School for Startups Radio

August 17, 2023 - Cheddar Up Nichole Montoya and 10 Lawsuits Barry Cohen

Nichole Montoya – CEO of Cheddar Up 
I am a non-technical founder, so one of the bigger challenges in theearly stages was finding tech talent that was a good fit. We hadsome trial and error. I remember stalking people on LinkedIn tryingto find some engineers that could help me bring this to life.
Nichole Montoya is the CEO of Cheddar Up. Nichole has more than 20 years of experience helping to grow and build businesses. She is the co-founder and CEO of Cheddar Up, the leading software platform that helps groups and organizations easily collect payments and information so they can save time and support and grow their communities. Cheddar Up was founded in 2013 and serves over 100,000 groups and organizations across North America helping them to collect millions of payments each year. Nichole was part of the 500 Startups accelerator in San Francisco and has presented at SXSW Interactive, Women 2.0, and sat on numerous fintech and female entrepreneur panels. Prior to founding Cheddar Up, Nichole served as a marketing strategist for the past eight years, helping firms grow their brands and reinvent themselves. Her most recent clients include KPMG, where she was a consultant on special marketing projects. She was also retained as the head of Marketing for WealthTouch, a global provider of financial data aggregation services, where she led its complete brand overhaul. Nichole also co-founded and operated a high-end children’s apparel company where she helped design the product, managed production, and built distribution in 50 stores. Nichole began her career at Andersen Consulting where she was a member of the company’s founding New Media team and helped rebrand the company from Andersen Consulting to Accenture. Nichole is currently participating in the 500 Startups accelerator in San Francisco and enjoys speaking on women entrepreneurship. Nichole lives in Denver and has two daughters, Sevilla and Julia, husband, Anthony, and standard poodle, TeddyBarry H. Cohen – Owner of AdLab Media and the Co-Author of the Book 10 Ways To Get Sued By Anyone & Everyone
The place not to go is the latest shiny object! Every time a new platformopens online, everyone rushes to it, but it’s not necessarily the right onefor your audience. It’s about narrow casting, laser focused targetingof your audience.
Barry H. Cohen is the Owner of AdLab Media and the Co-Author of the Book 10 Ways To Get Sued By Anyone & Everyone. For over thirty years, Barry has plied his trade in the advertising industry and the broadcast community. For the past twelve years, Barry has served as principal of AdLab. Prior to that, he held positions with New York radio stations WPAT and WOR, and served as General Manager of WKCW, a Virginia radio station. Barry is the author of a widely reviewed advertising guide book for smaller companies, entitled 10 WAYS TO SCREW UP AN AD CAMPAIGN.  He is co-author of the book Startup Smarts.  Barry has also authored guest columns for Floorcovering Weekly, Radio & Records and Performance magazines, as well as Tiempo de Mercadeo. A familiar speaker on advertising, Barry has addressed national and regional organizations, including the Radio Advertising Bureau, Interep, the Concert Industry Consortium, the Mid-Year Radio Symposium, the Natural Products Expo East, the US Small Business Administration, The NJ Innovates Conference, the NJ Florists Association, the Financial Institutions Marketing Association, the Mid-Jersey Business Expo and the Gateway Small Business Expo, in addition to the American Marketing Association and TD Bank. He is the recipient of several creative awards: from the NJ Ad Club, the Dynamic Graphics Foundation, the Association of Graphic Communicators, and the Silver Microphone Awards. Barry H. Cohen is the author of the acclaimed book 10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign (Simon & Schuster/Adams Media) and co-author of Startup Smarts (Simon & Schuster/Adams Media). He is also the co-author of the novel Comin’Home, and author of the Soul Switchers series of novels. Barry specializes in Strategic Planning and Media Liaison, leveraging his expertise in radio, television, magazines, and public relations. He graduated Cum Laude from Kean University with a B.A. in English/Speech-Theater-Media. Barry’s accomplishments extend beyond his education as he was admitted to the Roundtable Group expert consultancy and actively served on the boards of notable organizations including Kean University Alumni Association, NJ Ad Club, Allgood Entertainment, Network Plus, and Amwell Security. His impressive profile includes features and profiles in prominent publications such as NJ Business, NJ Biz, Entrepreneur, StartupJournal.com, AdLaw.com, Whole Foods, Pollstar, Radio Ink, Radio Business Report, Radio & Records, “The (Bergen) Record,” and “The Miami Herald.”

