1. Their career journeys

2. Miami ecosystem

3. Austin/Texas ecosystem

4. Trends, opps and challenges for entrepreneurs and startup communities

5. Outlook for 2026
 

Melissa Medina has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, operator, investor, community leader and philanthropist. A native to Miami, she is CEO & Co-Founder of eMerge Americas with a mission of helping transform South Florida into a global tech hub. 

The eMerge Americas signature event, launched in 2014, is a global tech conference held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center - this year's event is on April 22-24. With Melissa’s leadership, the eMerge Americas conference now attracts more than 20,000+ attendees from over 50 countries. In addition to the annual conference, eMerge organizes year-round executive summits, innovation challenges, startup pitch competitions, masterclasses, webinars, a world-class global accelerator program, as well as publishes venture activity and investment insights reports.

Melissa is also a Partner at Medina Ventures, an early-stage venture fund, as well as the President of the Medina Family Foundation, which has a mission to fund local initiatives that focus on mentoring children and empowering families. Melissa was named by the South Florida Business Journal as one of the “2023 Power Leaders in Technology.” 

Melissa also sits on the Board of The Miami Foundation. She is passionate about transforming Miami into a global technology hub and supporting Miami-based non-profits who seek to empower tomorrow’s leaders. Most importantly, Melissa is a mother and most passionate about her 5 children.

------

Experienced in economic development, public policy, and venture capital, Paul O'Brien puts a focus on shaping the systems that enable entrepreneurship and innovation. He leads legislative and coalition strategy for Founder Institute, around issues impacting startups, capital formation, and civic infrastructure, and as publisher of Startup Economist.

With a passion for media innovation and investment, Paul seeded MediaTech Ventures, a media industry venture development group. Former Venture Partner in Meaningful Ventures, O'Brien is Founder and Director of Funded House and Director of Founder Institute for Texas. Historically, a seasoned marketer with an early career at Yahoo! and HP. 

From there, Paul led the early growth of startups such as Outright.com (Acquired by GoDaddy), Zvents (Acquired by eBay’s Stubhub), and MicroVentures (Venture Capital). Paul has an unusually strong technical background considering the role he tends to play today; he built websites in the '90s and continues to engineer and produce content at seobrien.com. He was featured in the book, Online Marketing Heroes, and frequently speaks at startup and media conferences.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Your career journeys

2. Gitte's biotech venture

3. Garnet's venture capital firm

4. Discuss effects of federal policies on innovation ecosystem

5. Discuss outlook for 2026 

Garnet Heraman is a serial entrepreneur and investor with 25 years experience at the intersection of innovation + technology. Originally from the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago, he was educated at Columbia University (BA), NYU (MBA) and The London School of Economics. 

As a dotcom entrepreneur Garnet had 3 exits, 1 of which was to a publicly traded company. As an investor, he is co-founder and managing partner of Aperture® Venture Capital, a seed stage fintech fund backed by 7 different Fortune 500 corporations. 

He is also an LP in other VC funds such as NY InsurTech Fund II and the Berkeley Skydeck Fund, as well as a prolific angel investor. Garnet is highly sought after as a startup technology expert, appearing in over 30 business publications and at events on 5 continents. 

------

Gitte Pedersen is a scientist, CEO, company builder, and investor with a mission to improve health and sustainability. RNA enthusiast. Focused on helping cancer patients survive through better diagnostics and treatment navigation tools. 

Serial entrepreneur. Advised several small and medium-sized biotech companies and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing in +$1B deals to Danish Biotech companies. Advised the European Commission on evidence-based innovation and investment policies. 

Won numerous prizes and awards and raised $8M+ in grants. Worked at Novo Nordisk in several management positions, inventing, developing and bringing multiple products to market worldwide.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys

2. Merck's venture strategy and GHIF story

3. MSD Idea Studios

4. CVC landscape and trends

5. Outlook for pharma and innovation

Bill has led MSD Global Health Innovation (GHI) since 2010, playing a strong role in the US company’s transition a decade ago from general consumer pharmaceuticals to a focus on biopharmaceuticals and oncology.

With 45 portfolio companies and about 80% having commercial agreements with MSD, His approach of always seeking to understand and solve the parent company’s core challenges has proven successful.

Last year, the fund expanded beyond the US, launching two accelerator programms, one in Berlin covering central Europe and one in Singapore covering 10 Asian countries. 

The accelerators will also invest at an earlier stage than the growth stage-focused core GHI fund has typically done.

Both in the US and abroad, GHI is focused on four key areas of pharma services: drug discovery, clinical development, supply chain and patient access.

In drug discovery, Bill is particularly excited about AI and machine learning allowing drugs to be identified faster.  

The fund has invested in about 12 companies applying AI to biology, chemistry and vaccines in the past two years, with a belief that these technologies are on the cusp of a breakthrough.

Clinical development is another critical focus, especially in patient diversity and trial management.

The unit is also exploring supply chain innovations, with systems tracking raw materials coming in and finished goods going out, much like a “control tower at an airport”.

A veteran of the venture capital sector, Bill maintains that corporate venture capital is becoming increasingly sophisticated.  

He believes corporate venture capital has now established itself as “part of the ecosystem of investing” and offers unique value that traditional investors cannot.

----

Joel is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in venture investments and strategic innovation within the healthcare sector.  

With a career spanning over two decades, he has held pivotal roles at renowned organizations like Merck, J&J, and JPMorgan, focusing on biotech, corp dev and health equity.  

He excels in bridging the gap between life sciences and digital health technology.  

He is a recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, emphasizing health equity in his professional endeavors.  

#podcast #afewthingspodcast

1. Jenny's career journey  

2. The funding environment, then your fund

3. What she is seeing at the universities she teaches at; trends in young talent

4. Her new book

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re startup ecosystem

Jenny Fielding is a seasoned venture capitalist and technology trailblazer with a diverse background in law, finance, and entrepreneurship. As the founder of two tech startups, she understands the challenges of building companies from the ground up. She's also the author of the new book, Everywhere Ventures, https://www.amazon.com/Venture-Everywhere-Travel-Entrepreneurship-Roadmap/dp/B0DHQQTCG3

Now, with a decade of investing experience and a portfolio valued at $10 billion, Jenny leads Everywhere Ventures, the go-to venture fund for early-stage founders around the world.  

Beyond investing, Jenny is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Cornell Tech, where she inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs. A sought-after speaker, Jenny has been featured on Bloomberg TV, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TechCrunch, among many others.

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Their career journeys  

2. History of NFHA

3. Michael's impact on organization; AI in housing/financial services

4. April 28-30 Responsible AI Symposium  
https://events.nationalfairhousing.org/2025AISymposium

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re fair housing and technology

Lisa Rice is the President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), the nation’s only national civil rights agency solely dedicated to eliminating all forms of housing discrimination and ensuring equitable housing opportunities for all people and communities.  

Lisa has led her team in using civil rights principles to bring fairness and equity into the housing, lending, and technology sectors. She is a member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Board of Directors, Center for Responsible Lending Board of Directors, FinRegLab Board of Directors, JPMorgan Chase Consumer Advisory Council, Mortgage Bankers Association Consumer Advisory Council, Freddie Mac Affordable Housing Advisory Council, Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council, Quicken Loans Advisory Forum, Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Advisory Council, and Berkeley’s The Terner Center Advisory Council.  

She has received numerous awards including the National Housing Conference’s Housing Visionary Award and was selected as one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 ‘Closers.’

----

Dr. Michael Akinwumi translates values and principles to math and code. He ensures critical and emerging technologies like AI and blockchain enhance innovation, security, trust, and access in housing and financial systems, preventing historical injustices.  

As a senior leader, he collaborates with policymakers and industry to strengthen protections and advance innovation. A Rita Allen Civic Science Fellow at Rutgers, he developed an AI policy tool for state-level impact and co-developed an AI Readiness (AIR) Index to help state governments assess their AI maturity.  

Michael also advises AI companies on developing, deploying and adopting responsible innovations, driven by his belief that a life lived for others is most meaningful, aiming for lasting societal change through technology.

#podcast #afewthingspodcast

1. Their career journeys

2. Ben's Coaching approach

3. Tara's coaching approach; future coach for college students

4. Ben's book, CLIMB

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re health and mental health.

Tara Thurber is the Founder | Director of Partnerships at DefinedTalent and Head Coach | FUTURE COACH. She is a connector, committed to helping people realize their visions and take action to bring them to life. With over 15 years of experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, HR services and career development, she focuses on empowering businesses and individuals to uncover meaning, direction and purpose in both their professional and personal journeys. 

Her expertise enables her to focus on innovative, people-centric solutions covering multiple industries and a diverse community of talent. As a certified life and career coach, Tara helps people find their True Core, encouraging them to discover their potential while guiding them toward success and happiness.

-----

Benjamin Kenyon is a veteran NBA Performance Coach and the founder of Climb Performance Coaching. After 11 seasons in the NBA—most recently as Director of Performance for the Philadelphia 76ers—Ben now helps high-performing executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders find clarity, sharpen focus, and overcome burnout.

He’s also the author of CLIMB, a powerful guide that lays out the framework he uses with his clients to help them reset, refocus, and perform at a high level—without sacrificing their wellbeing. Backed by 20+ years in elite performance and driven by data and purpose, Ben combines real-world tools with bold energy and outrageous optimism.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Thierry's career journey  

2. Nokia Bell Labs history and current research

3. AI and Generative AI

4. Space and network on the moon

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities in tech

Thierry Klein is the President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia. His global multi-disciplinary team conducts fundamental and applied research focused on new Nokia value chains, business opportunities and ecosystems.  

Bell Labs Solutions Research pursues research and innovation into advanced technologies, architectures, systems and applications beyond Nokia’s current product and solutions portfolio, including research into advanced sensing technologies, AI-based knowledge systems and fundamental algorithms, autonomous software and data systems, and integrated solutions and experiences.

Prior to his appointment as President of Bell Labs Solutions Research, Thierry was the Head of the Integrated Solutions and Experiences Research Lab at Nokia Bell Labs, leading a global research team dedicated to applied research, innovation and advanced technologies with the mission to design, develop and prototype massively disruptive solutions, systems and experiences for the next human-industrial revolution.  

The research domains span new wearable devices, cloud robotics and drones, image and data analytics, industrial process optimization and automation enabled by 5G networking and edge computing technologies.

Previously, he was the Head of Innovation Management for Vertical Industries with a focus on the transportation, automotive and connected industries sectors. He also served as the Founding Vice-Chair of the Board of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), a cross-industry association bringing together the telecommunications and automotive industries that he helped found and launch in September 2016.  

He was also the Program Leader for the Network Energy Research Program at Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent with the mission to conduct research towards the design, development and use of sustainable future communications and data networks. He served as the Chairman of the Technical Committee of GreenTouch, a global consortium dedicated to improve energy efficiency in networks by a factor 1000x compared to 2010 levels.

He joined Bell Labs Research in Murray Hill, New Jersey in 2001 and his initial research was focused on next-generation wireless and wireline networks, network architectures, algorithms and protocols, network management, optimization and control. From 2006 to 2010 he served as the Founder and CTO of an internal start-up focused on wireless communications for emergency response and disaster recovery situations within Alcatel-Lucent Ventures.

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Their career journeys  

2. The Meet Group

3. Noom

4. New book Designing Success and female entrepreneurship

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re health, wellness and tech

Geoff is the CEO of Noom. He is also a serial entrepreneur and long-time public company CEO.

He co-founded The Meet Group, a NASDAQ-listed social dating and live-streaming company connecting millions of active users globally. Geoff served as The Meet Group’s CEO from 2013 to 2023, leading it through its sale for $500 million in 2020.

Geoff grew a live-streaming video & creator economy revenue stream from $0 to in excess of $200 million annualized. Post-acquisition, Geoff also served as co-CEO of the parent company ParshipMeet Group, which includes a portfolio of dating apps including eharmony, MeetMe, Tagged, Lovoo, Skout, Growlr, among others.

Under Geoff’s leadership, The Meet Group was early to social networking, mobile apps, live-streaming video, and creator economy. A driving force of industry consolidation, Geoff acquired 4 companies and was acquired twice.

With smart viral marketing, Geoff grew MeetMe from nothing to millions of active users. With product and strategic vision, he acquired and turned Tagged into a live-streaming video leader. With Livebox, he created a successful enterprise Creator Economy service powering some of the top-grossing social apps in the US.

Leveraging product and technology to transform the user experience, Geoff successfully transitioned The Meet Group from an advertising model to a fast-growing live-streaming video & creator-economy solution, ultimately attracting tens of thousands of Creators and powering some of the largest social apps in the world.

Under Geoff’s leadership, the video Platform-as-a-Service enterprise product that he conceived of — Livebox — launched and grew to power 6 of the top 50 social apps in the US by revenue.

Geoff is an expert in building culture across disparate teams. As CEO of The Meet Group, he acquired and integrated 4 companies: Tagged, LOVOO, Skout, and Growlr, into one cohesive culture.

While building culture, Geoff also drove efficiency, realizing major cost synergies while growing top-line revenue at every acquisition target, through a combination of off-shoring and building a single shared services platform to power multiple apps.

Geoff is the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region.

Geoff graduated from Harvard University in 2000 with a BA in Economics.

------

Catherine Connelly is an entrepreneur, engaging speaker, and author of Designing Success: Lessons from 20 Years as a Female Tech Entrepreneur. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM9C9CC4

Catherine co-founded The Meet Group, a NASDAQ-listed social dating and livestreaming company connecting millions of active users globally. The Meet Group was acquired in a $500 million sale in 2020.

Catherine’s nearly two decades of entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding myYearbook at fifteen, creating what would eventually become The Meet Group, and leading brand strategy and marketing for The Meet Group through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and rebrands.

Catherine graduated from Georgetown University and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region in 2011.  

Catherine has been featured on CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, MTV, ABC News, Fox News, CosmoGIRL, BusinessWeek, the San Francisco Chronicle, and CBS. Catherine writes the newsletter Growing Up Startup, sharing lessons inspired by her entrepreneurial journey.  

Subscribe and learn more about Catherine's free office hours at: cconnelly.me.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Mike's career journey

2. How education has changed since pandemic

3. AI related opportunities challenges

4. New book

5. Future trends and forecasts

Michael B. Horn strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential through his writing, speaking, and work with a portfolio of education organizations. His new best-seller is Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career. https://www.amazon.com/Job-Moves-Making-Progress-Career-ebook/dp/B0CV7SGF6S

He is also the author of the award-winning Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns; Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools; Choosing College; Goodnight Box, a children’s story; and the forthcoming From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)creating School for Every Child.

Michael is faculty member at Harvard and co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a non-profit think tank. He cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and writes the Substack newsletter The Future of Education. Michael also serves as an executive editor at Education Next, and his work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and NBC.  

Michael is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America’s workforce. He serves on the board and advisory boards of a range of education organizations, including Imagine Worldwide, Minerva University, and the LearnLaunch Institute and is a venture partner at NextGen Venture Partners.

Michael was selected as a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow to study innovation in education in Vietnam and Korea, and Tech&Learning magazine named him to its list of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education. Michael holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys

2.  Scaling Shoott

3. Launching Lexore (formerly Frame Me)

4. Lessons learned

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re photo and video industries

Sequoia Blodgett is a visionary entrepreneur at the intersection of media and technology. As the CEO and co-founder of Lexore, an AI-powered video production platform, she is transforming how agencies create high-quality video content.

Drawing from her extensive background in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, Sequoia empowers brands to craft compelling narratives that drive organic traffic and enhance customer engagement.

She began her career in the entertainment industry, directing music videos for top-tier artists like Justin Bieber and Future. Her passion for entrepreneurship led her to co-star on ABC Family's Startup U, where she shared her journey as a tech entrepreneur.

Her professional path includes pivotal roles at companies such as M13, Black Enterprise, and Truist, where she merged her creative expertise with innovative business strategies.

Sequoia has earned accolades for her work, including multiple Telly Awards and the prestigious Women in AI Award. She is also recognized as a former venture-backed entrepreneur under Tim Draper’s Draper Associates and as a mentor and entrepreneur-in-residence, guiding startups in their growth journeys.

Through Lexore, she continues to leverage her expertise to simplify video production, enabling businesses to achieve exceptional results while scaling their digital presence.

---

With a diverse background in investment banking, strategic finance, documentary film producing, and acting, Jennifer combines her passion for all-things-process with my love of art and storytelling to manage growth, strategy, and operations for Shoott alongside my amazing team.

As an actor, she was a longtime company member of The Bats at the Flea Theatre in NYC. She also performed in productions at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Yale Cab, and National Black Theatre, among others. In film & TV, she's appeared in The Other Two, High Fidelity, The Village, The Blacklist, and Bored to Death as well as in numerous on-camera and voiceover spots for Citi, AT&T Wifi, Samsung, Geico, and Manhattan Mini Storage. 

From her time as an actor and creative, she saw firsthand how most artists struggle because their lives are gig to gig and they can't find enough work to sustain a career. It became her mission to see if we could create a business model that could help artists stay artists while providing a value-driven service for clients, which is what led me to her work co-founding and growing Shoott.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

* Links to full convo in comments

We discussed a few things including:

1. Len's entrepreneurial journey

2. How entrepreneurs can save money 

3. Preferred corporate structures for new and growing businesses

4. Things to consider as we await new Trump administration

Leonard C. Green is a CPA, MBA, and Entrepreneur. He is founder of The Green Group, which is a provider of Tax, Accounting, and Consulting Services.

Len is also involved in 14 businesses in diverse markets. He is one of the original investors of the Nasdaq publicly traded Blue Buffalo pet food company, the fifth largest company in the United States in this category. In addition, his involvement includes a financial services firm, real estate, thoroughbred horses, sports, a couple of publicly traded businesses, and several charities. Len also sits on the Board of Directors for a number of companies and foundations.

In the past 20 years, Len has taught two of the most highly rated entrepreneurial courses at Babson College - one structured similar to Donald Trump's Apprentice TV series, and the other a family business/social entrepreneurship business course. His classes have been featured on CNBC Squawk Box and ABC TV.

His featured articles on family business succession planning, company evaluations, structuring organizations, and maximizing tax deductions have appeared in over 200 newspapers across the country including the The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Star-Ledger, Boston Globe, Entrepreneur Magazine, INC Magazine, Forbes, and the CEO Forum.

Len's best-selling book “The Entrepreneurial Playbook” has been translated in Chinese and Arabic.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys

2. Crypto/blockchain history

3. Bitcoin timeline and latest surge

4. How Biden administration affected industry and expectations under Trump

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities relating to crypto
 

Lou Kerner is a Founding Partner of CryptoOracle, a Crypto VC and Advisory firm focused exclusively on investing and advising entities leveraging, blockchain, cryptocurrency, smart contracts and decentralization.Lou has been a Crypto enthusiast, investor, public speaker and thought leader since 2013. Lou regularly hosts conference calls and Meetups with Crypto industry innovators attended by hundreds of Crypto enthusiasts and investors from around the world. Lou is currently ranked among the most influential Crypto bloggers on Medium, regularly keynotes major Crypto industry events, and often appears on TV or in print talking about Crypto.

----

Nisa Amoils is Founder and Managing Partner at A100x Ventures where she invests in early stage Blockchain/AI companies.  She has been in VC for over 13 years with multiple unicorns and exits. She  previously worked for Dragonfly Capital, Scout Ventures and used to practice securities and corporate law at Anderson Kill. She serves on Boards of public and private companies and Wharton. She has been named top 50 women of web 3, Business Insider’s Women VC’s to watch, 2021 systematic leader in asset management, top 100 Women in Fintech, and top 50 global Blockchain thinkers. She is a producer and host of Business of BlockchAIn at Nasdaq on Bloomberg, Fox as well as a Forbes writer. She holds a business degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.  She is the author of a best selling book on financial inclusion of women in web 3 https://www.amazon.com/WTF-Happening-Women-Tech-Founders/dp/1544502893

----

Sal Ternullo has a deep professional  experience in financial services and web3 with more than 10 years working across leading traditional financial institutions, global consulting firms, as well as multiple years of experience operating an early stage web3 venture capital fund.  Throughout his career, Sal has built a reputation in the market defined by integrity, innovation and execution building a $20+ million Big 4 consulting business in the US market while driving standards formation through thought leadership with  a 2021 industry whitepaper that formed the basis of new legislation to enhance consumer protections which passed at the state level in Texas in 2023 and is now being considered at the Federal level in the House and Senate. 

#podcast #afewthingspodcast

1. Their career journeys 

2. Roboburger and Shark Tank success

3. Unionwear's long term growth

4. How the ecosystem has supported them

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re manufacturing

Mitch started Unionwear in 1992 with six sewers and a contract to make baseball hats for Ralph Lauren.

Now Unionwear is one of the largest private employers of Newark residents, with 175 employees, and contracts to manufacture baseball hats and uniform headwear, medical bags and backpacks, and binders and portfolios for every branch of the armed services, every presidential candidate for decades, domestic manufacturers like Budweiser and Chrysler, and fashion brands such as Vineyard Vines and Supreme.

Unionwear won the SEAMS Domestic Textile Association's inaugural 'Reshoring Award" for bringing textile jobs back to America in 2019 and was named to Fortune Magazine’s Inner City 100 list. 

Mitch has received the New Jersey Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement Award from NJBIA and was just named to NJBIZ magazine's 100 most powerful businesspeople in NJ and 10 most powerful people in New Jersey Manufacturing.

Mitch has been named an Industry Scholar at Rutgers Business School and is on the board of Newark Regional Business Partnership, NJ Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Newark Workforce Development Board, where he has served as Chairman.

Mitch is a frequent panelist, podcast guest, and guest lecturer on topics including fair labor, lean manufacturing, cloud mobile ERP, cobranding with Made in USA, and has appeared on TV shows ranging from The Profit to The Daily Show.

----

Audley is the CEO and Partner, as well as the inventor and the restless mind behind the RoboBurger.

He has been passioned by robotics and automation from a young age, and one of his teenage years robotics prototypes got him a scholarship at Carnegie Mellon.

He attended Carnegie Mellon, receiving a BS in Business. During his senior year (2004) he started the Hkan Hookah Bar and Grill. There he learned what it takes to run a restaurant and the problems associated with a large staff and facility.

Audley went on to start a career in the field of analytics in New York City, amassing 14 years of experience leading analytics teams for companies of all sizes. Over this time he guided many businesses to higher ROI, through cost reduction and optimization.

He focuses on the operations side of the business such as partner management, the operations team, servicing units and inventory control databases and optimizations of our systems.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. AI and education

3. AI and talent/workforce

4. Amber's book  

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re AI and education/talent

Alex Swartsel is managing director of Jobs for the Future (JFF) Labs' Insights practice, a growing team that helps decision-makers across the  education-to-career landscape understand and prepare for the emerging trends, technologies, and innovations shaping the future of work and  learning.  

JFFLabs’s rapid insights process and transformative trends research agenda focus on core areas impacting the future of work and learning—including AI, the metaverse, climate resilience, lifelong learning, aerospace, robotics, and other emerging fields. Alex is also leading the launch of JFF’s new Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work.

Before joining JFFLabs, Alex served as chief of development, finance, and external affairs for Teach for America’s Washington, DC, region and as a senior advisor to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, co-designed global strategic planning at the Motion Picture Association, and built and led the communications team for then-first-term U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

Alex chairs the board of directors of Capital City Symphony and is also a longtime member and former chorus president of the Choral Arts Society of Washington. She holds a BA summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

----

Amber Ivey “AI” is currently a Vice President at a non-profit where she leads a team that helps governments drive impact. In her prior role, as the Senior Director for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, she led a team that assisted governments in utilizing data and performance management for decision-making.  

Furthermore, she played a key role in the design and launch of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance. The program aims to train 100 mayors and their senior leaders throughout the Americas on utilizing data to achieve better outcomes.  

Formerly, she worked at The Pew Charitable Trust—a nonprofit focused on solving today's challenges by using data-driven, nonpartisan analysis. Here, Amber led the data collection and organization efforts of a first-of-its-kind research study on how all 50 states and the District of Columbia use data to solve complex problems, improve the delivery of government services, manage resources, and evaluate effectiveness.  

Before joining Pew, Amber served at Maryland StateStat, a performance-measurement and management office established by former Governor Martin O'Malley (D). Following the change in administration, she helped facilitate the transition by demonstrating the effectiveness of data-driven decision-making through StateStat. Additionally, she played a key role in the establishment of the Governor's Office of Performance Improvement under Governor Larry Hogan (R).  

Before joining the State of Maryland, Amber was a logistics manager for a Fortune 50 company where she used data to drive efficiency, productivity, and profits. She switched from private to the public sector to use her skills in service of government efficiency. She has her MPA and J.D. and is excited to serve at the intersection of data, technology, public policy, and law.  

She is also the creator of the AI for Kids podcast–which breaks down AI for kids–and the author of "AI... Meets...AI."

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Jordan's career journey

2.  Historical progress

3. Latest AI developments

4. How we can leverage AI

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re AI

Jordan is an AI strategist and founder and host of Everyday AI. Everyday AI is a fast-growing media company helping everyday professionals grow their companies and careers with Generative AI through its daily livestream, podcast and newsletter.

Everyday AI is a Top 10 tech podcast on Spotify, and Jordan has taught prompt engineering basics to thousands of people, from entrepreneurs and small business owners to software engineers and Fortune 100 execs. He's been a featured keynote speaker on GenAI, as well as a Coursera instructor for GenAI.

Previously, Jordan was an award-winning multimedia journalist and also worked with companies like Nike and Jordan Brand before starting his own Chicago-based digital strategy company called Accelerant Agency.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Guy's amazing career journey

2. His perspectives on the latest technology 

3. Insights on entrepreneurship

4. Guy's new book, Think Remarkable

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re startup landscape, tech, etc.
 

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador, and special assistant to the Motorola Division of Google. 

Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. He lives in Watsonville, California.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. Gen AI and education

3. Nihat's iLearn schools

4. Jason's teaching and AI journey

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re tech and education

Nihat Guvercin is an educational administrator passionate about enhancing public education through technology. He holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, a Master of Education in Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, providing him with a solid educational foundation and diverse experience.  

He has been recognized for his accomplishments, notably as the Administrator of the Year by the NJ Charter Schools Association in 2010. Guvercin is well-versed in current educational trends and best practices, having spoken at numerous Ed-Tech and leadership conferences.

Since 2008, Guvercin has been the CEO of iLearn Schools Inc., where he has showcased his visionary leadership. He is dedicated to creating student success opportunities, firmly believing in education's transformative power. His commitment to excellence is evident in all his endeavors.

At iLearn Schools, Guvercin's leadership and vision drive the commitment to innovative education that equips students for success in the digital age.

