School for Startups Radio

Richard McWhorter – Private Wealth Advisor, Managing Partner of SRM Private Wealth You have to treat them as human beings underneath it all… that’s where we all come back down to the baseline. Richard McWhorter CFP®, CRPC, SRM Private Wealth, is a dynamic financial advisor known for his distinctive and unconventional approach, bringing an alternative and fresh perspective to wealth management, financial topics, economics, and more. With over 30 years of wealth management expertise and having worked with some of the biggest companies in the finance industry, McWhorter combines traditional financial expertise with a creative, personalized approach. From finance lessons learned in the locker room, to the business that takes place backstage, he is a wealth advisor who thinks outside the box and believes in an edgy, innovative approach to finance. Based in Beverly Hills and working with ultra-high-net-worth clients, McWhorter distinguishes himself not only through his financial expertise but also through his enthusiasm for the music, sporting, and entertainment industries and his commitment to philanthropy. Throughout his career, he has bridged the gap between celebrities and several charitable causes. With personal and professional ties in the entertainment and music industries, McWhorter leverages his connections to create exclusive opportunities for his clients while supporting important causes and nonprofit organizations. He can speak as an expert, credible source on several topics related to wealth management and finance — especially those related to entertainment, music, sports and economics. He has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, and Barrons and quoted in numerous well-respected media outlets, including US News & World Report, Business Insider, GoBankingRates, and more. He is also a member of the Fast Company Executive Board. Kevin Lawrence – Strategic Advisor to CEOs & Their Teams, Author: The 4 Forces of Growth, Your Oxygen Mask First Problems never go away, and you could spend all day, every day, for years on problems… but then nobody ends up spending any time on the opportunities. Kevin Lawrence has spent three decades cracking the code on how to keep companies growing. Working side-by side with CEOs and leadership teams across North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Europe, he has developed a proven approach to help companies go from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in revenue. His insights are born from hands-on experience. Kevin is the author of Your Oxygen Mask First, a book that equips high-performing executives with seventeen powerful habits to drive sustainable growth while managing stress, protecting their mental health, and staying resilient under relentless pressure. He was a key contributor to Scaling Up (Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0). His latest book, The 4 Forces of Growth: Defy the Odds and Keep Your Company Scaling, is the must-have guide to becoming a leader with impact far beyond the balance sheet, helping you to keep your company evolving and create a legacy that matters. Based in Vancouver, Canada, he leads Lawrence & Co, a boutique firm of growth advisors.

Jon McNeill – CEO and Co-Found of DVx Ventures and Author of The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula that Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors and SpaceX When you automate first, you’re automating a bad process, and all you do is get to the bad answer faster. Jon McNeill currently serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures. With a track record of founding and scaling six companies, Jon has led teams that generated tens of thousands of jobs and delivered multi-billion dollar returns for investors.  At DVx, Jon and his team have launched 12 companies that are attacking broad opportunities in large markets. Previously, Jon served as President at Tesla, where revenue grew from $2B to $20B in just 30 months. Following Tesla, Jon joined Lyft as COO, where he played a pivotal role in doubling revenues and helping to take the company public. With a history as a six-time serial entrepreneur, Jon has a wealth of experience in operating and scaling companies during periods of hyper-growth in revenue and operations and has delivered returns of 9x to investors. Jon currently serves on the boards of General Motors, Lululemon, Asurion, CrossFit, and Stash. He played a pivotal role in Lululemon’s turnaround, contributing to a 5x increase in stock value. He also sits on the Liquid AI Advisory Council. After graduating from Northwestern University, Jon began his career at Bain & Company. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and Stanford GSB, Jon is known for delivering practical, actionable insights on innovation, leadership, and scaling operations. In his book, The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula that Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors and SpaceX, Jon shares a behind-the-scenes look at how iconic companies scale and outlines a playbook leaders can use to drive sustained growth and impact. Jeremy Reeves – CEO of Scale Advisors and Author of The Scalable Profit Model: How to Grow Faster, Keep More Profit and Stress Less You can work two hours a day on the right things, or you can work 15 hours a day on all the wrong things, and you’re probably going to get better results working two hours a day on the things that actually move the needle. Jeremy Reeves is the CEO of Scale Advisors, an entrepreneur, growth strategist, and author of The Scalable Profit Model: How to Grow Faster, Keep More Profit and Stress Less. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in marketing, copywriting, operations, and business scaling, he has generated close to $200 million in revenue across his own companies and the businesses he has advised. Jeremy has successfully scaled multiple companies to eight figures and led teams of more than 100 employees, giving him deep, practical insight into what it really takes to grow a business sustainably. Through Scale Advisors, Jeremy works with high-integrity entrepreneurs to build scalable profit models that allow them to grow faster while keeping more of their profits and reducing unnecessary complexity. His approach combines advanced marketing strategy with operational discipline, helping founders move beyond revenue growth alone and focus on profitability, efficiency, and long-term stability. Jeremy is known for translating complex growth challenges into clear, actionable strategies backed by real-world case studies. He frequently shares his expertise through virtual events, podcast interviews, and training sessions, where he delivers practical, no-nonsense insights on scaling from six to eight figures, improving margins, building effective teams, and creating businesses that are both profitable and sustainable.

Garrett Fritz – Partner & CTO at MetaCTO What is valuable now is the problem solving, the ownership, the stakeholder mentality, and really the engineering think work which is valuable. Garrett Fritz is a Partner and Chief Technology Officer at MetaCTO, where he works closely with founders, creators, and business leaders to turn ambitious ideas into fully realized digital products. With more than a decade of experience in software development and digital transformation, Garrett has led the creation of scalable mobile apps and platforms for both startups and established companies. His expertise lies in translating complex technical concepts into clear, practical strategies, allowing non technical founders to make confident decisions and move quickly from idea to execution. At MetaCTO, Garrett has helped build a reputation for delivering high quality, modern, and AI enabled solutions across a wide range of industries including wellness, education, sports, and professional services. He focuses on aligning technology with business goals, ensuring that every product is designed not just to function well, but to grow and perform in the real world. Known for his straightforward communication style and results driven mindset, Garrett emphasizes clarity, efficiency, and long term value in every project he leads. Beyond his work with clients, Garrett is passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. He mentors founders, shares insights on digital innovation, and continues to explore how technology can make building a business more accessible, efficient, and impactful. Michael Jacobson – CEO of French Florist Our rent investment is actually we consider a digital investment as opposed to a physical rent overhead. Michael Jacobson is the Chief Executive Officer of French Florist, where he is leading the transformation of a traditional industry through technology, innovation, and a modern franchise model. With a background that blends entrepreneurship, digital strategy, and operational leadership, Michael has helped reposition French Florist from a single retail concept into a scalable and rapidly growing brand. His focus on systems, data driven decision making, and customer experience has enabled the company to deliver significantly higher revenue and stronger margins than the typical neighborhood flower shop. Under Michael’s leadership, French Florist has built a reputation for combining high quality floral design with advanced logistics, e commerce, and marketing capabilities. By integrating technology into every part of the business, from ordering to delivery to franchise operations, he has created a model that allows both consistency and growth across locations. His approach emphasizes efficiency, brand strength, and repeatable success for franchise partners. Michael is passionate about rethinking legacy industries and showing how innovation can unlock new opportunities in even the most established markets. Through French Florist and its franchise platform, he continues to help entrepreneurs enter the floral business with a competitive advantage, while delivering a better overall experience for customers.

