School for Startups Radio

May 25, 2026 – Lake House Digital Lauren Schafer and Adapt or Thrive Thomas Douglas

Lauren Schafer – Founder of Lake House Digital Media
They remember how your story made them feel.
Lauren Schafer is the founder of Lake House Digital Media, a boutique marketing agency that helps companies strengthen their digital presence through strategic SEO, content marketing, and thought leadership. She works with businesses across the United States, with a particular focus on life sciences, healthcare, startups, and highly specialized industries where trust and credibility are essential. Known for her hands on and relationship driven approach, Lauren helps brands improve visibility, generate qualified leads, and position executives as industry authorities. In addition to leading client strategy, Lauren is recognized for helping leadership teams maximize their presence on LinkedIn through profile optimization, executive branding, and practical training that drives authentic engagement. Through Lake House Digital Media, she partners with organizations ranging from early stage startups to established mid sized companies, creating marketing strategies designed to support long term growth and meaningful industry influence.Thomas Douglas – Chief Executive Officer of JMARK and The Author of Adapt or Die
AI is more deceptive than a lot of other technologies, because it seems very simple.
Thomas H. Douglas is the Chief Executive Officer of JMARK, an award-winning innovative IT solutions provider for organizations of all sizes. Thomas has led his company to 9 consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000, something only 1% of CEOs who make the list ever achieve. He became a part of JMARK designing, building, and maintaining its functional aspects as an entry-level engineer before purchasing the company in 2001. As JMARK’s CEO, he formulated processes that provided repeatable outcomes and a predictable revenue stream that placed JMARK on a growth trajectory that up to this day, is revolutionizing the region’s engagement with technology. JMARK has been providing I.T. support services in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas for 30 Years; catering to various industries such as banking, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation, accounting, legal, and oil, and gas. Thomas has seen it all as a father, veteran, business leader, and technologist. He visited 18 countries when he served in the US Navy and is also publishing a book entitled Adapt or Die, which explores Thomas’ algorithm of success. The algorithm is built on more than 30 years of lessons and business acumen that Tom has acquired through his tenure as CEO. He has now compiled his wisdom in order to provide the next generation of business leaders a launch pad to help them understand and determine product innovation, business strategy, growth, sales and marketing models, organizational strengths, operations, and processes. With his vast experience, Thomas is also a trusted technology adviser to international clients. He is an innovator in managed services and an engaging speaker on various topics like Executive Strategies, Entrepreneur Tactics, Technology Trends, IT Maturity Methodologies, Cybersecurity, and all Leadership and Technology related subjects.

