School for Startups Radio

May 6, 2026 - Volition Capital Isabelle Tashima and Greatest Hits Restaurant Star Steve de Haan

Isabelle Tashima – Growth Equity Investor at Volition Capital
The companies that are winning the attention and getting roundsdone quickly are the ones where AI is meaningfully changing uniteconomics or the delivery model or the margin profile of the business.
Isabelle Tashima is a Senior Associate at Volition Capital, a Boston based growth equity firm that partners with founder owned, capital efficient technology companies. At the firm, she focuses on sourcing, evaluating, and executing investments in high growth businesses, typically working with companies generating between $5 million and $50 million in revenue that are positioned to become category leaders. Since its founding in 2010, Volition has managed approximately $2 billion in assets and built a reputation for backing disciplined, high performing entrepreneurs. Prior to joining Volition in 2024, Isabelle worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York as part of the Cross Markets Group, where she focused on middle market mergers and acquisitions. She further expanded her investing experience during her MBA through time at KKR, gaining exposure to large scale private equity investing and strategic growth initiatives. Isabelle earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Psychology from Harvard University, where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball team. She later received her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management as an early admit, further strengthening her expertise in finance, strategy, and innovation. Originally from the Chicago area, she maintains an active lifestyle outside of work, with interests that include skiing, scuba diving, travel, and exploring new food destinations.Steve de Haan – Former President and Founder of Andrews Entertainment District
It really was a conscious decision on who I wanted to be,what I wanted to accomplish.
Steve de Haan worked at a Little Caesar’s Pizza in high school, and by graduation, he had advanced to being assistant manager. He became bar manager of a TGI Fridays before he could legally drink. His regional manager told him he “had learned as much as you’re going to learn here,” so the following weekend, he drove to Atlanta and walked into The Tavern at Phipps, which had just been on the cover of the Hudspeth Report. He put on a whole Tom Cruise “Cocktail” show for them. Within one year, the bar had doubled their revenue. Soon, Steve was recognized in the premiere issue of Jezebel Magazine as one of the top bartenders in Atlanta. He was invited to attend the Skyy Vodka Quest World Bartending Competition at Disney World. Steve placed seventh in the world as a “flair” bartender and won the state of Georgia title three times. When Steve was 29 years old, he was approached about becoming the beverage partner for a new property to open in Atlanta. Completely under-funded and totally naive, he said, “Okay, let’s do this.” He emptied his bank account to fund the initial deposit on the lease and later secured the funding through a friend of a friend, and soon became President. The company has been a debt-free company and growing organically for 12 years, including 8 bars and restaurant and has won national awards like the USA Today Top Ten Bar in the US.