Andy Freed – CEO and CEO of Virtual Inc. We’ve always just really focused on our culture and really focused on our employees. Andy Freed is a nationally recognized CEO, author, and strategic leadership advisor whose company, Virtual, Inc., has been named a Best Place to Work for more than a decade. Known for his exceptional communication insight, he helps leaders rethink how they show up, connect, and communicate during moments of change, uncertainty, and high stakes decisions. His work has been endorsed by figures including George Stephanopoulos, NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Senator Angus King, reflecting his impact across business, media, and public leadership. Andy emphasizes that even well intended change can create disruption when it is not communicated effectively, making communication a central driver of leadership success. With more than 30 years of experience, Andy has advised teams at Microsoft, Google, Meta, and other global organizations, helping them craft messages that resonate and drive action. As Chairman of Virtual, Inc., a strategic consulting, marketing, and professional services firm, he supports mission driven organizations across technology, healthcare, financial services, and life sciences, including member groups representing some of the world’s most influential brands. His leadership approach combines vision, analytical rigor, and creativity to align stakeholders and guide organizations through growth and transformation. Andy’s insights are captured in his forthcoming book, Lead Like the Boss, where he translates the structure and energy of a Springsteen concert into a practical framework for leadership communication. He teaches that communication is leadership, and that intentional interactions determine whether strategy succeeds or fails. His work focuses on helping leaders anticipate resistance, address concerns, and create clarity through frameworks such as Think, Feel, Do, ensuring that every message lands with purpose and impact. Daniel ‘Danny’ Bobrow – Communication Skills Coach at The Persuasion Blueprint Be clear as to the problem that you’re solving, and next, be sure that you validate it with real people. Daniel “Danny” Bobrow is a communication skills coach and the creator of The Persuasion Blueprint, a structured framework designed to help leaders and teams transform everyday conversations into opportunities for trust, connection, and collaboration. Through his coaching, training programs, and workshops, he works with organizations and individuals to improve communication effectiveness, recover lost revenue caused by miscommunication, and build cultures that foster loyalty and referrals. His approach emphasizes that true persuasion is rooted in empathy and understanding, focusing on how people feel rather than simply what is said. Bobrow holds dual MBA degrees from the University of Chicago and KU Leuven in Belgium, combining a strong business foundation with practical communication strategies. In addition to his professional work, he is an ultraendurance athlete and mountaineer, experiences that influence his disciplined and resilient coaching style. Known for delivering clear, actionable insights, Bobrow has helped hundreds of leaders and teams elevate their communication skills, enabling them to create stronger relationships, align teams more effectively, and drive meaningful results across their organizations.

Sam Bousfield – CEO Samson Sky – Switchblade Flying Car Money doesn’t solve your technology, but it at least buys you the time to get that done. Sam Bousfield is the CEO and founder of Samson Sky and the visionary designer behind the Switchblade Flying Sports Car, a hybrid vehicle that can be driven on roads and flown as an aircraft. With a professional background spanning more than 25 years as an architect, Bousfield later transitioned into advanced vehicle design and aeronautical innovation, combining engineering, business, and creative disciplines to pioneer next generation transportation solutions. He holds a degree in architecture with additional studies in business management, marketing, and sales, and is the author of multiple patents, with work that has been published in both popular and professional scientific communities. Bousfield began developing breakthrough aircraft concepts in the early 2000s, collaborating with former Boeing engineers and producing designs that were recognized by leading aerospace organizations and even used by the Swedish government for wind tunnel calibration. After shifting his focus to practical transportation challenges, he founded Samson Sky and created the Switchblade to merge air and ground travel into a single, efficient vehicle. Today, he leads the company’s efforts to bring the Switchblade to market, positioning it as a transformative solution for regional travel and a major step toward the future of personal mobility. Matthew Fornaro – Attorney at Matthew Fornaro, P.A. It goes back to not having the stuff in place to begin with, and then dealing with those issues later on, versus proactively doing it at the beginning. Matthew Fornaro have mentored emerging entrepreneurs as an instructor for both the Kaufman Foundation’s FastTrac New Venture Program and the Jim Moran Institute. Every day in my practice, I see how smart legal planning can help business owners avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities as they grow. I am happy to share clear, action-oriented advice so your listeners walk away smarter, safer, and more confident about building their businesses. Matthew Fornaro has been a business law attorney serving South Florida, since 2003. Prior to starting his own law firm, he was an attorney at a 300+ attorney civil practice law firm that served local, national, and international clients, and was also an attorney at a prestigious national law firm. Matthew practices complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes. Matthew, a member of the Florida Bar and District of Columbia Bar, also practices construction law, intellectual property law, homeowner and condominium association representation, and drafts and revises of business documents, including the formation of business organizations. Matthew assists new business owners in choosing and drafting all legally required documents. Matthew is involved in mentoring new attorneys, as both a graduate and instructor of the Kaufman Foundation’s FastTrac NewVenture Program, presented by the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development and the City of Hollywood, as well as a graduate and instructor for the Florida State University College of Business Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship Small Business Executive Program.