----

Jason Gulya is an English professor and Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Council at Berkeley College in New York. He is also an AI consultant and Keynote speaker. A prolific content creator and social media influencer, Jason is vocal about the use of AI in education.  

He has earned a significant following through his practical and balanced advice. Jason has worked with thousands of educators, students and administrators to leverage AI. He has been featured in Insider and Forbes for his approach to education and AI.

He holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University.  

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Their career journeys  

2. The startup/funding landscape

3. TJ's heathcare fintech venture

4. Garnet's fund/thesis

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re new ventures and funding

Garnet Heraman is a serial entrepreneur and investor with 25 years experience at the intersection of innovation + technology. Originally from the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago, he was educated at Columbia University (BA), NYU (MBA) and The London School of Economics.

As a dotcom entrepreneur Garnet had 3 exits, 1 of which was to a publicly traded company. As an investor, he is co-founder and managing partner of Aperture® Venture Capital, a seed stage fintech fund backed by 7 different Fortune 500 corporations. He is also an LP in other VC funds such as NY InsurTech Fund II and the Berkeley Skydeck Fund, as well as a prolific angel investor.

Garnet is highly sought after as a startup technology expert, appearing in over 30 business publications and at events on 5 continents. He is currently finishing his first book, due out in early 2025.

----

TJ Ademiluyi is the CEO & Co-Founder of Alaffia Health, a healthtech company that uses AI to detect overcharges in health insurance claims. After gaining first-hand insight from working at his family's medical billing company, TJ is striving to reduce healthcare costs by tackling a $300 billion medical billing error and waste problem.  

TJ has led Alaffia to save its clients nearly $40M to date, and due to his achievements, was named a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Thier career journeys

2. The startup landscape

3. Matt's investments, entrepreneurial ventures and defense industry

4. Ryan's drone company

5. Discuss trends, challenges and opportunities re new ventures and defense industry 
 

Matt Higgins is a noted serial entrepreneur, growth equity investor as Co-founder and CEO of private investment firm, RSE Ventures, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Burn The Boats.

He is also an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School where he co-teaches the course “Moving Beyond Direct-to-Consumer.”  Mr. Higgins’ deep operating experience spans multiple industries over his 25-year career, which he draws upon to help founders navigate complex situations in order to reach their full potential.

----

Ryan Gury is the CEO & Co-Founder of PDW, a drone technology company revolutionizing small robotics for the DoD. The drones fit in a servicemember’s backpack and allow them to call in their own air support – precisely the same kind of tactics being employed with great effect in Ukraine. PDW also won a Guinness World Record for their C100 drone.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

Jot Chahal is Vice President, Global Digital Health at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, where he is accelerating the commercialization of digital health assets across the pharmaceutical business.

Partnering with our regions, technology, and R&D leaders across the globe to build digital health (SaMD, DTx) capabilities and drive business growth across all therapy areas.

He is an entrepreneurial and results-driven health technology executive with twenty years of experience in driving top-line profitable growth through innovation, and data-driven strategies across industries, services, and markets globally.

Patti Leuchten is a pharma industry leader and entrepreneur with a focus on driving improvements in clinical trial execution, at scale, through innovative solutions.

In 1999, she founded The Avoca Group, whose Avoca Quality Consortium paved the way for Diligent Pharma and the Diligent Qualification Platform.

Dr. V. “Bala” Balasubramanian is currently SVP and Global Head of Industry Solutions Group for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Orion Innovation.

He is responsible for defining the GTM strategy, solution and service offerings for the HLS division, exploring digital transformation initiatives to further the needs of clients, and providing thought leadership to the industry.

It has resulted in Orion being featured in Gartner and Everest Peak Matrix Benchmark Reports in 2022 and 2023. He has recently written about opportunities and challenges with respect to GenAI in Life Sciences.

Prior to Orion, Bala was the Co-Founder and CEO of Cabeus where he was responsible for strategy, leadership and vision for both service offerings and a cloud platform to transform the regulatory value chain for Life Sciences.

#ai #drugdiscovery #clinicaltrials

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. Mental health crisis

3. Karin's startup and product

4. Harvey's work relating to #AI in #Healthcare

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re AI and health

Karin Andrea Stephan is a visionary leader and serial entrepreneur with over three decades of business experience. Her passion for empowering people to reach their true potential led her to co-found Earkick, an AI-powered companion that measures, assesses, and improves mental health in real-time.  

With degrees in music, management psychology, and digital management, she leverages technology to serve humanity. Having spent most of her life abroad, Karin continuously picks up new languages and thrives on outdoor sports while striving to decode human behavior.

-----

Dr. Harvey Castro is a multifaceted medical professional, entrepreneur, and AI futurist dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare through innovative technology. With over 20 years of experience as an ER physician, he has been recognized multiple times as ER Doctor of the Year by D Magazine and has consistently been named a "Best Doctor" since 2014. In 2024, he was named one of the top 30 Healthcare IT Influencers Worth a Follow.

Dr. Castro holds an MD from The University of Texas Medical Branch and an MBA from the University of Tennessee. His medical training includes a residency in Emergency Medicine at St. Luke's University Health Network. Beyond his clinical expertise, he has served as an E4 Specialist & Dental Assistant in the United States Army Reserve.

An active thought leader in AI and healthcare, Dr. Castro is the Chief Medical AI Officer at Helpp.ai, focusing on AI-driven fall prevention and workflow automation. He is also the CEO of Medical Intelligence Ops, which integrates Large Language Models into healthcare. Additionally, Dr. Castro holds advisory roles at PONS and Cellotex, and serves as a Strategic Advisor for ChatGPT & Healthcare, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and the Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Castro is a prolific author, with notable works including "Bing Copilot and Other LLM: Revolutionizing Healthcare With AI" and "ChatGPT-5 and Healthcare: Revolutionizing Modern Medicine." He is also finalizing his book, "The Unofficial Guide to AI Mastery: Key Insights from 54 Pioneering TED Talks on Artificial Intelligence," which delves into the transformative impact of AI on healthcare.

Dr. Castro leverages his extensive expertise to educate and inspire, offering courses on AI in healthcare and success reinvention. His digital presence includes a cloned podcast on gptpodcast.com and AI products on convowithgpt.com. Through his work, Dr. Castro aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical healthcare applications, ensuring ethical integration and a focus on the human elements in AI.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. The mental health crisis

3. Kara's research and new book, Over the Influence

4. Lauren's practice

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re social media and mental health

Kara Alaimo, PhD, is a communication professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she created the university’s academic programs in social media.  

Her book Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls – And How We Can Take It Back, which explains how social media is affecting every aspect of the lives of women and girls and what we can do about it, was published in March. She has been writing for CNN Opinion about the social impact of social media and issues affecting women and girls since 2016.  

She is a former spokesperson in the Obama administration and communicator at the United Nations and speaks frequently to parents and students in schools about how to handle kids’ social media use.  

For more information, visit www.karaalaimo.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook and X.

---

Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C is a mother of two, a writer, a former lawyer, and a social worker specializing in supporting millennial moms and young women through life transitions.  

Through her counseling practice, Lauren facilitates psychoeducational groups and coaching workshops to empower postpartum and other women in corporate settings, provides therapy to individuals and couples in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, and contributes thought leadership on topics like maternal mental health, gender equity, and working parenthood.  

Learn more about Lauren at www.TheCounseLaur.com or connect with her on Instagram (@thecounselaur) or LinkedIn.

#mentalhealth #socialmedia  

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

Steve LeVine is Editor of The Electric, a publication on the future of batteries, electric vehicles, and the new mobility.  The Electric is owned by The Information. Sign up for the pilot: https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/the-electric  

Steve is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Foresight, Strategy and Risks Initiative, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Previously, Steve was a foreign correspondent for eighteen years in the former Soviet Union, Pakistan and the Philippines, running a bureau for The Wall Street Journal, and before that writing for The New York Times, the Financial Times and Newsweek.  

In recent years, Steve conceived and launched the Future newsletter at Axios, The Mobilist, a blog published at Medium, and before that was on the launch team at Quartz, where he was Washington Correspondent.  

Steve has written three books. The most recent is The Powerhouse: America, China and the Great Battery War, which was long-listed for the FT-McKinsey book-of-the-year prize in 2016. In 2007, Random House published The Oil and the Glory, which chronicled the struggle for fortune and power on the Caspian Sea. BusinessWeek magazine selected it as a Top 10 book for the year. In 2008, Random House published Putin's Labyrinth, a profile of Russia through the life and death of a half-dozen Russians. 

#EV #electricvehicles #autonomousvehicles #tesla #byd #ford #kia #mercedes #BMW #VW #GM #podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Their career journeys

2. The mental health crisis

3. Jen's vision/promly

4. Danielle's research and vision for Thrive Genetics + The Child Code

5. Trends, challenges and opportunities in health

Jennifer Libby has been a psychotherapist for over 20 years treating at-risk adolescents. Jennifer has been sounding the alarm for many years about the rapidly emerging youth mental health crisis exacerbated by less than responsible social media platforms. Frustrated by the slow movement by the social media industry to “do better” for kids, and in response to her own family tragedy, Jennifer founded Promly as a healthier alternative to legacy social media. 

Jennifer’s advocacy for better treatment of youth by Big Tech was well received recently in Washington, D.C. where she spoke to a large group of U.S. House Representatives regarding her on-going efforts (informed by client experience and Promly’s Gen Z advisory board) to have YouTube remove and/or disrupt the algorithm for the “how to tie a noose” and “how to hang yourself” videos that provide step by step video instructions often created by teens themselves. Of note, suicide by hanging in children and teens has increased by exponential numbers in the last 10 years. It is examples like this that drive Promly to re-imagine how social media can “do better” for teens. 

Jennifer also speaks publicly on a variety of other mental health concerns impacting teens and has provided consultation with numerous agencies including Center for Humane Tech (producers of the “The Social Dilemma”) on best practices for teens and tech. 

---

Danielle Dick, Ph.D. is the Greg Brown Endowed Chair of Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers University, where she directs the Rutgers Addiction Research Center. She is an internationally recognized and award-winning expert on genetic and environmental influences on addiction, child development, and human behavior. 

She has led and contributed to more than 20 grants from the National Institutes of Health, with grant funding totaling 55 million dollars. She has 450 peer-reviewed publications and has won numerous national and international awards for her work. She has been named one of the most highly cited researchers in the world across all fields of science. 

Her first book "The Child Code: Understanding Your Child’s Unique Nature for Happier, More Effective Parenting" was published by Penguin Random House in September 2021.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

Panelists include:

Kash Patel is the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Information Officer, Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network. Mr. Patel has more than 25 years of experience in technology leadership, ranging from start-ups to multinational corporations and is a seasoned leader in health care with a strong focus on innovation and building great teams. Before HMH, Kash was the Vice President and Chief Digital Technology Officer at Penn Medicine.

Donna Conroy has 25 years’ pharmaceutical industry experience as both a Fortune 500 pharma executive and entrepreneur. Her career has focused on bringing science to patients. First as a microbiologist, then at Schering-Plough, where she led sales and marketing teams and built a $1.2B line of business.
Named one of NJ’s Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs, Donna led SciMar’s acceptance into the Merck Digital Science Studio 2023 cohort and 2021 acceptance into Microsoft for Startups. She is a graduate of Microsoft’s prestigious Women in Cloud Accelerator and was named 2021 Top 10 Most Successful Women in Cloud Entrepreneurs.

Rohit Vashisht is the co-founder and CEO of WhizAI, a generative AI-powered analytics platform purpose-built for Life Sciences and Healthcare. WhizAI was recently recognized by Inc Media as one of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the US. He has over 20 years of experience in enterprise software sales, product management, development, and strategy. As a tech entrepreneur, Rohit has built successful businesses and was CEO and co-founder of Sverve – an influencer marketplace that was acquired by Bloglovin and rebranded as Activate.

#lifesciences  #drugdiscovery #innovation 

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

Speakers included:

Kange Kaneene, is the Vice President of SAP.iO Foundries North and Latin America and Caribbean, SAP’s global network of no-equity ask external startup accelerators. SAP.iO Foundries provide technical and go-to-market support to help startups integrate into SAP’s portfolio and accelerate entry into SAP’s ecosystem to be easily accessed and deployed by SAP customers. In her role she has overseen sourcing for 6 cohorts and has accelerated 38 startups, 66% of which are led by underrepresented individuals. This has resulted in 1 exit and $570M+ raised by the startups collectively.

Gary Stewart is the Managing Director of the Techstars New York City Accelerator powered by J.P. Morgan. Born in Jamaica, he grew up in the Bronx, where he attended the Bronx High School of Science before attending Yale College and Yale Law School. He is a VC-backed, exited serial entrepreneur; an early-stage investor that managed a $1.6 billion start-up portfolio; a professor who has taught entrepreneurship at Yale Law School and IE Business School in Madrid, and been invited to speak at Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford and INSEAD; and a former contributor to Forbes Magazine. He is passionate about ensuring that underrepresented and overlooked founders get access to the social and financial capital that they need and deserve.

The co-founder of Cela Innovation, John Lynn is a globally recognized expert and industry leader in startup accelerators. John has spoken on the topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos as well as in multiple locations within China, throughout Japan, Haiti, Aruba, and the USA. His work has been published in Forbes, TechCrunch, Business Insider, and at the Nasdaq. Cela builds startup accelerators with the world’s most influential institutions. Corporations, universities, venture capital groups, and governments all work with John and his team to set up their innovation and entrepreneurship programs. Cela is a venture-backed company, with an active list of corporate, university, and government client partnerships.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. Discuss Raja's vision/European market

3. Discuss the 1Huddle story and vision

4. Talk about how LinkedIn has helped your business/career  

5. Best practices for leaders leveraging LI and other social media

Sam is the CEO and Founder of 1Huddle, a workforce tech company that upskills, trains, and motivates employees through the use of science-backed, quick-burst mobile games. Sam has managed and coached sales and leadership teams for publicly held, private sector, and franchised companies across the globe for more than 15 years.

In 2015, Sam founded 1Huddle on the belief that every worker deserves access to the job training, support, and mentorship needed to win on the job. With a diverse array of clients across the globe, 1Huddle has impacted people in a wide range of sectors. Key clients include the U.S. Air Force, UEFA, vineyard vines, Loews Hotels, ESPN, Audible (an Amazon Company), Novartis, Madison Square Garden, the City of Newark, and more.  

With a mobile-first approach to preparing the modern worker, a mobile library of 3,000+ quick-burst employee skill games, an on-demand game marketplace that covers 16 unique workforce skill areas, and the option for

personalized content, 1Huddle is changing the way organizations think about their training – from a one-time boring onboarding experience to a continuous motivational tool. Put simply, 1Huddle is making training more fun, effective, equitable, and accessible for the entire workforce.

-----

Raja is a Moroccan-born entrepreneur who moved to Switzerland at the age of six. She secured her MBA degree and worked in banking for some time, but her heart was not in it. Raja wanted to feel passionate about the projects she worked on and explore her ideas in entrepreneurship. She began meeting other entrepreneurs in Geneva, but progress was slow due to her limited experience and network.

In 2015, Raja moved to Oslo, Norway, where her Norwegian husband had received a job offer. She decided to start her own company and has since launched multiple ventures. She was the CEO of TheFactory, one of the largest accelerators in Norway and launched thehub.io, the largest job platform for startups in the Nordics.

Raja is also an angel investor in 70+ startups and has advised thousands of founders since 2015. In 2020, she launched The Visionary Company to give founders access to the best practices and tools to accelerate their fundraising and scaling. Raja is a serial-entrepreneur, Head of Fintech at The Factory, Startup Advisor, and Speaker.

#linkedin #branding #entrepreneurship #investing #funding  

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

1. Jordan's entrepreneurial journey

2. Everyday AI podcast + Newsletter

3. Opps and Challenges related to #AI

4. Forecast for 2024

5. Guidance for young and old

Jordan is an AI strategist and founder and host of Everyday AI. Everyday AI is a fast-growing media company helping everyday professionals grow their companies and careers with Generative AI through its daily livestream, podcast and newsletter.

Everyday AI is a Top 10 tech podcast on Spotify, and Jordan has taught prompt engineering basics to thousands of people, from entrepreneurs and small business owners to software engineers and Fortune 100 execs. He's been a featured keynote speaker on GenAI, as well as a Coursera instructor for GenAI.

Previously, Jordan was an award-winning multimedia journalist and also worked with companies like Nike and Jordan Brand before starting his own Chicago-based digital strategy company called Accelerant Agency.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

For over two decades, Mark Hurst and his team at Creative Good have advised a wide range of clients - in media, healthcare, technology, financial services, ecommerce, and more - about how to build better businesses by treating customers well.

Hurst is also the creator of the Good Todo mobile productivity platform, the world's first cross-platform todo list, which he described in his first book, Bit Literacy, which introduced the "empty inbox" method of managing email (now better known as Inbox Zero).

Since fall 2017 Hurst has hosted Techtonic - see techtonic.fm - a weekly FM radio show on WFMU. Here's the Techtonic podcast.

Also in 2017 Hurst ran two Skeptech events questioning today's digital technology, held at WFMU. Hurst is also the founder and host of the Gel conference, which featured the first stage presentations of Khan Academy, Wikipedia, and other world-changing projects.

In 2015 Hurst released the 2nd edition of his book Customers Included, which describes how teams and organizations can create successful products and strategies by including customers.

In 2013 Hurst's column The Google Glass feature no one is talking about went viral, gaining worldwide media attention (and translations into six languages) and starting a conversation about the privacy implications of Google Glass and wearable tech.

Brooklyn 1776, the educational mobile videogame by Hurst and the Creative Good team, won the 2016 Brooklyn Innovation Award for best indie video game.

Mark holds bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from MIT. He's also an Eagle Scout, a patented game designer (U.S. Patent #5048839), and studies Mandarin Chinese in his spare time. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their impressive career journeys

2. The OpenAI/Sam Altman drama

3. Best practices for leaders of various size and types companies

4. For-profit versus non-profit boards

5. Differences between boards of directors and advisory boards

Benjy is an executive with broad experience incorporating strategy, finance, operations, organization design, executive coaching and leadership development with extensive investment experience in venture capital, private equity, public markets and investment banking. Have served on the boards of numerous public and private companies. 

Experiences have included working with both for profit and non profit enterprises and have crossed biotech, higher education, technology, health care services, media, Internet, digital, financial services, telecommunications, alternative energy, agriculture, aerospace, steel, energy, defense, industrial, consumer and China. 

----

Brandon has a dynamic, 25-year leadership career spearheading several businesses with emphasis on growth, revenue, and sales performance. He has run many high-growth environments, including start-ups, turnarounds, and $1B+ dollar businesses. 

As a serial entrepreneur, he has a proven record of founding new businesses and advancing them through growth and acquisition, merger, or roll-up including ScripPoint, Veridian, and AviaraMD. He is the driving force for Xevant’s vision, new market strategy, revenue growth, technology development, and partner alliances.

#boards #governance #leadership

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. Their unique leadership experiences

3. LEAP overview

4. Advice for young people

Micheline Nader, BSN, MPH, DESS is a serial healthcare entrepreneur, best-selling author of “Leap Beyond Success/ How leaders evolve” Amazon: https://a.co/d/apvf7td and “The Dolphin's Dance/ Discover your true self through five steps powerful journey into conscious awareness,” and the President of Jesra Foundation Inc. She also serves as a trustee of Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), chairs the Board of Advisors at Silberman College of Business, and serves on national boards and other nonprofit organizations.

As a healthcare entrepreneur, Micheline was the founder and CEO of the Blue Dolphin Healthcare group, a long-term care company that owned and managed a chain of skilled nursing homes facilities in the Midwest. After 15 years of operations, Micheline successfully sold her company to a public healthcare group.

As a best-selling author in the areas of self-development and leadership, Micheline creates value for individuals and organizations with a focus on personal development, leadership growth and cultural transformation though embracing a mindset and creating passionate and purposeful engagements.

Micheline is also an active philanthropist through her family’s Jesra Foundation, which focuses on education and health.

Prior, Micheline led a successful career in hospital administration where she held executive positions at the American University Hospital of Beirut and the American Hospital of Paris and co-founded Chateau Westmount, a long-term care facility in Montreal, Canada allied with McGill University

Micheline holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the American University of Beirut and a doctoral degree (DESS) in Healthcare Management from Paris-Dauphine University.

https://www.michelinenader.com/  

-----

Stephen Bozer is currently the Senior Vice President of Human Health at Flavine North America, a diversified global pharmaceutical company. He is leading the Sales & Marketing team in the U.S. office. He is an analytical chemist by training, and has held senior positions in Quality Control and Marketing & Sales during his career.

Stephen has over 25 years of global pharmaceutical experience at several companies, including Teva API, Berlex Laboratories (now Bayer) and Key International. He travels extensively in Europe and Asia and excels in a diverse multicultural business environment.  

Stephen has a BS in Biology from Binghamton University (SUNY) and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

#leadership

#podcast #afewthingspodcast 

Speakers included:

Neha Shah is the Cofounder and President of GEP and a Certified AI faculty from the VJAL Institute. She has been a pivotal force in developing GEP from its beginnings into a globally recognized leader in digital supply chain and procurement transformation.  

A purpose-driven entrepreneur and executive, Neha steers the company's growth strategies, forging and managing strategic relationships at the C-level with clients and spearheading complex transformation engagements.  

A constant source of innovation and inspiration, Neha is the key driver of GEP’s AI, sustainability, DEI and social initiatives strategies. In 2023, she was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for New Jersey.

Bruce Molloy advises companies on AI, M&A, innovation, and technology. He helps the C-Suite and Board get “directionally correct,” is mentor to new companies and is also an investor.  

Bruce holds a patent for a “cognitive processor” and has built and run two AI companies, one which made it to IPO. He has 25 years of industry experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning and is considered a visionary.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Your corporate and entrepreneurial journey

2. Investment banking lessons - Arcus insights

3. Y Combinator insights

4. State of the funding and accelerator markets

5. Future trends domestically and globally

Edrizio is a former Y Combinator visiting partner. A Dominican immigrant raised in Harlem, Edrizio dropped out of college and joined the U.S. Air Force, becoming an aircraft technician to make ends meet. He later returned to college, worked on Wall Street, and earned his MBA from the Wharton School.

In 2013, Edrizio co-founded Arcus, a fintech company that raised $20M from Y Combinator, Initialized, Citi Ventures, SoftBank, and a16z. In 2021, Arcus was sold to Mastercard, in its largest Latam acquisition ever.  

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Jason and JP's career journeys  

2. How Jason founded Swear

3. JP's assessment of media and misinformation landscape

4. How to protect against misinformation and deepfakes

5. Tech trends, opportunities + forecasts

Jason Crawforth, founder of Swear.com, has been building technology companies for over 25 years. Jason has a track record of success and has been awarded multiple times by Inc Magazine as running one of the fastest growing private technology companies in America.  

Jason and his teams have designed, built, deployed, and managed hundreds of information technology systems for Fortune 100 companies as well as a pioneer in the mobile app space with over 30 million downloads of his solutions.

-----

Joao-Pierre S. Ruth covers tech policy, including ethics, privacy, legislation, and risk; fintech; code strategy; and cloud & edge computing for InformationWeek. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years, reporting on business and technology first in New Jersey, then covering the New York tech startup community, and later as a freelancer for such outlets as TheStreet, Investopedia, and Street Fight.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Gary's legal, corporate and entrepreneurial journeys

2. Techstars vision

3. Tips for entrepreneurs

4. State of the funding and accelerator markets

5. Future trends  
 

Gary is the Managing Director of the Techstars New York City Accelerator powered by J.P. Morgan. Born in Jamaica, he grew up in the Bronx, where he attended the Bronx High School of Science before attending Yale College and Yale Law School.  

He is a VC-backed, exited serial entrepreneur; an early-stage investor that managed a $1.6 billion start-up portfolio; a professor who has taught entrepreneurship at Yale Law School and IE Business School in Madrid, and been invited to speak at Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford and INSEAD; and a former contributor to Forbes Magazine.  

As someone who has seen firsthand that talent is distributed evenly but opportunity is not, he is passionate about ensuring that underrepresented and overlooked founders get access to the social and financial capital that they need and deserve.  

As an investor, he is particularly interested in companies that aim to change the world with a specific focus on healthcare, health and beauty, edtech and financial inclusion.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Atul's corporate and entrepreneurial journey

2. Kitchen United's story

3. Industry challenges and opportunities - ghost/dark kitchens

4. Insights/trends relating to retail, food and delivery

5. Lessons learned - importance of relationships/friendships

Atul was previously the  Chief Business Officer of Kitchen United. Previously, he was most Director of Global Business Development for McDonald’s Digital, a business unit formed to help spur technological innovation across the restaurant. In this capacity, Atul forged partnerships across the technology ecosystem – ranging from payment platforms to voice activated ordering to food delivery initiatives – to help McDonald’s build the ‘restaurant of the future’.

Prior to this role, Atul founded and sold a big data start-up in the sales intelligence space. He has also been the turnaround CEO of a company in the Knowledge Process Outsourcing industry, led business development for an enterprise software company, and been an investment banker focused on what was, at the time, a burgeoning e-commerce ecosystem. Across all these roles, Atul has been driven by a desire to hasten the adoption of new technologies and processes for disruptive business growth.

As someone who doesn’t cook (he’s cooked fewer than 5 meals all year), Atul is a firm believer in the growing market in food delivery.

Atul spent much of his life internationally and has lived in 8 countries including Japan, the UK, and Saudi Arabia. Atul graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. How James founded AI for Good

3. Lacey's unique path to social entrepreneurship

4. TechAid Vision

5. AI trends, opportunities + forecasts

As CEO of the AI for Good Foundation, James Hodson is responsible for building economic and community resilience through technology. Since 2015, the AI for Good Foundation has worked with national and municipal governments, the UN, OECD, and many others to design, develop, and deploy tech-enabled policies/solutions for social, economic, and institutional transformation.  

AI for Good works extensively in Ukraine with more than 40 staff on the ground and strategic partnerships with Ukraine's Presidential Administration, Ministry for Digital Transformation, Ministry of Culture, and every regional government, providing sanctions recommendations, infrastructure resilience, deployed technology expertise, and real-time aid intermediation for regions covering more than 8M civilians.  

Hodson completed doctoral studies in Artificial Intelligence as a Marie Curie Fellow at the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia, holds undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from Princeton University, and previously founded and led the AI Research Group at Bloomberg in New York from 2012-2015. His academic work spans complex network analysis, natural language processing, labour economics, corporate finance, and accounting, as well as holding multiple AI patents and being an active angel investor in the "tech for good" space.

----

Lacey is the CEO and Co-Founder of TechAid, an application that enables a data-driven approach to humanitarian aid, reconstruction and local economic resilience. 

