James Roland
IMB Co-moderator
Biography
IMB Biography of James (Jim) Roland ‘69 James P. Roland, current co-moderator of International Micro-Loans of Buffalo (IMB), graduated from SJCI in 1969. While attending SJ, Jim was involved in varsity cross country, track & field, student council, and various clubs. Jim married his high school sweetheart, the former Mary Ann Stefaniak, whom he met at a SJ dance his senior year. Upon graduation, he attended State University College at Buffalo, graduating in 1973 with a BS in Biology Education. Five years later, in 1978, he earned an MS in Biology.
After teaching at Reszel Junior HS for a year, Jim returned to SJ in 1974 as a biology teacher. Jim became involved in coaching (track & field and cross country), introducing AP Biology and Environmental Science courses along with initiating the Science Olympiad program. Through the years he is most proud of seeing the development of his 4 highly successful sons (Paul ’95, Nicholas ’99, Jim ’00, and Nathan ’02) as a result of their St. Joe’s experience.
Jim retired from teaching in 2016, after 42 years, and was recruited to initiate/ coordinate an “Internship Program” at SJCI. It was through this program that Jim began his association with the IMB. His
involvement continues today, assisting Bob Kreppel in organizing and consulting the SJ students who operate the International Micro-Loans of Buffalo.
After retiring from the SJCI Internship coordinator role, in 2018, Jim became involved in various volunteer organizations such as: Executive Board of the SJCI Alumni Association, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Gregory the Great School Board, assistant coaching with the SJCI Science Olympiad teams, race director for the SJ Bob Ivory Run and the assisting with the IMB.
Over the past 8 years of involvement with the IMB, Jim has witnessed inspirational work by dedicated, altruistic, passionate young men assisting numerous individuals with very small amounts of “seed money” via micro-loans. The Kiva (Swahili for the word “unity”) and WEDI (Westminster Economic Development Initiative) Organizations have facilitated the IMB and their philanthropic work. Kiva continues to locate and vet potential recipients of microloans. With Kiva’s assistance, the IMB can locate persons who can most benefit from IMB micro-loaning.
The work of the St. Joe's IMB organization, students can have an impact on hundreds of people’s lives with modest, yet strategic, funding.
Bradley Kreppel
Co-founder of IMB
Biography
Brad Kreppel was born and raised in Clarence, NY. He followed in his father’s footsteps attending St. Joe’s
from 2010 to 2014. During his time at St. Joe’s, Brad was involved in many extracurricular activities
including baseball, volleyball, and SJCI Food Basket among others.
While attending St. Joe’s, Brad came up with the idea of starting a not-for-profit organization focusing on micro-loans. Always having an interest in the business world, this was a unique way to combine that
interest while providing a service to entrepreneurs around the world. Along with his father’s mentorship and guidance, Brad teamed up with two of his SJCI “brothers” Nick Courtney and Connor Rosenecker, and the organization held their first meeting in June 2012.
The organization's first two years saw significant growth with fundraising ventures, achieving tax-exempt status, and a partnership with a local firm to provide micro-loans to fellow Buffalonians. After Brad and his partners graduated from St. Joe’s in 2014, the organization was passed on to a new generation of students looking to grow and leave their mark on the organization.
Brad attended Indiana University and focused on entrepreneurship and real estate at the Kelley School of Business. He frequently attended Indiana basketball games and remains a dedicated fan of the Hoosiers. And, of course, he is proud of his Buffalo roots and is a dedicated fan of the Buffalo Bills.
Upon graduation from Indiana University in 2018. Brad moved to Chicago where he began a career in
commercial real estate. He currently works for Marcus & Millichap as a Senior Associate and a member
of the firm’s National Manufactured Home Communities Division. B
Brad currently lives in Chicago with his wife where they enjoy exploring the culinary scene and taking bike rides on Lake Michigan. The couple enjoys frequent trips to Buffalo and Pittsburgh to visit with family and friends.
