School for Startups Radio

February 9, 2024 - Bigly Sales Thomas Ryan and Wealth Amplifier Wendy Brookhouse

Thomas Ryan – CEO and Founder of Bigly Sales – Using AI in Sales
Not taking outside money if you don’t need to is the way to go. As soon asyou take the outside money, you are on a clock and they can kill youif you’re not careful.
Thomas Ryan is CEO and founder of Bigly Sales, is a visionary leader reshaping the sales landscape through innovative AI solutions. With a background in staffing and executive experience at Workbeast LLC, Thomas identified the need for streamlined sales processes in the evolving market. His journey from the staffing industry to the forefront of AI-driven sales reflects his dedication to leveraging technology, evident in Bigly Sales’ cutting-edge tools for Lead Generation and customizable landing pages. Thomas’s commitment to efficiency and client appreciation positions Bigly Sales as a trailblazer in the tech industry, showcasing his ongoing dedication to enhancing the sales experience through the power of artificial intelligence.Wendy Brookhouse – Founder of Black Star Wealth 
There are two big numbers we have to know. The first number is EBITDAand then we look at your industry. We look at your score on the ‘8 Driversof Value’ and we multiply those together to give you a multiple to give youthe value of your business.
Wendy Brookhouse is the “The Ultimate Wealth Amplifier” by empowering ambitious entrepreneurs to maximize and amplify ALL their assets. Wendy has been assisting Business Owners in building their wealth – and that includes the value of their business – for almost two decades. Her firm, Black Star Wealth is a boutique financial planning firm that serves clients from across the country, virtually, from here in Halifax. Her flagship, proprietary Total Wealth Blueprint, and the Business Value Amplifier provide Business owners with the tools they need to amplify their health, relationships, and wealth. She is the host of The Real Bottom Line Podcast and the author of Burn Your Budget: How to Spend Your Way to Financial Freedom. She has been featured in the Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Investment Executive, and more.

February 8, 2024 - Deep Dive 2 with Strauss Naturals Wayne Elliott

Wayne Elliott – Ship Recycling and Strauss Naturals Advocate
I owe my life to Strauss Naturals products. Jim Strauss had such anunderstanding of nature and how everything connects. There hasnever been one word that he said that did not turn out to be true.
Wayne Elliott is a former football and baseball player. He has been in the ship recycling business for 40 years. His company can take a 1000-foot-long ship and reduce it to a pile of reusable materials. He has grown into other areas such as battery recycling. He recounts his life-changing experience with SHD, a health supplement he stumbled upon after battling angina and its debilitating symptoms. Struggling with leg cramps, shortness of breath, night sweats, and chest pains, Wayne also grappled with anxiety and a lack of energy, resigning himself to the fate of heart-related issues that plagued his family. However, upon learning about SHD through a friend in Vancouver and being inspired by studies from renowned institutions like Harvard, Wayne decided to give it a try. Astonishingly, within two weeks of taking SHD, he noticed improvements in unexpected ways – his hearing returned, and his respiratory system cleared, leading to a significant boost in energy. Over the course of three months, Wayne transformed into a revitalized version of himself, feeling as energetic as he did decades ago. This transformation propelled him into a new phase of life where he actively engaged with others, becoming a spokesperson for Jim Strauss, the creator of SHD. Wayne’s involvement extended to radio shows and lectures, allowing him to share his incredible journey with thousands of people suffering from various health issues. His enthusiasm and dedication to natural health solutions led him to become a regular guest on radio networks in the USA and Canada, where he continued to spread the word about his positive experiences with SHD and its miraculous effects on individuals dealing with diabetes, heart disease, low energy, and clogged arteries. Wayne’s story highlights the power of painless, safe, and affordable health products, emphasizing the beauty of solutions that genuinely work. His gratitude towards Jim Strauss and the Strauss Heart Drops is profound, as he believes that without this intervention, he might not have been alive today, reinforcing the transformative impact of natural health remedies in the face of life-threatening conditions. Strauss Naturals is sponsoring the show with support for our radio-minute segments. Wayne says very simply that their products saved him. He became an advocate for the company and has been working with them for 29 years.

