Pilgrim on the 405: Recent Episodes
OC Talk Radio
Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Alex Freytag, an expert EOS Implementor. Alex is also the author of Profit Works, a book that unravels the complexity of incentive plans in order to increase employee productivity, cultivate an engaged workforce, and maximize company potential. Throughout the episode, Will and Alex discuss his EOS journey and the importance of properly compensating employees.
Shownotes:
(1:13) Introduction to Alex
(1:43) Alex’s EOS Journey
(7:40) The Benefit of Employee Compensation
(10:48) How Pressure Impacts Performance
(13:19) Human Reactions to Being Rewarded
(18:19) We First vs. Me First
(21:18) Identifying Effective Incentives
(25:48) Incentive Plans with Company-wide Input
(30:53) About Profit Works
(32:49) Utilizing People as Assets
(34:09) Purpose of Profit Works
(38:27) Quality Relationships in the Workplace
(42:52) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Will Crist
EOS
Alex Freytag
Quotes:
“Well and that really is what we as EOS implementers aim at isn’t it, it’s to really help businesses thrive.” - Will Crist, (5:54)
“So if we talk about employee retention and you talk about attraction and best places to work, the companies that are able to balance those rewards, their workforce is the one that tends to be the most successful from a profitability standpoint and from a growth standpoint.” - Alex Freytag, (8:32)
“The amount of pressure in an organization is directly correlated to performance, and so companies that don’t apply any pressure in the organization, no standards of performance, no expectation, no core values, no measurables, no scorecards, no 10-year target, and so forth, tend to have lower levels of performance than the companies that turn that dial up on those expectations…” - Alex Freytag, (11:47)
“...pick a minimum threshold of profit that the company has to reach before the incentive plan kicks in and then arm your workforce with tools and training and resources to actively find the money to incremental profit dollars over that threshold.” - Alex Freytag, (24:26)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with John Nachezel, an integrator of EOS for Mike Morse Law Firm, who has almost 14 years of experience implementing EOS practices. John was brought into the Mike Morse Law Firm all those years ago to help instill structure and cohesiveness to lay the foundation for scalability. Throughout the episode, Will and John discuss how to help law firms become the best they can be, how to get those law firms partners, and how to help them get what they want from their law firm.
Shownotes:
(0:49) Introduction to John Nachezel
(3:07) Challenges That Law Firms Can Overcome
(4:25) Reconciling Ownership with the EOS System
(7:00) Logistics of the Mike Morse Law Firm
(10:43) An Integrators Approach vs. A Lawyers
(14:20) John Living the EOS Life
(20:44) Employees Living the EOS Life
(22:55) Advice for Law Firms Wondering about EOS
(24:14) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Will Crist
EOS
John Nachezel
Quotes:
“So, if you’re an owner, that’s fantastic and you can sit in the owner’s box and you can have your own meetings and talk about owner’s things, but make no mistake, when you are in the business and you are wearing that hat and sitting in that seat, that you’re not the owner, you’re an employee, and that is completely separate and distinct from the other.” - John Nachezel, (4:50)
“...the only way you will grow is chaotically and then you hit a ceiling. You’ll hit a cap, you’ll burn out…because the chaos can only take you so far. And it’s ‘I don't have time to incorporate the principles that EOS teaches,’ but that’s the way you get time is by incorporating those principles.” - John Nachazel, (22:55)
“...it’s actually a very freeing thing. It’s not a stifling thing to have structure, and that structure and discipline is what allows you to unlock your creativity and allows you to be on offense delivering punches to the opposition…it frees you to be your best” - John Nachazel, (23:48)
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Summary
In this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist is joined by Eric Lindsley, CEO of Knight Watch, a business that helps make buildings more secure, comfortable, and energy efficient. Eric and Knight Watch have been an EOS company for quite some time now, and he is known to his friends as an EOS Purist because of his commitment to living the EOS Life. Throughout the episode, Will and Eric discuss Knight Watch’s EOS journey, why every employee needs to live the EOS Life, trusting your team to make the right decisions, and much more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes
(0:50) Introducing Eric Lindsley and Knight Watch
(2:59) Knight Watch’s EOS Journey
(9:22) Why Everyone in the Company Needs the EOS Life
(16:58) Does the Great Resignation Affect EOS Companies?
(22:44) Creating Consistency
(24:36) The Decision Card
(27:48) Trusting Your Team
(30:48) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Eric Lindsley
Knight Watch
Quotes
“About a year and a half [into EOS], I was working about five days a week, maybe even four. But you know, a very easy to maintain schedule. The stress level in the company came way down. The happiness level was good—I look forward to going in, especially for my weekly EOS meeting…” Eric Lindsley, (5:50)
“This last quarter…[we did] more in book sales per quarter than we did the entire year of 2018.” Eric Lindsley, (7:21)
“It can’t just be myself or the leadership team, but throughout the company, there has to be space. And that’s the nice thing about EOS and the EOS Life is it gives you space.” Eric Lindsley, (11:42)
“The nice thing that happens though, is when you lose people that don’t have your values, it opens up space for the right person to come in.” Eric Lindsley, (17:51)
“The more I involve myself with things that are really not for me to be involved in, all I’m doing is communicating…[that] I don’t trust you to make that decision. If you have to get involved in every process, what you’re saying is, ‘I don’t trust you.’” Eric Lindsley, (28:53)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sat down with Ed Callahan, one of the early adopters of EOS who has been with the program for more than thirteen years. Ed even helped Will himself become involved in EOS. Though he has now earned emeritus status, Ed’s life has been and continues to be impacted by his time helping others live their best EOS life. Throughout the episode, Will and Ed discussed life before EOS, clients and their unique stories, and advice to all implementers.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(0:39) Introduction
(1:15) Life before EOS
(11:10) Client Stories
(20:30) EOS Life
(39:48) Advice to All Implementers
Links:
Will Crist
Ed Callahan
EOS
Quotes:
“I think that's a message to anybody listening…The clients you work with will become friends for life.” Ed Callahan, (16:46)
“EOS and its tools got [my clients] through this really difficult time at the front end and they swear by it.” Ed Callahan, (20:07)
“...EOS life has really been extraordinarily beneficial to me. You know, I'm an empty nester for a long time. Now I've got five grandchildren. So traveling to see those kids, traveling with my wife—it’s what we love to do.” Ed Callahan, (25:32)
“...Then and now, people rarely blink once they understand the value when they hear your fee.” Ed Callahan, (29:11)
Contact Will Crist
Summary:
On this roundtable discussion episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sat down with a panel of guests, from entrepreneurs to college students, to discuss important topics in the world of entrepreneurship. Varying from a few months to a few years, these guests used their personal experiences to discuss important topics such as delegation, conflicts, the future of entrepreneurship, and much more.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:38) Introductions
(15:51) The Importance of Delegating
(29:11) Why Do Conflicts Arise?
(32:48) Everyone Has to Be on the Same Page
(38:53) Questions From the Students
Links:
Will Crist
Bob Doustdar
Farshid Mahdavipour
Slava Khristich
James Cliame
EOS
Quotes:
“...This grip that the business has on the leadership can often be the largest obstacle to growth.” Will Crist, (16:17)
“As soon as I start delegating, actually business at that point started to pick up” Slava Khristich, (20:40)
“I try to figure out the ‘why’ of all my customers, what's driving them, and then try to figure out the best goals for them to reach their ‘why.’” James Cliame, (26:22)
“You don't create a position for people, you create positions, then fill up with the people.” Slava Khristich, (34:08)
Contact Will Crist
Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sat down with Jim Coyle, an expert EOS Implementer. Jim has hosted about 700 EOS sessions to earn his title and is genuinely passionate about the work that he does with businesses. Jim truly believes in working smarter instead of harder, and he personally embodies the EOS Life in order to inspire and help others to do the same. Throughout the episode, Will and Jim discussed what life is like as an EOS Implementer and the impact of the EOS Life on clients.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:00) Experience Transitioning to EOS Life
(4:29) Vacation Time
(6:11) Delegating Helps Others Shine
(11:26) Life as an EOS Expert
(14:23) Taking EOS Life Seriously
(17:01) EOS Life for All
(18:34) Creating Context for the EOS Life
(25:11) Impact on Clients
Links:
Will Crist
Jim Coyle
EOS
Quotes:
“I think one of the reasons I became a coach within the community is because…I didn't want people to struggle at the same level I did. Maybe I could help them to have less of that…but as I got through that struggle, I started to see that, wow, I was really bringing some beauty into the world, making a big impact.” Jim Coyle, (2:35)
“...There was a whole system that we had to set up and so it took a little bit of work, but it was well worth it for sure.” Jim Coyle, (5:27)
“....I think that a lot of times we, as entrepreneurs, set up a culture [where] we are the center of the universe that is the business. And that ultimately can cause a lot of problems for the business because everything then has to go through you because that's what you designed. I don't think that entrepreneurs realize they designed it that way, and then they whine about it...I do see that they cause their own pain.” Jim Coyle, (5:39)
“When people bring their full self to a company, [that] is when you get the full value from the individual.” Jim Coyle, (22:55)
“...I think that when we are the same person in all aspects of our lives…that's when we can really bring real value and love…to the world. I think that when we're putting energy into creating other personas, that doesn't work, and I do think the EOS Life helps with that.“ Jim Coyle, (23:07)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Mike Ryan, a managing partner of The M. Ryan Group, which has 25 plus years of experience serving Fortune 500 middle market businesses by helping them create results through supply chain and operations optimization. Mike truly enjoys helping businesses figure out how to unfreeze their cash that is stuck in a proverbial “iceberg of inventory.” Throughout the episode, Will and Mike discuss how to crush the inventory iceberg, how to harvest cash from their inventory, and supply chain logistics.
Shownotes:
(1:21) Introduction to Mike Ryan
(2:28) Lead Times in Supply Chain
(5:38) How EOS Companies Deal With Supply Chain Logistics
(10:13) EOS Mentality and Delegation
(14:01) Living the EOS Life
(20:14) Issues with Inventory
(22:14) Just in Time Movement
(28:49) Bringing Companies Back to the United States
(30:52) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Will Crist
Mike Ryan
The M. Ryan Group
Quotes:
“It’s figuring out how do we look a little bit further down the road to understand what we have and what we don’t have so we can proactively plan around it.” - Mike Ryan, (2:19)
“If a business is running on EOS, they’ve got a process, they’ve got people, and most importantly, their accountability is defined…the results are going to be not as favorable and not as sustainable as a business that has people, process, and technology running in a framework like EOS.” - Mike Ryan, (5:54)
“...what I find so exciting is when people get clear about what their ten-year target, three-year picture, or one-year plan is. When they get clear about that…they can begin to compartmentalize the journey that they have rather than trying to do it all at once or carrying all that imagination.” - Mike Ryan, (11:38)
“When the predictability and repeatability goes out of the supply chain, the ability to do ‘just in time’ goes away with it.” - Mike Ryan, (23:27)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Julie Markee, a life-long entrepreneur with 25 years of experience helping businesses improve effectiveness. Julie started her business about 11 years ago helping companies streamline processes and increase profitability. However, over time, she realized her true passion was helping people achieve their full potential. That’s when she discovered EOS and realized it was a great way to utilize her engineering background and help owners get more out of their business. Throughout the episode, Will and Julie discussed her journey and some of her client’s journeys.
Show Notes:
(0:39) Introducing Julie Markee and Her EOS Life
(5:42) How the EOS Life Impacts Julie’s Clients
(9:24) Sharing the EOS Life with Every Employee
(17:16) Core Values
(24:27) Julie’s EOS Practice
(26:03) Connect with Julie and Closing Thoughts
Links:
Will Crist
EOS
Julie Markee
Quotes:
“It’s just going to take off when we really start to talk about what it means to live a very fulfilling life in a way where we are using our unique abilities…we’re just fired up and excited to make our contribution to society.” Julie Markee, (8:44)
“...one of the things that makes an EOS company work so well is because the goal is a hundred percent of the right people, people who live with those core values most of the time.” Will Crist, (15:27)
Contact Will Crist
Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Nathen Fox, a certified EOS implementer. Before hearing about the EOS Life, Nathen was a fractional executive who worked with anywhere from three to five companies at a time. He worked 60-hour weeks and was not being compensated correctly for the amount of work he was doing. Although he liked his job, Nathen realized something had to change and he soon began to embrace the EOS Life and help others do the same. Throughout the episode, Will and Nathen discussed how EOS has affected Nathen, his clients, and the people around them.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:53) Introducing Nathen Fox
(1:14) How EOS Life Affects Nathen as an Implementer
(8:46) EOS Life and Clients
(18:49) Helping and Encouraging the EOS Life
(21:28) What’s in It for Me?
(38:11) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Will Crist
EOS
Nathen Fox
Quotes:
“...Do things that…fill your energy, bring you energy, bring you joy. And you know, when you're done, you should have more energy. And that's how I feel.” Nathen Fox, (4:09)
“My challenge is making time for other passions…We just had our quarterly meeting today with our team. And that was on the issues list is me protecting my time and making time for other passions. So we're making that happen.” Nathen Fox, (6:33)
“[The visionaries are] working on delegating the things that they like to do and are good at, so they can spend a hundred percent of their time in the box of things they love to do and are great at.” Nathen Fox, (9:44)
“We really were brought up to work hard and that'll take care of everything, but, that's not the case. They really got to learn to not work as hard.” Nathen Fox, (14:55)
“I just believe in implementing EOS purely and making sure that companies stick to it and create that result quarter after quarter.” Nathen Fox, (39:15)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Alex Kochetkov, the founder of Mubert, a musical platform that generates music with the power of AI. Although Mubert is Alex’s first startup, his determination and experience have helped him grow a successful startup quickly. The idea for Mubert came while Alex was on a run and became frustrated with finding the right music to accompany him. He came up with a solution, gathered a small team, and got to work making better music choices available to himself and others. Throughout the episode, Will and Alex discussed how Mubert works, the short and long term goals for the company, and obstacles that Alex and his team have encountered along the way.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:50) All about Mubert
(2:22) Getting Started
(5:10) Obstacles in Building Mubert
(9:08) 10-Year Target
(12:30) Working Worldwide for Mubert
(21:32) Creating and Implementing the Product Roadmap
(22:53) Mubert Meetings
(24:41) The Future of the Company
Links:
Will Crist
EOS
Alex Kochetkov
Mubert
Quotes:
“It's super difficult to choose the tracks to run [to]...And it was so annoying for me. And I decided to create something that will help me to run and not to think about music.” Alex Kochetkov, (2:57)
“It helps people just not to think about music. So we should make the music the commodity.” Alex Kochetkov, (9:58)
“When you have the opportunity to work with your team in the evening…and to spend some time on these inspiring talks, when you talk not about your product, not about your current situation, but about the future of your product, that's the most inspiring thing.” Alex Kochetkov, (20:38)
“...Mubert is the product that [content creators] can use. We have free plans, they can use Mubert to create the ideas that inspire them…which will never have these problems with copyrights…and to create something cool.” Alex Kochetkov, (27:33)
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Summary:
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sat down with Deam Roys, the founder of Roys and Associates, a retained executive recruiting firm that connects talented people with jobs and helps companies retain those people. After informally running his business on EOS, Deam realized the value of this system as he started learning more about it. Eventually, he transitioned to using it with his business and telling other clients about it as well. Throughout the episode, Will and Deam discussed why entrepreneurs might be hesitant to adopt EOS and how the benefits of using EOS outweigh their doubts.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:40) Introduction to Deam Roys
(1:37) Staffing Trends
(2:24) Deam’s Relationship with EOS
(3:19) How Does EOS Change Companies?
(4:38) Entrepreneurs Are Getting in Their Own Way
(13:57) Figuring Out How to Balance
(16:43) EOS Life
(29:10) The Importance of Flexibility
(34:28) Contact Deam
Links:
Will Crist
Deam Roys
EOS
Quotes:
“...I think the biggest change I see is that they're just a lot happier with not only their work life, but their personal life.” Deam Roys, (3:26)
“With EOS, not only does it help kind of give them a structure to align things a little bit better in their business, but it also gives them time for their own personal life at home, which I think a lot of them going into it don't realize is imbalanced.” Deam Roys (3:48)
“I think that I would imagine many of these visionaries after going through EOS…must ask themselves what took them so long. How many years of their life that they lost not being able to spend their life doing the things that they really love. You know, why did it take them this long to get around to all this?” Deam Roys, (13:21)
“Half the battle, I think, is from the founder or visionary standpoint, trying to figure out what they're not good at, you know? Because they kind of think they're decent at doing everything and obviously they’re better at doing some things than others. But being able to admit that, ‘Hey, I'm not really that good at doing this and it'd be better for me to hire somebody to do this for me that's actually good at it.’ Just admitting that and going through that process alone is half the battle.” Deam Roys, (20:01)
“We help them basically take the chains of entrepreneurial-ism off and help them really start living their life and enjoying their life.” Deam Roys, (35:07)
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Summary:
In this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist talked with Michael Morse, the owner and founder of the largest law firm in Michigan. Michael started his law firm over 25 years ago, and he ran the law firm with no business background whatsoever. After 15 years in the practice, Michael realized he needed help, and his firm became the first law firm to adopt the EOS model. The firm now thrives and even mentors other firms through their Fireproof program which is adapted for law firms. Throughout the episode, Will and Michael discussed how EOS has changed the firm and its employees for the better and how other law firms can do the same.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:55) Introductions
(4:00) How EOS Has Changed the Law Firm
(8:31) For Implementers: Getting the Attention of Senior Law Firms
(11:22) What Would a Law Firm Principal Need to Hear?
(14:30) Making the World a Better Place
(16:02) How EOS Can Change You Personally
(19:12) Delegate and Elevate
(37:17) Working Remotely
(44:55) Get in Touch with Michael
Links:
Will Crist
Michael Morse
EOS
Fireproof Performance
Quotes:
“I mean every business concept that I now know pretty darn well now, after all this time, I learned from him and EOS…it transformed me in a very short period of time to a very robust law firm with good business practices, good core values, good everything… I couldn't have done it without everything that I've learned throughout this process.” Michael Morse, (5:56)
”...We've worked with over 30 law firms individually…and their eyes are huge when they learn some of these concepts that they should be doing to run a really good law firm, because the traditional way to look at this is: law firms are not businesses, they are law firms…so it is fertile ground for implementers to go out there…and teach them. And that's what we're trying to do is spread the gospel and teach them how to run a really good business.” Michael Morse, (10:43)
”I think most law firm owners are doing too much. They're hitting the ceiling. They're not working in their sweet spots. They're not enjoying life…They don't know how to delegate. They don't know their numbers…you can ask a few questions and prove that they're hitting the ceiling…[I ask], what if I could teach you a way that you could work on all day everyday things that you're great at doing and that you love to do? Would you like to hear more about that? Who's going to say no to that?” Michael Morse, (11:41)
”I think that learning the things that we've learned and making a difference in our law firm is definitely spreading and making the world a better place.” Michael Morse, (15:51)
”If you do embrace this…as a business lifestyle, it really does work. It's not pie in the sky. It's take some time. It's not overnight. You don't read the book and wake up and you're living these five things. Absolutely not. It’s taken me 15 years…but it definitely works.” Michael Morse, (33:36)
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Summary
In this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, Jason Prentice and Jon Dornbos join Will Crist to discuss Jason’s business Outcomes COO. Jason founded Outcomes because he saw a need for integrators that could help visionaries reach their dreams. Now, the company utilizes fractional integrators to help entrepreneurs from across the country accomplish their lofty goals through the EOS Model. Throughout the episode, the trio discusses fractional integrators, how integrators help visionaries, the EOS Life, and much more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:27) Introducing Jason Prentice, Jon Dornbos, and Outcomes COO
(2:14) The Integrator and the Visionary
(6:30) Jon’s Background
(9:44) How Integrators Help Visionaries
(18:28) Fractional Integrators
(21:45) The EOS Draw
(25:31) EOS Successes
(29:35) Integrators vs. Implementors
(32:05) The EOS Life
(39:22) Changing the World through EOS
(42:46) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Jon Dornbos
Jason Prentice
Outcomes COO
Quotes
“I saw a real need for entrepreneurial visionaries to get expert help and experienced help at the integrator level.” Jason Prentice, (0:55)
“The integrator is not somebody who’s supposed to be telling people what to do. This is not the expert in manufacturing or finance or in sales. The integrator is the one who helps those experts on the leadership team who have the responsibility for those various departments. But the integrator helps the whole team work together harmoniously to achieve the vision.” Will Crist, (2:31)
“I’m a little non-traditional in that I’m not a big fan of telling visionaries ‘No.’ I know that that’s something that has to be done, and we can’t let our companies be chaos, but there’s a way to harness all that energy in a way that still keeps the energy going.” Jason Prentice, (13:35)
“I really believe in the system, and it’s just fun to get better and better and better at it. Each experience, each organization, each relationship that gets developed along the way is meaningful and has purpose.” Jon Dornbos, (32:48)
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Summary
In this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sits down with Eric Hinson, CEO of Explainify. Eric founded Explainify 10 years ago and never looked back! After reading Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, Eric attempted to DIY his way through implementing EOS at Explainify, but he ultimately decided to work with Will Crist to get the best results. Throughout the episode, Will and Eric discuss how EOS has helped Explainify, the future of video, Eric’s new company Parable, and much more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:23) Introducing Eric Hinson and Explainify
(4:34) How the EOS Life Has Impacted Eric
(11:42) Highlights at Explainify
(13:39) The Future of Video
(16:18) What It’s Like to Work with Explainify
(19:33) How Eric Became an Animator
(23:39) Introducing Parable
(30:12) Implementing EOS with Parable
(31:38) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Eric Hinson
Explainify
Parable
Quotes
“[Before EOS], I think I clearly knew what I wanted inside, but like most visionaries, it was in my head. I couldn’t simplify it. I couldn’t get it organized on one sheet, and it was a little bit of a struggle.” Eric Hinson, (3:12)
“Explainify’s running smoothly because I have an integrator [and] I have a leadership team, and I’m able to focus on [Parable] right now.” Eric Hinson, (30:06)
“[With Parable], we’re already talking EOS language. We’re already building it around that operational model. Even with just two or three people, it’s going to be built around that because it’s been so helpful and I’d like to start from the beginning rather than do it later.” Eric Hinson, (31:21)
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Summary
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sits down with Wendy O’Donovan Phillips, Founder and CEO of Big Buzz Inc. Wendy founded the marketing agency 15 years ago as a one-woman team, and she’s grown her business substantially in the time since. Today, she and her team are working on plans to franchise the agency, and they will have ten franchised locations by 2032. Throughout the episode, Will and Wendy discuss Big Buzz’s big plans, trusting your team, and several other core principles of EOS.