May 22, 2026 – The Alloy Market Brandon Aversano and Legal Rights Cindy Cohn

Brandon Aversano – Founder of Alloy Market
In some of the darkest times come the brightest moments.
Brandon Aversano is the founder of Alloy Market, a Newtown, Pennsylvania-based fintech startup launched in 2023 to bring more transparency, trust, and simplicity to the gold and fine jewelry resale market. Alloy Market buys gold jewelry and other precious metals directly from consumers online, offering a tech-enabled alternative to the traditional “Cash for Gold” or pawn shop experience. The idea came from a deeply personal moment. While undergoing cancer treatment at age 30, Aversano brought jewelry he had inherited from his grandmother to Philadelphia’s historic Jeweler’s Row, hoping to sell it to help cover mounting medical bills. Instead, he had what he described as “an absolutely horrific experience,” marked by lowball offers and little clarity into how prices were being set. That experience became the foundation for Alloy Market. The company’s model gives customers a free evaluation kit, insured shipping, and an offer based on weight, gold content, and current market prices. Alloy uses X-ray fluorescence technology, certified scales, and real-time pricing data to analyze each item and provide a more transparent process. Now, Alloy Market has launched a new model where sellers get paid upfront and also keep a share of the resale upside, something rarely seen in this category. The goal is to give consumers immediate liquidity while allowing them to participate in the additional value their jewelry may create on the resale market. The timing is significant. Resale prices for fine jewelry are reportedly up about 17% year over year, with high-value pieces seeing roughly 22% growth on resale platforms. Gold has surged more than 200% since 2020, and demand is especially strong for high-purity gold pieces and everyday “wearable assets,” rather than only ultra-luxury jewelry. Mid-tier jewelry in the $500 to $2,000 range is now driving much of the resale volume, while pieces with intrinsic material value, including gold, pearls, and certified stones, are outperforming trend-based jewelry. Before founding Alloy Market, Aversano worked in management consulting, strategy at JetBlue, and financial services at JPMorgan Chase, where he oversaw a major co-branded credit card portfolio, including the Amazon Prime card. Since launching, Alloy has raised approximately $3 million from partners including 11 Tribes, Hustle Fund, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. At its core, Alloy Market is built around a simple idea: customers deserve honesty, transparency, and respect when selling valuable personal items. As Aversano puts it, “We just try to be as honest and transparent as possible. I think that goes a really, really long way with customers.” Brandon can speak to why more consumers are liquidating jewelry right now, what is happening in the gold and estate resale market, the shift from pawn shops to digital resale platforms, and why more people are moving from “buy and keep forever” to “buy, wear, and eventually liquidate.” Alloy Market, just launched a model where sellers get paid upfront and keep a share of the resale upside, something we haven’t seen before in this category.Cindy Cohn – Executive Director of Electronic Frontier Foundation
The AI doesn’t know when it’s lying to you and when it’s not.
Cindy Cohn is the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. From 2000-2015 she served as EFF’s Legal Director as well as its General Counsel.  Ms. Cohn first became involved with EFF in 1993, when EFF asked her to serve as the outside lead attorney in Bernstein v. Dept. of Justice, the successful First Amendment challenge to the U.S. export restrictions on cryptography. Ms. Cohn has been named to TheNonProfitTimes 2020 Power & Influence TOP 50 list, honoring 2020’s movers and shakers.  In 2018, Forbes included Ms. Cohn as one of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech. The National Law Journal named Ms. Cohn one of 100 most influential lawyers in America in 2013, noting: “[I]f Big Brother is watching, he better look out for Cindy Cohn.” She was also named in 2006 for “rushing to the barricades wherever freedom and civil liberties are at stake online.”  In 2007 the National Law Journal named her one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America. In 2010 the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California awarded her its Intellectual Property Vanguard Award and in 2012 the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded her the James Madison Freedom of Information Award. Ms. Cohn is the author of the professional memoir, called Privacy’s Defender published by MIT Press in March, 2026. As part of promoting the book, she appeared on The Daily.

May 20, 2026 – VC Nikhil Choudhary and Cementing Change Mary Lou Panzano

Nikhil Choudhary – Managing Partner at Nirman Ventures
The world we live in right now is designed around a human form factor
Nikhil Choudhary is a Silicon Valley-based investor and operator focused on technologies modernizing the physical economy. He has spent more than two decades building and scaling businesses across construction, manufacturing, logistics, and real-asset–driven industries, before turning his attention to early-stage investing in robotics, autonomy, and applied AI systems deployed in real-world environments. His work centers on under-digitized sectors where productivity, safety, and labor constraints present both structural challenges and long-term technology opportunities. Choudhary’s perspective is shaped by hands-on operating experience, with an emphasis on solutions that perform outside controlled settings and deliver measurable outcomes on job sites, in warehouses, and across industrial operations.Mary Lou Panzano – Author of Cementing Change-Cracking the Code for Communications that Work & Cracking the Rich Code Volume 18
You can’t fix what you can’t see as a problem
Mary Lou Panzano is an award-winning communications executive with over 35 years of experience in employee communications at global companies, empowering leaders to guide strategic organizational change. She is a certified leadership coach, communications advisor, speaker, and best-selling author, passionate about helping people succeed through any change they want to make in their business or lives. Mary Lou is a featured author in the Cracking the Rich Code, Volume 18 anthology and a contributing author in The Art of Connection: 365 Days of Resilience Quotes by Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Influencers. Her solo book, Cementing Change: Cracking the Code for Communications that Work, will be published in 2026

