School for Startups Radio

December 17, 2025 – Making God Laugh R.C. Goodwin and Disrupt You Jay Samit

R.C Goodwin – Author of Making God Laugh: A Memoir of Psychiatry, Dublin, and the Electric Chair
If you write something and it doesn’t strike you as absolutely right,it’swrong. You may not dislike it, but if it’s not quite right, then it’s wrong.
R.C. Goodwin has worked as a psychiatrist and consulted for the Connecticut Department of Correction, nursing homes, a substance abuse facility, and a major university mental health clinic. Goodwin’s debut book, The Stephen Hawking Death Row Fan Club, was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2015. His novel, Model Child, was published in 2018. He lives in Connecticut, and is a member of the Connecticut Authors & Publishers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He is a graduate of Yale and attended medical school in Dublin. After graduating from Yale, R.C. Goodwin spent six demanding but wonderful years in Dublin attending medical school before returning to the U.S. for an internship and psychiatric residency. Since then, he has worked in private practice, jails and prisons, nursing homes, a substance abuse facility, and a student mental health clinic at a major university-all of which he describes in his memoir, Making God Laugh. His fiction has appeared in Elixir, Center, Northeast, and Writers Digest Online among other publications. It has also been published in two anthologies, Stories that Need to be Told and Coolest American Stories. Goodwin’s debut book The Stephen Hawking Death Row Fan Club, a prison-based collection of award-winning short stories and a novella, was named a Kirkus Indie Best Book of 2015. He has also written a novel, Model Child, a psychological thriller. He lives with his wife and a spoiled, bossy cat in Connecticut.
Jay Samit – “Coolest Job,” Video on Demand Creator and Author of Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation
Every obstacle out there is actually a new opportunity for anentrepreneur to create a solution, make life better and profit.
Jay Samit has been described by Wired magazine as “having the coolest job in the industry.” He is a leading technology innovator who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for startups, sold companies to Fortune 500 firms, taken companies public, and partnered with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Coca Cola, McDonald’s, General Motors, United Airlines, Microsoft, Apple, Verizon, and Facebook. Samit is CEO of SeaChange International, a leading global multi-screen video software company. A technology innovator and entrepreneur, he was a senior advisor to LinkedIn and was appointed to the White House initiative for education and technology by President Bill Clinton. Samit is the host of the Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year series. Samit helped grow pre-IPO companies such as Linkedin, held senior management roles at Sony and Universal Studios, pioneered breakthrough advancements in mobile video, internet advertising, ecommerce, social networks, ebooks, and digital music that are used by billions of consumers every day. An adjunct professor at USC, Samit teaches innovation at America’s largest engineering school and is author of Disrupt Yourself: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation. He frequently appears on ABC, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, NBC and tweets daily motivation to the over 100,000 business professionals who follow him on Twitter. An expert on transformational corporate change, Samit has been quoted in The New York Times, The Economist, Businessweek, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Fast Company and TechCrunch. He was awarded with the Leonardo Da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award.

December 16, 2025 – Race to Innovation Dr. Roy Zwahlen and UGG Founder Brian Smith