Shownotes
(0:59) Introducing Wendy O’Donovan Phillips and Big Buzz
(4:15) Integrating EOS into Your Business Plan
(9:35) Challenging Your Business and Taking Risks
(16:39) Making Long-term Goals Attainable
(19:31) Trusting Your Team
(28:09) Big Buzz’s 10-Year Plan
(32:15) EOS Impacts EVERYONE in Your Business
(43:12) Employees Want to Work for EOS Implemented Businesses
(45:14) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Wendy O'Donovan Phillips
Big Buzz Inc.
Quotes
“I find that the best working relationships, whether it’s with a team member or a client—any professional relationship—the best ones are where we’re open and willing and honest and vulnerable.” (7:55) - Wendy O’Donovan Phillips
“I think one of the most helpful things to me throughout [implementing EOS is] I now see so much more clearly what terrific ideas there are on the team that aren’t my ideas.” (19:31) - Wendy O’Donovan Phillips
“What I have learned is that the more infrastructure, the more of the right people, the more revenue and profit that we gain, the more fun it is, the more financially free we all are, and the more opportunity there is for everyone. And so my vision for this is to create a ripple effect.” (39:24) - Wendy O’Donovan Phillips
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Summary
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sits down with Josh Abbott, General Manager of Fun Productions. Josh’s parents founded Fun Productions nearly 30 years ago and grew it into the successful business it is today. Almost five years ago, Fun Productions implemented EOS and quickly experienced many of the benefits that come with the EOS Life. Throughout the episode, Will and Josh discuss the EOS Life, having fun at work, and much more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:28) Introducing Josh Abbott and Fun Productions
(3:48) How EOS Affected the Business
(9:43) The EOS Life
(12:58) The Great Contribution
(16:27) Compensating Appropriately
(20:50) Supporting Employees’ Passions
(25:24) Making Your Business Attractive to Talent
(31:59) EOS Predictions
(35:39) Getting Permission to Have Fun with Your Company
(42:42) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Josh Abbott
Fun Productions
Quotes
“We were able to start working on the business and not just in the business, whereas I think pre-EOS we were very reactionary.” (6:07) - Josh Abbott
“For a very long time, [we waited] for people to ask for raises, and if they asked for a raise [we would] assess and give them a raise. But what we found was there were folks out there who are not going to ask for a raise, and they may start to feel resentment around the fact that they haven’t been offered a raise.” (16:42) - Josh Abbott
“We put out ads for one [open position]—we were just looking for one person last year. And I think we ended up turning [the ad off] after we got 35 applications in four days.” (29:24) - Josh Abbott
Contact Will Crist
Summary
On this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, host Will Crist sits down with Derek Gerber, Senior Vice President of Explainify. Over the last year, Derek has been implementing the EOS system at Explainify, and the results have been nothing short of impressive. Their discussion covers the changing video landscape, the EOS Life, and how EOS has affected Explainify.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:37) Introducing Derek Gerber and Explainify
(3:38) How Video Has Changed during the Pandemic
(11:19) The EOS Life and Explainify
(18:01) How Explanify Is Making the World a Better Place
(21:04) Appropriate Compensation
(22:23) Derek’s Other Passions
(24:12) Implementing EOS at Explainify
(30:00) Value, Compensation, and Viewing Employees as Human Beings
(43:10) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Derek Gerber
Explainify
Quotes
“After implementing EOS over the past year, we continue to grow. It has onboarded our team members in a much more effective way, and then it also shows them that burnout is not a celebrated, award-winning opportunity here. We don’t do that. We work to openly communicate and create transparency and trust across each department.” (17:18) - Derek Gerber
“A year ago, when we were growing quickly at a state of point, we put out a couple of job applications. We had four applicants over six weeks—at a time where we needed to hire people very quickly. Now, [after implementing EOS] we had 600 applications in four days, and we had to shut it down.” (41:40) - Derek Gerber
Contact Will Crist
Summary
In this episode of Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, Will Crist sits down with Christine McKay, CEO of Venn Negotiation. Christine is one of the world's best negotiators, and her resume speaks for itself. She’s helped nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies as well as several hundred small and mid-sized businesses. Together, Christine and Will discuss negotiating in today’s world, embracing emotions to improve negotiation skills, and changing the world with the EOS model.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:19) Introducing Christine McKay, Venn Negotiation
(1:21) What’s Happening in the World of Negotiation?
(4:47) Seeing Others’ Humanity during Negotiations
(11:10) Scarcity vs. Abundance
(19:19) Don’t Be Afraid of Emotions!
(26:34) Freedom Starts with ‘No’
(31:25) EOS Can Change the World
(45:29) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
EOS
Christine McKay
Venn Negotiation
Quotes
“If we don’t create an environment that allows us to have hard conversations about the state of our relationship in business—or even in our personal lives—then at the end of the day, we’re not going to be successful.” (3:36) - Christine McKay
“We’ve created a culture where the fear of loss is greater than the hope for gain. How sad is that when there’s so much gain that we can hope for, when there’s so many possibilities.” (18:33) - Christine McKay
“What do you think it would be like if, by the time we hit our ten-year target, you had 100% of the people in this organization living the EOS life or have a path to it? What do you think that would do for the attraction of new people, retention of your best people, and motivation for everybody?” (39:13) - Will Crist
“Making money is not the most important thing. That has brought us to our knees, and we’re struggling with that.” (46:15) - Will Crist
“Negotiation is a conversation. It’s a conversation about your relationships, and you can’t win relationships. So, stop trying to win them—work on building them and growing them…Create that space that allows not only for you to grow, but for your counterparts to grow too.” (47:25) - Christine McKay
Contact Will Crist
Summary
On this week’s episode of Where There’s a Will There’s a Way, Will Crist sits down with Dawn Abbot to discuss EOS implementation. Dawn is an entrepreneur, business owner, and Professional EOS Implementer, and she is passionate about helping small businesses become the best version of themselves. The duo discusses all five elements of the EOS Life, Dawn’s entrepreneurial journey, and why they think EOS has the power to change the world.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:31) Introducing Dawn Abbott and Her EOS Journey
(4:47) Dawn’s Experience as an EOS Implementer
(6:10) Prioritizing Employees
(17:13) Living with Purpose/Defining Your Why
(21:00) Appropriate Compensation/Providing Value
(25:30) Supporting Employees’ Passions
(29:39) Changing the World with EOS
(36:24) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
Dawn Abbott
Quotes
“When I was in a place where I didn’t know that I could run this business by myself, what actually happened from 2017 to 2019 was a 30% revenue increase and a 260% net profit increase. And it was all because of the EOS process.” (4:15) - Dawn Abbott
“I love seeing the impact that EOS has. I love small-business owners…and I am saddened when they’re on that treadmill that I once ran.” (5:04) - Dawn Abbott
“If [employees are] the most valuable assets, why would we ever want them to be less than? Why would we ever want to not take care of them?” (8:30) - Dawn Abbott
“When you’re doing what you love and things that come easily and naturally to you, your energy is high and your production and output is crazy because you’re in your zone. And the minute you have to drop down and do things that you don’t like doing, you can never bring your energy back up that day.” (12:54) - Dawn Abbott
“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to have a full, rich life that contains more than just the grind.” (38:06) - Dawn Abbott
Contact Will Crist
Summary
In this episode of Where There’s a Will There’s a Way, Lauren Carson joins host and EOS Implementor Will Crist to discuss how EOS radically transformed her business. Lauren is the Founder and CEO of Kinect Solar, which sells solar energy equipment on the excess market––in simple terms, it is the TJ Maxx of solar-power equipment. In their conversation, they cover delegating and elevating, living the EOS life, hiring the right people, contributing to the world around them, appropriately compensating employees, and much more. Check it out!
Shownotes
(0:27) Introducing Lauren Carson and Kinect Solar
(1:40) Kinect Solar and EOS
(3:40) Delegate and Elevate
(5:46) The EOS Life
(8:41) Hiring the Right Team/Core Values
(11:45) Making a Great Contribution
(17:25) Appropriate Compensation
(19:07) Celebrating Employees’ Lives Outside of Work
(24:08) What’s Next for Kinect Solar?
(27:01) Closing Thoughts
Links
Will Crist
Lauren Carson
Kinect Solar
Quotes
“For the first couple of years starting the company, I had my hands in sales, I had my hands in procurement operations, customer service, and finance. While the company was doing well, I was literally losing my mind…I can say unequivocally that we would not be where we are today if we hadn’t found the EOS system.” (1:50) - Lauren Carson
“Everybody spends the majority of their waking hours at the office. So, that cultural environment that you can set in the office and how people treat each other really affects everybody’s lives, and they take it home to their families and everything else they do.” (6:32) - Lauren Carson
“The core values for us [have been] so powerful as far as setting the tone for the company.” (10:27) - Lauren Carson
“The first year, we had a banner year. The numbers were really, really good, but I found myself feeling really empty and probably more depressed than I’ve ever been. It was because that purpose wasn’t there. I thought it was financial for so long, and now I know it’s not.” (14:27) - Lauren Carson
“I’m a firm believer that entrepreneurs and business owners have the ability to change the world…We have so many challenges and problems right now, and they can all be tackled by doing things differently.” (15:02) - Lauren Carson
“We’ve set up an employee stock option plan so that everybody in the company shares in the company’s success–down to the most entry-level person and all the way up to the top.” (18:46) - Lauren Carson
Contact Will Crist
On this episode of Where There’s a Will There’s a Way, James Waite joins host Will Crist to discuss the transformative effects that EOS implementation had on his business. James is the Integrator at Roberson Waite, an industrial electrical construction company that builds substations for utility companies and other markets.
Will began working with James and the rest of the Roberson Waite team nearly four years ago, and the business experienced considerable change. Throughout the podcast, James outlines several growth areas where his team improved once they began implementing the EOS model.
Thanks for tuning in!
We are thrilled to announce our new podcast Where There's a Will There's a Way with Will Crist. Join us each Friday as we speak to entrepreneurs and leadership teams and how they are creating a great life for everyone in the company!
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and share with a friend!
Julio is the President and COO of Monetizemore - a remote first ad tech company that has run their team 100% remotely since 2010. Monetizemore has recently been named one of the fastest growing companies in Canada for 2020 and 2021 and Julio credits this to their company culture, team trust, and development as a remote company.
Brent Stone has achieved phenomenal success across multiple industries in his 20s and early 30s. At age 19, he became one of the youngest people to reach an impressive level of achievement in the top 1% of one of the largest network marketing companies in the world after 18 short months. In addition, Brent was later at the top of his salesforce in radio advertising sales, posting 15-20% growth year after year despite having no prior experience in advertising. Today, Brent and his wife Michele own All Smiles Harrisonburg through their dental service organization called All Smiles Management Inc, and it is one of the premier pediatric, orthodontic, and oral surgery practices in western Virginia. In 2020 they welcomed their firstborn son Andrew, and they always make it a point to prioritize family and those they care about. Brent embodies an attitude of serving others and helping them to achieve their goals, and his boutique marketing and branding agency Stoneco LLC helps other business owners to problem solve and arrive at breakthroughs to move their businesses forward. Brent with the help of a close friend launched a Digital Advertising and Marketing Agency called Funnel Force in 2021. The agency's focus is tactical digital strategies that drive sales, retain customers, and recruit staff. Brent Stone is a true leader and one of the most genuine people you could have the pleasure to meet. Follow on Instagram @brent_stone_
Christine McKay is a Business Negotiation Strategist, international speaker, host of In the Venn Zone podcast, and author of Why Not Ask? A Conversation about Getting More.
Christine holds a Harvard MBA and is the CEO/Founder of Venn Negotiation. She has negotiated with more than half of the Fortune 100 & hundreds of small and mid-sized companies across 53 countries.
She loves leveling the playing field for her clients and empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to ask for more of what they want and shows them how to get it. Her mission is to reduce business failure rates by helping people elevate their negotiation skills!
She was born and raised in a rural community in Montana, graduating with the same 20 kids she grew up with. Christine’s been married to the love of her life for almost 30 years and is a proud mom of three grown children.
For more information go to: https://www.vennnegotiation.com/
Joe Camberato has a passion: Helping small businesses grow – really helping them grow.
His passion has defined an entrepreneurial journey that began in his spare bedroom in 2007 where, after discovering a world of private lending that few small business owners knew existed, Joe turned his fascination into a business. Its mission: understand a client’s needs, match them to the right lender, do it fast & with integrity.
Today, as the nation’s unrivaled FinTech Marketplace, National Business Capital has secured over
$1 Billion in business financing and embraced a visionary focus: Innovating the Way Entrepreneurs Grow.®
As Joe was helping businesses finance their growth, he grew his to 100+ employees without private equity.
Along the way he learned a lot about how to architect a business to scale.
Now, in addition to providing access to funding, he helps clients learn how to build businesses that run themselves, by working “on them” not in them.
His passion has also inspired him to build “GrowByJoe” on YouTube to share his insights, along with his seat on Forbes Finance Council and he is also an active member of YPO.
Rushabh Mehta is an entrepreneur and founder of Matchbook AI. With degrees in Chemical Engineering and an MBA, Rushabh chose to follow his passion for computers and IT for the past 22 years. Rushabh prides himself as a data geek and has spent the better part of his career helping organizations of all sizes in their digital transformation journey for their data assets. Rushabh is also a passionate trainer, mentor and community volunteer and leader.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rushabhbmehta/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rushabhmehta
Dr. Raber received his B.S. in biochemistry from Lebanon Valley College, PA and
subsequently a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Southern California
with an emphasis on developing new synthetic methodologies useful in pharmaceutical
drug discovery and manufacturing efforts. Dr. Raber studied botanical phylogenetic
relationships based on the RuBisCO enzyme’s evolution while in college and was
named to the USA Today 1997 All-USA College Academic Team for his research
accomplishments in this area. Dr. Raber entered cannabis in 2010 and has published 5
peer-reviewed articles on cannabis topics. Dr. Raber has been invited to lecture about
cannabis around the world, holds multiple patents on cannabis-based technologies,
particularly pertaining to terpenes, and is often sought out by the press to comment on
topics as he is recognized as one of the industry's scientific thought leaders.
For more information about Jeff Raber go to https://cannabismanufacturers.org/team/jeffrey-c-raber-ph-d/
Mike helps spark mid-career entrepreneurs with great potential put their dreams into action for big impact. He is a renowned business catalyst, seven time bestselling author, and featured podcast guest.
Intentionally adding energy at the right time, the right way, with the right person allows impact to go interstellar and set off a cosmic ripple effect. The multiplier effect of entrepreneurial success extends through generations.
Mike’s recently launched Total Quantum Impact process lays the groundwork and a methodology to realize your personal and professional dreams, while quantifying your impact for life.
He lives, loves and adventures in Squamish, BC, Canada with his wife Sherri and their two young adult children.
For more information about Grow Get Give go to https://www.mikeskrypnek.com/
George McGraw is a human rights advocate specializing in the human right to water and sanitation in the United States. George is founder and CEO of digdeep.org, the only WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) organization serving the 2.2 million Americans without access to basic plumbing. Founded in 2011, DigDeep develops education, research and infrastructure projects aimed at extending access to clean, hot-and-cold running water to every American.
Under George's leadership, DigDeep won the 2018 US Water Prize for its Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. In 2019, George led an effort to publish Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States, the first national study to outline the domestic water crisis and propose a way forward.
George has written for The New York Times, SSIR and The Nation, and his work has been featured in every major news outlet, including Emmy and Deadline award-winning pieces by CBS Sunday Morning. George is an Ashoka Fellow and former Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford University. George holds an M.A. in International Law and Conflict Management from the United Nations University for Peace. He is also a Civil Society Fellow at The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. For more information on dig deep go to http://digdeep.org/
A "serial entrepreneur," as described by Crain's Chicago Business, Todd has founded and been President of four successful businesses since the age of 22.
In addition to Crain’s, Todd has been featured in a number of publications including Forbes, Success magazine, and a cover article of Inc. Magazine.
Todd’s first business in the food industry grew from start-up to 85 people in 18 months. Since then, he has also been in technology and publishing. Currently, he works with leadership teams and entrepreneurial peer groups to increase their effectiveness. In the last 17 years Todd has been a speaker, trainer, and facilitator for over 1,000 events. Todd is a Certified EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer. He is also a master trainer with YPO/WPO/EO.
For more information about Todd Smart go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdsmart
Mike leads Armanino's National Cannabis Tax Practice. A tax professional since 1989, he has significant experience in federal, state and local tax from both an accounting and legal perspective. He spent time with multiple Big 4 firms, including serving in KPMG’s Washington National Tax Office, and has worked with cannabis companies both large and small in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.
He advises cannabis clients on a broad range of issues that affect the space, including mergers and acquisitions, loan structuring, and funding mechanisms from venture capital, private equity and investment banking. Mike provides guidance on cannabis technology, manufacturing, transportation and retail issues.
Mike is the contributing editor of Cannabis Taxation a 250-page treatise for Thomson Reuters discussing the 34 states that tax cannabis sales. He is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Cannabis Industry Association and the California Cannabis Association, which nominated him for their CPA of the Year award for 2019. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and psychology from the University of Alabama, a J.D. from Cumberland Law, and a Masters of Tax Law from Emory Law School.
For more information about Armanino's National Cannabis Tax Practice go to https://www.armaninollp.com/industries/cannabis/
Jim Riley has spent his entire life saying yes to career changes and unique opportunities that align with his foundational values.
Riley runs a successful, consulting business in Kalispell, Montana. Known for supplying value to clients by providing strategic recommendations, Jim Riley is known for smart strategic thinking, insightful operations, successful business growth and high pressure transitions.
Jim is currently the host of two successful podcasts. “The Answer is “Yes” podcast features business leaders discussing both the power of saying “yes” and the decisions that made them successful. “The Liberty of Lose” podcast features local and national public figures discussing current politics and where the country is heading.
In addition, Riley actively consults for several successful companies and is known for helping businesses through transitional phases, marketing strategy, sales improvements, public relations, providing innovation and facilitating operational improvements.
Riley oversees two of his own business and has an extensive background in marketing, food and beverage, and everything in between.
Well known work includes time spent with In-N-Out, Kettle One Vodka, Diego, Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Azunia Tequila, and Baja United Group.
Jim Riley is a leading advocate for conservative political actions as School Board Trustee in Smith Valley District 89. He is a popular speaker on the subjects of education, veterans, 2nd Amendment Rights, freedom of religion, small government, public land use, legal immigration, the constitution, pro-life, first responders, and the Save the Cowboy movement in Montana. For more information go to https://livelifedriven.com/
The California Love Drop supports and fuels healthcare workers and first responders by providing meals, beverages, treats, and supplies to hospitals, medical centers, fire departments, police stations, grocery distribution centers, and more. We provide smiles and much-needed relief. The deliveries have gone to several local families and organizations from Los Angeles to San Diego, including CHOC Children’s Hospital, UCI Medical Center, Hoag Hospital, UCLA Medical Center, San Bernardino Community Dignity Hospital, Dodger Stadium Testing Site and numerous police stations and firehouses.
We believe in the power of humanity, and the significant impact a delicious meal can have on uplifting spirits. Community support is more important than ever.
What started as a single delivery of 300 meals from Wahoo’s Fish Taco to Hoag Hospital in Irvine, CA on April 12, 2020, has turned into an astounding collaboration known as the California Love Drop.
Wing Lam, Co-Founder of Wahoo’s Fish Taco, Wendy Ellis, Director of Marketing of KLOS-FM, and Eric Morley, Co-Founder of Blue C, have actively partnered with other organizations such as Yogurtland, Antis Roofing, Monster Energy, Hint Water, North Men’s Wear, Constellation Brands, Boston Beer Co., Left Coast Brewing Company, B Candy, Yeti, Cholula Hot Sauce, Loan Depot, Coyle Repro, Vans, Drake’s Organic Spirits, Fortis Resource Partners, and The Purist Group to personally thank those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of today, the California Love Drop has delivered over 11,000 meals at 61 different locations. The plan is to keep the positive momentum going and continue to applaud the courage of our frontline heroes. For more information go to https://californialovedrop.org/
About Ted Miracco
Ted is co-founder and CEO of Cylynt. His high-technology experience spans 30 years in electronic design automation (EDA), semiconductors, defense electronics, RF/microwave circuit design, and cybersecurity.
Prior to Cylynt, Ted was a co-founder of the EDA company AWR Corporation, which was acquired by National Instruments in 2011 and became part of Cadence Design Systems in 2020. In addition, he has worked with several Fortune 500 software companies, including Cadence Design Systems and start-up company EEsof Inc., which was acquired by Hewlett Packard in 1994 and is now Keysight Technologies. Ted holds a B.S.E.E. from Carnegie Mellon University.
The Cylynt platform is trusted by some of the world’s leading software companies for enhanced business intelligence and globally is protecting around $50 billion of software assets.
Cylynt
Cylynt solutions, which evolved from anti-piracy and license compliance roots, are an integral part of the ongoing battle to safeguard intellectual property against increasingly sophisticated evasion techniques and result in significant revenue recovery and brand protection.
Detailed usage analytics provide unparalleled understanding into how users interact with a software vendor’s product and deliver valuable insight into customer experience, product development, lead generation, and sales processes. Across these elements, clients are currently realizing a gross ROI from Cylynt solutions of up to nine times their investment.
To find out more: Cylynt.com
Creating Hand-Crafted Cannabis Content
Medical cannabis can make profound changes in people’s lives, and we’re here to share their stories. Like tales told around a campfire, people respond to stories that connect and engage them.
We’re bringing this concept to educational marketing content for cannabis brands, companies, and products. We feel it’s essential to help rebrand cannabis, moving away from the stoner stereotype.
Philip recently launched Don’t Strain Yourself, a patient-focused platform to educate adults age 40+ about medicinal cannabis. He shares stories from patients, medical professionals, and cannabis experts. You can also watch the videos on the GottaStory Video Page.
As an industry, we must first be a community. To that end, empathy and compassion drive everything that Gotta Story Media creates.
Philip’s ethos is to lend a hand when needed, and he relishes doing so. Philip creates educational marketing content for cannabis companies, products, and brands, via digital video, podcasts, and articles. He formed Gotta Story Media in 2018 and recently launched a new video platform entitled Don’t Strain Yourself. By sharing patient stories and advice from medical professionals, DSY educates adults age 40+ about medicinal cannabis.