May 19, 2026 - Ageless Peak Performance Ted Yang and Geofencing Chris Seminatore

Ted Yang – Author of Ageless Peak Performance: The Playbook for AI-Powered Excellence
What becomes the real skill is knowing what’s real from AI slop.
Ted Yang is a visionary entrepreneur, MIT-trained engineer, and multidisciplinary leader at the intersection of finance, technology, and social impact. With a career spanning elite institutions such as Bridgewater Associates and Citadel, Ted has led high-stakes investment strategies and built transformative businesses—from hedge funds and private equity platforms to high-growth startups like Daily Voice and Purple Insurance. Equally committed to public service and personal storytelling, Ted co-founded 4-CT, Connecticut’s largest COVID-19 relief fund, and earned a regional Emmy nomination for his creative work. He’s the author of a deeply personal memoir chronicling the premature birth of his triplets, Table for Five (see below!) and was appointed by Governor Lamont to the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, helping shape the future of learning in Connecticut. A compelling speaker and storyteller, Ted has taken the stage at South Summit, Startup Grind, Cleantech Open, and university commencements, and is known for translating complex ideas into actionable insights. His thought leadership has been featured by Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR.Chris Seminatore – Founder of GetGeofencing
A location is the strongest indicator of buying intent.
Chris Seminatore is the founder of GetGeofencing.com, a location-based digital marketing agency that has worked with more than 1100 businesses across the U.S. and Mexico. He’s spent the past seven years helping organizations in highly practical, often overlooked industries like funeral homes, plasma donation centers, real estate, and political campaigns, and use geofencing and targeted advertising to drive measurable results. Before starting his agency, Chris served five years in the U.S. Navy, including deployments during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After leaving the military, his path included time in Los Angeles working in television commercial production, founding multiple businesses (one of which he exited), and eventually building GetGeofencing without outside funding. Today, he runs the company remotely from Mexico and is known for a straightforward, ROI-focused approach to marketing that prioritizes clarity, execution, and results over buzzwords or vanity metrics.

May 18, 2026 – Easy App Building Joel Brewer, Functional Health Dr. Dusty Hess and Ford’s Matt Atkenson

Joel Brewer – CEO of Brewer Digital
You can move really, really fast, but you haveto know where you’re headed.
Joel Brewer is the Founder and CEO of Brewer Digital, a US based software development agency that helps early stage startup founders launch products with confidence. A software developer himself, Joel works directly with founders who have an idea, some traction, or fresh funding but no internal engineering leadership. His team builds MVPs, rescues failed offshore projects, and helps founders make smart technical decisions before they burn runway. Joel believes most startups do not fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they build the wrong thing or build it the wrong way. Brewer Digital partners with founders who value communication, clarity, and long term thinking over cheap shortcuts. With deep experience in HealthTech and FinTech, Joel helps founders decide what to build next, why it matters, and how to launch without creating technical debt that slows them down later.Dr. Dusty Hess –  Founder and CEO of Upstream Health
If you see yourself as not playing a role in your own health, and you’re leaning on your health insurance to get you healthy, you’ve already lost
Dr. Dusty Hess is a functional medicine doctor, speaker, and founder of Upstream Health, where he helps Christian families restore health by returning to God’s original design. Our modern world has drifted far downstream from the way we were created to live. Processed food, chronic stress, poor sleep, environmental toxins, and disconnected lifestyles have left many families feeling burned out, inflamed, anxious, and spiritually depleted. Dr. Hess believes the good news is that the body was built for more, and it still remembers how to heal. Through Upstream Health, Dr. Hess helps families turn upstream again by restoring physical, mental, and spiritual health through faith-driven functional medicine tools, education, and community. Through Upstream+, a personalized functional medicine membership, and Upstream Magazine, a monthly faith-based health publication, Upstream Health equips Christian families with practical, God-aligned habits to help prevent and reverse chronic disease, reclaim energy, and live with greater joy and purpose. As a speaker, Dr. Hess brings together science, Scripture, and humor to make audiences laugh, think, and take action. His talks are faith-filled, evidence-based, and designed to inspire lasting change long after the event ends.
 
Matt Atkenson – Executive Director of Sales & Operations at Ford Motor Company
What I know from small business is that they watch their costs relentlessly.
Matt Atkenson is the Executive Director of Ford Pro North America Sales and Operations at Ford Motor Company, where he leads sales and operational strategy for Ford’s commercial, government, and dealer reported business channels. In this role, he oversees key areas including production planning, inventory management, vehicle allocation, and scheduling, while working closely with dealers, fleet customers, field operations, and retail marketing teams. He also serves as chair of the Ford Pro Dealer Council and Fleet Advisory Board, helping strengthen Ford Pro’s dealer network and support businesses that rely on work vehicles every day. Atkenson has been with Ford for more than 20 years and has held leadership roles across sales, service, dealer relations, field operations, commercial and industrial sales, and retail communications. His work focuses on aligning Ford Pro’s vehicles, services, and customer support with the real needs of North American businesses, especially commercial fleets and small business owners.