February 7, 2024 - Change Management & How to be Funny Pat Dwyer Was Taken dot Com and Human Edge Lisa Danels

Pat Dwyer – Professional Speaker and Comedian at PatDwyerWasTaken.com – How to be Funny 
As an outside speaker, what we know from HR is that I can say the exactsame thing as the company has been saying, but people hear me becauseI am different, because I am not something they hear every day.
Pat Dwyer has captivated and motivated audiences worldwide. Pulling from his background in Improv and Sketch Comedy with legendary institutions The Second City, iO Theater, and ComedySportz, among others, Pat has merged these talents in training and performance with the strategic mindset he cultivated during the early days working at notable Chicago startups like Groupon and Ignite. As you could guess, Pat’s journey has since lent him an opportunity to help organizations all around the globe find their own unique blend of leadership and team enhancing effectiveness. Now, as a sought-after speaker at conferences, events, and association meetings, Pat brings his energetic, hilarious and wildly engaging approach to both personal and organizational resilience. He’s definitely a speaker you don’t want to miss. As Pat Dwyer is easily your most engaging route to people-driven Innovation and Change. Aside from Pat Dwyer being a professional speaker, comedian and writer, Pat has worked, toured, performed and taught with comedic institutions The Second City, iO Theater, and ComedySportz for over 20 years. He’s spearheaded leadership teams at a number of tech startups, including Groupon, and has been a key culture, creative and leadership consultant for multiple fortune 500 companies. Pat was a Junior Park Ranger at over 60 National Parks, Sites and Monuments around the United States. While Pat got all of his after he was 25, this is an honor which is traditionally reserved for 5-12 year olds.Lisa Danels – Executive Director of Human Edge and Author of The Human Edge Advantage: Mastering the Art of Being All In
A key component of personal power is letting go of victimhood. If you areauthoring your life, that means you create the good and the bad. We have tolet go of blaming others. We love to take things for the credit things that go well,but when things don’t go well in our life, it’s somebody else!
Lisa Danels is the founder and Executive Director of Human Edge. She is a senior executive, talent and leadership consultant and coach. Lisa holds a master’s degree in Organization Development and Human Resource Management from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in International Relations from the University of New York at Buffalo. She is a certified executive coach and a pioneer in the field of leadership and organizational development. She resides in Basel, Switzerland. Lisa Danels attacks this problem head on in her new book, The Human Edge Advantage: Mastering the Art of Being All In. Lisa has been advising executives across industries on their personal leadership issues for several decades, working with leaders at Thomson Reuters, Aztra Zeneca, VISA, Novartis, Allianz and many other well-known companies. The book explores issues surrounding courage, fear, intuition, psychological barriers, disconnection, personal power, energy, purpose, and many other topics challenging leaders today.

February 5, 2024 - Hispanic Female Founder Sugey Piedra and AI in Manufacturing Alex Sandoval

Sugey Piedra – Co-founder of Prominence Business & Wealth Management – Tax Strategic Planning 
When you are self-employed and write off the kitchen sink and everythingunder the sun, you are ripping yourself off. When you report zero or closeto zero income, the overall picture of that tax return is you have nopurchasing power. Across the street at the bank, when you want topurchase a house or get a loan, when they look at your return, they don’tcare if you made $1,000,000, you ended up reporting zero income.
For more than 20 years, Sugey Piedra has been working in the tax preparation and wealth management industry. She and her two sisters co-founded Prominence Business & Wealth Management, and together they have helped hundreds of high-earning service-based business owners to grow and scale their businesses with holistic financial planning. Her signature program Business Elite is a 12-month Tax Prep, Planning, and Strategy Program for Service-Based Business Owners. She also is the host of the Tax Talk with HeyHey where she shares her knowledge and expertise around removing the mystery surrounding taxes, financial planning, and wealth accumulation techniques and strategies.Alex Sandoval – CEO and Co-Founder of Allie Systems 
To get your first customers, tap into your network! Look to yourfriends, college friends, ex colleagues, that connection is enough,especially in B2B, to get someone to be willing to try your product.
Alex Sandoval is the CEO and Co-Founder of Allie Systems, a SaaS platform that transforms manufacturing operations by bringing AI-powered decision-making to the factory floor. He is a tech enthusiast with a profound conviction to help shape how things are produced. Alex brings over 15 years of experience in the tech industry to Allie Systems. He has held leadership positions at companies such as Nubank, Rappi, and Google. He is an expert in building and scaling B2B SaaS

