Chief Executive Officer

Helen M. Heneveld

Leveraging her vast industry experience, MBA, MA Education, CEDIA Installer 1, CEA-CompTIA DHTI+, and ETA-International RESI Basic certifications, Helen wears several hats (as she usually does!) focusing on training, industry relationships, and all things business for PrepTECH.

She is often hailed as a pioneer ahead of her time – at the University of Michigan she earned her varsity letter the first season women were allowed to achieve this honor, and received her MBA when only 12% of students were female. Her pioneer spirit continued with her early entry in the 1980’s starting a smart home installation business, and today, her years in industry training, make her contributions valuable as a current board member for CTA Smart Home Division and past member on the CEDIA Board of Directors. She has extensive experience in connected technologies, products, and training with startups and Fortune 500 firms, including Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, and ADI owned by Honeywell.

Helen was in the inaugural class of certified CEDIA technicians (the lone woman) and was recognized with the 2018 CTA Mark of Excellence Leadership Award. She is zealous about the industry, loves helping others succeed, and has a unique ability to see through the hype, identify impactful new technologies, and pinpoint potential opportunities. In 2004, Heneveld founded Bedrock Learning to provide effective, convenient and affordable training, resource material, and consulting services to the smart home industry. Helen shares her knowledge as a co-author of the first and second editions of DHTI+ Home Technology Integrator All-In-One Exam Guide by McGraw-Hill and author of Residential Technologies Terms and Definitions, and a must-have industry resource book; Audio, Video and Streaming Media Technologies. She is working on two more books to provide foundational technical training for those new to the industry.

Strategy and Business Development

Paul Starkey

Anyone who knows Paul Starkey, knows he never stops! He is always brainstorming, creating, networking, thinking, sharing, helping, and caring about helping others succeed and reach their top potential. With over 30 years in the custom installation industry, he is a visionary and veteran in the residential home systems business. Paul’s wide-ranging experiences have been in start-ups, acquisitions, and capital raising ventures ranging from very small to very large companies.

He has raised venture capital twice, acquired two companies, started two others and has in-depth knowledge of the custom installation/integration business. These acquisitions and mergers exceeded $280M in value. He has business operations, sales and marketing experience. His keen insights, innovation, and creativity have been recognized and sought after by many in the connected and smart home industries.

As CEO of VITAL MGMT LLC and past Executive Director of the BRAVAS Group cooperative, Starkey knows the industry and gets excited to share the keys to business success, lift company profits, and find bandwidth for growth. He gets really excited about serving in a way that makes a difference, building a great business, and innovating when it seems impossible. His role at PrepTECH relies on his love of people, extensive industry experiences, well-respected relationships, and strong reputation to guide PrepTECH products and services to answer and exceed industry needs.

Dean of Students and Employer Liaison

Kendra Hendrickson

Kendra can’t decide whether she loves animals or nature more! But one thing is for sure, she loves to surround herself with family and friends. Whether it’s having a cookout or relaxing on the couch watching crime shows, she enjoys giving it her all. And she gives “her all” at PrepTECH; enrolling, supporting, encouraging, preparing students for interviewing and getting their dream career. You never know where or what Kendra might be doing because she lives in the present and can be adventurous. Some of the things she enjoys doing are motorcycle riding, side-by-siding and traveling. She is passionate about whatever she does and works hard to help every PrepTECH candidate succeed.

Career Coach

Mark Weisenberg

As a consummate sales and management professional, Mark is a real asset to the PrepTECH team. His career expands across numerous industry leaders, including Sunfire, Steward Film Screen, Sonance, Speakercraft, Integra, and Core Brands as national sales manager, managing director, general manager, and brand manager. Mark was recognized in 2017 as a CE Pro Master for his trailblazing support of innovators and entrepreneurs in the industry. As a staunch team player, he brings industry and sales expertise to PrepTECH, and is busy focusing his energies on educating schools, career advisors, and potential PrepTECH students on the exciting opportunities and careers in the industry.

IT and Content

Dylan Schissler

No company can survive without an IT guru and Dylan overfills the role at PrepTECH. No challenge or problem is too much for him to solve; he loves to troubleshoot network issues, software and hardware, develop creative solutions to streamline processes, and support the internal team and everyone using PrepTECH. With over 20 years of experience in network administration, IT support, training development, customer service, business operations including marketing, bookkeeping, and several industry certifications; CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CEA-CompTIA DHTI+, and ESPA Certified-EST, Dylan continues to stay at the forefront of technology and enlighten the team on potential opportunities.