Dr. Roy Zwahlen – Author of Race to Innovation: Unleashing the Power of Entrepreneurship For Everyone
Who’s going to be the first solo preneur Unicorn company where there’s an employee of one because of AI agents that have been created to help stand up and run that company, whether that’s possible or not, time will tell.
Dr. Roy Zwahlen is a strategic innovation leader and author with deep expertise in innovation strategy, entrepreneurship, and translating research into real-world impact. He currently serves in leadership roles at the Eshelman Institute of Innovation and the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where he drives innovation strategy, partnership development, and operational excellence in therapeutics and digital health while advancing strategic partnerships and risk management in academic and translational environments. Dr. Zwahlen’s work bridges innovation ecosystems, impact capital, and entrepreneurial communities to expand access and opportunity for diverse innovators. He co-authored Race to Innovation: Unleashing the Power of Entrepreneurship for Everyone, a book that highlights how inclusive entrepreneurial practices and diverse perspectives can unlock transformative opportunities and economic value across society. Through his writing, leadership, and innovation practice, Dr. Zwahlen champions entrepreneurship that is accessible and empowering for people from all backgrounds.Brian Smith – Keynote Speaker & Founder of UGG
You have to have a certain amount of ignorance to be a good entrepreneur,because if you did all the research and knew what was ahead, you wouldnever start. And my ignorance was that everyone in Australia is born withthick skin knowledge.
Dr. Roy Zwahlen is an innovation strategist, academic leader, and co-author of Race to Innovation: Unleashing the Power of Entrepreneurship for Everyone, a book that explores how inclusive entrepreneurship and diverse perspectives drive breakthrough innovation. He serves in senior leadership roles at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy and the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, where he focuses on innovation strategy, translational research, venture development, and building partnerships that move ideas from discovery to real-world impact. With experience spanning higher education, healthcare innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, Dr. Zwahlen works at the intersection of research, risk, and opportunity to expand access to innovation for founders from all backgrounds. His work emphasizes practical pathways for entrepreneurship, institutional change, and scalable innovation that creates both economic and social value.

December 15, 2025 – Pillow Cube Jay Davis and Top 0.1% Bryant McGill

Jay Davis – Founder & CEO Pillow Cube
When I first had this idea, people were like, you know, no one, most peopledon’t make pillows that way because it’s really expensive to make pillowsthat way. It’s a lot cheaper if you just fill a bag with crap. But I knew that thisprovided the experience that personally I loved and really changed the wayI slept. And that quality sleep is so important to feel happy and kind of beour best selves.
Jay Davis is the founder and chief executive officer of Pillow Cube, a sleep products company he launched in 2019 to solve his own problem of finding proper neck support as a side sleeper. After earning a degree in business management with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from Brigham Young University, Davis built his career in product development, marketing, and startup growth, including key roles at Vivint and as an early team member of The Color Run before founding his creative agency, Creatably. Driven by innovation and a deep understanding of consumer needs, he brought Pillow Cube to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign and has since grown the brand into a leading pillow company designed specifically for side sleepers, expanding its offerings and earning strategic investment along the way. Outside of Pillow Cube Davis is also an investor and entrepreneur with interests in other ventures, and he balances his professional life with family, including his wife and children.Bryant McGill –  Founder of Peace Prize Foundation & a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Activist and Social Entrepreneur
If you’re really humble, you’re going to be great. Okay, if you’re trulyhumble, you’ll be great. You know why? Because it is supremely arrogantto throw away the gift of life. There’s nothing humble about throwingaway the gift of life and all you could be.
Bryant McGill is a human potential thought leader, international bestselling author, activist, and social entrepreneur. He is one of the world’s top social media influencers reaching a billion people a year (2016). His prolific writings have been published in thousands of books and publications, including a New York Times bestselling series, and his Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, read by over 60 million people. He was the subject of a front-page cover story in the Wall Street Journal, has appeared in Forbes as a featured cultural thought leader, Nasdaq’s leadership series, Entrepreneur Magazine, and was listed in Inc. Magazine as an “Icon of Entrepreneurship” and one of, “the greatest leaders, writers and thinkers of all time.” He is the creator and founder of McGill Media, the McGill Peace Prize Foundation and Charitable Trust, The Royal Society (2015), and Simple Reminders. He is living his dream daily, serving those seeking inspiration, health, freedom, and truth around the world. McGill is a United Nations appointed Global Champion and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, who received a Congressional commendation applauding his, “highly commendable life’s work,” as an Ambassador of Goodwill. His thoughts on human rights have been featured by President Clinton’s Foundation, in humanities programs with the Dalai Lama, and at the Whitehouse. He has appeared in media with Tony Robbins and Oprah, in a Desmond Tutu endorsed PBS Special with Jack Canfield, and has delivered speeches at the United Nations’ General Assembly Hall on Human Rights Day, with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and with Dr. Gandhi, Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. McGill’s work has been endorsed by the president of the American Psychological Association, and has appeared in Psychology Today, and in meditation programs by Deepak Chopra. His writings have been published by Oprah’s Lifeclass, Simon & Schuster, Random House, HarperCollins, Wiley, McGraw Hill, and Writer’s Digest. His writings are regularly used in the curriculum at the university level, have been reviewed and published by the dean of NYU, and at Dartmouth, Stanford, and Yale, and were implemented into a campus installation at Bangkok University. McGill is on a quest to prove that life is still beautiful, and that all people have the power to have a better life and world – NOW.