Philip began his media career creating educational TV for NASA, and he's been fortunate to work in marketing, public relations, and entertainment in digital and broadcast endeavors. Philip also created content for non-profit organizations such as the American Heart Association Los Angeles, the American Red Cross, the Flying Samaritans, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Philip served as a two-term president of the American Marketing Association Los Angeles. As such, he exercised leadership skills, created its podcast series and blog, drafted weekly email content, hosted conferences, and moderated monthly educational panels.
When he is not behind a video camera, Philip is either with his amazing family or racing through the Southern California mountains on Triumph motorcycles.
You can see more of Philip's work at Gotta Story
Ira was featured in Forbes Magazine for helping his customers book 513,542 appointments into their sales pipelines. Ira Rosen has “Cracked the Code” on LinkedIn B2B Prospecting, filling calendars, branding their clients and adding about 400 new targeted connections every 30 days.
Ira is considered to be one of top 1% influencers in the world by LinkedIn Corporation and have trained 100,000’s of entrepreneurs just like you how to create predictable leads, clients and revenue.
Winners of the prestigious “Marketer of the Year'' award through the Phoenix Business Journal, and “Best Selling Author” with customers in 50+ countries. He will show you how to tap into LinkedIn’s $26.2 Billion dollar “digital gold mine” to build your LinkedIn and email databases, book targeted appointments, and close deals. He and his team has helped customers generate over 1 million appointments and helped customers generate over $1 Billion in revenue from LinkedIn. He is passionate about personal development and helping others become the best version of themselves. Ira lives in Scottsdale AZ with his wife and loves traveling to Mexico, spending quality time with his two daughters and their spouses. for more information about Ira Rosen go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/ira-rosen-637366b2
Ed began his career working in industrial models and design in the late 1980's, fabricating prototypes and scale representations for government and private industries. In the early 1990's, Ed moved into manufacturing and industrial equipment, working as a production designer and manager in a factory setting. In the latter part of the 1990s, Ed served as VP of sales for a manufacturer of industrial printing and automation equipment, at a pivotal time when sales and marketing were beginning to move into the online arena.
In 1997, Ed started New Media, an Internet services company offering web hosting, colocation, e-Commerce programming and payment processing services as a part-time effort. As the business evolved it became a full-time endeavor, with colocation and carrier services becoming a major focus. Eventually New Media was transformed into Connex Internet Services Inc, a colocation and Internet transit provider serving five regional US markets and beyond, utilizing the skills of dozens of engineers and technical staff.
In January of 2014, Datacate and Connex merged into one company, with Ed taking on full-time sales and marketing duties. The new Datacate gained a more diverse client base and multi-site capability. While continuing to serve the needs of the colocation marketplace, Ed and his colleagues at Datacate are forging ahead into the decentralized future of a virtual and cloud-based computing universe.
In November of 2016, Ed added business development for BlueDAG LLC to his responsibilities. BlueDAG's flagship ADA assessment software, delivered via the cloud to desktop and mobile devices, is a revolutionary development in the ADA compliance industry, with the power to reduce the time required to complete an accessibility audit by as much as 75%. Ed oversees the direct marketing and awareness initiatives to bring BlueDAG to the ADA compliance industry. For more information about Datacate go to https://www.datacate.net/
Mark Williams has taken an interesting approach to business all his life. When he was 16 and needed a job, he walked into a small, local business and told the owner, “I’ll make you a deal,” give me two weeks. At the end of two weeks, you can either hire me on and pay me or not pay me and send me home.” He got the job.
As the CEO of Brokers International, a major insurance brokerage, Mark works every day to create a culture of transparent and authentic communication between those customers who he considers his true customers - employees, vendors, distributors and clients.
Business Background
He has spent his entire business career in the insurance world, working his way up the ranks from positions such as director of national sales and marketing for a top tier life and accident insurance company to overseeing sales on a regional level as a vice president to president of a financial marketing firm before going to Brokers International - first as chief of sales and one year later being promoted to president and CEO.
His focus throughout his career has been to listen to the voice of the customer. He believes that intentional listening allows him to focus on where to explore new opportunities and take the calculated risks necessary to expand his company’s overall market share while enhancing sales and service.
He looks to data to support his decisions while sometimes questioning the analysis of data. He looks for patterns that others might miss to find actionable insights that offer solutions to some of his greatest challenges.
Mark is a leader who hires talented people and allows them to do great things. He is intrigued by the ever-changing landscape of technology, data, and the avenues that companies will deliver their products and services to the consumer.
It is this passion that keeps him researching, reading and exploring new technologies, and observing customer behaviour.
Education
Mark holds both NASD - Series 6 and 63 licenses as well as a BS degree in business from the University of Phoenix. For more information on Brokers International go to https://www.biltd.com/
works at the intersection of profit and purpose. She is a thought leader and veteran in harnessing the power of capitalism to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Elizabeth serves as the Senior General Partner at Dev Equity, a venture capital fund investing in B-Corps in low-income housing, urban revitalization, and sustainable agriculture in Latin America (Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru).
Elizabeth started her career in rapidly growing, innovative technology companies. She served as a Product Manager for Microsoft Word when Windows was first launched and participated in forming the original Microsoft Office product. After graduating as a Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School, she joined Yahoo! as one of the earliest employees-- quickly rising through the ranks to lead the business side of several divisions including Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Auctions, Yahoo! Classifieds, Yahoo! Greetings and other properties. Most importantly, she was a founder of Yahoo! Shopping and became a leader in developing and shaping Yahoo’s e-commerce strategy. Under her leadership, Yahoo’s e-commerce initiatives grew to become over 2/3 of the company’s revenue.
After Yahoo! Elizabeth was appointed President and CEO of CML Global Capital, a publicly traded investment conglomerate based in Canada. As CEO she oversaw several major transactions including executing a takeover of another publicly traded real estate company, a normal course Issuer bid, and eventually a privatization of the corporation. She sold several of the firm’s corporate assets and eventually sold the remaining portfolio company to its management.
Since that time, Elizabeth has dedicated her career to impact investing and corporate social responsibility-- demonstrating that strong financial performance and positive social change are inherently connected. Her first impact investment fund, the Dignity Fund, provided growth debt to 14 Microfinance institutions in 12 countries, enabling loans to over 35,000 poor entrepreneurs per year. The Dignity Fund was one of the very first for-profit investment vehicles in the Microfinance industry, paving the way for the massive influx of capital into that field.
Elizabeth became an avid evangelist for impact investing and has served on many boards of impact funds and social enterprises. Her board positions include Unitus (chair) a microfinance accelerator; Deutsche Bank’s Microfinance Consortium, FINCA Microfinance fund, Align Impact’s fund-of-funds, MicroPlace (chair) an online investment company she helped sell to EBay, Root Capital (farm expansion capital), and Ujjivan (Microfinance bank that has since gone public) among others.
Elizabeth is an active member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) where she served on the international board and founded the YPO Social Enterprise Network; Toniic, an association of impact investors, and many other communities. Elizabeth is a thought leader and frequent speaker on impact investing and corporate social/environmental responsibility. For more information on Dignity Fund go to https://dignitycapital.com/
Catherine Nomura is Founder and President of Kountable Inc. For Catherine, Kountable represents the culmination of a professional lifetime devoted to unleashing the maximum transformative power of entrepreneurs as positive change agents and economic drivers across the globe. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience working with entrepreneurs and organizations that support them, following formative stints in retail banking and microfinance.
Catherine is a bestselling author with a wide and deep understanding of entrepreneurial growth and the conditions, mindsets and support mechanisms that both hinder and maximize it. Her hands-on experience spans the entire income spectrum of entrepreneurs from countless industries across five continents. Her bestselling book, The Laws of Lifetime Growth, co-authored with top entrepreneur coach Dan Sullivan, has been translated into 15 languages and remains in print around the world in its second edition 13 years after its original release.
Catherine holds a Masters Degree in Political Economy of Development from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from University of Victoria in Canada. She is now a proud resident of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Jim Markham, author of Big Lucky and founder of PureOlogy, believes everyone can be “big lucky” and achieve success. Jim’s perseverance, ability to overcome odds, business acumen and “made to win” mentality provided the foundation for him to have a highly accomplished career. Jim has founded four and developed five successful hair care companies, netting over $1.2 billion in combined retail sales – Sebring®, Markham®, ABBA®, PureOlogy® and ColorProof®. With each success, the Markham name has become synonymous with authentic, quality, high-performance products that serve as an industry standard. Jim is best known for pioneering sulfate-free, salt-free products and creating the luxury color care category, and he continues making his mark as the acclaimed, best-selling author of Big Lucky: Serial Entrepreneur Jim Markham's Secret Formula for Success. This life-changing page-turner is an Amazon.com best-seller and was featured as Audible’s #1 new release.
But Jim’s path to success wasn’t foregone, obvious or easy. Married at 15 with a child, Jim Markham began his career as a barber as a means to support his young family. His undeniable ambition led him to California to meet with celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, an encounter that resulted in a lasting and important partnership. Jim became a Sebring distributor, Jay’s protégé and eventual successor, taking over the Sebring business following Jay’s untimely death as a result of the Manson murders. As a savvy celebrity stylist, Jim’s client list grew to include stars such as Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, and Robert Redford. Jim quickly found that he had a gift for product development and for detecting needs in the market. His entrepreneurial spirit drove him to create companies that delivered innovative products to meet those needs, including being first-to-market with natural-based, 100% vegan, cruelty-free, carcinogen-free, premium, color-protecting haircare formulas. For more information about Pureology go to https://www.pureology.com
Rick developed his proven system for hiring—and gave the start-up world a much-needed kick in the ass. Rick didn’t grow up dreaming of changing the game in recruiting…or business of any kind. So he took a job in recruiting, and even though he phoned it in, he wound up making a lot of money. However, when a friend derisively referred to him as a “resume-slinging cowboy,” Rick knew. It was time to up his game…by changing everything he was doing. He studied many approaches to recruiting, ultimately perfecting the process into a single system that is both seamless and highly-successful in achieving the right results. The result is the Hire Operating System (Hire OS), a secret weapon that focuses on hiring consciously that consistently attracts the best people. As the founder and CEO of Stride Search, Rick used (and still uses) this system to build top-performing teams for Silicon Valley start-ups and other cutting-edge companies. His mission has been to give committed start-ups the clarity, power and system to make hiring a win, every time. And somehow, he has turned his unsettling impulses, unruly nature into success for hundreds of clients. For more information go to https://www.stridesearch.com/
Jon Conelias is the CEO of ReElivate. Jon has been a CFO and Operator for the past 15 years of marketplace companies focused on both B2B and B2C channels. For more information about ReElivate go to https://www.reelivate.com/
Mr. Montag has over 23 years of industry experience. He has worked in multiple Senior Leadership roles for several Title & Escrow firms. He is one of the original members of the Timios leadership team for the last 13 years. Joe has led multiple operational divisions and has been instrumental the firms growth. Today Joe operates as our President. In his current role, Joe oversees all operations and client relationships across title and settlement services to ensure stellar service at every level. For more information on Timios go to https://www.timios.com/
Outside of work:
I love spending time with my Wife and raising our two kids. Beyond that, I enjoyed dirt bike adventures and writing/performing songs.
About:
James Waite is the Integrator at Roberson Waite Electric whose responsibilities focus on execution of the business plan, accountability of the Leadership Team, and creating organizational clarity, communication, and consistency.
James knows that the driving force behind all successful organizations is teamwork. He believes in human potential and strives to inspire people to push the limits of greatness.
Over the past 15 years, James has performed almost every task in the company from Departmental Operations Manager to Office Clerk. Through these experiences he’s come to understand not only the importance of having the right person in the right seat, but the profound significance of rowing together in harmony.
James’s greatest accomplishment has been bringing vision and traction back to the family business. Over five years, the company’s team and revenues have grown 5x, all the while not sacrificing or compromising the company’s core values. He strives everyday to make his predecessors (Grandpa and Mother) proud.
James holds a B.S. in Cognitive Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. For more information on Roberson Waite go to https://roberson-waite.com/
Originally from Tromsø, Norway, Rune Hauge moved to San Francisco to start his first company shortly after graduating from business school. He sold the company, an apparel brand, and went on to co-found a tech startup where subject matter experts demonstrate consumer products to an audience of shoppers and do Q&A via live video streams. This experience combined with his personal experiences with mentors led to his current company, Mentorcam, a startup that gives ordinary people access to renowned experts for 1:1 advice and mentorship via short video messages. For more information on Mentorcam go to https://errolallenconsulting.com/errol-allen/
Internationally known operations consultant, speaker, author and customer service expert Errol Allen provides practical advice and solutions garnered from over 25 years of hands – on experience. He possesses a multi-faceted perspective of organizations through the various positions held during his corporate tenure with companies such as ADT Security Systems, TCI Cablevision, The Houston Post, Excel Communications, e-talk and GEICO Insurance. From the phone to the field, Errol has serviced customers himself and understands that a “systems” orientation is crucial to providing excellent customer service.
He assists his clients by facilitating interdepartmental process improvement projects to insure efficient service delivery to both internal and external customers. As a “hands-on” consultant, Errol takes an active role with clients, from riding along with field personnel to spending time with customer service personnel as they take customer calls. He maps out his clients’ work processes and creates procedures manuals. He also helps with identifying customer centered key performance indicators and the internal processes that impact indicator results. Errol also develops and implements simple solution tools that clients utilize to improve the level of service provided inside and outside of the company.
Errol shares his operations and customer service expertise as a contributing writer for The Houston Business Journal and Small Business Today Magazine. In his quest to acknowledge the receipt of great customer service, Errol personally awards his “Now That’s Customer Service! Award to deserving employees or companies. An avid blogger, his articles have been published in several online publications including Yahoo Small Business Advisor, Customer Service Manager, Customer Experience Magazine of the UK and Young Fabulous and Self Employed. He has also participated as a workshop leader at the University of Houston’s Small Business Development Center, the Houston Community College Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumni Program, the Houston Association of Realtors and with the Service Corporation of Retired Executives (SCORE). Get your copy of Errol’s book – “Keys to Delivering Amazing Customer Service!” For more information about Errol go to https://errolallenconsulting.com/errol-allen/
Steve Sponseller is an Intellectual Property Attorney and Patent Strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping companies protect their most valuable inventions. He has helped more than 1000 inventors and businesses identify, develop, and protect their intellectual property assets. Steve has worked with companies of all sizes – from startups to large corporations, including Intel, HP, Microsoft, eBay, and SAP. He is the author of Cracking the Patent Code and host of the Tech Leader Talk podcast. For more information go to https://stevesponseller.com/
Curt Avallone has dedicated the past 30 years to developing innovative retail solutions. He has collaborated with a variety of teams to build new businesses that today generate over $8 billion in annual sales and over 30,000 jobs. He launched successful eCommerce divisions at Ahold Delhaize, Giant Eagle, and CVS Pharmacy, as well as the HEB and Ahold Delhaize fueling divisions. Curt designed, patented and operated the Ahold "ScanIt!" mobile system, which allows shoppers to scan and bag groceries while they shop. He holds a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. For more information about Takeoff Technologies Inc. go to https://www.takeoff.com/
Ryan Weiss is the President of Effective Performance Strategies, specializing in driving organizational change and high performance by aligning three core components: purpose, people and process. He is a global executive with decades of experience spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Ryan has successfully founded 3 companies, and worked as a global executive leading hundreds of people, managing a $500 million product portfolio, and developing a passion for organizational change. He serves on multiple boards of educational, profit, and non-profit institutions. For more information on Effective Performance Strategies go to https://epszone.com/
Sky Cassidy is CEO of MountainTop Data and co-host of the If You Market podcast. MountainTop Data, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, has been providing data services for B2B marketing for almost two decades. With an unrelenting commitment to quality, they were the first company to guarantee the accuracy of their licensed data and business emails. They provide marketing lists, data cleaning, data appending and data maintenance services. Their data services have been used by some of the world’s biggest brands across a multitude of various industries from multi-national telecommunication companies to office technology, to PR firms and more. for more information on MountainTop Data go to https://www.mountaintopdata.com/
Ed Lee is co-founder and partner of Wahoo's Fish Taco, responsible for the expansion and development of what has become one of the most iconic fast-casual restaurant brands in the United States. With more than 35 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, he has helped his co-founding brothers Wing Lam and Mingo Lee establish Wahoo's as a pop culture mainstay in California and beyond. In addition to
forging partnerships with renowned brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley and Vans, Ed has ensured Wahoo's consistent brand presence at high-profile surf, sporting and music events such as the X-Games, Vans Warped Tour and Coachella among others. An active supporter of many national and local community-based events, Ed serves on the board of various non-profit organizations including California Restaurant Association and Vocational Visions. He is also frequently invited to speak and give lectures at various universities including University of Southern California and University of California, Irvine, as well as his alma mater Vanguard University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business. In 2018, Ed was named One of OC's Most Influential by the Orange County Register. For more information about Wahoo Taco go to https://www.wahoos.com/
Omri Traub is the Co-Founder and CEO at Popcart, a shopping assistant tool helping thousands get the best prices online every time. Before that, he was VP of Engineering at Oracle where he led the Endeca team, acquired by Oracle in 2011 for $1.1B. Popcart is Omri’s third startup. He lives in Brookline, MA with his wife and four children. For more information about Popcart go to https://www.popcart.com/
Robert White is a Speaker, Author, Leadership Trainer and Executive Coach who specializes in integrating a heart centered, result-oriented and transformational leadership approach to being effective.
Robert’s culture change work has been praised by corporations like JPMorganChase, Progressive Insurance, Duke Energy and The American Cancer Society.
Additionally top business experts and authors Ken Blanchard, Jimmy Calano, Kathy Gardarian, and Robert Wright, plus thousands of training and coaching clients, have endorsed his professional skills.
Today you’ll find him speaking at conferences, hosting masterminds, mentoring today’s emerging business leaders and teaching everything he knows about fostering entrepreneurial success and building an entrepreneurial mindset in established, growth-oriented companies.
For more information about Robert White go to:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-white-188b401ba/
https://www.facebook.com/robert.white1
Victor Bornstein is the CEO and Co-founder of Justpoint, an artificial intelligence company making it possible for people to understand the merit of their medical malpractice claim and find the right experts for their case. Victor saw the opportunity to redesign this industry after experiencing it from both sides: as a child when his mother suffered a life-threatening medical mistake, and from the perspective of hospital systems. He has served as an Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Texas Medical Center Accelerator, and a Fellow at the healthcare venture capital firm Digitalis Ventures. For more information on Justpoint go to https://justpoint.com
Chris Hale is Founder and CEO of Kountable, Inc., a San Francisco-based technology company actively solving the world’s distribution problem by building a trust network for global trade that integrates, digitzes and optimizes collaboration between qualified big and small players. Its cloud-based global trade platform delivers transparency, governance and efficiency in trade by connecting the biggest global sellers with the most qualified buyers in challenging economies. For more information on Kountable go to https://www.kountable.com/
Patrick Frank is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Patient Partner, a free platform that pairs future surgical patients with a “surgery mentor” who has undergone the same surgery. A savvy business leader, he helped scale Patient Partner into a million-dollar business in less than six months. For more information on Patient Partner go to https://www.patientpartner.com/
Reggie:
Dr. Reggie Edgerton received his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Michigan State University, Masters from University of Iowa and BS from East Carolina University. He is currently the Director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory and a Distinguished Professor of the Departments of Neurobiology and Neurosurgery. He is also the chair of the scientific advisor board and Co-Founder of SpineX. He has been teaching and conducting research at UCLA for over 40 years. His research is focused on how the neural networks in the lumbar spinal cord of mammals, including humans, regain control of standing, stepping and voluntary control of fine movements after paralysis, and how can these motor functions be modified by chronically imposing activity-dependent interventions after spinal cord injury.
Parag
Parag graduated from Mumbai University, Mumbai, India in 2008 with a Bachelors in Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. In the fall of 2008, he started grad school at UCLA working under Dr. V Reggie Edgerton towards his masters and PhD. in Biomedical Engineering. He received his masters and PhD in 2010 and 2013 respectively. Both his masters and PhD thesis were focused on locomotion rehabilitation and improvement in bladder function using spinal cord stimulation after paralysis. Parag has been working as a Scientist at UCLA in the department of Neurobiology under Dr. V Reggie Edgerton’s guidance. In 2019 Parag Co-founded SpineX Inc. and took on the role as founding CEO. For more information about SpineX go to https://spinex.co/
Jason Junge is an MIT/Kellogg-educated Business Strategy expert in high-tech that has worked with companies ranging from new startups to Microsoft, to craft and execute successful growth strategies. He is currently CEO of PointerTop, an innovative Remote Sales and Service Software company based in Tempe, AZ. For more information on PointerTop go to https://www.pointertop.com/
Eric Morley is the passionate Co-Founder and COO of Blue C, a Costa Mesa-based brand strategy and creative marketing agency. Since 1998, he has been helping companies across both B2B and B2C segments create brand strategies, campaign development, strategic design, content creation, and digital marketing strategies with a goal of outperforming the competition. Most recently, Morley led the Blue C team through the public launch of its proprietary BrandPWR platform, a strategic branding process that helps brands more effectively connect with key audiences. BrandPWR is the accumulation of Morley and Blue C's tried-and-true branding practices - a platform which enables clients to BRAND BOLD and build the most solid foundation for enjoying sustainable, long-term results.
Eric co-founded Blue C in 1998 and since then, has supported over 12,000 marketing projects for clients, including 500+ rebrands and 1,000+ new company brand launches. Outside of the office, Eric volunteers his time with philanthropies including Boy Scouts of America, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Goodwill of OC, Wounded Warrior Project, Second Harvest Food Bank and more. Eric is a co-founder (along with Wing Lam of SoCal's popular Wahoo's restaurant chain) of the California Love Drop, a non-profit that has served over 18,000 meals to more than 180 front line responders. In addition to philanthropy, Eric speaks as various Orange County universities, high schools and marketing and advertising professional organizations to share his decades of branding and marketing experience. When not working or volunteering his time, you'll find Eric in Baja Mexico 16 weekends out of the year, where he has raced and won the Baja 1000, an annual off-road motorsport race.
To learn more about Blue C’s BrandPWR platform and services, please visit www.bluecusa.com or call (714) 540-5700.