May 5, 2026 – Selling Senses Armen Avanessian and Greatest Hits Faisal Hoque

Armen Avanessian – Author of Selling Senses: Unlocking the Power of Sensory Sales and Inner Wisdom
Speed wins, whether it’s speed to market or speed to solution,speed wins, but perfection can kill momentum.
Armen Avanessian as a potential source for your coverage. An award-winning fintech and payment sales leader with more than 20 years of experience, Avanessian recently released his debut book, Selling Senses: Unlocking the Power of Sensory Sales and Inner Wisdom. The book offers entrepreneurs a fresh perspective on why customers buy—not just based on logic or data, but on emotion, experience and intuition and how founders can intentionally design those experiences to drive growth, differentiation and long-term loyalty. Avanessian shares practical insights on building trust, standing out in competitive markets and creating meaningful customer connections through sensory engagement and human-centered leadership. He is available for interviews and can provide actionable takeaways for your audience. I’d also be happy to share a complimentary review copy of Selling Senses upon request.Faisal Hoque – #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author, Founder and Chair at NextChapter, Founder and Managing Director at Shadoka, Author of Globee Awards winning 2022 Publication of the Year for Best Business Book called Lift: Fostering the Leader in You Amid Revolutionary Global Change
Unless you know and connect with yourself and connect with otherpeople, you cannot certainly connect with your creation and thecreation that actually creates value.
Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, noted thought leader, technology innovator, advisor to CEOs, BODs, and the US federal government, and an author with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies. They focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes. He also serves as a strategic partner and a thought leader for CACI, and works extensively with US Federal Agencies. CACI is a $6 billion public company who plays a vital role in US national security. He is a 3 times winning Founder and CEO of Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ awards. At the age of only 14, he began what would be the first of many businesses; cobbling together stereo components to sell from his father’s home in Dhaka, Bangladesh in order to save the money he would need to support his plan to study in the United States. He built his first commercial software product at the age of 19 while studying at the University of Minnesota, and went on to hold management positions in Pitney Bowes and then Dun and Bradstreet. In 1991, Pitney Bowes recruited him to join one of their R&D groups before he finished his undergraduate degree. As a serial entrepreneur, he has raised venture capital from angels, strategic partners, and institutional investors to fund his innovative business-to-business startups. Over the decades, his companies innovated products and solutions that: provided middleware software for complex, secure transaction processing; created industry’s first set of re-usable software components for integrated B2B e-commerce; and pioneered comprehensive business value management frameworks and platforms. As a thought leader, he has authored a number of award winning books on leadership, innovation, mindfulness, resilience, organizational transformation, and entrepreneurship, including the #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Lift – Fostering the Leader in You Amid Revolutionary Global Change (Fast Company), and the #2 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Everything Connects – Cultivating Mindfulness, Creativity, and Innovation for Long-Term Value (Fast Company). His work has appeared in Fast Company, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Fox, CBS, Financial Times, Mergers & Acquisitions, Forbes, Leadership Excellence, and Huffington Post among other publications. He holds a strong belief that it is through knowledge sharing that we may provide the greatest clarity on how to improve our collective future. As a globetrotter, he is passionate about nature, people, culture, music, and design, and he loves to cook.

May 4, 2026 – Greatest Hits Wayne Allen Root and Getting Published Ken Lizotte

Wayne Allen Root – Wayne Allyn Root – Former Libertarian Vice Presidential Nominee, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host, Entrepreneur, and Author of The Power of Relentless: 7 Secrets to Achieving Mega-Success, Financial Freedom, and the Life of Your Dreams
If you worry what critics say, you will never be successful in life.
Wayne Allyn Root is an American entrepreneur, nationally syndicated radio host, television personality, and bestselling author known for his high-energy style and outspoken views on business, politics, and the American Dream. Often referred to by his initials “WAR,” he has built a multi-decade career spanning media, finance, and public speaking, earning a reputation as a relentless advocate for capitalism, economic freedom, and small business success. Root is the author of numerous bestselling books, including The Power of Relentless, TRUMP RULES, The Great Patriot Protest & Boycott Book, and The Murder of the Middle Class. His work focuses on achievement, financial independence, and winning strategies in both business and life. He first gained national political attention as the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2008, later becoming a prominent conservative voice across radio, television, and digital platforms. He currently hosts the nationally syndicated radio show “Wayne Allyn Root: Raw & Unscripted” on the USA Radio Network and the widely followed podcast “WAR RAW.” In television, he has hosted programs such as “America’s Top Ten Countdown” on Real America’s Voice and “Raw & Unfiltered” on Lindell TV. Earlier in his career, Root served as an anchorman and host on CNBC, then known as Financial News Network, where he developed his on-air presence and financial commentary expertise. Beyond media, Root has a background as a successful entrepreneur and Las Vegas gaming executive, along with experience as a reality television producer. He is a frequent keynote speaker, addressing audiences across the United States on entrepreneurship, leadership, and economic trends. His influence in talk media has earned him recognition on the Talkers Heavy Hundred list of the top radio hosts in America. Root’s career has also included close involvement in national politics. He was a visible supporter and campaign surrogate for Donald J. Trump, frequently serving as a featured speaker at events and maintaining a strong media presence during election cycles. His commentary is widely syndicated through Creators Syndicate and appears in newspapers across the country. Born in New York into a blue-collar family, Root credits his upbringing and relentless work ethic as central to his success philosophy. He now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and children, continuing to build his brand across media, publishing, and public speaking.Ken Lizotte – Founder/CEO of Emerson Consulting Group and Author of Walden for Hire: Business Lessons from Henry David Thoreau
There’s something about the credibility of a book, even thougha lot of people say, well, who reads books anymore?
Ken Lizotte CMC is Founder/CEO of emerson consulting group inc., a firm that has transformed 450+ business experts, professional service firms, private companies and nonprofit organizations into “recognized thought leaders” by helping them spread their thought leading ideas via publishing books and articles, and delivering speaking engagements so as to separate them from their “competitive pack.” Hundreds of Ken’s “client thought leaders” have published first-time books thanks to the efforts of Ken and his team. Author of nine books and editor of two more, Ken’s newest book “Walden for Hire: Business Lessons from Henry David Thoreau,” has been published by HarperCollins Leadership, and has been a columnist for the Huffington Post, Money Inc., the American Management Association, and Boston Magazine. He lives in Concord Massachusetts, a short 3-mile run to Walden Pond and Thoreau Farm.