May 15, 2026 - WorkMoney Carrie Joy Grimes and Greatest Hits Mike Michalowicz

Carrie Joy Grimes – Founder and CEO of WorkMoney and Author of The Joy of Money: How to Do More With and Feel Better About Your Money—No Matter How Much You Have
Money is math plus motivation or feelings.
Carrie Joy Grimes is the founder and CEO of WorkMoney, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping Americans lower costs, increase incomes, and build financial stability. Through its community of more than 9 million members, WorkMoney connects people with practical tools and resources that have helped them save more than $2 billion. Carrie Joy is the author of The Joy of Money: How to Do More With and Feel Better About Your Money No Matter How Much You Have, a practical guide that helps readers understand both the math and the emotions of money so they can build lasting financial security.Mike Michalowicz – Author of The Pumpkin Plan, CEO at Provendus Group
Entrepreneurial success is around innovation based upon necessity.
Mike Michalowicz is an entrepreneur, speaker, and bestselling business author known for helping small business owners build more profitable and sustainable companies through simple, practical systems. He is the author of several widely recognized business books, including The Pumpkin Plan, Profit First, Clockwork, Fix This Next, and Get Different. By age 35, Mike had founded and sold multiple multimillion dollar companies before experiencing a major financial collapse that reshaped his approach to entrepreneurship. That experience became the foundation for his focus on building businesses that prioritize profitability, efficiency, and long term stability. Today, he serves as CEO of Provendus Group and continues to advise entrepreneurs around the world through speaking, writing, consulting, and media appearances. Mike is also a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former business makeover expert for MSNBC.

May 13, 2026 – NYT Best Selling Author Jay Kopelman and Greatest Hits Kevin Johnson

Jay Kopelman – CEO of Mission to Live Foundation and Author of From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, The War, And A Dog Named Lava
These medicines don’t show you what you want to see or whatyou want to know. They show you what you need to knowand what you need to see.
Jay Kopelman is the CEO of the Mission to Live Foundation, dedicated to expanding access to psychedelic therapy for veterans navigating the invisible wounds of war—PTSD, mild traumatic brain injury, depression, and addiction. A New York Times bestselling author, former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, and two-time cancer survivor, transformed by ibogaine and  5-MeO-DMT therapy himself, Jay brings exceptional passion, lived experience, and urgency to this work. Jay works tirelessly to raise funds to provide psychedelic therapy scholarships for veterans and first responders in need. He has dedicated his life to service – either as an officer of the Marines for 20 years, a healthcare leader for 10 years, seeking improved patient outcomes (Johnson & Johnson, Airstrip); or as a business advisor to veteran entrepreneurs. A year after his transformation, Jay has evolved from participant to President and CEO of Mission to Live Foundation, having raised over $2 million to fund scholarships. He has firsthand knowledge of what’s at stake. In 2024, after a lifetime of service and battles both internal and external, he underwent a profound healing journey through ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. His authenticity, transparency, and courage in sharing his own story have been the catalysts. His vision is for the foundation to be the “American Cancer Society of Ibogaine Access”: raising awareness, mobilizing resources, and ensuring no one is left behind, knowing every veteran’s path is different, and healing doesn’t end when the retreat is over. Under his leadership, the Foundation is setting a new standard for veteran care: not just funding treatments, but full-spectrum healing journeys that include integration coaching, meditation, functional medicine, hormone balancing, long-term support, and data collection to provide outcomes evidence. Jay’s fight for mental health access is personal and lifelong. From a young age, he felt called to defend those who couldn’t defend themselves. As a Marine, he served with honor—including in combat in Iraq. As an author (From Baghdad with Love), he helped reshape public perceptions of war and recovery. As a nonprofit leader, he’s supported countless causes—animal rescue, wounded warriors, humanitarian relief. Also a cancer survivor, he understands what it means to face death and choose to fight—not just for himself, but for others. Living with intention, today, Jay trains daily in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, speaks publicly on the power of psychedelic therapy, and mentors fellow veterans navigating their own transitions. He describes his work as a second chance—not just to heal, but to do good. Jay’s ethos is simple: “Go into the world to do well, but more importantly, do good.” For him, that means showing up—day after day, donation after donation, veteran after veteran—to make sure the doors to healing are open for everyone who needs it. As Jay says, he’s “just a regular guy trying to inspire others and show a little grace every day.”
Kevin Johnson – CEO of Johnson Media Inc. and Bestselling  Author of  The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs
The energy that it takes to go after a big idea is thesame energy that it takes to go after a small idea.
Kevin D. Johnson, founder and president of Johnson Media Inc., has several years of experience leading his award-winning company as a successful marketing and communications firm. It serves many of the most notable Fortune 100 businesses today. As an innovative leader, he has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS, CNN, Oprah Radio, and in The New York Times, The Financial Times, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal. Recently, Johnson Media Inc. was awarded two 2015 Telly Awards. With nearly 13,000 entries from across the US and around the world, the Telly Awards honors the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. In October of 2014, the company was also awarded a 2014 International Davey Award by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts today. With nearly 4,000 entries from across the US and around the world, the Davey Awards honors the finest creative work from the best small firms, agencies and companies worldwide. He also supports non-profits and enjoys doing community service as a volunteer for the East Lake Foundation, Junior Achievement, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, Economic Empowerment Initiative, Latin American Association, and Boys & Girls Club of America.

