September YP Connector

SEPTEMBER 2021
September
YP LUNCHEON SPEAKER
Shannon
Lundgren

The The Dubuque
area chamber
Monthly Membership
Luncheon
Hosts
Positivity During Challenging Times
The Chamber's Monthly Membership Luncheon will be on Thursday,
November 19 from 12:00 Noon - 1:00pm via GoToWebinar. The
event will feature Don Sandel.
.
Don Sandel has a Master of Arts and
Bachelor of Science from Western
Michigan University. Since
graduation, he has amassed a
number of highly specialized
certificates in Human Performance
Improvement, Training, Leadership
Development, Coaching, Business
Acumen, and Applied Positive Psychology.
Find us on your favorite
social media app.
Don’s expertise is in the field leadership development as well as the
impact of shifting to a positive mindset. He is currently the Founder of
GoPositiv, but has spent a quarter century leading talent development
for such companies as Astellas Pharma, Allscripts, and United Airlines.
He has recently consulted for such organizations as Wintrust Bank,
Remarkable Health, Ada S. McKinley Community Services and Audentes
Therapuetics and has thrilled thousands with his energetic keynotes on
shifting to a positive mindset.
Where Business Belongs
300 Main Street Suite 200 | Dubuque, IA 52001
563.557.9200 | www.dubuqueChamber.com

Page 4
Page 6
Contents
4 // Shannon Lundgren
Looking ahead towards our August YP Luncheon
presenter
6 // Das Nobel
Reviewing the impact of our August YP Luncheon
presenter
9 // YP ReEngagement
7 Tips to make friends in a new area
10 // How I Managed Three Jobs, Family,
and Getting Two Masters Degrees
Tips from, YP Board Vice President, Taryn Kafer on
handling work, life and anything inbetween
Page 10
12 // Upcoming YP Events
View a list of upcoming YP events
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@ypdubuque
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION
#YPDUBUQUE

hosted by the grand river center
September
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR
YP
Luncheon Spe
Shannon Lundgren
with
Shannon grew up in Dubuque Iowa raised with three younger sisters, by her parents Lynne
& Rich Fluhr. She Graduated from Wahlert Catholic High School and then attended Midwest
Travel Institute in Davenport Iowa and graduated with a certificate in Tourism Management.
Shannon and her husband Charlie live in Peosta, Iowa and they have two grown
daughters. Alexis is a business partner and the Operations Manager at their family-owned
restaurant, Trackside Bar & Grill. Sydney resides in Cedar Falls with her Husband Tony; and
she works for Dupaco Community Credit Union. Shannon is also a certified Travel Agent
and owns and operates Lone Palm Travel Co.
Shannon was first elected to the Iowa House in 2016 and is serving in her second term. As
a member of the Iowa House, she has a proven track record of standing up for her constituents
in District 57, and her voting record shows that she has their best interest at heart.
Shannon managed several complex bills early in her tenure including; the Ban on Abortions
after 20-weeks, the Fetal Heartbeat bill, both an Adult and Children’s Brain (Mental) Health
bills and addressed the states opioid epidemic with legislation that has had an immediate
impact on those suffering with opioid addiction. Her work on complex bills along with her
leadership skills has earned her the Chair seat for the House Human Resource Committee,
a committee that works on health policy issues for the state. She continues to work on
lowering the cost of prescription drugs, transparency in the states Department of Human
Services and the Department of Public Health and works tirelessly on affordable access to
healthcare for Iowans.
Shannon also serves on the Commerce Committee, State Government Committee, as well
as the Health & Human Services Joint Budget Sub-Committee, advocating for access to care
and fair reimbursement for providers.
Shannon is a known truth teller, always direct, yet very diplomatic. If asked she will tell you
that she did not get elected to make friends in Des Moines, that she was elected to serve
the interests of her constituents, family, friends and neighbors in Dubuque County. She
continues to put District 57 and first.

P aker
At Riverboat Lounge Date August 25

ecapping
Last Month’s
LUncheon
Das Nobel, a business leader, technologist, and philanthropist inspired YP members
to Dream Big during his presentation at the YP luncheon on August 27, 2021.
Das currently serves as the Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of MTX Group, a leading
global technology consulting firm dedicated to transforming lives and communities
through technology. In a special Friday luncheon, Das, his business partner, and wife
Nipa, and members of the Dubuque Avery Foundation attended the YP luncheon to
hear Nobel speak on never giving up and always giving back.
“Never stop dreaming big!” This was the overall message of Das’s speech. He stated,
“Don’t be afraid to try something different or fail. Don’t be afraid to start your own
business. Don’t let someone else tell you, you can’t do it. Allow your dreams to get
bigger.”
Adversity was also a key topic Das touched on. He introduced what he calls his
“Dasisms” and said, “Showing up is half the battle.” Adversity will always be part of
dreaming bigger. He said, “It is about responding instead of reacting to adversity,”
which will help individuals go further. “How you choose to respond to adversity will
define your future,” he added.
Das also spoke about the importance of networking events, such as the YP
luncheons. He stated that these events are how you get to know your community
and continue to learn, and, yet again, continue to dream big. He talked about how
you never know how one person you may meet at a networking event could impact
your future.
Das’s experience with continual striving for the big dream started when he was a

teenager that immigrated from Bangladesh to
the United States. He attributes much of his
ideology to both his wife and his mother. Two
women that have helped shaped the person
and businessman he has become. Coming from
humble beginnings, he also urged the YP
members never to forget who helped them
along the way and always give back to their
community.
Das supports a wide range of community
initiatives and philanthropy efforts. He is a
proud Pledge 1% member, and every year
dedicates 1 percent of revenue, time, and
pro-bono services to nonprofits. Outside of
MTX, Das and Nipa co-founded the Nobel
Foundation to provide educational opportunities
to underprivileged children and plan to
build 100 schools in marginalized communities
worldwide over the next ten years.

