Entrepreneur, Innovator, Philanthropist
Entrepreneur
Terry Tietzen’s entrepreneurial drive developed at a young age mowing lawns around the community. From there, he grew up on the golf course caddying, golfing and working on the maintenance crew. While in high school and after graduation, Terry owned and operated a Datsun/Nissan automotive business. Terry went on to college and received his degree in Turf Management while building and maintaining golf courses.
Terry later joined Palmer Course Design where he was mentored by Ed Seay and Erik Larsen while gaining a deep appreciation of Arnold Palmer’s philanthropic commitment to the community which fosters academic / athletic success, character development, service, and leadership in youth. Terry’s passion for supporting junior golf led him to a new path where he designed, patented, developed and deployed financial services-based loyalty programs in the market with long term benefit and sustainability for community.
Terry was interviewed by Adam Bryant, deputy national editor of The New York Times, for Adam’s series of interviews with CEOs and other leaders called Corner Office: “Short-term goals much easier than feeling overwhelmed by a goal that might seem hard to imagine reaching. Innovation has to have short windows. A good friend in Silicon Valley taught me an expression: you have to “feed the monster a cookie.” So I start small. You’re a monster in my mind. I have to give you a cookie so you’ll start liking the idea and not feel so overwhelmed. So you have to break it down into smaller steps. I had to realize that part of having a vision is to be able to translate to people where you want to go and how you’ll get there, but with a feed-the-monster-a-cookie approach. People need the buy-in. Give them little nibbles and then they’ll get there soon enough.”
Innovator
In 2001 Terry founded an intellectual property company. His vision and leadership have guided organization to establish an extensive and diverse intellectual property portfolio consisting of patented fintech and digital marketing innovations with early filings that build on existing financial and technological infrastructures.
Terry has led the development of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and created over 100 patents and 100 trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as well as registered the SaaS applications for copyright protection.
Terry has worked with the world’s financial services organizations, payment networks, interactive / media groups, community organizations and participated in the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Multinationals.
Throughout his journey as an innovator, Terry has fostered a culture of innovation, collaboration, and strategic relationships by working alongside with industry leaders, game changers, mentors, and advisors.
Terry’s deepest purpose and mission is to help transform local communities by enabling customers, merchants and local organizations to prosper through innovation with digital commerce, while continuing to do what they already do well today. The substance of his innovations is to drive local commerce with measured results that gives back to community with 100% accountability.
Philanthropist
With relationships and knowledge established as a young caddie learning the principles connected with the game of golf and through successful business entrepreneurship as a young adult one thing has remained constant — the mission of giving back to the community.
Terry has volunteered and helped raise awareness and funding for numerous community organizations, children’s hospitals, and amateur sports with a particular passion for junior golf to get kids to the course.
Terry has been driven by a purpose to “Do Good and Give Back” which has led to the creation of the Pay This Forward Foundation to mentor and guide young people around the world in entrepreneurship, innovation and philanthropy.