In March 2019, Henry Bromelkamp, a Minneapolis technologist and longtime small-business owner, sustained a traumatic brain injury in an electric-scooter accident on his way to lunch at a Denver museum.
Bromelkamp, 63, was not wearing a helmet, to the chagrin of friends and family. Generally a cautious athlete who wore a helmet bicycling or cross-country skiing, he was likely running late and rented an electric scooter without the helmet to save time.
Henry's spouse, Jeff Nelson, and older brother, Mike Bromelkamp, have been unable to piece together an accident that Henry doesn't recall.
And we almost lost a passionate force for small business and philanthropy.
After several weeks in intensive care, Henry returned to the Twin Cities for rehabilitation therapy at an assisted-living facility.
Mike, a 67-year-old retired CPA who stepped in for Henry; brother Dave, a Minneapolis investment manager, and Nelson met with Rick Brimacomb, a small-business adviser, about future leadership of Bromelkamp Co.
Henry, according to Brimacomb, is a big-hearted guy and also "a bit of a benevolent dictator," a strong-willed, hands-on leader at the company, which makes software for foundations.
"First, we had to make payroll," recalled Mike Bromelkamp, who went to court to get control of Henry's affairs with Nelson. "Jeff and I were appointed co-conservators. I took care of the financial stuff and court stuff and Jeff took care of Henry. Henry is going to be OK. He saved some money. He was very philanthropic. And he didn't always take direction from me, the big-brother CPA.