ABOUT & CONTACT

Alan Hall
chairman of the WSU Board of Trustees

Alan is a proven operator and investor with deep expertise around channel sales, marketing strategy and sales execution. Prior to founding Mercato Partners, Alan Hall was founder and CEO of MarketStar Corporation, an outsourced global marketing and sales organization which helps the world’s largest high technology companies generate billions of dollars in revenue. After selling MarketStar to Omnicom (NYSE:OMC), Alan assisted Omnicom management in acquiring channel sales businesses nationwide. Alan is the founder of Grow Utah, a non profit organization which fosters entrepreneurship and is a founding board member of the World Trade Center Utah. He has been honored as the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Mountainwest Capital Network Entrepreneur of the Year. Alan is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Weber State University and is a contributor to Forbes.com., an author, newspaper columnist and frequent public speaker. Alan received a B.S. from Weber State University and an MBA from Brigham Young University’s Marriot School of Management. Alan frequently plays tennis and enjoys challenging his children on the golf course. Our entrepreneurship center was established thanks to Chairman Hall's generous donation and vision. Learn more about the Alan & Jeanne Hall Foundation.

Dave Noack
executive director

Dave Noack joined the Weber State University faculty in 2014 and currently serves as the executive director of the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and the Hall Endowed Chair in entrepreneurship in the Goddard School of Business & Economics. 

In addition to an MBA in entrepreneurship, Dr. Noack holds a Ph.D. in management with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from the Carson College of Business at Washington State University. 

He currently teaches courses on introduction to entrepreneurship, new venture finance, and strategic management. Dr. Noack’s research focuses on entrepreneurship and strategic management, particularly on start-up teams, new venture creation and entrepreneurial decision-making. His primary research examines how entrepreneurs and start-up teams divide ownership and the impact of such decisions on the launch and success of the new business. His research has been presented at premier management and entrepreneurship conferences around the world. He has also consulted with early-stage start-ups for the past six years and has co-founded four new businesses, including a biotech startup focused on cancer drug and treatment development.

Brandon Stoddard
director

Brandon Stoddard joined the Weber State University faculty in March 2017 and currently serves as the director of the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center in the Goddard School of Business & Economics. He also maintains a seat on the Board of Trustees for the UtahCDC and is a partner in multiple new ventures. 

Prior to joining the Goddard School, Stoddard was employed with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Weber State University. He has held various roles in both the private and public sectors assisting entrepreneurs and helping organizations grow including VentureCapital.org (formerly Wayne Brown Institute), Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR), Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and Department of Radiology at University of Utah Healthcare. 

Stoddard holds an MS in Positive Organizational Development and Change from Case Western Reserve University and a BS in Mass Communications and Business from the University of Utah. He is happily married with a very energetic son.