December 12, 2025 – Why Not Today Leslie Kane and Live Nation ex-CEO Jason Garner

Leslie Kane – Courage Coach Why Not Today Coaching | Podcast Host Why Not Today Podcast | Host Why Not Today Connect Luncheons
It’s not a straight line to the top. And so what I found in talking to peopleon my podcast is we heard the obstacles, the things that didn’t go right,the things and adversity in their life that got them on the path they’re on,and they didn’t start here and go there without a lot of bumps and changes.
Leslie is a Courage Coach and the Founder of the “Why Not Today?” podcast, where her mission is to help others break free from fear and take action toward their dreams. What began as a simple podcast aimed at inspiring courage soon blossomed into a thriving coaching business that empowers women to build their confidence, tap into their inner strength, and achieve what they once thought was impossible. Through her coaching, Leslie guides women on a transformative journey, helping them discover the courage to take bold steps forward and embrace challenges with resilience. The “Why Not Today?” podcast, which Leslie started in honor of her late father, Patrick Kane, features guests who share stories of overcoming adversity, pushing past fear, and finding the strength to rise above. Outside of the podcast and coaching, Leslie is deeply committed to her community. She hosts events that support women in business by helping them build strong networks, create meaningful connections, and grow together. Through her podcast, coaching, and community leadership, Leslie continues to inspire others to step into their power and take courageous action every day. Her unwavering belief in the transformative power of “Why Not Today?” drives her to uplift those around her and champion others to live their fullest, most courageous lives. Leslie’s work is not just about coaching, it’s about creating a movement where women embrace the possibilities of today, right now.
Jason Garner – Author of … And I Breathed, My Journey from a Life of Matter to a Life That Matters and Former Live Nation CEOS of Global Music
For me, it’s all about daily practice. So I think when I was in business, Ihad a daily practice that look like, don’t well, jump up out of bed, grabmy Blackberry at the time, check my email, rush through the day, don’tbreathe, don’t eat. Well, work, work, work, work, work, and then stressabout work when I was at home. And I think that daily practice describeseveryone’s lives, right?
Jason Garner spent the first 37 years of his life running through the world holding his breath. Raised by a single mother and constantly moving from house to house, he threw himself into school and business, believing he had to be the best in order to be loved. From a weekend job at a flea market, he fought his way up to owning a concert promotion company and eventually became an executive at a Fortune 500 company. Along the way, he was married and divorced twice, raised two children largely on his own, met rock stars and sports legends, and accumulated wealth—until a series of life-shifting events, sparked by the sudden death of his mother, brought everything to a halt and forced him to confront his ego. In the quiet that followed, Jason stepped off the treadmill of constant striving and immersed himself in deep personal work. He studied health, spirituality, and the mind with renowned teachers, found the love of his life, and—perhaps for the first time—allowed himself to truly breathe. His journey led to a profound belief that life itself can be a meditation and that every act, no matter how ordinary, holds the potential to be an expression of love. He now shares the perspectives gained from this path—embracing the balance of money and happiness, business and spirituality, and the simple truth that we are not alone. Jason believes we are each perfectly placed in this moment to experience and transform life—together.

