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Mike Wagner
Mike Wagner

The document profiles two 1995 graduates of Oconomowoc High School, Tim Eiring and Mike Wagner, who were recently named to Madison's "40 Under 40" list. It summarizes their professional successes and backgrounds. Tim Eiring is now vice president at Centare Holdings in Madison, which has grown from 25 to 130 employees under his leadership. Mike Wagner works in business development and marketing for MobileIgniter in Madison and has experience helping software startups grow. Both credit their upbringing in Oconomowoc and involvement in boating and sailing on the local lakes with inspiring their entrepreneurial spirit and success.

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42 30WEST August 2015 E ach spring, Madison¡¯s In Business magazine features a new class of 40 outstanding business professionals younger than 40 making their marks in the greater Madison area. This year¡¯s ¡°40 Under 40¡± list included two 1995 Ocono- mowoc High School graduates, Tim Eiring and Mike Wagner. We reached out to Tim and Mike and asked them about growing up in Lake Country, the inspirations behind their professional and personal success stories and the advice they would give the next generation of up-and-coming go-getters. Tim Eiring Tim Eiring started working for Mil- waukee-based Centare Holdings Inc., a software development and business-coach- ing firm in 2003 as a Java developer. Four years later, Eiring transitioned to the oper- ations side of the company when he be- came director of client solutions. In 2012, when the business expanded to the Madison area, Eiring took advantage of a tremendous opportunity and became the vice president of operations for the Madison region. That first year, the Madi- son branch generated more than $1 mil- lion in revenue. In 2014, with a staff of 15, revenues hit $3.2 million. ¡°It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. When I started at Centare there were 25 employees. Now we have around 130 staff across three branches. It¡¯s cool to be a part of something so success- ful,¡± adds Eiring. Geared for success Eiring grew up close to the Oconomo- woc Library and City Beach on Lac La Belle. ¡°It was great; I was super fortunate to grow up near the water. I sailed as a kid and played baseball and soccer through high school,¡± he adds. When Eiring was just 14 years old, he saved up enough money to buy his first BMX off-road racing bike. ¡°I was very competitive. My brother and sister got into it, and it became a family affair, and we traveled the country,¡± explained Eiring. After graduating from OHS, Tim went on to study management information systems and business at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. ¡°I learned how to write software, which prepared me really well for my career,¡± he says. Tim and his wife, Kristyn, moved back to the Oconomowoc area seven years ago, where they are raising their daughters Lauren, 6, and Leah, 4. ¡°We¡¯re an active family, so we like that we¡¯re super close to the lakes, parks and bike trails,¡± says Tim. ¡°I remember when I was a kid I wanted to get out of Oconomowoc because I saw it as this small town. As I matured, I real- ized how really special it is. My advice is to spread your wings and learn and experi- ence things, but don¡¯t be afraid to come back. ¡°The Lake Country area is so beautiful, and Oconomowoc is great place to raise a family,¡± says Tim. ¡°I have a decent group of friends that I grew up with that also moved back to Oconomowoc. Now our kids are going to school together.¡± Best in the biz Oconomowoc¡¯s Tim Eiring and Mike Wagner make Madison¡¯s 40 Under 40 list By Rebecca Seymour
¡°It has been an interesting journey, to say the least ... It¡¯s cool to be a part of something so successful.¡± ¡ª Tim Eiring lakecountrynow.com 30WEST 43
44 30WEST August 2015 Mike Wagner Before taking on his current role as business development and marketing executive for MobileIgniter in Madison, Mike Wagner spent nearly two decades assisting software startups grow new ideas into viable businesses. His success as chief marketing officer for Madison¡¯s AltusMedical Group landed him on the coveted In Business maga- zine¡¯s ¡°40 Under 40¡± list in spring. ¡°I want to help startups grow to long-standing businesses. I¡¯m pretty stoked about this new project. MobileIgniter is the leader in the ¡®Internet of Things¡¯ space here in the Midwest ¡ª connecting physical products with the cloud to provide real-time in- formation, such as location and envi- ronmental conditions, to mobile devices,¡± he explains. Wagner¡¯s professional ventures have taken him to both coasts, working with startup and venture-backed companies to develop successful business development strategies in Washington, D.C., and Seat- tle. He wasn¡¯t surprised when he found himself living and working in Madison two years ago. ¡°I always envisioned myself coming back to Wisconsin. I find a sense of peace when I think of growing up in a small community. I love the lakes and the peo- ple,¡± he admits. Wagner grew up on Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc. ¡°Sailing was my sport, and I started racing when I was 10. My sum- mers were spent living on the water, and it definitely shaped my quality of life,¡± he says. ¡°My dad lives on Fowler Lake and my mom on Pewaukee Lake. I still spend a lot of my time in the summer on the lakes.¡± Entrepreneurial spirit After Wagner graduated from OHS in 1995, he went on to earn degrees in fi- nance and the business management En- trepreneurship Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He worked for a couple of years in Madison and then moved to Washington, D.C., to earn his MBA in management of global informa- tion technology at American University. ¡°I had the opportunity to be around a lot of self-made, successful individuals when I was growing up in the Lake Coun- try area and especially when I was in- volved in regattas. I felt drawn to these people, and I was inspired by their en- trepreneurial spirit,¡± explains Wagner. A measure of Wagner¡¯s success is his ability to connect people, taking the ideas born by startups and growing them into success stories. He attributes his success to seeking mentors as he was coming up. ¡°I reached out to people I¡¯ve known my whole life and asked them for their advice. It gave me the ability to network and connect with people. The winds are al- ways changing, and you have to make your own success,¡± says Wagner. ¡°If you know you want to work in a certain area, sur- round yourself with people who will point you in the right direction.¡±
¡°If you know you want to work in a certain area, surround yourself with people who will point you in the right direction.¡± ¡ª Mike Wagner lakecountrynow.com 30WEST 45