Jared Rosenthal is a CEO turned entrepreneur, reality TV show host, and tech innovator. While coming up the ranks of corporate America, he cultivated a model of mobile marketing using RVs to deploy teams of people to the streets of NYC, replicated it in Chicago, and then brought it to dozens of cities nationwide, at one point managing over 400 people. Despite his success, he always yearned to strike out on his own. Ultimately, he bought a used RV and launched Health Street, a mobile drug testing and DNA testing company, in 2010. Initially driving the company's sole RV himself, he famously painted "Who's Your Daddy" on the side of the truck to advertise the company's paternity testing services. A photo was published in the NY Post, which led to a crush of interest from television producers. VH1 picked it up, airing an 8 episode series, Swab Stories, about Jared and his DNA testing clients. Recently, he has led Health Street's pivot to technology and launched StaffGlass, a hiring and recruiting software as a service that allows businesses to easily set up drug tests and occupational health services at over 10,000 clinics nationwide. For more information on Staffglass go to https://staffglass.io/
Charles Antis – Founder & CEO, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing
A well-respected and widely known roofing expert, entrepreneur and humanitarian, Charles has become one of the most trusted names in the roofing industry country wide, as well as an inspirational business leader championing social corporate responsibility. Antis Roofing & Waterproofing celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2019, or as Charles would say, “for over 30 years, we’ve been keeping families safe and dry!”
Charles has served on a dozen national and local boards for well-known organizations including the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), where he co-initiated the national adoption of all 165 Ronald McDonald homes across the country. He is also a board member of The Roofing Alliance for Progress. Locally, Charles serves on the Orange County Habitat for Humanity (Habitat OC), through which Antis Roofing & Waterproofing has donated every roof installation of every home built by Habitat OC since 2009 – over 80 families housed and $1M in “in-kind” donations, along with Eagle Roofing Products. Charles also serves the following organizations:
Ronald McDonald House Orange County Board of Directors; Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign, raising over $9 million of the $12 million to double the size of the house; Chair of the Rock the Socks campaign
California State University Fullerton Center for Leadership Board of Directors
Orange County United Way Board of Directors and United 2 End Homelessness Executive Council
OneOC External Advisory Board
Charles has been the recipient of many prestigious national and local awards, including the 2020 Hispanic Leadership Award from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, IMA Impact 2020 Award, OneOC 2020 Community Cup Best Overall Project: Team Antis Roofing & California Love Drop (CA Love Drop was founded by Wing Lam, bringing food, treats, and PPE to Frontline workers and First Responders), and OneOC 2020 Community Cup Best Hands-on Project: Team Antis Roofing & Second Harvest Truck Brigade. Charles was also honored with the American Red Cross Corporate Hero Award and a Civic 50 honoree of the most community minded companies in Orange County in 2019. He was awarded in 2018 with the Business of the Year from the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce and the CACM Vision Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. In 2017, Antis was honored as US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Best Corporate Steward, Small and Middle-Market Business, and he was also named as National Philanthropy Day Honoree, Outstanding Corporation or Business, Mid-Size; the Civic 50 Orange County Emerging Company award; and received the top honor with the CNA Insurance/National Roofing Contractors Association (CNA/NRCA) Community Involvement Award. Charles has also sponsored the Community Corner at the Anaheim Ducks arena since 2017, donating over 50,000 seats each year to nonprofit organizations.
Charles Antis is a master storyteller and sought-after speaker, panelist, podcast and radio show guest. He was featured in 2019 as the keynote for Best of Success; in 2018 as the keynote at the Irvine Chamber of Commerce Legends and Leaders breakfast; and at the US Chamber of Commerce Corporate Citizenship Conference in Washington D.C. The Antis “model for giving – give to grow” has been featured in t three books: “How Goodness Pays” written by Paul Batz with Paul Hillen; and “Unlocking High Performance” by Jason Lauritsen; and “Success Mindsets” written by Ryan Gottfredson. Antis will be featured in Do Good at Work by Bea Boccalandro, due out next month. Charles and Bea are also co-authoring a “How-to” book in coordination with a class they are building for Orange County United Way that Charles believes will become a national model at all United Way’s across the country. It’s currently entitled, The New Leadership Imperative: Corporate Social Responsibility and the course is set to launch in January.
As a proponent of multi-tenant housing ownership education, Charles served for more than 20 years on the Education Committee of the Community Associations Institute (CAI), teaching maintenance responsibilities to board members and community managers. He is a former 10-year member of Vistage 390. Charles annually serves as a judge for multiple institutions, including the ACG Awards, RT3, CSUF Center for Leadership and the National Roofing Contractors Association. He attended Brigham Young University and lives with his wife and children in Irvine, California.
For more information on Antis Roofing & Waterproofing go to https://www.antisroofing.com/
In 2010, Norel Mancuso, CEO of Social House, Inc. saw social media becoming a huge part of people's lives and in turn, the need for businesses to pay attention to social media in order to survive. So, she turned that idea into Social House. As a young, gay woman living in Los Angeles, Norel didn't have much more than an idea and her phone to show companies that social media would change the way brands interacted with consumers. She didn't let any of those things get in her way as she built her company from the ground up.To this day, she not only overcomes the pitfalls of being a woman CEO but also battles the stereotypes of being a gay leader in the business community. Going into her 2nd decade in business, Norel has built an award-winning company and emerged as an industry leader. She has worked with some of the biggest companies in the world in the retail and beauty market. Brands such as Pepsi, Revlon, SONOS, Playboy, and L’Oreal (to name a few) entrust Norel to be the brainchild behind their presence online and on social media.
“Scott Shadley is VP Marketing at NGD Systems where he leads marketing, product management, and product development for the company’s industry-leading computational storage. He has been a key figure in promoting computational storage, being co-chair of the SNIA Technical Working Group on the subject which he helped found, and speaking on the subject at Open Compute Summit, Flash Memory Summit, NVMe Developer Days, and many other events, press interviews, blogs, and webinars. Before joining NGD Systems, Scott managed the Product Marketing team at Micron, was the Business Line Manager for the SATA SSD portfolio, and was the Principal Technologist for the SSD and emerging memory portfolio. He launched four successful innovative SSDs for Micron and two for STEC, all of which were multimillion dollar sellers. Scott earned a BSEE in Device Physics from Boise State University and an MBA in marketing from University of Phoenix.”
Morgan Christen is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Spinnaker Investment Group, LLC. In this role, he leads the investment committee in building customized portfolio solutions for high-net worth clients. Mr. Christen brings 26 years of investment management experience. Morgan founded and led Signature Resources Capital Management, LLC in Irvine as the Chief Investment Officer/Portfolio Manager in charge of research and asset allocation. Prior to joining Signature, he served as the President of Charterwest Consulting Inc., a money management firm in Newport Beach. Additionally, he acted as the Vice President of Dolphin Securities Inc., a regional broker dealer and managed the firms’ 30 representatives. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Finance from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Pepperdine University. In addition, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) designations and served as a board member of the CFA Society of Orange County.
Brandine Strand is an avid life-long dog mom & entrepreneur, passionate about holistic health & natural medicine. In 2018, she founded Cali Raw Nutrition, a premium raw dog food company that ships human-grade, complete & balanced, life-stage specific meals straight to your door. Brandine is dedicated to making it easy for dog lovers to provide optimal nutrition for the enhanced health & longevity of their dogs.
LTC (Ret) Paul Trapp is a seasoned military leader and event planning professional. He serves as the Chair of the Executive Oversight Committee and brings 31 years of combined active duty, reserve component, and Army National Guard experience, closing his military career out as the Chief of Recruiting for the Army National Guard. Paul currently leads a team of more than 40 Operational Managers and Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) who plan and execute over 3,000 events annually for the federal government and commercial clients. He also has more than 20 years of successful contract management expertise, as well as event planning, organization and evaluation of conferences, seminars, and meetings in both the private and federal sectors. Paul is also a founding owner of EventPrep (a life-style franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs who are trapped in an employee’s body). Paul lives in Central Florida with his wife Kimberly and is the co-author of Prep for Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Achieving Dreams.
Bill has held many key positions at technology companies such as Xerox and IKON, and created distribution channels and customer solutions for products manufactured by Canon, Ricoh, and H-P. Both companies also provided an opportunity for Bill to lead distressed operations back to profitability and interact with investors, including several Wall Street investment banks. Additionally, he led several acquisitions and the creation of strategic partnerships. Bill was with Merrill Lynch earlier in his career, and more recently, held an executive position within The Blackstone Group, one of the leading global private equity firms. In that role Bill led the successful growth and transformation of a key portfolio company. He has broad sales and marketing experience and during 2014, worked with several startups to provide advisory services focused to revenue growth, and increasing both profitability and overall enterprise value.
J.D. Sitton joined CTC Global (CTC) as its chief executive officer in August 2014. He is focused on building the strategic and customer relationships necessary to drive large-scale adoption of CTC’s innovative ACCC© products by electric transmission and distribution utility companies world-wide. Since 2014, CTC has entered many new geographic markets, expanded its production footprint, launched new products, developed new innovations and realized significant growth.Prior to joining CTC, Mr. Sitton founded Profera International, a business development firm serving growth-stage companies in the U.S., Europe and the Middle EastMr. Sitton began his career as a design engineer in the natural gas pipeline industry and has since worked closely with leading strategic, venture and private equity investors to launch and grow innovative services and technology companies in the solar, oil and gas, electric utility, energy storage, healthcare and industrial controls industries.Mr. Sitton holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and a Master of Business Administration from the Executive Program at the University of Houston, both located in Houston, Texas, USA.
LJ Suzuki is a fractional CFO with CFOshare, an outsourced finance and accounting department for small businesses.
Mareya Ibrahim is also known as “The Fit Foodie,” a nationally recognized food safety and clean eating expert, an award-winning entrepreneur, television chef, author and inventor. She is the CEO and founder of Grow Green Industries, INC. and the patented co-creator of the eatCleaner®, eatSafe™ and eatFresh™ line of all natural and organic products that help offer cleaner, safer, longer lasting produce.
Her book “The Clean Eating Handbook” was released in May 2013 and is being touted as the ‘go-to’ guide for anyone looking to eat cleaner and get leaner. She is a contributor to “The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life” by Rick Warren, Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman.
She is a featured chef on the Emmy-nominated cooking show Recipe Rehab, eHow.com, Livestrong.com and is a frequent guest on San Diego 6 and Fox 5 San Diego News. Her back-page column, “The Fit Foodie”, appears in Edible Orange County Magazine.
NANCY DUARTE is a communication expert who has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TIME and on CNN and is also a Harvard Business Review contributor. As a persuasion expert, she cracked the code for effectively incorporating story patterns into business communications. She’s written five bestselling books and four have won awards with her newest releasing September 17, 2019, DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story. On the list of top 250 Women in Leadership, Duarte ranks #67 and on World's Top 30 Communication Professionals for 2017, she ranks #1. Nancy has spoken at numerous conferences and her TEDx talk has over two million views. She speaks at business schools and lectures at Stanford University a few times per year. Please connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
DevHub white label technology platform is used by brands, agencies and technology companies to build sites and landing pages as part of a larger marketing strategy.One Platform, Many Different ExperiencesThis is achieved cost effectively- through robust APIs and cloud hosted infrastructure.DevHub offers an arsenal of unique tools to enterprises that are managing a high volume of sites and landing pages for co-op marketing, channel marketing, location based marketing, proxy solutions and Small Businesses. Companies go to market faster while ensuring conversions, security, brand compliance and web standards are consistent across the web experience - using DevHub.
Nick Jordan was born, raised and educated in Ireland and holds a bachelor’s degree from University College, Dublin in both English and Education. He was a school teacher in Ireland, then emigrated to the U.S. in 1986 to pursue new opportunities. Nick is currently a successful real estate broker in Orange County and a shareholder with Regency Real Estate Brokers based in Mission Viejo. He has 17 years of experience in residential, commercial and land development.
After fundraising for schools in Uganda in 2008 and witnessing overwhelming poverty and lack of clean water, Jordan founded Wells of Life in 2009. He is committed to bringing clean water to 1,000 communities in Uganda and beyond. He believes in combing business and philanthropy which allows him to inspire others while making a lasting difference in the world. This passion is shared with his family, friends and business associates.
One of his favorite quotes is Winston Churchill’s, “We make a living by what we get, and a life by what we give.”
Summary
Senior executive with 35 years of experience in general management, business development, marketing, sales and finance.
Multi-faceted background in both non-profit and for-profit sectors; direct and database marketing; social media marketing; outsourcing and the analysis of alternative cost effective measures.
Strategic, results-driven leader with proven ability to create new organizations, spearhead change, foster groups to think outside the box.
Work Experience
2-1-1 Orange County (211OC): President and Chief Executive Officer (Sept. 2013 – current)
Oversaw merger of two non-profit organizations, 211OC and OC Partnership, culminating in one 501 (c) (3) organization (211OC) in April 2014.
Increased public and private funding of combined organization from $2 Million to $3+ Million income; multi-lingual staff of 40+ serving the Orange County community in prevention and diversion space.
As the California PUC designated 2-1-1 organization for the County of Orange, we connect our diverse community to the 3000+ health and human resources they need via our Information & Referral Specialists (phone, text, email and interactive website). 211OC manages and curates this resource database, operating 24/7/365 in four (4) languages in-house (with access to 300+ languages and dialects via a language line).
As the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) lead, oversee a multi-lingual team to manage the HMIS database and processes for the OC Continuum of Care. Includes reporting and analytics for 34 cities, County of Orange and HUD, as well as 40+ agencies that participate in HMIS.
Oversight of multiple community collaborative programs, including Domestic Violence, Veterans, 211RIDE, CalFresh, and Coordinated Entry System’s Virtual Front Door.
Direct reports: Chief Financial Officer/ Chief Operations Officer, Chief Development Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Community Program, and Director of CoC Data and Operations.
Recruit, develop and manage a diverse Board of Directors, with backgrounds in public and private organizations.
OC Partnership: Chief Operating Officer (July 2011 – Aug.2013) / Chief Executive Officer (Sept.2013 – April 2014)
Responsible for providing vision and leadership in key service areas, including the OC Continuum of Care, HMIS data collection and analysis, and technical assistance for agencies providing services to the homeless or those at risk of being homele
Oversight of day-to-day operations, funding/resource development, budget development and management, project management, marketing and PR, contract administration and negotiations; manage relationships with the County of Orange, HUD, and service agencies and the Point in Time project within the CoC; public speaker on behalf of the CoC.
Mortgage Lending (2001 – 2011) Mortgage broker for companies offering financing to consumers and investors
Salesmation.com, Newport Beach, CA (2000 – 2001) VP Strategic Business Development
MatchLogic (a wholly owned subsidiary of Excite@Home), Westminster, CO (1998 – 1999) VP of Sales
Customer Development Corporation, Peoria, IL /Huntington Beach, CA (1997 – 1998) VP of Business Development
The Polk Company, Denver, CO (1995 – 1997) VP, Strategic Business Development
TeleTech Telecommunications, Inc., Denver, CO (1991 – 1995) VP, Sales & Marketing
Infobase Services, Conway, AR (1988-1991) Director and then President of joint venture
Nonprofit Volunteer Experience
St. Clement’s by the Sea Episcopal Church (1999 – 2018) Senior Warden of Vestry (2011 – 2012) President of bi-lingual congregation and church council with oversight of finance, outreach, fundraising, administration, volunteers, communications, and Christian education committees. Junior Warden of Vestry (2017-2018) / Stewardship (2016-2017) / Outreach Chair (2009-2011) / Finance Chair (2000 – 2002) / Hospitality Chair (1999 - 2000) / Episcopal Church Women / VP and Program Chair (2007 – 2009) / Natural Church Development Facilitator (2004 -2005)
Business Networking International (2008-2011) / Rotary International (2005 – 2009) / National Alliance for Mental Illness (2008) / B/PAA International (now Business Marketing Association) (1981 – 1993) Int’l. Board of Directors (1989 – 1992)
Education
University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, Emerging Leaders Program
Malcolm Baldrige Award Process
Columbia University Sales Management (Post Grad Course)
Certified Business Communicator (B/PAA, now BMA)
Valparaiso University, Bachelor of Science of Fine Arts
Known far and wide as “Dr. Cindy,” the First Lady of Sales, Dr. Cindy McGovern holds a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Communication and a Master’s Degree in Marketing. She earned her reputation by building (and rebuilding) entire sales programs from the bottom up. Dr. Cindy, who is CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting, has helped hundreds of companies and individuals around the world from small to huge create dramatic and sustainable revenue growth. She has also authored, Every Job is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work, scheduled for release in September 2019 by McGraw Hill Professional.
Not only is Alan a household leader in husband, father of four, and cunning conversationalist, but he is the chief strategist and CEO behind Dexterous Media Group an online marketing agency. Dexterous combines Website, Video, Google Search, and Social Media at low cost to bring small businesses a high return on investment.
Kim Marie was born in California, graduated from Reedley College and attended Fresno State University.
She spent 30 years in the banking industry. The first 18 years with Bank of America and then held positions in many different banks as she culminated her career in mergers and acquisitions where she drove the acquisition/merger of over 30 banks.
Kim Maire became a LeTip member during the last two years of her banking career. She loved LeTip so much that she decided to join the company and became the Regional Director of Arizona in 2001. She was promoted to the LeTip National Training Director in 2003. In 2004, she was promoted to Executive Vice President and became the President of LeTip in 2005.
In February 2008, Kim Marie purchased LeTip and became the CEO/Owner.
As owner of LeTip, she drove the creation of the first national members only leads portal in 2012, LeTipWired.com. In 2018, LeTip launched a mobile app and in 2019, LeTipWired has received a complete overhaul to make it the platform of the future for networking.
Kim Marie spends hundreds of hours each year personally training members and leaders within LeTip to help each and every member and chapter become the best networkers they can be. Kim Marie is known for her commitment to building relationships and her inspiring, collaborative style. "Bringing people together just makes me happy," she said. "LeTip is really a way of life for me."
Outside of LeTip, Kim Marie has been involved in many organizations, including… Former President for Boys & Girls Club of Mesa, AZ. Many children's organizations have benefited from Kim Marie's volunteer efforts. Among them are 4H, Girl Scouts of America, Boy's & Girls Clubs and the PTA. For 18 years she held board positions on The Sequoia Guild, the fund raising arm of Valley Children's Hospital, in Fresno, CA. As a member of the Board of Trustees and an Executive Committee Member, she helped raise 240 million dollars for the hospital's building committee.
She currently holds the VP of Membership position in Arizona Business Leaders. Is an active members in Vistage, Women President’s Organization, and Dominoes Logo Vendors. Kim Marie is a Certified B.A.N.K Trainer.
Kim Marie and her husband, Ken Pettid (LeTip Vice President of Human Resources) are blessed with five adult children and six grandchildren
3-Time #1 Best Selling Author, Don Williams is the founder and CEO of Don Williams Global – Don is dedicated to changing businesses across the globe one WOW experience at a time. Don has worked with over ½ of the Fortune 500 and International clients on marketing/sales, customer experience (CX), culture and leadership strategies.
Don speaks and consults internationally on:
Romancing Your Customer– Deliver Passion to Your Sales, CX and Culture.
The WOW Blueprint – On a Scale of 1 to WOW, Demand WOW.
Get Your Heart In The Game – The Magic of Heart Centered Leadership.
Chief Executive Officer, KCOMM – www.kcomm.com
Chairman and Founder, the Internet Marketing Association (IMA) – www.imanetwork.org
Founder, International Executive Council (IEC) – www.iecnetwork.org
Founder, Chapman50 – www.chapman50.org
Founding Board Member, Pretend City Children’s Museum – www.pretendcity.org
Member of the Board of Governors, Chapman University – www.chapman.edu
YMCA National Outreach Chairman, Youth, and Government – www.calymca.org
Member of the Board of Directors, Seneca Youth Foster Care – www.senecafoa.org
Member of the Board of Directors, Literacy Project – www.literacyprojectfoundation.org
Cavaliere “Cav” Member of the Royal House of Savoy – www.regalis.com/savoy.htm
Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipient – www.eihonors.org
Sinan Kanatsiz has effectively made his mark as an entrepreneur in the United States. His parents who migrated from Turkey established residency and citizenship in America in the 1960’s where they had and raised Sinan and his Sister Sebnem. In 1998, while studying for a master’s degree at Chapman University, Kanatsiz followed his entrepreneurial spirit and formalized his first company, KCOMM, a Public Relations and Internet marketing agency. The company quickly evolved into a full-service marketing, government affairs and event marketing firm known for its Internet expertise and results-oriented approach. In less than ten years, Kanatsiz grew the firm to several million dollars in revenue, opening business operations and clients in Dallas, New York, Dubai, Istanbul, Montreal, London, Argentina, and Delhi. Currently, KCOMM works with over 100 specialized employees and independent contractors in several countries and has developed campaigns for over 1,000 companies and organizations around the world. These include organizations ranging from innovative start-ups to New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq listed companies such as Oracle, Sony, eBay, T-Mobile, HP, Adobe and the University of Phoenix.
KCOMM’s dedication to strategic programs and results-oriented campaigns has earned the firm several PROTOS awards, the highest honor bestowed by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The effectiveness of KCOMM’s strategies has become so widely recognized that the firm’s clients have now extended beyond the realm of technology to include elected officials, municipalities and multi-national organizations.
As a consummate entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kanatsiz takes his community responsibilities seriously. In addition to mentoring high school and college students, he is often asked to speak about entrepreneurship and the Internet. He has held engagements at several universities, including USC, Chapman University, UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, and Cal Tech. Additionally, he has been a keynote speaker at the Future Business Leaders of American (FBLA) National Conference and is often called to speak on a variety of topics including Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Modernizing Government and the future of the Internet.
Kanatsiz’s belief in the power of entrepreneurism and politics led him to be the original founder of a group called Generation NeXt in 2004, a network of young business and community leaders committed to making a difference by empowering others for the betterment of the next generation. Additionally, he founded the Internet Marketing Association (www.imanetwork.org) in 2000, which has a large number of professional members worldwide and its own conference series called “IMPACT”. Past events have included the executives and founders of Google, SalesForce, Tesla Motor, SpaceX, Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, St. Regis Hotel, Wahoos, Quest Software, Amazon and YouTube to name a few. Kanatsiz is currently expanding the group globally and involving leaders from Europe, the Middle East, China, and India, working to create the largest association dedicated to Internet Marketing in the world.
