Imagine More Podcast: Recent Episodes
Shantel Khleif
We believe what you focus on grows- whether it's relationships, productivity or the passion that drives you. We want to unpack the ingredients of a young entrepreneurial mind and navigate their journey. What is it that makes these types of minds break through the thresholds of all the "I cant's" the world blares in their face. What is it that makes them IMAGINE MORE and who inspired that journey.
Matt Pfaltzgraf, Founder and CEO of Softgiving, is a payment processing expert whose mission is to revolutionize the way people can support nonprofits through passive recurring fundraising technology. Prior to launching Softgiving, Matt was the Regional Payment Association Director at SHAZAM®, where he handled critical issues including ACH rules and regulations, payment security, and emerging financial technologies. During his time in the payment industry and severing as fundraising chair for many nonprofits, Matt observed firsthand the difficulties nonprofits had raising money for important causes.
Armed with his payment processing background and passion for helping cause-based organizations, Matt saw a gap in the marketplace, and that is when Softgiving was born. Softgiving's innovative fundraising technology enables nonprofits of all sizes to expand their donor base while increasing retention and engagement through passive donation solutions that better fit their supporters’ lifestyle. From humbling beginnings, as a child, Matt was once on the receiving end of charity from nonprofits, but now he empowers them through Softgiving's innovative fundraising solutions.
Steven Dziedzic is a New York-based entrepreneur and the Founder of Lasting, the marriage counseling company. Lasting's first product is a simple, app-based program that helps couples build healthier, happier marriages in a few minutes a day. It's the #1 marriage counseling app in America. Before Lasting, Steven founded Hoppit, an award-winning restaurant app acquired by XO Group Inc. (NYSE:XOXO) in 2013. At XO, he served as the Director of Product for The Knot, the leading wedding brand touching a majority of America's marriages. The three apps he's stewarded—Lasting, Hoppit, and The Knot—have all been featured by Apple. Lastly, Steve is a startup mentor for Praxis Labs, an accelerator program focused on cultural and social impact, and serves on the board of Jonas Paul Eyewear, the leading eyewear brand for children. He resides in New York City with his wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Josie.
Rachelle Kuramoto has worked as a brand and content strategist, writer, and market intelligence professional for 20 years. She is an experienced and award-winning professional who balances creative and business acumen to projects, primarily in the B2B sector. Her objective in every engagement is to articulate what makes the client distinctive and sustainable in their market and with the stakeholders who matter most.
Rachelle launched her career in the late 1990s in the technology practice of Ogilvy Public Relations, where she helped known and startup companies to build and grow their online presence. Since then, she has advised some of the most respected and innovative companies in the world across a host of sectors, including healthcare, technology, financial, transportation, media, education, and energy.
Rachelle has had the opportunity to lead brand and content strategy endeavors for enterprise brands like Cox, Worldpay, The FreshMarket, and SWIFT Transportation. She has helped to launch and grow notable startups including Magic Leap, Roadie, and Greenlight Card and has supported numerous not-for-profit entities such Waymark (Formerly Kids3), Mercy Care Atlanta, Bearings Bike Shop, and The Drake House. When she’s not hard at work, Rachelle is an active volunteer who serves on the boards of the Alliance Theater and 48in48. She’s a competitive marathoner, adventurous cook, mom of two (and a dog), and wife to a fellow entrepreneur.
Raghu Kakarala is the Managing Partner at FortyFour. Prior to cofounding FortyFour he helped build and grow Spunlogic and Engauge into the largest private agency in the Southeast. After participating in the sale of Engauge to Publicis in 2013 Raghu travelled extensively with his wife Dolly and twins Sai and Avi and came back to Atlanta to help create FortyFour into a premier place for local talent to envision and create great work for leading clients. With clients across the globe as well as based here in Atlanta, FortyFour has grown to over 50 employees in its headquarters in Inman Park.
Julia Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group LLC, has been practicing financial planning for more than 20 years. At the age of 23, she married her entrepreneurial spirit and desire for helping others and started her own business. Julia’s passion has always been about helping people win with money by leading with education. She loves to help others by inspiring them to follow a plan for growth and pursue financial freedom. In 2017, Julia wrote a book titled, Fit Money, 7 Steps to get your Financial Life in Shape. In the book, she shares her personal experience of losing weight and getting in the best shape of her life and teaches how those same strategies can be used to become financially strong.
Today, her dream to serve her community and become a financial advisor has turned into so much more. Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group has grown to a staff of 12 and has 5 locations throughout Oregon and SW Washington. Julia is recognized as being especially knowledgeable on topics relating to tax strategies for retirement and distribution planning and is also qualified to provide comprehensive exit planning services to business owners. Julia works from the beautiful coastal town of Newport, Oregon where she resides with her husband and their three children.
Ricky Kalmon has amazed audiences around the world. He has made numerous special guest appearances on ESPN, Hallmark Channel, Fox, FX, TV Guide, HLN/CNN and The Disney Channel. Ricky’s uniqueness comes from the way he combines music, audience participation, and comedy to create an unforgettable comedy show that is unmatched by anyone, anywhere. It’s a show that will keep you on the edge of your seat and take you on a Vacation of the Mind!
Ricky Kalmon delivers corporate programs that will change the way you live, work, and think. The most requested stage hypnotist in the country, Ricky redefines the art of hypnosis. His motivational programs are inspirational and offer compelling, applicable tools anyone can use in personal and professional development. By "Unlocking the Power Within™,” he reveals how the subconscious mind can be the greatest tool in achieving new heights, reducing stress, increasing productivity and success. Ricky will show you how to enhance your mindset to repel doubt and ignite your positive intentions.
King of Pops was born as a result of a layoff, a trip to Latin America and a popsicle dream. In true founder fashion Steven has never walked into King of Pops without a new idea and a pat on the back for the crew. His mind never stops moving, producing on average 100 ideas per week, and though most of them are beyond the possibilities, the 1% that make the cut are true gold. Steven has founded four additional companies as an answer to business needs: Tree Elves, King of Crops, King of Pups, and Perfect 10 Foods. He loves his community, his King of Pops family, and he truly couldn’t envision a different life. Steven Carse is one-of-a-kind; he has a really big heart and his employees are proud to have an owner who cares about their well-being as much as he does.
Born and raised by entrepreneurs, fab’rik Founder Dana Spinola always knew a job could fulfill a bigger purpose. Her dreams to flourish both personally and professionally led Dana to start fab’rik in 2002 around the concept of high-style clothing with an affordable price tag. In 2006, Dana began franchising with like-minded women and has since grown fab'rik to 40+ stores across the U.S.
