The Exit Planning Institute is proud to announce that Laura Baker, CyberWyoming’s Executive Director, recently earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) credential after completing the Institute’s intensive 5-day executive MBA-style program.

Baker joins an elite group of business advisors who have received this credential and are a part of the Exit Planning Institute’s international community of CEPAs. The CEPA program is the most widely accepted and endorsed professional exit planning program in the world.

“Through our Made Safe cybersecurity training program, CyberWyoming has worked with a lot of Wyoming business owners who are thinking of transitioning their business to another party in the future. We work on succession planning with all of our clients in our program, so it just made sense to learn more about the exit planning process and ensure that the CEPA materials and Made Safe materials go hand in hand,” said Baker. She went on to say that she felt the CEPA program would give CyberWyoming a broader view when helping small business owners.

About the CEPA Program

The Certified Exit Planning Advisor program was specifically designed for business advisors who work closely with owners of privately held companies. The organizing principle of the program is Master Planning, the alignment of the three legs of the stool (business, personal, financial), which is executed through the implementation of a process called the Value Acceleration Methodology™. Using an executive MBA-style format, the program includes a combination of lectures, group discussions, case studies and individual exercises to introduce participants to these concepts and to reinforce skills. The program is taught by the Exit Planning Institute’s faculty of advisors, who are all sought after subject matter experts and authors.

To receive the CEPA credential, Baker completed the rigorous 5-day program that involved approximately one hundred hours of pre-course study, thirty hours of classroom instruction, and the successful completion of a 3-hour proctored exam.

“It was an intense program. I felt like an entire semester of college was pushed into a few weeks, but the information I learned and will incorporate into the Made Safe program was well worth it. Managing cybersecurity is managing risk. Decreasing risk helps business owners increase their company’s value,” said Baker.

The Made Safe program is the basis for the Cybersecurity Competition for Small businesses. Celebrating its ninth year in 2026, the Cybersecurity Competition will be offered nationwide. Like the CEPA, the Made Safe program empowers small business owners with knowledge, skills, and abilities to decrease their online, digital, physical and cyber security risks. Most businesses that complete the program enjoy a 71% decrease in security risks.