August 16, 2023 - Web.com Ken Gavranovic and School.Joy Ian Zhu

Ken Gavranovic – CEO of Blameless and the Co-Author of Business Breakthrough 3.0: Building a Truly Dynamic and Resilient Organization that Fuels Engagement, Boosts agility and Drives Lasting Change
My goal is to be the best me; to bring out what my capabilities are and tomaximize them. Oftentimes, we don’t live up to our potential because we donot challenge ourselves. I am going to push my employees and it’s not to bedifficult, it’s to challenge them to go as far as they can, so they canunderstand what their full potential is.
Ken Gavranovic is the CEO of Blameless and the Co-Author of Business Breakthrough 3.0: Building a Truly Dynamic and Resilient Organization that Fuels Engagement, Boosts agility and Drives Lasting Change. While still in his 20s, Ken started Interland, now web.com, growing the company to $200M and leading its IPO. Since then, he has been responsible for hyper-growth at unicorn businesses, gaining experience across multiple industry verticals and leadership positions. At New Relic, he helped grow revenues to $500M. At Cox Automotive, he oversaw a $5B+ portfolio of brands, including AutoTrader and Kelly Blue Book. Recently he has been responsible for several IPO and private equity exits that generated up to ninety times ROI. These experiences have equipped him to guide businesses to scale in growth, transformation, and results. Ken’s work has been recognized for organizational effectiveness across multiple verticals and technologies in Fortune 500 companies, startups, and turnaround situations. He has a reputation for quick thinking, an entrepreneurial mindset, and rapid execution.Ian Zhu – Co_Founder & CEO of SchoolJoy
I want to be an entrepreneur because that’s the only path I can take to gofor the life I want, but also to have the impact I want to make.
Ian Zhu is the co-founder and CEO of SchoolJoy, an AI-powered education management platform. His professional journey began in consulting and later transitioned to the tech industry. As Ian continued in his career, he expanded his involvement in the education sector as a volunteer and strategic advisor, recognizing the opportunities to improve how data is managed for administrators, teachers, and students. This, paired with his own journey as a student, inspired Ian to co-found SchoolJoy. The platform supports schools by reducing busy work while improving student outcomes and bringing much-needed relief to teachers and administrators across the country.

August 14, 2023 - AI Negotiations Raja Singh and $370 Million in RE Assets Dan Brisse and NLP Meets AI Joe Meyer