Dana has always believed clothing has the ability to change lives. In 2009, she launched the brand's nonprofit arm, free fab’rik, which provides free shopping sprees for women and girls escaping sex trafficking. In 2012, fab'rik launched its in-house designed clothing line, Asher. Proceeds from the collection provide financial support for orphans in Kenya until they find their forever homes. At the intersection of passion and purpose, Dana has built a brand that truly delivers High Style with Heart.
Forbes named her, “one of the five great American entrepreneurs you haven’t heard of yet but should know” because of her dedication to not only building a growing fashion brand but for inspiring a culture of people to weave purpose into their companies and their life. She was voted The Atlanta Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year, Women Making a Mark, 40 Under 40 and Women Who Mean Business, and has appeared in dozens of national publications from The Wall Street Journal to Elle. Motivational speaker, inspirational leader and author of ‘Love What You Do.’ Dana is committed to reminding women to dream big and and then chase those dreams relentlessly.
Dana is a 1996 graduate of the University of Georgia in Management Information Systems. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, four children, two dogs and 20 chickens. While Dana sits at the head of a leading fashion franchise as well as a nonprofit organization, her most rewarding job is being a mom.
Kenan’s background as a formally trained artist contributes to her eye for detail, composition, and color in all that she does. Photography and painting are her main media, but that training extends to many things, including plating dishes of food and arranging flowers. Kenan is co-founder and Curator of Flowers for Chivalry Flowers (formerly Real Men Buy Flowers). Her previous work includes creating menus and product management for meal kit delivery company Peachdish, teaching cooking classes and photography workshops, producing product and lifestyle photography, and painting custom pet portraits. Kenan holds a bachelor's degree in studio art with a concentration in painting from UNC Chapel Hill, as well as a business certificate from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Kenan and her husband Nick live in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.
To know K.P. Reddy is to experience boundless enthusiasm for creating new ventures. K.P.'s multidisciplinary career spans the innovation continuum. Over 25+ years, he has been a technologist, subject matter expert, founder, CEO, advisor, investor, professor, author and coach. K.P. combines expertise in advanced technologies with critical, in-the-trenches experience as an entrepreneur. He is a globally recognized authority in AEC environments, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, collaborative communication, mobile applications and cloud computing. His passion is in launching game-changing startups, raising substantial investments, and leading organizations to meaningful acquisition and IPO exits.
As Founder and Creative Director, Candice leads the people, practice and progress of Nimble. pushing her team and her clients to think big and always pursue what’s next. She also spearheads the interiors consulting practice — working directly with clients and project teams to orchestrate branded environments that engage and excite. Since Nimble.’s formation, Candice has directed the launch of over 100 new brands, led nearly 80 property repositioning campaigns, and traveled 40,000+ miles to bring innovation and consistent brand exposure to projects in 21 US markets and internationally. In this episode, you’ll learn how Candice approaches client acquisition, hires from a team perspective and balances work and play.
After completing graduate school at Rice University, Ericka taught English and College Readiness to freshman and sophomores. In 2014, Ericka left teaching and started Project 88 Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports college advisors and vocational training in the city of Houston and beyond. Since then, Project 88 has raised almost 1.5 million dollars, and continues to support Houston-area programs that connect students to four year institutions, community college, and vocational training programs.
Jodi Daniels is a Certified Informational Privacy Professional with more than 20 years of experience helping a range of businesses from solopreneurs to multi-national companies in privacy, marketing, strategy, and finance roles. During her corporate career, she proved a valuable asset to companies like Deloitte, The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, and Bank of America where she most recently served as the privacy partner for Digital Banking and Digital Marketing. Jodi started her privacy career by creating the comprehensive privacy program at Cox Automotive. She launched an online advertising network for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. Since launching in 2017, Red Clover Advisors has helped hundreds of companies create privacy programs, achieve GDPR compliance, and establish a secure online data strategy their customers can count on. Jodi makes privacy easy to understand by breaking it down into measurable steps using plain language her clients can relate to. She passionately supports the idea that privacy is more than just compliance and concern over fines. It's a human right we all deserve. She has made it her mission to help businesses build trust and transparency with this core value at its foundation. Jodi holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two little girls, and a big fluffy dog named Basil.
Anne grew up on a farm in Nebraska before attending Dartmouth College. She pursued her love of science and education, which led to a formative five years as a middle school science teacher. After earning a Doctor of Education degree in Education Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Anne worked as a consultant for Harvard's Data Wise project where she helped schools around the country implement data-based improvement practices. From there, Anne became Chief Program Officer at Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit and leading provider of STEM curriculum. She helped expand access to hands-on STEM curriculum and professional development to over 8,000 schools across the US. Anne and her husband founded District C, an organization focused on preparing our next generation of talent, leaders, workforce, community members and family members for the “three-point economy.”
Tammy Bjelland holds a BA and MA from the University of Virginia and is a certified Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. She began her professional career in academia before moving into ed-tech, where she got her first remote role in 2011. Since then, Tammy has continued to help people achieve location-independent growth as the owner of a learning experience design firm specializing in online courses, the author of How to Learn Online, and now as the founder of Workplaceless, which has just launched a Remote Work Certification Program to help people work remotely.
For over twenty-five years, Suzanne Reinhard has immensely influenced the luxury event and hospitality industry. With celebrity and coast to coast clientele like Jeff Foxworthy, Steve Harvey and beyond, Suzanne has been recognized as one of Atlanta's Top Wedding Experts by Modern Luxury Weddings. Beginning her culinary and service career at Johnson and Wales University, Suzanne honed her passion and talent for serving others. As her culinary and hospitality background evolved, Suzanne became an integral leader in several award-winning restaurants in the Southeast. In 2008, Suzanne made the leap from restaurants to the event world and became the co-owner of Magnolia Events and Planning. After assisting in the growth of Magnolia Events into a premier planning company, Suzanne Reinhard Events was launched in 2014. Suzanne executes an average of four to six weddings annually, allowing her the margin to give each client the service, attention and planner relationship they deserve. When she's not bustling about her home city of Atlanta or exploring international venues, Suzanne sets the planning aside and enjoys spontaneous moments with her family.
Jonathan is the “reasonably qualified” creative guy at Monday Night Brewing. He develops and maintains the Monday Night brand, including all design, social media and their obsession with Bryan Adams. He graduated from Emory in 2005 with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Religion. His background is in marketing strategy consulting, where he worked with some large beer brands that you’ve definitely heard of. He is married to the lovely Sarah, and has a daughter named Addie Gray and a Pit Bull-mix named Eden who comes to the brewery everyday. She’s a lover, not a fighter.