February 1, 2024 - Deep Dive with Strauss Naturals Wayne Elliott

Wayne Elliott – Ship Recycling and Strauss Naturals Advocate
I owe my life to Strauss Naturals products. Jim Strauss had such anunderstanding of nature and how everything connects. There hasnever been one word that he said that did not turn out to be true.
Wayne Elliott is a former football and baseball player. He has been in the ship recycling business for 40 years. His company can take a 1000-foot-long ship and reduce it to a pile to reusable materials. He has grown into other areas such as battery recycling. He recounts his life-changing experience with SHD, a health supplement he stumbled upon after battling angina and its debilitating symptoms. Struggling with leg cramps, shortness of breath, night sweats, and chest pains, Wayne also grappled with anxiety and a lack of energy, resigning himself to the fate of heart-related issues that plagued his family. However, upon learning about SHD through a friend in Vancouver and being inspired by studies from renowned institutions like Harvard, Wayne decided to give it a try. Astonishingly, within two weeks of taking SHD, he noticed improvements in unexpected ways – his hearing returned, and his respiratory system cleared, leading to a significant boost in energy. Over the course of three months, Wayne transformed into a revitalized version of himself, feeling as energetic as he did decades ago. This transformation propelled him into a new phase of life where he actively engaged with others, becoming a spokesperson for Jim Strauss, the creator of SHD. Wayne’s involvement extended to radio shows and lectures, allowing him to share his incredible journey with thousands of people suffering from various health issues. His enthusiasm and dedication to natural health solutions led him to become a regular guest on radio networks in the USA and Canada, where he continued to spread the word about his positive experiences with SHD and its miraculous effects on individuals dealing with diabetes, heart disease, low energy, and clogged arteries. Wayne’s story highlights the power of painless, safe, and affordable health products, emphasizing the beauty of solutions that genuinely work. His gratitude towards Jim Strauss and the Strauss Heart Drops is profound, as he believes that without this intervention, he might not have been alive today, reinforcing the transformative impact of natural health remedies in the face of life-threatening conditions. Strauss Naturals is sponsoring the show with support for our radio-minute segments. Wayne says very simply that their products saved him. He became an advocate for the company and has been working with them for 29 years.

February 2, 2024 - From NASA Laser Scientist to Hair Restoration Expert Dr. Tamim Hamid and Alcohol-Free Revolution Dustin Dunbar