Raja Singh – Founder & CEO of Revolear
We are building Revolear to help the salesperson do the work, not just track the work.
Raja Singh is the Founder & CEO of Revolear. Raja Singh has designed CRM products for nearly 25 years, beginning as the head of the financial services product line at CRM pioneer Siebel Systems, and later as the senior vice president of products at Vlocity, which was acquired by Salesforce for $1.5 billion. He left his role as a senior vice president and general manager at Salesforce to found his latest venture Revolear, seeing new opportunities to leverage AI in B2B selling. As business solutions become increasingly complex and multi-functional, the number of approvers in B2B decision-making has grown. Buyers and sellers alike are challenged to align the stakeholders around a solution, often resulting in indecision and lost opportunities. Raja recognized the need to empower deal teams with new ways to optimize, communicate and collaborate, and ultimately bring more deals to closure.Dan Brisse – Co-Founder at Granite Towers Equity Group 
There is an opportunity right now in multi-family housing. If you can be a buyer in this market, you have the opportunity to get property at a 10 to 20% discount from where it was in October 2021.
Dan Brisse is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Granite Towers Equity Group and oversees operations, acquisitions, investor relations, and asset management. Dan is a resident of Southern WA. Granite Towers Equity Group, a multifamily private equity firm with over 2500 doors valued at about $370M. Dan is also the co-author of the book, “4 Steps To Successful Passive Investing,” and co-host of the podcast the “Keeping It Real Estate” show. Before building a multi-family portfolio, Dan was a professional snowboarder of 15 years, winning two gold medals and two silver medals at the X Games, and was voted “Number 3 Rider In The World” by Snowboarder Magazine in 2012. As Dan’s career as a professional athlete began to transition, he saw firsthand the challenges of athletes’ careers coming to an end. This led Dan to focus on building passive income, allowing him to retire from his professional snowboarding career successfully. Dan now focuses all of his efforts on buying large multifamily assets and helping others build passive income.Joe Meyer – Senior Natural Language Processing Researcher and Engineer at Erudit
We are using AI to automatically analyze organizational culture andprovide insight to the managers and leaders and even employees.
Joe Meyer is the Senior Natural Language Processing Researcher and Engineer at Erudit, focusing on data science and natural language processing. Previously, he was a Research Scientist at Meta. There, he performed internal research and focused on supervised and unsupervised natural language processing. Additionally, he worked in research and development for Modern Hire, a company that works with around 50 of the Fortune 100 and several Fortune 10 companies. Joe also has experience in organizational consulting and teaching applied statistical methods and psychology. Joe has his Bachelor’s in Psychology, Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and is currently finishing his dissertation on Natural Language Processing in the same. Joe also teaches NLP at University of California, Santa Cruz and was on first place team in the society for industrial organizational psychology machine learning competition. Joe Meyer completed his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Allegheny College from 2013 to 2017. Following this, he pursued further education at Louisiana Tech University from 2018 to 2023, obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

August 11, 2023 - Accountability Rahul Sharma and 10 Ways to Get Sued Mitchell C Beinhaker

Rahul Sharma – Vice President – Learning & Development of Collabera and the Author of “Habits 4 MIRACLES: Design Your Life Your Way” 
Who are the people you are talking to on a regular basis? Are they injecting positivity in you or are they extracting positivity from you? Talk to people that will make you believe in your own strengths.
Transformational Speaker, Author, and Leadership Coach with over 20 years of experience in Corporate America. With a passion for inspiring others, he empowers individuals and teams to strive for excellence and achieve high-performance results. As a specialist in leadership and mindset coaching, he engages audiences by helping them understand that leadership and mindset are two interconnected aspects that play a crucial role in achieving success and making a positive impact. Leadership is not merely about holding a position of authority; it’s about guiding and inspiring others toward a shared vision. Effective leaders understand the importance of cultivating the right mindset within themselves and their teams. Rahul is well-versed in a range of topics that are crucial for personal and professional development. As a busy entrepreneur, he can deliver insights on “Developing Habits of Happiness,” shedding light on how individuals can cultivate a sense of contentment amidst their busy schedules. His expertise extends to the realm of leadership, where he can elaborate on “The Power of Positive Leadership,” delving into how a positive mindset can profoundly influence effective leadership, fostering motivation and collaboration. Rahul’s knowledge also encompasses “Growth Mindset in Leadership,” where he can elucidate how embracing a growth-oriented perspective can not only enhance leadership skills but also drive personal and professional advancement. Additionally, he is equipped to speak about “Ethical Leadership,” offering a comprehensive exploration of ethical decision-making and integrity’s pivotal role in leadership positions. Lastly, Rahul can provide valuable insights into “Leading through Change,” equipping his audience with strategies to navigate uncertainty and guide others adeptly during times of change, highlighting his well-rounded understanding of leadership dynamics.Mitchell C. Beinhaker – Business Law Attorney, Advisor to Family-Owned Businesses, Entrepreneurs & Start-Ups, Estate & Business Planning, Host of The Accidental Entrepreneur Podcast and Author of “10 Ways To Get Sued By Anyone & Everyone“
Let’s say you meet someone through Upwork and they are in the US, and now they are really working for you full time, they should be converted to a W2.
Mitchell C. Beinhaker, Esq. is a business lawyer and estates attorney who runs a solo legal & consulting practice representing business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and professionals. Through his 29+ years of experience, Mitchell has handled business development, marketing, firm management, along with business transactional work for clients of the firm. He has extensive experience with corporate governance, commercial transactions, real estate and risk analysis. Using his years of practical experience, he drafts contracts, negotiates purchases and can manage outside counsel for any corporate situation. For business owners and executives, he creates and implements estate plans, along with succession plans to help companies continue for future generations.