While the IMA is a large, global organization, Kanatsiz recently created a spinoff in (2017), called the International Executive Council (IEC), which he founded to focus on the top 100 leaders in Southern California (www.iecnetwork.org). The organization has been hosting monthly events around topics including Social Emotional Learning, Cryptocurrency, Leadership and The Creative Process to name a few.
Kanatsiz holds a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with a certificate in Human Resources, all from Chapman University. Kanatsiz was designated Alumnus of the Year by Chapman University in the year 2000. He was also the recipient of the Community College of California Alumnus of the Year Award in 2005. Sinan was named in the Hall of Fame for Santa Ana College in the year 2006. He has also been named as 40 under 40 and a featured Entrepreneur of the Year by OC Metro Magazine. Recognized for his philanthropic involvement, Kanatsiz was appointed a Knighthood and invited to become a member of the Royal House of Savoy by Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy in September 2018. Sinan received the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his work in non-profit organizations, public relations, and internet marketing.
To this day, he credits his accomplishments to his Four Pillars of Success: personal integrity; coaches and mentors; family; and education.
Kanatsiz, his wife, Kai, son Archer, and daughter Arden, reside in San Clemente, California.
Data-Minded Marketing, Merchandising, and Advertising professional with more than 20 years experience in the Retail, Distribution, and eCommerce industries. Strengths and skill set lies in developing the Internet Retail Channel for manufacturers and driving merchandising programs for retailers. Proven strategic thinker with an outstanding record of initiating and managing multiple accounts with exceptional results.Have also had success in creating live events with regard to planning, selling, and creating opportunities for exposure at each event from concept to final production.
Adam Fields, Founder & CEO of ARTA, a contemporary logistics platform for shipping specialized items. He is a former vice president of Artspace.com, a fine art marketplace. Follow him on Twitter @afields and on LinkedIn.
Hernani Alves is an Amazon best selling author, international speaker, and consultant with over twenty years of business experience as a Sales Executive for a $3 Billion Company. In his book, Balanced Accountability: Three Leadership Secrets to Win Hearts and Maximize Performance, Hernani delivers a newfound clarity on the case for accountability and the steps organizations, and individuals need to transform into a modern leader that others will love to follow.
Voicea, the leading voice collaboration platform, unveils an extensive list of voice-based commands and new productivity platform integrations to help meeting goers become more productive. The new voice commands help meeting goers craft follow-ups, create action items, schedule reminders, and drive outputs directly into integrations for more than 20 of the top collaborative productivity systems used by today’s businesses.
The new voice commands allow a range of interactions, from telling EVA, Voicea's AI meeting assistant, to change the transcription language, to driving task and follow-up integrations. There is live closed-captioning to 40 languages and integrations into 20 plus productivity tools such as Trello, Asana, and Zapier. EVA's understanding of voice commands delivers unprecedented productivity gains, driving real-time workflow by simply speaking to your AI assistant. Additional functions include creating tickets within integrated project management apps, scheduling calendar reminders, emailing meeting highlights, reminding meeting attendees to join the meeting, and driving other work outputs.
Eric Spitz launched C4 Distro with Bill Lockyer in 2016. A former chairman and president of the Orange County Register, Spitz leverages twenty years of executive leadership and deal-making experience to launch and manage businesses in complex and new industries.
Melinda draws on her previous successful business career in finance and upper management and then over 25 years as a full time wellness professional to bring an integrated business and wellness perspective to her clients at Resilience Insights.
In addition to other services, she became licensed as a HeartMath Coach and Trainer to offer evidence based resilience training, coaching and mentoring to organizations and individual clients, starting in 2008.
Her many health and wellness certifications, experience and services include as an Employee Wellness Coach to Fortune 100 corporation employees across the nation, and previous owner/manager of an integrative health wellness center. She is also the C.O.O. and course call leader for Heart Ambassadors and HeartMath’s HeartMastery online learning programs since 2009.
She finds great joy in facilitating people and organizations in optimizing their performance, wellbeing, relationships and success by showing them how to transform tension, stress and reactivity and build resilience.
Heather DeSantis is a Top Millennial publicist, Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee and CEO of Publicity for Good, a purpose driven public relations firm. Heather combines market foresight, strategic timing, and organic interviews to generate millions of earned media impressions from outlets like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BBC, iHeartMedia, Business Insider, Inc, and more. She is also the founder of Press Demand, a PR SaaS company that makes PR accessible for all.Website: https://publicityforgood.com/ and http://pressdemand.com/
Jeff is the Principal and Founder of Spinitar. As the “Chief Evangelist,” Jeff helps to build the Spinitar brand and identify opportunities to help customers in need of audiovisual technology and services. Jeff encourages a culture where outstanding people can accomplish extraordinary things.
Stacey A. Gordon is CEO at Rework Work , a Los Angeles, CA-based human capitalservices and training consultancy focused on helping organizations address Diversity& Inclusion needs through a proven, data driven methodology. Rework Work’snine-point system breaks D&I down into manageable target areas which include:reputation management, interviewing processes, compensation, onboardingmethods, and skills building. Starting with awareness, Rework Work helpsorganizations create commitment to a process, embedding the behavior elements ofdiversity & inclusion into the framework of the organizational culture. Solutions arebrought to clients via surveying for unbiased data, interactive presentations,facilitated dialogue, weighing the business case against the moral reasoning andstrategies for implementation.With more than two decades of experience as an innovative human capital strategist,Stacey’s mission is to work to reduce bias in global talent acquisition andorganizational culture. Stacey is a subject matter expert as a LinkedIn LearningDiversity, Inclusion & Career Strategy course author. Her diversity, inclusion andcareer related online courses have been viewed more than 1 million times. Staceyand her team are also known for their recruiting expertise and coaching forprofessionals. Stacey was recognized by Pepperdine University as a Top 40 Over 40Leader, was a finalist for Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Helping WomenAward and was recognized by Forbes as a Top 3 Business Leader Who Spoke OutAbout Diversity & Inclusion. In her capacity as a highly-rated coach, she is a memberof Forbes Coaching Council and has coached D&I practitioners at The Forum onWorkplace Inclusion. She is also LinkedIn Diversity, Inclusion & Career StrategyCourse Author.Together with her role at Rework Work, Stacey is also responsible for managing thedevelopment, execution and strategic direction of the largest SHRM-affiliate in theU.S.Prior to these roles, Stacey founded and led a third-party search firm focusing ondiversity. At MUFG Americas, as Diversity & Inclusion Project Manager, shedeveloped an internal marketing plan for the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)encompassing more than 3,000 employees, and she also served as InterimExecutive Director at the National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA) afterstarting the first professional chapter for the organization several years prior.Stacey holds an MBA from Pepperdine University’s School of Business and a B.S.from St. John’s University. She is an Advisory Board Member and Mentor at TheCoding Boot Camp at UCLA Extension and teaches Diversity in Organizations andCultural Intelligence as an Adjunct Faculty member at Phillips Graduate University inChatsworth, CA. She is a frequent speaker and lecturer at industry-relatedconferences.
Established the company for the sole purpose of providing tax benefits to high income-earning individuals with tax liability by generating investment tax credits within the solar business. For over a decade the solar industry has largely benefited institutional investors with tax benefits but has not provided similar benefits to individual investors. Our business has changed that landscape, whereby high net worth individuals can receive those same tax benefits as the larger institutional investors. Our proprietary business process creates opportunities for individuals to offset tax liability on all types of income. We are able to generate tax assets by developing solar systems for customers who can lower their electricity cost immediately compared to their current electric utility provider. The company’s business model is to offer residential and commercial customers a long-term electricity contract in the form of a prepaid power purchase agreement, whereby customers can lower their electricity costs immediately.
Nicole Suydam, who served nearlya decade as Goodwill of OC’svice president of development,returned to Goodwill of Orange Countyas president and CEO in 2018. She hasmore than 20 years of management andleadership experience working withlocal and national nonprofits dedicatedto meeting human service needs. Priorto returning to Goodwill, Suydam servedas CEO of Second Harvest Food Bankof Orange County where she oversawthe distribution of more than 25 millionmeals to Orange County families andguided a vast network of more than 200community partners. Suydam graduatedfrom Vanguard University in Costa Mesa,Calif., and today serves as president ofits Alumni Association Board and is aproud member of its Board of Trustees.
Proven 20+ yr track record of success in growing products, services, market share, sales volume and profits. Expertise/Experience in •Startups•Business Development•Product Development/Management •Product and Service Marketing•Distribution Network Development•Sales Force Management.•Brand Building & Revitalization•Strategic Marketing/Planning •Developement of Sales and Marketing Tools•Supplier Diversity/Minority Business Growth/Development•Social Media/MarketingSpecialties: Success in development of private label agreements, joint ventures, new product development, go to market strategies and sales force development and management. Understanding of and experience in MBE / Diversity business development.
Gregg L. Witt is a partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Engage Youth Co., where he leads the strategy and consumer engagement programs for brands targeting youth audiences. Gregg has been immersed in the business of youth culture since the age of 16 when he started his first company, Goodtimes Skateboards. Despite adult naysayers, Witt took the company to global distribution in its first year; this early success ignited a passion and respect for the power of subcultures. Never content to just ‘know it when he sees it’, Witt has dedicated his career to a focused examination of the wisdom and authenticity inherent in today’s youth, while guiding others on how they might, respectfully, do the same. With over 16 years of experience in youth insights, brand strategy, and marketing activation, he is a renowned cultural marketing strategist and international public speaker. In 2016, he was named a Top Youth Marketer To Follow by Inc. Magazine, and in 2017 made the Forbes list of leading Generation Z experts. In 2018 he co-authored the Gen Z Frequency for Kogan Page, a comprehensive guide to engaging youth culture. He frequently appears in national media as a youth trends expert. A shortlist of past clients include Autodesk, AwesomenessTV, College Board, Cooper Tires, FunnyOrDie, Glaceau Vitamin Water, HBO, Hollister, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, and The Walt Disney Company.
Tom Atema
After working with his Father at Johanna Farms, milk wholesale processing business, for 14 years after school, Tom and his wife, Chris and their two sons, felt it was time to use his gifts and talents in the faith-based non-profit world.
Word of Life Fellowship: In 1985, Tom became a volunteer missionary representative for Word of Life Fellowship. Tom’s volunteer service with Word of Life led to his becoming Director of Gift Planning Ministry and Development. That made him responsible for major donor giving for the entire ministry. And in 1990, Tom became director of Word of Life Fellowship Florida, where he directed the Fellowship’s conference center and youth camp.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: In 1993, Tom was asked to help The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, near Asheville, North Carolina, to get costs under control without sacrificing the guest experience. In 1999, Tom was asked to become executive director of Blue Ridge Broadcasting, BEGA’s radio ministry. The challenge was to jumpstart a long-stagnant part of the ministry. He did it by recasting the vision, refocusing programming, expanding the audience, and creating a healthier and more effective team. In six years, both audience size and budget more than tripled.
Vertical Horizons Group: Started in 2003, as Toms bucket to help ministries go further faster. Some ministries Tom helped were Global Leadership Summit, Bruce Wilkinson, and multiple churches’ mission programs. Tom and his wife still use this bucket to help ministries today.
EQUIP Leadership Inc.: Starting in 2006, Tom served John Maxwell’s EQUIP ministry as vice president of International Ministries and Strategic Partnerships. EQUIP is a non-profit organization devoted to training international Christian leaders to fulfill the Great Commission. Under Tom’s leadership, EQUIP grew from working in 42 countries in 2006 to having influence in 210 countries by 2012, turned a financial deficit into an operational surplus, built an international team of volunteer coordinators around the globe and built a roster of 150 incredible ministry partners.
Heart for Lebanon: Founded following the July 2006 war in Lebanon, H4L was born out of a desperate need to see lives changed and communities transformed by the power and grace of God. Tom in his role as co-founder helped an idea take wing and develop into a healthy, strategic and focused ministry, by building the systems, relationships and structures. He continues to serve US legal Representative, COO and the USA Board link to the General Assembly in Lebanon as well as coach to the team in Lebanon.
Tom and Chris live in Asheville, NC. Both of their sons are married and own their own businesses. They are the grandparents of 3 boys and 1 girl.
Tom has authored a book in 2009 entitled “Leadership in Blue Jeans.”
Anthony Constantino is co-founder & CEO of Sticker Mule, the Internet’s favorite printing company. With a factory in Amsterdam, NY and a globally-distributed team, Sticker Mule is one of the Capital Region's hidden gems. Anthony is a factory guy at heart, & oversees an operation that spans 16 countries on 4 continents with customers including Google, Facebook, Twitter & many of the world’s best brands. He’s determined to make Sticker Mule, already the Internet’s favorite printing company, the absolute best place to work and shop.
Brenda Williams is a well-respected, Board Certified Coach who has provided consulting, coaching and training to individuals and business’s for over 25 years. She is the founder of The Academy which was established to share methods of empowered communication to help people achieve superior performance in their professional and personal lives.Brenda provides a Self-Mastery System that focuses on building:A Mindset for SuccessDeveloping Business Emotional IntelligenceAnd Exceptional Communication
BRIDGET VENUS GRIMES is the founder and president of WealthChoice, a firm focused on helping women turn their professional success into financial success. She is also a cofounder of Equita Financial Network, Inc., a network of independent, women-led financial planning firms that share best practices and common goals. As an advisor to top-earning female executives, business owners, and attorneys, Grimes draws on more than a decade of experience to create customized financial solutions that help her clients achieve the life they long for. Based in San Diego, California, she enjoys cooking, entertaining, and spending time on the water in the company of her husband and children.
Greg is the General Manager of two hotels located in the city of Anaheim.
· Tropicana Inn & Suites, 197 rooms
· Camelot Inn & Suites, 121 rooms
Born and raised in Southern California, Greg attended Estancia High School in Costa Mesa. He graduated from Orange Coast College with an Associate’s Degree in Hotel Management and earned hotel certifications.
He then moved on to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for his Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management. While attending UNLV he worked various positions with Harrah’s, Bally’s, and Luxor Hotels.
After a 10-year stint in Las Vegas, Greg returned to Orange County to be close to family and friends. He also wanted to further pursue his dream of becoming a hotel general manager. Within a year, he achieved his goal and was awarded the position of General Manger with La Quinta Inns. After a long relationship with La Quinta, he accepted the position of General Manager at Ayres Hotels. In 2013, he took on his current role as dual General Manager of the Tropicana Inn & Suites and Camelot Inn & Suites.
Greg has a passion for helping others and serving his community. While working full time in the hotel business, he served as a Reserve Deputy for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. In addition, he has mentored children through programs such as Run with A Cop. Greg also enjoys mentoring persons with disabilities and employs them at the hotels through a partnership with Goodwill.
Jumper Media was born as a brainchild of Colton Bollinger in 2016 - to help small businesses tell amazing brand stories on social media – all day, every day. He brought on two other business-savvy leaders (also long-time friends) after seeing how most small businesses struggle by-the-second to attract, engage and convert their audiences effectively on social. Colton is not ‘all-business’ as he also loves to spend time on the golf course, which is where he first got the chance to unleash his gift professionally, helping golf pros establish a strong presence on social media. Today, using cutting-edge social tools and resources, Jumper Media helps over 3000 businesses (of all shapes and sizes) connect with their target customers predictably and consistently.
Christopher Miglino is chairman and CEO of SRAX (www.srax.com), a digital marketing and consumer data management and distribution platform company. He is also Founding Member of the company’s blockchain identification graph technology platform, BIG (www.bigtoken.com), which is the first consumer-powered data marketplace where people own, verify and sell access to their data.
Christopher co-founded the company in April 2010 and has served as CEO since inception. Under his leadership, Christopher took the company public on the NASDAQ, trading under the symbol: SRAX. Previously, he founded Conscious Enlightenment, Inc. and also served as its CEO overseeing the strategy and operations of the company’s Lime Advertising Network, Lime.com, Yogamates.com, The Enlightenment Card and Conscious Enlightenment Publishing, which prints magazines in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, New York and Seattle.
Jeff Leitman
President, CEO, and co-founder of Killer Concepts, Inc.
Killer Concepts, founded in 2011, is a California based manufacturer of mobile phone accessories, wireless devices, and impulse driven consumer-packaged-goods. Its products are sold throughout the US, Canada and in other countries
Paul is an information industry veteran who has focused his career on optimizing financial and operational processes for growing businesses.
He started his career in the Australian Army Engineers where he earned his Degree in Computer Science focused on automating and streamlining the production of digital maps and charts.
He has founded and worked in software startups, held executive roles at SMBs like Continuus, MapInfo & FileNet and survived his experiences at larger companies like Unisys and IBM.
Today, Paul’s work with his former CFO, and now partner, Jim has rekindled his passion for working with business owners and executive teams to transform their business for data driven growth.
In his spare time Paul is passionate about family, dog fostering, mountain biking, sailing and adventure travel to explore ancient civilizations.
MotoAmerica is currently the fastest growing motorsport in the world. It wasn't before.While the racing, athleticism, technology and boldness of MotoAmerica has been unparalleled since its launch almost four years ago, the stories that weren't being told, the fans who weren't being found, and the attention this dramatic sport deserved weren't a part of the picture. Creating the event profile, hiring and developing a content team, shaping the promotional strategy and supporting the growth of an emerging media strategy has led to unprecedented sports marketing growth while maintaining the engagement of a core devoted audience. MotoAmerica has seen over 200% audience growth, 100% viewership growth, and significant attendance growth under my leadership, all while maintaining engagement that averages more than 50X (yes, 5,000%) the average engagement of a sports team. While the series was developed to groom American champions for world championship racing, the series itself is approaching and even surpassing the global championship races it was hoping to feed.
Brett Lawrence, born in Newport Beach, California, is a confident, effective visionary and entrepreneur. From being a sponsored junior pro surfer at age 14, to leading roles in movies and national commercials, to opening nightclubs and handling event promotions, there isn’t a challenge Lawrence doesn’t confront and conquer.
In 2004, Lawrence started his own business, The Taylor’d Company, LLC. His first investment was becoming the youngest partner in a Hollywood nightclub called Element that was proclaimed the ‘hottest club in the nation’ by People Magazine. Lawrence worked to ensure the success of the club while gaining experience in marketing, promotion and social networking. He later added partnership investments including La Cantina, a Mexican restaurant in Hollywood and a tequila bar called L Scorpion.
After a long 5 years and numerous successes in Hollywood, Lawrence decided to move back to Orange County and join forces with his good friends to create the Beau Monde Group which manages ECCO Restaurant located in Costa Mesa’s famous The Camp. Two years ago this successful partnership opened a second ECCO restaurant in Anaheim’s packing district.
This decision also gave Lawrence the opportunity to get back to his roots not only in the surf industry but a move closer to his family giving him the opportunity to help their businesses thrive. As CEO of Rancho Las Lomas he challenged the status quo and opened profitable new avenues for success increasing both the bottom lines and expanding valuable social media attention.
Brett Lawrence is a man who has big dreams, a passion for life and appreciates entrepreneurial challenges. He maintains a strong and powerful team that pushes him to be the best he can be. His new venture into the craft brew market will set the tone for his greatest accomplishment. With the love and support of his family and friends this visionary only becomes stronger and more determined.
Mr. Joseph J. Flynn, also known as Joe, is the President and CEO of Vereco Inc. a Southern California based Healthcare IT Services Company. He has served in that position since November 1, 2017. Previously he served as Co-Founder and President and Chief Executive Officer of Auxilio, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of CynergisTek, Inc. from April of 2004 until October 2, 2017. Auxilio and CynergisTek merged in September of 2017 and the Auxilio brand was retired and Mr. Flynn voluntarily resigned his Executive and Board positions from CynergisTek in October of 2017. Mr. Flynn has over two decades of experience in driving growth and excellence in healthcare IT services. Under Mr. Flynn’s leadership Auxilio now CynergisTek grew from no revenues to over $70 million, culminating in its merger with CynergisTek, the leading provider of Healthcare Cyber Security Services and up listed to the New York Stock Exchange, in March of 2017 under the symbol CTEK. Prior to founding Auxilio, Mr. Flynn worked Advanstar Communications from 1998 to 2004 as Vice President of the Communications/IT Group where he managed a portfolio of communications and IT related business to business trade shows, conferences and magazines in the United States and Brazil. From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Flynn served as VP for Latin America for EJ Krause and Associates, a Washington DC based technology trade show company. In that position he lived, worked and traveled extensively in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. He is a1987 graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where he holds a BA in International Relations. Mr. Flynn is fluent in Spanish and has strong working knowledge of Portuguese and French. Mr. Flynn celebrated his 25th anniversary this year with his wife Valerie and has two young adult. Joe and his wife live in San Clemente.
David Meltzer is the former CEO of the legendary Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment and the co-founder and CEO of Sports 1 Marketing, arguably the most notable sports marketing firm in the world.He started with nothing and yet became a millionaire just nine months out of law school and a multi-millionaire by the time he was 32. But then he went broke, but then, he made it all back again, and now he is a successful serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who, through hardship, was forced to codify the rules of success.To that end, everything that he and his business partner, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, has a charitable component, and this rule has only accelerated their business growth. Sports 1 Marketing is currently involved in projects surrounding many of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the Super Bowl, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, The Masters, and countless others.
Taylor Carvajal is the Chief Operating Officer at True Family Enterprises. In addition, Mr. Carvajal has management responsibility over TrueLane Homes and the True family real estate platform. In this role Mr. Carvajal serves as the senior executive responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the business. Mr. Carvajal also serves as a senior advisor to the True family focused on economics, finance, and capital markets activity. Prior to joining True Family Enterprises, Mr. Carvajal served as the Chief Financial Officer at Amherst Holdings SFR. Mr. Carvajal has also held senior finance positions The Blackstone Group, Ares Management, Goldman Sachs and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was a Director in the firm’s Global Capital Markets Group. Mr. Carvajal received a B.S. cum laude from the University of Southern California and an M.S. from the University of Virginia. He served for 10 years as an officer in the United States Navy and Navy Reserve and is the recipient of the Bronze Star for outstanding duty performance during combat operations in Iraq. In 2010 he was selected as the Navy Reserve Junior Military Intelligence Officer of the Year, and is the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation and Iraq Campaign Medals. Mr. Carvajal is involved in numerous charities including the Wounded Warrior Project and the March of Dimes.
