School for Startups Radio

April 7, 2025 – Adrenaline Dominance Dr. Michael Platt and Projectland Dawn Mahan

Dr. Michael E. Platt – Author of Adrenaline Dominance: A Revolutionary Approach to Wellness and his Cream
Michael E. Platt, M.D., a specialist in natural hormone replacement, has successfully treated thousands of patients from around the world. He has also given numerous seminars on hormones worldwide and been a speaker on hormones in Europe and Asia. He’s the author of the popular Miracle of Bio-Identical Hormones and his latest book, Adrenaline Dominance: A Revolutionary Approach to Wellness. Dr. Platt currently maintains a practice in Palm Desert, California, devoted to wellness and a preventive approach to illness.Dawn Mahan – Founder of PMOtraining.com and Author of Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People On Board
Dawn Mahan
Dawn Mahan is the founder of PMOtraining, LLC, and coined the term, Projectland®. She is a dynamic international speaker with extensive global experience, and sole inventor of the ProjectFlo® Process Learning System that makes learning PMI’s complex process fast, easy, and fun. She works with C-level leaders, business owners in growth mode, PMO leaders, and project managers at all levels. Her work in preparing young professionals in the YearUp program for internships at major companies has been featured in Morningstar, Yahoo! Finance and more. In the early 2000s she collaborated with colleagues on a blog they named PMthink! Project Management Thought Leadership. In 2009, she left the Fortune 50 and started her own firm. In 2014, she was awarded Professional of the Year Consulting/Project Management by Strathmore Who’s Who Worldwide. In 2021, she was hired by Udemy as their project management expert to co-create Smart Tips: Project Management & Agile for their business and marketplace platforms. She has trained thousands of ambitious professionals around the world. In the book published by the ROI institute, “Proving the Value of Leadership Development: Case Studies from Top Leadership Development Programs,” Dawn co-authored Chapter 18: Leadership Development with Artificial Intelligence. Look for her book, “Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People on Board.” Her background includes biostatistics, actuarial science, software development, database administration, business analysis, IT business consulting, project management, and PMO leadership. Dawn has built houses in Cambodia with Habitat for Humanity, has played a variety of roles on the American Lung Association’s Philadelphia Leadership Board, and sponsors a girls flag football team in Florida. vWhen she’s not in Projectland, you can most often find her with family in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, or the Florida Keys.

April 4, 2025 – Family Businesses Ivan Lansberg and Flex Careers Christine Fruehwirth

Ivan Lansberg – Co-Founder at LGA and co-author of The Enduring Enterprise: How Family Businesses Thrive in Turbulent Conditions
Ivan Lansberg is the co-founder at LGA and co-author of The Enduring Enterprise: How Family Businesses Thrive in Turbulent Conditions, with Devin DeCiantis. About the book: While blue chips, tech titans, and big banks are often hailed as the leading drivers of modern capitalism, it turns out that family businesses are not only more pervasive but also more enduring. This is particularly true in emerging and frontier economies, where the bulk of the world’s growth in population and economic activity will be generated in the years and decades to come. Though only one-fifth of Fortune 500 companies are family-controlled, enterprising families in these environments account for up to 90 percent of all business activity and employment. They not only survive but actually thrive under the constant threat of war, environmental disaster, and market failures, and have lessons to teach businesses and leaders everywhere about building and sustaining success in the face of crisis and uncertainty. Through vivid case studies and building on decades of personal experience, they share a unique portfolio of seven stabilizing strategies that can help any organization increase its resilience and performance. These include a Peruvian family that built a global soft drink empire from the ground up during an active terrorist conflict; a Korean family best known for exporting dried fish before being tapped by the government to help modernize the country; a Syrian family who relaunched their international manufacturing conglomerate after having their assets unceremoniously seized by a military coup, among countless others. Leveraging insights from the domains of management science, economics, history, biology, and systems theory, DeCiantis and Lansberg make clear that companies operating in advanced economies are no longer immune to the many structural shocks and frequent crises that are haunting our daily news cycle. As a result, they argue that the best chance at coping with elevated volatility is to adopt a more proactive and preemptive approach to managing risk—like the many enterprising families who have flourished in complex frontier environments for decades and even centuries. This perspective represents a new strategic mindset: building businesses that can navigate an ever-changing landscape, not just chase the next shiny new trend. As owners and leaders start embracing this new logic and outperforming their growth-obsessed peers, they predict that a fascinating trend will emerge. Business leaders everywhere will increasingly trade in their current high priests of efficiency and growth—the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos—for enduring enterprises who have learned to thrive in all seasons. Having survived countless crises, such frontier family businesses have the upper hand when it comes to predicting the subtle tremors that precede an economic avalanche, as well as reading the shifting winds across the political and environmental landscape. By studying their stories and applying their timeless wisdom, we can all be better equipped to face the many new dangers and opportunities that lie ahead. A critical read in a world of uncertainty, THE ENDURING ENTERPRISE provides a new set of tools and inspirational examples that will guide business leaders through the toughest conditions.Christine Fruehwirth – Founder of FlexCareers Consulting and Author of Surviving Life’s Storms and Thriving in the Aftermath
Christine Fruehwirth has had more than 20 years of career counseling and life coaching experience through her successful business, FlexCareers Consulting. Her focus and passion has consistently been helping stay-at-home parents return to the workplace and working parents who are looking for more balance in their lives. From 2009 to 2019, Christine also worked as a Career Consultant and Instructor of a Career Management Strategy course at George Washington University, and most recently at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. During her years working in higher education, she developed an expertise in helping undergraduates of all majors recruit for and successfully obtain internships and full time positions in the Financial Services industry. She spent a decade in that industry focused on consumer and later investment banking, working for major financial institutions including Bank of America, Capital One and Wells Fargo. Her last few years in the industry were spent at Lending Tree on the senior leadership team.