August 9, 2023 - Patriot Award Winner & Watch Entrepreneur Ilan Srulovicz and The Chateau Jaclyn Goldis

Ilan Srulovicz – The Walking Dead Actor, CEO & Founder for Egard Watch Company
Before people were using Indiegogo as pre-selling platform, I saw thatit was a great platform to pre-sell my watches. The nice thing is youget market feedback right away.
Ilan Srulovicz is the CEO, designer & Founder of Egard Watch Company since 2012. The watch brand has been worn by celebrities and public figures, such as millionaire businessman and “Shark” Robert Herjavec, and actors Anthony Anderson and Jeff Daniels. Ilan is also an American actor featured on the hit TV series “The Walking Dead,” with recurring roles as Marvel’s Loki, in The Big Short, Deepwater Horizon and more. He is an award-winning director and documentarian having interviewed speakers, musicians, and actors such as Jordan Peterson, Alex Jones, Tom McDonald, Dee Snyder, Jimmy Dore, Anomaly, and more. He is a multiple-time expert guest speaker and interviewee on numerous news stations including Fox News, Fox & Friends, Fox Business OANN, Just News, Daily Wire, Western Journal, and Epoch Times. Ilan has been interviewed by hosts such as Sebastian Gorka, Rudy Giuliani, Tucker Carlson, and more.Jaclyn Goldis – The  Author of “The Chateau: A Novel“
I love writing. I love doing this. I’m going to do it forever and if I have to go back and get another job I will, but I am never giving up. After saying that I got my first agent two weeks later.
Jaclyn Goldis holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a JD from NYU School of Law. Having spent seven years practicing estate planning law at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, she eventually departed from her legal career to embark on a global travel journey and nurture her passion for writing novels. Whittling down her possessions to essentials that could fit within a backpack, she roamed various corners of the world for over a year, ultimately establishing herself in a tranquil coastal vicinity. Her usual haunts include seaside cafés where she dedicates herself to the craft of writing. In 2021, her debut literary creation, titled “WHEN WE WERE YOUNG,” graced the shelves as a work of historical women’s fiction, published by Hachette/Grand Central. Building on this accomplishment, Jaclyn’s next literary venture, “THE CHATEAU,” an enthralling mystery/thriller, is poised to make its entrance into the literary scene under the banner of Simon & Schuster/Atria/Emily Bestler Books on May 23, 2023. Steering her career, Jaclyn Goldis is under the professional guidance of Rachel Ekstrom Courage from Courage Literary Management, who represents her literary endeavors.