With a heart for people and a passion for decor, Anisa and Casey created Truth & Co to combine their two greatest passions: family and design. As the home sets the stage for years of life and love for your family, they believe it deserves all the love, care, and attention it needs to make it the best backdrop for your family’s greatest memories.
Anisa has been designing, drawing, and dreaming of homes since she was only seven years old. She began her career as a design consultant at 18 years old, advising friends, family, and clients on their home design and décor. She soon expanded her work to include larger projects such as room makeovers and full home renovations, walking with clients all the way from crafting their initial design to installing the final pieces of furniture.
As an artist, Anisa loves painting and creating unique pieces for the home and family as well. Along with her husband Casey and their four daughters, Ava, Rosa, Eleanor and Adeline, Anisa is excited for the future of Truth & Co.
Currently, Truth & Co is busy with everything from new constructions and home renovations to design consultations and room refreshers.
Sam Konigsberg is the Head Relationship Builder at Sablier Watches, a wine-inspired American luxury watch brand based in Atlanta, GA. Sam joined Sablier Watches in 2013 with a passion to share Sablier's patented design and unique philosophy with the world. Sablier has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg Pursuits, Esquire Magazine and in numerous charity wine auctions across the country. Sam's attention to time is important as he is also an Investment Consultant for BlackRock. The process of balancing corporate life and entrepreneurship has taught Sam many lessons that he shares in this podcast.
Kara Brown is the Founder and CEO of SmithBrown Marketing, a fractional CMO and team focused on B2B sales and marketing alignment and execution. Originally from Chicago, Brown was one of the first employees of Echo Global Logistics, the first tech-enabled freight broker. Brown was a one-woman department single-handedly managing the company’s brand, image and marketing initiatives as the company grew 3000% in just over 3 years. In 2008, she took on the role of Investor Relations and was part of the company’s successful 2009 IPO (NYSE:ECHO). This was all by the time she was 26. She was recruited by OHL (Ozburn-Hessey Logistics), at the time a $2B Nashville-based global supply chain provider with clients like Apple, Starbucks, Samsung, Sony and Remington.
Billy Boughey is a nationally recognized host and speaker who has led events for Delta, Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, FIFA, The John Maxwell Company and many other notable organizations. He is the Founder and President of the Atlanta based company: Elevate Experiences. Billy’s passion is to create world-class experiences that inspire each attendee to live and lead at a higher level. As a former baseball player at Auburn University, Georgia State University and the Philadelphia Phillies his experience includes working with many college and professional sports teams to improve their culture. His talents include keynote speaking and consulting groups on how to make their team members smile and their customers rave. He is currently writing his first book titled: “Created for Experience”, which will challenge readers to view each relationship as an opportunity for positive impact! Billy has participated in many freestyle hip-hop events and loves rap as a creative art form. Put on a beat and watch his passion to create come to life in vivid technicolor. Billy is married to Jenn and has three energetic children that you might see dancing on a stage near you!
Annelle Barnett is a global executive with over 20 years of experience successfully leading company and marketing operations for multiple corporations and self-owned entities. After building a successful marketing consultancy, Annelle founded Marketing Mob in 2013. Marketing Mob connects growth-oriented marketing professionals with companies whose primary objective is exponential growth. In 2018, she expanded the company’s career offerings by launching The Marketing Mob Job Board & Community and The Mob Method, a Land Your Marketing Dream Job Masterclass. Annelle attempts to stay balanced with yoga and international travel.
Jenni Catron is a leadership coach, author and speaker. Her passion is to lead well and to inspire, equip and encourage others to do the same. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently in the different spheres of influence God has granted them. As Founder and CEO of The 4Sight Group, she consults organizations on leadership, team culture and organizational health.
Jenni is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. She loves a fabulous cup of tea, great books, learning the game of tennis and hiking with her husband. Jenni can be found on social media at @jennicatron and at www.get4sight.com.
See.Spark.Go co-founder and publicity maven, Brittany Thoms began her career in fast-paced agencies promoting national accounts through entertainment and sports-related events. With a desire to return to the city that captured their hearts— Athens, Georgia—Brittany and her husband Andy founded See.Spark.Go in 2007. Her strategic thinking and creative enthusiasm influence all of See.Spark.Go’s clients. She serves as a board member for Break Into Business and advises several other nonprofits on a regular basis. When she isn’t leading her team in winning PR strategy, she enjoys reading, playing football with her boys and enjoying life with friends and family.
Dan D'Aquisto (Duh-qwist-oh) is the Cofounder and Chief Revenue Officer of 2ULaundry. Dan grew up in a small hockey town outside of Minneapolis, MN called Red Wing, home of Red Wing Shoes. Dan grew up playing hockey before graduating and attending the University of Minnesota pursuing a degree in Marketing. After school, Dan worked in sales for a fast growing startup in Minneapolis called Sports Engine which recently sold to NBC Sports. In late 2015, Dan quit his job, packed up his car, broke the lease on his house, broke up with his girlfriend, and moved to Charlotte, NC to go all in on starting 2ULaundry. To date, 2ULaundry has raised $3M in venture capital, is a Techstars alumn, has 75 employees, live in Charlotte and Atlanta, and just recently opened the first of its kind retail laundromat in Charlotte, NC in partnership with Electrolux. 2ULaundry is looking to raise its Series A within the next 6-8 months for expansion.
After losing her daughter to a terminal condition, Ashley developed a new perspective on success, life, and love. She's the founder and executive director of Love Not Lost, a nonprofit who photographs people facing a terminal diagnosis to celebrate life, preserve memories, and support people in grief. In addition to the free portrait sessions they provide, Love Not Lost is on a mission to empower others to show up and love the people they care about who are hurting too. Everyone deserves to be loved and remembered. Ashley is passionate about growth, justice, and love. In fact, the driving question she asks daily is "How can we love people better?" She is constantly working on new initiatives and resources for Love Not Lost to answer that question as well as loving her self, husband, family, friends, and community better in her personal life. She loves speaking to companies, conferences, and groups about grief, love, and making the most of the time we have. You can learn more about Ashley's story at www.lovenotlost.org.
