About the Leadership Team

Sue Gehling is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who has devoted much of her career to caring for children with mental health issues. She is also a social entrepreneur, with a keen interest in developing and creatively funding novel solutions that directly address social issues. Her passion is to provide more effective, more immediate, and earlier interventions for children who are at high risk for mental health problems. She believes that children’s access to mental health care can be improved by utilizing technology and integrating services into nontraditional places. She is a strong advocate for children’s mental health issues, and has been appointed by Governor Reynolds to serve on Iowa’s Mental Health and Disability Services Commission. Sue was also selected as the recipient of the inaugural 2022 School Mental Health Hero award presented by the Scanlon Center for School Mental Health. Sue Gehling is the founder of Classroom Clinic, bootstrapping the company’s growth to date. She is employed full time, and serves as the Chief Health Officer.

Allen Bierbaum, PhD, is a serial entrepreneur in Iowa. He has served as a founder and C-Suite executive in three previous companies over the past 20+ years. Allen’s background includes leading technical teams to create large scale production applications. He has been a finalist for TAI’s Iowa CTO of the Year twice and is currently a finalist for CEO of the Year. He serves on several state level boards including the Iowa Innovation Council and has been a member of the Ames Community School District board for 7 years. Upon reviewing Classroom Clinic’s IEDA application last year as a member of the VentureNet panel, he immediately recognized the potential impact Classroom Clinic could have within the state of Iowa. He was attracted to the company because it was applying technology into two areas he was deeply passionate about–education and children’s mental health. Allen also has direct experience navigating Iowa children’s mental health system, where he has seen firsthand the impact this mental health crisis has on families. Allen is employed full time and serves as the Chief Executive Officer.

Nate Kalkwarf, MBA, is a seasoned healthcare executive with experience in behavioral health and medical practice management. He began his career working in finance and small business management. Nate has served as CEO, CFO, and COO for several early-stage companies, where he led aggressive growth initiatives and executed on exit plans, including sales to both strategic and financial buyers. He has a great ability to identify areas for continuous improvement and new business growth, and to design and implement repeatable processes to achieve those goals. He is adept at leading cross-functional teams and breaking down silos to create a more coherent and cohesive work environment. Nate also coaches youth sports and serves on boards for civic groups and nonprofits. Nate is employed part time and serves as the Chief Financial Officer.

Cammy Hinkeldey, BSN, is a registered nurse who has spent her entire nursing career working with the pediatric population, specifically within mental health and special needs settings. She has over 25 years of experience working collaboratively with school systems, mental health and primary care providers, and youth and families struggling with mental health issues. Cammy was previously the district wide school nurse at Spencer Community Schools, and led the efforts to implement Classroom Clinic services in that district. Cammy is a creative, innovative thinker with extensive experience in program development, particularly in the design and implementation stages–both at the local and statewide levels. Cammy is currently the president-elect of the Iowa School Nurse Organization, a statewide organization representing the voice of school nurses across the state. She also serves as a member of the Clay County Board of Health. Cammy is employed full time and serves as the Director of Customer Success.

Terry Hemann is a school superintendent with nearly 30 years of experience in school administration. He is considered a thought leader in the education space. Terry provides advisory services to Classroom Clinic for up to 20 hours each month. His firsthand experience as a school administrator and endorsement of Classroom Clinic as a solution to the school mental health crisis is invaluable for business development efforts, crafting marketing materials, and advocating with state legislators.