August 7, 2023 - 20 Companies Started and Sold Jay D. Rodgers and Power Mood Sam DeMase

Jay D. Rodgers – Founder of Biz Owners Ed and the Author of “The Bet: An Entrepreneur’s All-In Strategy to Win in Business“
One of the 20 companies that I’ve started had $60 revenue in the first month with one customer. Today, that company is the world’s largest ignition interlock company. It has 1,800,000 customers in 18 countries, worth over $1 billion.
Jay D. Rodgers has seen and done it all: from gritty start-ups to worldwide businesses that generate millions in revenue. He’s founded and sold numerous ventures including Smart Start—now the world’s largest breath-alcAfter graduating in 1960 from the University of Iowa, Jay spent eight years with Eastman Kodak before venturing out on his own. In 1993, he completed the three-year Owner/President Management (OPM) Program at Harvard. He has served as a guest lecturer at SMU on “Managing the Entrepreneurial Business” and taught the “Starting Your Own Business” course at the University of North Texas. Jay gives back a great deal of his time to mentoring committed entrepreneurs with the program he developed with his wife and a few friends, Biz Owners Ed. Biz Owners Ed is a non-profit, tax-exempt (under Section 501(c)(3)) entrepreneurial program and community for business owners seeking a burst of knowledge, advice and tools to take the next exponential leap forward in their businesses. This program provides entrepreneurs with priceless, high-level guidance and assistance from experienced and proven business mentors. Biz Owners Ed also offers an effective platform to form long-lasting business relationships with your fellow entrepreneurs, mentors and other key industry leaders.In The Bet: An Entrepreneur’s All-In Strategy to Win in Business (Brown Books Publishing Group; on sale: June 27, 2023) Rodgers shares his tricks of the trade that will help both new and seasoned entrepreneurs achieve their best results. Often referred to as “the entrepreneur’s mentor,” Jay D. Rodgers cofounded Biz Owner’s Ed, a nonprofit organization with the mission of helping to perpetuate and expand this country’s entrepreneurs. Rodgers intends for The Bet to help mentor readers and show how to successfully deal with the challenges of entrepreneurship faced across the country today. The Bet includes topical highlights, such as: • You can’t create a market. You must identify and serve unserved and underserved markets. • Knowing when it’s more profitable to change the players than to change the game. • Defining your markets on the front end so you don’t lose money trying to be all things to all people. • Choosing when to follow the facts, and when to follow your gut feelings. In most transactions, you are relying primarily on people; you don’t always need all the facts or eyes on the investment to make the right decisions. • Maintaining the mentality that, as an entrepreneur, you will always find a way. It’s inevitable that you’ll eventually be the only one who believes in a decision you’ve got to make. Go aginst the grain. Take risks. Bet on yourself.Sam DeMase – Founder & Ceo of Power Mood and the Author of “Power Mood: Unlock Your Confidence, Transform Your Life & Command Your Value“
The cornerstone of my book is that negotiation is a collaboration, not a confrontation.
Sam DeMase is an internationally recognized Career Coach, Self-Advocacy Expert, author, and speaker with a community of 600,000+ followers on social media (@apowermood). She specializes in teaching women (and everybody!) how to navigate and hack the corporate system, cultivate their careers, and command their value. Her best-selling digital career tools have been purchased in 30+ countries worldwide. Her expertise has been featured in print (The Washington Post, Fortune, NBC, Business Insider & more), on podcasts, and speaking engagements at companies and universities globally. She has 13+ years of professional experience in People Operations and holds a BA in Business from NYU. Sam has built global training teams for multi-million-dollar corporations, created world-class training programs from the ground up, coached and developed dozens of inspiring leaders, interviewed hundreds of candidates, and advocated her way up the corporate ladder. She faced many challenges in her career and learned to advocate for herself every step of the way. She is proud to teach other women how to do the same.