Allied Universal Security Services is the industry’s premier provider of highly trained, responsive security personal. Allied Universal has been in existence for more than 50 years and leads the industry in award-winning programs. Virginia has been working with Goodwill and other organizations for the past 9 years. She works all over the county and has developed strong relationships with job developers. Virginia is great at working with job seekers who have gaps in their history or barriers to employment. Virginia is always willing to go the extra mile to help. Virginia says “I enjoy making that phone call, letting someone know they got the job. I like to see people succeed. I want to help people, when they are working at a job they love –they smile more.
Studied Sport and Entertainment Management. Started out in sponsorship marketing for the City of Denver at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Moved to Orlando as the Marketing Manager for the CFE Arena, a 10,000 seat venue on the University of Central Florida. Most recently, came on board as the Director of Marketing and Special Events at the Orange County Market Place.
Mark grew up in a restaurant family, spending his time living and learning the trade from the inside out. Before officially joining the company in 2003, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, served as a Captain in Air Force Special Operations, and worked in many restaurants across the country. He met his wife, Anne Marie, while living in Manhattan and working with famed restaurateur Danny Meyer. Mark and his brother now preside over the family restaurant in Seattle. Under his leadership, Canlis has repeatedly been named one of the top restaurants in America, become one of only 18 Relais & Chateau restaurants in the United States, and has been awarded 22 consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards. In 2017 Canlis also won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program.
He and his wife reside in Seattle with their three children, three chickens, and a bird dog.
Jim is a serial CFO and an experienced professional services leader with a unique insight to the operational and financial information design and flow of business.
He started his career as an auditor with Deloitte and transitioned into professional services for different companies and industries - specifically software and SaaS.
Jim spends his spare time with his young family – sports, hiking and camping.
Dusty has worked for over 30 years with executives, families, and communitiesas well as with private and public companies. He has trained and coachedexecutives and teams in creating high performance outcomes. Dusty has beena pioneer in the process of creating systemic accountability by aligningleadership and group behaviors with strategy to produce bottom-line results.He has worked and traveled extensively in Europe and the United States. He isthe author of The Heart of Leadership: Twelve Practices of Courageous Leaders,released in an updated, revised edition in paperback and The 7 Acts of Courage:Bold Leadership for a Wholehearted Life. He has written over two hundredarticles on topics such as leadership, team-based creativity, personal mastery,team effectiveness, personal effectiveness and business strategy and writes abi-weekly column for the Triad Business Journal.Dusty is a fellow in the School of Engineering at Virginia Tech, and received hisMasters in Clinical Social Work in Marital and Family Therapy and SystemsManagement from UNC Chapel Hill. He currently lives in Kernersville, NC with hiswife Christine, a family physician. Dusty is the proud father of three youngadults.
Tony-In November 2008, I was driven to Southern California by my brother, and dropped off with a change of clothes and a backpack. To start my life over again after a life long battle with Drug & Alcohol Addiction that was capped off of what I call 18 months of Hell. I lost a business, multiple homes and ton of money in a business deal with my sister and others. Eventually living on the streets and in the dessert for 8 months. Of course, at the time I would tell you it was all “their” fault. But, today I know I had a lot of responsibility in those relationships and outcomes. I entered a Sober Living and began my life of Recovery. Early on I wanted to get a job and realized that even with my 25 years of restaurant experience I was NOW Unemployable. My record and current circumstances left me HOPELESS. Then during my early recovery, I started seeking a relationship with a loving God, not the one I had as a child (damning) God put into my life a Christian woman that had multiple businesses that allowed me to work with her in several of them. At the same time, she was reading the Bible and speaking into my life in a way that was foreign to me. During one of those days at work we were doing a Wedding Shower for her now Daughter in Law and that is when I met Ann (my wife). Shortly thereafter while I was riding a train up to Central California to do a Wedding for a family friend, I was praying to God that I just met, what do you want me to do with my life? He said, start writing. On that paper had our business name, “Hope Café & Catering” and our Mission: “To reach the outcast, outsourced and overlooked. To teach them a trade, how to feed themselves, their family and the community.” I looked down and said, clearly this is from God. As I had no desire to get back into the restaurant business especially having employees. I got baptized and in October 2009 asked Ann to marry me. Much to my surprise she said yes! August 2012, we purchase 50% of an existing catering company as we were waiting on God to show us where and how this “Hope Café & Catering” was going to happen. It was clear a short time later that God had a plan and it looked nothing like I imagined. We took on our legal dba. Hope Café & Catering and today operate out of our 6,000 sq. ft Commercial Kitchen centrally located in Pasadena serving all of Southern California. Extending that HOPE I was looking for early on to those that feel HOPELESS. out of rehab, having just lost my business and all my money, I was without hope. I am intentional about using the business God has given us to employ people that many business owners may not choose such as the disenfranchised, recovering persons, veterans, people with mental and physical disabilities. HOPE Café has provided food for the Grammys, the Emmy’s, and the X-Games as well as Indy Car and NASCAR events. Our corporate clients are in the hundred’s including: Kaiser Permanente, The City of Pasadena, Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Warner Brothers, and The Rose Bowl. My family lives in the east San Gabriel Valley.
Ann-I was raised in a conservative Christian home, married young and had two beautiful Children. After 19+ years of marriage, my husband had an extramarital affair, And I found myself in the middle of a messy divorce. This was a painful and agonizing experience, as we were prominent members in Our church and community. My world came crashing down. I didn’t have time to Wallow in self-pity. I knew that I had to find a way support myself and my two children, Because my e
Carey is an experienced Internet and software entrepreneur and executive, having started, grown and led many technology companies during their startup and growth phases. He’s currently COO at Aspiration, the leading consumer financial firm with a conscience. Previously, he was Chief Product & Innovation Officer of Experian Consumer Services, where he led the new portfolio of consumer credit, financial and identity products, as well as partnership across other Experian business units. He was also Chief eXploration Officer (CXO) of Payoff, a venture-backed consumer-focused digital financial services company, where he led new initiatives and strategic partnerships; and he was previously the CEO at RealPractice, a venture-backed marketing software and services company, which he sold in 2012 to ReachLocal (RLOC).
Carey's 20-year career spans executive roles in product, marketing, business development, strategy and corporate development. Prior to RealPractice, he was VP of Business Development at Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), an Internet advertising and celebrity endorsement business. Carey was VP, Marketing and Corporate Development at WebVisible, forging new partnerships with companies such as AT&T and Microsoft, creating new lines of business, and helping WebVisible triple its revenue during his tenure. While at MessageRite (acquired by Frontbridge Technologies), Carey was VP of Sales & Marketing, leading the online storage and security start-up’s business, which was eventually acquired by Microsoft in 2005.
Carey is active in the Orange County startup and business community and is a long-time board member of OCTANe. He has frequently spoken at software, financial technology, and online media conferences such as AltFI, Innovation Project, INBOX, The BIA/Kelsey Group, OMMA, and others. Carey’s expertise is identifying the key enterprise value drivers for a business and delivering outsized growth through new revenue opportunities, product and technology initiatives, and creating and leveraging market trends.
Carey is an MBA graduate of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In addition, he holds a B.A. in Economics from Indiana University, where he was Phi Beta Kappa.
Michael Levin is a New York Times bestselling author who founded and runs BusinessGhost.com, a national book ghostwriting firm. In 24 years of existence, BusinessGhost, has written, co-written, edited, or ghosted more than 700 books.
Michael also serves as a regular columnist for Forbes.com, the New York Daily News, Thrive Global, and FoxNews.com, where his January, 2017 piece on the DNC hacking trended number one, and his October, 2017 piece on Daylight Saving Time attracted more than 1.5 million readers.
Michael appeared on the first episode of Season Three of ABC’s Shark Tank, has made appearances on Fox News, and BBC worldwide TV and radio, as well as having been quoted in Inc. Magazine, in Bloomberg Businessweek, and in Tim Ferriss’ best seller, The Four Hour Body. He serves as a regular contributor to numerous major news organization - and takes great pride in having edited Zig Ziglar’s final book, Born To Win.
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Michael is most proud of being able to help so many people bring their stories, thoughts, and ideas to the printed page - and to the public’s attention. Michael recently launched his video podcast, The Manifesto, which can be seen on the new PikMobile App.
Chris Voss is CEO of the Black Swan Group and author of the national best-seller "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It," which was named one of the seven best books on negotiation. A 24-year veteran of the FBI, Chris retired as the lead international kidnapping negotiator. Drawing on his experience in high-stakes negotiations, his company specializes in solving business communication problems using hostage negotiation solutions. Their negotiation methodology focuses on discovering the “Black Swans,” small pieces of information that have a huge effect on an outcome. Chris and his team have helped companies secure and close better deals, save money, and solve internal communication problems. Chris has been featured in TIME, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Inc., Fast Company, Fortune, The Washington Post, SUCCESS Magazine, Squawk Box, CNN, ABC News and more.
Tom Manzo, President – Timely Prefinished Steel Door Frames, Mr. Manzo was born in Detroit Michigan and raised in the south end of Madison Heights which is a working class city just two miles north of Detroit. He attended Oakland Community College and obtained an Associates Degree and eventually received a Bachelor’s Degree from Walsh College in Business Administration. It took many years to finish college as he always worked full time while attending and paid most of his schooling on his own. Tom never gave up on his commitment or the dream of a four year degree and the will to achieve that goal. He is certified from Stanford in Project Management which there is only a few thousand nationwide. He is authorized to put SCPM on his business cards. Tom has additional training in Executive Education from the University Of Southern California Marshall School Of Business in Strategic Management and Executive Leadership Skills. Timely Prefinished Steel Door Frames in Pacoima has almost 200 employees. Tom has been with Timely for over 14 years. Back in Detroit is where he got into sales working with a supplier to the Big Three Automotive Companies offering repair services on components for all of their automation. Eventually, he opened his own company supplying repair services to most Tier one and Tier two suppliers related to the Plastic Injection Molding Industry. The company he started was sold and he consulted a company who made door frames where not only did he meet Timely, he met his wife and she was the reason he came to California. At Timely he worked his way up from Product Manager to President and unfortunately many of his promotions came at a time when the economy really took a hit. It took a lot of work to keep things going and turn sales around while going through very difficult times. As he grew with Timely one thing he learned in the position he is in, “It is not about me, it is about the 200 employees we have. My decisions could impact many families so I better make sure I am making some good ones. It is one big family there and I am responsible for all of them."
Co-founder and President of CABIA, a new non-profit organization dedicated to changing the burdensome and unfair labor laws in California. I decided to take action when the company I work for was hit with a private attorney general act (PAGA) lawsuit for ridiculous claims. That suit caused me to realize that the over 1,000 pages of California Labor Law are nothing more than a tool for plaintiffs’ attorneys to use against hardworking businesses. Before taking the leap to create a new organization for this effort, I reached out to other business organizations to see if they were interested in the fight. Unfortunately, many already had full plates, and others simply showed no interest. Some organizations say they represent businesses although, due to politics they support agendas that are actually harmful and others just don’t want to stir the pot. Trying to connect with politicians as an individual or even a company seemed impossible. At that moment I knew California businesses needed a voice.The goal of CABIA is to support any type of business – manufacturer, restaurant, retailer, service provider, etc. – and be their voice to state legislators, politicians, government employees, and specialized or regional trade organizations. Our platform is simple: change or abolish PAGA laws to protect against frivolous suits and change workers compensation laws so that they make sense for both employees and employers. The reality is this battle will take many years, given the entrenched interests in Sacramento and the path our legislature is on. On average, California passes over 800 new laws a year. Instead of
Mr. Lindenberg is a dynamic executive with extensive corporate development experience. As a career investment banker he has facilitated over $500M in M&A and capital markets transactions.
In addition to core expertise in middle market transaction advisory, Mr. Lindenberg has been instrumental in founding, funding and exiting several early stage companies as an angel investor, operating officer and or board member.
Mr Lindenberg is currently the Director of Corporate Development Services at AchieveNext where he recently chaired and published an M&A Readiness, Special Task Force Report and leads several industry specific CFO strategy groups. Mr. Lindenberg host quarterly thought leadership events for the CFO Alliance and regularly advise CFOs on corporate development strategy. He's operated and exited his own boutique investment firm, developed a corporate innovation program for the XPRIZE Foundation and leads the SaaS, Fintech, and Digital Media practice as a managing director at DelMorgan & Co.
Mr. Lindenberg is a graduate of Singularity University's, Executive Program in exponential technologies and holds a Master's in Business Economics from UCSB. He serves on the board of Education Plus Nicaragua and enjoys reading, tennis and snowboarding in his free time.
After 25+ years of searching for tools and systems to help business owners and to make a difference in their lives, I've found a comprehensive system with a time-tested set of simple tools. No this isn't magic. It takes discipline and commitment but it gets results ... like nothing else I've ever seen. I wish I had found this 25 years ago ... so much more that I could have done for my clients. More importantly, I love the difference that I make in the lives of business owners and their families today.
Mike began his own journey as an entrepreneur when he co-founded a training company in 1993. As CEO, he grew the business with the help of his team to be an internationally recognized company.
Over $20M in revenue
100+ instructors and staff
Operations in the US and UK
Along his journey, Mike joined the Young President’s Organization (YPO) in 2000. While working closely with business leaders in YPO, Mike discovered a passion and talent for his own teaching and facilitation. As a result, Mike has been professionally delivering programs for YPO groups in the US and internationally since 2007 delivering highly regarded sessions.
In 2015, Mike sold his training business to a global IT training organization and exited the business to focus on helping business leaders implement EOS®. As a certified EOS® implementer, Mike combines his business experience and love of teaching and group facilitation to fulfill his dream of helping other entrepreneurs after he was finished with his own business.
Courtni is the founder and CEO of No Limits Learning Center. What started long ago as a passion for being around and helping people with special needs has evolved into what No Limits is today! With her never-quit attitude and a heart full of love for people with developmental disabilities. Courtni relentlessly worked to make No Limits a reality.Hometown: Orange County, CAHigh School: El DoradoCollege: Cal State Fullerton Degrees/Certificates: BS-Child & Adolescent DevelopmentExperience: 10+ yrs in working with adults & children with special needs. Helped establish a special education program in Nairobi, Kenya.Interesting facts: Courtni currently sits on the board of directors of Helping Hands, an Anaheim based program for adults with severe developmental disabilities.
Ian Plumlee is a web developer turned data-driven digital marketer. After honorably departing the Marine Corps in 2010, Ian pursued a degree in web development and interactive media while he started his first business: providing and managing digital growth solutions for businesses across Southern California. On top of his "nine to five" as the Senior Marketing Coordinator at a leading technology company, Ian focuses on giving back to the community by donating his services to a number of veteran-oriented 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
Over the past 20 years Aaron’s passion has been helping entrepreneurs align Information Technology with their business goals. Aaron got his start in technology in 1999 as an Account Representative for a computer reseller in Irvine, CA.
In 2005 Aaron had an opportunity to acquire the computer reseller he was working for and transform it into a services based company offering IT outsourcing to small and medium businesses in Orange County, CA.
In 2013 Aaron sold the business to Reliable IT and stayed on as a Regional Sales Manager as the company acquired an additional five companies. In 2015 Aaron was asked to be the General Manager of the Managed Service Division of Reliable IT which offers IT Outsourcing to small and medium businesses with a specialty in the vertical of banking.
Aaron credits great mentors like Will Crist and systems such as the Sandler Sales and the Entrepreneurial Operating Systems for both Reliable IT and his success.
Our firm is dedicated to providing you with quality estate planning resources, so you can become familiar with your existing options. When you visit or call our office, we want you to feel comfortable discussing such important issues concerning both you and your family. We want to arm you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your family's future.If you have a well-drafted estate plan in place, you'll ensure that your estate passes to whom you want, when you want, and is carried out in the manner you've chosen. You can protect your children from others who want to take your hard earned inherited assets away from your child. You can rest assured that your family won't have to endure the public process and costly matter of probate. You can minimize the amount that the government will take via death taxes when you and your spouse pass. Because we are members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys our training will give you access to some of the latest knowledge about the law and the latest changes in the law that can effect you positively or negatively. But knowledge is king and you need to be aware of the many options that exist in estate planning by choosing your attorney wisely. Our firm has been chosen to be a "Five Star" Estate Planning Attorney for four out of the last five years by Orange Coast Magazine so we are recognized as one of the best at what we do in the Orange County region. That is why The Law Offices of H. Brooks Travis, P.C. offers this wealth of free information and free initial estate plan creation consultations. Read our Estate Planning articles. We want you to feel confident about the choices you make—let us be your guide on the path toward preserving your family's future.
Bob Marsh was born and raised in Seal Beach, CA. After two years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he came home and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Pepperdine University. He spent eighteen years in the financial industry, the last twelve as a mortgage broker and President of Endeavor Mortgage Group in Huntington Beach.
In 2015 Bob decided to make a career change. After looking at numerous franchises, he found The File Depot. It provided the type of business model he was looking for – a needed service, a value-add to any type of company and a market that would appreciate honesty, integrity and the best customer service.
Bob opened the first franchise of The File Depot in Southern California – with a territory that spans from South Orange County to Los Angeles.
Bob has been happily married to his wife Amy for over eleven years and they have a nine-year-old son Michael. They live in Seal Beach – the place where Bob grew up and Amy always wanted to live. When he’s not working, Bob enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his son’s flag football team, hiking with his dog and everything related to ice hockey.
I am an accomplished former CEO with a passion for helping chief executives develop their leadership skills and advance their businesses to the next level. I facilitate groups of Business Owners, Presidents and Chief Executives who are members of Vistage, the world's leading Chief Executive Organization. As a Vistage Chair, I act as a mentor and coach to CEO's and business owners who out-perform their competition.I previously served as the CEO and President of Flo-Tork, Inc. a manufacturer of critical service motion control product, and I was also the Chairman of the Valve Manufacturers Association of American. I am the co-author of the book “Quick Changeover Simplified.”
Charles L. Berman Financial Advisor for the Guardian Life Insurance company of America Securities and Investing through Park Avenue Securities, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. This show is for informational purposes only and that individual situations may vary, and the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice.
Jen Hagen is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who now works with individuals with physical or developmental disabilities find success in competitive employment in Orange County, CA. As a Goodwill of Orange County employee, she has the opportunity to be a part of a growing support system for the OC business community. Goodwill served over 24,000 people through its programs and services in 2016; Goodwill-trained workers earned more than 33 million dollars during that year. Jen is excited to be a part of Goodwill's mission to promote independence and dignity through work.
Peter has served as a high-level corporate adviser since 1983. Projects that began with assisting presidents of Fortune 100 companies broadened to include mid-sized corporations, closely held companies, start-ups, and capital formation. Peter is a popular platform speaker and the co-author of two books, Building Your Multi-Million-Dollar Practice and The Golden Rules of Economics: The Real Way Out Of America’s Financial Crisis. His works have been published in Investment News, Wall Street On-Line, The Journal of Financial Planning, Producers Web, Horsesmouth, The Register, Financial Planning Magazine, Adviser Max, American Management Magazine, American Venture Magazine, Broker Dealer Magazine, and more. As the founder and CEO of ProfitSee Inc., his team has created a suite of cloud based software tools that provide Fortune 100 level financial analytics and tools to CPAs and other consultative service organizations that help the fiscal management of their small to mid-sized business clients. ProfitSee is far more than a reporting tool providing powerful insights to manage cash flow, grow profitability, and increase valuation.
Kelly is the founder and CEO of NextGenVest.com, the Money Mentor for every student. NextGenVest helps students save time and money with all major financial decisions, starting with paying for college, over text message by connecting them to a Money Mentor, a real person over a 24/7 hotline. Students leave $2.7 billion unclaimed every year in free federal aid for college because they do not fill out the appropriate forms. NextGenVest has helped thousands of students across 40 states get more money for college – last week alone they saved students $143,000 in tuition costs.
Prior to starting NextGenVest, Kelly was an analyst at JPMorgan’s Investment Bank covering financial institutions and also as a financial advisor. Alongside her time at JPMorgan, she ran a non-profit that brought entrepreneurship programs to Iraqi Universities (after she traveled to Iraq). After graduating from Harvard, she was selected as one of the eight Kauffman Foundation Global Scholars, accepted as one of 30 up and coming women in Women In America, named by Goldman Sachs as one of the100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, and a named a White House #StartTheSpark Ambassador. Her TED Talk entitled “How to Change the World as a Millennial – Don’t be Stupid With Your Money” is here.
Some think that values are part of an individual’s unchanging core, the essence of who each one of us is. Indeed there may be some ‘hard-wiring’ involved in each of our personal set of values, and we may hold certain values very deeply and for a lifetime. However, just as humans can and do change as a result of experience and learning, values, too, are fundamentally changeable. Here is the key: once our values become conscious, they can be changed. They are subject to individual choice. Understanding how values operate in your life to drive your dreams, decisions, and actions will help you to make more conscious value choices in your life and work
We have said that many choices we make are impelled by factors of which we may be unaware. These factors, such as what we are taught as children, or the cultural frameworks we have been brought up in, contribute to creating values we may hold. Some we will be very aware of; others we may not be aware of as a driving force in our lives. Some values, such as those for example having to do with belonging to a group or recognition for our accomplishments, may have been in place so long that they operate below the level of consciousness, and we may not even realize they are working, and energizing—or de-energizing—to us. Being asked a simple question, for example if a boss takes the time to ask “How do you want to be rewarded?” can bring a value like recognition into conscious focus. Not only that, but we may also find in this conscious focus the opportunity to reflect on what recognition means to us (A cash reward? My name announced in a group meeting? My boss taking my spouse and me out to lunch and telling my spouse how much I contribute to the team?) When a value comes into conscious focus through choice, or through being called into awareness by circumstances, it is equally important that we take the time to understand exactly what that value means to us.
New values may be presented to us by necessity. Adults usually do not consciously seek skills without a reason for doing so. At times, we find ourselves in a situation where something other than what we hold as important comes to the fore. I may not have had to think as much about safety as other parts of my job responsibilities until I am appointed a safety team leader. I quickly find myself having to learn about aspects of workplace safety I never knew, and may come to deeply value safety while spending conscious time and energy understanding it thoroughly. It is not that I never valued safety, and perhaps it was one of the values already in place from childhood instruction; that is, internalized but not finding much place in my conscious awareness. But now it has become more highly prioritized. In my new role, I may additionally decide I need to more highly prioritize the value of informing others because I now recognize that well-presented information contributes to workplace safety. Life situations change, and we may find ourselves with a new value, or find ourselves more highly prioritizing a value as we seek to learn the skills associated with it.
