Northeast Indiana SBDC

Billie Wunderlich
Associate Regional Director

With more than 23 years of experience at the Northeast Indiana SBDC, Billie is passionate about helping individuals achieve their dream of business ownership. She enjoys working with entrepreneurs as they start and grow their businesses, building lasting relationships and providing trusted guidance every step of the way. As a Fort Wayne, Indiana, native, she is dedicated to serving her community and helping clients succeed. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and is an avid reader.

Alice Robinson
Business Advisor

Alice Robinson is a business advisor at Northeast Indiana SBDC. In this position, she meets with small business owners offering guidance and support on marketing, budgeting, and strategy. She is a small business owner herself and brings the experience of navigating those waters to her clients. Before owning her own business, she was an executive in healthcare marketing for over 20 years. She also worked as a producer in television news for several years. She holds a master's degree in management from Indiana Wesleyan University and was a double major in journalism and political science at Indiana University-Bloomington. Alice enjoys being an amateur photographer and spending time with her family.

Nicole Heffelfinger
Business Advisor

Nicole Heffelfinger joined the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center as a business advisor in January 2015 serving DeKalb, Steuben and LaGrange counties. She previously served as an economic development specialist for the Allen County Department of Planning Services (DPS) from 2010 to 2014, where she was project manager of the extended sewer project for the 1.5-million-square-foot General Mills facility. She also worked with members of the Allen County Council and other elected officials, and participated in budget management, commercial real estate inventory management, economic development research and public presentations.

Karen Koester

Office Administrator

Karen is an administrative professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting organizational operations, managing administrative processes, and providing exceptional customer service. She earned a General Studies degree from IPFW in 2009 and joined the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in December 2025. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching her kids play various sports or relaxing with a good book.

Lynne Koepper
Ecosystem Navigator