Dr. Tamim Hamid – From NASA Scientist to Hair Restoration Expert, Founder & CEO Theradome and Author of Grow It Back: How Laser Phototherapy Stops Hair Loss and Regrows Your Hair 
Light is the only thing in the world that keeps us alive. Without lightwe would not be alive. We take light energy and convert it intochemical energy every day in the form of vitamin D. We found aspecific light wavelength that stimulates the hair follicle.
Sayyid Tamim Hamid, Ph.D., received undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and biomedical engineering. Tamim designed and implemented innovative tools at NASA to improve astronaut safety and efficiency in space shuttle operations. His professional history includes growing the revenue of multimillion dollar international corporations and serving as a senior executive in companies that were sold to GE Medical and Johnson & Johnson. Tamim used his laser knowledge, fine-tuned at NASA, and combined it with his driving passion for helping others to pursue a lifelong mission in the field of hair loss and restoration. He is now one of the world’s leading experts. Tamim lives with his wife of thirty-three years outside San Francisco, CA. In his rare free time, he enjoys tending to his olive orchard and pressing artisanal dipping olive oil. Leveraging his expertise, he introduces a proprietary solution utilizing laser phototherapy. The book not only delves into the beneficial use of light for healing but also addresses various aspects of hair loss, ranging from common treatments to newer options. Hamid critically examines the safety and efficacy of specialized hair care products, debunking misconceptions about laser therapy. The depth of his work is evident in sections comparing the cost and effectiveness of different antifungals, FDA-cleared medications, and off-label treatments. In an opinionated chapter, he dissects vitamin supplements and unconventional remedies. The guide maintains a balance between conversational and scientific tones, making it a valuable resource for readers exploring hair-loss treatments. Hamid’s candid revelations about his own struggles lead to the development of the Theradome helmet, a device cleared by the FDA in 2018. The book addresses reader concerns about side effects and emphasizes the safety of laser phototherapy.Dustin Dunbar – Author of You’re Doing Great! (And Other Lies Alcohol Told Me)
You see 5 alcohol ads per day that say you candrink moderately and socially responsibly.
Dustin Dunbar grew up poor in Midwest America with an abusive, alcohol-addicted father and grandfather, and vowed to never be like them. Devouring psychology books and researching addiction in his twenties, Dunbar earned a doctorate in psychology and believed at that time that he had broken his family’s chains. In 2009, Dunbar was handpicked by Ryan Seacrest for LA Shrink and Endemol Productions’ Dallas Life Coach, where Dunbar was the “Shrink” and “Life Coach” on those pilots. After drinking moderately, responsibly, and socially for twenty years, he too became addicted to alcohol. He overcame his addiction at the age of forty-eight and has since been helping others overcome theirs. Dunbar is a coach at WeAretheAFR.org, a non-profit online community helping others with alcohol addiction and raising consciousness. Dunbar’s true passions are spending time with his two young daughters, writing, and sports. He currently lives in San Diego, California.

January 31, 2027 - Future of Work Vince Chan and Better Recruiting Second Lieutenant Matthew Weiss

Vince Chan – Founder and Chief Change Officer at The Vince Chan Company | Executive Producer and Host@Chief Change Officer | Behavioural and Financial Economist | Amazon Best-Selling Author | Global Speaker on the Future of Work
In a world of AI, one of the skills to thrive is to be more human inwriting, analyzing, speaking and listening, all of the social skillsthat are supposed to be part of humanity. This is what we needto embrace and practice. This is how we can stay ahead of thegame and be an active worker the AI world.
Raised in Hong Kong and Canada, Vince pursued economics, followed by MBA degrees from Yale University and Chicago Booth School of Business. Her professional acumen is further solidified by U.S. CPA and CFA® credentials. Vince’s vibrant 15-plus-year corporate career has spanned global financial markets, with significant roles at S&P Global Ratings, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and TCW Asset Management. Among her standout achievements are raising $1 billion in collaboration with ‘King of Bonds’ Jeffrey Gundlach and Goldman Sachs, and facilitating over 100 multi-million-dollar funding transactions for Top 50 global banks. Separately, her contributions have been recognized with accolades such as Forbes China’s Outstanding Overseas Returnee in 2015 and Yale School of Management’s Outstanding Volunteer Leadership award in 2018. A decade ago, Vince boldly transitioned from finance to the ‘future of work’ sector. Since then, she has actively modernized the workforce, working in both traditional and digital education spheres. In Beijing, her collaboration with Renmin University of China (China’s Top 10) yielded a popular career guide. She further supported career advancement for the Schwarzman Scholars. In Shanghai with New Oriental (NYSE: EDU), she designed and taught business school preparatory programs to thousands of students. In Hong Kong, she co-developed an entrepreneurship program inspired by Chicago Booth’s Polsky Center.Second Lieutenant Matthew Weiss – Author of We Don’t Want YOU, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z
I believe Generation Z is a very competitive generation. When youpost on social media, you instantly get feedback, likes or dislikes.Everyone associates the millennials with everyone gets a trophy,but that is the opposite of Gen Z.
Second Lt. Matthew Weiss is a 25-year-old Marine Corps intelligence officer whose new book, “‘We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” lays out what he believes are some of the major problems his generation has with military service — and what the military can do about it. Before joining the Marine Corps, Weiss worked for Anduril Industries, now a defense contractor specializing in artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems. During Weiss’ time there, it was a tech startup, and he observed how the company attracted new talent as they graduated from college, even in a highly competitive sector. Weiss went on to study business at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, earning a bachelor’s degree and an MBA there. Though young, a newly minted Marine Corps officer with his background might have some of the answers the Department of Defense has spent years and billions searching for. Weiss breaks down the book into four parts, analyzing Gen Z recruitment, bringing military working conditions and generation expectations into alignment, an analysis of sociocultural influences and “Scope of Service,” how the military can give back to society. Some of Weiss’ proposed issues are ones the military might expect from Zoomers. based on what it thinks it knows about the youth of America. Others might be wholly unexpected. But there are places where the values of military services and the values of Gen Z align. For starters, the book says Gen Z needs an impact they can strive toward; a unique calling, bigger than the individual. Weiss suggests determined mentorship, where Gen Z service members would provide a certain number of hours per year talking to potential recruits, a “Z-Z, heart-heart meaning discussion.” Weiss also believes the current military pay structure is “incongruous” for a generation that watches their peers gain followers on social media. In their mind, better performance should mean more money. To that end, he suggests performance bonuses be added to military pay for those who succeed. A somewhat counterintuitive suggestion Weiss offers is rooted in Gen Z’s connection to devices. Some, Weiss believes, are being “crushed” by the “constant pinging,” causing them to crave time to be unplugged from the rest of the world. The military can offer this like no other institution, he says, with real-world responsibilities and experiences away from their devices. Those are just a few interesting examples. In all, Weiss offers 21 chapters of fact-based problems and solutions written with “the intention of diagnosing and solving a real and serious issue facing our nation,” coming from the personal experiences of a Gen Z military officer who did a lot of research to help solve it.