December 11, 2025 – Leadership Guru William Davis and Ring Doorbell James Siminoff

William Davis – Leadership Expert, Keynote Speaker & Mentor
If you’re calm, you’re deliberate, you are working as a group to get itresolved, as opposed to trying to pick and choose or find somebody toblame for where you’re at, the situation is gonna get resolved a whole lot quicker.
William Davis is a leadership expert, keynote speaker, mentor, and advocate who has spent nearly four decades in corporate America, leading teams and driving transformative projects. From his early days as a student in Future Business Leaders of America, he developed a deep curiosity about what makes effective leaders, a curiosity that guided him through a long and successful career leading teams, delivering impactful results, and inspiring trust and collaboration. Today, William combines hands-on experience with a heartfelt belief that leadership isn’t about power but about people. He coaches aspiring and established leaders, delivers motivational keynote talks, runs leadership workshops, and offers personalized mentoring to help others lead with empathy, integrity, and vision. He has also written several articles and authored two books, How to Lead Without Just Managing and Building Genuine Relationships: The Leader’s Guide to Connecting…, offering practical guidance for building strong, authentic leadership.James Siminoff – Chief Inventor and Founder of Ring
A lot of being an entrepreneur is that it’s not an overnight success, that ittakes time to build up. I think for a lot of us, including myself, it takes timeto build those things up.
James Siminoff is an American inventor and entrepreneur, best known as the founder and Chief Inventor of Ring. In 2011, while tinkering in his garage, he created the world’s first Wi-Fi video doorbell, originally called DoorBot, because he wanted a way to see and talk to visitors at his front door even when he was elsewhere. Before Ring, Siminoff founded and sold several ventures including a voicemail-to-text service and an email-cleanup tool. After rebranding DoorBot to Ring and raising external investments even after being rejected on the 2013 season of Shark Tank, he persisted and in 2018 Ring was acquired by Amazon for roughly one billion US dollars. Today, Siminoff continues to drive innovation at Ring, helping scale the company’s smart-home and home-security products with a mission to make neighborhoods safer and more connected.

December 10, 2025 - Can Fit It In Erin Coupe and Strings Attached Joanne Lipman

Erin Coupe – Founder & CEO @ Authentically EC & Author of I Can Fit That In
One of the biggest shifts that I made, that I’ve helped clients make andthat I know that readers can make with this book is to be able to say, Ican fit that in. It’s not about doing more. It’s about being more intentional.
Erin Coupe is the founder and CEO of Authentically EC, a coaching, training, and personal-development company that helps high achievers and organizations align performance with purpose. With more than 17 years of experience in the corporate world, including leadership roles at major firms on Wall Street and in real estate, she experienced first-hand how success and productivity can come at the cost of personal well-being. Her own transformation from overextended executive to intentional leader inspired her to create Authentically EC, where she now guides leaders and teams to design lives built around clarity, energy, and alignment rather than burnout and chaos. Erin is also the author of I Can Fit That In, a practical, deeply personal book that offers a blueprint for professionals and executives to reclaim control over their time, energy, and focus, teaching that sustainable success is rooted in intentional living, not nonstop hustle. As an international speaker and facilitator, Erin has spoken on over 500 stages, reaching more than 250,000 people worldwide. Her frameworks – drawing from neuroscience, mindfulness, and leadership principles – are applied across Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, universities, and global associations seeking more conscious, human-centered leadership. Today she continues to challenge traditional notions of success, inviting professionals to redefine productivity as a source of energy and fulfillment rather than exhaustion. Through her speaking, coaching, and writing, Erin helps individuals and organizations build sustainable performance cultures that honor both ambition and authenticity.Joanne Lipman – Journalist and Co-author of Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations
He taught us how to fail and how to pick ourselves back up againafterwards. Such an important life skill, no matter where you goor what you do.
Joanne Lipman is a distinguished American journalist, editor, and author known for her influential voice in media and business writing. She began her journalism career at The Wall Street Journal, eventually rising to become its first-ever woman deputy managing editor, a role in which she oversaw coverage that earned multiple Pulitzer Prizes. She went on to found and serve as the founding editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Portfolio magazine and its companion website Portfolio.com. Later, she held top editorial and leadership roles at USA Today Network, including Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief, supervising dozens of publications and thousands of journalists. As an author, she co-wrote Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations, a memoir-style tribute to a remarkable public-school music teacher whose life and dedication shaped the lives of his students in profound ways. Through her career she has demonstrated deep commitment to journalism that matters, powerful storytelling, and highlighting voices and stories that inspire and challenge readers.Joanne is a frequent television  commentator and media commentator, contributing to major news outlets and speaking publicly about journalism, leadership, reinvention, and social change. She also lectures at academic institutions, sharing her experience and insight with students and aspiring writers.