 Lacey believes dignified access to proper nutrition, medicine, hygiene and shelter are fundamental human rights for families everywhere, that should not be dictated by the arbitrary nature of one's birthplace or gender. She is passionate about the potential of combining existing technologies to facilitate the connection of food supply with demand, and turning the tide of the escalating global hunger crisis.  

Previously, Lacey led Finance and Strategy as a Co-Founder at Proxi.co, a Techstars ‘21 interactive mapping software startup that she joined after 5 years at Amazon as a Principal Product Manager and Finance Manager leading multinational teams in Customer Loyalty, Operations, WW Prime and Hardlines. Her other work in the private sector includes Category Finance at Starbucks, leading Espresso & Brewed North America, as well as working her way up from a rotational Financial Analyst to Vice President/Relationship Manager during the first eight years of her career at Wells Fargo, where her lending experience spanned verticals including: SaaS, hospitality, gaming, restaurants, healthcare and commercial real estate.  

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their career journeys  

2. How Jim landed in an investing career

3. Nina's unique path to entrepreneurship

4. State of investing landscape/outlook

5. Trends, opportunities in biotech and ecosystem

Jim Gunton has invested in privately-held growth technology companies for more than 20 years. Before co-founding in 2001 the $80 million NJTC Venture Fund, Jim was a partner at Edison Venture Fund and a manager at Oracle Corporation in the Silicon Valley. He served formerly as a Governor of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies (NASBIC).

Jim earned a BS from Stanford University and an MBA with distinction from Duke University. He has served on the board of numerous private and public companies including Achieve3000, Amber Road (NYSE: AMBR), CytoSorbents (NASDAQ: CTSO), InstaMed, IntegriChain and CareGain.

-----

Nina Tandon is the co-founder and CEO of EpiBone, a biotech company that grows bone and cartilage for skeletal reconstruction. With decades of experience as a scientist and entrepreneur, Nina is known for her TED Talks, has published in Forbes magazine, and was featured on the Netflix series “Human: The World Within.”  

Recognized for her accomplishments as a female scientist and entrepreneur, Nina was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company Magazine; an Ernst & Young Winning Woman; and Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, among other awards. Nina holds a master’s in Bioelectrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and two advanced degrees from Columbia University – an MBA and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Their DEI and entrepreneurial journeys  

2. Lessons learned

3. Randal's insights on data and diversity + new book

4. Gina's experience in the nonprofit, arts world  

5. Trends, opportunities and challenges in diversity space
 

Dr. Randal Pinkett, author of DATA-DRIVEN DEI, is an entrepreneur, innovator, and DEI expert. He is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of BCT Partners, a global research, training, and data analytics firm whose mission is to provide insights about diverse people that lead to equity.

An international public speaker, Dr. Pinkett is the author or co-author of Black Faces in High Places, Black Faces in White Places, Campus CEO, and No-Money Down CEO. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Rutgers University; an M.S. in computer science from the University of Oxford; and an M.S in electrical engineering, plus an MBA and Ph.D. from MIT.  

The first African American to receive a Rhodes Scholarship at Rutgers University, he was inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame as a high jumper, long jumper, sprinter, and captain of the Rutgers men’s track and field team. Dr. Pinkett was also the Season 4 winner of the reality television show, The Apprentice.

----

Gina Pisasale (she/her) is a dramaturg, educator, and Director of Equity and Organizational Culture, a newly created position, at McCarter. She has been engaged in formal EDI work within American theater institutions for almost 20 years, and is an alum of TCG's EDI Institute and artEquity's National Facilitator Training program. As an EDI Facilitator, she has designed and implemented trainings and workshops at People’s Light, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, West Chester University, and Drexel University.

Previously, she was the Resident Dramaturg at People’s Light, which involved facilitating the company's EDI work and practices of inclusive making. As a freelance dramaturg, she has worked with companies such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, GoKash Productions, PlayPenn, Arden Theatre Company, Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival, and A&E Biographies. She is an occasional Senior Lecturer at University of the Arts and her areas of research include Asian American theater and performance, Korean diasporic performance, American dramaturgy, and representations of race within the American Theatre.

She has presented her research and organized panels at numerous conferences including IFTR in Seoul, South Korea, LMDA, ASTR, AAA, PTRS, and CAATA and has given lectures at Villanova University, the University of Maryland, and Temple University. She received a BA from the Univ of Richmond, an MA from Villanova Univ, and is ABD PhD at the Univ of Maryland.

#DEI #diversity #culture #talent

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Stacey's corporate and entrepreneurial journeys

2. Lessons learned

3. Branding and Social Media

4. College and career guidance 

5. Importance of Empathy

In the world of branding, few experts possess the savvy and instinct of Stacey Ross Cohen. An award-winning brand professional who earned her stripes on Madison Avenue and at major television networks before launching her own agency, Stacey specializes in finding, cultivating, and perfecting brands.  

She is CEO and founder of Co-Communications, a PR, marketing, and design agency headquartered in New York. Since 1998, Stacey has coached individuals and businesses in various industries — from real estate to healthcare to education — and expertly positions their narratives in fiercely competitive markets.  

Stacey is extremely passionate about helping college-bound students develop and activate their personal brands to become tomorrow’s leaders. A staple at industry conferences, Stacey recently made her debut on the TEDx stage.  

She is a contributor at HuffPost, Thrive Global, and Entrepreneur magazine and is frequently featured in national media. She holds an MBA from Fordham University and a Media, Technology, and Entertainment certificate from NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

#branding

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Claudette's and Alex's corporate and entrepreneurial journeys

2. Lessons learned

3. Claudette's startup and the cyber landscape/talent

4. Alex's venture and state of tech talent

5. Trends, opportunities and challenges in cyber/talent

Claudette is a global information technology leader with more than 20 years of success leading digital transformations, optimizing infrastructure and designing new approaches that improve service and cybersecurity experiences. She has worked in the technology industry for several organizations such as Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, North York General Hospital, Bank of Montreal and TD Bank.

At BMO, Claudette served as the Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology Employee Experience, and at TD she was the Global Executive Officer for Protect Fusion & Cyber Experience.

Claudette is an active member of the Canadian innovation ecosystem. She is the Founder of the Black Arts & Innovation Expo, and the Chair of the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), a group of senior business leaders committed to fighting systemic racism within the innovation economy. McGowan recently co-led the launch of Phoenix Fire & The Firehood, a multi-million dollar women-focused angel fund and network for women in technology.

Her commitment to community is evidenced by her multiple board/council appointments for leading organizations such as SickKids Hospital Foundation, CILAR, Elevate Technology Festival, Women in the Economy Task Force, and the U.S. Consul General of Toronto U.S. & Canada Innovation Council.

----

Alex is a patented inventor and has raised $1.2 million dollars for his startup Vipeline. Prior to that he refined the marketing program and raised DX Agency’s revenue by 30% in one year.

Previously, he increased Hot Sauce's total revenue by 500% over his tenure. He is an experienced manager of buyer and marketing teams for more than 30 years.

#talent #cyber

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Len and Bud's professional and entrepreneurial journeys

2. Family businesses, the opportunities and challenges

3. Family business dynamics: favoritism, spouses/in-laws, non-family mgmt/outsiders, death

4. Outlook and trends in business and how they might affect family businesses

Leonard C. Green is a CPA, MBA, and Entrepreneur. Len is founder of The Green Group, which is a provider of Tax, Accounting, and Consulting Services.

Len is also involved in 14 businesses in diverse markets. He is one of the original investors of the NASDAQ publicly traded Blue Buffalo pet food company, the fifth largest company in the United States in this category. In addition, his involvement includes a financial services firm, real estate, thoroughbred horses, sports, a couple of publicly traded businesses, and several charities. Len also sits on the Board of Directors for a number of companies and foundations.

In the past 20 years, Len has taught two of the most highly rated entrepreneurial courses at Babson College - one structured similar to Donald Trump's Apprentice TV series, and the other a family business/social entrepreneurship business course. His classes have been featured on CNBC Squawk Box and ABC TV.

His featured articles on family business succession planning, company evaluations, structuring organizations, and maximizing tax deductions have appeared in over 200 newspapers across the country including the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Star-Ledger, Boston Globe, Entrepreneur Magazine, INC Magazine, Forbes, and the CEO Forum.

Len's best-selling book “The Entrepreneurial Playbook” has been translated in Chinese and Arabic.

---

Bernard J. D’Avella, Jr. ('Bud') is an experienced attorney and mediator who has advised or led family businesses for his entire professional life. From age 12, Mr. D’Avella worked in his father’s pharmacy, which he went on to help manage in his late teen years.  

He relied heavily on that family business experience to become one of the most respected thought leaders in the area of family business and estate planning law, where he has focused his advisory practice for over 45 years.  

From 1973 to 1998, Mr. D’Avella represented family businesses and was the managing partner for 11 years at Hannoch Weisman, the second largest law firm in New Jersey. From 1998 - 2011, Mr. D’Avella combined his lifetime of legal and family business experience as President and Chief Operating Officer of Prudent Publishing Company, a mid-eight figure family-owned business based near his home in northern New Jersey.  

Bud is an author and conference speaker on topics pertaining to family business, and is a sought-after consultant and advisor to family businesses.

#familybusiness  

#podcat #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Richie's entrepreneurial journey

2. Mobeus' innovations

3. Industry challenges and opportunities

4. Insights/trends relating to #VR and #AR

5. Lessons learned

Richie is the co-founder of Mobeus and a pioneer of #Immersive #AI, a groundbreaking technology that combines #computervision, #machinelearning, and natural user interfaces to enable a new level of interaction between humans and machines.  

With a passion for innovation and commitment to creating new technologies, Richie's vision and leadership have made Immersive AI a transformative #technology that is revolutionizing the way people interact with machines.  

As a sought-after speaker and thought leader, Richie is widely recognized as one of the most influential experts in emerging technologies. His work has earned him numerous accolades and awards, and his insights into the future of technology have had a profound impact on the business world.  

Richie has worked with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and startups, helping them to navigate the rapidly-changing technological landscape and to identify new opportunities for growth and #innovation.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Klasko's healthcare and innovation journey

2. His tenure at Jefferson

3. Industry challenges and opportunities

4. Insights/trends relating to health and education sectors

5. His new book and how music and DJing have affected his life

Stephen Klasko, M.D., M.B.A. is an author, an entrepreneur and a believer in the creative and optimistic transformation of healthcare and higher education. He has been a CEO, a university president, and a dean of two medical colleges. Currently he is pursuing his passion to bridge academic health centers with the emerging world of #digital medicine and #innovation.  

As President of Thomas Jefferson University, he directed a merger between an almost two century old health science university and a nationally ranked university for design and architecture, heralded by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the “few successful mergers between academic entities.”  

As CEO of Jefferson Health, he presided over the growth of the system from $1.5 billion to $9 billion including the acquisition of Health Partners Plan, making Jefferson the first integrated delivery and financial system in Philadelphia history.

His most recent book, “Feelin’ Alright: How the Message in the Music Can Make Healthcare Healthier” uses music and creativity to tackle some of the thorniest issues in healthcare, academics and health equity. His fifth book (with Hemant Taneja of General Catalyst) in 2021, “UnHealthcare: A Manifesto for Health Assurance” has become the manual for both founders and health system CEOs for bringing together the venture capital world with the traditional healthcare ecosystem and has been translated in several languages.

Dr. Klasko serves as an Executive in Residence at General Catalyst, North American ambassador for Sheba Medical Center in Israel, and as CMO and Operating Partner of Abundant Venture Partners.  He is also the lead independent director of Teleflex, a seventy-year-old NYSE medical device company. In 2022, President Biden appointed him to the National Board of Education Sciences.

Over the past five years he has been awarded by Fast Company as one of the “top 25 most #creative people in business,” by Modern Healthcare as the “#2 most influential person in #healthcare” and by Ernst and Young as the “#entrepreneur of the year.”

#healthtech

#podcast #AFewThings

AeroFarms has been recognized as a Circular Economy 100 company, listed on Fast Company’s 2019 list of Most Innovative Companies and featured on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 25 Most Disruptive Companies. AeroFarms received the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence and ranked number one on the 2020 FoodTech 500 list, which highlighted global entrepreneurial talent at the intersection between food, technology, and sustainability. AeroFarms received the inaugural Global Sustainable Development Goal Award for Zero Hunger, was listed as one of Time Magazine’s 2019 Best Inventions, and received The Ethical Corporation’s 2020 Responsible Business Award in Sustainable Innovation.

David dedicates his time to several local and international organizations. As a member of the World Economic Forum, David co-founded and co-chaired the Young Global Leaders Circular Economy Taskforce and was a member of the World Economic Forum Global IoT Council. David was also a member of the U.S. delegation to the B20 Sustainable Food System Taskforce, which advises the G20. In addition, David serves as Chairman of the Board of The EVERY Company, the leader in non-animal based egg proteins, manufactured through precision fermentation. 

He is also on the Board of Directors of Aspire, the world leader in insect proteins, and also serves as a Managing Trustee of New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center, a prominent U.S. interactive science museum. David is a mentor at Endeavor, as well, where he helps impact entrepreneurs. David is the founder of Hycrete, a nano-technology company that he led between 2002 and 2009. David was previously an Adjunct Professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where he taught Entrepreneurial Finance, and was privileged to co-chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s Agriculture Transition Committee in 2017.

David was honored by the Liberty Science Center as a 2019 Genius Innovator and recognized as Ernst & Young’s (NJ) Entrepreneur of the Year (Food and Beverage). He was named the 2021 3BL Media Responsible CEO of the Year for a Public Benefit Corporation and one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at Goldman Sachs’ 2019 Annual Builders and Innovators Summit. In 2008, the World Economic Forum recognized David as Technology Pioneer for his nanotechnology company and in 2010 as a Young Global Leader.

David received his BA from UNC Chapel Hill and holds an MBA from Columbia University. He competed for the U.S. in fencing where he was a finalist at a world cup and represented the NYAC, winning three U.S. National Team Fencing Championships and two individual silver medals. 

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

​Len prides himself on being a trusted business advisor to highly successful people who need more than just a "bean counter."

​Education: Len is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Owner and President Management Program. He received his Master’s Degree in Taxation, with Honors, from New York University and his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University (Accounting).

​Experience: Len has extensive experience as an owner, advisor, or investor in many diverse businesses, including, but not limited to:

A. A pet food company
B. A thoroughbred horse breeding and racing operation
C. A professional sports team
D. A commercial real estate management corporation
E. Start-up entrepreneurial companies

Expertise: Len has expertise in the areas of tax and accounting, family business and succession planning. His articles have appeared in over 200 newspapers across the country, including: the New York Post, Wall Street Journal and Star Ledger. He has contributed articles to The Thoroughbred Times, Real Estate Times, Babson Entrepreneurial Review, Babson Alumni Magazine, Practicing Law Institute "Estates and Trusts" manual, The Practical Accountant, The Journal of Taxation and many others.

​In 2013 and 2014 Len has been featured in multiple publications, including a Forbes.com article in regards to the thoroughbred industry, INC Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine.

​Teaching: Len has been Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Business at a few universities, including Babson College. He is a winner of the Appel Award for outstanding contributors to the entrepreneurial spirit in academia, and is listed in "Who's Who in U.S. College Professors."  ​

Board Experience: He has been on the advisory board of over a dozen family-owned businesses and consults with over 1,000 clients. His board experience includes three non-profits and a publically traded company. 

​Author: In March 2017, Len released his first book, "The Entrepreneur’s Playbook" based upon his renowned entreprenerial course taught at Babson College.  Since the book launched, it has become a top seller for business professionals. The Entrepreneur’s Playbook invites readers to be virtual students in Len's Playbook Classroom and has been called an “essential guide for aspiring entrepreneurs.” 

----

Bernard J. D’Avella, Jr. ('Bud') is an experienced attorney and mediator who has advised or led family businesses for his entire professional life. From age 12, Mr. D’Avella worked in his father’s pharmacy, which he went on to help manage in his late teen years. He relied heavily on that family business experience to become one of the most respected thought leaders in the area of family business and estate planning law, where he has focused his advisory practice for over 45 years.  

From 1973 to 1998, Mr. D’Avella represented family businesses and was the managing partner for 11 years at Hannoch Weisman, the second largest law firm in New Jersey. From 1998 - 2011, Mr. D’Avella combined his lifetime of legal and family business experience as President and Chief Operating Officer of Prudent Publishing Company, a mid-eight figure family-owned business based near his home in northern New Jersey. Bud is an author and conference speaker on topics pertaining to family business, and is a sought-after consultant and advisor to family businesses.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Lauren and Tiffany's entrepreneurial journeys

2. The state of remote work worldwide

3. Best practices for digital nomads domestically and globally

4. Challenges and opportunities relating to #remotework

5. Future trends

Lauren is author of Global Natives, a book and Substack newsletter about borderless living and the work from anywhere movement. When she's not writing, she works as Executive Director at SafetyWing, a Y Combinator alumni and all-remote company, where she leads Plumia, the moonshot mission to build a country on the internet.  

She was an early adopter of remote work and has lived as a digital nomad since 2013. Today, her work focuses on the intersection of technology, business, policy and human behaviour. She tweets @LaurenRazavi.

-----

Tiffany is an Email Copywriter and Digital strategist who also happens to travel around East Africa as a digital nomad. As she works effectively with clients to win big with email campaigns you’ll definitely find a cup of coffee near by and a willingness to learn new things.  

When she isn’t writing or strategizing you can find her playing with her children, sight-seeing in nature, or enjoying a life of freedom with her husband.  

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Aisha's career journey

2. Lessons learned that have helped her succeed

3. Audible's community initiatives + inventive engagement in urban economic development

4. Harriet Tubman Monument Project

5. Outlook for Newark and region as tech hub

Aisha joined Audible, Inc. as the VP of Urban Innovation as part of the recently launched Global Center for Urban Development. Her efforts focus on Audible’s investment in advancing equitable development, racial justice and economic empowerment in its corporate hometown of Newark, N.J. and in cities worldwide. Ms. Glover has nearly 20 years of experience as a convener, champion and agent for economic empowerment and social justice.

She’s served in leadership economic development positions in both Newark and NYC including as President & CEO of Invest Newark under Mayor Ras J. Baraka, as President & CEO of the Newark Alliance and as VP of External Affairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York, a Masters of Public Administration from Baruch College of the City University of New York and an executive leadership certificate from the Columbia Business School, School of Social Enterprise.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. John’s corporate and entrepreneurial journey

2. How he started Toonstar

3. Opportunities ahead for web3

4. Insights on the rapidly changing NFT ecosystem

5. Future trends

John is CEO and Co-Founder of Toonstar, the Web3 animation studio behind The Gimmicks, a community-driven animated NFT series produced in partnership with Sixth Wall, the digital arm of Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm Productions.

Prior to launching Toonstar, he spent over a decade at Warner Bros. and DreamWorks developing franchise properties including Harry Potter, DC, LEGO, Looney Tunes + Shrek and driving innovation in various marketing, business development, digital content creation and tech commercialization roles.

He’s also a self-confessed media junkie and child of Saturday morning cartoons who’s on a mission to help forge the future of interactive entertainment in Web3 + unlock animation for creators around the world.

#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

1. Polina's media and entrepreneurial journey

2. How and why she started The Profile

3. Media industry challenges and opportunities

4. Her new book; lessons learned

5. Future trends; tips for young people
 

Polina Marinova Pompliano is the author of 'HIDDEN GENIUS' and the founder of The Profile, a media organization that studies successful people and companies.

Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she wrote more than 1,300 articles and earned the trust of prominent investors and entrepreneurs. 

As the author and editor of Term Sheet, FORTUNE’s industry-leading dealmaking newsletter, Polina interviewed the industry’s most influential dealmakers, including Melinda Gates, Steve Case, Chamath Palihapitiya, and more.

#AFewThingsPodcast #podcast

1. Rebecca and Justin's entrepreneurial journeys

2. The #tech and #startup #ecosystem worldwide

3. The state of the entrepreneurial community in the midwest

4. Challenges and opportunities ahead

5. Future trends

Rebecca is a CNBC contributor, author of a newly published book Silicon Heartland, and a media entrepreneur.

Her research and writing about Asia’s entrepreneurial boom led to three prior books that have been published in multiple languages: Silicon Dragon (2008), Startup Asia (2011), and Tech Titans of China (2019).

A guest on BBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and NPR, and a quoted expert in the New York Times, she also has spoken at the Brookings Institution, Asia Society, and many universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Oxford.

Rebecca has written for several publications including Red Herring, Forbes and Harvard Business Review, and was an international editor at Ad Age and Multichannel News.

In addition to her features and special reports for CNBC, she also contributes to thought leadership papers published by major firms.

In 2010, inspired by the many entrepreneurs she interviewed in emerging hotspots, she launched Silicon Dragon Ventures as a media platform covering tech innovation and venture capital frontiers and hosting events globally, including in China, Israel and the U.K. as well as Silicon Valleys in the U.S.

Her new book, Silicon Heartland, brings Rebecca back to her homeland to explore the region’s comeback from the Rust Belt as a Tech Belt ─ and to discover the roots of her own journey.

-----

Justin was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. After a decade in the investment banking industry, I decided to pursue my passion for biking and tap into the changing world of mobility and electrical vehicles.

Starting and scaling a brand during covid brought a long list of challenges but all of those have resulted in a resilient brand. 

#podcast#AFewThingsPodcast

1. His tech and entrepreneurial journey

2. How and why you started Neeva

3. Industry challenges and opportunities

4. Insights on AI, ChatGPT and Generative AI

5. Future trends and forecasts; tips for young people

Sridhar is a co-founder and CEO of Neeva, an AI powered, ad-free private search engine. Prior to founding Neeva, Sridhar oversaw all of Google’s Advertising products, which included search, display and video advertising, analytics, shopping, payments, and travel. He is also a Venture Partner at Greylock Partners.

1. Ty's career journey

2. How SM and LinkedIn can be used for different goals  

3. What’s working well on LinkedIn right now; insights from new research

4. What entrepreneurs get wrong when using social media + LinkedIn

5. Trends to keep an eye out for

Ty is Director, Market Engagement, The B2B Institute at LinkedIn, a think tank funded by LinkedIn studying the future of B2B marketing and decision making. She is also Co-Founder of TransformHer, the premier conference for professional women of color and allies in technology.  

With research, Ty engages and educates the industry in partnership with the leading marketing effectiveness thinkers and organizations such as Cannes Lions, ANA, and IPA to help better define the category, and drive growth.  

Ty is passionate about connecting people with information needed to make intelligent decisions, sharing research to help marketers be more productive and successful with a bit of humor. An award-winning marketer, international speaker and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the 800 meters, Ty is a top B2B marketing influencer teaching B2B marketing as well as leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion.  

Marketers benefit from Ty’s marketing experience at Google Inc, consulting within IBM as a social business manager and leading her own B2B consulting practice where she authored "Marketers of Tomorrow: A Step-by-Step Toolkit for Inbound Marketing". Beyond marketing, Ty served as the President of LinkedIn's Black Inclusion Group (BIG) for several years.  

Today, Ty serves on the Digital Marketing Institute's Global Advisory Council, on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation and as an Adobe Insider with top executives, experts, and pioneers in technology. 

Ty is a frequent industry and academic speaker on the marketing circuit, having appeared at INBOUND, Adweek, Festival of Marketing, ADCOLOR, Marketing Society Changemakers, Ghana Tech Summit, Adobe Summit and the Digital Summit events to name a few. In her career, she has delivered marketing education to thousands.

1. Abran's entrepreneurial and tech journey

2. ChatGPT first impressions and implications

3. ChatGPT and education/learning

4. Monetization of CHATGPT and OpenAI

5. AI and safety and bias

Abran cofounded Create Labs Ventures to create new opportunities for the underserved community to gain access to cutting-edge technologies and enter the tech and media industries.

Abran is the creator of C.L.Ai.R.A. an autonomous AI woman of color along with other intelligent virtual beings.  

He also manages Verizon's 5G EdTech Program, expanding 5G #VR / #AR solutions to hundreds of schools across the nation.

Panelists included:

Ela Jaworski, cofounder and CEO of XN Health, a HAX-backed venture (Newark).

Laate Olukotun, cofounder/Chief of Product & Experience Design, InnerStill (NextFab, Philly)

Justin Kosmides, cofounder and CEO of Vela Bikes, a tenant of Newlab (Brooklyn).

Ela is passionate about bringing novel, promising new technologies to the market where she has over 9 years of experience researching and developing novel laboratory techniques and medical treatments. She is currently the co-founder and CEO of XN Health, a medical device startup developing a novel therapy intended to facilitate the weaning of mechanically ventilated patients by preventing and combating the progression of diaphragmatic atrophy. Prior to this venture, she helped develop a simple and affordable Next-Generation Sequencing library synthesis technology called ClickSeq and subsequently founded ClickSeq Technologies.

Laate has designed and developed websites, apps, physical products, spaces, and experiences for a range of organizations including Steelcase, NextFab Foundation, and Mayo Clinic. He holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and a Master of Design from the Institute of Design at IIT. He runs the design agency Lollygig. He is also the Chief of Product & Experience Design and Co-Founder of Innerstill – a minority-owned, women-led enterprise launching wearable electroceutical products for restoring a sense of calm and increased feelings of wellbeing and inner fitness.

Justin decided to pursue his passion for biking after a decade in the investment banking industry and tap into the changing world of mobility and electrical vehicles. Starting and scaling a brand during covid brought a long list of challenges but all of those have resulted in a resilient brand.

1. Greg's entrepreneurial journey

2. How and why he started Muck Rack

3. Industry challenges and opportunities

4. Insights on social media and news sectors

5. Future trends including remote work

Gregory Galant is the cofounder and CEO of Muck Rack, the Public Relations Management platform that helps thousands of organizations including Google, International Rescue Committee, Golin and Duolingo to find the right journalists to pitch, report on media coverage and prove the value of their work.  

He is also the co-creator and executive producer of The Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media, and founder of The Work Remotely Forever Pledge, a commitment by business leaders who promise not to force their employees to work from an office. Since launching, more than 75 companies have signed on.

1. Melissa's entrepreneurial journey

2. The Techstar application process and its community

3. State of the funding and accelerator market  

4. Challenges and opportunities ahead

5. Future trends domestically and globally

Melissa is the Managing Director of Techstars Atlanta Powered by J.P. Morgan, startup operator, and early-stage investor. During her tenure as a startup operator, she has spent more than a decade scaling startups from pre-revenue through Series C growth, resulting in seven acquisitions.  

As an investor, Melissa focuses on startups that are building the future of Commerce, Consumer, and the Creator Economy.

1. Anthony and Mike's corporate and entrepreneurial journeys

2. How Anthony started ABF and its collaborations with corporates

3. State of the podcasting market

4. Challenges and opportunities ahead

5. Future trends

Anthony is CEO and founder of ABF Creative, a Webby Award-winning podcast network and production company that bridges the gap between culture and media. A serial entrepreneur with a social mission, the former NPR producer leveraged 10-plus years in the tech industry to create a data-driven storytelling platform that serves multicultural audiences of all ages.