April 2, 2025 – World Series of Poker Winner David Daneshgar and Third Culture Leader Muraly Srinarayanathas

David Daneshgar – 2008 World Series of Poker Winner and Founder of Whippy
David Daneshgar is the co-founder and CEO of Whippy, an AI-driven SaaS platform transforming how businesses communicate. Whippy’s smart voice and text agents help companies across recruiting, medical, and other industries streamline operations and engage clients more effectively. Before Whippy, David co-founded BloomNation, a SaaS platform that has driven over $1 billion in revenue for local florists. Recognized for his strategic thinking and innovative approach, David’s entrepreneurial journey includes winning the 2008 World Series of Poker, funding his first business venture. His unique path—from poker champion to tech entrepreneur—has been featured in Forbes and Bloomberg.Muraly Srinarayanathas – Founder & Publisher of 3 magazine and Author of Between Borders, Beyond Boundaries: Strategies for Authentic Business Engagement in an Interconnected World
Muraly Srinarayanathas is author of Between Borders, Beyond Boundaries: Strategies for Authentic Business Engagement in an Interconnected World, and is a global strategist and serial entrepreneur. He is co-founder and executive chairman of 369 Global, a conglomerate involved in skills training and workforce development, media and communications, and global market facilitation. He also founded 3 Magazine, a luxury lifestyle and business publication that focuses on celebrating Canada’s growing and diverse population. Srinarayanathas has more than 25 years of experience working in international markets across North America, Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

March 31, 2025 – Corporate Photographer Lesle Lane and Discover Your Superpower Carina Marshall

Lesle Lane – Corporate Photographer and Owner of Studio 13
Lesle Lane is a third-generation photographer with more than 3 decades of personal experience in the industry. She serves on the Alumni Board at her alma mater, Butler University, and earned her MBA from Indiana Wesleyan. Lesle has raised a couple of children into adults and loves being “Bam” to her grandkids. She and her husband live in Noblesville and enjoy days on the lake boating with their two fur babies.Carina Marshall – Vibrational Transformation Coach and Author of Discover & Use Your Greatest Superpower: Metaphysics, Spirituality, & Bubble Gum
Carina Marshall is a vibrational transformation coach, passionate about serving others on the deepest level through “vibrational living “ — upgrading unconscious habits, updating limiting beliefs, and reframing those perspectives essential for a prosperous business, happy relationships, conscious parenting, and living a fulfilling life. She has 20+ years of corporate experience and is currently also an entrepreneur. She attributes her big-picture perspective to her life experience, her regular meditation, and being a certified Master Life Coach (MLC), Life & Spiritual Mentor (LSM), and meditation teacher, coaching people for over twenty years. As a coach, Carina customizes vibrational tools to empower individuals to achieve personal and professional goals. With her master’s education, training, and passion for service, Carina offers an intuitive and integrated approach to helping people fulfill their dreams. She believes the world is in transition, and so are each one of us —and a new world needs a new you, a new us. When asked what her biggest challenge is, she quips, “My biggest challenge has always been to remember Who I Am and how much inner power each of us truly have.” Carina has lived and worked around the world and resides in Los Angeles with her soul mate Craig (a 35-year yoga monk & co-founder of The Mindful University) and their cat Sita, who is her “Zen teacher.” She believes that every sector of our society can be the next portal for uplifting human consciousness and creating our own heaven on earth.