May 12, 2026 - Value Creation Family Lee Benson and Greatest Hits Second Act Jay Samit

Lee Benson – CEO of ETW and CEO of Dinner Table and Author of Value Creation Family: The Proven Playbook for Setting Up Your Family to Enjoy True Success
All of the opportunity in the world, in my view, is in the struggle.
CEO Lee Benson has spent more than three decades helping organizations and families focus on what creates the most value. A lifelong entrepreneur, Lee founded and led eight companies, including aerospace company Able Aerospace, which grew from just two employees into a global operation with more than 500 team members serving over 2,000 customers in 60 countries before achieving a nine figure exit in 2016. Today, through ETW and his family leadership platform Dinner Table, Lee helps business leaders and families align around purpose, values, execution, and long term success.Lee is also the author of the bestselling book Value Creation Kid and the new book Value Creation Family: The Proven Playbook for Setting Up Your Family to Enjoy True Success, where he shares practical frameworks for building stronger families, creating lasting impact, and defining success beyond money. Known for his straightforward and actionable approach, Lee has become a respected voice on leadership, value creation, execution, and strategy. His insights have been featured in major media outlets including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Inc. Magazine, and he has appeared on networks such as CNBC and Bloomberg.Jay Samit – “Coolest Job,” Video on Demand Creator and Author of Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation
Every obstacle out there is actually a new form of opportunity for an entrepreneur to create a solution to make life better and profit
Jay Samit has been described by Wired magazine as “having the coolest job in the industry.” He is a leading technology innovator who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for startups, sold companies to Fortune 500 firms, taken companies public, and partnered with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Coca Cola, McDonald’s, General Motors, United Airlines, Microsoft, Apple, Verizon, and Facebook. Samit is CEO of SeaChange International, a leading global multi-screen video software company. A technology innovator and entrepreneur, he was a senior advisor to LinkedIn and was appointed to the White House initiative for education and technology by President Bill Clinton. Samit is the host of the Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year series. Samit helped grow pre-IPO companies such as Linkedin, held senior management roles at Sony and Universal Studios, pioneered breakthrough advancements in mobile video, internet advertising, ecommerce, social networks, ebooks, and digital music that are used by billions of consumers every day. An adjunct professor at USC, Samit teaches innovation at America’s largest engineering school and is author of Disrupt Yourself: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation. He frequently appears on ABC, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, NBC and tweets daily motivation to the over 100,000 business professionals who follow him on Twitter. An expert on transformational corporate change, Samit has been quoted in The New York Times, The Economist, Businessweek, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Fast Company and TechCrunch. He was awarded with the Leonardo Da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award.

May 11, 2026 – BenefitRFP Bob Nienaber and Greatest Hits Larry Wyman

Bob Nienaber – CEO of BenefitRFP
Life has so much excitement that I really truly do live each day at its fullest
Bob Nienaber, CEO of BenefitRFP,  a fintech executive benefits firm that helps HR leaders and CEOs turn executive compensation from a cost into a strategic advantage while increasing shareholder equity. Bob specializes in uncovering hidden revenue opportunities, typically $3–5M per company, by optimizing IRS and regulatory components of executive plans. Using proprietary tools like the benefitMATRIX™, companies can reveal $1M+ in untapped value in as little as 20 minutes. He has helped numerous Fortune 500 companies and large enterprises identify opportunities they didn’t even know existed, showing HR leaders how executive plans can drive real business impact.Beyond uncovering hidden value, Bob provides practical, actionable strategies HR leaders can implement immediately. From rapid plan audits to real-world success stories, he shows how optimizing executive benefits not only boosts shareholder equity but also improves employee retention, engagement, and satisfaction. His approach turns complex compensation plans into clear, measurable tools that drive both financial and organizational results.Larry Wyman – Co-founder of Okeanos
We are poisoning ourselves daily with the amountof plastic that’s being made.
Larry Wyman was a founding partner in the international commercial real estate development firm HRO International, Ltd. beginning in 1981, when he left the practice of law at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson in New York. He was responsible for all aspects of the commercial development process on 12 major projects in New York City during the 1980’s and 1990’s. He also directed HRO’s activities in London and Frankfurt from 1996 to 2004, as well as HRO Asset Management in New York beginning in 2004. Since stepping down from day-to-day involvement at HRO, he remains a member of HRO’s advisory board, with projects now focused in Paris. He became a Board Member of Okeanos in September, 2019, and has since stepped into the role of Chief Strategy Officer. Larry and his wife of 35 years, Sheryl, have two adult children, Nicole and Max, both of whom live in New York City.