Under Frasier’s leadership, ABF has emerged as one of the leading podcast publishers of children’s audio content. Over 5m streams and downloads since its launch in 2019 speak to the platform’s breakthrough success in producing branded, original narrative, and live podcasts that resonate with highly engaged audiences. Their proprietary framework has earned the confidence of Fortune 500 brands and representation from ICM Partners, due to its pioneering use of applying machine learning and AI to make smarter content decisions.

Profiled on CNN Money as one of 8 minorities diversifying the tech scene, Frasier is respected for creatively utilizing tech to build real solutions for underserved communities. He notably sought to unlock access to entrepreneurship for the generation most affected by the digital divide as founder of the Phat Startup, which was groundbreaking in how it applied Lean Startup methodology to hip-hop culture. In addition to developing digital courses and resources, The Phat Startup brought together some of the most brilliant minds in tech for its popular guest speaker series and partnered with NYU to present the acclaimed Tech808 conference.

Prior to launching the Phat Startup, Frasier created a video game loyalty mobile app called Playd. He also built TheKoalition.com, a gaming site for urban youth that won the 2009 Black Weblog Award for best technology site or blog. A true connector, he also founded Brick City Tech, Newark, New Jersey’s first startup networking community.

Frasier’s extraordinary story of going from the streets of Newark to finding success in Silicon Valley has made him a sought-after speaker for audiences including the Congressional Black Caucus, SXSW and TEDx. He is the author of Don't Dumb Down Your Greatness: A Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Thinking mp; Being Great, a guidebook for young entrepreneurs of color. Frasier sits on the Board of Directors for the New York Tech Alliance and served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Newark Venture Partners. His work has been featured in Deadline, Fast Company, BET, CNN Black In America, WIRED, Digiday and more.

-----

Mike is an Executive Producer at ABF Creative where he positions the incredible talent around him to succeed. While working at ABF Creative, Mike has produced shows like the Webby award winning African Folktales, The Adventures of Cairo, Into The Mix and Charm Words.

His passion for storytelling extends to his hobbies. In his own time he produces sports commentary podcast Bad Weather Fans, in which a Knicks fan and a Nets fan analyze the world of sports. Bad Weather Fans is now recognized as one of Apple's top basketball podcasts and has had on guests like NBA Hall Of Famer Tracy McGrady and NBA veteran Richard Jefferson.

While driving for Uber Eats, Mike also captured his daily adventures on the road for the podcast Mike Delivers. Mike is currently a professor of Podcast at Bergen Community College as well.

1. His entrepreneurial journey

2. How things started to fall apart  

3. Coaching and therapy

4. Lessons learned as a #VC and in life

5. Advice for #entrepreneurs and young people

Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Jason Portnoy began his career at PayPal, working closely with technology icons like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Max Levchin, and Reid Hoffman. He served as the first Chief Financial Officer of Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) and later founded Oakhouse Partners, a top-performing venture capital firm.  

Jason is sought after as a trusted advisor to technology company CEOs and has spoken on topics ranging from executive leadership to the intersections of technology and humanity.  He holds engineering degrees from both Stanford University (MS) and the University of Colorado (BS). 

1. Waseem and Gillian's entrepreneurial journeys

2. How the pandemic has affected Pilot

3. Vision for Pilot - challenges and opportunities

4. New Founder in Residence role; why should companies consider it  

5. Future trends and forecasts in your sector

6. Guidance for entrepreneurs
 

** Go to www.pilot.com/afewthings for 20% off of Core Services for 6 months

Waseem is CEO and founder of Pilot, which specializes in bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services for high-growth technology startups. He is a three-time entrepreneur with two successful exits: his first company, Ksplice, was acquired by Oracle in 2011 and his second, Zulip, was acquired by Dropbox in 2014. He has a degree in computer science from MIT.

He was once a contestant on Jeopardy!, where he answered 11 questions correctly, won and promptly lost $8,200, and learned that it really is all about the buzzer.

------

Gillian is Founder in Residence at Pilot.com. Pilot offers the best bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services for growing businesses. As Founder in Residence, she works with founders and accelerators to scale up startup programs among other initiatives.

Previously, whe was Chief of Staff at Dover (YCS19), and  Founder at Cherry (YCW19).

1. Eric and Krishna's corporate and entrepreneurial journey

2. How Krishna started Quintrix and its collaborations with corporates  

3. State of the tech talent landscape

4. Challenges and opportunities ahead

5. Future trends

Eric is Associate Vice President, Global Workforce Strategy and Operations at Cognizant. As a senior member of the Global HR Operations team, he is responsible for strategic workforce planning, workforce analytics and intelligence, and economic development. Additionally, he is helping to enhance and protect the company's corporate brand and reputation through programs that drive measurable social change and business value. This includes leading strategic investments in workforce hiring and training programs, broadening the scope and investment in creating more opportunities for learners of all backgrounds to  access the education they need to pursue rewarding careers at Cognizant.

Eric was responsible for developing and launching the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, a non-profit private foundation created and funded by Cognizant to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and skills initiatives for U.S. workers and students. Announced in February 2018 and launched in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 1, 2018, the Foundation was established with an initial grant of $100 million from Cognizant. As Acting Managing Director of the Foundation, Eric successfully architected the award of over $12M in technology training program grants in 2018, establishing strong career pathways for over 7,000 veterans, women, and individuals from underserved communities.

Prior to joining Cognizant, Eric was a Senior member of the workplace consulting and operations team at Deloitte, responsible for the operations management of over 800,000 sq. ft. of real estate and 300  employees within the Northeast Region.  

Eric earned his bachelors degree in Business Management from Providence College and his MBA from Fordham University with a focus on International Business.

-----

Krishna is the Founder and Managing Director of Quintrix, a company that is transforming how enterprises hire, train, and retain early talent. After spending a decade in organizations like Goldman Sachs and State Street bank, Krishna learned that talent shortage, especially in tech, was hindering growth at these company.

With a background in both business and technology, Krishna built a talent development model at Quintrix from ground up called ‘recruit-train-deploy’. This model has become the gold-standard for attracting, training, and retaining diverse talent.

Krishna coaches CIOs, tech leaders and talent acquisition professionals on how to build a pro-active pipeline of talent that is a cultural fit, motivated, loyal and results driven.  

Within 3 years of building this recruit-train-deploy model, Quintrix was acquired by one of the largest workforce solutions companies Mindlance. Krishna continues to lead Quintrix to address the growing need of tech talent for Fortune 1000 companies.

Krishna is the recipient of the 40-under-40 award, resides in Jersey City and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

1. Julian’s entrepreneurial journey

2. How he started Momento NFT

3. Opportunities ahead for the creator economy

4. Insights on the rapidly changing NFT sector

5. Future trends in crypto and web3

Julian, Co-Founder & CEO of Momento NFT, is a serial entrepreneur, product manager, and innovation-focused strategist with a passion for leading teams that build easy-to-use products that solve large problems.  

Rodriguez was the founder & CEO of a disruptive venture capital-backed tech startup in the B2B food service space and founded and led a super PAC to level the digital playing field against disinformation during the Trump era.  

In 2013, Rodriguez joined Bitcoin Magazine and worked directly with its co-founder, Vitalik Buterin. Rodriguez went on to become a very early team member and advisor to several successful crypto and blockchain projects including the wildly famous Ethereum project.  

In 2013, Rodriguez also became one of the first Bitcoin ASIC miners on earth and has been a lifetime member of the Bitcoin Foundation since 2013. Rodriguez  currently sits on two non-profit boards that focus on the urban tech pipeline in the South Bronx.

Rita Gunther McGrath is a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, and a longtime professor at Columbia Business School. She is widely recognized as a premier expert on leading innovation and growth during times of uncertainty. Rita has received the #1 achievement award for strategy from Thinkers50 and has been consistently named one of the world’s Top 10 management thinkers. As a consultant to CEOs, her work has had a lasting impact on the strategy and growth programs of Fortune 500 companies. Rita is the author of the best-selling The End of Competitive Advantage and Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen. 

----- 

Fred Dust is the founder of Dust&Co and works at the intersection of business, society and creativity. As a designer, author, educator, consultant, trustee, and advisor to social and business leaders, he is one of the world’s most original thinkers, applying the craft and optimism of human-centered design to the intractable challenges we face today. Using the methodology in his book Making Conversation, he has been working with The Rockefeller Foundation to explore the future of pressing global needs. As a former Global Managing Partner at the acclaimed international design firm IDEO, Fred works with leaders and change agents to unlock the creative potential of business, government, education, and philanthropic organizations. 
 

Marik Hazan is the Founding Partner of Tabula Rasa Ventures, the premiere accelerator fund for early stage psychedelic companies and is the CEO of Energia Holdings Inc., an organization building the future of health by turning healthcare’s blindspots into preventative care solutions. He is an engineer, advocate, entrepreneur, and investor who has worked across “counter culture” industries. He founded the first incubator focused on psychedelic startups and runs the world’s largest psychedelics conference, Psyched. 

----- 

Ellyn Ito is the cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Within Health/Innerstill. She has over 25 years of experience with disruptive technologies, including electroceutical medical devices. Her previous experience includes the scaling of  business-to-business and direct-to-consumer operations in technology,  healthcare,  and service operations.  Ellyn serves on the Board of Redeemer Health Systems and is a member of the Gail Birenbaum’s Women’s Leadership Council at Rider University. 

----- 

Avani Kanubaddi is President and COO of Enveric Biosciences. As the former CEO of Welmedix, he led brand sale to a PE back healthcare company in 2019. He was a former Director at BMS/ConvaTec and Wyeth/Pfizer in Medical Device and Consumer Health segments.

NOA means movement; AON is 'all or none'' With #noamovement NOA|AON is bringing people back to their center in union with others. He created the BMD method to combine all of the most effective tools and wisdom from around the world to share with others.

https://marketingmadeeasy.my.canva.site/press-forward-business-summit/

Neal Conlon is a visionary serial entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Press Forward.

Neal has followed his heart through a wild career spectrum as a tech entrepreneur, sales and marketing expert, coffee roaster, military veteran, and plant medicine facilitator. Today he works mostly with men and works to build mental fitness and resilience in emotionally healthy ways. Neal works with high performing executives and organizations that are looking to bridge gaps between culture and metrics and have a competitive advantage in strategy and performance.

-----

Louis Kim is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Beltway Mergers & Acquisitions as well as the Managing Partner of  Yusan Capital Management.

1. Anya's career journey

2. Her books: Generation Debt; DIY U; The Test; The Art of Screen Time

3. Her current focus and book on the pandemic's affect

4. What can we do to help our students, children

5. Future trends and forecasts  

Anya is an education correspondent for NPR. She’s been a senior staff writer for Fast Company magazine, contributed to the New York Times, Washington Post, New York Magazine, and has won multiple awards for her reporting on education, technology, and innovation.  

In her new book, THE STOLEN YEAR Anya follows five diverse families from around the country from Spring 2020 to Spring 2021. She also dives deep into the political history that brought us to this point: Why we have no childcare system to speak of, how children became the group of Americans most likely to live in poverty, how we over police and separate families of color, and how we are content to let the unpaid and underpaid labor of women, especially women of color and immigrants, stand in for a void of public and collective concern for children.

https://www.amazon DOT com/Stolen-Year-COVID-Changed-Childrens/dp/1541700988

She is the author of four books: Generation Debt, DIY U, The Test, and The Art of Screen Time. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

1. Jonathan's and Michelle's education career journeys

2. How the pandemic has disrupted education sector

3. The role credentials play - past, present and future

4. Credly: challenges and opportunities; vision

5. Future trends and forecasts

Jonathan is founder and CEO of Credly, a leading digital credential service provider which enables organizations to recognize, reward and market skills, competencies and certifications.  

Previously, as founder of LearningTimes, Jonathan helped mission-driven organizations produce and launch innovative online programs, products and platforms that impacted the lives of millions of learners. Previously, Jonathan was a co-founder and led product strategy at HorizonLive (acquired by Blackboard).  

He is author of Learning in Real Time (Wiley), co-author of a report for the US Department of Education on the potential for digital badges, and a frequent speaker on digital credentials and the future of learning and workforce development. The son of New York City public school teachers, Jonathan graduated with honors from Harvard University.

-----

Michelle is the Director of the Education and Employment Research Center at the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She has over 20 years of experience conducting research on education and the workforce focused on credentials, community colleges, and connections between higher education and the labor market.  

She is currently leading studies on technician education and economic development, quality in community college noncredit education non-degree credentials, student decision making about programs and careers, higher education labor market alignment, and effective practices in workforce education.  

Before joining EERC, Michelle conducted at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Mathematica Policy Research.

 She holds a Ph.D. in sociology and education from Columbia University, a M.S. in public policy from Rutgers, and a B.A. in psychology and Spanish from Rutgers. 

1. Daniel's entrepreneurial journey

2. Why many of us need to stop meditating

3. What alignment really means

4. His book, The Money Game

Daniel is an International Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Broadcaster and Coach. He is best known for his highly successful Micro2Millions program, being the author of Stepping Beyond Intention and his Do it With Dan and Beyond Success podcasts.  

He is completely self-made and has spent decades perfecting his world-class coaching methodology. Daniel seeks to share his vision of empowerment and joy with the world. Using his podcasts (available on all major platforms), frequent blogs, guest articles and a series of worldwide workshops; he has built an ever expanding community.

Named in the Wall Street Journal as a “Master of Success” and listed as one of the top 10 life coaches to watch for in 2021. Daniel also offers coaching and consultations in groups and in one-on-one sessions. Each of these sessions honors his mission and helps his clients find abundance, meaning and joy in their lives.

1. Seth's career journey

2. How he landed at Sixers Innovation Lab

3. State of the sportstech sector

4. Innovation lab investing outlook

5. Dana's Highlight startup

MANAGING DIRECTOR, SIXERS INNOVATION LAB

Seth Berger earned his MBA in 1993 from the Wharton School and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Pennsylvania in 1989. Seth has been the CEO of four businesses in the consumer space, and his fifth “venture” has been to build an elite high school basketball program as Head Coach. In these ventures, Seth has started with a hyper focus on the understanding of the target consumer, with the philosophy that every consumer business must meet and communicate a specific consumer need to survive. After that, he has worked to create branding and marketing strategies to drive messaging that sticks in a world of constant consumer messaging.  

AND 1 — 1993-2000, 2002-2005

As Founder and CEO of AND 1, he ran an upstart basketball sneaker, apparel and entertainment company. After starting out selling screen printed tee shirts in 1993, the Company moved into the broader apparel and footwear market. AND 1 reached its height it 2001, when it attained the No. 2 spot in the US basketball footwear market. At its peak, AND 1 had revenues of $285 million, including its licensees. In addition, AND 1’s entertainment division created the Mix Tape tour and Streetball, an ESPN series that was the No. 1 rated show among male teens, eclipsing SportsCenter. AND 1 also donated more than 5 percent of its annual profits to youth-based charities. In 1999, the partners sold a stake in the business to TA Associates, a venture firm out of Boston. In 2005, the company was sold to American Sporting Goods, a private shoe company based in Irvine, Calif.  

HOOPSTV.COM — 1999-2001

Seth served as CEO of HoopsTV.com from 1999-2001. He helped raise $15 million in financing for the business, hired its staff, and launched a site dedicated to basketball fans all around the world. Despite negotiating a partnership deal with ESPN.com, the business was unable to generate enough revenues to continue, largely because broadband capabilities were not strong enough to sustain its business model. Seth shut the business down in 2001.  

LIGHTNING GAMING — 2005-2006

In the fall of 2005, Seth took on a part-time CEO role for another start up, Lightning Poker. This business was the brainchild of Brian Haveson, former CEO of Nutrisystem. Brian was traveling the country as a professional poker player, and he approached Seth with his idea and patent. Seth helped raise $1 million in financing, hired a staff, created an automated poker table, and negotiated an international distribution deal with Shufflemaster, a public company. After 12 months, he turned the Company back over to Brian, as part of their original agreement for his term of service. Lightning Gaming now holds many slot machine licenses, in addition to its original product, and is a non-traded public company. More information can be found at www.lightningpoker.net.  

GRAVY TRAIN — 2011-2012

Seth self-funded a small venture in the mobile gaming space. GravyTrain created a Facebook game, “imthnkgof” (I am thinking of), and launched it in December of 2011. Although the idea was executed well, the market for these games started to crash, led by Zynga, and Seth shut down the business before wasting too much money.  

THE WESTTOWN SCHOOL, WESTTOWN, PA, 2007-PRESENT

Seth is currently the Head Boys Basketball Coach at The Westtown School, in Westtown, PA. He has had this role for 15 years, and was an assistant for two years before that. His teams have a 73 percent winning percentage, and they won their league title nine times. The team won the state championships in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022.  

----

Dana Kim is founder and CEO of Highlight (letshighlight.com), an agile in-home product testing platform. Dana spent 5 years at a boutique insights agency as a qualitative and mixed-method researcher for years, where she saw firsthand the difficulty of product testing.  

Determined to build a solution, Dana then got her MBA at The Wharton School, where she built Highlight: a high-growth research tech startup disrupting the in-home usage test and physical product research space.  

Highlight's platform streamlines everything from recruit to data set, including all the logistics of getting your product to your target customers. It boasts 90% survey completion rates, can get product in hands in days, and seamlessly collects targeted feedback at scale. 

1. Michael's education career journey

2. How the pandemic has disrupted sector

3. Remote and hybrid: innovations + best practices

4. Mental health and apathy issues

5. Future trends and forecasts

Michael strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential through his writing, speaking, and work with a portfolio of education organizations. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns; Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools; Choosing College; Goodnight Box, a children’s story; and the forthcoming From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)creating School for Every Child, which will be released in July 2022.

Michael is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a non-profit think tank. He cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and writes the Substack newsletter The Future of Education. Michael also serves as an executive editor at Education Next, and his work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and NBC.  

Michael is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America’s workforce. He serves on the board and advisory boards of a range of education organizations, including Imagine Worldwide, Minerva University, and the LearnLaunch Institute and is a venture partner at NextGen Venture Partners.

Michael was selected as a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow to study innovation in education in Vietnam and Korea, and Tech&Learning magazine named him to its list of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education. Michael holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

1. Lou's entrepreneurial career journey

2. State of crypto and web3 sectors

3. Importance of community

4. Davos insights

5. Future forecasts

Lou is a Partner at Blockchain Coinvestors, a #crypto fund-of-fund invested in 40 of the leading crypto #VCs around the world. He is also the CEO of Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. 1, a publicly traded #SPAC.

Lou is also the Head Crypto Analyst at Quantum Economics, a crypto advisory firm. He has been a crypto enthusiast, investor, and thought leader since 2013, when the Wall Street Journal called Lou "Wall Street’s #Bitcoin Expert''. Lou is ranked among the most influential crypto bloggers on Medium, regularly keynotes major crypto industry events, and often appears on TV or in print talking about crypto. He also regularly hosts conference calls with crypto industry innovators attended by hundreds of crypto enthusiasts and investors.

Previously, Lou was a Founding Partner of CryptoOracle, a VC focused on building, growing, and engaging decentralized communities. At CryptoOracle, he started CryptoMondays, the largest crypto meetup group in the world, with chapters in 70+ cities around the world.

Prior to CryptoOracle, Lou was a Partner at the decentralized VC, Flight, where he managed The Israeli Founders Syndicate. Prior to Flight, Lou was the Managing Partner of The Social Internet Fund (SIF), which invested in shares of rapidly growing tech companies.

Prior to SIF, Lou was an angel investor, best known for investing in Facebook and writing the first Wall Street style research report on the company in 2010. Before angel investing, Lou ran two digital companies, Bolt (the largest social network before MySpace), and .tv (which commercialized the top-level domain .tv licensed from the tiny island nation of Tuvalu). .tv was acquired by VERISIGN.

Prior to .tv, Lou had a distinguished career as an equity analyst following media and tech companies for Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. He has a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

1. Christina's entrepreneurial journey

2. Scopio's growth and pivots

3. State of NFT marketplaces

4. Paying artists in crypto and NFTs

5. Launch of first global photo book of 2020 pandemic

Christina Hawatmeh, as cofounder and CEO of Scopio, overseas vision and growth. Scopio is a community-based platform and marketplace where anyone can share images and stories from around the world. With the goal of elevating human stories told by people from underrepresented communities and regions, the vision of Scopio is to distribute the world’s images so they can make their place in history.  

Scopio has over 25k businesses who use millions of images and hire more than 14k artists from 150 countries in photography, art, illustration and more.  Christina is the founder of the first female founded NFT marketplace, and first photography focused NFT marketplace.  

The Year Time Stopped audiobook: https://open.spotify.com/show/2McXu7NT7MoIniSwXibt1R?si=t3R7kWsxT0Ss1yAe1cbfKg

She was named Top Entrepreneurs to Follow by NY Finance. She has her BA in International Affairs from the Elliott School at GW and MA In International Affairs from Columbia University. She has been featured in CNN, Entrepreneur, and Scopio on Forbes30u30.

1. Tej’s career journey

2. How he landed at Axiom

3. Opportunities ahead for the space industry

4. Insights on the changing tech ecosystem

5. Future trends (startup and investing)

With 25 years of startup and strategic leadership experience at some of the world’s biggest companies and three investor-backed, high-growth startups, Tejpaul leads revenue generation and future monetization strategy for the commercial development of space as Chief Revenue Officer at Axiom Space.

Prior to joining Axiom, he led External Strategic Narrative for the Office of the CIO at Google, where he met with C-suite executives at Fortune 100 corporations to discuss the future of work, supporting over $4B in sales pipeline.

Tej first joined Google as the Startup Ecosystem Manager in New York to establish and grow Google Cloud’s presence with startup founders, venture capital firms, and family offices; he previously was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Citi Ventures. As a startup founder for 10 years prior, Tej served as Chief Operating Officer for an educational technology company, Explain Everything, CEO of video chatting platform Chatwala, and CEO of Kaptur, an app that enables users to instantly aggregate all photos taken at any event in seconds. Before founding Kaptur, Tej was Senior Manager of Product and International Strategy for ESPN, where he launched ESPN3 in the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe.

Tej holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Columbia University. He has served in non-profit leadership and board positions at the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Startup Leadership Program.

1. Vanessa and Kobie's leadership and entrepreneurial journeys

2. How the tech industry sees the talent pipeline

3. Talent challenges and opportunities

4. Diversity initiatives and best practices

Vanessa leads the Substrate Engineering team which fuels a simple, delightful and personal experience, assisting our customers to be the most productive across work and life; by helping them get started, get back to and get the most out of Microsoft 365.  

Her purpose is to create capacity in the M365 cloud fabric and engineering systems through Innovation and Savings to enable business growth while safely unlocking access to entities, signals and insights that reside in Substrate to enable “speed of thought” experimentation and innovation for 1st party and 3rd party developers and data scientists.  

Substrate is Microsoft’s essential and intelligent productivity services platform to enable delightful, trustworthy, agile, and cost-effective user and group experiences by delivering on the Substrate pillars of Fundamentals, Compliance, and Intelligence. Alongside product impact, Vanessa exemplifies our Microsoft values and culture particularly as a leader who builds diverse teams, drives adoption of inclusive behaviors and creates programs to foster innovation and opportunities for talent in new ways.

-----

Kobie Hatcher is the President and Founder of Cyborg Mobile, a Seattle-based, technology and management consultancy specializing in solving their client’s most pressing challenges. A certified B-Corp, Cyborg Mobile works with both private and public sectors.

Kobie’s work centers around driving impact. He leads digital transformations that deploy technology to bring about positive change and views business growth as a means to create opportunity and promote equity. Kobie created a career accelerator called the New Technologists Academy focused on solving the diversity pipeline challenge in big tech and empowering those who are structurally disadvantaged.

Since beginning his career as an early childhood educator, Kobie’s passion for education has played an ongoing role in his work. In addition to helping various school systems improve their technology infrastructure, Kobie also built Digital Training Solutions, an EdTech platform designed to support leaders with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) change initiatives.

As a recognized thought leader, Kobie has been invited to speak at hackathons, conferences and orientations to talk about his hands-on expertise in DEI, Inclusive Thinking and the Future of Work. He’s been recognized by Inc Magazine as “Best In Business, DEI Advocacy.”

1. Maryam’s career journey

2. How she landed at Nextdoor

3. Opportunities ahead for Nextdoor

4. Nextdoor 100 - super amazing neighbors initiative

5. Industry trends

Maryam has more than 25 years of marketing experience, managing global brands and international teams. She was most recently the Global #CMO of Hyatt Hotels, repositioning the Hyatt brand as purpose driven by putting the guest at the center of the business. Her brand work at Hyatt resulted in increased brand awareness and organic user acquisition across online and offline channels.

Prior to Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Maryam was SVP & CMO of Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK. She also sits on Adweek’s Women Trailblazers Council Board, Fast Company’s Impact Council, and is the U.S. Board Chair of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

1. Michael's journey to McCarter

2. Intersection of arts and innovation

3. Pandemic innovations at McCarter and theatres nationwide

4. Post pandemic vision and trends

5. Ride the Cyclone musical

Michael has been the Managing Director at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton since 2018. McCarter’s mission is to create stories and experiences that enliven minds, expand imaginations and engage communities.  This year, work created by McCarter is traveling to other cities like Boston and New York, and next year to Seattle, New York, and Washington, DC.  

From 2009 – 2018 Mike was the Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego where he helped develop and produce dozens of new plays and musicals - 9 of which transferred to Broadway, 3 to the London's West End, and 3 that toured Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, and South Korea.  

During his tenure, the Playhouse was awarded multi-million dollar grants from the NEA and the Wallace and Irvine Foundations to accelerate experiments meant to develop multi-ethnic projects, expand opportunities for family engagement and build the capacity to sustain community arts programs in off-site locations.

Previously, Mike was Co-Founder and Executive Director of Drama Dept., a New York non-profit theater collective, where for fourteen years he produced new works by the likes of Douglas Carter Beane, Warren Leight, Isaac Mizrahi, Paul Rudnick, and David & Amy Sedaris.

He is a member of the NJ Governor's Arts and Culture Recovery Task Force and a Trustee of Cubing USA, the non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the speed cubing community in the United States.

1. Angelo's entrepreneurial  journey

2. How Apprentice has scaled during pandemic

3. How funding affected his company

4. Industry trends + importance of partnerships

5. Advice for founders

Angelo is co-founder and CEO of Apprentice.io, the world’s first and only intelligent software platform built specifically for the life sciences. Angelo realized the untapped power of emerging technologies to modernize manufacturing systems and usher in new drug therapies. He started Apprentice with a singular goal in mind: helping pharma manufacturers get medicines to patients faster.