May 1, 2026 – Manager Method Ashley Herd and Suffering Dr Suzan Song

Ashley Herd – Founder of Manager Method and Author of The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results
If you walk out of a situation at work and all you’ve accomplished isjamming it down someone’s throat that you’re right, no matter whetheryou are or not, that’s likely going to impact the way that person worksfor the rest of the day.
Ashley Herd is the Founder of Manager Method and the author of The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results. She is a former Head of HR for North America at McKinsey & Company and an employment attorney who began her career at Ogletree Deakins. Across her career in law, legal, and HR leadership roles at organizations including Yum! Brands, Ashley has worked with everyone from frontline restaurant managers to senior consultants, giving her a rare, ground level and executive view of what actually works in management. Ashley is known for her practical approach to leadership, shaped by years of seeing preventable workplace issues escalate simply because managers were never taught how to handle real situations. She has built a large following of more than 500,000 professionals by sharing clear, actionable guidance on hiring, feedback, performance management, and employee relations. Her work focuses on closing the gap between what companies expect from managers and what managers are actually trained to do. Through Manager Method, Ashley created a modern training system that combines on demand learning with live, HR led cohorts, allowing organizations to scale consistent, real world management training without relying on one time workshops that fail to stick. Her framework emphasizes scenario based learning so managers can practice high stakes conversations before they happen, improving both performance and workplace culture.Dr Suzan Song – Author of Why We Suffer and How We Heal: Using Narrative, Ritual, and Purpose to Flourish Through Life’s Challenges
Purpose is something that has meaning that’s outside of oneself
Dr Suzan Song is a Harvard and Stanford-trained psychiatrist, medical anthropologist and humanitarian mental health adviser. For more than two decades, she has dedicated her work on building resilience in individuals and communities affected by adversity – from everyday struggles to the world’s most challenging environments of war and human trafficking. Dr Song has advised the United Nations, multiple U.S. federal agencies and Ministries of Health, shaping systems of care for children and families in crisis to bridge clinical innovation with systems reform and localized approaches. She has a private practice in Washington D.C., is a professor of psychiatry at George Washington University and a sought-after speaker on leadership resilience, systems change and the science of healing. Her mission is to bridge clinical reality and systemic change, bringing the lessons of human survival into leadership, policy and programmes that can transform lives at scale.

April 29, 2026 – Personal Trainer Entrepreneur David Cozzens and Greatest Hits 10 Lawsuits Barry Cohen

David Cozzens – Founder and CEO of Train with David
Anything you start, you’re just going to suck at, and that’s normal…but if you do something long enough and learn fromyour mistakes, you will get better as you go.
Dave is a multi-location business owner and entrepreneur who has built and scaled one of the highest-volume personal training companies in Southern California. He grew the business from the ground up, focusing on systems, operations, and execution rather than hype or shortcuts, and now oversees multiple locations generating consistent cash flow without daily hands-on involvement. With over a decade of experience hiring, training, and managing teams, Dave specializes in turning service-based businesses into scalable operations. His work centers on practical growth strategy, customer acquisition, retention, leadership development, and building businesses that run without burning out the owner. Dave is known for his no-nonsense, execution-focused approach to entrepreneurship and shares real-world lessons on what actually works when growing a business – mistakes included.
Barry H. Cohen – Owner of AdLab Media and the Co-Author of the Book 10 Ways To Get Sued By Anyone & Everyone
If you don’t have proper agreement with your partners…how do you go back and fix that later?
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.”