January 30, 2024 - Home Watch Academy Diane Pisani and Sound Therapy Healing Henry Penix

Diane Pisani – Founder of Home Watch Academy
For folks considering starting a business, Home Watch is really something toconsider, because it is not only an excellent business opportunity, but it is foranyone with great customer service skill and a servant’s heart.
Diane Pisani runs Home Watch Academy, a business that helps people start “home watch” businesses. What is that? I didn’t know what it was either, but it’s a fast-growing service-based business model that oversees the second homes of people. There are nearly 10 million second homes in the U.S. and many of those homes sit unoccupied for months on end. Home watch concierge services provide support to oversee the property so homeowners know it is protected. Diane has a great personality. She has self-deprecating humor (I love that because I do too) but she seriously has some entrepreneurial chops. Before being a homewatching business pioneer, she was a travel agency business owner specializing in cruises. Let me know and I can get something on the calendar. In 1986 Diane opened one of the nation’s first cruise-only travel agencies. Her company, Cruises and More, proudly served thousands of happy passengers in its seventeen-year span.  After selling the business, she moved to Florida. Diane accepted a position at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort in Naples and was later encouraged to get into the business of Home Watch and Concierge Services.  She worked for a Home Watch company and later launched the Property Services, Home Watch, and Concierge Division of a local real estate office.  In 2006 with a business partner, she started Second To None Services Home Watch. After just a couple of years, Second To None Services was near full client capacity, and growth decisions had to be made.  Diane felt strongly about the personal service that was offered and decided not to hire a large staff to perform property visits and other tasks.  Instead, she chose to train professionals and help them start their own Home Watch business.  The very first workshop was in the spring of 2008 and it focused on the “nuts and bolts” of Home Watch. There was a lot of demand for training, so Your Home Watch Professionals®, was launched in 2009. It is fully dedicated to training dynamic individuals and helping them launch and grow exceptional Home Watch businesses.  The Home Watch Training Program offered at the Naples, Florida Training Center proudly has graduates throughout Florida as well as many other states that have cities with a seasonal population. In 2020, The Home Watch Academy® debuted as the first eLearning and resource program developed exclusively for the profession of Home Watch.  Students can learn on their own time and at their own pace.  In addition to the foundation courses, there is access to a growing array of continuing education modules and a variety of resources. Educating seasonal homeowners and the trades who serve them is a top priority.  At this time, there is no official licensing for Home Watch.  There is also confusion about the differences between Home Watch, House Sitting, Property Management, and Home Inspection. Diane manages the Home Watch Network™, the professional association that offers a true certification backed by a commitment to ongoing education.  She is dedicated to creating awareness of the importance of hiring a Certified Home Watch Reporter™.  The Ultimate Home Watch Interview Guide helps homeowners make informed decisions before handing over their keys.Henry Penix – Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Soaak Technologies  
Sound frequency therapy is our biggest breakthrough. We went through eightyears in clinic testing out different modalities for depression, anxiety, low libido,insomnia and came up with sound frequencies compositions. 97% of all ofour customers are reporting, in at least one area of their life, an improvement.
With over 35 years of experience in various fields, including service, technology, and real estate, Mr. Penix is a visionary leader and a passionate entrepreneur who strives to make a positive difference in people’s lives. He is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Soaak Technologies, a digital health company that offers a clinically proven protocol to address anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness, while improving energy, productivity, and focus. Henry’s journey with Soaak Technologies commenced with the co-founding of a private health clinic, which catalyzed the company’s evolution. His deep-rooted understanding of the transformative capacity of digital health solutions led to the realization that holistic wellness needed to be accessible to a broader audience. This insight catalyzed the development of Soaak’s groundbreaking mobile platform, fundamentally revolutionizing how individuals engage with their well-being. In addition to his leadership at Soaak, Henry is a seasoned entrepreneur who has made significant appearances on platforms like Shark Tank and QVC, showcasing his prowess in the global tech arena. His extensive experience also includes leading another global tech company, where he further demonstrated his ability to drive innovation and success in the industry. In his role as Executive Chairman, Henry brings a wealth of leadership, mentorship, and industry expertise to the fore. His strategic mindset, coupled with an unwavering commitment to enhancing people’s lives, continues to propel Soaak’s mission to empower individuals to attain optimal health and wellness. Under his steadfast guidance, Soaak Technologies remains at the forefront of the health tech industry, consistently delivering innovative solutions that positively transform the lives of individuals worldwide.