Gary Ashworth – CEO, Chairman, Investor x 30, Built Multiple £100m+ Companies, Successful Multi Million Pound Exits, Bringing Together UK & UAE Founders Who Want To Double Their Stake Every Three Years, and Author of Double-Up Money Mastery You only have to double 100,000 bucks to make 100 million, now that’s just 10 good decisions. Gary Ashworth is a serial entrepreneur, CEO, Chairman, non-executive director, and media commentator with over four decades of experience building and backing businesses across the UK and Dubai. Over the past 40 years, he has founded or supported more than 30 companies spanning recruitment, healthcare, property, and banking consultancy, helping each scale sustainably, exit successfully, or evolve into industry leaders. He launched his first business, Abacus Recruitment, at age 21; it later listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market in 1995 and was sold three years later for ten times its original value. Building on that success, he founded InterQuest Group, growing it into one of the UK’s leading technology recruitment businesses with over £100 million in turnover, operating multiple brands and serving global clients across specialist technology markets. Today, he serves as Chairman of Albany Beck, a specialist banking consultancy, manages a diverse property portfolio, and actively invests in ventures that have achieved multiple £100 million valuations and successful multi-million-pound exits. He is also a business coach, public speaker, and mentor, working with founders and executives on growth, scalability, and wealth creation strategies, while connecting UK and UAE entrepreneurs focused on doubling their stake every three years. An Amazon best-selling author, he wrote Double-Up: Money Mastery, which teaches that doubling £10,000 ten times can lead to £10 million. Samantha Flynn – Founder of Award-Winning Junipr Public Relations, Strategic Comms for CPG, B2C & B2B Brands, Forbes Communications Council Member, Keynote Speaker, Certified Women-Owned Business (WBE) and Author of The EntrePReneur Advantage: Turning Chaos into Clarity Sometimes I think that your potential clients or customers have no idea that they could be your potential clients or customers, unless you make that crystal clear to them. Samantha Flynn is the founder of Junipr Public Relations, and she’s built a reputation for stripping away the jargon to help founders find their ‘So What?’ As the founder and owner of Junipr Public Relations, I help clients overcome communication challenges through comprehensive, strategic communications programs that deliver real impact. At Junipr, we believe in doing smart work for nice people—collaborating with clients who value thoughtful strategy, meaningful results, and genuine partnership. With 15 years of experience leading public relations initiatives across B2B, B2C, and CPG sectors, career highlights include features and partnerships surrounding the Super Bowl, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, SXSW and more, with work being seen in Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNBC Radio, Woman’s World, and more. As active thought leader in the public relations and marketing industry, speaking engagements include the Digital Summit Series, DigiMarCon at Solider Field, AAF Hawai’i and Syracuse University. Op-Ed content has been featured in PR Week, PR Digital Explained, The Wrap and more. She believes that PR isn’t a luxury for the end of the journey, it’s a foundational tool for decision-making and scale. Today, we’re unpacking her framework for cutting through a fragmented media landscape and why your ‘authenticity’ might actually be your greatest competitive advantage.

Bob Kocis – President and Chief Operating Officer of Aptean and author of The President’s Club Mindset: Inside the Winning Strategies of Tech’s Most Successful Sales People Everybody said curiosity was one of their key superpowers. Bob Kocis is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Aptean and a seasoned global sales leader with more than three decades of experience in enterprise technology and revenue growth. He is the author of The President’s Club Mindset: Inside the Winning Strategies of Tech’s Most Successful Sales People, where he distills the principles and habits behind sustained elite sales performance. Kocis began his career in sales in the mid 1990s and steadily advanced into senior leadership roles, including leading global channel and emerging markets at PTC, serving as Vice President of Worldwide Sales at ANSYS, and acting as Chief Revenue Officer at Continuum. Over the course of his career, he has built and led high performing sales organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, including time based in Shanghai managing regional operations. Known for his customer first approach and focus on execution, Kocis has developed a reputation for transforming sales teams into consistent top performers and aligning culture with long term growth. At Aptean, he is responsible for global business operations and customer success, helping guide the company’s continued expansion as a leading provider of industry specific enterprise software solutions. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller – Keynote Speaker and Author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation AI is not going to fix all of our problems, most especially communication. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller is an international bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and leadership coach specializing in emotional intelligence and empathy driven leadership. She is the founder and CEO of EQ via Empathy, where she works with organizations and leaders around the world to make empathy a practical and actionable skill that drives performance, innovation, and culture. Her work focuses on helping leaders translate emotional intelligence into measurable business outcomes, challenging the traditional view of empathy as a soft skill and repositioning it as a core leadership capability. With more than 30 years of leadership and professional experience, Robinson-Winemiller brings a unique blend of real world insight and academic rigor to her work. After an early career in music, she shifted her focus to leadership and organizational development, earning advanced degrees including a doctorate in leadership with a focus on empathy in leadership. She is the author of The Empathic Leader, a book that outlines how leaders can use empathy to improve productivity, strengthen teams, and achieve better business results. Today, she continues to advise executives and teams globally, helping them build more human centered and effective organizations.

Sam Dorison – Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at ReflexAI There is no perfect conversation. You can’t avoid landmines at all times. Sam Dorison is the Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at ReflexAI. An expert in artificial intelligence strategy and product deployment, Dorison has been involved with AI-powered products in industries ranging from mental health to cybersecurity to smart cities. Before launching ReflexAI, he served as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. There, he published five peer-reviewed articles on mental health and oversaw teams including crisis services, training, research, technology, and finance. Dorison previously worked at McKinsey & Company and Harvard Kennedy School. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. He also holds an LL.M. from Cambridge University and a master’s degree from University College London, both as a Marshall Scholar. Beyond ReflexAI, Dorison is heavily involved in causes that support families impacted by cancer. Sam lives in New York City with his husband. Sean Covey – Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and President of FranklinCovey Education Social Development is far more important than academic development. Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education, is a business executive, best-selling author, speaker, and innovator. Sean is devoted to transforming education throughout the world through a principle-centered leadership approach. Sean directs FranklinCovey’s whole school transformation process, called Leader in Me®, which is now in more than 5,000 schools and 50 countries throughout the world. Sean is New York Times bestselling author and has authored or co-authored several books, including The Wall Street Journal’s #1 Business Bestseller with more than 500,000 copies sold, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into 30 languages and sold more than eight million copies worldwide. He is a versatile keynoter who regularly speaks to students and adults within schools and organizations and has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows and in print media. Franklin Covey Co today announced the release of a new special 30th anniversary edition of Stephen Covey’s (1932-2012) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which commemorates the timeless wisdom of The 7 Habits for a new generation with the book’s original content along with personal insights at the end of each chapter by Covey’s son, Sean Covey.