August 4, 2023 - Radio Station Owner Dennis Klautzer and Growing Overseas Larry Harding

Dennis Klautzer – Co-Owner of Viper Communications
Running a radio station, we don’t have to buy anything to resell itlike a restaurant. Our only expenses are our electric bill and personnel.And you want to invest heavily in personnel because they create your product.
Dennis Klautzer is the co-owner of 6 radio stations in the Lake Ozark region of Central Missouri. These stations offer a diverse range of formats, including talk, country, soft rock, and classic rock. Prior to station ownership, Dennis had an impressive career with CBS/KMOX, where he dedicated 21 years of service to corporate radio. Under Dennis’s leadership, his radio stations have achieved remarkable success in the local market. Specifically, the stations have secured the top two spots in the highly competitive 3-county area, encompassing Miller, Camden, and Pulaski counties. When the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the industry, Dennis and his team demonstrated resilience and adaptability. Despite the challenges, they managed to keep their stations on the air with minimal disruption. This required implementing innovative solutions, such as enabling many of their contributors and guests on the talk station to broadcast from home. Throughout his career and as a station owner, Dennis Klautzer has proven himself to be a dedicated and forward-thinking individual, ensuring the continued success of his radio stations and maintaining their importance in the local community.Larry Harding – Founder and CEO of HSP Group
Around the world, culture issues are less important. Even though culturaldifferences are huge, there is such a westernization that exists even inmarkets like India and China.
Larry Harding, Founder & CEO of HSP Group, has been a pioneer in the global expansion software and services space for more than 20 years. Larry developed a keen sense of the challenges inherent in overseas expansion and saw the need of better solutions. In 2003 he founded High Street Partners, one of the first providers offering solutions for HQ based Finance, Accounting, Tax, HR, Payroll, and Compliance personnel, helping them manage a global footprint. A high-profile success, the business was sold in a PE-backed merger transaction to create what is now Vistra. Itching to return to his entrepreneurial roots, Larry and a group of his current and former colleagues launched HSP Group. For over 20 years, Larry Harding’s customer-oriented vision for the global expansion solutions market has helped drive the industry forward. This is because, unlike most of his peers at the legacy providers in the market today, he has himself been a customer desperately in need of the right kind and full breadth of technology and services needed to manage a global footprint. After graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Larry began his career on the audit staff of EY’s Boston office, and later provided due diligence assistance to leading Venture Capital, Private Equity and Corporate investors who were clients of EY, as an M&A Consultant. This led to a series of CFO positions with VC-backed hardware technology companies in the Boston area. One of these was acquired by Ciena, a leading provider of optical networking equipment, whose customer list included most of the larger telecommunications carriers around the world. As Ciena’s VP of International Finance, Larry led the Finance, HR and Legal initiatives related to their expansion into 30 different countries outside the US. During this time, Larry gained significant expertise in the best ways to handle the global expansion requirements driven by the opening of these offices in overseas locations. Armed with this expertise and a customer-oriented vision for how to deliver these solutions more effectively, Larry founded High Street Partners in 2003. This venture became an entrepreneurial success, culminating in a successful sale of the business in 2014, transacted as part of a private equity-backed merger with a competitor firm that is now a part of Vistra. Larry next joined Amsterdam-based TMF Group, the largest provider in the global expansion services market. Initially focused on launching their consulting and advisory business, he later served as Head of TMF’s North America region. Now, with the launch of HSP Group, Larry and the founding team are focused on building the next great provider of tech-enabled global expansion software and services.

