Shawne Kleckner
Encyclopedia
Shawne P. Kleckner is an American
entrepreneur
, co-founder and President of The Right Stuf International
.
Kleckner is a graduate of Iowa State University
, with a degree in Computer Engineering.
In the late 1980s, Kleckner worked for Century Systems, a Des Moines, Iowa
-based computer reseller. Todd Ferson, owner of Century Systems, was a fan of the 1960s television show Astro Boy. Originally a shell company created to buy and resell telescopes, Right Stuff (the original company name) was reborn as an animation sales company. While Ferson is no longer with the company, Astro Boy remains one of Right Stuf's top sellers, and a major motion CG-based motion picture based on the character is scheduled for release in October 2009.
Kleckner is a recipient of the ACE North American Entrepreneur of the Year award, and he has also been featured in Inc. and USA Today articles on entrepreneurship. The Right Stuf International made the Inc. 500 list in 1999. He was also selected as one of Des Moines' 40 Under 40 by the Des Moines Business Record.
Concurrent with his efforts at Right Stuf, Kleckner previously served as Vice President of Business Affairs and CFO of Century Systems and Senior Vice President of Intersphere Lasergames, in addition to serving on several regional corporate boards.
Kleckner is passionate about the environment, and when his company moved to a new facility in 2005, he remodeled the facility to be energy star compliant, utilizing geothermal heating
. He supports events and organizations including Reggie's Sleepout, The Rooftop Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. His business also sponsors a program that provides work experience to children with special needs from the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, co-founder and President of The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
.
Kleckner is a graduate of Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, with a degree in Computer Engineering.
In the late 1980s, Kleckner worked for Century Systems, a Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
-based computer reseller. Todd Ferson, owner of Century Systems, was a fan of the 1960s television show Astro Boy. Originally a shell company created to buy and resell telescopes, Right Stuff (the original company name) was reborn as an animation sales company. While Ferson is no longer with the company, Astro Boy remains one of Right Stuf's top sellers, and a major motion CG-based motion picture based on the character is scheduled for release in October 2009.
Kleckner is a recipient of the ACE North American Entrepreneur of the Year award, and he has also been featured in Inc. and USA Today articles on entrepreneurship. The Right Stuf International made the Inc. 500 list in 1999. He was also selected as one of Des Moines' 40 Under 40 by the Des Moines Business Record.
Concurrent with his efforts at Right Stuf, Kleckner previously served as Vice President of Business Affairs and CFO of Century Systems and Senior Vice President of Intersphere Lasergames, in addition to serving on several regional corporate boards.
Kleckner is passionate about the environment, and when his company moved to a new facility in 2005, he remodeled the facility to be energy star compliant, utilizing geothermal heating
Geothermal heating
Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
. He supports events and organizations including Reggie's Sleepout, The Rooftop Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. His business also sponsors a program that provides work experience to children with special needs from the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District.
External links
- Article on history of Right Stuf International Part 1
- Article on history of Right Stuf International Part 2
- Interview with Shawne Kleckner on giapet.net
- Interview with Shawne Kleckner on Chris PirilloChris PirilloChristopher Joseph Pirillo is the founder and maintainer of Lockergnome, which is a network of blogs, web forums, mailing lists, and online communities. He spent two years hosting the TechTV television program Call for Help, where he also hosted the first annual Call-for-Help-a-Thon...
's Lockergnome Podcast - interview with Shawne Kleckner on Animeondvd.com
- Inc. article on Shawne Kleckner
- Inc. 500 award and article on Shawne Kleckner
- Astro Boy returning as a Movie in USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...