Drawing on his previous experience in enterprise mobile technology, Angelo co-founded Apprentice in 2014 and has enjoyed the ride ever since. Angelo lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, one puppy, and a garden that remains his biggest challenge and triumph to date.

1. Chris' and Clark's entrepreneurial and growth journeys

2. How CentralReach and Avidon have scaled during pandemic

3. How funding affected your companies

4. Industry trends

5. Leadership lessons learned

Chris is the CEO of CentralReach and is leading the company in its mission to provide an end-to-end platform of software and services that enable Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinicians and educators to produce superior client outcomes for people with autism and related disorders. Sullens brings decades of experience to the company and has a proven track record of building strong company cultures and taking customer-centric technology companies, like CentralReach, to the next level.  

Since he joined, CentralReach has won 20+ awards including Deloitte Technology Fast 500, NJBIZ Fast 50, Silver Stevie for Most Innovative Company of the Year, NJBIZ Best Places to Work, and Best in Biz Company of the Year - demonstrating the positive effects of the investments the company is making in its people, process, systems and client satisfaction initiatives.

Prior to CentralReach, Sullens spent 10 years as President and CEO of WorkWave, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the field service and last mile logistics industries, which was recently acquired by IFS. Sullens grew employee count from 38 to over 300 and was a seven-time winner of NJ Best Places to Work, named an Inc. Best Place to Work and a five-time Inc. 5000 fastest growth award winner among other awards. Sullens was also named 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year in NJ for Software Services and won a Stevie award for People-Focused CEO of the Year in 2017.

-------

Clark is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator on a mission to change lives by fixing the biggest problems in healthcare. 

Currently, as CEO of Avidon Health, he leads the strategic direction and implementation of Engagement Rx™, a digital coaching solution that drives behavior change in diverse populations. 

Clark has been recognized as a trailblazer by many major organizations and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including NJBIZ’s 40 Under 40 and Rutgers University’s Entrepreneur of the Year. To support other entrepreneurs, he frequently lectures at universities and industry conferences, and provides entrepreneurial mentorship through Scarlet Startups, an organization he founded. 

He is a three-time finisher of the Ironman triathlon which he credits to his mental toughness and tenacity, traits that have helped fuel both his personal and professional success. 

1. Tracey and C.J.'s entrepreneurial journeys

2. How entrepreneurship education has changed since NFTE

3. New trends and initiatives

4. Prisoner/reentry education initiative

5. Youth education initiatives - gaming

Tracey is the Founder of From the Block to the Boardroom LLC, VP & COO of Phax Group Construction & Design LLC, Senior Managing Partner with Phax Group LLC, and cofounder of Reentry Ventures.

Educated in the Trenton public school system, Mr. Syphax received his diploma in 1980. He later attended Mercer County Vocational Technical School. He has spent his 20 year career in business as a strong advocate for ending mass incarceration for non-violent offenders by using proper re-entry tools and entrepreneurship.  

Mr. Syphax is a former Co-Chairman of the Board for the Mayor’s Office of Employment & Training (MOET) in Trenton, NJ. He is a former board member of Capitol City Redevelopment Corporation, having been nominated by Senator Shirley Turner and appointed by Governor Christie to oversee millions of dollars in construction around the Capitol District. He was also the 2011 Princeton Chamber Entrepreneur of the year, the 1st African American to receive this award in the Chamber’s 51yr history.

In June of 2016, From the Block to the Boardroom launched Reentry Ventures in partnership with Open for Business Ventures with the shared goal of helping returning citizens through entrepreneurship and online support networks. Mr. Syphax was Co-Chairman of the Board of the African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ and Chairman of the Trustee Board at Union Baptist Church. He was selected as a 2014 White House “Champion of Change” Honoree for his diligent work in the Re-entry field and for being a strong advocate on behalf of the formerly incarcerated from an unprecedented number of 900 nominees throughout the country. One of his proudest programs, of which he is a founding Board member and current Chairman of the Board, is the Minding Our Business (MOB) program; an 18 yr old national award-winning program that mentors and teaches 6th & 7th grade public school students how to start and operate a business.

Both national and locally, Mr. Syphax has received many awards for his business success, passion in giving back to his community and uplifting as well as encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs. He was named Empower Magazine’s 2014 “Person of the Year” and is the former host of weekly radio and TV shows titled, “Violence Serves No Purpose” and “Trenton Talks” on WIMG 1300 AM and WZBN Channel 25.

He has been featured in numerous publications, magazines & news outlets such as NJBIZ, C-Span, The Network Journal, Black Enterprise, NJN News, CNN Ireport, Don Diva Magazine, Young Men’s Perspective Magazine, The Source Magazine and BBC News of London. Mr. Syphax is a contributor in the documentary, “Elementary Genocide 1 & 2” and co-stars in the upcoming documentary, “Incarcerating US.” Mr. Syphax is also the author of the award-winning memoir, “From the Block to the Boardroom” which details his life story.

------

C.J. is an entrepreneur and educator with vast experience teaching entrepreneurship and starting small businesses. He holds an MBA from Babson College and is a leader in entrepreneurial education who specializes in curriculum design for individuals and groups. He's designed startup programs at all levels from elementary to adult learners, is certified in Driving Economic Growth Through Entrepreneurship Ecosystems through Babson Executive Edu. and he's also a certified corporate coach. C.J. believes in lifelong learning and leads by example. He enrolls in 3-4 courses each year and is certified in Entrepreneurship Essentials via Harvard Business School.  

C.J. is a co-founder of The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. At NFTE, he helped develop curriculum and launch an entrepreneurship training program that's been implemented at high schools and universities around the world. During his career, he has trained thousands of entrepreneurs in the principles of starting and scaling a small business.

Throughout his career C.J. has focused on supporting entrepreneurs through training programs such as Veterans Launching Ventures, Reentry Ventures, and Street Startups C.J. has also taught and lectured on entrepreneurship at Wharton, Columbia, Stanford, Babson and Georgetown, just to name a few. A highlight of his career was bringing entrepreneurship education programs to India and UK. His work has been featured in publications such as Inc.  

Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Success Magazine, and Black Enterprise. In 2014, C.J. co-authored The Beginner's Guide to Entrepreneurship and co-founded workshops with specially developed curriculum, complete with online entrepreneurial networks! Open for Business Ventures /Network, a multi-platform company providing entrepreneurship education through a combination of online courses and real-time.

1. Anouk and Chantalle's entrepreneurial journeys

2. Importance of branding and how things have changed

3. Chantalle's branding transformation

4. Branding and storytelling trends  

5. Advice for younger generations

In 2006 Anouk started a storytelling expedition: ‘Around the World in 80 Brands’. The goal was to help brands and companies convey their message by means of storytelling. She traveled the world, looking for brands with a purpose and people with a vision. She had started CoolBrands in 2002 in Amsterdam, and had expanded to Dubai, São Paulo (BR) and New York. She has been commissioned by companies like PepsiCo, Apple, Google, Mercedes, Harley Davidson, Unilever, and many more. She has interviewed over 800 CEOs, CMOs, business leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe.

She has published more than 15 books, chronicling stories from corporate and brand leaders, entrepreneurs running different size companies, professional services leaders and the creative industry. In 2015, Anouk founded Signitt to focus on the needs of business and social leaders to build their online presence. Signitt has grown in size and scope because of the recognition that a strong online presence is critical to achieving goals, whether that is career advancement in your current industry, a career pivot, finding new clients, investors or seeking a seat on for-profit or non-profit boards.

She is a sought-after, engaging speaker and shares her learnings, insights and many tips and tactics on how to navigate the online world with your personal brand.  

------

Chantalle is an experienced executive-level advisor with substantial in-house and advisory financial services experience, including operational risk and human capital strategy. She has worked in multiple roles at Fortune 20 corporations within the private sector to form creative, evidence-based solutions for the complex challenges businesses face in today’s dynamic environment.  

She is the founder of Namaste Consulting, where she leads qualitative research on women in senior leadership roles, and designs affinity  strategy and execution to support organizations’ seeking to create inclusive workforces and cultures. Her delivery portfolio includes anti-racist and inclusion experiential learning for non-profit and private industry leaders. Other clients served include higher education institutions, providing research support and preparation for executive speeches and proposals on inclusion, growth strategy, and vision formation.

Couba is passionate about creating radical change relative to workplace inclusion. She currently serves on the National Board of Directors for INROADS. This non-profit organization focuses on mentoring and placement in paid internship roles, preparing diverse talent for various community and leadership roles. She is also a board member of Envestnet’s Women in Wealth Institute, a cross industry advisory group, dedicated to eliminating institutional barriers in the profession for historically disadvantaged talent. She is a 2019 USA Eisenhower Fellow, where she studied the intersectionality of female leaders’ personal and professional experiences.

1. Marcus and Jenn's entrepreneurial journeys 

2. Latest news from the Metaverse + Gaming + NFTs 

3. Marcus' new venture, MetArena 

4. Jenn's vision for GoBeyond 

Marcus Howard is a lifelong gamer, serial entrepreneur, featured speaker and international startup advisor. He started his career in the gaming industry in 2013, building ProjectMQ to solve game discovery, the biggest problem in the global gaming industry. 

In 2019, Marcus pivoted ProjectMQ into MetArena, helping brands of any size use video games to digitally engage their employees and customers. He recently published "Innovate: Gaming & Esports" to teach gamers, parents, teachers, and brands about the business and STEAM career opportunities in the $180B gaming industry: https://bit.ly/PreorderGamingEsportsBook. 

In 2020, The Game Awards selected Marcus as one of 50 professionals for "Future Class", a worldwide cohort of leaders building a more inclusive future for the gaming industry. Last year, LinkedIn selected him as one of its ecosystem's top 20 voices for sports. He's the host of the "GamiFi Everything: Beyond the Metaverse" podcast, which features conversations with the top innovators in blockchain, NFT, and the metaverse. Marcus invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn. 

------ 

Jenn Halweil is an electrical engineer turned story engineer and founder of #GoBeyond, a media and tech innovation lab pushing the boundaries of what we know to be possible, to inspire a new wave of innovation: one that is sustainable and inclusive. 

#GoBeyond is a Forbes Next1000 recipient, Luminary fellow to advance equality in entrepreneurship, DeFi Talent fellow to advance inclusion in blockchain, and Women in AI hackathon winner. 

Most recently, #GoBeyond was nominated for an Emmy for Financially Naked, a series tackling issues around financial equity and inclusion which received more than 1M+ views online. 

1. Mark and Sonia's entrepreneurial journeys 

2. Mark's new venture, Creator Nova 

3. Sonia's vision for Signet Beauty 

4. Funding outlook for startups in creator space

 Sonia first launched @badgirlnails in 2014 as a way to break a lifelong nail biting habit. From there a passion for nail art grew, and before long she was sharing her designs with an audience of over 1 million followers on Instagram. 

In the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic, Sonia recognized the need for artisan quality, innovative nails in the press on nail space, and so she founded Signet Beauty - using her online community as a springboard to propel the brand forward.

------ 

While living in China, Mark worked for Alibaba Group’s Tmall, Tmall Global, and Taobao marketplaces to build partnerships with U.S. startups looking to enter global markets. He has helped startups at every step: from supply chain, to government regulations, to marketing, to technology builds. He began focusing on how content creators are building the future of commerce after helping over 50 US startups enter the China market. 

He knows intimately the pain that content creators feel when building consumer products. Whether in China or the United States, from a poor or rich nation, young and old, Content Creators will play a vital role in building the startups of the future. Today, Mark leads Creator Nova which helps Content Creators build new global consumer startups.

1.  Alfa's entrepreneurial journey and vision for Rising Tide Capital

2. State of the small business sector across the state and region

3. Funding outlook for startups and underserved entrepreneurs

4. Alfa's vision for Future Tide Partners

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Alfa lives in New Jersey with her husband and two boys. She is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization that provides underserved entrepreneurs with the resources they need to launch and grow successful businesses. Since 2005 the organization has operated the Community Business Academy, a 12-week course that provides intensive business management training coupled with year-round coaching and mentorship, now serving a network of more than 3,000 entrepreneurs in New Jersey as well as Illinois, South Carolina and North Carolina, with more in planning stages.

Corporate, foundation, and government funders underwrite the cost of tuition and services for all participants; 70% are women of color. By building successful businesses, entrepreneurs meet their families’ basic needs, create opportunities for social mobility, and help transform their local communities into thriving economies.

Alfa is also the Co-Founder of Future Tide Partners, which equips cross-sector leaders to shift capital, policy and culture in a rapidly changing world of work towards an inclusive, flourishing future economy. She was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2015 and has appeared in leading media outlets including CNN, O the Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Bloomberg, Inc. Magazine, the Suze Orman show, BusinessWeek and Entrepreneur Magazine.

She has been recognized by President Barack Obama; received the prestigious 25th Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy and Employment category; and was named a CNN Hero and one of the Most Powerful Women Changing the World in Forbes. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Future of Work Task Force and is a board member of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

1. State of the #drones industry, regionally, nationally and globally 

2. Outlook for sector and funding forecast 

3. What's next in drones at Rutgers and at Dronedek 

4. Talent pipeline opportunities and challenges 

Laurent joined the Rutgers University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2019, after serving as a scientific researcher at ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab for 9 years, and as a "guidance and control" expert for 7 years inside the French DoD. He has thus collaborated with European Aerospace Industry leaders for around fifteen years. Burlion's research develops and applies advanced flight control algorithms to uncertain systems and is motivated by aerospace applications including spacecraft, aircraft, and drones. 

He led a project on vision-based landing of aerial vehicles, at the request of Airbus between 2013 and 2017. He also worked on advanced controls for the prevention of, and the recovery from, aircraft excursions from nominal flight regimes. At Rutgers, Burlion is setting up a new lab in which drones can perform indoor and outdoor flights. The drones are either directly bought "off the shelf " or "homemade" by graduate and undergraduate students. Innovative algorithms are implemented to both improve the reliability and enlarge the flight envelope of autonomous quadcopters and airplanes. He is also working on offshore floating wind turbines and nanosatellites.

 ---- 

Dan O’Toole is a serial entrepreneur and business leader who is among the first in the United States to secure patents for a smart mailbox designed to securely accept packages delivered by drone. DRONEDEK holds a First-Position Patent Portfolio for the next-generation mailbox of autonomous and drone delivery. 

Two issued US Utility Patents, two additional utility patents are under examination now and two PCT’s. In all 111 patent claims already awarded or filed for. Dan is a Ball State University graduate and lives in Carmel, Indiana with his family.

1. State of #cannabisindustry across the state and region 

2. How are the state and investors helping fund entrepreneurs 

3. How is #diversity and #equity in space being supported 

4. Outlook for the sector in short and long term 

Bruce is a consultant, coach, author, and speaker on organizational development and performance management. Originally an architect, he was a pioneer in the use of computer-aided design and 3D modeling. He also hosts to two successful podcasts: Scaling Up Services provides insights and strategies for how to successfully scale service-based businesses and Thinking Outside The Bud explores #innovation in the business of cannabis. 

Seeing the need for a more fast-paced and innovative approach to technology development, Bruce founded of Cyrus Innovation in 2003, one of the first Agile/Lean development consulting firms. After more than a decade of developing products and coaching companies adopting Agile/Lean practices such as Extreme Programming, Scrum, Kanban, and other Lean methodologies, Bruce sold Cyrus in 2014 to focus on broader organizational development initiatives and served as interim CEO, COO, and other executive roles across a number of different high-tech and professional service companies. 

Bruce has been a member of the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization’ since 2007 and has served in many chapter and regional leadership positions including Learning, Forum, and Accelerator. Bruce has served as the US East Regional Forum Expert and the US East Regional Accelerator Expert.

---- 

Sam is vice chair of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. He is a retired Vice President of External Affairs for Verizon New Jersey. During his 21 years with the company he held various positions in human resources, corporate procurement, and government affairs. 

During his last 13 years, he served as Vice President External Affairs for Verizon New Jersey, Inc. and was responsible for matters related for the company’s external environment including: municipal and county relationships, emergency management, public policy, customer service, public relations, and the Verizon Foundation. Sam is a retired Marine Corps Reserve Combat Communications Officer with 20 years’ experience having served during Operation Uphold Democracy (1994-95) in the Republic of Haiti. 

In Haiti, he reported directly to former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly monitoring human rights abuses; and mentoring and managing an international public security force. His military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. In 2010 he returned to Haiti to assist in earthquake relief efforts acting as liaison for Doctors Without Borders, the Haitian Govt, and NGOs.

Ryan Estes is an American Buddhist entrepreneur. As the cofounder of Kitcaster, a podcast booking agency, he facilitates thousands of extraordinary conversations. The mission is to put the world’s top startup founders on the world’s top podcasts and let them share their stories with a wider audience. 

He has owned a media and marketing agency for the last 10 years. For eight of those years he hosted the founders podcast Talklaunch. Consistently ranked in the iTunes "Top 100" podcasts, he has recorded 300+ interviews with more than a quarter million downloads. He attributes $1M+ in revenue as a direct result from podcasts and believes the medium possesses a giant opportunity for entrepreneurs. 

He enjoys training brazilian jiu jitsu and capoeira, volunteering as a finance mentor, and is an avid sportsman.

----- 

DeLon Canterbury is a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist. He founded GeriatRx, a telehealth-based senior care consulting company. GeriatRx combines Pharmacogenomic testing and Comprehensive Medication Management, and addresses the social determinants of health, such as food, shelter, financial stability, and health literacy. 

He helps patients who are struggling to achieve their healthcare goals and lowers their healthcare expenses. By reducing medication errors and advocating for deprescribing, consultant pharmacists like DeLon improve patient safety and save patients, their families, and the healthcare system money. 

DeLon manages patients across the state of North Carolina and demonstrates the value pharmacists add to healthcare delivery. DeLon embodies servant-leadership and places it at the forefront of GeriatRx. He is an active Executive Board Member for the African-American Minority COVID Task Force in Durham, North Carolina, a Formulary Committee member of Senior PharmAssist at the Durham Senior Center for Life, and served as Community Health Coalition’s Telehealth Director, helping older African-American patients with wellness and reassurance check-ups during COVID.

Kashif is an author, speaker, visionary entrepreneur and investor based in Toronto who has built, run, and scaled numerous businesses across various industries. He is the founder and CEO of The DNA Company, a digital health company that uses precision medicine and digital therapeutics to develop genomics-based health management applications that offer patients genetic insights tailored to their unique biology. 

Kashif is also the co-founder and CEO of Youtrients, a company providing personalized supplement formulations based on unique DNA analysis. In his career, He has advised everyone from early-stage startups to numerous Fortune 500 clients including some of North America’s biggest companies like Royal Bank of Canada and Cirque Du Soleil.

1. State of entrepreneurship in the entertainment and influencer marketing industries 

2. Funding outlook in media, blockchain and crypto/NFT sectors 

3. Diversity gains in startups from their vantage points 

4. Talent pipeline challenges; NAMIC efforts 

Always keeping ‘profit with a purpose’ in mind through various career roles as a hedge fund analyst, music producer & now investor / social philanthropist, Atul is founding partner of umbrella investment / advisory company, KMH Group, focusing on tech in media/sports verticals as well as various entertainment projects. 

Atul manages two portfolio companies, SAVA360 Ventures, a diversity driven platform connecting influential leaders with innovative entrepreneurs to share ideas and source deals, and the Results Venture, a social impact advisory group. Sava360 Ventures has partnered with NAMIC National the past few years to host and industry leading Entertainment Startup Showcase during the 2nd day General Session of the annual conference. 

Prior to this, Atul produced music for Sony Music artists & TV programming for all major US networks as well as two Bollywood films produced by the acclaimed Chopra family. Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl , Girlfriends and Bernie Mac are just a few of many shows to feature Atul's music. Atul is frequent speaker at private and corporate events, sharing his views on investing in public and private markets, emerging technology such as AI, Crypto and NFTs, and culture. These discussions are often featured on a weekly podcast he co-hosts, “The Whiskey Hue”, and various Clubhouse rooms. 

He is a founding board member of philanthropy organization NEXUS Global India, an 1871 Entrepreneur/Tech Center Mentor, Board Member for Digital Diversity Network, 2019 NAMIC ELDP alum, past board member of NAMIC NY and Programming Chair for NAMIC National the past two years running, with a hyper focus on supporting Diversity, Gender Equality and Global Sustainability initiatives. 

------ 

Angela Fisher has 10+ years of experience building and launching influencer-driven brands for MTV, VH1, BET, and AMF Media. Angela is now the Founder of a revolutionary platform called Neufluence - an inclusive online marketplace that is reimagining influencer marketing using technology and tools to help brands boost sales and expand their customer base through collaborations with the largest community of diverse micro-level creators. 

Angela has helped relaunch several digital brands and she served as a producer for VH1 awards shows including Hip Hop Honors, Divas, and Big Awards. Angela served on the senior team that launched a Viacom cable network now called BET Her. During her time with AMF Media, Angela has connected influencers with various brands ranging from McDonald’s to Patreon. 

Angela is also an avid runner who has completed 4 marathons and a 50K.

1. How the pandemic has affected our mental health 

2. The notable rise in depression, anxiety and stress across all populations 

3. How individuals, particularly young people, can improve their mental health 

4. How novel tech solutions are helping to change the script 

Mark Metry is a 23 year old entrepreneur, author, creator, mental health advocate, coach, teacher, keynote speaker, podcast host, and loving human being. Mark has interviewed over 300+ top leaders around the world from billionaire philanthropists, to neuroscientists, professional athletes, New York times bestselling authors, philosophers, and innovative disrupter’s on his Top 100 Humans 2.0 podcast, which NASDAQ, and Yahoo Finance placed in the "Top 21 Growing Podcasts you must listen to..” 

Now, Mark hosts the Social Anxiety Society podcast, and is the bestselling author of Screw Being Shy: Learn How to Manage Social Anxiety and Be Yourself in Front of Anyone! Mark has been featured in Forbes, TEDx, HuffPost, Mindvalley, Inc and many more. 

Mark‘s been mentioned alongside Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and can be found speaking at universities, conferences and high schools across the nation. 

_____ 

Bryan Noar is the VP of Client Success at Avidon Health, a leading provider of coaching solutions proven to break unhealthy habits for diverse populations. Originally from the small African country of Zimbabwe, Bryan grew up in a civil war and came to the United States in his early 20’s to seek a new future. Although he began his career as a CPA, he discovered his true passion after overcoming a lifelong battle with obesity. 

Bryan’s “Aha” moment came when some long-standing health issues disappeared following a lifestyle change, along with valuable insights into the mind-body connection. He has served as a senior executive in the health and wellness industry ever since. 

Over the last 30 years Bryan has shared his expertise about physical and mental wellbeing with numerous audiences, always with the goal of improving population health.

1. State of the robotics industry, regionally, nationally and globally 

2. Outlook for sector and funding forecast 

3. What's next in robotics at Ghost and Stevens 

4. Talent pipeline opportunities and challenges 

Jiren Parikh is the CEO of Ghost Robotics. He joined Messrs. Avik De and Gavin Kenneally in late 2015 to found Ghost Robotics to build agile, hardened and programmable legged robotic platforms for military and industrial applications. 

He has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, C-level and Sr. Executive founding, scaling and turning around technology businesses covering robotics, software, telecom, content and platform technologies. 

Past awards include AUVSI Defense Innovation Award, E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, NJTC Growth Company of the Year and SmartCEO Philadelphia Turnaround of the Year. --

-- 

Dr. Brendan Englot is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology where he has been a member of the faculty since 2014. Brendan is the founder and director of the Robust Field Autonomy Lab, which develops robust autonomous navigation solutions for mobile robots operating in harsh and unstructured environments. 

He received S.B., S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007, 2009 and 2012, respectively. At MIT, he studied motion planning for surveillance and inspection applications, deploying his algorithms on an underwater robot to inspect Navy and Coast Guard ships. 

During 2012-2014, Brendan was with United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA, where he was a Research Scientist and Principal Investigator in the Autonomous and Intelligent Robotics Laboratory and a technical contributor to the Sikorsky Autonomous Research Aircraft. 

Brendan received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2017, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in 2020.

1. State of eSports in high school and higher education 

2. Future forecast for the sports tech industries 

3. Talent pipeline outlook: opportunities and challenges 

Scott Huston, Chief Information Officer, at Stockton University, is responsible for providing leadership to the Division of Information Technology Services team for the continued development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment to support ubiquitous, integrated, and fully engaging learning experiences throughout the University. 

He has also helped inspire the growth of Stockton’s top ranked esports program Under his leadership, the Information technology team has taken a proactive and collaborative approach to deliver innovative, reliable, and sustainable technologies that optimize satisfaction and desired outcomes. 

Scott Huston has continued to develop an extremely talented management team who collaboratively approach, solve, and guide the technical staff within the division to meet the University’s technology needs. While acting as Chief Information Officer, he has been extremely successful in continuing to implement the new strategic vision for Information Technology Services by focusing the adoption of software as a service offerings and cloud technologies to provide more robust and reliable IT infrastructure. 

His leadership has been a critical part of the University’s operations during the covid-19 pandemic providing technology, resources, and support to continue University operations during a difficult time. He has also been appointed as a member of the NJEdge Board of Trustees. 

------ 

Victor Gomez, Esports Manager at Seton Hall University, has been instrumental to the founding, creation, and growth of the University’s esports program. An accomplished alumnus of Seton Hall, Victor has been at the forefront of the university’s esports endeavors since 2013 – the same year that the United States officially recognized esports players as professional athletes. 

His expertise in the field has been integral to the program and its continued success. He has recently been appointed as the chair of the Impact committee for the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF). In partnership with the University’s Department of Information Technology, Victor spearheaded Seton Hall's integration of esports into the strategic mission and the creation of a state-of-the-art esports lab, the base of operations for the University’s three teams: Rocket League, League of Legends, and Super Smash Brother’s Ultimate. 

The esports program has already claimed success as the first BIG EAST tournament champion in the 2018 ESL Rocket League Winter Invitational and the 2020 BIG EAST x ESL League of Legends Championship, 2020 Big East x MAAC Rocket League Challenge Champions, and most recently Ranking 5th in the East and top 10 in the nation in Collegiate Rocket League.

1. His entrepreneurial journey and vision for Field Trip 

2. State of the pyschedilics and cannabis industries 

3. Funding outlook for startups in this space 

4. Industry outlook 

An entrepreneur and a visionary, Ronan is one the founders of Field Trip. Concurrent with his work at Field Trip, he is a partner at Grassfed Ventures, a venture capital and advisory firm focused on the cannabis and biotech industries and is Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Board of Directors for Trait Biosciences Inc., a leading biotech company in the hemp and cannabis industries. 