December 9, 2025 - Capital Evolution Seth Levine and EO Founder Verne Harnish

Seth Levine – Co-Author of Capital Evolution: The New American Economy
I ultimately believe in the long run that technology, humans, humaningenuity, will solve many of these problems, but we need to be deliberateabout it. And we talk about the environment in the book, and we also talkabout the middle class in the book, as kind of the same, same sort of actorsin our economy, which are, these are things that we extract from under oursort of neoliberal form of capitalism.
Seth Levine is a longtime venture capitalist and global advocate for entrepreneurship. He serves as a partner at Foundry, a Boulder Colorado venture capital firm he cofounded in 2006 that now manages nearly four billion dollars in assets. His work spans the United States as well as emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa, where he advises governments, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders on economic development and startup ecosystem growth. Seth also cofounded Pledge 1 percent, a global movement that encourages companies to commit equity, time, or product to support their communities, and he serves as a trustee of Macalester College in Minnesota where he helped create the college’s entrepreneurship program and its annual student hackathon. He has spent his career promoting business innovation and remains an active advisor, speaker, and mentor. Seth lives in Colorado with his family and is an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast.
Verne Harnish – Owner, Gazelles, Inc. and Founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
If you don’t change your daily routine, goals are just hollow. Now,routines without goals are aimless, and so you need both.
Verne Harnish is founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), with over 18,000 members worldwide, and founded and chaired for fi fteen years EO’s premiere CEO program held at MIT, a program in which he still teaches today. Founder and CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 290 partners on six continents, Verne has spent the past four decades helping companies scaleup. The Global Scaleup Fellow at The Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, he’s the author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits; authored The Greatest Business Decisions of All Times,“ for which Jim Collins wrote the foreword; wrote Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0) which has been translated into 26 languages and has won eight major international book awards including the International Book Award for Best General Business book; and is the co-author of Scaling Up Compensation. His latest book is Start to Scale. Verne serves on several boards including vice chair of The Riordan Clinic; co-founder and chair of Geoversity; and board member of the social venture Million Dollar Women. A private investor in many scaleups, Verne enjoys piano, tennis, and magic as a card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

December 8, 2025 – Youngest Female IPO Marcy Syms and Networking SuperStar Judy Robinett