Dr. Mark Frenkel, MD, MA, FAANS, FCNS – Neurosurgeon Spine Surgeon    You’ll hate me for five or six weeks, and you’ll say this is the worst decision you ever made, and you’ll wish you never did it. And then it’s six weeks, you’ll be neutral, and in three months you’ll be happy. Dr. Frenkel graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, the medical school of the renowned Cleveland Clinic. His degree was awarded with Honors with a Distinction in Research as a result of research he completed on anterior cervical surgery at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Subsequently he attended residency at Wake Forest University where he dedicated seven years to mastering the intricacies of neurosurgery under the tutelage of Dr. Charles Branch. Dr. Branch, a luminary in the field, is celebrated for pioneering numerous groundbreaking techniques in spinal surgery. Dr. Frenkel’s other mentors and teachers included Neurosurgeons trained at some of the most renowned institutions in the world, including Harvard and Johns Hopkins. He performed thousands of complex procedures during his training, culminating in the extraordinary privilege of being appointed Chief Resident for two consecutive years – a rarity in the field. Dr. Frenkel had one of the highest Neurosurgery Board scores in the country and in 2018 won the Congress of Neurological Surgery’s SANS Challenge – an annual national tournament of neurosurgical knowledge. Following his training, he was offered the opportunity to join Neuroscience and Spine Associates (NASA), one of the premiere neuroscience practices in the country. He relocated to Naples, Florida where he currently resides with his wife Dr. Lindsay Frenkel, an Intensive Care Physician, and his two young children, Cooper and Chloe. Dr. Frenkel has written numerous articles in the most esteemed neurosurgical publications and authored several textbook chapters on advanced techniques in spinal surgery which underscore his status as an authority in the field. He is recognized worldwide as a leader in spine surgery because of his excellent outcomes. He has several patents pending for new spinal surgery techniques, implants, and minimally invasive retractors. Dr. Frenkel’s expertise has garnered the attention of numerous medical device companies, who seek his invaluable insights for the development of cutting-edge surgical instruments. Jeremy Gartner – Founder of Career Propulsion From having a very transactional conversation to having a meaningful relationship driven discussion that is going to end up opening doors those jobs, it’s just side effects. Jeremy Gartner is the Founder of Career Propulsion, where he helps ambitious executives land VP and C-suite roles faster, often securing compensation packages ranging from $250,000 to over $1 million through a proven, data-driven approach. Prior to founding Career Propulsion, he built an unconventional and highly accomplished career, beginning as a particle physicist at CERN, where he conducted high-energy physics research published in leading peer-reviewed journals. He later earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering while contributing to the development of next-generation military aircraft at Northrop Grumman. Gartner was also groomed for executive leadership at Becton Dickinson, where he led high-impact MedTech initiatives and filed 13 patents, including granted U.S. patents in smart drug delivery, infection control, and medical device technology. Despite often being the least “qualified” candidate on paper, he consistently secured high-profile roles by mastering positioning, trust-building, and career storytelling. Today, through Career Propulsion, a seven-figure coaching firm, he teaches executives how to replicate this success using a proprietary framework that has achieved an 88 percent success rate in placing clients into VP and C-suite roles, with an average salary increase of 65 percent, while providing personalized guidance on navigating hidden job markets and high-level negotiations.

Steve Brown – Global Keynote Speaker & AI Futurist. Former executive at Google DeepMind & Intel and Author of The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation  AI is an amplifier. It is a way of amplifying human impact. Steve Brown is a leading voice in the field of artificial intelligence. A former executive at Google, DeepMind and Intel, he has delivered hundreds of information-packed and entertaining keynotes across five continents, inspiring audiences to take action with AI.‍ As a thought leader on AI, generative AI, autonomous agents, digital transformation, and the future impact of AI on business, education, and society, Steve draws on decades of experience in AI and high-tech industries to help leaders craft winning AI strategies that drive innovation, boost productivity, and fuel growth. Over his 25-year career, Steve has held senior leadership roles, including Senior Director and in-house Futurist at Google DeepMind in London and Intel’s Chief Evangelist and Futurist. He is the co-founder of The Provenance Chain Network, a company providing supply chain transparency and security services for the U.S. Space Force, as well as a strategic advisor to two AI startups and a BCG Luminary. Steve works with global brands, Fortune 100 companies, startups, and government agencies. His clients include Nike, JP Morgan, Samsung, Comcast, Audi, PepsiCo, and Disney. He has been featured on major media outlets including BBC, CNN, Bloomberg TV, ABC, CBS, NBC, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired Magazine. In addition to delivering keynote speeches, Steve runs AI innovation workshops that inspire organizations to explore new possibilities with AI. His book, “The Innovation Ultimatum: How Six Strategic Technologies Will Reshape Every Business in the 2020s”, published by Wiley, serves as a practical guide to innovation and digital transformation. Steve’s mission is to help organizations build a better future with AI by creating new customer experiences, streamlining operations, and elevating the workforce. Steve holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Microelectronic Systems Engineering from Manchester University. Born in the UK, he is now a U.S. citizen and lives with his wife in Portland, OR. Katie Nelson  – Founder/CEO of Sales UpRising  Just don’t find yourself in the wrong room. Katie Nelson is the dynamic Founder & CEO of Sales UpRising, where she’s widely known as “The Sales Catalyst.” She brings a bold, no-nonsense, and refreshingly honest approach to sales coaching with a single-minded goal: to deliver real results, not fluff. With nearly three decades of sales experience, Katie is a three-time business owner who has helped hundreds of small businesses accelerate their revenue trajectories, especially those stuck under the $250K mark, a milestone she considers a proof of concept. Katie’s philosophy is simple: cashflow is oxygen for your business. Without sales, there’s no revenue, and without revenue, there’s no business. She believes that every everyday action—posting on social, chatting, sending a message—is a step toward a sales goal. She excels in teaching sales as authentic, human-centered conversations, helping clients break free from the “five-figure rut” by focusing on relationship-driven, high-impact sales tactics rather than expensive marketing misfires. In addition to coaching, Katie delivers keynote presentations that combine entertainment and strategic insights, and hosts Top 6 mastermind sessions, consulting, and speaking events designed to help business owners boost cash flow and scale sustainably.