ecapping
Last Month’s
LUncheon
Das is also a huge supporter of helping women achieve and do more. His executive team
and his company are a one-to-one ratio of men to females – a considerable accomplishment
in the technology industry. Das and Nipa believe mothers and women leaders need
to get sufficient support in the workplace. Nipa pushed MTX to give one year paid maternity
leave and three months paternity leave. This initiative launched in January 2020 and
continued through the pandemic. Das states that these small accomplishments are what
he reminds himself of each day, and they are the accomplishments he is most proud of.
Das is also an advocate for small businesses and encourages individuals to seek out and
support the communities’ small businesses. When he arrived from New York to Frisco,
Texas, 15 years ago, it was mostly farmland and is now one of the fastest-growing cities.
He believes bringing his business there was simply the first step in growing that area. His
community efforts and his support of small businesses within Frisco are what helped
develop the city. He is confident that he and Nipa will be part of the journey of Dubuque,
Iowa, in the near future.
One common theme throughout the speech was the rarity of Das talking about how much
money his company makes. When attending events such as this, Das feels there is far
more value in speaking about culture and people and giving back to society instead of
revenue.
He urged the group to think about their legacy and remember that tomorrow isn’t
guaranteed. He and his wife Nipa constantly think about the legacy they are leaving their
two sons and inspiring them to give back to their communities.
In closing, Das told YP members to “Dream Big. Recognize Adversity. It is up to you how
you respond. Don’t forget to give back. Don’t forget those that have crossed your paths.
Good things will happen in those communities by you stepping up.”

Thank you so much to all who attended the YP Re-Engagement Party! It was a blast!
We hope that the event highlighted all of the important reasons for YP Members to
stay engaged and involved. Have questions about how to get more involved?
Please contact Justine Paradiso at jehlers@dubuquechamber.com or 563.557.9200.

How I Managed
THREE JOBS
A Family
and getting
Two masters degrees
Taryn Kafer, University of Dubuque, YP Vice President
While working one full-time job and two part-time jobs, I decided I wanted
to get my master's in management and communication management
and a master's of business administration. All while maintaining a family
life and social life. Although it has been a difficult road and much more
challenging than I anticipated, here I am, achieving my goals. I want to
walk you through how I manage three jobs, a family, and getting two
masters' degrees.

1
2
3
4
5
Set a schedule for studying and all other tasks
At the end of each week, I would create a new schedule with all my course assignments that I
needed to complete and what I needed to accomplish for part-time jobs and home life. This schedule
would keep me on track. I wouldn't miss things that were due or needed to be done. The schedule
was always set a week ahead of time. If I needed extra time for coursework or if life things came
up and I needed spare time for something else, I wouldn't be stressing that week about assignments
due.
Sacrificing and getting help when I needed it
Sacrificing different things wasn't easy, including sleep. There are some classes I struggled with,
including finance. To keep myself on track, I decided to give up a few hours of sleep to get extra
academic help. Waking up earlier and going to bed later to schedule video-chat sessions with
professors made me drink an extra cup of coffee on most days. Still, it also helped me through
challenging courses and ultimately led me to higher grades and a better understanding of subjects
that were not my expertise.
Put forth an effort with family and friends
In addition to my job, coursework, and family, I wanted to maintain my social life. Does that mean
there were things I had to say no to or cut back on, such as trips and social events? Yes. Prioritizing
social events and friends is very important and is a must-have to give your mind a rest but only after
you've finished work, coursework, and spent time with your family. Keep reminding yourself that this
is temporary, and you will get back to having all the social life you want! It is all about balance and
priorities.
Time management, multi-tasking, and making
the most out of every minute
Even if you were able to work around the clock, you wouldn't necessarily produce more. After a
certain number of hours, you'd get diminishing returns. As a step-parent or parent, you couldn't
invest unlimited time even if you wanted to, but don't take that to heart—step-parents and parents
quickly learn to be efficient workers. There are many ways you can allocate your time. Some grad
students keep their academic life to a 9-to-5 workday, ensuring that those hours are as productive as
possible. Others plan their days around their family needs—for instance, taking time out in the
middle of the day for a parent-and-child music hour and then staying up post-bedtime to finish
working. You should do what works best for you and have faith that you'll learn to make the most of
every working (and every family) moment. In short, you might be a better student despite the
demands of parenthood and instead learn how to be a top-notch scholar because of it.
Talk about work and school with your family
Since your kids are going to see you working, tell them about it! They'll pick up on how hard you
work toward your goals and file that away as a model for themselves. Your kids will end up learning a
lot about fascinating topics, and they may acquire your love of learning in the process. Being in a
campus environment also affords many opportunities to attend exhibition openings and other
exciting events. Your kids will be surrounded by stimulating information and resources—lucky them!
Keeping up with jobs, family, and getting a degree can be a juggling act, but it is not impossible. You will
learn to thrive on the daily demands and frequent feelings of accomplishment. It takes a lot of creativity
and self-control, though it may not be easy, you will be proud of yourself for accomplishing a personal
goal while still managing your lifestyle! I know, I am!

Upcoming Events
Join us at one of our upcoming virtual events
SEPTEMBER 15
OCTOBER 20
YP LUNCHEON
with
Shannon
Lundgren
YP LUNCHEON
with
TBA
NOVEMBER 17
DECEMBER
YP LUNCHEON
with
TBA

For more information on YP Dubuque please contact the Dubuque Area Chamber at
office@dubuquechamber.com or 563.557.9200.
Young Professionals Dubuque is a program of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce