UNM Rainforest Innovations collaborates with SCORE to offer mentoring and confidential discussions for aspiring and established entrepreneurs, inventors, students, and start-up companies. SCORE’s certified mentors are successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs with the goal of giving back to the community by helping other entrepreneurs become and stay successful. SCORE has been helping small businesses start and grow in the Albuquerque area for over 50 years through mentoring.
Office hours are currently held in-person at the Lobo Rainforest Building. Visit our events page to view all current events and office hours: https://innovations.unm.edu/events/
Learn more about SCORE Albuquerque here: https://albuquerque.score.org/
The certified SCORE mentors this fall 2022 at the Lobo Rainforest Building are Dar Johnson and Vic Berniklau.
Dar Johnson
Dar retired after 20 years with the US Air Force and has over 36 years in the aerospace private sector including over 36 years in senior and “C-suite” level management positions. He has been responsible for achieving growth nation-wide, obtaining new customers, cost containment, turning around marginal operations, increased profitability, customer satisfaction, staffing, and policy and procedure development. He has also worked in business development, proposal support, capture manager and proposal manager and has owned a successful consulting business.
Areas of Expertise
- Business Plans / Startup Assistance
- Government Regulations & Contracting
- Marketing, Public Relations & Sales
- Operations
- Product Development & Manufacturing
Industry Experience
- Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services – Government and Industry
Vic Berniklau
Vic retired from the US Department of Energy as Senior Executive after filling positions in Technical and Administrative Leadership. He started two small businesses in electronic security with his wife and son and grew them to 30 employees with $2M in sales. He is a consultant in technology management and business management and is an instructor at the University of New Mexico at the Graduate Level in Public Administration (Research Methodology) and Business Administration (Management of Technology).
Areas of Expertise
- Accounting & Cash Flow
- Business Plans / Startup Assistance
- Government Regulations & Contracting
- Operations
- Product Development & Manufacturing Technology
Industry Experience
- Manufacturing
- Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services