Nick Courtney
Co-founder of IMB
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Biography
Nick Courtney was born in Williamsville, NY and graduated from SJCI in 2014, where he was a co-founding member of the International Micro-Loans of Buffalo. During his time at SJCI, Nick was on the Varsity Baseball, Cross Country, and Indoor Track teams and was the valedictorian of the 2014 class. Nick attended the University of Notre Dame as a Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar
and graduated in 2018 with a B.B.A. in Accountancy and a Minor in Applied Mathematics. He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.
After graduating from Notre Dame, Nick moved to Arlington, VA to work for Booz Allen Hamilton as a Data Science consultant for federal government clients. Nick currently works as a Data Scientist for Thomson Reuters Special Services in McLean, VA where he specializes in building tools to assist law enforcement in investigating money laundering and illicit cryptocurrency activity.
In his free time, Nick still enjoys running, playing volleyball, and coding side-projects. He serves on the Board of Directors for Contigo Youth Club, a Catholic after-school enrichment program for at-risk youth, and is a member of the Finance Council at St. Charles Borromeo Parish. It was at St. Charles where Nick met his now wife, Katrina.
Nick helped co-found the International Micro-Loans of Buffalo in the summer of 2012 with his two friends Bradley Kreppel ‘14 and Connor Rosenecker ‘14, with mentorship from Bradley’s father, Bob Kreppel ‘75. Through IMB, Nick learned about the formation of 501(c)3 organizations, fundraising, non-profit operations, and the profound impact that small, low-interest loans can have on hard-working people around the world. Nick’s favorite IMB memory was the “Beards for Bucks” fundraiser, where students donated money to cast a vote for the SJCI teacher they’d most like to see have their beard publicly shaved in the Commons (Brother Chris Belleman was the overwhelming winner). Nick is proud of the impact that IMB has continued to have on future generations of aspiring students and the hard-working entrepreneurs they help fund around the world.
Connor Rosenecker
Co-founder of IMB
Biography
Connor Rosenecker was born in Buffalo, and comes from a long legacy of St. Joe’s graduates. He was the first to attend the school as a member of the fourth generation of St. Joe’s students in his family, dating back to his great-grandfather, who began at St. Joe’s in 1928. While Connor was at St. Joe’s from 2010 to 2014, he was involved in a variety of activities including Student Council, Varsity Singers, Food Basket, and baseball.
Alongside SJCI brothers Bradley Kreppel and Nick Courtney, and with the extraordinary guidance of Bradley’s father Robert, Connor co-founded International Microloans of Buffalo. Connor, Nick, and Brad possessed equal interests in business and in service to others, and discovered that IMB was the perfect pursuit to expose all of them to both. The three raised more than $10,000 of seed funding in the first few months of leading the organization, which has since been recycled into more than $250,000 worth of loans to subsistence business owners across the globe.
Upon leaving SJCI, Connor, Brad, and Nick handed off the management of IMB to younger students at the school but continued to serve in an advisory capacity for a few years. Connor remained in Buffalo and attended Canisius University, focusing his college studies on Finance, Economics, Business Management, and Psychology. Connor became deeply involved at Canisius, most notably serving as the VP of Business and Finance for their Undergraduate Student Association, as well as being awarded “Senior of the Year” and being named to “Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities.” After graduating from Canisius in 2018, Connor began his career at M&T Bank in their prestigious Management Development Program. Upon completion of that program, Connor became a Certified Financial Planner® (“CFP®”) and joined Linwood Investment Advisors as a Private Wealth Advisor, providing wealth management and investment advisory services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. His firm experienced significant growth in the years that followed, ultimately leading to a merger with a Cleveland-based advisory firm called Fairport Wealth in 2022, which now has approximately $5 billion in assets under management.
In the past few years, Connor has been named to numerous Board roles including the Alumni Association and Business Advisory Council at Canisius University, the Board of Trustees for the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, and the Board of Trustees at St. Joe’s. Connor happily resides in Buffalo, NY with his wife Katherine. The two of them enjoy trips to the Finger Lakes, live music, and travel, as well as spending time with their families, also mainly located in Buffalo.