We may be inspired by a life event or by another person to give conscious value to something we never thought about before. Adolescence and early adulthood are times when what we value may go through significant changes. Think, for example of how students often begin to hold very expansive and idealistic values as their understanding of the world begins to expand through education or a widening sphere of experience. These may continue to be values that are held for the rest of one’s life. Having a family calls for a re-prioritization of values, usually involving more attention to finances and to security, safety and health matters, matters that without a family we might not have valued as highly, or now value for very different reasons. Mid-life may present an opport
“Success is not a mystery, it’s a system, a system that can be learned and replicated” This is Darrell Weekes’s mantra.
Now the words dynamic and high energy are not normally words you would associate with a boy from the bush. Straight forward, no fluff, tell it like it is are words that are more likely to be used to describe country folk. Well Darrell Weekes is both. A boy from the bush whose straight forward delivery style earns him praise whenever he speaks. Having presented at hundreds of conferences over the last four years, Darrell is an extremely experienced and professional presenter. To everyone who engages Darrell he makes one promise “when people make an investment to come and listen to me speak I promise to make that investment worthwhile”. Darrell leaves nothing in reserve, when he’s finished you’ll know he’s laid it all on the table.
Everything Darrell shares with his audience he has done. This is hands on experience delivered from the man who did it and experienced it. From creating successful businesses using his “Solution Driven Selling System” to earning bucket loads of referrals by delivering “Exceptional Service” Darrell has created and tested these systems and now he shares them with you.
As an example of how powerful Darrells’ systems are, when he started a small Mortgage Broking business in Canberra he produced ten times the average production for Australian brokers. In a roll out of just one of his business building systems with 40 small business owners the average increase in sales over the three months following the implementation was 73%.
Hugo Gonzalez possesses numerous years of experience as a key financial and operational executive for various corporations, from start-up ventures to Fortune 500 conglomerates.
Hugo’s expertise lies in the Strategy development and implementation, Financial and Operations; leading to areas of Brand Management, Business Development, Accounting Controls, Human Resources, Capital, and Turn-Around Management.
Hugo has founded numerous successful firms including a leading Regional CPA firm based in Irvine, California, a Small Business Capital Firm, Advisory and Strategy Firm, and recently, a Merger & Acquisition firm, located in Southern California.
Hugo has helped start-up and small businesses through the initial challenging years, from establishing a strong structure to their day-to-day operations, and finally to the long term strategic planning. Hugo is a serial entrepreneur who thrives on challenge and impact, builds strong relationships, is sensitive to interests of multiple stakeholders, is a people connector and promotes collaborative team-driven work environments.
Hugo serves in the board of various corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Including, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Institute, a not-for-profit organization that works in coordination with The Kaufman Foundations’ Global Entrepreneur Week and other related Start-up initiatives. Hugo is also an active member of various business, consulting and quality management organizations.
He is an active member of ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve) a DOD NFP Organization based in Washington DC and serves other charitable and community based organizations.
Al has more than 25 years of extensive business experience as a senior financial executive and trusted advisor to CEOs and business owners of public and privately held companies. He has been the Chief Financial Officer for companies ranging from startup through to $300 million. Al's industry experience includes retail, hospitality, consumer products, manufacturing and distribution, consulting, and aerospace and defense. He has successfully applied innovative thinking and problem solving, strategic analysis and plan implementation. Al has been called a "realignment CFO" and a "pain reliever" because of his ability to quickly make an impact.
Al's experience as a CFO extends to virtually every aspect of a business's financial and operating needs. In addition to turn-arounds, building, rebuilding and managing financial teams of all sizes and complexity, he has also had direct management responsibility for HR, IT, Credit & Collections, Risk Management, Operations, Contracts, and Customer Service. The commonality has been his ability to work with his peers and mentor teams to achieve the company's goals. He believes, "If you are not serving the customer directly, you should be serving those that are."
Al has successfully managed companies through accelerated growth as well as through downturns. He has had key roles in 25 mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and was the lead in the last 10. He has completed numerous financings and recapitalizations including bank debt, private placements and IPOs. He has successfully developed and maintained financing relationships with banks, investors and other sources of funds.
Other areas of expertise include:
Cash flow and working capital management
Operational evaluation & improvement
Cost and profit analysis/product margin and pricing analysis
Expense reduction and cost containment
Timely and accurate financial reporting, analysis, and presentation
Strategic planning, budgeting, cash forecasting, and financial projections
Development and translation of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards and understanding the underlying levers available to affect improvements
Business restructuring, turnarounds, and vendor relations
ERP/accounting software review, selection through to implementation
Bank and alternative financing
Human resources and risk management
Banking, CPA, attorney, and insurance relationships
Al brings passion and enthusiasm to his job and the companies he serves. He is a straightforward and detailed communicator who is equally effective with boards, investors, management, and staff. Honesty, integrity, and enjoyment are core values that have led to success throughout his career.
Peter Chang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Child Creativity Lab. Peter recently also served as an appointed member on the Orange County Child Care & Development Planning Council and a board member for the Orange County chapter of the California School-Age Consortium (CalSAC). Peter started his career working at a not-for-profit organization servicing the needs of HIV and AIDS patients and has over 10 years of experience in business, marketing strategy, and new product planning. He graduated with a BS degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California, an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Rochester, and an MPH in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Child Creativity Lab's mission is to foster the next generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, and leaders through hands-on creativity-enhancing exploration. Today’s children become tomorrow’s visionaries.
The Child Creativity Lab (CCL) offers educational programs that focus on creativity-enhancing stimulation and inspiration in alignment and in support of overarching California State Department of Education initiatives for pre-Kindergarten through 8th graders. These STEM-based programs are facilitated at the Child Creativity Lab Depot for Creative Reuse and directly on-site at schools, after-school programs, libraries, community events, faith-based organizations, and more via the Child Creativity Lab Museum-on-Wheels initiative.
Paul Lanigan is a communication expert. He entertains as he enlightens, combining colourful personal experiences to give you a fresh, unflinching perspective on the sales process. Paul’s unique brand of sales edu-tainment is generously spiced with humorous and relevant stories garnered during an eventful 17-year sales and sales management career.
Here, Paul shares his leadership skills, honed by his experience in both large and small technology organizations and as an entrepreneur. His specialty is showing you how to gain the respect and attention of the most demanding team members to gain a level of buy-in most never believed was possible.
An engineer by background, Paul Lanigan is now the CEO of Sandler Sales Institute; a company that helps executives develop sales strategies and tactics. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Staffordshire University and a BA in Management from Irish Management Institute.
Chip Espinoza has studied millennials in the workplace. The author of the recent book Millennials Who Manage and the 2010 book Managing the Millennials says tis new generation of managers will take a step further in creating a people-first workplace.
A DIFFERENT WAY TO MEASURE PRODUCTIVITY
Say goodbye to annual performance reviews and rigid nine-to-five working hours. "This generation of managers is going to identify metrics that determine whether people are productive or not," says Espinoza. Frustrated with the idea that productivity is measured by the number of hours you sit at your desk, millennials are going to focus on better ways to measure performance. "Things like key performance indicators will continue to be a movement," says Espinoza. Millennial managers will avoid formal annual performance reviews, replacing them with more frequent and informal feedback systems that allow for better communication between managers and employees. [from Fast Company]
Do you know the Three Biggest Mistakes That Most Accountants Make With Their Marketing?
Peter Lawson has developed the marketing equation for accountants that once implemented will immediately drive traffic to their web sites and attract business owners that are looking for their help.
Business owners today want just two things for their business...more leads and more revenue. As a practicing accountant, Peter can relate to this situation where accountants do not have a system to assist their clients with marketing. Well now they do. Peter has developed a marketing system that allows accountants to offer tools to their clients to assist them with generating more leads and more revenue for their business. And the clients really appreciate this advice, and are prepared to pay for it. This doesn't mean that the accountant becomes a marketing expert, it just means that they have a system available to assist their clients with marketing.
In his spare time Peter sails the Historical 18ft Skiffs on Sydney Harbour. This is a great way to keep in touch with his sailing buddies and have a beer and a chat after the race.
Peter's specialties:
Lead generation for accountants
Marketing for accountants
Attracting quality clients for accountants
Improving client retention
Monetizing the advice that accountants are currently giving away for free
Coaching system to attract and retain quality clients
*Author of #1 Best Selling Books on how Accountants and Bookkeepers can engage with clients
*Specialist in setting up Business Advisory Service Divisions in accounting practices
John Silvani combines his in-depth market knowledge with practical business strategies, meeting the unique needs of a broad client group. In May 2001, he was recipient of the Crain’s “Who’s Who in Technology” award and continued to receive awards for his companies throughout his career. In 2011, he was recognized by Lawrence Technological University as one of the “Leaders & Innovators Honoree” in Michigan. After 30 years in the software industry, John has become one of the nation’s top respected resellers of business applications. His background and leadership has provided him with an understanding of the demands and needs for growing organizations.
John asks California business leaders: Does your company need more than basic financial transactions? Are you holding your business back with your entry level accounting software? When your business starts to grow, and it will, you’ll need more security, features and functionality. Learn more about Gravity Software. (www.go-gravity.com)
Gregory A. Wahl is in charge of the strategic vision of the Firm. Greg served as the Managing Partner for a regional public accounting firm’s Orange County Office in Costa Mesa from January 2005 to November 2007.
Greg began his career with KPMG LLP in 1999 and left in 2004 as a Manager in the Audit and Assurance Practice.
Greg has been working with companies in Asia (Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and China) and taking them public for the past nine years. He has grown the Firm from himself to a multi-office, international boutique with over 65 professionals in six years.
Greg has over 17 years of experience in auditing and consulting companies that file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and has significant experience resolving complex accounting and SECreporting issues. He has a particular expertise in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, specialty finance, includingsub-prime lending, consumer products, including consumer electronics, distribution, manufacturing, and retail; and technology, including clean-technology, alternative energy industries. He regularly supervises engagements for companies that are completing going public transactions (Form 10, Form S-1, and reverse takeover transactions) and secondary public offerings for companies.
His transactional experience has allowed him to be involved in capital raises in excess of $3.5B where he has partnered with Deutsche Bank, Jeffries and Company, JP Morgan, Dawson James Securities, Inc., Dominick and Dominick and Merrill Lynch. He has been involved with six successful securitization transactions with over $2.0B in value and responsible for the compliance with the SEC rules under Regulation AB and assisted a well-recognized Wall Street underwriter with its due diligence on the loan pools related to each securitization.
Greg has extensive experience with control processes and risk management for numerous companies and developed various firm standard templates and working papers for compliance with PCAOB Accounting Standards. He has participated in numerous financing transactions, auditing companies in international jurisdictions (including Canada, China, Europe, Hong Kong and South East Asia) and with multi-locations.
He has assisted companies with their internal financial reporting and has consulted his clients with the drafting, summarizing, and negotiating key contracts for compliance with appropriate US GAAP for revenue recognition and for business combinations, particularly reverse merger transactions.
Jaqueline Sidman
CEO and Founder
CEO and Founder of The Sidman Institute, Dr. Jacqueline Sidman will be discussing things that can be helped by eliminating negative perceptions learned in childhood that affect business and personal life.
A wide variety of topics will be discussed including: how to improve sales & marketing by eliminating the fear of making cold calls, asking for more money and closing the deal; the importance of self esteem in business, how The Sidman Solution can be utilized in any industry, workplace and personal life by gaining personal power and inner peace. Dr. Sidman is an award-winning author of the book "Instant Inner Peace" End Your Inner Struggle and Feel Better Right Now" and The Key to Happiness series of books and CD's that take people into motivation, productivity and happiness by being their authentic self and living a fulfilling life.
Dr. Sidman has a proven track record, having helped over 7,000 people achieve their highest potential over the last 22 years. Her research has been published and to a person has reduced depression, stress and anxiety without medication or long-term therapy in only a few short meetings. It is worth your time to find out how her method can achieve such amazing results.
For more on Jacqueline's work, go to: SidmanSolution.com or call 949-251-9550
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Steve McIntosh
Author
STEVE MCINTOSH J.D. is a leader in the integral philosophy movement and author of the new book, Evolution's Purpose, as well as the acclaimed 2007 book, Integral Consciousness. He is also a co-founder of the new think tank: The Institute for Cultural Evolution. In addition to the think tank and his work in philosophy, McIntosh has had a variety of other successful careers, including founding the consumer products company Now & Zen, practicing law with one of America's biggest firms, working as an executive with Celestial Seasonings Tea Company, and Olympic-class bicycle racing. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School, and now lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two sons.
Does the science of evolution really prove that life, humanity, and the universe as a whole are meaningless accidents? On the contrary, as science has increasingly shown how everything in the universe is subject to evolution -- including matter, life, and human culture -- these very facts reveal that the process of evolution is unmistakably progressive. And as we come to see how evolution progresses, this reveals evolution's purpose -- to grow toward ever-widening realizations of beauty, truth, and goodness.
McIntosh argues that the purpose of evolution is not "intelligently designed" or otherwise externally controlled; rather, its purpose is being creatively and originally discerned through the choices of the evolutionary creatures themselves. Without relying on ay spiritual authorities, the author shows how the scientific story of our origins is actually a profound and sacred teaching compatible with many forms of contemporary spirituality.
For more on Steve's work, go to: stevemcintosh.com
Tim Santoni
President
Tim Santoni is passionate about the mission of his firm which is to, "Keep businesses and individuals safe by providing the next solution to the latest problem. We provide accurate information to assist our clients in making effective and strategic business decisions."
As businesses plan for growth in 2013, they should be mindful of their trademark usage, insurance exposure, employee integrity and any litigation.
Businesses operate in the information age where vast amounts of data are flowing and decisions are ever more important. The challenge for business owners and individuals is obtaining information that is accurate and useful in making decisions that will shape their businesses futures and their lives.
Santoni Investigations is headquartered in Orange County and has offices throughout California and the United States with partners worldwide. Santoni Investigations, founded in 1975, provides professional investigative services for the management of insurance fraud, including surveillance, location of persons, asset identification and service of process nationwide. The background research team offers employment screening, background checks and due diligence investigations. Santoni also provides trademark usage, acquisition, compliance and infringement investigations to brand owners and trademark professionals. The firm specializes in anonymous specimen acquisition for anti-counterfeiting efforts, including documented chain of custody control, and the anonymous negotiation and acquisition of Internet domain names.
For more information about Santoni Investigations, go to: santoniworldwide.com
Michael Levin
Founder and CEO
Michael Levin is a New York Times best-selling author. He has written, co-written, or ghostwritten over 100 books, nine of which became national best sellers.
Michael, Founder and CEO of BusinessGhost, Inc., America's leading provider of ghostwritten business books, has helped create more successful books, as a writer, cowriter, ghost, or coach, than anyone in the U.S. publishing industry.
His client list includes a member of the Forbes 400, five individuals with net worths of over half a billion dollars, and business leaders on four continents (North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia). He also edited Zig Ziglar's final book, Born To Win. On January 20, 2012, Michael appeared as a guest entrepreneur on the ABC Television show Shark Tank.
For more information about BusinessGhost, go to: businessghost.com
Mike Muhney, VIPorbit
Mike Muhney is the CEO & Founder of VIPorbit, a software startup company focused on Mobile Contact Management solutions initially focusing on the iPhone and the iPad.
Mike’s credentials? Well, he is the Co-Founder and Inventor/Designer of ACT! – the product that originally created the Contact Management category globally. During it’s 24-year life ACT! has had over 10,000,000 people globally use it.
Mike is also Co-Author of the book “Who’s In Your ORBIT? Beyond Facebook…Creating Relationships That Matter.”
To learn more about VipOrbit, go to: VipOrbit.com
Teresa "Tita" Smith
Orange City Council Member
We will be discussing public safety, clean water, safe neighborhoods & strong infrastructure. fiscally conservative policies and is absolutely responsible with our tax dollars; Because Smith enhances Orange by supporting business, maintaining property values and high quality housing; Because Smith celebrates Orange through our parks and open space, libraries, community events and civic organizations.
It has been my humble privilege to have been elected twice to the Orange City Council and have served for 7.5 years! I am in my last term allowed, and the next option is to run for MAYOR. I welcome that challenge,
1.) to continue to protect Orange ensuring the Public Safety of all;
2.) to maintain our infrastructure of clean water and safe streets, and
3.) to protect our many businesses and encourage their growth.
That used to be enough to say.
But now, with our nation's tough economic times, fiscal responsibility must be the starting point. I am a leader in Orange who is a fiscal conservative, and I have the record to prove it. It has been a tough job for our Council over these past 4 years as we have worked together, along with a great staff, to manage a $10 million dollar budget deficit each year. We have balanced the budget.
And we have not lost that "essence of Orange" I mean that in spite of an economic downturn, we have a bustling Old Towne Plaza District with new businesses and even a new Farmers Market! We have worked to transform the struggling Block of Orange into an outlet destination. We have managed to retain several big businesses in Orange to enhance our sales tax base and property values have held up pretty well. We have frozen staff vacancies and crafted a "leaner" staff to serve the many needs of our residents.
These are the decisions I have been involved with...to serve our residents with less money available. We've done that! We figured out a way to stay on track, and open our first City Gymnasium...the Sports Center at Grijalva Park. We have kept our three Libraries open, and maintained our signature community events...3rd of July, Tree Lighting, Concerts in the Park. It has taken some "fancy financial footwork", but I have been committed to making sure that we continue to "be the Orange we love"... even in hard times. Crime in Orange dropped 27% last year. No small feat, considering budget restraints.
I initiated and worked to pass a "Party Ordinance" in Orange, not just in Old Towne, to ensure neighborhood safety, especially at night and on weekends. Shout out to Chapman University for their work and support. The ordinance has been amazingly effective. Retaining and enhancing open space has long been a priority for me. I am so pleased to have been part of the design committee for this gem, Pitcher Park, for garnering the Orange County dollars that have allowed us to build nearly six miles of biking and walking trails from near here to east Orange! I am in the conversation in Orange Park Acres to address open space issues there. I am currently working with the Assistance League Orange Blossoms to open another little "pocket park" in Old Towne. Stay tuned!
And I do consider it both an open space and infrastructure maintenance accomplishment that just 5 months ago, in February we were able to quiet the train horns at 16 train crossings Orange. This was a project that Mayor Carolyn Cavecche and I worked on for 7 years! A good Mayor needs to collaborate and bring a community together. I have served on the City Schools Committee with OUSD officials and Trustees for 6 ye
Dr. David Poole
VP for CBU Online
Dr. David Poole currently serves as Vice President for Online and Professional Studies and Associate Professor of Education at California Baptist University. In addition to general institutional oversight as an officer of the University, he has responsibility for all academic and administrative management of online, hybrid and education center programs for this new division within CBU.
The division of CalBaptist Online and Professional Studies was established to respond to the very different needs of the "new normal" generation of students - the non-traditional student that balances professional and family responsibilities while advancing their education. Their online and hybrid programs are tailored to meet the needs of today's students and give them the 24/7 flexibility expected for 21st century learning. CBU Online and Professional Studies, gives students:
Individual Advisors who help them throughout their time completing the program
An interactive environment where there is more than just reading a syllabus and doing assignments
A cost effective education with financial aid options
Accessible to meet student needs, on their schedule
Latest technologies in distance education including Blackboard 9.1, Telepresence, and Webex.
World class faculty who are committed to the students' academic, professional, and spiritual success
Dr. Poole served as Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Virtual CEO, Inc., a research and business knowledge company serving the $100+ billion global consulting market. Their clients include such organizations as Deloitte & Touche, Lockheed Martin, UCLA, Department of Defense and Lucent Technologies. As a member of the senior management team, he was responsible for consultant recruitment, marketing, brand management and the development of products and content that encompassed eight vertical markets in four languages.
Dr. Poole served thirteen years with Pepperdine University where he was Executive Director for all Executive Programs with responsibility for enrollment and program management of four executive graduate degree programs. Under his leadership, the Executive MBA program was recognized in 1999 by Business Week as one of the "Leading Twenty" in the nation. In 2001 the program was ranked eleventh globally, fourth in strategy and first in ethics.
For more information about CBU Online visit: www.cbuonline.edu
Paul David Walker
Coach, Author, Leadership Consultant
Paul David Walker was part of building the first leadership firm to align Strategy, Structure and Culture, and has been a business leadership adviser to the CEO's of Fortune 500 and midsized companies for over 25 years.
Paul is a CEO Coach, Poet, and one of the early innovators of leadership consulting and coaching at the executive level. He has been advising the leaders of Fortune 500 and midsized companies for over twenty-five years. With this experience he brings a unique perspective that can be invaluable to leaders. Paul has advised leaders through three downturns and recoveries in the economy. He has lead turnarounds, acquisition integration, rapid growth, culture change and strategic projects to align strategy, structure and culture. He has coached and mentored leaders in the art of leadership, personal balance, philosophical understandings that have helped his clients manifest innovative ideas and is known to be someone who sees and draws out the genius in leaders. While advising and coaching Fortune 500 companies, he was one of the leaders of a groundbreaking entrepreneurial company that established innovative leadership consulting practices. These practices provided the foundation for much of the leadership consulting that exists today. Still on the leading edge of business consulting, he integrates new approaches from science, psychology and philosophy while bringing concrete business acumen.
For more information about Paul David Walker visit: www.pauldavidwalker.com
Gustavo Chamorro Director
According to the Gallup There are 6 million companies in the United States. Fewer than 25,000 of those companies have over 100 employees. 99% of the 6 million companies in the United States employee fewer than 100 people.
Imagine the effect on our economy if only 10% of those companies added one person to the payroll in the next 90 days.
Gustavo and I will be talking about the obstacles to new job creation in Southern California in the near term and how to address those obstacles.
Join us for the continuation of a great conversation.
Business Incubator at the Digital Media CenterBusiness Incubator
The business incubator has been created to assist Orange County-area digital media entrepreneurs develop and grow their business.
The business incubator, which can accommodate 10-12 start-up companies, provides competitive lease rates and offers services ranging from basic business consulting to marketing/advertising, human resources, accounting, web and promotional design and access to venture capital. Residents will also benefit from the professional network created within the DMC.
Business Incubator Requirements
To be considered as a business incubator resident your company must complete the Qualification Form. Please note that the Qualification Form requires the submission of an executive summary of your business plan, which must include information on how your company meets the requirements for admission.
Below are the requirements for admission to the DMC:
A realistic business and marketing plan reflecting the potential to grow the business and become a leading player in their market segment.