April 28, 2026 – Matters Most Wendy Lipton-Dibner and Wednesday Product Engineering Co Ali Hafizji

Wendy Lipton-Dibner – President & CEO of Professional Impact  and Author of What Matters Matters Most
When you focus on impact, the money comes.
Wendy Lipton-Dibner, M.A., is widely regarded as a leading authority on organizational development through strategic and operational impact. A multiple-time bestselling author, sought-after strategist, and serial entrepreneur, she is known for helping organizations increase profitability by maximizing the real-world impact they create for all stakeholders. As President, Founder, and CEO of Professional Impact, Inc., Wendy developed Organizational Impact Strategy, invented Real-World Impact Metrics, and created the Journey of Impact app. Her work has helped thousands of leaders across enterprise, healthcare, small business, and nonprofit sectors improve team effectiveness and revenue by focusing on measurable impact in people’s lives. She serves as a trusted advisor to professionals and influencers across a wide range of industries, from healthcare and finance to technology, hospitality, and e-commerce, and is internationally recognized as a dynamic speaker whose keynotes, trainings, and programs have reached millions. Her strategies have been praised by Forbes® as “The Secret to Success in Business” and by Inc.® as “Your path to profitable impact.” Wendy began her academic journey with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern Connecticut State College and later entered the PhD program at Duke University, where she studied sociology, psychology, and social research. During her time there, she conducted and presented groundbreaking research, including a master’s thesis exploring the relationship between social class, school attachment, and delinquency. She was later recruited to manage a major research study at Texas Christian University, where she taught sociology, oversaw multiple evaluation studies, and published academic work. Her research team was even invited to present findings to the United States Senate, an experience that profoundly shaped her perspective on the tension between financial priorities and meaningful outcomes. This moment sparked a defining question that would guide her career: what if organizations prioritized impact over income? Motivated by this idea, Wendy left academia to launch her own business, designed as a real-world laboratory to test her hypothesis. Within six months, her company broke industry revenue records by making measurable impact its top priority. Her success led to widespread consulting opportunities, and she went on to refine and apply her strategies across numerous industries with transformative results. After selling her business, she expanded her work nationwide, gaining certifications in multiple schools of psychology and building a psychotherapy practice focused on helping sales professionals succeed through impact-driven approaches. Over time, she developed proprietary formulas—many copyrighted, trademarked, or patented – that consistently delivered high performance, customer loyalty, and revenue growth. Wendy has built multiple businesses, authored bestselling books used in organizations and academic institutions, and contributed extensively to business, healthcare, and social science publications. Known for her relentless drive and creativity, she attributes her success to a simple philosophy: Focus On Impact®. Each day, she challenges herself to expand her influence and continue her Journey of Impact, fueled by gratitude for the people and experiences that have shaped her life, including her enduring partnership with her husband, Dr. Hal Dibner.Ali Hafizji – CEO of Wednesday Solutions
What matters most is your decision making capability… do youtrust insights that the market reveals to you, or do you makedecisions based on what somebody else is doing.
Ali Hafizji is one of the creators of Traction, a live startup simulation that exposes real founder decision-making under constraint, and CEO of Wednesday, an AI-native product engineering company which has worked with multiple unicorns. Traction compresses months of early-stage chaos into a live experience. Founders and early team members operate inside the same simulated company, sharing limited resources and competing priorities, with one goal: attract paid users. What makes Traction different is what happens after the simulation. Participants are evaluated against the same behaviors and metrics consistently seen in teams that reach product-market fit, revealing the gap between stated intent and real decisions. Instead of interviews, advice, or frameworks, Traction reveals behavior.