Prior to his current roles, Ronan (along with Joseph, Hannan and Ryan) co-founded Canadian Cannabis Clinics and CanvasRx Inc., the latter of which was acquired by Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) in 2016, after which he served as Senior Vice President, Business and Corporate Affairs for Aurora. 

A lawyer by training, Ronan started his career as a corporate lawyer at Blake, Cassels Graydon LLP and Legal Counsel at CTVglobemedia Inc. (now Bell Media Inc.) He holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, both from the University of Toronto.

1. State of philanthropy across the state and region 

2. Examples of how foundations/nonprofits weathered the pandemic 

3. Innovations across the spectrum worth highlighting 

4. Outlook for the sector in short and long term 

Jeffrey Vega is the President and CEO of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, which has the mission of promoting philanthropy to advance the well-being of communities forever. With more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience, Mr. Vega is an expert in creating social change through community building, leadership, and grantmaking. 

He has been honored and recognized for his work by various nonprofit and faith-based organizations and government agencies. Prior to joining the Community Foundation in 2015, Mr. Vega served as President of New Brunswick Tomorrow, an organization established to revitalize the City of New Brunswick through private/public partnerships. 

Mr. Vega is Board Chair of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and serves on the Board of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor’s degree in three majors, Urban Studies, Human Ecology, and International Environmental Studies from Cook College, Rutgers University, and a master’s degree as an Eagleton Fellow in Political Science/Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. 

---- 

Maria Vizcarrondo is the President and CEO of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. She brings more than 25 years of experience transforming service organizations and has served her communities as both an appointed and elected official. 

In 2006, when he was first elected Mayor of Newark Cory Booker tapped Ms. Vizcarrondo to head Newark’s Health and Human Service Department, the largest of its kind in New Jersey. One of her first actions in that role was to develop a Children’s Bill of Rights to benchmark improvements in the lives of children and families throughout the city. 

Her accomplishments included securing state funding to establish Family Success Centers to provide neighborhood-based services, and launching a major citywide campaign to raise the immunization rates of Newark’s children. Prior to her mayoral appointment, Ms. Vizcarrondo served as the first woman president and CEO of United Way of Essex and West Hudson. Her pioneer work in re-engineering the organization’s mission into community building was documented in the United Way Transformation Diaries. 

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Ms. Vizcarrondo led the New Jersey United Ways in a statewide coordination of services for affected families and managed the distribution of corporate funding for these efforts. She was elected Essex County Surrogate in 1993 and served four years of a five-year term before leaving to join United Way. 

Ms. Vizcarrondo has been listed among the “100 Most Influential People in New Jersey” and was a founding member of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Anjalee Khemlani is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience spanning numerous beats and media. She is currently the Senior Reporter at Yahoo! Finance covering all things health care, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

As an immigrant and woman of color, she prides herself on the reputation she has built as a simultaneously enthusiastic and tough reporter. Her life experiences have given her a rich knowledge base that allows her to easily connect with folks from all walks of life. Prior to joining YF, Anjalee was Managing Editor at ROI-NJ, the premier business news site for New Jersey. 

Throughout her career, she has dabbled in local, national and international news and has also appeared as a guest on Canada’s CTV, the U.K.’s BBC Radio 5 Live, NJTV-PBS, New Jersey 12, TV Asia and CNN in India. 

She has moderated panels in the U.S. and globally, including at the CES Digital Health in Las Vegas and Web Summit in Europe. Previous event topics have included health care, business, investigative reporting and politics.

1. State of entrepreneurship in the entertainment and influencer marketing industries 

2. Funding outlook in media, blockchain and crypto/NFT sectors 

3. Diversity gains in startups from their vantage points 

4. Talent pipeline challenges; NAMIC efforts 

Always keeping ‘profit with a purpose’ in mind through various career roles as a hedge fund analyst, music producer & now investor / social philanthropist, Atul is founding partner of umbrella investment / advisory company, KMH Group, focusing on tech in media/sports verticals as well as various entertainment projects. 

Atul manages two portfolio companies, SAVA360 Ventures, a diversity driven platform connecting influential leaders with innovative entrepreneurs to share ideas and source deals, and the Results Venture, a social impact advisory group. Sava360 Ventures has partnered with NAMIC National the past few years to host and industry leading Entertainment Startup Showcase during the 2nd day General Session of the annual conference. 

Prior to this, Atul produced music for Sony Music artists & TV programming for all major US networks as well as two Bollywood films produced by the acclaimed Chopra family. Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl , Girlfriends and Bernie Mac are just a few of many shows to feature Atul's music. 

Atul is frequent speaker at private and corporate events, sharing his views on investing in public and private markets, emerging technology such as AI, Crypto and NFTs, and culture. These discussions are often featured on a weekly podcast he co-hosts, “The Whiskey Hue”, and various Clubhouse rooms. 

He is a founding board member of philanthropy organization NEXUS Global India, an 1871 Entrepreneur/Tech Center Mentor, Board Member for Digital Diversity Network, 2019 NAMIC ELDP alum, past board member of NAMIC NY and Programming Chair for NAMIC National the past two years running, with a hyper focus on supporting Diversity, Gender Equality and Global Sustainability initiatives. 

------ 

Angela Fisher has 10+ years of experience building and launching influencer-driven brands for MTV, VH1, BET, and AMF Media.

 Angela is now the Founder of a revolutionary platform called Neufluence - an inclusive online marketplace that is reimagining influencer marketing using technology and tools to help brands boost sales and expand their customer base through collaborations with the largest community of diverse micro-level creators. 

Angela has helped relaunch several digital brands and she served as a producer for VH1 awards shows including Hip Hop Honors, Divas, and Big Awards. Angela served on the senior team that launched a Viacom cable network now called BET Her. During her time with AMF Media, Angela has connected influencers with various brands ranging from McDonald’s to Patreon.

 Angela is also an avid runner who has completed 4 marathons and a 50K.

1. State of female entrepreneurship  

2. Funding outlook including blockchain and crypto/NFT trends

3. Their personal experiences as female leaders in tech

4. Talent pipeline challenges

5. Victoria's new book, Digital Goddess

Kelcey Gosserand is the Program Director, Developer Advocacy for North America at IBM.

Kelcey is the City Leader and Program Director for IBM, overseeing Developer Advocacy for North America. Kelcey is driving the strategy and execution of developer engagements focusing on Blockchain and emerging tech. Her team is responsible for building the trust and respect required to engage with today’s new developers.

Kelcey is a pioneer in the blockchain landscape entering the scene as an early investor and participant in the crypto-economy. She founded the blockchain community building engine, Trellis, working with clients in new market development, brand positioning, and strategy. Kelcey is a community builder, storyteller, and blockchain evangelist.

----

Victoria Montgomery Brown is a Media, Technology, Education and Operations Executive with significant experience building leading digital brands and platforms to drive engagement, adoption and business results for global enterprises and high growth startups.

She is an innovator and strategist and has transformed a startup into a globally-recognized knowledge company in both B2B and B2C markets. Forecasting emerging education, technology and media trends to drive strategic initiatives from product development to go-to-market, she led digital multimedia projects with global reach through cross-channel distribution to develop brand narratives that attract, engage and retain new audiences and customers.

During her13 years as Board Chairman and CEO of Big Think, Victoria led development and operations, from idea to implementation. She sourced investors, strategic partners, talent, clients, and prospective buyers, managing relationships and brokering deals. She secured 3 rounds of funding to launch the business, attracted a buyer, and negotiated deal terms for a successful exit.  

In addition to spearheading growth and exit initiatives, Victoria oversaw product development, acquisition of 3,000+ thought leaders to join her network of contributors, sourced and secured dozens of partnerships, established high-visibility brand relationships, and expanded distribution.

In her book, Digital Goddess-The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur, Victoria shares her story in an entertaining and educational light. Told from the unique, female entrepreneurial perspective that unpacks all the hurdles other female founders may face in their own journey to the top.

1. AI trends and how companies are leveraging it

2. The challenges and opportunities with AI

3. AI concerns including bias

4. Tero's new book, Platform Strategy

Tero is CEO and Co-Founder of Silo.AI, the largest private AI Lab in Nordics. Silo.AI transforms businesses using AI and machine learning. He is Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of Vision+ Fund, early stage VC fund and Chairman of the Board of Tampere University of Technology, Finland. Tero serves as a member of the Board of DNA Capital Plc and Bittium Plc.

Previously, he served as Nokia's CTO and Chief Strategy Officer as well as Head of Research. Tero was a Member of the Group Executive Board of Nokia for seven years. He served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the NAVTEQ Corporation. He also served as Member of the Board of Directors of Veikkaus Oy, a Finnish lottery company.

Tero was nominated as Young Global Leader of World Economic Forum 2006. He has been recognized as 7th Most Creative People In Business 2009 by Fast Company.

Tero has a Ph.D. from Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands. He is married and has three children and in his spare time he enjoys olympic weightlifting, boating, triathlon and skiing.

1. eSports/sports tech trends 

2. How the funding of companies in this sector is changing 

3. How fans are investing in their favorite athletes 

4. Online betting and fintech integratiion into sports industry. 

5. The intersection of crypto/NFTs and sports 

6. Deven's startup, Prediction Strike 

Kai is a partner at Courtside Ventures. 

He is a: 

3x Founder – marketplace, mobile gaming, and streaming platforms 

Investor at Hatch Labs, SamsungNEXT, and Comcast Ventures 

Formerly at Microsoft, Gerson Lehrman, IAC, and Oberon Media 

Graduate of Wesleyan Univerity

----- 

Deven is the co-founder and CEO of PredictionStrike, a fantasy sports stock market that allows users to buy and sell shares of pro-athletes as if they were stocks. Prediction Strike was born from Deven's passion for sports, and aims to serve every type of sports fan. 

Prior to co-founding his company in 2018, he worked for Nike as a cybersecurity analyst. Deven’s background is impressive. In addition to earning a bachelor’s from Harvard (where he’s now in law school), he’s had stints at Google, Microsoft, the NBA, and Nike. 

Prediction Strike was born from his passion for sports and aims to serve every type of sports fan. Deven saw a golden opportunity at the intersection of personal finance and fantasy sports, one that has been magnified by the recent trend of stock market gamification. With Prediction Strike, users can buy and sell shares of their favorite pro athletes as if they were stocks. This is investing in its most engaging and exciting form, as it allows users to strategically customize portfolios that reflect their fandom. 

So far Prediction Strike has processed $4.5M worth of transactions and received $1.9M in funding. Deven is working to bring consumer investing into an exciting new arena, and would love to talk about transforming his passion into a venture-backed startup. 

As he sits at the forefront of an innovative new business model, he can offer valuable insights into what it’s like to navigate the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship and industry disruption. 

1. Cybersecurity trends 

2. Forecasts for the future and how companies should best prepare 

3. Talent pipeline challenges 

4. Paul's latest cyber startup, Calamu 

Paul Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Calamu, an innovative company providing next-gen, ransomware-safe data protection software. A serial cybersecurity entrepreneur with more than 30 years in the industry, he was formerly the Founder and CEO of PG Lewis LLC, a cyber security and data forensics company that was strategically acquired by Robert Half International (NYSE:RHI), and the Founder and CEO of MC2, a data security company that was strategically acquired by Volt Information Sciences (NYSE:VOL). 

Lewis has been granted numerous patents to advance data privacy and protection. He is the inventor of the world’s first data harbor, a resilient and virtual storage environment that can instantly nullify the impact of a data breach or ransomware attack while also enabling compliance with data privacy regulations. A court-appointed expert in data security and incident response, Lewis is a contributor to the NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide (Special Publication 1800-4), the NY Department of Financial Services Cyber Security Requirements 23 NYCRR 500, and the United States Federal Rules Committee on electronically stored information (ESI).

 -----

 Mary N. Chaney, Esq., CISSP, CIPP/US has over 25 years of progressive experience within the fields of Information Security, Privacy and Risk Management. She graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio with a B.S.B.A with a S.T.E.M. related focus in Information Systems, graduated Salutatorian and Summa Cum Ladue from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law and became a licensed attorney in the State of Texas in 1999. Ms. Chaney began her career journey by serving as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Los Angeles. 

Mary’s global experience includes executive level information security and privacy roles with GE Capital (NYSE: GE), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Comcast Corporation (NYSE: CMCSA) and Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ESPR). At GE Capital, she was the Director of Incident Response where she led a team responsible for supporting over 14,000 GE Capital Americas end-users. At Johnson & Johnson, she was the Director of the Security Operations Center, where she led the 24x7 Global Security Operations Center that monitored over 130,000 employees across 250 businesses. At Comcast Corporation, Mary was a Senior Director of Information Security, in the Global CISO’s office, which had oversight responsibilities for both Comcast Cable and NBC Universal for cyber risk management. 

At Esperion, Mary is the Director of Information Security and Privacy, having direct responsibility for creating and addressing risk in both information security and privacy. Mary’s entrepreneur endeavors include starting and running MBS Information Security Consulting, LLC (MBS) and most recently Mary opened the Law Offices of Mary N. Chaney, P.L.L.C, The Cyber Security Law Firm Of Texas, with the specific mission of helping translate and advise, Boards of Directors, CIO's, CISO's and General Counsel's on how to legally protect their company from cyber related risk. 

Mary serves the overall cybersecurity community in multiple ways. She has served on several advisory boards including: Post University; ChickTech; CompTIA© Cybersecurity Advisory Board; The Cyber Law Consortium; and The Cyber Future Foundation. Mary is an adjunct professor with the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches online courses in cybersecurity to assist with the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Lastly, she recently launched her own nonprofit, Minorities in Cybersecurity, Inc. (MiC) which focuses on support, leadership and career development for women and minorities in cybersecurity. 
 

1. State of the entrepreneurial community in the region and worldwide 

2. Investment outlook in various sectors in short and medium term 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs as we look to the other side of the pandemic 

Steve has been a technology investor for over twenty years. Steve’s interests are in enterprise software (particularly applications of AI/ML), infrastructure required to collect, store, and process data, internet of things, wireless, and environmental and materials technologies. He is currently on the board of ChoiceWORX, Data Inventions, Kintra Fibers, SunRay Scientific, and Vydia. He was recently a director of Airclic (sold to Descartes Systems), Alverix (sold to BD), Everspin Technologies (NASDAQ: MRAM), Neohapsis (sold to Cisco), Silicon Hive (sold to Intel), Sychip (sold to Murata), and an observer of Flarion Technologies (sold to Qualcomm). 

Steve has also been a leader in the corporate venture community and was Chair of the Corporate Venture Group within the National Venture Capital Association and on the Advisory Board of Global Corporate Venturing. 

Prior to Tech Council Ventures, he created a venture incubator for Lucent’s Bell Laboratories for 5 years and then formed and ran New Venture Partners for 15 years investing in commercialization of technologies spun out of corporate labs. 

Steve received an MBA from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College where he is currently on the board of the Center for the Study of VC & PE. He received degrees in economics and mathematical sciences from Stanford University. 

---- 

Daniella has been building life sciences businesses, developing and commercializing life sciences products for 20 years. Having co-founded Wave Biotech LLC from her dormitory room, she and a partner drove the start-up, growth and commercialization of a highly disruptive technology. As Vice President of the organization, Daniella established a high growth company with significant brand recognition, and led the group to a successful exit and acquisition by GE Healthcare in 2007. At GE Healthcare, 

Daniella held a variety of strategic, M&A and business development roles. One of her most notable achievements is the success in an entrepreneurial group within the broader GE Healthcare, where a focus on integrating the acquired Xcellerex business enabled global commercialization of a several hundred million dollar enterprise solutions business. Her extensive business development, negotiations and deal-making experience with multinational biopharma and governments in developed and emerging markets provides Dynamk with a broad network of colleagues, customers, innovators and key opinion leaders. 

She holds a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and an Executive MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and has attended Harvard Business School Executive Education Courses in Private Equity & Venture Capital.

1. Ways that businesses and new startups can survive 

2. Best practices for entrepreneurs and small business owners 

3. Role of academia, government and nonprofit sectors 

Panelists: Marjorie Perry is President and CEO of MZM Construction Management Co. She is widely recognized as an innovator, public speaker, writer and role model for women and minorities in business. Using 26 years of experience as fodder for inspiration, Perry finds her mission to be one who motivates nascent entrepreneurs to develop and pursue their dreams by sharing the lessons she has learned from her own success, which often meant taking life's lemons and making lemonade. Trained as an educator , Perry’s path in teaching was diverted after she was caught in a series of layoffs. In a fortuitous career move, she decided to try her luck in sales and marketing—which turned out to be an unexpected perfect fit. She went on to work for corporations, ultimately cultivating a burgeoning vision for life as a passionate, self-made entrepreneur. 

Ramon Ray is an entrepreneur, author and speaker who loves burnt pancakes and bacon on the weekends. He's the founder of Smart Hustle Media, has started four companies and sold two. Ramon has authored four books and his latest book is "Celebrity CEO - How Entrepreneurs Can Thrive By Building a Strong Personal Brand." Ramon has been invited as an expert witness to the United States Congress, invited to speak at the White House on personal branding. He's interviewed President Obama in the President's first live video chat and was with Ivanka Trump at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India. Get to know Ramon better at http://www.ramonray.com. 

Alfred E. Blake IV is the Assistant Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at Rutgers Business School. He is excited about anything that deals with entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the author of The Students Handbook To Breaking All The Rules, a Huffington Post/Elite Daily Contributor and the founder of Rule Breaker University - a company focused on helping students to break rules to break records in life. Even with the aforementioned accomplishments, the one he is most proud of is being the father of Skylar Jaelle Blake. 

Alex Hamilton - After over 10 years in the restaurant business as both a manager and a senior buyer as well as 12 years of success as a GM of marketing in the music industry, Alex chose to become an entrepreneur. Serving as the former CEO of media startup Vipeline Inc., Alex went on to become a patented inventor. He is currently an elected member of the Jersey City Board of Education and partner at Quintrix where he serves as the Director of Talent Management. Quintrix is a startup that focuses on IT training for entry level candidates fresh out of college and helps them complete “last mile training”. This unique approach ensures all candidates obtain cost free training, IT industry certification and a guaranteed job interview with an interested client of Quintrix.

1. What innovation is happening now in the communications sector during crisis 

2. Tell us about the Vonage turnaround and its response to COVID 

3. Discuss what disruptions you see ahead 

4. Career advice for young people 

Sanjay Macwan is SVP, Enterprise Engineering & Networks and Chief Information Security Officer at Vonage. He joined the company in 2018 as SVP, Enterprise Engineering and Networks, leading Vonage's enterprise platform and engineering teams to drive innovation and new development in the Company's solutions for Enterprise customers. In 2019, in addition to his ongoing responsibilities, Sanjay was appointed Chief Information Security Officer. In this role, he is responsible for securing global service infrastructure and managing the Company’s information security and risk management programs, as well as its portfolio of compliance certifications. 

With more than 20 years of experience in technology leadership, strategy and execution, Sanjay has built and led highly successful technology innovation programs that have delivered transformation, operational efficiency and a sustained culture of innovation across multiple industries. 

Prior to Vonage, Sanjay was the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NBCUniversal focused on driving innovation across all lines of business. He helped the company deliver next-generation content experiences leveraging emerging technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, ultra-high definition, IoT and machine learning across various platforms. 

Earlier in his career, Sanjay also led AT&T’s Technology Council in the Chief Technology Office where he was responsible for accelerating technology innovation for the company and its ecosystem. During many years at AT&T Labs, he also led large scale R&D in multimedia, mobility, information security and cloud. Sanjay is the founder of The Holmdel Idea Summit (THIS) – a STEAM program connecting talented high-school and college students with accomplished innovators and local business leaders. Vonage is a proud sponsor of this community initiative, which was held for the first time in 2017. 

As an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Sanjay teaches an Emerging Technology Ventures class. He is an inventor or a co-inventor on 41 U.S. patents in areas of mobility, multimedia, content, security, and cloud.

SHOW LESS

1. Valley Health's response to the COVID-19 crisis 

2. How this pandemic has created an extraordinary opportunity for innovation and learning 

3. The use of AI in tracking data related to pandemic infections and patients 

4. How the virus has affected Dr. Brenner personally - symptoms and recovery 

Dr. Brenner is the President of Clinical Integration and Physician Enterprise for Valley Health System (VHS). He oversees quality and performance improvement, strategic relations and clinical service line development across VHS, as well as Valley Medical Group, Valley Home Care, ColigoCare (VHS’s 600-provider Clinically Integrated Network) and Population Health. 

Dr. Brenner joined Valley in 2015 as SVP and Chief Physician Executive for VHS, and has led an organizational transformation from Fee-For-Service to Fee-For-Value that included the conversion to shared savings contracts and the development of ColigoCare and VHS’s Population Health Department. Dr. Brenner led the creation of service lines spanning the continuum of care, the reorganization of Transitions in Care and Case Management, and the unification of quality management across VHS. Prior to joining VHS, Dr. Brenner served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Summit Medical Group for nine years and, subsequently, as CMO of Summit Health Management. 

In those roles, he was responsible for strategic expansion; enhancement of organizational performance, patient safety and patient experience through the creation of robust population health, risk management and advocacy departments; clinical program development and advancement of clinical information technology. Prior to that position, he was a Senior Executive at Mountainside Hospital/Atlantic Health System and served as the Chairman of the Family Medicine Department. Dr. Brenner has also spent 15 years in graduate medical education, the last seven of which he served as the Family Medicine Residency Director at Mountainside Hospital/Atlantic Health System. 

------ 

Simon Samaha, MD, MBA, is a veteran healthcare executive and entrepreneur. He is currently a Senior Advisor at Oliver Wyman and a member of its Health and Life Sciences Team. He is a recognized thought leader in provider with deep expertise in Clinical Services and Physician Enterprises. 

His career started as an executive (including serving as CEO at Summit Medical Group) on the provider side in both not and for profit, later joining a top global consulting firm initially as their healthcare center cluster leader (serving Europe Africa, India and Middle East) and later leading the Clinical Transformation practice. Dr. Samaha's focus is on strategic clinical transformation, assisting organization in optimizing their clinical assets and engaging their physicians in these transformation journeys. 

He has deep expertise in all aspects of physician organizations including M&A, VBC, network development, operational and financial optimization, and service line design and implementation. Dr. Samaha also helps lead Kentan Staffing Solutions, the healthcare division of ICS. He plays a key role in defining the client needs and is personally involved in reviewing every clinical SME.

As a CEO, entrepreneur, private company owner, and public company officer Wayne's 40+ years experience have encompassed general management, entrepreneurship, new ventures, mergers and acquisitions, advanced materials, electronics, environmental protection, specialty chemicals, energy conservation, technology transfer, and other business, scientific and policy areas. His primary business activity is as a professional angel investor. 

He specializes in value-added investments in early stage tech businesses. He is also a limited partner in several venture capital funds active in these areas. Dr. Tamarelli is founding chairman of Jumpstart NJ Angel Network and a member of the Band of Angels in SV. In 1983 he purchased Dock Resins Corp in a leveraged buyout and successfully grew its revenues and profits as Chair, CEO and sole owner. 

In 1997 he sold the company at a significant gain and remained CEO until 2000 when he became Chairman Emeritus. He was worked at Engelhard Corp from 1970 to 1983 (SVP), and previously by Exxon Corporation.

SHOW LESS

1. His academic and entrepreneurial journeys 
2. Axtria's tremendous growth, new funding and unicorn status 
3. Working with his brother 
4. Building company culture in a WFH environment 
5. Career planning insights for all ages 

Jassi is President and CEO of Axtria. He cofounded Axtria with the vision of building cutting-edge analytics and software solutions that will help global companies to effectively manage and get insights from big data. Jassi is a pioneer in building advanced decision support software. 

He has worked closely with over 100 global companies to improve effectiveness of their commercial operations. Pharmaceutical Management Science Association (PMSA) awarded Jassi with prestigious lifetime achievement award in 2014. This is among several other accolades. He also serves on the Board of many diverse organizations like TIE Global, Ocular Therapeutics, SpectraMedix and others. 

Previously, Jassi was co-founder and CEO of marketRx, which was acquired by Cognizant Technology Solutions in November 2007.

1. Best practices in times of crisis for IT leaders 

2. Managing up, across and down during time of uncertainty 

3. Communications with enterprise, vendors and customers 

JP Saini is CIO at SOS Security. He is a C-Level Business Leader and Technologist with the passion and leadership talents necessary to transform technology into a strategic business partner. For more than 24 years, JP has been successfully fostering and managing IT business and strategy. 

He has been leveraging technology to digitally transform business, support profitable growth & minimize risk. Developed from his portfolio of business, technology and operations experience is his ability to advance the overall strategic direction of information technology in alignment with strategic business plans and identify Commercialization opportunities. His sharp focus on excellence is driven by his knowledge of client service and performance-based metrics. 

----- 

Ray Lipps is Executive Director, Cybersecurity & Risk at EY. Ray previously served in multiple executive leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citi, and most recently as CISO at Celgene. Ray has over 20 years of Global Information Security leadership experience with respect to the developing of people and Managing Risk in the fields of Information Technology, Information Security, Data Privacy, Business Resiliency, Business Continuity, Change Management, Technical Training, Project Management, Risk related Metrics Programs, Vendor Management, Corporate Outsourcing, Right Placement, and Audit / Compliance. He has held Global Information Security and IT related roles at Celgene, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Roche, Prudential Healthcare, Prudential Financial.

SHOW LESS

1. Growth of sports tech, eSports, betting; impact of crisis on sectors 

2. Raising funds and managing a startup during a downturn 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times 

Wayne is a sports tech venture capitalist, entrepreneur and author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. He is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, the venture capital company he founded in 1999, and invests in startup consumer facing tech companies in the sports tech, esports, and sports betting industries. 

Among the Fortune 500 companies that have acquired his portfolio companies are Aramark, Intel, IBM, Walgreens and Yahoo! Wayne and his team recently launched the SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group, which allows professional athletes to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports tech startups and entrepreneurs. The firm aims to bridge the gap between athletes, entrepreneurs, and investors by creating opportunities for athletes to become tech investors and for entrepreneurs to access the financial and social capital that professional athletes have to offer. 

SeventySix Capital also has a partnership with Rubicon Talent, a sports marketing and talent agency based in New York City. Wayne has been named a Top Innovator by Philadelphia Magazine and is on the Philadelphia Business Journal's Power 100 list. He is on the Board of Einstein Healthcare Network and was on the Board of Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. 

Wayne is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and the Delaware Law School. He is passionate about sports and working to make the world a better place. 

------- 

Ian Goldberg is the founder and CEO of iSport360. He is a sports dad, volunteer coach and CEO of a company that is keeping youth sports teams connected, active and strong during the COVID-19 crisis. Over 100,000 coaches, players and parents rely on the iSport360 virtual youth sports platform to build strong team communication, training and culture. 