August 2, 2023 - Telzio Peter Schroeder and SuperMoms Jacqueline Toboroff

Peter Schroeder – Founder & CEO of Telzio 
We have seen ourselves as the good guys in a pretty crookedindustry. We try to do things that make sense in pricing andcustomer service. For us it’s about making sure our customers are happy.
Peter Schroeder is a multi-award-winning DJ and entrepreneur who founded Telzio, a pre-unicorn unified communications company. With over two decades of experience, Peter has collaborated with companies like Facebook, Samsung, and Airbnb, transforming the way people work and communicate. Peter’s remarkable career also includes earning over 20 platinum records, 40 gold records, and a triple nomination for the Danish DJ awards. Despite facing challenges such as surviving a plane crash and becoming a father of twins, Peter continues to inspire others with his passion and unwavering drive. Peter Rank Schroeder has a long and varied work experience. Peter began their career in 1998 as the Founder & CEO of Tegnebordet. In 2001, they became a Software Developer for Mediehuset Wiegaarden. In 2002, they began working as a DJ Pete Fox. In 2006, they founded and became the CEO of 6AM Productions, a record label specializing in EDM artists. In 2008, they became a Software Developer for Mondo A/S. In 2009, they became a Software Developer for Danmarks Radio. Peter Rank Schroeder attended TECHCOLLEGE from 2001 to 2005, studying Graphic Design. Peter also obtained a certification from Somos, Inc. in February 2018 for Somos Resporg.Jacqueline Toboroff – Editor-in-Chief at TheManhattan.Press and the Author of the Book, “Supermoms Activated: 12 Profiles of Hero Moms Leading the American Revival“
The pandemic forced some people to breakand it forced others to succeed.
Jacqueline Toboroff, Manhattan native, divorced mom of two, is a private citizen who ran for City Council as a Republican. She was appointed VP of the Manhattan GOP and helped organize Moms for Lee (Zeldin), former NY Republican gubernatorial candidate. A published writer and featured guest speaker, Jacqueline is focused on NYC issues, finding solutions, and providing a platform for mothers who are fed up with having their parental rights challenged by the government. She serves as editor-in-chief at CD Media’s online news publication the Manhattan. Her column “On the Sidewalks of New York” is a weekly feature at Human Events.

July 31, 2023 - The Value Equation Chris Volk and AI Datapreneurs Bob Muglia

Christopher H. Volk – Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year Winner and Author of The Value Equation: A Business Guide to Wealth Creation for Entrepreneurs, Leaders & Investors
The last company I started was with $20,000 of my personal moneyand we raised a half billion dollars to start.
Chris Volk has an interest in corporate business models, financial statement analysis and finance. He guided the initial public listing and assume the presidency of his first real estate investment trust, a business that became a national leader in providing lease and mortgage financing solutions for restaurant and other chain store operators. Over the next three decades, Chris was instrumental in founding and then publicly listing two other successful and market-leading net lease businesses.  The most recent of these is STORE Capital, a company Chris guided for a decade as its founding chief executive officer through the beginning of 2021.  The business models of all three companies, backed by strong leadership teams, delivered attractive shareholder returns while benefitting a broad array of stakeholders.  Altogether, Chris oversaw the successful deployment of more than $20 billion in net lease and mortgage capital to thousands of growing businesses across the United States. Chris began to write about corporate finance early in his career, with articles covering subjects from financial statement analysis to business valuation and real estate investing.  In 1999, he devised the Value, or V-Formula, a simplified equation to determine business equity returns.  That year, he wrote an inaugural article that would go on to win the Lybrand Gold Medal, bestowed for the best article of the year by the Institute of Management Accountants.  Later, Chris would write articles that expanded on his early V-Formula observations, culminating in an eventual award-winning video series that he created while chief executive officer at STORE Capital and which inspired this book.  He was a 2019 regional winner of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of The Year® award.  He serves as a visiting professor to Cornell University, lectures at many colleges and serves on multiple charity boards. He resides with his wife in Paradise Valley Arizona and Huntsville, Alabama.Bob Muglia – Board Member of RelationalAI and Author of The Datapreneurs: The Promise of AI and the Creators Building Our Future 
For startups there has never been more opportunity for people to buildsolutions. What is incredible about AI is it allows you take expertise in anygiven domain and essentially encapsulate that.
Bob Muglia is a data technology investor and business executive, former CEO of Snowflake, and past President of Microsoft’s Server and Tools Division. As a leader, Bob focuses on how innovation and ethical values can merge to shape the Data Economy’s future in the era of AI. He serves as a board director for emerging companies that seek to maximize the power of data to help solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. Bob Muglia helps us understand how innovation in data and information technology has led us to AI—and how this technology must shape our future. The long-time Microsoft executive, former CEO of Snowflake, and current tech investor maps the evolution of the modern data stack and how it has helped build today’s economy and society. And he explains how humanity must create a new social contract for the artificial general intelligence (AGI)—autonomous machines intelligent as people—that he expects to arrive in less than a decade.