Elizabeth has a background in publishing from early roles with Seventeen and People StyleWatch and lifestyle PR where she worked on the accounts for brands ranging from Eileen Fisher to Nike to AVON. Upon moving to Atlanta from New York City in the Fall of 2014, Elizabeth launched a line of eponymous hair accessories that Spring that has largely serviced as a case study for her creative work as well as led her to be 2017 finalist in Forbes Magazine’ 30 under 30 list in retail & e-commerce. Carried in approx. 70 retail locations nationwide in its prime, the hair accessories, were also seen in publications from Bloomberg Businessweek to Teen Vogue as well as appeared on Good Morning America, HBO GIRLS, and The TODAY Show. With her businesses recently acquired, Elizabeth has refocused her time spent on growing her brand to helping others achieve similar results. Elizabeth leads the Domino team to ensure continuous development and growth of the company, which includes but is not limited to: securing new business, overseeing client related initiatives on a day-to-day basis, and developing strategic action plans for both Domino and clients.
After a year of research and planning, Jeanne developed the concept of The Groomsman Suit. Day to day, she leads product design and development for TGS. Her focus on high-quality fabrics, construction and components, and meticulous attention to detail are evident in every TGS suit. Jeanne continuously advances the TGS product by leveraging her great relationships with key industry partners that she has cultivated throughout her career.
Being a passionate advocate for the TGS brand, Diana oversees marketing and branding efforts to bring maximum visibility and growth. She enjoys building relationships with engaged couples and industry partners and is committed to creating a fun, easy and thrilling purchasing experience for all TGS customers.
Dallas tells the story that Leonte was the catalyst for him starting T. Dallas Smith & Company. Dallas states, “He was a sophomore at Morehouse who wanted to get into commercial real estate and he had no real estate license or real estate experience. I told him to call me when he gets his license. Two months later he shows up at my door with license in hand. “Mr. Smith I have my license.” I was trying to get rid of the kid. For two weeks, I had Leonte getting my laundry, getting my dog from the kennel, getting coffee, whatever. He did it all and always with a smile and a very humble spirit. My epiphany was that his eagerness to get into this business was the same as mine was when I pursued Mr. Tift and Cushman & Wakefield. I knew I had to help this guy and so T. Dallas Smith & Company was born.” It was his tenacity and persistence after that two week hazing period that has become his Modus Operandi.
Matt Thomasis a fundraiser, fitness coach and storyteller. He founded Brawl for a Cause, a non-profit organization dedicated to training, equipping and inspiring everyday people to literally fight for what they believe in. He plans and promotes charity-boxing events showcasing first-timers fighting to raise funds and awareness for causes close to their hearts. He has bounced on a treetop trampoline in the Costa Rican cloud forest, was out-boxed and out-drank by a world champion in Havana, Cuba, and raced Porters down to Machu Picchu base camp in Peru. He loves people, passion and a good story, and count on him asking you what you believe in enough to take a punch for.
Josh Sweeney is the founder of EpicCulture, whose mission is to help businesses build an amazing company culture. He has a deep understanding and ability to utilize hiring process and behavior analytics to create business environments that people enjoy working in. Josh is a long-standing member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and served 5 years on the EO Atlanta Board before moving into a regional role. He has worked with and coached hundreds of entrepreneurs through the EO Accelerator and LaunchPad programs.
Darrah Brustein is an author and two-time founder with a payment processing company spanning 38 states and a networking events company which serves 30,000+ people. She contributes to Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global on networking, entrepreneurship and creating a life of your own design, and has been featured in over 300 press outlets including Time, CNN, Inc, Huffington Post, Fox, and Mashable (all built on the back of her network). She's on a mission to help others who are disenchanted with "sleep when you're dead" culture and chasing others people's definitions of success to build a life of their own design.
Morgan Lopes is an entrepreneur who leads Polar Notion, a digital brand experience team. They design and develop web and mobile apps for information, education, and influence based businesses. While he reluctantly accepts the title CEO, his role is to identify and amplify the strengths of each person who chooses to join their team.
As of 2016, Morgan has also been serving as CTO for New Story, a startup-minded nonprofit that is moving the needle on the global homelessness crisis. In just over 2 years, they've grown from one home in Haiti to over 800 homes around the world and have built the first 3D home printer in the US.
Along with his work at Polar Notion and New Story, he sites his greatest adventure as fathering two daughters and working to improve the world they’ll eventually inherit.
Juan Pablo is a dynamic speaker and coach who quit his day job at the age of 30 on the back of utilizing creative financing in real estate as well as having a burning desire to “Make That Wake Up Whenever You Feel Like It Money.” Now, a financially free real estate investor of 63 rental units with a rental revenue of $20,000 per month, Juan has helped many real estate investors obtain over $5.5 million in business funding for their real estate investments as well as improved their FICO scores to a 720 or higher. Juan is an active blogger for 100percentfinanced.com and blogger for the 100 Percent Financed Youtube Channel, helping to provide those who are frustrated with the 9 to 5 with the tools they need to succeed financially.
Andrew McConnell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rented.com, the world's largest marketplace turning vacant rental weeks into guaranteed income for homeowners. Andrew holds degrees from Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Cambridge University, and has worked with some of the world's largest public and private entities as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., and as a Director, Solutions Design at Axiom Global, Inc. In addition to speaking and writing about vacation rentals and the sharing economy, Andrew also contributes more general business insights and advice to publications like Inc.com, Forbes, and Huffington Post.
Mike Popowski is the CEO of Dagger. Mike drives Dagger’s vision, culture and growth. He brings over 17 years of digital, social and brand-building experience. A proven client service and team leader, Mike has had success building campaigns for the world’s biggest brands across a variety of industries.
Mike joined Dagger from TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where he led the global repositioning for GSK’s global smoker’s health business, Nicoderm CQ (US). Mike was previously SVP, Client Partner at Moxie (formerly Engauge), where he architected the agency’s first content marketing practices for Cisco Systems, UPS and Wells Fargo. He was an early pioneer of social marketing as a consultant for AARP from 2008 to 2011, and implemented early digital content practices for AARP’s renowned Travel Ambassador, Peter Greenberg, and Health Ambassador, Martina Navratilova. Mike’s previous stints include AOL and SureClick, an Inc. 5000 digital agency based in Washington, D.C.
Mike’s a native Vermonter so he really enjoys winters in Atlanta.
Molly Fienning is a Co-Founder of Babiators, one of Forbes' 100 Most Promising Companies and the leading sunglasses brand for babies & kids. Molly manages the e-commerce, marketing, p.r., social media and brand strategy for the company, which has sold over 2 million pairs of shades. Prior to Babiators, Molly has worked at IBM and Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Molly graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband Ted and sons, Sawyer and Fox.