Andrew Schmertz – CEO and Co-founder of Hopscotch Air You can’t just show up in this industry and hope that they come. Can’t build it and they will come that doesn’t work. Andrew has more than a decade of experience in the aviation industry, having co-founded Hopscotch Air, Inc. As CEO, he manages all aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, and regulatory issues. Previously, Andrew had an extensive career in media, serving as an anchor/report for Business Week TV where he anchored business reports for WABC and WLS-TV. He currently is the chairman of the charter committee of the National Air Transportation Association, the industry trade group of private aviation. Andrew is a Board member of Air Taxi Services and Support, a charter airplane marketplace. He has served on the FAA Aviation Rule Making Committee, advising the government of duty and rest time revisions. And he serves as an independent arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, where he has developed significant knowledge of securities law. Andrew is an attorney, licensed in New York, and a licensed pilot, with land, instrument, and sea ratings. Tim Ferris – Author of 5 #1 NYT/WSJ bestsellers, early-stage investor, Tim Ferriss Show podcast (1B+ downloads), founder of the Saisei Foundation Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, author, investor, and podcast host best known for his work at the intersection of business, performance, and lifestyle design. He is the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling books, including The 4-Hour Workweek, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors, which have collectively influenced millions of readers worldwide. Ferriss is also an early-stage technology investor and advisor, with a portfolio that includes companies such as Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo, and Alibaba, among dozens of others, where he has helped startups scale from early adoption to mainstream growth. His media presence extends through The Tim Ferriss Show, one of the most popular business podcasts globally, which has surpassed one billion downloads and features in-depth interviews with world-class performers across industries. In addition to his work in business and media, Ferriss is the founder of the Saisei Foundation, through which he supports initiatives in mental health, scientific research, and education. His career reflects a progression from entrepreneur and operator to investor, interviewer, and curator of ideas, with a continued focus on optimizing performance, understanding human potential, and exploring meaning and well-being at scale.

Joe Pine – Author, Speaker, Management Advisor, and Author of The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations Why you exist as a business is to help people flourish in their lives, to become more and more of who they are meant to be. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. He is cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings. Mr. Pine’s 2026 book, The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations, marks a major evolution in his groundbreaking work and presents transformations as the highest form of economic value – guiding customers to become who they want to become. With transformations inputs don’t matter, only the outcomes that customers achieve. It shows businesses how to take advantage of this opportunity by getting into the business of guiding transformations. In 2020 Mr. Pine and his partner James H. Gilmore re-released in hardcover The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money featuring an all-new Preview to their best-selling 1999 book The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage. The book demonstrates how goods and services are no longer enough; what companies must offer today are experiences – memorable events that engage each customer in an inherently personal way. It further shows that in today’s Experience Economy companies now compete against the world for the time, attention, and money of individual customers. The Experience Economy has been published in fifteen languages and was named one of the 100 best business books of all time by 800ceoread (now Porchlight). Mr. Pine also co-wrote Infinite Possibility: Creating Customer Value on the Digital Frontier with Kim Korn, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want with Mr. Gilmore in 2007, and in 1993 published his first book, the award-winning Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition. Each book details Mr. Pine’s breakthrough thinking as he has accurately charted many structural shifts, from individualizing goods to today’s focus on customer experiences and many other changes in the economy and consumer sensibility. The economic competitive reality of the future is fast-paced change. Mr. Pine helps clients design strategies to leverage these new economic opportunities and create experiences that drive revenue. Since revolutionizing the way we should approach and think about business with The Experience Economy, Joseph Pine has continued to be at the forefront as a thought leader. He wrote his second op-ed page article for The Wall Street Journal, “Inflation and the Experience Economy“, in the January 6, 2022 newspaper, and his co-authored piece, “The ‘New You’ Business“, in the January-February 2022 Harvard Business Review was his fifth for the journal. In his speaking and teaching activities, Mr. Pine has addressed the World Economic Forum, the original TED conference, and the Consumer Electronics Show. A former Visiting Scholar with the MIT Design Lab, he is currently a Lecturer with the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, and has also taught at Penn State, Duke Corporate Education, the University of Minnesota, UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, and the Harvard Design School. He serves on the editorial boards of Strategy & Leadership and Strategic Direction and is a Senior Fellow with both the Design Futures Council and the European Centre for the Experience Economy, which he co-founded. Mr. Pine’s experiences prior to co-founding Strategic Horizons include holding a variety of technical and managerial positions with IBM. Hugh Massie – Executive Chairman and Founder of DNA Behavior International We don’t want to change who the core of a person is, but we want them to know how to adapt depending on who they’re dealing with and in what situation. Hugh Massie is the Executive Chairman and Founder of DNA Behavior International – the Behavior and Money Insights Company. As a Titan 100 CEO and widely recognized Behavioral Solutions Architect, Hugh Massie addresses every opportunity and challenge from the proven perspective of “behavior makes money”. With his unique analytical approach, Hugh helps growth-minded leaders create an Exponential Future by building “category king” people-centric businesses, and in the process, enhance financial decision-making, culture, and performance. Hugh’s purpose is to empower people worldwide to optimize the alignment of their natural “hard wired” talents and financial behaviors to make quantum leaps for creating an Exponential Future with reduced stress. Thereby enabling greater happiness, more success and improved health for longer. Applying the pioneering behavioral finance research Hugh has undertaken since 2001, his moonshot  goal is to commercialize DNA Behavior’ AI-driven BeSci Tech Platform so that by 2030 fully it informs over 1 billion people annually on how to enhance their decision-making and relationships for increasing  life, financial and business longevity by 30 or more years. Hugh partners with clients to create an Exponential Future by developing trail-blazing financial behavior  apps for building the “New BeFi Economy” impacting all key areas of life, finance and business.