July 28, 2023 - Live Earth Jim Barker and Dummies Bill Snow

Bill Snow – Managing Director of Jordan, Knauff & Company  and the Author of the Book “Mergers & Acquisitions For Dummies“
If you can find a buyer that has a strategic imperative or bring something to the table like entree into a new customer class, then you can get higher than a normal 4 as a multiplier.
Bill Snow is the Managing Director of Jordan, Knauff & Company  and the Author of the Book “Mergers & Acquisitions For Dummies”. Bill Snow is a highly regarded authority in the field of mergers and acquisitions, known for his extensive experience representing buyers and sellers across a wide range of industries. With a career spanning over 30 years, including nearly two decades as an investment banker, Bill has established himself as a trusted professional in the field. His expertise encompasses various aspects of M&A, including business sales, capital raises, and buy-side services for middle-market companies. Throughout his career, Bill has worked with clients from diverse sectors, such as water works manufacturing, value-added distribution, packaging, medical supplies and equipment, automotive parts, drink dispensing equipment, security, apparel, refined fuels, and more. In addition to his work in M&A, Bill is an accomplished writer, having authored articles for online publications and books on topics including early-stage capital and personal marketing. He is also a sought-after speaker, delivering engaging presentations at universities like Northwestern University, DePaul University, IIT-Kent, and Harvard Business School. Bill has shared his insights at prominent events such as the Thomson Reuters Midwestern M&A/Private Equity Forum, and he has presented to esteemed organizations including Chase Bank, Huntington Bank, Ice Miller, the Illinois CPA Society, and the University Club of Chicago. His speaking engagements extend beyond the United States, with international lectures in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Bill holds an MBA and a BS in finance from DePaul University, and he is a registered Investment Banking Representative with FINRA, holding series 62, 63, and 79 certifications. His wealth of knowledge and extensive track record make him a trusted advisor in the field of mergers and acquisitions.Jim Barker – Chief Revenue Officer of Live Earth
The Department of Defense was our second client. They used the platform for battle. They integrated our systems so they could see tanks and planes in real time.
Jim Barker leads revenue growth for Live Earth in Dallas, Texas helping the world’s largest organizations make faster and better decisions with data. Live Earth’s operational analytics platform leverages real world data with customer data to provide actionable insights allowing them to win in their marketplace over competition. cJim is a driven sales and marketing leader with 25+ years experience leading organizations in the technology and communications space. Jim enjoys helping teams drive revenue with an innovative approach to providing a unique customer experience where issues are resolved and desired outcomes are achieved. Jim works as Chief Revenue Officer at Live Earth. In this role, Jim leads the teams responsible for marketing, business development, sales and partner growth for Live Earth’s real-time data analytics platform and data engineering services. Jim is passionate about helping people succeed. He identifies what is most important to them, aligns purpose and values, and implements processes to achieve common goals. Jim is a faithful servant who believes in inspiring greatness and excellence from himself, his team and his clients. He believes in high integrity and a positive attitude in every form of serving people. Jim’s top 5 strength’s from his Strength Finder assessment are all in Executing. These include Achiever, Responsibility, Consistency, Discipline, and Focus. Jim knows how to make things happen. When you need someone to create and execute a sales and marketing strategy, Jim is the type to roll up his sleeves and work tirelessly towards the best possible results. Jim is a Di on the DISC assessment indicating he is enthusiastic, persuasive, and focused on the big picture. It comes naturally to Jim to complete projects more quickly than others, take big risks, and feel comfortable making important decisions. Jim is motivated by helping clients and teams achieve ambitious goals by overcoming challenges. He measures much of his success on results he can help influence and impact.