Reasonable credit history and adequate financial resources to remain in business for at least six (6) months.
A strong entrepreneurial management team with experience in the industry and at least one full-time employee working in the position.
A match between the needs of your company and the resources available within the incubator program and the community.
Not in direct competition with other incubator clients.
A product or service that represents a unique technology that can create a competitive advantage.
No legal claims or lawsuits pending against the business.
The potential for multiple job creation at wages higher than the county average.
Plans to locate in surrounding area and stay for at least three (3) years.
Gustavo Chamorro
Gustavo has spent the pat four years developing a business Incubator program for the recruitment and nurturing of entrepreneurial businesses in Orang County. He regularly obtains and facilitates support services from appropriate partners and business services providers for the startups in the incubator program. He serves as the primary spokesperson for the Digital Media Center to its Advisory Committee, potential donors, business leaders, news media, and economic development agencies. Through his work at the center, Gustavo has enhanced local and regional economic growth through the successful growth of incubator businesses, and he has established strategic partnerships with governmental and community agencies, and business and industry organizations.
For more information about the Digital Media Center and the Incubation Program visit: dmc-works.com
Glenn Hansen Regional Managing Partner
Glenn Hansen is the Southern California Regional Managing Principal for OneAccord. He and the OneAccord Team help companies accelerate sales growth through Interim Management. They consistently execute successful sales strategy because they are a team that has "been there, done that". The OneAccord Team is comprised of former, successful CEO's and Senior Executives.
Glenn spent over 25 years as a highly successful senior management executive of national and regional retail chains. He has deep experience in selling Business-to-Customer and Business-to-Business.
In the last couple of years with OneAccord, Glenn has been a catalyst for dramatic sales growth as an Interim Executive.
We will be discussing Jim Clifton's book: The Coming Jobs War.
Drawing on 75 years of Gallup studies and his own perspective as the company's chairman and CEO, Jim Clifton explains why jobs are the new global currency for leaders. More than peace or money or any other good, the business, government, military, city, and village leaders who can create good jobs will own the future.
The problem is that leaders don't know how to create jobs - especially in America. What they should do is recognize that the world is in a war for jobs. It seems that leadership has lost the will to win, especially in America, but this is a competition for our lives.
To win, leaders need to compete. Everyone does. The public school system needs to inculcate kids with the knowledge they'll need to compete in the jobs war. The business community needs to double the psychological engagement of workers so that it can compete with cheaper labor. The healthcare system must stop wasting the resources that we need to spend on job competition. Society needs to realize that entrepreneurs, not government, are the source of new jobs and put all its energy behind them. Perhaps most importantly, leaders need to recognize universities, mentors, and especially cities as a supercollider for job creation.
If that can be done - and it can be done; leaders have done it before - new good jobs will result. There's not moment to waste: the war has already begun.
For more information about OneAccord Partners visit: oneaccordpartners.com
Connect with Glenn directly at: glenn.hansen@oneaccordpartners.com
Tish Squillaro CEO
For her book, "Headtrash," to be published in the Fall, CEO and Consultant Tish Squillaro has identified what she views as the seven emotions that muddy the thinking of top executives to the point where they lose control of their ability to lead.
Among these logic inhibitors, says Tish, are Fear, Anxiety, Arrogance, Insecurity, Anger, Guilt, Paranoia and Control. Any one, or a combination of these emotions, Tish says, can cripple an executive and render him or her ineffective.
No wonder Tish's phone often rings in the middle of the night. It is likely to be a CEO asking for advice.
Tish has not earned the moniker "CEO Whisperer" for nothing.
"It's lonely at the top," says Tish. "CEOs and other top executives don't like to admit vulnerability or indecision in the workplace. When they need expert advice their staff often tells them just what they want to hear. My job is to tell them what they should hear, not what pleases them."
As the CEO of CANDOR Consulting (http://www.candor-consulting.com) Tish takes candor to the next level. "Unlike a traditional consulting company," she asserts, "we don’t just offer theory and advice. We collaborate with and immerse ourselves in our client's business. We become more like a partner than a consultant and that allows us freedom to say just what we think."
Tish Squillaro, CEO, has more than 17 years experience advising executives in strategic planning, organizational dynamics and human capital allocation. Her progressive vision and adaptive approach to practical application makes her particularly effective in collaborating with senior management.
Tish helps clients leverage human capital to drive the success of their business rather than simply support it. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge from a broad range of disciplines, she has particular expertise in change management processes, business strategy development, as well as behavioral and organizational dynamics. Combining sharp problem solving skills with effective mediation abilities, Tish works primarily with CEOs, executive management and boards of directors within organizations at various stages of development, ranging from early entrepreneurial to Fortune 500 companies.
Her career spans a variety of sectors, including technology, pharma, construction, manufacturing, life sciences, retail, professional services and media. Before forming CANDOR, she was Co-Managing Partner at Penn Valley Group. Earlier, Tish ran Metis Corporation, a business consultancy, where the client strategies she developed shifted the approach from reactive to a more strategic, proactive approach. Tish also served as an executive for RealTime Media and Director of CLE for Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Her strategies for pointroll, Cadient Group, Johnson Matthey and the Granary Associates, cut costs and liabilities as they improved productivity and efficiency.
To learn more about CANDOR, go to candor-consulting.com
Vak Sambath
Entrepreneur
Vak is an active community evangelist for Orange County Technology.
As the co-founder and architect of Pageable, Vak drives the development of product strategy, market research, and small business customer acquisition efforts. Along with cofounders, Val Catalasan and Eric Lumba, the team at Pageable created an online marketing platform for small business owners that are looking to drive sales through an easy and simple D.I.Y deal page creator without any I.T. or design experience.
Vak got his entrepreneurial start at SMC Networks in 2001, where he co -developed the industry's first EZ 3-Click Router Installation software. After the development of the software, Vak was later promoted to manage the company's first in-house R&D for SMC Networks, North America. In the following year, Vak left SMC Networks to begin his first company, Medmania, Inc., where he developed a patent pending question and answering software process for educational learning. In addition to starting Medmania, Vak founded other successful web properties such as Campusbug (a social learning network) and Techzulu (a technology news reporting blog site for Southern California). In 2008, Medmania acquired the operating rights to Crushspot.com, an urban dating site, where he grew the site to 100 million page views per month with 1 million users registered in less than one year.
Vak received his major in Biology and minor in Behavioral Psychology from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA.
For more information about FastStart.studio visit: faststartstudio.com
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Want to learn about Crowdfunding? Invite Will Crist (949-355-6013) to speak about it at your organization or meeting.
To learn more about Crowdfunding Bootcamp go to
Crowdfunding Bootcamp
To learn more about Crowdfunding Roadmap go to crowdfundingroadmap.com
John Driscoll Executive Producer
John is a popular speaker and consultant in the areas of marketing and social media. He is the Executive Producer at PhD Labs in Ontario.
PhD Labs is a premier web application development firm with the experience and expertise to help businesses succeed. Their application development services are used by some of the world's largest companies, and by exciting technology start-ups. Their dynamic websites typically involve business logic, databases, and API integration.
About PHD Labs
At PhD labs they are not only experts at what they do- they enjoy doing it. Their method of high-touch client interaction is one that involves listening as much as talking. It's a more personable approach that treats every client like a partner and a colleague. Once you get to know their team, you'll feel confident that your project is in capable and caring hands.
PhD Labs is a premier application development company, providing social, mobile and web solutions for some of the world's largest companies.
For more information PhD Labs visit: www.phdlabs.com
Debe Fennell Partner
It was late 2011 when CrowdFunding LIVE was founded. After working together toward the first live event (June 9th, 2012), Aggie Kobrin, Deb Augur and Debe Fennell, decided to take the next logical step and start a full fledged crowdfunding site to help "idea people" (especially women) get the funding they need to take their best ideas LIVE!
The three women formed a partnership around the idea of helping people succeed at their attempts to raise money through crowdfunding. The sad fact is most people don't reach their funding goals by the end of their campaigns and usually walk away with no reward for their efforts. Others have a hard time deciding which crowdfunding site to go with and still others are rejected, not knowing where to turn.
People need help to do it right! Unfortunately that help is not easy to find.
At CrowdFunding LIVE you'll find the help you need. They're looking for people - just like you - with strong ideas and plenty of fortitude to make it work. If that's you, this is the right crowdfunding source for you!
Debe Fennell is a 40 year veteran of public relations, marketing and promotion through her own business, the music industry and various capacities in real estate, educational companies and for non-profits. Ms. Fennell spent many years in the music industry as a journalist for Radio & Records, a national trade newspaper, as a talent coordinator for two nationally syndicated radio shows for Emerald Radio Network, 10 years as a national records promotion executive for Sony/BMG, Curb Records, Magnatone Records and Giant Records. She has managed public relations, affiliate relations and marketing for noted speaker/author Loral Langemeier, handling national TV, radio, print and book publishing.
She conducted high-end relationship management, including event speaker coordination with notables like Bob Proctor, John Assaraf, Armand Moran and Zig Ziglar, including media relationships with The View, Dr. Phil, Fox Business Channel, Harper-Collins, McGraw-Hill and Hay House, among others. She has managed web-based affiliate marketing campaigns and internal marketing to existing clients, including the oversight of copy creation and editing, brand management, leads list management, team leadership, outside vendor management, website landing and sales page oversight, and affiliate relations with all affiliate partners.
For more information on Debe visit: www.BuildingBusinessThatWorks.com
For more information on CrowdfundingLive, go tocrowdfundingLive.com
Want to learn about Crowdfunding? Invite Will Crist (949-355-6013) to speak about it at your organization or meeting.
To learn more about Crowdfunding Bootcamp go to Crowdfunding Bootcamp
To learn more about Crowdfunding Roadmap go to crowdfundingroadmap.com
Bruce Rossiter Andreas Ramos
Founder and CEO of Value Court
Have you ever wished for a reliable, economically rational alternative to traditional forums for contract dispute resolution - one that truly cuts outside legal bills and loss of productive time to a predictable fraction of what you otherwise face? Value Court does just that.
Using a fixed-fee, judge-driven, non-adversarial method (i.e., without the need for litigation counsel), our innovative neutral service delivers timely, affordable justice in everyday business and contract disputes where the financial stakes simply don't warrant the many costs of advocacy.
Value Court delivers binding resolutions in one of two ways:
Zoom Court: A streamlined, online format, principally where each side is represented by counsel.
Value Court: A streamlined, online format, principally where each side is notrepresented by counsel, but tells their own story to the neutra arbitrator. Since attorney's fees typically represent up to 90% of the costs of resolution, huge savings are inherent in the Value Court's process.
In both cases, the mutually approved neutral (e.g., retired judge) conducts an investigation and renders a decision. The parties can chose whether the decision is to be binding or not. And the decision can be appealed in traditional court.
Bruce Rossiter has more than 35 years in sales, corporate finance, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. As President and CEO, he is responsible for establishing Zoom's strategic direction and championing its portfolio companies' and clients' best interests. He is also the former president of Just Resolve and current president of ValueCourt which offers fixed fee, attorney free, judicial quality dispute resolution services. He is a former Board member of the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association and chaired its Emerging Media Morning Forum.
Bruce earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from Tuck at Dartmouth. He holds certifications from the National Venture Capital Association's Executive Venture Capital Course, Harvard Business School, and SMM University as a Social Media Strategist.
To learn more about Zoom Industries and Value Court, contact Bruce Rossiter.
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Want to learn about Crowdfunding? Invite Will Crist (949-355-6013) to speak about it at your organization or meeting.
To learn more about Crowdfunding Bootcamp go toCrowdfunding Bootcamp
To learn more about Crowdfunding Roadmap go to crowdfundingroadmap.com
Scott Miller Chief Sales Officer
Social123 gives your sales team the tools to connect with contacts on a whole new level. Our robust SocialData+ technology provides Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter information for your contact list. And, with the only customizable social influence score on the market, SocialPoints+ gives you the ability to rank your most influential contacts so you can focus on the ones who matter most.
SOPHISTICATED SOCIAL DATA TOOLS
Social123 offers one the most powerful and intelligent tools for extracting value from Social Data.
The amount of data and content that Internet users are creating and sharing through Social Media is expanding by the hour.
Social123 offers the best tools for collecting, filtering and analyzing this rich source of data. Social Data is more complicated to process and analyze because it is unstructured.
Social123 is designed for all types of businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
Social123 has been built specifically to process volumes of this unstructured data and derive value from it.
To learn more about Social123, go to social123.com
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Want to learn about Crowdfunding? Invite Will Crist (949-355-6013) to speak about it at your organization or meeting.
To learn more about Crowdfunding Bootcamp go toCrowdfunding Bootcamp
To learn more about Crowdfunding Roadmap go to crowdfundingroadmap.com
Ruth Hedges, CEO and Founder
Since the signing of the Jobs Act on April 5th, demand for information and clarity on issuer compliance rules has skyrocketed. Entrepreneurs and startups want to know what steps they should be taking now to successfully launch a compliant crowdfund investing campaign.
The launch of http://www.crowdfundingroadmap.com is the perfect place to get quick answers and easy solutions to help them get started now.
"After working with Startup Exemption's Sherwood Neiss, Jason Best, Zak Cassady and many others to help get the Jobs Act passed, and after seeing the final disclosure requirements that were written into the law for the issuers, it was clear that most people would not be able to do this entirely on their own and would need help," said Ruth Hedges CEO and creator of the Funding Roadmap and CrowdfundingRoadmap.
"Since crowdfund investing is a major change in the way startup capital is raised and the rate at which companies are launched and expanded, it's vital that we start raising awareness now and begin to prepare entrepreneurs ahead of time.
I realized that many may need to become incorporated, they may need assistance from an accountant (since the bill requires certified and audited financial statements for different levels of fund raising), and they would definitely all need to begin to create the lengthily materiel spelled out in the bill in a easy and inexpensive way. Our Funding Roadmap business plan and due diligence reporting system on the cloud is the perfect solution. A partnership between Funding Roadmap, Laughlin Associates, and 1-800 Accountant was created andhttp://www.crowdfundingroadmap.com was born."
CrowdFunding Roadmap provides easy and secure multiple choice question prompts that effortlessly walk you through every detail of a plan for your business and the due diligence reporting process applicable for Equity CrowdFunding on the cloud. Includes a video elevator pitch feature and secure document repository, so you can present both a comprehensive profile of your business as well as your personal vision of its future. Share your presentation 24 / 7 in-the-clouds to potential, investors, lenders and partners, and it can even be used to apply for a FEMA/ SBA disaster loan. Keep it current for the everyday guidance of your business and the yearly reporting requirements of the SEC for Equity Crowdfunding and it will save you months of time, money, and frustration while increasing your chances of getting funded faster.
Do you want to start a crowdfunding campaign? Have you ever wondered if you have a good enough idea or the determination it takes to launch a business and get the crowd to support your idea?
Come and hear the fascinating and inspiring tales of how some of today's hottest companies got their start through crowdfunding and how you can too! Get inspiration and invaluable information right from the experts and industry leaders of this new and emerging way of raising capital. Truly an experience you won't find anywhere else.
You have a very short window of time to run a crowdfund campaign, so preparation to be compliant, to build social capital and creative capital will lead you on the road to "Access Capital". Learn how at this amazing Bootcamp where you can fine-tune your presentation with the help & assistance of industry experts.
To learn more about Crowdfunding Bootcamp go to
Betsy Chasse
Filmmaker
Mom, Filmmaker, Author, Radio host and Blogger. Co-Creator of the hit film "What The Bleep Do We Know?!".
Betsy Chasse is an internationally known filmmaker, author and speaker. She's funny, irreverent and thoughtful in her exploration of all things spiritual.
She believes "if we aren't laughing we aren't growing and learning."
In her blog and radio interviews, Betsy explores the ever expanding world of spirituality . She asks "What is spirituality?" "How does this fit into my everyday life?"
Betsy's latest project is a new movie, "Killing the Buddha" which she is funding via the crowdfunding site: www.crowdfundinglive.com
Killing Buddha
A Film by Betsy Chasse
Betsy says: So often we find ourselves waking up one day with no idea where we are and how we got here. We look back on all our experiences, what we've learned along the way and wonder what it all means. What still works and what doesn't. How do we fit all this information about the world, reality and spirituality into our life and still buy groceries, get the kids to school and maybe fit in a yoga class. It seems that everyday there is some new spiritual fad and we feel overwhelmed by it all.
On her site: Life Unscripted with Betsy Chasse, she explores everything from Channels to Taoism, from Ancient Mysticism to modern day mystics, authors, filmmakers, and everyday people living and exploring all things "spiritual", her show promises to ask them all these questions and more. Her goal is to explain the mystery without losing the magic, to forge a spiritual path for her life and maybe help others along the way.
To learn more about Betsy Chasse and her projects, go to betsychasse.net
Howard Leonhardt
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Howard Leonhardt is an inventor and serial entrepreneur. He has 21 patents for products for treating cardiovascular and heart disease. These include; cardiovascular balloon catheters, stent grafts for aneurysm repair, percutaneous heart valves, heart pacemakers with stem cell recruiting capabilities, electrical stimulation devices for promoting blood flow, electrical stimulation device for converting stem cells to heart muscle, stem cell compositions for heart repair, stem cell delivery systems, biological pacemakers and artificial lung catheter. His TALENT stent graft developed in the early 1990's holds a leading world market share for repairing aortic aneurysms without surgery. In early 1999 Leonhardt founded Bioheart, Inc. www.bioheartinc.com a leader in applying adult muscle stem cells to treat heart failure. Bioheart has raised over $105 million in paid in capital and additionally $40 million in loans and grants. Bioheart MyoCell is in Phase II/III clinical trials at 33 leading centers in the USA (The MARVEL Study). MARVEL Part I results were published in the American Heart Journal October of 2011 and demonstrated Bioheart MyoCell patients improved 95.7 meters in exercise capacity over placebo patients receiving optimal CHF drugs, whom declined minus 4 meters.
Leonhardt has founded 21 companies to date, most them them majority funded by his venture firm Leonhardt Ventures www.leonhardtventures.com, and their affiliated angel investor network - see web site for full portfolio. He holds a diploma in International Trade from Anoka Technical College in Minneapolis, Minnesota and attended Anoka-Ramsey College and the University of Minnesota. He has received an honorary Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Northern California and is an honorary alumnus of the University of Florida and Florida International University, where he has served both as a consulting professor teaching entrepreneurship. He continues to serve on various boards of all three universities. He has lectured on entrepreneurship at Princeton University, UCLA, the University of Minnesota and at numerous other campuses.
The Enormous Implications of Crowdfunding
POSTED BY HOWARD LEONHARDT · MARCH 18, 2012 6:08 PM
We are about to experience the grandest expression of human creativity and economic growth ever seen in the history of human civilization. Innovative breakthroughs that took decades to create, fund, develop and bring to market will now take mere months. New ideas will be free market tested earlier in their development cycle and discarded or funded at a faster rate. The old innovators mantra of try a lot of stuff and keep what works will be applied at hyper speed rates.
It is universal amongst mankind that right after the health and security of their family what is most sought is a good job. Crowdfunding creates jobs.
Crowdfunding is human will expressed in pure form. A person with a vision becomes a dream funded on a mission. It is the explosive combination of democracy and free market capitalism. It's democracy and capitalism in action: think you have a great idea? Convince enough people and you can make it a reality. If not, back to the drawing board. It allows new ideas to get funded and to be free market tested at a lower cost, with less complexity, in less time than ever before. Experimentation has now become possible for millions that were previously excluded from having any chance for their idea to be tried. I am confident that this simple breakthrough socio-economic tool is about to herald in
CrowdFundingLIVE Introduction to Crowdfunding
Aggie Kobrin
Founder
Crowdfunding is taking the world by storm, as people seek funding for their passion-driven projects. Yet, more than half of the people who opt for crowdfunding fail to reach their goal by the end of the campaign and walk away with nothing. What's missing is education about crowdfunding, to help people guide their crowdfunding projects to success.
That's where CrowdFunding LIVE (www.CrowdFundingLIVE.com) comes in. CrowdFunding LIVE is an all-day educational and networking event on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel LAX. Attendees will meet industry experts and gain valuable pointers on funding from well-known crowdfunding success stories, such as Nick Lewis, who raised nearly $250,000 for the film Rise and Shine.
CrowdFunding LIVE projects include the latest by Betsy Chasse, co-writer, director and producer of the popular film What the Bleep Do We Know? Her crowdfunding project is Killing Buddha, a comedy inspired by Chasse's life and her experience making What the Bleep?
Crowdfunding is a way to get small amounts of money from a large number of people to fund a project. People worldwide are using crowdfunding to raise money for films, books and technology products development. CrowdFunding LIVE was founded by three women as their own passion project. Their goal is to bring more crowdfunding to women-owned projects and concepts that focus on women. The site certainly accepts projects founded by men, but that is not the focus.
"Women own 48 percent of the small businesses in the U.S., yet only 5 percent of traditional funding goes to them. Even with crowdfunding, more than half the projects fail to gain traction, so we decided to bring experts, successful crowdfunders and those hoping for funding together on one day to discuss how to set up a powerful and ultimately successful crowdfunding pitch," says CrowdFunding LIVE co-founder Aggie Kobrin. "If you have a good idea you have not been successful raising money, come learn how crowdfunding can help you get the money you need." CrowdFunding LIVE has achieved certification from Crowdsourcing.org and is the female voice on the National Crowdfunding Association. People interested in posting a project on CrowdFundingLIVE.com should contact Aggie@CrowdFundingLIVE.com.
Purchase tickets for the event at www.CrowdFundingLIVE.com. The event is June 9, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel LAX, 6225 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Highlights include:
An overview of crowdfunding including creative, legal and financial aspects by Carl Esposti, and Glenn Weisberger. Esposti is founder of Crowdsourcing.org(www.crowdsourcing.org) and CEO of Massolution, which specializes in crowdsourcing solutions. Weisberger is cofounder of FunderThunder, a crowdfunding site.
The facts behind the crowdfunding business model and the market.
Q&A panel with successful fundraisers such as Nick Lewis, who raised $250,000 for his film on Kickstarter and Tiamo De Vettori, who raised $35,000.
The Next Steps - Marketing Your Website, with Kathy Clark of Internet Dominators.
The Women Behind CrowdFunding LIVE
CrowdFunding LIVE was founded in early 2012. After working together toward the first live event, longtime entrepreneurs