January 29, 2024 - Open Culture Drew Jones and DiverseCity Think Tank Buki Mosaku

Drew Jones – Culture & Workplace Consultant and Author of The Open Culture Handbook: Five questions to drive engagement and innovation
Companies often get culture right in the early days, when it isinformal, with a clear goal, people sharing information and movingin the same direction. As companies grow, they follow a trajectorytoward formalization and control that shuts down innovation.
Drew Jones, PhD, is an anthropologist, former business school professor, and practicing management consultant. He is a founding partner of Experient, a workplace culture and strategy consultancy. Over the past 20 years, he has worked on culture, leadership, and workplace design projects with clients throughout the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. He is published widely in academic management journals and magazines and has published three previous books on design thinking and innovation, coworking, and activity-based working (ABW). His new book is Open Culture Handbook: Five Questions to Drive Engagement and Innovation (Amplify Publishing, Oct. 3, 2023).Buki Mosaku – Founder and CEO of London-based DiverseCity Think Tank and Author of I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
The way to deal with microaggressions is to give the other personthe benefit of the doubt, give light reconditioning which allows forpossible misinterpretation and then move on and enjoy your lunch!
Buki Mosaku is the Founder and CEO of London-based DiverseCity Think Tank, a workplace-bias and diversity-and-inclusion consultancy. He is one of the world’s foremost bias-navigation experts. Mosaku has cracked the code for calling out unconscious workplace bias and stopping it in its tracks, which he details in his new book, I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace. As the creator of the IDU Methodology, Buki Mosaku has worked with thousands of companies over two decades as a communications and workplace bias expert. In the process, Buki has cracked the code for calling out unconscious workplace bias to stop it in its tracks through a fair, measurable, and equitable solution called the IDU Methodology. With disarming honesty, enthusiasm, and a rare breed of clarity that is void of guilt, Buki empowers and equips leaders and staff alike to effortlessly navigate inevitable workplace bias. Born in West London to Nigerian parents, Buki started his corporate career in media and advertising before moving into consultancy in the City of London. He founded RosAcad, an international business and sales training consultancy, and DiverseCity Think Tank, a consultancy of workplace bias navigation and diversity and inclusion experts. In his work as a communications expert, consultant, and coach to tens of thousands of global clients’ staff over more than two decades, he became acutely aware of the impact of the multidirectional role of workplace bias in stifling otherwise prosperous careers, including his own at times. Buki also became aware of popular, well-meaning yet unworkable so-called expert and academic theories to combat racial, disability, gender, sexual orientation bias, etc. such as IAT- Implicit Association Tests, traditional microaggression training, “White Fragility,” “Anti-racist Consulting” and so on, which actually hinder the people they purport to help as well as reducing group productivity.  Buki himself has grappled with unconscious (and indeed conscious) bias with varying degrees of success in his employed career and as a consultant in the City. Frustrated with his own challenges and the inadequacy of behavioral experts, authors, and consultants’ attempts to address workplace bias, he set out to develop a fair, equitable results-oriented methodology to tackle person-to-person bias effectively in the workplace. His forthcoming book “I Don’t Understand” –Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace is the culmination of more than two decades of working with, observing, and interacting with over 50,000 individuals throughout the world as a consultant, communications expert, trainer, and coach.