March 28, 2025 – Virtual CFO Dustin Williamson and 17 Movies Produced Jen Gatien

Dustin Williamson – Managing Director of VCFO
Dustin Williamson, a seasoned CFO, strategic advisor, and the Houston Managing Director of vcfo, a professional services firm known for pioneering the “Virtual CFO” concept. With decades of experience in financial strategy, operational efficiency, and business transformation, Dustin has been on every side of the M&A table. He’s seen first-hand how the biggest wins aren’t always the deals that close – but the ones that don’t. Today, Dustin will share the biggest red flags that signal a deal should be reconsidered, the hidden costs of integration struggles, and why the discipline to say “no” is just as powerful as the strategy to say “yes.” He’ll also give us a look inside the deals that taught him the most – both the ones that went through and the ones that didn’t. Get ready for a candid, no-nonsense conversation about what it really takes to make smarter, more strategic M&A decisions.
Jen Gatien – Producer / Productrice at Pixcom Inc
Jen Gatien is a filmmaker based in New York City. She has produced 17 feature films with both award-winning and emerging directors. Jen’s work includes a documentary about the iconic Chelsea Hotel which premiered as Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by Abel Ferrara and stars Milos Forman, Grace Jones, Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper. Other works include Hounddog starring Dakota Fanning and Robin Wright, Holy Rollers starring Jesse Eisenberg, and For Ellen starring Paul Dano, all of which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Kiss of the Damned, directed by Xan Cassavetes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Alongside Spike Lee, Jen also produced Evolution of a Criminal for PBS, a documentary directed by Darius Clark Monroe on the bank robbery he committed as a teenager and reconciling his past as an adult. Other films include Furlough starring Tessa Thompson, Whoopi Goldberg and Anna Paquin, and Midnight Sun starring Bella Thorne. She currently is developing her fourth project with Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo as she finishes post-production on her directorial debut for Neon. Her scripted series Limelight will be directed by Emily Mortimer. Since 2012, Jen has served as a board member of the Lower East Side Girls Club as well as a volunteer for Pupstarz Dog Rescue and the Mercer Houston Dog Run. She is a certified artist by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and a graduate of Columbia University.

March 26, 2025 – Safe for Commerce Dr. Dale Copeland and Lean-Agile Dilemma Katie Tamblin

Dr. Dale Copeland – Professor of International Relations at UVA and Author of A World Safe for Commerce: American Foreign Policy from the Revolution to the Rise of China
Dr. Dale Copeland is Professor of International Relations at the Department of Politics, University of Virginia. He is author of three books: A World Safe for Commerce: American Foreign Policy from the Revolution to the Rise of China (Princeton UP 2024); Economic Interdependence and War (Princeton UP 2015); and The Origins of Major War (Cornell UP 2000). His new book was called the “An Economist Biggest Book of the Year.”Katie Tamblin – Founder of Ecodove – Author of The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside a Chunky Corporate
Katie Tamblin is the author of “The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside a Chunky Corporate.” She is an advisor to businesses and private equity investors in North America and Europe. She has deep experience managing data and software development. Katie has previously served as Chief Product Officer and Board Member at Alcumus, a market-leading global business providing software-led risk management solutions through its Planet Mark, ISOQAR, SafeContractor, and CHAS brands. Katie was also Chief Product Officer at Achilles Information Limited, where her team was instrumental in developing Achilles’ approach to measuring sustainability in supply chains.

March 24, 2025 – Miami Links Men’s Jewelry Daniel Trujillo and Crowsnest Consulting TJ Slattery