Rebecca Irey – Founder and CEO of Blue Skye Financial As entrepreneurs, we have the ability to move the world the way we want it to, to break a system and remake it better. That is our superpower. Rebecca Irey is the founder and CEO of Blue Skye Financial, a national firm on a mission to change the financial trajectory of American families, from dependence on broken systems like debt and Social Security to building true legacy wealth and financial independence. With over 25 years of experience, Rebecca brings a unique mix of straight-talk, heart-centered strategy, and values-based planning that resonates with individuals, families, and business owners alike. She specializes in tax-free retirement, Social Security and Medicare optimization, estate planning, and small business tax strategies, offering practical insight delivered with warmth, humor, and conviction. What sets Rebecca apart is her belief that wealth isn’t just about numbers, it’s about dignity, agency, and living a life you’re proud to pass on. From empowering women in transition to guiding veterans and federal employees through benefit optimization, she’s known for making complex financial decisions simple, meaningful, and actionable. Rebecca also leads one of the most mentorship-driven financial sales teams in the country and has partnered with organizations like Save the Children to align every client win with greater social impact. She’s a passionate educator, an unapologetic truth-teller, and a mom of seven who knows how to lead with both head and heart. Whether she’s talking about how the wealthy play the game differently—or why every family deserves a team of experts—Rebecca will inspire your audience to think bigger, act boldly, and build a financial future they believe in. Dr. Zal Phiroz – Supply Chain & Data Science Professor and Fortune 500 Consultant The nature of a supply chain is to change and to adapt and to be flexible in certain ways so that it can survive the constantly changing environments that it’s put into. Dr. Zal Phiroz, a global supply chain expert and business leader who has worked at the highest levels of industry and academia. He spent years at Procter & Gamble leading major international projects and partnerships with retailers such as Walmart, Tesco, and Walgreens. He is the co-founder and president of Pier Consulting Group and currently teaches graduate-level Supply Chain Management at Harvard University. Dr. Phiroz is also a frequent speaker at international forums including TEDx and the United Nations in Canada, where he shares insights on global logistics, sustainability, and the future of supply chains. Dr. Zal Phiroz is a powerful business leader and established industry specialist in marketing and global supply chain practices, within the fast moving consumer goods and IT industry. Zal has held a number of executives, senior management and senior advisory roles including time spent with Proctor & Gamble and TELUS. He currently teaches Supply Chain Management (Masters Level) at Harvard University. With an established foundation in IT and management, Zal led a number of international special projects at Procter & Gamble, including $100M+ projects on shrink, Wal-Mart capacity optimization, Tide product concentration, IAMS demand projection, and recall. In addition to leading an exploratory team tasked with overseeing global P&G innovation, Zal contributed to the Folgers divestiture, Gillette merger, and managed cross-functional special project partnerships with major retailers including Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Tesco, CVS, and Walgreens. As the co-founder and President of Pier Consulting Group Inc., Zal is responsible for direct collaboration with medium sized corporations, leading academic institutions, and federal charities on sustainability, macro marketing, and management and coordination of all supply-chain and operations projects. Major projects have included management of international consumer marketing research, aggregate data analysis on competitive markets, growth opportunity quantification, and optimization of supply chain coordination. A dynamic public speaker, Mr. Phiroz is a regularly invited to guest lecture at various Universities on topics relating to Supply Chain Management. He has also spoken at TEDx, UN Canada, OPAL (Chicago, Newport, Toronto), and currently instructs graduate-level Supply Chain Management at Harvard University.

Alexandra Seaman – Senior Vice President at Furniture.com That’s really the problem we’re solving is this decision fatigue. Alexandra Seaman is the Senior Vice President at Furniture.com, where she plays a key role in shaping the company’s growth, brand strategy, and digital customer experience. With a strong background in e-commerce, partnerships, and marketplace development, she has helped position Furniture.com as a leading online destination that connects consumers with a wide network of furniture retailers and brands. Throughout her career, Alexandra has focused on building scalable platforms that simplify the shopping experience while delivering value to both consumers and partners. At Furniture.com, she has been instrumental in expanding strategic relationships, enhancing the platform’s user experience, and driving initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional furniture retail and modern digital discovery. Known for her collaborative leadership style and sharp understanding of consumer behavior, Alexandra brings a forward-thinking approach to the evolving home furnishings industry. Her work centers on leveraging data, technology, and partnerships to create a seamless path from inspiration to purchase, helping customers find the right products while enabling retailers to reach broader audiences. Spencer Rubin – Associate Attorney at GRELLAS SHAH You can even talk the algorithm into giving you a higher score based on the prompts that you give it, because it’s trying to appease you. Spencer Rubin is an Associate Attorney at Grellas Shah LLP, where he focuses on advising startups and established companies on the legal complexities surrounding artificial intelligence, technology transactions, and data governance. His practice centers on helping clients navigate AI governance, intellectual property strategy, and privacy compliance, particularly within high stakes commercial agreements and mergers and acquisitions. Spencer has developed a strong reputation for structuring and negotiating agreements involving data ownership, model rights, and the licensing of AI driven solutions. He works closely with both vendors and customers to ensure that contracts reflect not only legal protections but also practical business outcomes. Known for his ability to translate complex legal frameworks into clear, actionable guidance, he serves as a trusted advisor to companies operating at the intersection of innovation and regulation. In addition to his legal practice, Spencer is an active voice in the evolving conversation around AI and the law. He regularly writes and speaks on emerging issues in the field, including presentations at major global events such as SXSW Austin and SXSW Sydney, where he shares insights on how businesses can responsibly and effectively adopt artificial intelligence technologies.

Sam Goodner – Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Keynote Speaker and Author of Like Clockwork: Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision The formula for operational scalability is clarity plus repeatability plus time. Sam Goodner is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and mentor with a passion for solving business problems through the innovative use of technology. A dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, Sam has experienced a diverse journey from serving as a mountain infantry officer in the Swiss Army to being recognized as an Inc. 500 CEO and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. In 1993, Sam founded Catapult Systems, which grew into the world’s leading Microsoft Systems Integrator before being acquired in 2013. During this same period, he also founded and sold two software product companies (PowerDOC and Inquisite), started a mobile application development firm (Mobile Alchemy), and launched a digital agency (Slingrock). A global traveler and lifelong learner, Sam took his family on a year-long journey around the world in 2014, homeschooling his two children while embracing education and exploration. In 2016, Sam invested in FlashParking, a small technology startup. As president and later chief strategy officer, he helped guide the company to becoming the largest parking technology company in the world with over $100 million in revenue and a valuation of $1 billion. Now retired from running companies, Sam focuses on sharing his insights with entrepreneurs and business leaders. Jim Effner – President & CEO of P2P Group You never want to be selling you always want to be solving problems. Jim Effner is founder and President of P2P Group, a company specializing in sales training for financial services professionals. His mission is to help bridge the gap between financial advisors’ potential and their performance. Prior to forming the P2P Group, Jim was Managing Partner of one of the largest Northwestern Mutual offices in the country. He built the Effner Financial Group to nearly 150 full-time and college advisors, insuring over 65,000 policyholders with a face amount of nearly $27 billion. A Million Dollar Round Table qualifier every year he worked in the business, Jim is now a lifetime member of MDRT. He was a three-time Recognition Dinner/Forum qualifier, which represents the top 5% of all Northwestern Mutual advisors. In fact, he was the youngest person to make Forum the first two times he qualified. As a new advisor, he led his region in 1990, 1991 and 1992, placing runner-up in the Bronze and Silver awards, and 3rd in the Gold. Jim has overcome numerous life challenges, including losing his hearing just 30 days after taking his Managing Partner contract. He brings his commitment to excellence, his passion, energy and conviction – along with his perspective of 30+ years in the industry – to every aspect of his business. A graduate of Valparaiso University with a degree in finance and economics, Jim has exemplary credentials in all facets of the industry – including sales, management and training. Jim and his wife, Lynn, live in Henderson, Nevada. They have three children: Brittney, Brianna, and Bryce.