If there’s one thing Kate and Tallia know to be true, it’s that pursuing the work you want is always worth it. What started out as a blind dinner date in 2014 quickly turned into a lasting friendship rooted in their love for seeing women succeed. With Tallia’s expertise in mindset and career coaching, and Kate’s corporate branding and marketing experience - a dream team was born. After empowering women all across the country to define success on their own terms, they created Mavenly + Co. to help women go from where they are in their careers to where they truly want to be.
Lindsey has been in the luxury travel industry for over eight years, three of which as the owner of Epperly Travel, a boutique agency that specializes in customizing 4 & 5-star vacations across the globe. While she currently serves as the Wendy Perrin WOW List expert specifically for the Caribbean, she enjoys planning trips for clients across the globe - although she tends to prefer personally inspecting the beach destinations. She has been recognized nationally by Travel Agent Magazine as one of their top 30 Under 30 and locally in Atlanta as one of Jezebel Magazine's trailblazing 10.
After launching Epperly Travel at the end of 2014, Lindsey has built a team of 13 independent contractors who represent the agency across the U.S. At the same time as she manages travel planning, she balances the growth of her company through a recently launched training program, aiming to educate new and existing agents on the core values of how Epperly Travel does business and what it takes to succeed in the travel industry.
Part of her story has been to establish a strong balance between work and home life, even to the point where she has been invited to educate other business owners on her tactics of working smarter not harder. Speaking of home life, Lindsey is recently engaged and looking forward to her wedding this July at the brand new Park Hyatt in St. Kitts!
Ryan McCarty is an author, speaker and the co-founder of Culture of Good, Inc. Building upon the success of his award-winning program at TCC-Verizon, a Verizon retailer with over 800 stores, that inspires employees, ignites positive change in the world and impacts their bottom lines, Ryan and TCC-Verizon CEO Scott Moorehead created Culture of Good to teach for profit companies how to operate with the soul of a non-profit. Ryan helps other organizations engage the hearts of their employees, empowering them to make changes in their communities. His work has been featured in Inc., Forbes, People Magazine, Huffington Post and more.
Brooke Beach is the Founder and CEO of Marketwake - a digital marketing agency that focuses on sharing stories and building brands. Most recently she was the CEO of a technology company called Kevy where she helped turn around the company after it's pivot into marketing automation in 2015. Brooke graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. After graduation, she became a spokesperson for Fortune 500 companies and helped lead nation-wide PR and marketing campaigns. A serial entrepreneur and sought-after leader in the industry, Brooke has a passion for helping businesses and leaders grow.
Chuck Blakeman is a Best-Selling Business Author and World-Renowned Business Advisor who has built ten businesses in seven industries on three continents, and now uses his leadership experience to advise others. His company, Crankset Group, provides outcome-based mentoring and peer advisory for business leaders worldwide in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Chuck sold one of his businesses to the largest consumer fulfillment company in America and led three other $10-$100 million companies through repositioning in the Marketing Support Services industry. He presently leads the Crankset Group and a for-profit business based in Africa, focused on developing local economies to solve poverty.
Danica Kombol is the CEO of the Everywhere Agency, a leading social media & content marketing firm that works with Fortune 500 companies crafting and executing successful campaigns. She founded the blogger network, Everywhere Society to power the agency’s many award-winning influencer campaigns for clients like Macy’s, Carter’s/OshKosh, Coca-Cola, Cox Communications, Moe’s and others. As a social media marketer, Danica draws on her extensive background as a television producer and PR executive. She began her career at Sesame Workshop and went on to become a successful television producer working on such legendary shows as Saturday Night Live and Kids in the Hall. She’s a frequent speaker at social media conferences and global forums. Danica serves on the board of WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association), and National Black Arts Festival. She’s a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and an alumna board member of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.
Andrew Lorimer is currently the director of marketing for Eagle Rock Distributing Company. ERDC is the top beverage distributor in Atlanta, where he gets to market the top breweries in the world. When Andrew joined ERDC he felt it was important to learn all aspects of the business, knowing this was a long-term career move. Andrew worked on everything from the logistics side of the business (merchandising and delivery)...to the sales side as an account manager….until the role he is in now. Marketing beer, wine, spirits and non-alcohol brands they sell is an honor. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Marketing. Andrew's been able to truly use his education and degree towards his career which is not something most people can say. On the personal side, Andrew and his wonderful and supportive wife have been married for 11 years. They have three kids under the age of 8. It’s total chaos and a lot of fun!
Shannon Miles is the CEO of BELAY, Inc. an INC 500 Fastest Growing Company and winner of CultureIQ and Entrepreneur’s #1 Company Culture awards. Since 2010, the company has grown to nearly 700 team members and serves nearly 1,000 clients on a daily basis. Whether through team development or Balance Mentoring, Shannon is passionate about serving others and inspiring them to live life more fully, while firmly remaining her own worst critic. While on Necker Island with Richard Branson, she learned that if your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. Shannon loves yoga and spending time with her family, whether that’s on the front porch of their home in Georgia, on the beach in the Panhandle of Florida, or snowboarding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Thor Conklin is an Entrepreneur, Profitability Consultant and host of his daily podcast, Peak Performers Podcast. 2018 marks his 18th year as an entrepreneur. The first company Thor created was a global risk management consulting firm that served the private equity community. His top 15 clients had a combined revenue of $12.7 billion USD and operated in over 100 countries worldwide. His background, in risk management, served him well when he lost 1/3 of his team, in the World Trade Center attacks, on 9/11. Since that time, he has started, bought and sold several multi-million dollar businesses making him a sought after, cross-industrial resource for entrepreneurs and executives in all stages of business.
Drew French currently serves as Founder and President at Your Pie. In this role, he leads a growing brand with its mission to be a globally admired brand by creating a culture that improves the Your Pie family. He is passionate about working as part of a team to improve the communities that Your Pie serves. In addition, he serves on the board of non-profits Athensmade and Extra Special People. Drew graduated from the Terry College of Business in 2005 with a degree in marketing and currently lives in Athens, GA with his wife Natalie, their two daughters Anna and Scarlett, and their 3 dogs.
Jeff is the owner and managing principal at Pollock Commercial, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate services firm founded in 2009. Jeff has completed a wide variety of transactions including tenant representation, single user-building sales, landlord representation, purchaser representation and development consulting services.Jeff is also active within the commercial real estate community. He serves on several boards and is the current President of the 350 member Georgia CCIM Chapter. He has developed continuing education seminars for his peers on the topics of social media and productivity strategies and was recognized by the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors with the President’s Award in 2011 for his contributions.
