Classroom to Boardroom | Rollie Reis-Mather (’06)
Entrepreneurship has been at the heart of every career move Rollie Reis-Mather ’06 has made since her early twenties. Reis-Mather has learned to thrive in a risky environment and now spends her time working as a business broker and volunteering to help others learn to thrive in the same environment.
At 22, Reis-Mather co-founded a glass blowing company, Goldenflow Studios, with her now husband, Dan Mather. Starting from Mather’s garage, they grew to a business that grossed $825,000 at its peak. Product quality, customer service and employee performance caused the common growing pains of start-up businesses, so they scaled back to a more manageable size. “It was challenging to learn the lessons of an entrepreneurship the hard way,” Reis-Mather said. Reis-Mather’s 17-year involvement in Goldenflow Studios taught her a thing or two about entrepreneurial challenges—enough to entrust that venture solely to her husband, get her degree at Concordia, and move on to help others who share the same entrepreneurial spirit.
Reis-Mather started her B.A. degree at a large university only to find the program didn’t fit the lifestyle of a busy working professional. Concordia was a better fit for Ries-Mather. “The way Concordia put together the adult education program shows their commitment to helping people achieve their goals,” Reis-Mather said.
The values-based education Reis-Mather received at Concordia, translated to her full-time work at WomanVenture, a consulting company empowering women to find rewarding work. Her interest in entrepreneurship blossomed in her role as a consultant, helping clients build business plans. “That’s where I learned to love entrepreneurship,” Reis-Mather said. “I was able to connect with clients and teach them using my experiences.” She continues to work with WomanVenture on a voluntary basis while her full-time work has evolved into helping businesses in a different fashion.
Reis-Mather is now employed at the business brokerage firm, Calhoun Companies. The sale of big ticket items, like the $2 million software company she listed, keeps her job exhilarating. She said her position is still very entrepreneurial; seeking both business sellers and buyers and then connecting the two. Her ability to connect with people and draw from her own entrepreneurial experiences allows her to continue to thrive in the competitive business world.
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