Daniel Trujillo – Founder of Miami Links
Daniel Trujillo is the founder of Miami Links, a US Marine Veteran owned and operated store. He grew up in Miami in a first-generation Cuban family, where traditions centered around Cuban link chains. Families came together for special occasions giving each other gifts, often Cuban style jewelry in gold and silver. After serving time in the Marines, Daniel returned to Miami to reconnect to his roots. He began building a jewelry brand that honored the iconic style and diverse culture of Miami, including the influence of the local Cuban heritage.TJ Slattery – Founder & Owner of Crowsnest Consulting
TJ is a lifetime entrepreneur, small business owner, and strategic advisor with an insatiable desire to help other small business owners scale their enterprise and gain freedom in their professional and personal lives. With 20 years operating in the world of small business and entrepreneurship, TJ leverages his boots-on-the-ground experience and tenure as a business advisor to partner with small business owners and propel their business to the next level. A Denverite with midwestern roots and a passion for music, gardening, house-projects, travel, skiing, and spoiling his dog Bella, TJ has a deep appreciation for keeping a balance between running a successful business and pursuing the things in life that make us happy. TJ earned his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Business Management from Miami University of Ohio and his MBA from the University of Denver. Gathering more experiences along the way, TJ has worked in multitude of industries. From owning and operating a pedicab service in Vail, CO and a handyman service in Denver, CO, to becoming a partner in a facilities management firm in London, UK and starting Zuni Street Brewing in Denver, CO.

March 21, 2025 – OKRs with Allan Kelly and Joe Ranieri

Joe Ranieri – Founder of Sleepy Vibes
Joe Ranieri is a passionate entrepreneur dedicated to improving health and wellness through innovative solutions. As the founder of Sleepy Vibes, Joe has reimagined the sleep supplement industry by focusing on natural, science-backed ingredients and creating products that prioritize safety, effectiveness, and overall well-being. With a commitment to solving real problems and helping people lead healthier lives, Joe combines his vision, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit to make a lasting impact in the wellness space.Allan Kelly – Keynote Speaker, Founder of Software Strategy, & Author of Succeeding with OKRs in Agile: How to create & deliver objectives & key results for teams
Allan Kelly helps teams and companies become more effective and productive. Using modern management techniques – like agile, OKRs and product thinking – he boosts effectiveness and connects product strategy to delivery. He has written multiple books including the best selling “Succeeding with OKRs in Agile” plus “The Art of Agile Product Ownership” and “Business Patterns for Software Developers”. Allan has advised, trained and coached teams at many small innovative companies as well as bigger, better known, companies such as Reed-Elsevier, Virgin Atlantic and the Swift payments network. Allan’s latest book, “Succeeding with OKRs in Agile: How to create & deliver objectives & key results for teams,” [Published by Software Strategy Ltd. On September 9, 2023 and price at $9.99 for ebook and $16.46 in Paperback] is a groundbreaking resource that aligns seamlessly with your audience’s interests. Allan’s book provides valuable insights into the world of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in an agile environment. With a focus on aligning teams, working seamlessly, and efficiently achieving goals, Allan draws from decades of hands-on experience, offering practical advice, real-world examples, and a unique perspective on the application of OKRs. Allan is a seasoned expert in software development, dedicated to enhancing the organizational and individual experiences of software professionals. His wealth of experience, spanning seven books, including “Xanpan” and “Continuous Digital,” makes him a sought-after authority in the industry.

March 19, 2025 – Embrace Change Markus Neukom and RedRover Lori Turner-Wilson and After Crushing Losses Dawn Sanders