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  • 1. 42 30WEST August 2015 E ach spring, Madison¡¯s In Business magazine features a new class of 40 outstanding business professionals younger than 40 making their marks in the greater Madison area. This year¡¯s ¡°40 Under 40¡± list included two 1995 Ocono- mowoc High School graduates, Tim Eiring and Mike Wagner. We reached out to Tim and Mike and asked them about growing up in Lake Country, the inspirations behind their professional and personal success stories and the advice they would give the next generation of up-and-coming go-getters. Tim Eiring Tim Eiring started working for Mil- waukee-based Centare Holdings Inc., a software development and business-coach- ing firm in 2003 as a Java developer. Four years later, Eiring transitioned to the oper- ations side of the company when he be- came director of client solutions. In 2012, when the business expanded to the Madison area, Eiring took advantage of a tremendous opportunity and became the vice president of operations for the Madison region. That first year, the Madi- son branch generated more than $1 mil- lion in revenue. In 2014, with a staff of 15, revenues hit $3.2 million. ¡°It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. When I started at Centare there were 25 employees. Now we have around 130 staff across three branches. It¡¯s cool to be a part of something so success- ful,¡± adds Eiring. Geared for success Eiring grew up close to the Oconomo- woc Library and City Beach on Lac La Belle. ¡°It was great; I was super fortunate to grow up near the water. I sailed as a kid and played baseball and soccer through high school,¡± he adds. When Eiring was just 14 years old, he saved up enough money to buy his first BMX off-road racing bike. ¡°I was very competitive. My brother and sister got into it, and it became a family affair, and we traveled the country,¡± explained Eiring. After graduating from OHS, Tim went on to study management information systems and business at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. ¡°I learned how to write software, which prepared me really well for my career,¡± he says. Tim and his wife, Kristyn, moved back to the Oconomowoc area seven years ago, where they are raising their daughters Lauren, 6, and Leah, 4. ¡°We¡¯re an active family, so we like that we¡¯re super close to the lakes, parks and bike trails,¡± says Tim. ¡°I remember when I was a kid I wanted to get out of Oconomowoc because I saw it as this small town. As I matured, I real- ized how really special it is. My advice is to spread your wings and learn and experi- ence things, but don¡¯t be afraid to come back. ¡°The Lake Country area is so beautiful, and Oconomowoc is great place to raise a family,¡± says Tim. ¡°I have a decent group of friends that I grew up with that also moved back to Oconomowoc. Now our kids are going to school together.¡± Best in the biz Oconomowoc¡¯s Tim Eiring and Mike Wagner make Madison¡¯s 40 Under 40 list By Rebecca Seymour
  • 2. ¡°It has been an interesting journey, to say the least ... It¡¯s cool to be a part of something so successful.¡± ¡ª Tim Eiring lakecountrynow.com 30WEST 43
  • 3. 44 30WEST August 2015 Mike Wagner Before taking on his current role as business development and marketing executive for MobileIgniter in Madison, Mike Wagner spent nearly two decades assisting software startups grow new ideas into viable businesses. His success as chief marketing officer for Madison¡¯s AltusMedical Group landed him on the coveted In Business maga- zine¡¯s ¡°40 Under 40¡± list in spring. ¡°I want to help startups grow to long-standing businesses. I¡¯m pretty stoked about this new project. MobileIgniter is the leader in the ¡®Internet of Things¡¯ space here in the Midwest ¡ª connecting physical products with the cloud to provide real-time in- formation, such as location and envi- ronmental conditions, to mobile devices,¡± he explains. Wagner¡¯s professional ventures have taken him to both coasts, working with startup and venture-backed companies to develop successful business development strategies in Washington, D.C., and Seat- tle. He wasn¡¯t surprised when he found himself living and working in Madison two years ago. ¡°I always envisioned myself coming back to Wisconsin. I find a sense of peace when I think of growing up in a small community. I love the lakes and the peo- ple,¡± he admits. Wagner grew up on Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc. ¡°Sailing was my sport, and I started racing when I was 10. My sum- mers were spent living on the water, and it definitely shaped my quality of life,¡± he says. ¡°My dad lives on Fowler Lake and my mom on Pewaukee Lake. I still spend a lot of my time in the summer on the lakes.¡± Entrepreneurial spirit After Wagner graduated from OHS in 1995, he went on to earn degrees in fi- nance and the business management En- trepreneurship Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He worked for a couple of years in Madison and then moved to Washington, D.C., to earn his MBA in management of global informa- tion technology at American University. ¡°I had the opportunity to be around a lot of self-made, successful individuals when I was growing up in the Lake Coun- try area and especially when I was in- volved in regattas. I felt drawn to these people, and I was inspired by their en- trepreneurial spirit,¡± explains Wagner. A measure of Wagner¡¯s success is his ability to connect people, taking the ideas born by startups and growing them into success stories. He attributes his success to seeking mentors as he was coming up. ¡°I reached out to people I¡¯ve known my whole life and asked them for their advice. It gave me the ability to network and connect with people. The winds are al- ways changing, and you have to make your own success,¡± says Wagner. ¡°If you know you want to work in a certain area, sur- round yourself with people who will point you in the right direction.¡±
  • 4. ¡°If you know you want to work in a certain area, surround yourself with people who will point you in the right direction.¡± ¡ª Mike Wagner lakecountrynow.com 30WEST 45