research and subsequent journey that has led to Poppin Joes's Kettle Korn. Research, development, and exploration of Joes's skills continued through April 2005 when Joe Steffy became the owner of Poppin Joe's Kettle Korn. Vocational Rehabilitation recommended the First Step Fast Track class for entrepreneurs. Completion of the course resulted in a feasibility plan which with support led to the completion of Poppin Joes' business plan prior to April 2005. Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn is creating a 'community' where Joe is contributing and values as a community member. Joe stands tall with confidence, thanks to the opportunities afforded him to be all he can be. Joe continues to grow and is developing social and work skills Ray never thought possible.