Markus Neukom – Change & Management Leadership Coach
Markus Neukom has dedicated over 20 years to helping high achievers, including CEOs and entrepreneurs, unlock their full leadership potential. His career began with work across various industries, which eventually evolved into a focused mission to support tech entrepreneurs, board members, and venture capitalists in driving leadership excellence and innovation. Despite not starting in the tech world, Neukom’s clients have consistently valued his outsider’s perspective. As one of his early tech clients remarked, “The best solutions come from those who can look beyond the conventional.” This reflects Neukom’s approach—a strategic, visionary method for addressing leadership challenges that require fresh thinking. Whether guiding startup founders through rapid growth or supporting VCs in managing portfolio companies, Neukom tailors his coaching to address each client’s unique goals and leadership needs. His customized approach emphasizes practical tools, strategies, and mindset development to help businesses scale, inspire teams, and foster innovation. Drawing from diverse coaching techniques such as inquiry-based coaching and positive psychology, Neukom aims to help clients recalibrate their mindset, improve communication, and build high-performance leadership behaviors. Neukom has worked with CEOs facing imposter syndrome, helping them build confidence and achieve work-life balance. He has also empowered entrepreneurs to make bold decisions that have transformed their businesses. These principles are especially relevant to tech leaders navigating today’s fast-paced business landscape. Central to Neukom’s philosophy is his belief in the power of relationships, recognizing that human connection is vital in business. He also emphasizes “response-ability”—the mindful ability to choose how one responds to challenges with clarity, intention, and purpose. Outside of his coaching work, Neukom enjoys exploring the outdoors, discovering new hiking trails, and spending time with family and friends, which helps him maintain balance in both life and leadership.Lori Turner-Wilson – CEO/Founder of RedRover Company
Lori Turner-Wilson isn’t just at the helm of RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy as its CEO and co-founder; she’s a trailblazer in the field, reshaping the landscape of business marketing. With a storied career spanning over three decades, Lori has been pivotal in crafting and delivering marketing strategies that yield measurable and substantial results. Her leadership has propelled RedRover to a distinguished position as one of just two full-service B2B marketing firms in the US with the courage to offer a true ROI guarantee to its clients, earning the firm the moniker: “The Results-Guaranteed Agency.” Lori’s seminal work — her latest book, “The B2B Marketing RevolutionTM: A Battle Plan for Guaranteed Outcomes” — encapsulates her philosophy and the revolutionary approach that has disrupted conventional marketing wisdom and is shaking up the industry. Since founding RedRover in 2006, she has dedicated herself to refining a methodology that leverages in-depth market research to forge marketing strategies that are not only effective and efficient but also ensure predictable outcomes. This methodology, known as the 12 Battles™ Framework, has been the cornerstone for countless companies, providing them with a powerful arsenal for success. Lori is driven by a profound commitment to bolster mid-market companies, devising marketing strategies that provide these firms with the necessary tools and insights to effectively compete with much larger enterprises. Her efforts are aimed at closing the strategic and resource divide that often places smaller companies at a disadvantage, ensuring they too can realize strong returns on their marketing investments. Her insights stem from an intimate understanding of the challenges CEOs and business owners face, inspired by her father’s legacy and coupled with two decades working with hundreds of clients as the driving force behind RedRover. Her formative experiences at TCBY Enterprises, First Horizon National, and Hilton Hotel Corporation sparked a realization that changed her professional trajectory. In these roles she had the opportunity to hire some of the top 10 ad agencies in the country, only to find out they lacked the desire to take accountability for metrics that actually matter — such as incremental gross profit. Dragging these agencies into peak performance was agonizing. Lori imagined an agency that cared as much about the bottom line as she did, one that could move nimbly and effect the growth trajectory of a company rapidly and efficiently by building strategy on a backbone of comprehensive market research. It dawned on her that she should build what she couldn’t find and raise the bar in the industry that she loved along the way. And in 2006, RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy was born — an agency that continues to disrupt the traditional, obsolete marketing-agency model. RedRover’s unwavering commitment to these principles has not only changed the growth trajectory of countless companies but it has also garnered numerous accolades, including being named one of the “Top 10 Companies to Watch” by the Chamber and one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Business Journal. Lori has also been recognized as an “Executive of the Year” and by her peers in the Vistage CEO network as the recipient of the annual “Vistage CEO Impact Award” for her contributions to other Vistage peers and her work to leverage Vistage principles to grow RedRover. “The B2B Marketing RevolutionTM: A Battle Plan for Guaranteed Outcomes” is Lori’s third book in the field of marketing. She penned Amazon best seller “W.O.O.F. – Why Ordinary Organizations Fail” in 2016 and served as a contributing ghostwriter in 2008 on yet another best seller “The Complete Idiot’s Guide© to Guerrilla Marketing.” Lori’s dedication to RedRover is more than just business—it’s a personal crusade to elevate mid-market companies, allowing them to assert their rightful place in the market. With the recent national expansion of RedRover, her strategic insights are now igniting market potential across a broader canvas, championing profitability from coast to coast. Her leadership, inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial journey, is now setting a new standard for marketing success on a national scale.Dawn Sanders – Author of When Your World Ends: God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life
Dawn Sanders is a writer, Bible teacher, overachiever, overcomer, chocolate and sweets enthusiast, and devoted follower of Jesus. She started her blog to engage in conversations about navigating life’s challenges, struggles, and obstacles without allowing those experiences to define one’s identity. Through her platform, she shares tips, ideas, and resources to help others create lives that honor God and bring personal fulfillment. Sanders’ journey has been marked by significant personal loss, including a divorce and, more recently, the passing of her second husband, Reggie. As a newlywed, Sanders was building her dream life with Reggie while actively serving in their home church, First Baptist Church of Glenarden International, and through a ministry they co-founded called A Cord of Blue. This ministry provided biblical and practical guidance for individuals transitioning from singleness to marriage. Their lives were dedicated to helping others navigate courtship, dating, and engagement until tragedy struck—Reggie suffered a fatal heart attack while jogging. The sudden loss brought Sanders’ life to a standstill. However, with time, she transitioned from the pain of that ending to the beginning of a new journey. Along the way, she discovered a hidden treasure—God’s process for creating new beginnings. Immersing herself in Scripture, Sanders uncovered divine insights that now guide her work. Drawing from her unique perspective, authenticity, and courage, she now helps readers and followers who are starting over from scratch or embarking on new paths in life. Writing has always been Sanders’ calling, though her journey as a writer has not been without challenges. The grief following Reggie’s passing temporarily dimmed her passion for writing. However, in the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19 shutdown, that passion reignited. Sanders embraced that period as a wilderness experience—one that prepared her for a renewed writing journey. Now, through this new beginning, she continues to rewrite her story—one meaningful chapter at a time.