In 2011, Wes co-founded Honeysuckle Gelato in Atlanta, Ga. As CEO of Honeysuckle Gelato, Wes manages the company’s day-to-day operations with a focus on marketing, strategic planning, retail expansion, business development and overall growth.Honeysuckle Gelato is a manufacturer and wholesaler of gelato and sorbet. As a wholesaler, Honeysuckle Gelato supplies caterers, restaurants, specialty food stores, big box retailers and select Delta Air Lines flights. In 2015, Honeysuckle Gelato opened its first retail location at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ga. and is currently exploring opportunities in Savannah, Ga., Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN to open additional retail locations.
Andy is the founder of Accel Financial Services. For the last 13 years, Accel Financial Services has helped small businesses and entrepreneurs discover their true direction, understand and take control of their financials, and leverage that financial knowledge to specifically command their own destiny. Born and raised in Atlanta, Andy graduated from Georgia Tech, worked in the finance and M&A side of the collections industry, until realizing small businesses didn’t know what they were missing when it came to understanding their financials. Andy and his wife of 13 years have two kids, live in Cumming Georgia, and spend much of the year thinking about their next Disney Cruise!
Darshana Patel is an Energy Intuitive, Medium, and Host of the show enLight’n Up on The Lighter Side Network. After 20 years in the corporate world, Darshana traded in her corporate armor for the tools of a spiritual warrior at her business, Unscripted Way. She has been shifting the paradigms of possibility for everyday people ever since. Gifted with the ability to see and feel subtle energy from birth, Darshana helps her clients to “see the unseen”, and to resolve and repattern energy distortions. Her own life experiences provide the perfect mix of intellect and compassion to help others blaze new pathways to unleash their full potential. Darshana possesses an undergrad in Information Systems, a Master’s in Transformative Conflict, and advanced certifications in organizational change and personal transformation. While working to complete her prefatory book, “A Field Guide for the New Awakening,” Darshana furthers her mission to create new realms of possibilities for all spiritual warriors in-the-making.
Jamie Butler is a natural born Medium and media personality who has been working internationally for the past 25 years. She is the author of With Love and Light: A True Story About an Uncommon Gift as well as the founder of The Center for Love and Light in Atlanta, GA and co-founder of the nonprofit learning environment: The Love & Light Institute. Most recently, Jamie launched The Lighter Side Network, a TV platform devoted to wholeness living. With uplifting, educational, healing and topical content, the ad-free, member-supported network inspires viewers to unlock their fullest potential and lead their best lives. Jamie is deeply passionate about community and entrepreneurship and enjoys teaching people of all ages about the infinite possibilities for healing, joy, and success available to each of us when wholeness living is incorporated into our daily lives.
Kevin graduated high school in 1982 and quickly went to work for a credit union as a computer operator. Over the years that grew old and in 1986 he went to work for US Westas a sales consultant. Working for a company that had all their technicians on union labor did not work well and in 1990 he went to work for MCI. MCI was a very dynamic fast moving company and Kevin had several finance jobs before landing as a National Sales Account Manager working with fortune 100 companies. 2006 was a tough year for telecom because companies were not making their Wall Street projections. That year Kevin decided to step out and start his own Master Agency and named it Tranquility Networks. Tranquility Networks was founded in September 2006 by Kevin Jacobs and Christopher Gardiner. Then Kevin created Vos Technology but was unable to create the Master Agent contracts needed for each carrier, so in 2010 Vos Technology merged with Tek Efficient, a Master Agent and IT Consultant. They have over 100 vetted technology providers and a one-stop shop for everything from Voice Services, Hosted to Cloud. Kevin Jacobs is widowed with 2 grown children Taylor (26) and Connor (22). Kevin resides in Parker, Colorado Loves to ski, bike, play softball and do anything with friends.
26-year-old Hadyn Hilton is the owner and founder of Java Cats Café, Georgia's first cat café located in the heart of Atlanta. Though Hadyn’s degree and career path were slated for the film industry, it came as no surprise to friends and family when she decided to drop everything and open a business revolving around one of her favorite things: cats! Hadyn, facing many hurdles in order to open her business, enjoys encouraging other entrepreneurs who are starting their journeys as well as giving advice about being a young female business owner in a male dominated society. With adoption numbers doubling the shelter rates, Java Cats has been a huge success for cat adoptions and has an established following all across the US and several countries in the world. Hilton's focus is to give back to the community, which her café does by providing a safe and nurturing environment for cats to live in while awaiting adoption, selling food items that support a nonprofit employing the Atlanta homeless, providing resources for local entrepreneurs and being a positive influence on social media platforms. Since opening, over 200 cats have been successfully adopted into their forever homes.
Nathan is the Co-Owner of Southend Films, a video production company in Atlanta, Georgia. Southend Films produces cinematic films that awake emotion and empower brands. Nathan loves being married to his wife, Joy and being a dad to his two kids, Ty (5yrs old) and Alexis (2yrs old). Joy and Nathan are celebrating their 10 year wedding anniversary this year! Nathan embraces the entrepreneurial spirit and enjoys problem-solving, creating and making beautiful work.
Cara Thomas spent over 10 years inventing award-winning products for Fortune 100 companies. She found that adventure and playfulness led to breakthroughs. In need of that personally, she started Serenflipity as an experiment — and it ended up changing her life. It started with a one-way flight to Mumbai, and 90 challenges written by 90 friends, clients and strangers. Each day she flipped a card, followed its direction and blogged the tale. The results were surprising and serendipitous — and even included getting life-changing advice from Steven Tyler. Cara has launched Serenflipity to encourage that spirit of adventure into everyday life, anywhere in the world.
Jeff Hilimire is Co-Founder and CEO of Dragon Army, an Atlanta-based mobile and innovation company that helps clients navigate today’s connected landscape through the use of new innovations and technology. Prior to that, Jeff founded and sold two additional marketing agencies, Spunlogic and Engauge, within a 10-year span.
Monica is the Executive Director of Break Into Business located in Atlanta, GA. Since 2013 Break Into Business has trained over 500 entrepreneurs aged 9-17 who have launched over 150 profitable businesses, earning thousands of dollars in profit. Prior to Break Into Business, Monica worked with The Boston Consulting Group. Monica has her undergraduate degree in business from Queen’s University, in Canada, and her MBA from Harvard.