May 7, 2026 – Relationship Real Estate Athena Brownson and Opportunity Zones Ashley Tison

Athena Brownson – Realtor at Your Castle Real Estate
The greatest marketing you can do is word of mouth
Athena Brownson is a seasoned REALTOR® at Your Castle Real Estate and a proud Colorado native whose lifelong connection to the state gives her clients valuable firsthand insight into the local real estate market. With nearly a decade of experience, Athena has built a reputation for skilled negotiation, unwavering integrity, exceptional responsiveness, and steadfast loyalty. She understands that buying or selling a home is far more than a transaction. For her, it is about creating a seamless, stress free experience while helping clients find a place that truly reflects their lifestyle, personality, and dreams. Athena’s background in interior design gives her a sharp eye for aesthetics, functionality, and the hidden potential within every property. She expertly guides clients through every stage of the process while helping them envision how a space can become a meaningful and personalized home. Her infectious enthusiasm, attention to detail, and genuine commitment to client success have made her a trusted name throughout Colorado’s real estate community. She proudly serves clients across Denver Metro, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and surrounding areas with the same dedication and passion that have defined her career. Outside of real estate, Athena enjoys exploring Denver’s vibrant culture, searching for vintage treasures at estate sales, attending concerts, spending time with friends, and relaxing at home in Berkeley with her beloved furry companions, Boo Berry and Luci Fur. Athena’s accomplishments include being named a Five Star Real Estate Agent from 2017 and 2020 through 2023, receiving the 2022 DMAR Excellence Awards Silver recognition, being featured in Success Magazine’s “10 Industry Leaders” in 2022, earning recognition in 5280 Denver Magazine’s Top Producing Teams with Black Diamond from 2022 to 2023, and being named by USA Today as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2022.Ashley Tison – Founder and President of OZPros | Opportunity Zone Advisory Firm
I’m a firm believer that coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.
Ashley Tison, Esq., is a tax strategist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of OZPros, the leading advisory firm focused on Opportunity Zones and advanced tax-efficient investing. Through OZPros, he and his team have helped investors legally defer or reduce over 1 billion dollars in taxes while channeling capital into projects that create real community impact. A magna cum laude graduate of UNC Charlotte and the UNC Chapel Hill School of Law, Ashley spent years as a real estate and securities attorney, fund manager counsel, and operator across multiple businesses before building OZPros into a one-stop shop for Opportunity Zone strategy, fund design, and compliance. On stage and behind the mic, Ashley turns complex tax law into clear, usable playbooks for investors, advisors, and business owners. He speaks on Opportunity Zones, tax-efficient exits, audit-ready wealth strategies, and how to think like a family office at any scale. Known as the “OZ Sherpa,” he has been featured in national media and on dozens of podcasts for his practical, story-driven approach to doing well by doing good. Ashley Tison, known as the OZ Sherpa, has helped investors and business owners legally defer over $1 billion in taxes through Opportunity Zones and has guided the creation of more than 900 funds and businesses. With Opportunity Zones now permanently expanded under The One Big Beautiful Bill, Ashley is on the frontlines of helping entrepreneurs leverage OZ strategies. They work not just for real estate, but also for business sales and even cryptocurrency gains. He has taken over 2,000 calls with investors, advisors, and founders who want to keep more of what they earn and align their impact with legacy. He’s been featured on 100 podcasts and national media, but his focus is always on making these complex topics accessible for people who need clarity. With nearly 10,000 wealth builders in Ashley’s network, he would love to share actionable strategies your audience can put to work right away.