Javier Marín – Author of Live From America: How Latino TV Conquered the United States If you build one Spanish speaking market and one Spanish speaking vote, that’s a big power. Javier Marín is a media executive, producer, and author of Live From America: How Latino TV Conquered the United States. He is widely recognized for helping shape the growth of Spanish language television in the U.S. through decades of leadership in broadcasting, content, and media strategy. Over the course of his career, he has worked at the center of the Latino media industry, helping major television brands expand their reach and cultural influence while bringing Hispanic audiences to the forefront of American media. Through his book, Marín offers an insider’s perspective on the rise of Latino television, the business forces behind its success, and the personalities who helped transform it into a powerful part of the U.S. entertainment landscape. Neil Thubron – Executive Mentor, Coach, Teacher, and Keynote Speaker The worst thing you can do is delegate someone and then interfere. You need to delegate someone and then empower. Neil Thubron is an executive mentor, coach, teacher, keynote speaker, and sales and leadership development consultant who helps leaders and teams achieve more in both business and life. With more than 30 years leading large multinational sales organizations and 25 years in corporate leadership, he brings a practical, experience based approach shaped by his background as a business owner, senior sales executive, endurance athlete, and former Army officer. He works with executives, sales teams, and organizations through executive coaching, value based sales training, and strategic growth workshops, with a focus on clearer thinking, stronger leadership, disciplined performance, and sustainable results. Neil is also the owner of XNRG, an extreme sports event company, and the author of the Amazon bestselling book YUCAN Achieve Any Big Goal.

Mikael Avatar – Coach, Paralympic World Record Holder, Abstract Artist, Composer, Inner Freedom Architect Don’t build the business around what you know. Build it around what you survive. Mikael Avatar is a coach, speaker, Paralympic world record holder, abstract artist, composer, and creator of The Mikael Avatar Method. Born in Sweden and now based in Thailand, he has built a life and body of work centered on resilience, authenticity, and inner transformation. His story begins with extraordinary odds: he was clinically dead at birth and later told he would never walk, yet he went on to become a world record holder in the long jump at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, a record he held for 12 years. That journey of defying limits became the foundation for decades of work helping high performers, entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders reconnect with purpose, energy, and what he calls authentic power. Today, Mikael combines the mindset of an elite athlete, the insight of a seasoned coach, and the soul of an artist. Through his coaching, writing, music, and visual art, he helps people move beyond external success and into deeper personal freedom. His work is rooted in the belief that achievement without inner peace is incomplete, and that real transformation begins when people stop performing a false version of themselves and start living in alignment with who they truly are. Whether he is guiding clients through personal breakthroughs, creating abstract art, or composing music, Mikael’s mission is the same: to help others live with greater truth, joy, and freedom. In addition to his coaching and speaking, Mikael is developing a multidisciplinary abstract performance art project that blends music, video, theater, and live performance. An early collaboration video with German artist and musician Sacha Alexander von Oertzen can be viewed here: The Mask Jeremiah Konger – CEO of Annuity Association & NestEasy Annuities, Annuity Educator, Speaker, Podcaster  An annuity is a financial tool that allows people to either secure a guaranteed income stream in their retirement years or safely grow their nest egg as they enter preservation mode. Jeremiah Konger is founder and CEO of Annuity Association and America’s First Direct to Consumer Annuity Buying platform where my team and I help pre-retirees and retirees make smarter, safer, fully informed decisions about annuities. Our demographic, 50–75yo who want clarity, confidence, and guaranteed income strategies—without the confusion or high-pressure sales tactics that plague the financial industry. We’re 100% independent and product-agnostic, and our mission is simple: educate first, empower always. I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve built one of the fastest-growing annuity education platforms in America – earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list (#294 overall and #21 in Financial Services)—while staying true to transparency and consumer advocacy. We’re proving you can scale without compromising ethics. Sandy Markwood – CEO of USAging The goal of Area Agencies on Aging is to help older adults be able to live well and age well where they want to, which is at home and in the community. Sandy Markwood is CEO of USAging, the association representing the national network of 600+ Area Agencies on Aging and advocating for the Title VI Native American Aging Programs. USAging and its members help older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities. They offer supportive services in a range of critical areas, including elder rights, nutrition, caregiver support and health and wellness. Sandy  will talk about the importance of good nutrition for older adults’ health and independence; different meal programs and nutrition services typically available to older adults; and the Eldercare Locator, an information and referral center that helps people find meal and nutrition services in their communities. USAging, the national association representing the network of Area Agencies on Aging, has a new campaign to educate older adults and their families about how vital nutrition is to healthy aging. The campaign provides real and meaningful support to older adults facing inflated prices at grocery stores and lack of access to nutritious food.