March 17, 2025 - Comcast Business Tracy Pitcher, American Entrepreneurship John Dearie and Grappling Bob Kaplan

Tracy Pitcher – Senior Vice President of Central Division at Comcast Business
Tracy Pitcher is the Senior Vice President of Comcast Business for the company’s Central Division. In this role, Tracy spearheads innovation and implements strategies to enhance commercial business sales and operations across Comcast’s largest division, which spans 12 states and serves 1 million customers. She is responsible for delivering exceptional customer experiences, financial performance, and growth targets. Tracy leads a team of industry- leading professionals dedicated to providing solutions for businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs to large corporations. Previously, Tracy served as the Senior Vice President of Comcast Business for the Northeast Division, overseeing operations in 14 states from Maine to Virginia, including the District of Columbia. Before her tenure in the Northeast Division, Tracy was the Senior Vice President of Comcast Cable’s Greater Boston Region. She managed day-to-day operations for both the residential and commercial sides of the business across all departments and every stage of the customer journey, serving more than 300 communities and 2 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Under her leadership, Comcast was repeatedly recognized by the Boston Business Journal with its prestigious “Best Places to Work” award. Tracy has also held the role of Senior Vice President of Operations for Comcast Business, where she led organizational effectiveness initiatives across the company. Prior to joining Comcast in 2009, Tracy held leadership positions at Charter Communications, AT&T Broadband, Time Warner Cable, and Thomson Consumer Electronics. Tracy earned her Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University and graduated from the Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, the Harvard Business School Cable Executive Management Program, the Wharton Women’s Executive Leadership Program, and the Stanford Business School Executive Leadership Program. She has received multi-year recognition in CableFax’s “Most Powerful Women in Cable” issue and was profiled as one of six “Women Who Mean Business” in the Boston Business Journal, in addition to many other accolades and awards.John Dearie – Founder & President of Center for American Entrepreneurship
John Dearie is the founder and President of the Center for American Entrepreneurship. He is the former Acting CEO of the Financial Services Forum, a financial and economic policy organization comprised of the chief executive officers of the largest financial institutions with operations in the United States. From 2001 to 2015, he was the Forum’s Executive Vice President for Policy, coordinating the group’s policy agenda, which included: financial supervision reform, the competitiveness of U.S. capital markets, free and fair trade, comprehensive tax reform, debt and deficit reduction, and accelerating economic growth and job creation. Prior to joining the Forum, John spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he held positions in the Banking Studies, Foreign Exchange, and Policy & Analysis areas. He was appointed an Officer of the Bank in 1996. He is the co-author of Where the Jobs Are: Entrepreneurship and the Soul of the American Economy (Wiley, 2013), which was called “one of the great economics books of the past few years” by the American Enterprise Institute. His writing has also appeared in the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Hill, Politico, American Banker, USA Today, and China’s Caijing Magazine.Bob Kaplan – Author of GRAPPLING: Leaders Striving To Improve
Bob Kaplan is the author of GRAPPLING: Leaders Striving To Improve, a series of short stories that bring executive coaching to life. The book is based on his decades of experience consulting to CEOs, founders, and other senior leaders. He is founder and president of his own leadership-consulting firm, Kaplan DeVries. He invented and patented a 360 survey, the Leadership Versatility Index, a unique way of assessing leaders. He and his colleagues also take a unique approach to delivering feedback,emphasizing positive feedback as a chance to boost the leader’s confidence. His last book was Fear Your Strengths: What You’re Best Could Be Your Biggest Problem.