Joseph E Knecht

CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VIPA SOLUTIONS

As partner and managing director of Vipa Solutions, Joseph is responsible for the oversight of a team that performs the day-to-day business operations of this aggressively growing company. He plays a key role in the development of new products and services and is responsible for identifying and maintaining industry relationships to help the company succeed.

Originally a native of Long Island, New York, Joseph’s journey in Nebraska business has been one of excitement and growth. After graduating from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s degree in business, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, where he received his Master’s degree in business administration. In 1999, through the University of Nebraska Entrepreneurial Studies program, he was selected to intern with i2rd, an upstart software and web services company founded by Dr. Don Nelson and Dr. Muhlin Chen. During his yearlong internship in the company’s sales and marketing division, he was instrumental in the growth and development of i2rd’s products and services, as well as marketing them internationally. He demonstrated a passion for expanding the company’s mission to include innovative and industry-specific products and services and as a result of his knowledge, initiative and leadership was added to the team as partner and managing director in 2002.

In 2005, with the planning and guidance of Knecht, i2rd launched Vipa Solutions, a technology services company that partners with advertising, marketing and PR agencies providing proven processes and web-based tools for agencies to manage their client’s websites, event registration and online marketing services. The Vipa Solutions team specializes in aiding agencies in the shift from traditional media and static websites to dynamic web services. In 2005 the company expanded its reach, creating national sales and customer service teams.