Vince C. Ning – Founder & CEO of Nabis, 2x YC Founder, Forbes 30U30, Ex-Microsoft Engineer, Junior Olympian Gold Medalist The process for trying to learn about the industry resulted in the service that was needed itself. Vince C. Ning is the Founder and CEO of Nabis, the leading licensed cannabis wholesale platform connecting brands, manufacturers, and retailers across the United States. A two time Y Combinator founder and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Vince is known for building large scale marketplace infrastructure in highly regulated industries. Before launching Nabis, he began his career as a software engineer at Microsoft and later co founded Scaphold, a developer platform that was ultimately acquired by Amazon Web Services. Vince founded Nabis with the vision of creating the technology and logistics backbone for the legal cannabis industry, enabling brands to efficiently distribute products while giving retailers reliable access to inventory and data driven insights. Since its launch, Nabis has grown into one of the largest cannabis distribution platforms in the country, supplying hundreds of brands and serving the vast majority of dispensaries in major U.S. markets. Vince studied Computer Science and Economics at the University of Virginia and has also pursued studies in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Outside of entrepreneurship, he is a Junior Olympic table tennis gold medalist, marathon runner, and lifelong builder who enjoys combining technology, logistics, and policy to create category defining infrastructure. Evan Meyer – Gov-Tech Entrepreneur, Civic Ninja, Podcast Host The fundamental experience you have when you go anywhere is whether it looks like people care about that place or not Evan is a tech entrepreneur passionate about transportation, revitalizing urban spaces through art, civic service, and building purposeful organizations, communities, and cultures. Evan is the founder of several impactful ventures. He founded BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that accelerates urban beautification through art, with a focus on mass government adoption. He also launched BeautifyEarth.org (501(c)(3)), a public charity dedicated to beautifying schools in underserved communities. Through Beautify, he has facilitated thousands of murals worldwide, collaborating with hundreds of communities, organizations, cities, and national brands. In addition, Evan founded RideAmigos.com, a tech platform that optimizes commuter travel and behavior through intelligent programs and analytics, serving governments, enterprises, universities, and businesses globally. He is also the creator of MyGovTools.org, a platform designed to rebuild trust in government by enhancing efficiency, data transparency, and civic engagement. As a civic leader, he has served in several key roles, including District Director for the California State Senate, where he applied his skills to improve the processes of political teams and ensure that constituents’ voices were heard and their needs better represented. He also served as President of his neighborhood association, empowering residents to engage in the public process, and worked with the City of Santa Monica to develop innovative, actionable strategies for civic engagement. Evan leads seminars on building corporate cultures, the importance of community and civic engagement, and political philosophy. His video podcast, Meyerside Chats, provides a platform for conversations with public officials about fostering civil discourse on challenging issues and bringing humanity to traditionally polarized spaces. He loves the outdoors and fitness, is a master of creative projects, and is an avid muralist and musician. He finds the world fascinating in every way.

Erika Rasure – Chief Financial Wellness Advisor at Beyond Finance You can make all the money in the world, but if you don’t feel content or right with it from an emotional or mental perspective, you’ll never enjoy it. Dr. Erika Rasure, a former financial advisor and university professor turned financial therapist, has helped thousands of people approach their finances in more intentional, healthy ways. She serves as Chief Financial Wellness Advisor at Beyond Finance, where she meets weekly with hundreds of clients working their way out of debt and toward financial freedom. In addition to her work at Beyond Finance, Dr. Erika serves as Chair of the Research Board for the Financial Therapy Clinical Institute. She is a member of the Financial Review Boards for Investopedia, The Balance, VeryWell Family, and VeryWell Parents. Her insights and interviews have been featured in prestigious national outlets such as Barron’s, CNN, Forbes, Fox Business, MarketWatch, NBC News Now, USA Today, and Yahoo. Dr. Erika holds a doctorate in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University and is a Certified Deep Transformational Coach, an accreditation focused on changing patterns in actions and behaviors. She addresses holistic wellness in her work, incorporating the practice of yoga, as she is also a registered yoga teacher, into her comprehensive approach to financial therapy and financial wellness. Dr. Tom DuFore – Founder & CEO of Big Sky Franchise Team Franchising solves really critical problems for expansion, which is it costs money to open more locations and it takes time to hire staff and manage staff. Dr. Tom DuFore is the founder & CEO of Big Sky Franchise Team. He is an author, entreprenuer, franchise expert, and host of the “Multiply Your Success” podcast. Big Sky Franchise Team is an award-winning consulting firm specializing in helping growth-minded entrepreneurs franchise their business. Tom and Big Sky have advised more than 600 clients, including Jamba Juice, Two Men & A Truck, Matco Tools, and many others. Tom values building others up, whether it’s an owner looking to franchise their business or members of his team. His leadership focuses on treating people with respect, encouraging them to be their best, and always learning. He seeks to live out his company’s purpose to “Inspire and Foster Greatness” through its three core values: Win-Win Relationships, Professional Excellence, and Continuous Improvement. Tom has an undergraduate degree in business, an MBA, and a DBA. He is happily married with three wonderful children. In his free time, Tom enjoys coaching youth baseball, writing music, and listening to audio books.

Dr. Vanitha Swaminathan – Associate Dean at University of Pittsburgh School of Business and Author of Hyper-Digital Marketing: Six Pillars of Strategic Brand Marketing in an AI-Powered World I think it’s a huge pivot. If you remember the time when we had to pivot from traditional marketing to digital, this is a pivot that’s just as significant Vanitha Swaminathan, Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives and Thomas Marshall Professor of Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business, has released a groundbreaking new book titled Hyper-Digital Marketing: Six Pillars of Strategic Brand Marketing in an AI-Powered World. Rapid advances in technology and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) have ushered in a new era of hyper-digitalization. This shift is reshaping how organizations operate, transforming traditional marketing roles and creating new ones that require deeper integration across marketing, technology, and other business functions. In Hyper-Digital Marketing, Swaminathan offers a practical framework for strategic brand thinking built around six key pillars designed for an AI-powered world. The book equips marketers, business leaders, and technologists with tools to navigate digital disruption, strengthen their brands, and drive sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Matt Jones – Creative Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Brand Coach, Author, Start-Up Mentor and Co-Founder, Four Pillars Gin There is no such thing as a good brand name. Google, Facebook, Apple are not good brand names. Tesla is not a good brand name. Matt Jones is a creative strategist, keynote speaker, brand coach, author, and startup mentor best known as the co founder of the globally celebrated craft distillery Four Pillars Gin. Originally from Wales and now based in Australia, Jones has built a career at the intersection of branding, storytelling, business strategy, and customer experience. With a background spanning economics, politics, and creative strategy, he first gained recognition as Chief Political Adviser to the UK Conservative Party before transitioning into the world of brand experience and marketing. He later served as Chief Creative and Strategy Officer at Jack Morton Worldwide, where he worked with global brands including IBM, Microsoft, Qantas, Sony, Samsung, and Volkswagen to help them navigate the emerging era of experience driven brand building. In 2013, Jones co founded Four Pillars Gin alongside Stuart Gregor and Cameron Mackenzie, helping transform the Australian distillery into one of the most celebrated craft gin brands in the world, earning the title of World’s Best Gin Producer three times. As the brand strategist behind the business, he played a central role in shaping its storytelling, customer experience, and cultural identity while connecting brand purpose with practical business growth. Today, Jones works globally as a sought after keynote speaker and advisor, helping entrepreneurs, corporations, and leadership teams understand how powerful storytelling, creativity, and purposeful brand design can drive long term growth. Through his coaching and strategic work with companies and startups, he focuses on helping organizations clarify their purpose, craft compelling narratives, and create memorable experiences that build lasting customer relationships. He is also the author of Lessons From Gin, a business book that shares insights from building a world class craft brand and applies those lessons to modern leadership, marketing, and entrepreneurship.