Ian is a frequent speaker and thought leader on the topic of youth sports, and sits on the National Advisory Board for the National Alliance for Youth Sports. The Washington Post recently featured Ian and iSport360 in its story: "Youth sports teams take practices and locker rooms online during the pandemic”.

1. Managing stress

2. Olympic athletes and Tokyo 2020 challenges

3. Emotion detection and Emotional Intelligence

4. Tips to improve performance; avoiding Zoomitis

5. Psychological safety and productivity

6. Bonus: Online dating hack

Dr. King is the founder and director of BioPsychAnalytics and has a PhD in Human Behaviour and is an Emotional Intelligence and Performance under Stress expert. Jemma is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland School of Psychology and works as a specialist external advisor to McKinsey and Company. 

Jemma has consulted to the Australian Defence Force, Special Operations Command, the Centre for Australian Army Leadership, Australian Government Solicitors, the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australian Olympic Swim Team. Jemma has tailored a pre-deployment ‘Performance Optimisation Program’ for Special Operations Command based on Emotional Intelligence principles that has effectively displayed measurable improvements in behavioural, cognitive and performance-based outcomes. This formed part of Jemma’s Doctoral thesis on ‘Emotional Intelligence training as a Pre-emptive Approach to Stress in the Special Forces’. 

Jemma guest lectures in Leadership principles at the University of Sydney MBA program, and supervises two PhD students at the UQ School of Psychology on Executive Leadership, and US Army, ER doctors resilience projects using the WHOOP biometric capture device. Jemma is a reviewer for The Journal of Management Education.

She was an Associate Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at the University of Queensland Business School (courses included Leadership, Management Theory, Culture, Team Dynamics, Ethics, Motivation). Jemma also consults to large organisations and privately coaches many C-Suite executives from the Telecommunications, Legal, Defence, and Finance sectors. 

Her qualifications include Bachelor of Science, Majoring in Psychology, Bachelor of Business Management 1st Class Honours, and Doctor of Human Behaviour. She has also studied psycho-physiology, psychoneuroimmunology, endocrinology, neuroscience, anatomy, and medical microbiology. 

1. How the Corporate Venture Capital sector has weathered the pandemic

2. The outlook in CVC sector in short and medium term

3. Advice for entrepreneurs and innovators in these disruptive times

4. His experience relating to the invention and launch of a new board game

5. Answers to your questions

David is the Founder and CEO of Touchdown Ventures. Touchdown partners with leading corporations to manage their venture capital funds. Current Touchdown partners include Kellogg, T-Mobile, ScottsMiracleGro, TEGNA, Allegion, Avery Dennison, Colorcon, among many others. Prior to starting Touchdown Ventures, David was a founding partner and Managing Director at Comcast Ventures for nearly 15 years.

David joined Comcast Ventures in 2000 as one of the first employees of the venture capital group. David also helped start and was a partner at Genacast Ventures, a seed stage venture capital fund affiliated with Comcast Ventures. Prior to Comcast Ventures, David worked in investment banking at Bear Stearns. David also started South Jersey Tech Collective, a networking group of entrepreneurs and investors in South Jersey. David graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with highest honors from the University of Michigan.

David is also the inventor and publisher of Frequent Flyer, a new family board game which is available at www.frequentflyergame.com.

1. New product development in the female healthcare space 

2. Innovation at large and small healthcare companies 

3. Current state of funding and support for healthtech startups and female founders 

4. The road to inventing and launching a new product for women 

Rachel is a champion for women’s health and a pioneer in the space, where she has passionately focused on driving the conversation on the business of women’s sexual and reproductive health. Rachel works on women’s businesses “from the tops of their heads to the tips of their toes.” 

As head of SPARK Solutions for Growth, a strategic and marketing consultancy, she has built an international client list that includes J&J, Allergan, Pfizer, Merck, Bayer and Church & Dwight, as well as venture-backed start-ups. While leading Semprae Laboratories, Rachel and her team built a company that developed and marketed sexual health and wellness products for women - creating a new category and transforming women’s health. Semprae attracted significant media attention and industry interest and was sold to Innovus Pharmaceuticals in 2013. 

As a business builder and Vagipreneur®, she brings deep knowledge of menstruation, fertility, sexual disease prevention, birth control, pregnancy, menopause and incontinence to help brands and businesses grow. She has a best-selling book: Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Women’s Health and Wellness.

 ______ 

Dan is the CEO of Deliberate Innovation, a corporate innovation advisory and facilitation firm that works with highly regulated companies across the Fortune 500. Dan is also Co-Founder of Afterclean Inc., a women’s health, medical device start-up business that was founded in 2019 along with Dr. Michael Ingber. 

Dan is also the former Head of Pfizer’s World Wide Innovation group where he architected and led the Dare to Try program, one of the Fortune 100’s leading corporate innovation programs. Dan is a keynote speaker and author in the field of corporate innovation and a contributing writer for several journals. 

He is a trained moderator, creative problem solving (CPS) facilitator, Design Thinking (DT) coach and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). And when he is not working, Dan is a wrestling and soccer coach.

The Electric is owned by The Information. Sign up for the pilot: https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/the-electric 

Steve is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Foresight, Strategy and Risks Initiative, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Previously, Steve was a foreign correspondent for eighteen years in the former Soviet Union, Pakistan and the Philippines, running a bureau for The Wall Street Journal, and before that writing for The New York Times, the Financial Times and Newsweek. 

In recent years, Steve conceived and launched the Future newsletter at Axios, The Mobilist, a blog published at Medium, and before that was on the launch team at Quartz, where he was Washington Correspondent. 

Steve has written three books. The most recent is The Powerhouse: America, China and the Great Battery War, which was long-listed for the FT-McKinsey book-of-the-year prize in 2016. In 2007, Random House published The Oil and the Glory, which chronicled the struggle for fortune and power on the Caspian Sea. BusinessWeek magazine selected it as a Top 10 book for the year. In 2008, Random House published Putin's Labyrinth, a profile of Russia through the life and death of a half-dozen Russians. 

1. Kim and Abran's community leadership background 

2. State of the STEM talent pipeline 

3. What new initiatives are you excited about 

4. Trends and opportunities in 5G, AI, and VR/AR Kim Case is Vice-President of strategic communications firm, CN Communications. At CN, she provides consulting services in the areas of media relations, strategic communications, and association management. She also serves as Executive Director of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, CN’s client. In this role, Kim sets the Council’s overall agenda, advises its leadership on issues related to the Council’s mission of advancing excellence in STEM education and innovation in the state, and runs the day-to-day operations of the organization. 

Kim spearheaded the development of the Council’s STEM education initiative, the Governor’s STEM Scholars Program, a public private partnership with the State of New Jersey, as well as created New Jersey STEM Month, in partnership with the Governor’s Office and New Jersey State Legislature, to highlight the state’s STEM achievements. Kim leads the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network, a statewide strategic alliance striving for excellence in STEM education and workforce development across New Jersey. 

_____ 

Abran is the cofounder of Create Labs, a social impact AI developer and a GPT-3 Ambassador for OpenAI. He cofounded Create Labs Ventures to create new opportunities for the underserved community to gain access to cutting-edge technologies and enter the tech and media industries. 

Abran is the creator of C.L.Ai.R.A. an autonomous AI woman of color along with other intelligent virtual beings. He also manages Verizon's 5G EdTech Program, expanding 5G VR/AR solutions to hundreds of schools across the nation.

He also highlighted a neat product he recently designed for the fast-growing BBQ cooking space. With the firm since 2003, Rob passionately believes design has the power to positively impact people’s lives. 

His mission is to apply the right blend of research, psychology, creativity and strategy so that root causes are identified, allowing the best solution to be designed. Well-rounded solutions require multi-disciplinary input and collaboration. 

As a partner at MGA&D, Rob works with architects, interior designers, product designers, graphic designers, researchers and strategists all focused on one goal: enhancing the human experience at every scale. Great design is humanistic, familiar, accessible and intuitive.

1. Mike and Dom's entrepreneurial journeys 

2. Their outlooks for the regional business/entrepreneurial community 

3. What they have learned during the pandemic 

4. Advice for entrepreneurs 

Mike founded Trajectify, a leadership and business growth coaching firm, in 2013 and has worked with dozens of companies, leaders and entrepreneurs. 

His career was one of growing eight companies, from tech to telecom to food to automotive, both products and services from pre-revenue to $150M+. His passion to partner with and learn from great visionaries helped start and operate some diverse (and pretty cool) businesses. He co-founded healthy food company (Real Food Works) and a business incubator (Novotorium). He developed the e-commerce technology and operations at online music pioneer, CDNOW, later becoming CEO. 

After a decade in Silicon Valley where he helped build Verity (a pioneer in search engines, IPO and sold to Autonomy/HP) and KnowledgeSet (one of the first companies to put data on a CD), he returned to the Northeast and worked with Infonautics and Knite. These companies have often pioneered and innovated what at first didn't seem obvious. The result is Mike's ability to find and operationalize hidden opportunities, create growing revenue streams and build the organizations and management that deliver them. 

______ 

As the Founder + CEO of DotConnect™, Dom has a knack for uncovering talent. Within the core business of Talent Acquisition at DotConnect™, Dom leads our team through an introspective and thorough training course so that when they work with clients (like you!), they have the knowledge they need to execute the systems DotConnect™ is known for. 

As a Leader, Founder and Entrepreneur, Dom has an uncanny ability of uncovering talents’ potential -- and that’s why, after extensive personal development at the highest levels with thought leaders like Seth Godin, the women of Chief, and dozens of others, she has launched a professional certification program to help more Talent Advisors find their truest path through understanding their own growth, thereby accessing their fullest potential. 

The DotConnect™ Talent Acquisition Framework was developed by Dom to understand individuals’ values and help better align their professional lives with their personal passions so they can create a life that matters. 

Over the past 20 years, Dom has leveraged her passion for humans, her deep understanding of Talent Acquisition and combined the two to develop this strategic process that works wonders.

1. Linda and Andy's entrepreneurial journeys 

2. State of female and minority entrepreneurship in the region 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs 

Linda is the CEO of Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Force For Change NJ - initiatives created to commend entrepreneurs for their service, leadership, contribution to their communities and the state’s economic recovery. Linda has dedicated more than a decade of her career to the overall advancement of women and diversity efforts. Through Leading Women Entrepreneurs, Linda has created a national platform to showcase the efforts and accomplishments of some of the state’s most innovative and influential women entrepreneurs. She spent several years in publishing industry where she served as Vice President of Business Development and Associate Publisher for a professional women’s publication. 

In addition to writing feature articles on some of the most influential women in the state, her responsibilities focused on managing sales efforts, launching events and developing and implementing effective marketing campaigns. She has been recognized by many organizations, including 2019 NJBIZ Lifetime Achievement Award, the Boy Scouts of America and Fairleigh Dickinson University for her work for women.

-----

 Eustacio (Andy) Saldaña is the Executive Director of NY Tech Alliance, a non-profit organization that runs the largest Meetup group in the world, the NY Tech Meetup (NYTM). With over 60,000 members and a mission to build a more sustainable, diverse, and equitable technology industry for all New Yorkers, the organization sits at the center of the NY Tech ecosystem. He is also a co-founder of QueerTech, a non-profit based in Montreal focused on empowering, connecting, and increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and technologists. 

Most recently, Andy was named to Crain’s New York Business 2020 Notable LGBTQ Leaders and Executives list, and in 2019, was named to the Tech Power 50 in New York’s technology community by City & State, the leading media company covering government and politics in New York. He is a strong advocate for increased diversity, access, and all-around inclusion in tech, but above all, he enjoys cultivating connections and all of the conversations that evolve.

1. Ryan's entrepreneurial journey 

2. Wunderkind vision and the outlook in the sector 

3. What he has learned during pandemic 

4. Advice for entrepreneurs 

Ryan is the Co-Founder and CEO at Wunderkind, formerly known as BounceX – the leader in cloud-based behavioral marketing and the fastest growing software company in America. In 2015 he was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. 

In the same year, under his leadership, Bounce Exchange was ranked number one overall for both employee retention and career development by ComputerWorld, named one of the best places to work in NYC by Crain’s New York and honored as one of Fortune’s best places to work. 

A veteran of the ecommerce space, Ryan was formerly Director of Acquisition at Bonobos and prior to that, Brickhouse Security. He has served on the advisory boards of both BabyAge.com and Bonobos. 

Ryan holds an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and spends most of his free time working on the behavior of his dog – Telemundo.

1. The state of the nonprofit sector 

2. The state of the news and media sector 

3. What innovations have occurred due to the pandemic 

4. Resources and post pandemic forecasts for communities and economy 

John co-founded the non-profit news site NJ Spotlight in 2009 on the belief that New Jersey needed an independent news and information source that focused on public policy and politics. NJ Spotlight has since grown to be among New Jersey’s most respected public affairs news sites, partnering with much of the major media in the state and winning state, national and international awards for journalistic excellence. 

In 2019, it was acquired by WNET Public Media and joined forces with the former NJTV News to become NJ Spotlight News. Before NJ Spotlight, John covered education in New Jersey for 15 years as a reporter for The Newark Star-Ledger and The Bergen Record and as a contributing writer for The New York Times. 

He continues to be a regular guest on New Jersey public media, including WHYY and WNYC public radio. He himself has won numerous state and national awards, including honors from the Education Writers Association and the American Society of News Editors. John speaks regularly at conferences and other events regarding new media, education, and politics. 

_____ 

Linda is President & CEO of the Center for Non-Profits, New Jersey's statewide umbrella association for the charitable community. The Center strengthens charities individually and collectively through advocacy, public education, management and compliance assistance, and membership services. Linda’s non-profit sector experience spans over 30 years, and includes expertise in public policy, analysis, research, compliance and management. 

She speaks frequently to the media, non-profit, philanthropic and business leaders, and government officials regarding the size, strength, economic and social contributions of New Jersey’s non-profit sector and current and emerging trends facing the non-profit community; and has successfully mobilized broad-based coalitions of non-profits around numerous advocacy issues. 

She is a public policy committee member and former board treasurer of the National Council of Nonprofits, and also serves on the New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service, and the Leadership and Policy Committee of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.

Jeff serves on the boards of companies in the US, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Africa, and Asia. He supports entrepreneurs and small businesses worldwide. He is the Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, which works with entrepreneurs in 180 countries, as well as being a founding board member of The Unreasonable Group, whose startup companies have operations in 185 countries and have raised over $4 billion in funding. He is also the Global Chairman of Dream Tank, a worldwide youth problem solving network. Jeff supports the White House, the State Department, United Nations, and similar organizations internationally on economic growth initiatives and entrepreneurship programs. 

---- 

Sean is the founder and managing partner of SOSV which has invested in over 900 startups, investing about $65 million per year in the 150 startups that go through its global accelerators annually which help create over $2 billion in new market capitalization every year. Recognized in 2017 as the world’s #1 most active global early stage investor and the #2 most active global seed investor*, SOSV’s accelerator model takes a small initial stake in startups and provides a framework and community where startups get further and faster than they could on their own. SOSV runs the world’s most active accelerators in hardware (HAX), life sciences (IndieBio/RebelBio), disruptive food (Food-X), and Asia cross-border startups (Chinaccelerator/MOX). As of 2019, SOSV is in the top 6% of venture capitalists globally based on return an investment (returns over 20 years average 38% Net IRR). 

O’Sullivan’s first company, MapInfo, grew to a $200 million public company with over 1,000 employees, and popularized street mapping on computers. His first internet company, NetCentric, developed many concepts in internet computing, and he is credited as the co-creator of the term “cloud computing”. Sean founded JumpStart International, a leading humanitarian organization in conflict zones, in the 2000s, where he oversaw over 3,500 staff at the height of the organization during the Iraq conflict. He is also a primary supporter of such organizations such as Coderdojo (a global network of coding clubs that 50,000 kids attend every week) and Khan Academy (used by 15 million students to learn every month). He’s on the board Khan Academy, I-ASC, and a number of private companies. 
 

1. How the entrepreneurial community is faring 

2. Investment outlook in the short and medium term 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times 

Joanne is a Principal at Newark Venture Partners, an early-stage venture fund that invests in Pre-seed to Series A stage B2B technology companies. A core mission of the fund is to establish Newark as an emerging tech hub. As Principal, Joanne leads the fund’s direct investment strategy focusing on the sourcing and diligence of potential deals and on-going portfolio management. 

She is also co-founder of a Newark-based social enterprise, called Locus Labs, aimed at expanding community access to digital manufacturing technology. Joanne was previously an investment banking Associate at JPMorgan, and a TeachForAmerica corps member in NYC. Joanne has a M. Ed from Hunter College and a BA in Economics from Barnard. 

____ 

Rudy has served as a senior executive, entrepreneur, educator and investor. He is the founder and CEO of the consulting firm, Valmar & Associates, LLC which provides management advisory services in sustainability, business development and strategy. He has over 30 years of experience in diverse management and consulting roles with large global firms (IBM, Ernst &Young, and Accenture) as well as guiding multiple entrepreneurial start-ups. 

Rudy retired as a partner with the global professional services firm, Accenture. His consulting clients have included major corporations in the Communications and Hi-Tech Industry. More recently, Rudy has developed entrepreneurial opportunities in Brazil. Rudy has also advised multiple emerging companies and non-profits on informal boards and foundations.

1. Loneliness and related health issues

2. How much has it increased during pandemic? What demographics have been affected?

3. What the effect is on our economy and society

4. Programs and resources available

5. Answers to your questions

Dr. Julie Ancis is Professor and Director of Cyberpsychology at NJIT. Prior to this position, she served as the AVP for Institute Diversity at the Georgia Tech and faculty member at the School of Psychology. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 17 and 35). Her extensive scholarly publications include four books, over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports, and hundreds of professional presentations focused on issues of diversity, psychology and technology, multicultural competence, and the legal system. In addition, she has received 6 million dollars in grant funding.

Dr. Julie Ancis is an internationally known expert in the area of diversity. She has developed and conducts workshops on implicit bias, intercultural and multicultural competence and women’s leadership programs. Dr. Ancis has presented at conferences and forums around the world.

_____

Amy Hoch, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York. She is the Associate Director of the Wellness Center at Rowan University where she oversees clinical services; facilitates staff development and training and continues to provide individual and group therapy to students and supervision to staff. She is co-chair of the Sexual Violence Prevention Committee on campus and an advocate for violence awareness and prevention in the community.

Dr. Hoch is a past Chairperson of the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) Safety and Violence Coalition and sat on their Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force. In addition, she is a certified Trauma Focused CBT trainer and provides training, consultation and supervision on trauma-related issues both nationally and internationally.

* WSJ - Pandemic Loneliness Is Hitting Young Adults Especially Hard

New research shows rampant loneliness among Americans, with young adults and mothers among the most vulnerable. Here are ways to help.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused another kind of pervasive affliction, Harvard researchers say: loneliness.

More than one-third of 950 Americans reported feeling lonely at least “frequently” in the previous four weeks, according to a newly released survey by researchers at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, conducted in October. That’s higher than the quarter of respondents who recalled feeling serious loneliness in the two months before the pandemic, and 28% of respondents said they had experienced increases in the frequency of their loneliness. Young adults and mothers felt especially isolated, the survey reported.

Social disruption has hit people in myriad ways: A college student living back at home may feel disconnected from their normal social life, while an overworked parent may feel detached from their usual support system. And even people managing to cultivate an active Zoom-led social life may still feel disconnected.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-loneliness-is-hitting-young-adults-especially-hard-11614104792

1. The state of the cleantech and renewables sectors 

2. The WeSolar story and outlook 

3. Funding programs/resources available from the state and federal levels 

4. Guidance for entrepreneurs and innovators in these challenging times 

Judith is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission of Science, Innovation and Technology. The Commission's mission is to accelerate economic development in New Jersey through science, innovation and technology including stimulating academic-industrial collaboration and encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs and inventors. Previously she was involved with regional economic and cluster development having responsibilities at the NJII @ NJIT for the HealthIT Connections entrepreneurial cluster development program and the NJIT I-Corps Site. She is a member of the NJ –Israel Commission and serves on the Board of Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation, StartUp Newark, Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corporation, Einstein’s Alley, SheTek and NJEDA Tech Advisory Board, working to assist early stage tech and life sciences entrepreneurs foster regional economic growth. 

_____ 

Steve is the co-founder and chief executive of WeSolar CSP Inc. and is a thought leading voice in today's renewable energy industry. He has used his experience having spent decades on WallStreet as a business leader to impact and help reduce the global carbon footprint. His experience gives him the natural ability to manage complex initiatives from concept to funding including successful product launches. Steve has worked with global heads, governments and industry to develop disruptive , transformational energy solutions. He has held various leadership positions at JPMorgan, UBS, GE Capital, DTC, Wipro Technologies and Virtusa Inc. Steve earned an Executive MBA from Rutgers University Business School.

1. Richard's background and his impact on population health worldwide 

2. Progress on the COVID-19 response - vaccines and treatments 

3. Concerns about inequity in relation to the pandemic 

4. Programs that are addressing these challenges 

Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, Richard Marlink, MD, has worked to establish HIV/AIDS research, training, and clinical care programs in the United States and abroad. He was instrumental in setting up the first HIV/AIDS clinic in Boston, and in the mid-1980s in Senegal, he was part of the team of Senegalese, French, and American researchers who discovered evidence for and then studied the disease outcomes of the second type of human AIDS virus, HIV-2. 

Previously at Harvard, Marlink helped create two partnerships with the government of Botswana: the 1996 Botswana-Harvard Partnership with the Harvard AIDS Initiative, where he was executive director, and the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships, a public-private partnership with the government of Botswana that was launched in 2000 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates and Merck foundations. Also in 2000, Marlink founded the Kitso AIDS Training Program, which would become Botswana’s national AIDS training program. Kitso means “knowledge” in the local Setswana language. Marlink was the principal investigator for “The Tshepo Study,” the first large-scale antiretroviral treatment study in southern Africa, funded by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s Secure the Future initiative. His research in the region also includes clinical and epidemiological evaluations to help determine how antiretroviral treatment and national treatment programs can best be accomplished in Africa. 

Since 2000, programs he has created and/or led have trained tens of thousands of health care workers and helped establish national programs on the care, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS in several African countries. Following the 2003 launch of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat global HIV/AIDS, the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history, Marlink was Botswana’s country director for the Botswana-Harvard PEPFAR effort. 

In addition, while serving as scientific director and vice president for implementation at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, he was principal investigator of Project HEART, another PEPFAR Track 1.0 effort in five African countries. 

Project HEART began in 2004 and by 2011 had placed more than one million people living with HIV into clinical care sites in Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. More than 565,000 were placed on life-saving antiretroviral treatment.

1. How the entrepreneurial community is faring

2. Investment outlook in the short and medium term

3. Advice for entrepreneurs

Lyneir is an entrepreneur working to empower urban entrepreneurs and strengthen economic conditions in ethnic and underserved areas across the US. He wears multiple hats, investing in commercial real estate, educating and advising urban entrepreneurs and MBA students, and structuring deals that increase resources for urban entrepreneurs.

Lyneir is the ED of the Center for Urban Entrep. and Econ. Dev. and an Asst Prof of Prof Practice at RBS.

_____

Serge Loncar is an angel investor and digital health entrepreneur. Most recently he was the Head of Patient Engagement at OptimizeRx (NDQ: OPRX) which in 2018 acquired CareSpeak, the company Serge founded in 2011. At OPRX he led the commercialization of the Patient Engagement biz serving pharma, specialty pharmacies, hospital systems, health plans and med device cos.

Prior to CareSpeak, he was at Songbird Hearing and cdnow.com, with exits to P&G & Bertelsmann.

1. How the local and national startup ecosystem is faring during this crisis 

2. Investment outlook in short and medium term 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times 

4. Vroom IPO 

Jay Bhatti is a founding venture partner with BrandProject Capital. Jay is also an active angel investor in New Jersey start-ups. Due to Jay’s work in the startup community in New Jersey, Jay was nominated for Venture Capitalist of the Year in New Jersey in 2017 by the New Jersey Tech Council. Jay has given a TEDxAsburyPark talk on innovation and has been featured in various publications such as Time Magazine, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur Magazine, ABC News, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, World News, and the Financial Times. 

Prior to BrandProject, Jay was the co-founder of spock.com, the leading social search engine in the world based in the heart of Silicon Valley. Spock raised over $10m in venture funding and powered search for leading social networks like bebo, hi5, friendster and tagged. 

---- 

Brian Smiga is the co-founding partner at Alpha Venture Partners, an innovative late-stage venture fund that invests growth capital in category-leading technology companies sourced from a network of 400+ early stage venture firms. Brian also serves as an advisor to Pritzker Group Venture Capital, a twenty-year old venture firm that’s invested in 200+ technology companies. He is founder of TEDxAsburyPark, the largest TED conference on the east coast. 

Prior to Alpha Venture Partners, Brian was the CEO and founder of Preclick, (sold to Smilebox), where he developed popular photo software licensed worldwide by HP, 3M, Sandisk, Walmart, Costco, CVS, and Walgreens. Prior to Preclick, Mr. Smiga was CEO at 3Path, (sold to Cadmus), an Intel and Goldman-Sachs backed early “Dropbox”, and the SVP of Product & Marketing at 1ClickCharge, an early “Paypal”, where his leadership resulted in a profitable exit to CMGi.

1. Her entrepreneurial story 

2. Her LinkedIn insights: how can leaders leverage the platform 

3. How young and mature business professionals should utilize social media platforms to benefit their career 

4. Clubhouse: what's all the hype about 

Judi hit 3 million views in 2018 on LinkedIn and has been featured in INC.com, VidSummit, Social Media Week, Video Marketing World, People of Video, Broadcast Your Authority, Authentic Leadership Summit and more. 

With over 18 years experience, Judi developed the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method, which she implements with her clients to achieve visibility, invitations to Top 100 podcasts, PR Features including Forbes, BBC News, Thrive, and get inbound business from clients hitting millions of views on LinkedIn.

1. Martin's entrepreneurial story

2. His leadership insights - how can entrepreneurs become better leaders? 

3. Insights about ecosystem development 

4. What can cities, regions and countries learn from his experience 

As founder and 20 year CEO of TriNet [NYSE: TNET], Martin was a beneficiary of Silicon Valley‘s entrepreneur supportive ecosystem in ways he didn’t fully appreciate until returning to live in his home area of Upstate New York. 

That region’s low rate of startup formation prompted him to launch not for profit Upstate Venture Connect in 2010 helping high growth company founders connect with people and resources needed for success. UVC’s organically built network of more than 17,000 people have helped accelerate startup formation, funding and growth across a broad geography encompassing 7 metro areas. 

In 2018 he founded non profit Entrepreneurs Across Borders to identify, curate and connect emerging entrepreneurs in impoverished areas with resources needed to create jobs, sustainable livelihoods and equitable growth, beginning with Jamaica as the pilot country. 