Adriana Carrig is the founder and CEO of Little Words Project. She began her company in 2013 after having just graduated with an English Literature degree from The College of New Jersey. During her tenure at TCNJ, Adriana had come up with a version of her brand that she shared with her college sorority. While studying to take the LSAT in preparation for Law School, Adriana came up with the idea to make Little Words Project into a real company. Adriana's vision for the company was to create a kinder world for women wherein collaboration was favored over competition, and its working. The company has doubled year over year since inception and was profitable in its first month of sales. Recently married, Adriana enjoys spending time with her new husband, Bill and they look forward to purchasing their first home together later this month!
Sixteen years ago, Ethan King was a struggling artist by day, taking out the trash at a strip club by night. The turning point came when he was carjacked at gunpoint, and he escaped with an epiphany to turn his life around. Tapping into his passion for collegiate Greek life, Ethan and his then-girlfriend-now-wife launched stuff4GREEKS.com as a school project, with $700 and no outside funding. They bootstrapped it to become what is now a multi-million dollar eCommerce brand for specialty fraternity and sorority gear. A few years later, they opened Zeus' Closet - a state-of-the-art retail experience in west midtown Atlanta, where you can personalize your clothes through advanced design, screen printing, and embroidery. Ethan manages several other businesses and brands, and is the President-Elect of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Atlanta. He is passionate about running, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Kali Rogers is the Founder and Janitor of Blush Online Life Coaching. She and her team of master’s level coaches help females from around the globe get over their quarter-life crisis, grow their self-confidence, get over nasty breakups, and work on bettering their relationships all via video conference for only $79/mo. She is also the author of “Conquering Your Quarter Life Crisis: How to Get Your Shit Together in Your 20’s” and has been featured on Bustle, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, Elite Daily, and Thought Catalog. Kali attended The University of Texas at Austin where she studied psychology and grew accustomed to butting her nose into other’s problems while living in a house of 40 other girls. From there, she attended SMU in Dallas where she received her M.S. in counseling. Kali now resides in Los Angeles, California where she likes to walk around Beverly Hills and wave at the pretty houses, watch reruns of The Office and Parks and Rec (Leslie Knope is her hero), and attempt to make healthy meals in her bruised-up kitchen.
John co-founded SendHub in 2011, a Silicon Valley-based startup that went through Y Combinator (Winter 2012) and raised $10 million from angels and VCs. John served as SendHub’s Chief Operating Officer, managing ops, finances, and legal, all the way through the company’s acquisition. Following SendHub's acquisition, John served as Head of Talent for Tilt until he moved to Raleigh, NC in late 2015. Since moving to Raleigh, John has served as the COO of Lincoln Network (a tech/tech policy nonprofit based in the Bay), launched Fallone SV (a law firm that serves startups) with Katelin Kennedy and earned a Master of Laws degree in Law and Entrepreneurship from Duke Law School. John earned his J.D. from George Mason University’s School of Law and his B.S. from Florida State University where he threw shot put and walked on to the football team.
Carmin Black would tell you that growing up, she did not have a normal childhood. With a father who was a pastor and a mother who exemplified everything fashion and design, two very different worlds collided to create the culture that Carmin grew up in. While moving to various places all over the country that included Hawaii and Alaska, Carmin grew up with a sense of culture and a passion for people unlike most! Her dad instilled a passion and responsibility for helping people while her mom exemplified everything fashion and design. These worlds would soon come together with siblings Carmin and Christian to create HALF UNITED.
If Alex Palmerton isn't eating, she's probably talking about it. She's spent her entire career in the food industry as an in-house food writer and marketer for restaurants and food brands. In 2016, she founded The 5th Sense — a copywriting and digital marketing agency that helps food businesses find their voice and increase their online traffic while crafting the content people crave. When she's not writing FOR food businesses, she's writing ABOUT them — she's also the food editor of 303 Magazine in Denver. When she's not working, she loves exploring Colorado with her husband Brooks or putting in quality couch time with their English Bulldog named Bacon.
Mike Doyle started his animation company, drive 80, in 2011 with a vision that regular equals boring. He's been told throughout the years to tone down down his message but has strayed from this advice because that's not what separates good from great. If you are going to push the boundaries, you need to draw a line in the sand. If everyone likes you then you are doing it wrong.
Craig Johnson is the President and co-founder of Matchstic. A native Atlantan, Craig graduated from Georgia State University and for his entire career he has worked on the business side of a creative industry, starting with managing rock bands and moving on to become the business arm of Matchstic. His vision for the company was to create a place where smart creatives could thrive and produce work that generates real change for business.
Akram Ibrahim is a manager on the Customer Success Team for CareerBuilder. He came in when they were building the team up and two years later it has grown to something that would not have seemed likely early on. Akram also works with software start ups in the process of building customer success teams as well as other smaller local businesses, sharing experiences for scaling and best practices gained from working with some large companies in the Atlanta area. When Akram is not working, he coaches CrossFit at CrossFit 404 in Buckhead and tries to spend as much time outside as possible.
Jason Dominy is currently the Director of Social Media and Storytelling for Jekyll Brewing in Alpharetta, Georgia. He’s been in marketing for almost 20 years, creating content and managing social media for brands like Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, McDonald's, UPS, Salesforce, and Chick-fil-A. He was also in the specialty coffee industry for 16 years, taking many leadership and training positions along the way. In his free time, he supports Atlanta organization The Giving Kitchen, who offers grants to those in the food and beverage industry in times of hardship; and global organization, Blood:Water, which helps fund clean water wells and HIV medication and treatment solutions for those affected by HIV in East Africa. He’s married to April for more than 15 years and has two Yorkies, Boone and Cooper.
Kit Hughes is a typical technology entrepreneur. He dropped out of college to start a company (it failed), spent a period of time homeless (by choice), and became an overnight success (slowly).
Eventually, Kit returned to school as a two-time research fellow at the University of Georgia leading experimental technology research projects exploring mobile computing and connected devices. He credits his business smarts to his studies in strategy and innovation at MIT.
Marshall Chiles is a stand-up comedy producer and entrepreneur. He started as a stand-up comedian in 2000 and now owns The Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta, GA. His latest venture, Humor Wins, combines his love of comedy and business by producing stand-up comedy competitions where the performers are people that work in a specific industry. Examples are Atlanta's Funniest Lawyer and Atlanta's Funniest Real Estate Agent. His ultimate objective in business is to bring more laughter to the world... especially corporate America.
