Steve Youngdahl

Director at Make A Difference Ventures

He worked for Sebastiani Vineyards from 1977 to 1984, rising to Director of Marketing where he was an integral member of the team that launched the August Sebastiani Country Wine brand. The winery was undergoing a transformation to segregate and differentiate the premium varietals from the larger bulk wines. The successful rebranding from that effort was transformational and positioned the winery for future success.

In 1984, Mr. Youngdahl entered the commercial real estate brokerage business in Sonoma and quickly joined the ranks of top commercial real estate brokers in the area. He specialized in creating value in properties that was previously unrecognized.

In 1991, he moved his family to Sandpoint, Idaho where he founded, owned and operated Sandpoint Mortgage from 1991 to 2001. Sandpoint Mortgage became one of the leading lenders in Bonner County during the 90’s. He was responsible for hiring, training and managing the business. He was also the local expert on the Mac version of QuickBooks.

In 2001, Mr. Youngdahl started a successful financial counseling business.

Mr. Youngdahl returned to his marketing and sales roots in 2015 by starting and operating an LED light sales business. He specializes in providing cost analysis studies to assist commercial property owners in transitioning to more efficient LED lights and utilizing utility company incentives.

Volunteer activities include coaching T-Ball and Junior Tackle Football.

He was a Trustee on the Lake Pend Oreille School District Board for 11 years and served as Board Chair for his last five years. His leadership skills helped move the district into the upper echelons of student achievement in Idaho. When he retired from the Board, he started and hosted a local radio show called The School Zone dedicated to showcasing the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

Timeline

  • Director

    Current role