Marcy Syms – President of TPD Group
Entrepreneurship is understanding what the trade offs are, andunderstanding that the investment of today is for the hopes andthe work that will you’ll be the fruits of tomorrow.
Marcy Syms is a veteran leader, social entrepreneur, and champion of corporate governance and women’s empowerment. As the founding trustee and President of the Sy Syms Foundation, she has helped steer more than US$60 million in grants toward education, scientific research, social justice, the arts, and cultural organizations. Marcy spent decades at the helm of her family’s retail business, Syms Corp, where she rose from marketing and real estate director to become its first President when the company went public, making her one of the youngest women ever to lead a New York Stock Exchange-listed company. She later served as its CEO, guiding the company’s expansion into a national retailer operating in 16 states. Armed with an MS in Communications and Public Relations from Boston University College of Communication, Marcy has also taught retail entrepreneurship at Parsons School of Design and served on the Board of Overseers at Boston University. Beyond business, she is deeply committed to social causes. She currently sits on or has served on numerous public- and nonprofit-sector boards, including those advocating for gender equality (such as the ERA Coalition / ERA Project at Columbia Law School), public media (the National Public Radio Foundation), education (including the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University), and arts. Marcy is also the author of Leading with Respect: Adventures of an Off-Price Fashion Pioneer, a memoir and leadership guide that recounts her journey from the “backroom to the boardroom” and underscores respect as a foundational principle for business success and human dignity. With a rare combination of retail-industry experience, board governance expertise, philanthropic leadership, and commitment to social change, Marcy Syms continues to influence discourse on business ethics, gender equity, succession planning, and servant leadership.Judy Robinett – Founder & President of JRobinett Enterprises
There’s no lack of money. It’s important to be persistent, go to pitch events, go to incubators, and ask my two golden questions: What other ideas do you have for me, and who else do you know I should talk to?
Judy Robinett is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and internationally recognized expert in startup funding and strategic networking. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, she has served as CEO of both public and private companies and held management positions at Fortune 500 firms. Judy is widely known as a “super-connector,” leveraging what some call her “titanium digital Rolodex” to help entrepreneurs connect with the right investors and partners. She has authored multiple influential books including How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+150 Rule, recognized as the #1 business book of 2014 and Crack the Funding Code, which offers founders a practical roadmap to understanding how investors think and what they expect to hear when evaluating a startup. As a global keynote speaker, consultant, and advisor, Judy has guided countless startups and businesses in positioning themselves for funding, scaling, and building meaningful networks. On her website she emphasizes that success in business often comes down to being in the “right room” and more importantly, knowing what to say when you’re there. With a rare blend of operational experience, funding expertise, and networking mastery, Judy Robinett continues to empower entrepreneurs around the world to access capital, build relationships, and turn their visions into reality.

December 5, 2025 – AWBC CEO Corrine Goble, Colin Furze, Tilman Fertitta and Dr. David Cunic Q10

Corinne Goble – CEO of Association of Women’s Business Centers and Winner of 100 Women to KNOW in America
I think one of the biggest things that we find by having women in thename is we’re encouraging the participation of women. We’re notexclusively here for women, and it’s not necessarily that the needs ofa woman opening a business are starkly different than any other founder,because the barriers to opening a new business, they’re they’re greatkind of no matter who you are.
Goble joined the Association of Women’s Business Centers as CEO in January 2019 and is charged with bringing about enhanced sustainability and increased capacity to the association and its members. When AWBC and the national network of Women’s Business Centers were confronted with effects of a global pandemic in early 2020, Goble and the advocacy team sprung into action. While Women’s Business Centers responded tirelessly to small business concerns in their communities, Goble and the team championed their efforts to secure resources. Thankfully, members of Congress foresaw the important role that Women’s Business Centers would play in an economic disaster and appropriated record-level emergency funding (CARES Act) to be administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). In addition to $150,000 awarded annually to each Women’s Business Center, centers could access up to $420,000 of CARES Act funds giving them access to $570,000 in a single fiscal year. In addition to their own annual fundraising efforts, this unprecedented combination of funding is the highest level of funding than at any other point in history. Women’s Business Centers leveraged this infusion of funds into tremendous impact. Goble and the full AWBC team will remain steadfast in their commitment to the growth and strength of the Women’s Business Center network. Her immediate priority is the modernization and re-authorization of the Women’s Business Center program while building capacity throughout the growing network of 145 Women’s Business Centers. Adjacent to and in support to this work, Goble serves in a variety of collaborative efforts that directly support small businesses in their efforts to get started and grow, whether in procurement, digital skills, access to capital or international trade. She’s a Founding Member of the USMCA Small and Medium Enterprise Counselor Network consisting of counselors in Mexico, Canada, and the United States that collaborate to help small businesses find success through exports.Tilman Fertitta – TV Star, Owner of Houston Rockets and Author of Shut Up and Listen!: Hard Business Truths that Will Help You Succeed
I am not the smartest guy. I think I’ve outworked people. I think I’ve built a culture in my company that we outwork people, and we make hard decisions… It’s being a tough business person and accepting some small failures and pulling yourself up by your scraps. But it’s making tough decisions, and people don’t like to make tough decisions, and people don’t want to play tough. Sometimes you just have to.
Tilman Fertitta is the star of his own reality TV show “Billion Dollar Buyer” on CNBC, and sole owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, Golden Nugget Casinos, and 600 other properties under Fertitta Entertainment. He turned a $6,000 loan into a billion dollar restaurant empire. He is a Houston Native, accomplished businessman, and recognized as a world leader in the dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming industries, and is often referred to as, “the world’s richest restauranteur.” Tilman is also the sole owner of Fertitta Entertainment, which owns the restaurant giant Landry’s, Five Golden Nugget Casinos and Hotels, and the NBA’s Houston Rockets, which he purchased for a record $2.2 billion. He is also the start of his own reality TV show on CNBC, “Billion Dollar Buyer.” Through his restaurant and hospitality company Landry’s, Fertitta owns more than 600 properties in 36 states and in over 15 countries. He is also one of the largest employers in the nation, with more than 60,000 employees. His restaurants include a signature collection of eateries, such as Mastro’s Steakhouse and Ocean Club, Morton’s Steakhouse, Vic & Anthony’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Dos Caminos, Joe’s Crab Shack, and more.