April 27, 2026 – Jam AI Robyn Anderson and Pegasus Ticketing Oren Fanok

Robyn Anderson – Founder of Jam AI
The people are what makes my product unique, andthe people are my product, not the AI.
Robyn Anderson is a business strategist, seasoned marketer, and founder of Jam AI, a platform focused on helping professionals and small business owners confidently adopt artificial intelligence in their day to day work. With more than two decades of experience spanning marketing, events, and brand storytelling, she specializes in translating complex technology into simple, practical systems that drive real business results. Through Jam AI, Robyn delivers hands on training and tools that make AI approachable, useful, and human centered, empowering entrepreneurs to streamline operations, improve customer experience, and build sustainable growth without overwhelm.Oren Fanok – CEO & Co-Founder of Pegasus Ticketing
We’ve seen a lot of prices rise and a lot of customer experiences drop.
Oren Fanok is the Chief Executive Officer of Pegasus Ticketing, a next-generation platform transforming how attractions manage ticketing, operations, and customer insights. With a foundation in finance, management, and business analytics, Oren combines data-driven strategy with a mission-first mindset to help zoos, aquariums, and attractions operate more efficiently while contributing to global conservation efforts.

April 24, 2026 – Horatio Outsourcing Jose Herrera and Entity Choice Autumn Visser

Jose Herrera – Co-Founder & CEO of Horatio
If AI handles 80% of tickets, you need 80% fewer people… the math makes sense in the boardroom, but it doesn’t really survive contact with reality.
Jose Herrera is the Co-Founder and CEO of Horatio, the modern outsourcing company revolutionizing CX services and the BPO industry. Under his leadership, the company has been recognized for its innovative approach to customer service. Jose is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences and leveraging technology to drive business growth. Horatio is the trusted partner for some of the fastest-growing startups and enterprises in the world. Their on-brand customer support teams help them leverage CX as a revenue generator through personalized customer experience support. Horatio is headquartered in New York City with main offshore offices located in Santo Domingo and Santiago, Dominican Republic.​ Prior to founding Horatio, Jose spent seven years at Morgan Stanley as VP, covering Latin America and US Offshore markets, and began his career at Goldman Sachs. He attended Columbia Business School for his MBA in Entrepreneurship and Bentley University for his Bachelor’s of Science.Autumn Visser – Principal and Co-chair of the Corporate & Business Transactions Practice at Woods Rogers
Your idea of what your business does in your head is very clear, but people on the outside have no idea because they speak a different language.
Autumn R. Visser is a Principal and Co-Chair of the Corporate and Business Transactions Practice at Woods Rogers, where she works closely with entrepreneurs, founders, and growing companies on the legal strategies that shape how businesses are built and scaled. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, and emerging growth and venture capital, with a strong emphasis on helping businesses make smart decisions early so they can avoid costly problems later. Autumn is known for translating complex legal concepts into practical, real-world guidance that founders can actually use. She regularly helps entrepreneurs navigate entity formation, ownership structures, and investment readiness, often stepping in to correct issues that arise from rushed or misunderstood early decisions. Her approach centers on asking the right questions before action is taken, identifying risks in advance, and building structures that support long-term growth rather than short-term convenience. Recognized for both her professional excellence and leadership, Autumn has been named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Women in Leadership and is part of multiple “Legal Elite” recognitions. She is actively involved in the legal and broader business community through organizations such as the American Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, and the Virginia Women Attorneys Association. She also serves as Treasurer and Board Member for Goodwill of the Valleys and as a Board Member for Virginia Navigator. Autumn earned her J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, and she is admitted to practice in Virginia and California.