January 26, 2024 - Ubiquitous Smart Board CEO Nicholas Svensson and Ho'oponopono Expert Mabel Katz

Nicholas Svensson – CEO of SMART Technologies
Smart Technologies has been around since 1987 and we are the inventorsof the interactive white board category. We are in the majority of classroomsaround the world. We are the inventors of the category  and are theKleenex of our category.
Nicholas’ vision has been indispensable in SMART’s growth and innovation as a brand. He deftly navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain crisis that resulted, positioning SMART as a much-needed solution for educators and businesses everywhere. He has overseen SMART’s re-entry into the business sector with cutting-edge collaborative technology, all while maintaining an unwavering commitment to SMART’s priorities in the world of education. Nicholas keeps the SMART brand focused on the things that really matter, like prioritizing student wellness, remaining easy to use for teachers, and best-in-class privacy and security for all customers. As a workplace leader, Nicholas places a high emphasis on authenticity and removing barriers for all his employees across the globe. SMART Technologies is a leading company working to create and advance technologies that help teachers and students make meaningful connections every day. With a full range of products such as Lumio, a digital learning tool transforming lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences as well as an impressive selection of easy-to-use interactive displays used by millions of educators and students around the world, SMART creates connections that matter.Mabel Katz – Author of 100 Questions about Ho’oponopono
Problems are not the problem. Our reaction to the problem is the problem!
Mabel Katz is an author, public speaker, and internationally acclaimed world peace ambassador. She is recognized as a leading authority on Ho’oponopono, the ancient Hawaiian art, and practice of problem-solving for achieving happiness and peace. She is also the creator of Zero Frequency®, a way of life that teaches 100% responsibility, forgiveness, and gratitude as a pathway to Zero—the state in which we free ourselves from restrictive memories and limiting beliefs so that we may discover our inner talents in pursuit of more abundant life. Honored with the prestigious 2012 Mil Milenious de Paz Peace Flag, acknowledging her global peace initiative, Peace Within Is World Peace, Mabel was officially recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent peace ambassadors, and on January 1, 2015, was awarded the prestigious Public Peace Prize. She has spoken in front of national senates and other influential government bodies, including the United Nations in Vienna, where she launched her internationally acclaimed Peace Begins with Me campaign. In 2013, she was recognized for her humanitarian works by being knighted in the venerable Order of the Orthodox Knights Hospitaller of St. John—Russian Grand Priory, bestowing upon her the title of Dame Mabel Katz. Mabel continues to travel extensively throughout the world, helping countless people find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. Mabel has also authored several books, which have been translated into more than 20 languages. When she is not conducting workshops around the world, Mabel brings her unique brand of awareness to prison inmates, special needs children, and dozens of corporations seeking to achieve peak performance through deeper self-awareness.