December 4, 2025 - Purpose-Driven Leader Brent Rittersdorf and Permission Architect Jillian Reilly

Brent Rittersdorf – 10 for 10!, Corporate Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, Real Estate Broker, Author of The Point Is in the Purpose: How Going 10 for 10 Can Change Your Life
Everybody has their 15 minutes of fame, and for me, I look back onthat experience, and I was doing something that I love to do so muchthat I just wanted to continue to get as better and better as I couldand be a part of that team.
Brent Rittersdorf is a purpose-driven leader, corporate speaker, meeting facilitator, real-estate broker, and author whose mission is to help people make wise decisions that lead to favorable results. With a diverse career background that spans both the restaurant/franchise industry, where he served as Divisional Vice President, Director of Operations, and franchise business consultant and the real-estate sector (he currently works as Managing Broker with High Caliber Realty in Kennesaw, GA), Brent bridges the gap between corporate and sales environments. As the creator of the philosophy and movement 10 for 10, inspired by a high-school moment when he made 10 free throws in a row, Brent delivers a keynote speech titled “10 for 10 – How the foul line can change your life.” Through this talk and his book The Point Is in the Purpose: How Going 10 for 10 Can Change Your Life, he offers a practical framework for helping individuals and teams define their purpose, persevere through challenges, and align their choices with long-term meaning.  Originally from Rockland, Maine, Brent now resides in Kennesaw, GA; when not speaking or working in real estate, he hosts a weekly networking event for sales professionals and entrepreneurs in Marietta, GA and occasionally retreats to a local mountain-bike trail to recharge and reconnect with his purpose.Jillian Reilly – Author of Ten Permissions
You need to allow yourself to step back out into the world andstart finding your way forward, one small step at a time.
Jillian Reilly is the author of The Ten Permissions – a bold, timely playbook that invites people to discard outdated life-scripts and instead give themselves permission to design a meaningful, adaptive adult life in a fast-changing world. With decades of experience as a global change-facilitator, consultant, and former aid-worker across Africa, Asia, and Central Europe, she brings a unique vantage point on transformation, resilience, and reinvention. In The Ten Permissions, she lays out ten guiding “permissions”, such as “Be Willful,” “Go Astray,” “Experiment,” and “Feel Your Way”, that encourage readers to reclaim agency, embrace flexibility, and define success on their own terms. Beyond writing, Jillian works as a keynote speaker and consultant, helping individuals and organizations navigate uncertainty, rethink their assumptions, and craft lives and careers rooted in curiosity, authenticity, and purpose. Her journey from international development to thought leadership gives her insight into how to thrive in disruption and she now encourages others to stop waiting for external approval and start authoring their own paths.