April 23, 2026 - Unchained Bobby Mascia and Portal AI Volodymyr Panchenko

Bobby Mascia – CEO of Green Ridge Wealth Planning and Author of Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business and Life Balance
We’re trying to unchain business owners from feeling likethey bought themselves a really expensive job.
Robert Mascia, known as “Bobby” to loved ones and clients alike, is a seasoned entrepreneur with a unique background working both on Wall Street and as an owner of several successful businesses. His story begins after graduating from Lehigh University with degrees in finance and marketing, which positioned him to launch his career in downtown New York as a hedge fund and assets management consultant. In 2003, Bobby took an unplanned hiatus from the Street to do something he had sworn off completely – working in the family franchise business. He saw no other choice when 9/11 and his parents’ personal health scares forced him to step away from his dream career. For nine years, Bobby learned every aspect of the Dunkin’ business and played a key role in expanding it. During his time there, Bobby helped grow his family’s ownership from 20 to 40 locations and $50m in revenue by developing a strong team and leveraging strategic partnerships. While this venture had forced him to abandon finance, it was, unbeknownst to him at the time, preparing him for much bigger things to come. Working with family can come with consequences, and by 2011, Bobby found his relationship with his father deteriorating. At the same time, his love of finance had never waned. Bobby knew that he had reached a fork in the road—continue his current journey or pivot into the unknown. He took a hard right and risked it all to do what he loved. Bobby spent several years preparing to take the giant step of starting his own firm. His vision was to create a financial planning and investment management experience that differed from what he had seen firsthand. He also knew that he had a unique proposition for business owners and entrepreneurs—a wealth of knowledge from his years of firsthand experience in the family business. Among the most valuable lessons he had learned about achieving financial success was the importance of quality relationships with smart, capable professionals. By 2016, he was ready and launched Green Ridge Wealth Planning. Fast forward to the present day. Bobby has built a firm true to his vision, offering business owners, individuals and families a boutique, highly personalized financial planning and investment management experience. He continues to stay true to his promise to be transparent, accessible and reliable, giving his firm what clients call “a family feel.” Bobby has built a team that shares his vision and passion for excellence. The result? A growing business where clients trust our team to guide them through life’s financial complexities so that they can live their best lives.Volodymyr Panchenko – CEO and Co-Founder of Portal AI
Everyone has a personal AI agent, which can remember, careand do anything you want for you, about you and with you.
Volodymyr Panchenko, CEO and co-founder of Portal.ai, He recently launched Portal One+, a platform built around persistent AI agents that remember context, understand users over time, and help execute tasks and workflows continuously rather than resetting each session. Previously, he founded DMarket, a digital asset marketplace acquired by Mythical Games, giving him firsthand experience with scaling, fundraising, and exiting in fast-moving markets. He can speak to why most founder–investor conversations fail in the first 10 minutes, how continuity and context change decision-making, what founders misunderstand about investor psychology, and how AI is shifting from reactive tools to systems that support ongoing execution.

April 22, 2026 – Monday Confidence Project Geoffrey Howard and Mondays Amy Leneker

Geoffrey Howard – CEO of Money Confidence Project 
It’s estimated that employers are losing two hundred and fifty billion, that’s with a B, billion dollars a year in productivity due to employees and their financial stress, their financial anxiety.
Geoffrey Howard is the CEO of Money Confidence Project. I’ve got extensive experience in the digital space with both ad-supported and subscription-based business models. I understand the value of creating recurring revenue streams, bundling product offerings, and maintaining long-lasting customer relationships. Over the course of my career, I’ve amassed and honed a vast arsenal of finance and administrative skills: Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Investor relations, M&A analysis, Controllership, Treasury / Cash Management, Financial Systems Implementation, Strategic Analysis, Business Modeling, Cost Analysis, Audit, Legal Compliance, Contract Negotiation and Drafting, Business Dissolution, People Management (HR), and Benefits Analysis. I’m especially skilled at building cross-functional relationships within the organization to improve and financial and operational performance. I am an effective presenter with the ability to translate and summarize accounting and financial data into something simple that everyone can understand. I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and be an individual contributor when necessary and my greatest satisfaction is knowing that I have helped others succeed.Amy Leneker – Author of Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy 
So for everyone who hates Mondays, we’re hating 2,109 daysof our lives, which is just not what we wanna do.
Amy Leneker is an optimistic, joy-seeking, recovering workaholic. She’s also a leadership consultant with over 25 years of leadership experience, including a decade in the C-suite, who has helped over 100,000 leaders, teams, and organizations (from Fortune 100 companies to the public sector) thrive at work through keynotes, coaching, and training, centered on less stress and more joy. A first-generation college student, Amy earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees while working full-time and later raising a family. She has studied leadership at Yale, neuroscience at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and stress resilience at Harvard Medical School. Amy has appeared in Forbes, Katie Couric Media, Inc., CEOWORLD Magazine, and other prestigious outlets. She is a regular contributor to Fast Company and the author of the national research study, The State of Stress and Joy at Work 2026. Cheers to Monday is her first book and was an instant national bestseller, debuting as the #1 bestselling business book on the USA Today bestseller list and in the top 10 on the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list. She and her family make their home in the Pacific Northwest.