As the founder of REBEL & REASON, a marketing/innovation consultancy, and training company, Nic Smith provides solutions for established businesses and startups, offers her expertise and knowledge through in-person and online workshops, and is regularly tapped to speak on the emerging tech trends, content marketing, and innovation. Additionally, Nic is currently the Director of Programming for SuperNova South, a technology conference based in Atlanta, Georgia and a founding member of Digital Divas, a community organization focused on promoting and mentoring women in digital and technology-based fields. She is also on the Advisory Board for the Alliance Theatre, leading producing theatre in the Southeast and recently started a new technology and innovation event series in Georgia called Silicon Peach.
Darrah Brustein is a serial entrepreneur and networking guru who's founded Equitable Payments, Network Under 40 and Network Over 40. She also authored Finance Whiz Kids to teach children financial literacy through fun and engaging illustrated stories. In the simplest of terms, Darrah is a connector. When not working, writing, or volunteering, you’ll most likely find me traveling, hanging with friends, eating dill pickles, reading a non-fiction book, doing acroyoga, and/or taking black and white photos.
Mike Landman is the founder and CEO of Ripple IT. Ripple helps companies make the most of their technology with consulting, implementation and ongoing support. Mike founded the company in Atlanta in 1997 and today they serve clients across the country with offices in Atlanta and New York City. Mike lives downtown with his partner, Krystin, 2 dogs and a cat.
Sammy is an attention to detail aficionado from the land down under who’s been with Fitspot from the very beginning. With a BA in fine arts from the University of Miami, she’s a dancer, an actor and a nationally certified Pilates instructor who brings a blend of grit and imagination to the zillions of tasks that confront every startup. While she wears many hats at Fitspot, doing everything from sketching app screens to managing the customer experience, she can’t leave the house without her Akubra.
Brett Hagler is the CEO and Co-Founder of New Story – an innovative nonprofit that transforms slums into sustainable communities around the world.
Brett is a cancer survivor, author, speaker, Y Combinator alum, and 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur. After reviving a lost Christian faith, Brett took a trip to Haiti and met families living in the type of slums that New Story is now on a mission to transform into sustainable communities.
That on-ground experience paired with his background in marketing, sales and formerly a venture-backed ecommerce founder, connected the dots to create New Story. For fun, he oddly enjoys doing burpees early in the morning. Brett writes about entrepreneurship, leadership and New Story’s journey at bretthagler.com/blog and on LinkedIn.
Brad has helped build multiple seven figure businesses in domestic and international markets. In this high energy, interactive workshop he shares his direct experience and helps you develop a plan to realize the same high-impact benefits in your company.
Entreholic is also the creator of the Business Action Labs online course that shows companies how to get tasks done in their business rapidly and low cost. Annually, the company publishes the Top 200 Tools To Fuel Your Business Growth report and created the Addictive Tools Series. Brad serves on the board of the Atlanta Chapter of the Global Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) where he co-chairs the Accelerator Program rated as the organization’s fastest growing program in the world in 2015. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his daughter and wife, an inspirational third grade teacher. Brad graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Finance and Marketing.
Jess is the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a company she started as a junior in college in 2012. For every headband sold, a headband is given to a child with cancer. The company has been featured on the TODAY Show, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, Good Morning America and more. But more importantly, they've donated over 100,000 headbands to every children's hospital in the United States and 6 countries. Jess is also a professional speaker, author, and writer for Entrepreneur and The Huffington Post.
Charles Brian Quinn, also known as CBQ, is a passionate technologist, a programmer at heart, an entrepreneur to the core, an investor in people, a builder of products, an ardent salesperson, a loquacious speaker, a fumbling writer, and a self-proclaimed coffee snob. He enjoys sailing, running, and racing two-wheeled vehicles in the mud and on the track.
Rod Khleif is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, multiple business owner, author, mentor, and community philanthropist who is passionate about business, life, success, and giving back. As one of the country’s top real estate investors, Rod has personally owned and managed over 2,000 apartments and homes.
When she’s not designing she can be found walking the Beltline with her husband Ben and daughter Charlotte, eating cupcakes or donning a wig from her extensive collection. On a really good day, you might find her doing all three at once.
He didn’t know what it was going to be exactly, but he knew there was a different way to deliver flavors in a quick, healthy and innovative way. Five years ago Nate started collecting pieces to the puzzle that would lead him to create gusto!
How He Asked, acquired by XO Group, Inc. in September 2016 to allow The Knot to better serve its audience even earlier in the wedding planning journey, provides a platform for couples to share their engagement stories. Outside of work, Stacy loves traveling and recently visited her 40th country. She grew up in Florida, and lived in New York City and San Francisco before moving to St. Louis with her husband and one year-old golden retriever.
Danny is considered a world re-nowned leader in the fields of rehab, sports medicine, tactical athlete consulting and human performance optimization. Danny is able to use his experience as a physical therapist and a strength coach to improve all aspects of human performance.
Adam: The "Hat Man" graduated from Georgia Tech in 2003 and was married two weeks later to his beautiful wife Jess. He has four children; his youngest recently added to their family through adoption. He is the co-founder of Sideways8, a digital agency based out of Atlanta. At Sideways8 they start by creating an amazing website that communicates to the right people in the right way, and then they help drive traffic to that site.
Maria currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Matt (an entrepreneur since the age of 15), their baby Natalie Rose, and their fiesty rescue dog, Bruce Wayne. A few years ago, Maria and Matt launched a unique productivity coaching program that has helped individuals, startups, and corporations purposefully design their days to achieve their big, beautiful mission in life! Maria also serves as Executive Director of an innovative summer program, Eagle University, that helps 15-22 year olds articulate their goals, design the life they want to live and unlock the tools they need to get there.
Maria believes that to be an encourager, you also have to be vulnerable enough to be encouraged. So she is asking for your encouragement as she puts together her latest project, Giving Up: A Simple Strategy for Being a Philanthropist at ANY Income. For questions on purpose, productivity, or philanthropy feel free to reach out to Maria at Maria@LifePlanner.guru.
Travel is changing and more and more, people are seeking culture-rich and authentic experiences. With her experience in the corporate world and a travel obsession, she is eager to make your travel dreams come true! Jennifer loves to eat, take pictures, and most off all, meet people who help her learn about the world! You'll typically find Jennifer with a glass of red wine in her hand and brain-storming up her next trip.
Joe spent over six years as SVP of Marketing and Business Development at Engauge(now Moxie, part of Publicis), focusing on landing marquis clients such as Hershey's, Cisco Systems, AMC Theatres, Newell Rubbermaid, Chick-fil-A, and Turner Broadcasting. Soon after Engauge was acquired in 2013, Joe recognized a gap in the market that he was uniquely suited to help fill - helping brands and agencies connect with each other. He founded AgencySparks in early 2014 to solve these problems.