In addition to not for profit leadership and serving on TriNet’s Board, Mr. Babinec is Founder/Managing Director of UpVentures Capital and Co-Founder/Chairman of StartFast Venture Accelerator which together have combined for more than 75 seed stage investments in emerging technology companies. 

He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and past recipient of SVBJ Silicon Valley Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

1. How global entrepreneurs are: 

- Creators rather than disruptors 

- Weave sustainability and resilience into the business model from the start 

- Are Born Global and Distributed 

2. Why their lessons are more valuable than ever 

Alex Lazarow has spent his career working at the intersection of investing, innovation, and economic development in the private, public, and social sectors. He just published, Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs - from Delhi to Detroit - Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley (Amazon). 

He is a venture capitalist with Cathay Innovation, a global firm that invests across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Previously, Alex worked with Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm that has invested over a billion dollars in hundreds of startups around the world. 

He has served as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company, a financial regulator with the Bank of Canada, and an M&A investment banker with the Royal Bank of Canada. Alex is an adjunct professor specializing in impact investment and entrepreneurship at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. 

He is a Kauffman Fellow, CFA Charterholder, and a Stephen M. Kellen Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Comm from the University of Manitoba. Alex is a regular columnist with Forbes, and his writing has been featured in the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Business Insider, and Insurance CIO Outlook magazine, among others. 

He speaks regularly on global innovation trends and has presented at Collision, Endeavor, InsureTech Connect, Harvard Business School, the Social Innovation Summit, SOCAP, and the Corporate Venture Capital Summit.

1. How small businesses are responding during crisis 

2. What strategies can entrepreneurs implement now 

3. What support programs can they take advantage of 

Panelists: 

Susan Scherreik, Founding Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University 

Susan joined Seton Hall University in 2003 as the Founding Director of the Stillman School of Business Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. She created the Seton Hall University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, the $16K Pirates Pitch Startup contest, and the Pirates Pitch for High School Students contest, which offers $50K in scholarships and prizes. Most recently, Scherreik launched the Pirates Launch Pad summer accelerator program and Seton Hall’s summer Entrepreneur Boot Camp. She was named a Top 25 Leading Woman Entrepreneur of NJ in 2016. She was a judge in the EY Entrepreneur of Year Comp./NJ for seven years. Scherreik is the founder of UPitchNJ, a statewide business competition that involves 14 NJ universities. 

Suresh Kumar, Professor of Practice and Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Programs, Ying Wu College of Computing, New Jersey Institute of Technology 

Suresh is a Deloitte Fast 50 and 5-time INC 500 ranked serial entrepreneur, who is also immersed in academics and policy development in entrepreneurship. He has a doctoral degree in the area of high-growth immigrant entrepreneurship and is an expert in the Lean Startup methodology for scaling startups and in the area building sustainable innovation and economic ecosystem builder. Most recently he served as a member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship sub-committee of the Joe Biden campaign. Currently, Suresh serves as Professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

Dale Caldwell, Executive Director, Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Fairleigh Dickinson University 

Dr. Caldwell is a professor and the executive director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). He is leading the Institute’s efforts to support, promote and research family, veteran and student entrepreneurship. In addition, Dr. Caldwell is the host of the TV show Family Business World (www.FamilyBusinessWorld.com). His research focus is on entrepreneurship, job creation and public policy. Dr. Caldwell’s professional experience includes being the CEO of the management consulting firm Strategic Influence LLC, senior manager at Deloitte Consulting, founding executive director of the Newark Alliance and deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. 

Anne-Marie Maman, Executive Director, Princeton Entrepreneurship Council, Princeton University Anne-Marie is the Executive Director of Princeton Entrepreneurship Council. 

PEC works to engage and educate Princeton-connected entrepreneurs of all levels, both on campus and in locations around the world. We focus on collaborative programming, mentoring and funding in a way that educates, engages and inspires. Our portfolio includes multiple conferences, an advisory platform for entrepreneurs seeking guidance, a seed venture fund, alumni/faculty forum, networking sessions, a wetlab/drylab incubator, and educational programming for faculty, grad student and postdocs. PEC also supports Princeton University in its outreach to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Anne-Marie is an entrepreneur who founded three companies; one improving bedside catheter placements, one detecting early signs of hemorrhagic shock, and the third working in real-time detection of bacteria.

1. Raising funds and managing staff/payroll during a downturn 

2. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times 

3. Answers to questions 

Mario is an entrepreneur and active angel investor. In 2007, he founded Casabona Ventures, investing in over 30 seed and early stage companies and Venture Funds. In 2011, he founded TechLaunch New Jersey’s first Technology Business Accelerator, committed to identifying and nurturing early stage tech ventures by mentoring, coaching, and providing access to resources and capital. To date, TechLaunch has supported over 75 tech companies and mentored over 150 budding entrepreneurs. 

Mario is Chairman Emeritus of Jumpstart NJ Angel Network and Chairman Emeritus of the R&D Council of New Jersey. In 1982, he founded and was Chairman of Electro-Radiation Inc. (ERI), which was acquired by Honeywell Aerospace Group in 2004. ERI was a developer of Radar, Navigation and Communications equipment for the National and International Defense industry. 

Most recently, Mario was featured in ROI-NJ Influencers Power List 2020: Technology. He was awarded the Small Business Administration (SBA) National Tibbett’s Award for his contributions in technology, and was listed as one of the top five most influential persons in New Jersey technology by The Star-Ledger. In 2014 he was named NJ’s Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year. He was twice recognized by the New Jersey Technology Council, first in 2013 as the recipient of their Legend of Technology Award and in 2010,he received their Financier of the Year Award. 

He currently serves on the Boards of various for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He is often quoted in mainstream media and trade outlets, and enjoys being a frequent guest speaker and panelist at University and Professional events.

1. The battle against COVID and the progress on vaccines and treatments 

2. The state of innovation in biotech and pharma industries 

3. Forecasts for healthcare in 2021 and beyond 

Fred is a Director with the private equity firm, Warburg Pincus. He is also a Board member of Amgen, Intrexon, Modernizing Medicine, Theramex and Vertice. Fred is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Schering-Plough Corporation. P

rior to joining Schering-Plough in April 2003, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacia Corporation – a company that was formed in March 2000 as a result of the merger of Monsanto and Pharmacia and Upjohn. Hassan joined Pharmacia & Upjohn as Chief Executive Officer in 1997. 

Previously, Hassan was Executive Vice President of Wyeth, with responsibility for its pharmaceutical and medical products business. He was elected to Wyeth's Board of Directors in 1995. Earlier in his career, Hassan spent 17 years with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis) and headed its U.S. pharmaceuticals business. 

Hassan received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Hassan has chaired significant pharmaceutical industry organizations including The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA). 

Fred's book, "Reinvent - A Leader's Playbook for Serial Success," was published in 2013 by Wiley and has been discussed in many global organizations including the World Bank. In 2014, a CNBC panel named Hassan to a list of those who have had the most profound impact on the world of business in the previous quarter century.

1. His experience transforming his March 21st Social Media into a successful virtual event 

2. How to leverage social media platforms and digital tools to achieve mission 

3. General advice for nonprofit leaders and organizations in these challenging times 

4. Took answers to your questions 

Sree is the inaugural Marshall Loeb Visiting Professor of Digital Innovation at Stony Brook School of Journalism. During the Covid19 crisis, he's hosting a daily global conversation with experts: http://bit.ly/sreecovid19call 

Sree is a leading social and digital media consultant and trainer, working with nonprofits, startups, companies and executives around the world. He has served as Chief Digital Officer of New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Columbia University (where he was a full-time professor of journalism for 20+ years). He has also been a paid on-air tech expert for the three largest news stations in NYC. 

He taught a course on entrepreneurship at Columbia for four years with Ken Lerer, the co-founder of Huffington Post, chairman of Buzzfeed and co-founder of venture firm LererHippeau. Sree is the creator of three popular social media learning opportunities that have been attended by thousands of attendees in NYC, several U.S. cities and more than a dozen countries: Social Media Weekend, Social Media Day and Social Media One-Night Stand. Join Sree's Sunday Note newsletter with tech, social and life tips: http://bit.ly/sreenote. And join his FB Group, Sree's Advanced Social Media: http://bit.ly/sreefbadvanced 

In 2015, Fast Company named him one of the 100 most creative people in business and in 2010, he was named one of the 35 most influential people in social media by the Poynter Institute. In 2014, he was named most influential CDO by CDO Club. 

His new NYT guide to social media: http://bit.ly/nyt2017 

His social media FB group: http://bit.ly/sreefbadvanced 

His five TEDx talks: http://bit.ly/sreetedxvideos. 

Twitter: @sree: http://twitter.com/sree 

Email: sree@sree.net

1. His entrepreneurial journey 

2. How the pandemic has affected ecommerce and his company 

3. What he sees in the online shopping sector in the near and medium term 

4. Advice for entrepreneurs during this downturn 

Jeffrey Braverman received his BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as an analyst at the Blackstone Group. As a freshman in college, he started what was to become Nuts.com. Jeff is Chief Nut of Nuts.com and Kopper’s Chocolate. 

He is an entrepreneur at heart, with several businesses on the side, including restaurants and swim schools for kids. With four children 8 years old and younger, Jeff is busy, but genuinely believes in working hard to do good in this world.

1. State of Innovation in COVID-19 Era 

2. Importance of innovation now and in the near term 

3. How can we spot inflection points 

Rita Gunther McGrath is a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, and a longtime professor at Columbia Business School. She is widely recognized as a premier expert on leading innovation and growth during times of uncertainty. Rita has received the #1 achievement award for strategy from the prestigious Thinkers50 and has been consistently named one of the world’s Top 10 management thinkers in its bi-annual ranking. 

As a consultant to CEOs, her work has had a lasting impact on the strategy and growth programs of Fortune 500 companies worldwide. Rita is the author of the best-selling The End of Competitive Advantage (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). Her new book is Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). 

She has written three other books, including Discovery Driven Growth, cited by Clayton Christensen as creating one of the most important management ideas ever developed. She is a highly sought-after speaker at exclusive corporate events around the globe, such as the Global Peter Drucker Forum. 

She received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and has degrees with honors from Barnard College and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. Follow Rita on Twitter @rgmcgrath. For more information, visit RitaMcGrath.com.

1. His research into Natural Killer Cells to fight COVID-19 

2. Where we are in the war against the virus 

3. The strides Celularity is making toward increasing human longevity 

This event has been organized by Frank D'Souza and James Barrood. Dr. Hariri is an accomplished surgeon, biomedical scientist, and serial entrepreneur in two technology sectors, biomedicine and aerospace. He is the chairman, founder, and chief executive officer of Celularity, Inc., one of the world's leading human cellular therapeutics companies. 

Dr. Hariri was the founder and CEO of Anthrogenesis Corporation, and after its acquisition by Celgene Corporation, served as CEO of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics. Dr. Hariri also co-founded the genomic-based health intelligence company, Human Longevity, Inc. Dr. Hariri has served on numerous public boards including Cryoport (NASDAQ:CYRX). 

Dr. Hariri pioneered the use of stem cells to treat a range of life-threatening human diseases and continues today to make transformative contributions in the fields of immuno-oncology and cell therapeutics along with tissue engineering and functional regeneration. He is widely acknowledged for his discovery of pluripotent stem cells derived from the human placenta, and as a member of the team that discovered the physiological activities of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). 

Dr. Hariri and his team of scientists were the first to obtain FDA approval to use its cryopreserved allogeneic, off-the-shelf Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy to treat COVID-19 infected adults. He holds over 170 issued and pending patents for discoveries including placenta-derived stem cells, which Nature recognized as one of the ten most important patent estates in the field. He has authored over 150 published chapters, articles, and abstracts. 

Dr. Hariri was the recipient of the Pontifical Medal for Innovation awarded by Pope Francis in 2018 for his discovery of placental stem cells and advances in immunotherapy and regenerative medicine. Dr. Hariri twice received the Thomas Alva Edison Award for invention, in 2007 and 2011, and is a recipient of the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation’s Fred J. Epstein Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Hariri was recipient of the Genius of New Jersey Award in 2019 and over the years has received numerous other honors for his many contributions to the fields of biomedicine and aviation. 

Dr. Hariri is an Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery and member of the Board of Overseers of the Weill Cornell Medical College and a former member of the board of visitors of the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Science & Technology Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

He is a member of the X PRIZE Foundation scientific advisory board for the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics. Dr. Hariri is a trustee and vice-chair of the Liberty Science Center. In 2010 he was appointed a Commissioner of Cancer Research by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

1. How to lead in a time of great uncertainty 

2. Raising funds and managing teams during a downturn 

3. What he's seeing in biotech and biopharma sectors 

Francois Nader, MD, is a leading value builder in the biopharma industry. Dr. Nader currently serves as chairman of Acceleron Pharma (XLRN), Prevail Therapeutics (PRVL) and Talaris Therapeutics; and board director of Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) and Moderna (MRNA). Previously, Dr. Nader was President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of NPS Pharma from 2008 to 2015. 

During his tenure as CEO, Dr. Nader transformed NPS Pharma into a leading global biotechnology company focused on delivering innovative therapies to patients with rare diseases. The company was acquired by Shire for $5.2B in 2015. Dr. Nader won the Ernst and Young National Life Science Entrepreneur of the Year® award in 2013. Before NPS, Dr. Nader was a venture partner at Care Capital. 

Prior, he served on the North America Leadership Team of Aventis and its predecessor companies holding a number of executive positions including senior vice-president, integrated healthcare markets and North America medical and regulatory affairs. Previously, he led the global commercial operations at the Pasteur Vaccins’ division of Rhone-Poulenc. 

Dr. Nader is past chairman of BioNJ, New Jersey’s biotechnology trade organization and has served on the board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and as independent director of Clementia Pharmaceuticals (CMTA) acquired by IPSEN for $1.2B in 2019, Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAAP) acquired by Novartis for $3.9B in 2018, Baxalta (BXLT) acquired by Shire for $32B in 2016, Trevena (TRVN) and Noven (NOVN) acquired by Hisamitsu for $459M in 2009. 

Dr. Nader earned his French Doctorate in Medicine from St. Joseph University (Lebanon) and his Physician Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee.

1. The story behind WHOOP's success 

2. How wearables can improve health and athletic/business performance 

3. State of the healthtech sector and how COVID has affected it 

4. Advice for entrepreneurs and business leaders 

As Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP, Kristen Holmes drives thought leadership by engaging with industry leading researchers and partners to better understand individual and team biometric and performance data across high stakes verticals. 

Kristen also works with hundreds of the best tactical, professional, surgical teams, and NCAA Athletes/Teams in the world helping them interpret WHOOP data to optimize training, recovery, and sleep behavior. 

--- 

Justin has 15+ years in the Sport Performance, Sport Science, Health, Nutrition & Fitness field. He spent the first 12 years honing his craft as a performance and recovery specialist for various teams in the NCAA, NHL, AHL, and developed a prestigious camp called The Hockey Summit where professional hockey players would come and level up using the data backed and personalized systems to optimize themselves for the season. 

Two years ago Justin took his systems and tactics to some of the most powerful CEOs in the world to be able to optimize their bodies and minds using data, DNA and metrics, to help them play their game and not the gurus. 

He has written three books on mindset, body development & fitness that have been Amazon best sellers for their category. His ability to take complex strategies and turn them into simple processes is highlighted in his work. His passion has always been to help people. Justin has devised a plan that I want to share with the world, directly or through others.

1. His entrepreneurial journey

2. How the pandemic has affected ecommerce and his company

3. What he sees in the online shopping sector in the near and medium term

4. Advice for entrepreneurs during this downturn

Chieh is Co-Founder and CEO of Boxed.com, a company that is disrupting the wholesale shopping club experience by enabling you to shop for bulk-sized items online or via mobile app and have them delivered directly to your door. Forbes Magazine has named Boxed one of the next “billion dollar startups.”

Started in Huang’s garage 5 years ago, Boxed now has hundreds of employees in facilities all over the United States. Since the garage, the company has sold hundreds of millions of dollars of products and has raised over a quarter billion dollars in funding to date. Huang’s personal honors include being named to “Bloomberg 50”, Bloomberg Businessweek’s 50 people to watch in 2018, to National Retail Federation’s list of People Shaping Retail’s Future, as one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and Goldman Sachs’ list of “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.” In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine included Chieh on their list of “The 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs.”

You can read more about Chieh’s story in People Magazine’s profile of him for their “American Dream” series, tracking his growth from humble beginnings to running a fast-growing online retailer. You can also catch more of him at TED.com delivering a talk about his lifelong battle against micromanagers.

1. Her entrepreneurial journey

2. How the pandemic has affected the startup community

3. Why she started her new venture, AboveBoard

4. Advice for entrepreneurs during this downturn

5. Answers to your questions

Lucinda is Founder/CEO of AboveBoard, an inclusive network for executive hiring. She also serves as a director at ThriveTRM, a SaaS platform for executive recruiters, and WireSecure, which secures wire transactions. In her 25-year career as a technology CEO, Lucinda founded and/or led venture capital-backed technology companies including Monetate (acquired by Vista,) ClickEquations (acquired by Channel Intelligence,) and TurnTide (acquired by Symantec).

She has served on numerous for and not for profit boards. Lucinda has won numerous awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Philadelphia, and was one of Consulting Magazine's 25 Most Influential Consultants for her work with financial services clients.

She is also an Eisenhower Fellow. Lucinda has a BA from University of Pennsylvania, where she played basketball, and an MBA from the Wharton School. She attended the Aspen Seminar, Outward Bound, and the National Outdoor Leadership School.

1. How schools are managing remote learning during pandemic 

2. The challenges ahead for teachers, parents and students if crisis persists 

3. What innovations in educational technology he's excited about 

4. Future education trends 

As the Chief Education Evangelist at Google, Jaime evangelizes the potential of digitalization as an enabling capability in pursuit of promoting inquiry-based learning models. He collaborates with school systems, educational organizations, and leaders focused on building innovation into our education policies and practices.

In addition to his role at Google, Jaime serves as an advisor to dozens of organizations focused on learning, skill development, and the future of work. He is the coauthor of “Our First Talk About Poverty,” as a way to talk to children about poverty. Jaime helped launch the Phoenix Coding Academy, a public high school in Phoenix, AZ, focused on computer science as part of an inquiry-based learning model. 

He teaches a 10th-grade communication class at the school. He also guest lectures at Arizona State University. He speaks on education, digitalization, innovation, generation z, and the future of work at events around the world. 

You can follow and reach him on Twitter at @jcasap and watch his YouTube career advice videos at www.youtube.com/jaimecasap.

1. His entrepreneurial journey

2. Changes in the recycling industry and how company has pivoted

3. Loop and how it will impact our world

4. Advice for entrepreneurs during this downturn

Tom is founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams. TerraCycle operates in 21 countries, working with some of the world’s  largest brands, retailers and manufacturers to create national platforms to recycle products and  packaging that currently go to landfill or incineration.

TerraCycle is the lead company in a new circular shopping platform called Loop that enables  consumers to shop for some of their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. Launched in  May 2019, Loop is a key step in helping to end the epidemic of waste that is caused by 'single-use' consumption.

Tom and TerraCycle have received hundreds of social, environmental and business awards and  recognition from a range of organizations including the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Schwab Foundation, Fortune Magazine, Time Magazine and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Tom is the author of four books, “Revolution in a Bottle” (2009), “Outsmart Waste” (2014), “Make  Garbage Great” (2015) and “The Future of Packaging” (2019). Tom created, produced and starred in TerraCycle’s reality show, “Human Resources” which aired on Pivot from 2014-2016 and is  syndicated in more than 20 foreign markets on Amazon and iTunes.

American veterans face a number of challenges in the country today - from chronic homelessness to mental health issues and PTSD to a chaotic and understaffed VA. While technology has evolved to keep up with the needs of the United States military, the same change and care for veterans are often regarded as lagging behind. Dr. David Shulkin, who served as the United States Secretary for Veteran’s Affairs in the Trump Administration from February 2017 until March 2018, and before that as Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health in the Obama Administration, joined us for a candid discussion about the policy and politics of veterans’ affairs. 

As Secretary, Dr. David Shulkin represented the 21 million American veterans and was responsible for the nation’s largest integrated health care system with over 1,200 sites of care, serving over 9 million Veterans. Prior to coming to VA, Secretary Shulkin was a widely respected healthcare executive having served as chief executive of leading hospitals and health systems including Beth Israel in New York City and Morristown Medical Center. As an entrepreneur, Secretary Shulkin founded and served as the Chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality and has served on boards of managed care companies, technology companies, and health care organizations. 

Secretary Shulkin is the University of Pennsylvania Leonard Davis Institute Distinguished Health Policy Fellow and Professor at the Jefferson University College of Population Health. He is a board-certified internist and received advanced training in outcomes research and economics as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. Over his career Secretary Shulkin has been named, “One Hundred Most Influential People in American Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare.

1. How SOSV's portfolio startups are responding to crisis and the new IndieBio Coronavirus Initiative which seeks up to 8 startups to receive a minimum of $250k each.  

2. State of investing globally and how the coronavirus is affecting funding activity.

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times.

4. SOSV's new IndieBio accelerator which is launching in NYC this spring.

Sean is the founder and managing partner of SOSV which has invested in over 900 startups, investing about $65 million per year in the 150 startups that go through its global accelerators annually which help create over $2 billion in new market capitalization every year. Recognized in 2017 as the world’s #1 most active global early stage investor and the #2 most active global seed investor*, SOSV’s accelerator model takes a small initial stake in startups and provides a framework and community where startups get further and faster than they could on their own.

SOSV runs the world’s most active accelerators in hardware (HAX), life sciences (IndieBio/RebelBio), disruptive food (Food-X), and Asia cross-border startups (Chinaccelerator/MOX). As of 2019, SOSV is in the top 6% of venture capitalists globally based on return an investment (returns over 20 years average 38% Net IRR).

O’Sullivan’s first company, MapInfo, grew to a $200 million public company with over 1,000 employees, and popularized street mapping on computers. His first internet company, NetCentric, developed many concepts in internet computing, and he is credited as the co-creator of the term “cloud computing”. Sean founded JumpStart International, a leading humanitarian organization in conflict zones, in the 2000s, where he oversaw over 3,500 staff at the height of the organization during the Iraq conflict.

O’Sullivan received his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California. He is also a primary supporter of such organizations such as Coderdojo (a global network of coding clubs that 50,000 kids attend every week) and Khan Academy (used by 15 million students to learn every month). He’s on the board of Khan Academy, I-ASC, and a number of private companies.

1. Psychology and worldview of computer programmers 

2. Beneficial ways technology has affected our cognition 

3. How tech is helping and hurting society 

4. Technology and the election 

I'm a computer geek from way back. I got interested in them as a child in the early 80s in Toronto, when machines like the Commodore 64 arrived. My parents wouldn’t get our family a computer (my mother worried I’d just “sit around playing games all the time”), but I devoured every book of BASIC programming I could find at the library, and whenever I could cadge some time on a computer at school or a friend’s house, I’d try to do some programming. I created little games, databases, primitive chatbots, digital music, and gradually realized that computers were going to change everything. 

In high school, though, I decided I wanted to be a journalist. I studied English and political science at the University of Toronto, and after graduating in 1992 I worked as a street musician, a receptionist for a driving school, a bookkeeper, and an administrative cog for the League of Canadian Poets (the country’s most awesomely-named literary organization) — before deciding to become a freelance magazine writer. This was around the time the Internet hit the mainstream, so I began writing long pieces about how it was changing politics, shopping, art, culture, and everything in between. 

In the late 90s I moved to New York and began writing for magazines including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Fast Company, New York, Mother Jones and Smithsonian. My work has won several awards, including an Overseas Press Council Award, a Mirror Award, and in 2002/2003 I was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. My most recent books include Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World, and Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better. 

In my spare time I write, record, and perform music in the band The Delorean Sisters.

Wendy is an internationally renowned social impact entrepreneur, humanitarian, and best selling author. She was inspired to launch WED in 2013 after volunteering in Honduras with the Adelante Foundation, an organization that provides microcredit to locally impoverished women.

Recognizing the fact that women perform 66% of the world’s work, yet only earn 10% of the world’s income and at the same time, women account for 85% of consumer purchases and control $20 trillion in worldwide spending, Diamond was inspired to create a simplified movement in the world to empower women in business to alleviate poverty.

She is an advisor/Investor in social impact disruptive technologies and women-led businesses in health sciences, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and virtual reality. Wendy has authored 10 widely-celebrated books, garnered three Guinness World Records, and has appeared in media outlets including Oprah, NBC’s Today Show, The New York Times and Forbes. She has also been a featured keynote speaker at the United Nations, Harvard University, and Davos.

Wendy sits on the Advisory Boards of Ellis Island Honors Society, Global Women in Blockchain, Social Innovation Summit, Humane Society of New York and Grey Muzzle Foundation. Prior to WEDO, Wendy founded Animal Fair Media, Inc., the premier pet lifestyle media platform bridging celebrity, pop culture and animal rescue, to support animal rescue/welfare after learning 12 million animals were euthanized a year.

1. How the corporate venturing landscape has changed during this crisis 

2. Investment outlook in short and medium term 

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times 

4. Answers to your questions

Luke is a former founder who launched and led the Tech Investment Fund at ZX Ventures, the VC and innovation arm of AB InBev. ZX builds, partners with, and invests in internal and external companies aligned with corporate strategic goals. Working closely with many of the world's largest companies, he recently launched a new fund that invests in B2B tech companies solving massive problems for F500s. 

Kange has spent 12+ years at the intersection of technology and business working in the enterprise software industry. She is a Senior Director of Business Development at SAP, the world’s largest enterprise software company. She is currently focused on expanding SAP's ecosystem in the space via investments in startups, partnerships, acquisitions and joint go-to-market. Kange has a passion for diversity and creating equally distributed access to opportunity. 

She is an angel investor with Pipeline Angels group, a group of women who invest in women social entrepreneurs. Additionally, is on the selection committee and a mentor for entrepreneurs as a volunteer for Defy Ventures, a non-profit organization that invests in founders who are currently or formerly incarcerated. Finally, she is the co-chair of Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) NYC leadership council. 

- Insights from Hala's entrepreneurial journey 

- Tales from the entertainment industry and celebrities 

- Starting a side hustle and podcast; social media guidance 

- Career advice for young people 

Hala started her career in radio production at WQHT Hot97 on “The Angie Martinez Show.” Later she focused on an entrepreneurial endeavor― the launch an entertainment news blog site, “The Sorority of Hip Hop.” She led an all-female team of 50 bloggers, and together they ran the popular site, interviewed celebrities, produced radio shows, and hosted parties/concerts. When the blog site boom slowed down in 2014, Hala took a temporary exit from the entertainment industry to get an MBA.

She now currently has over 8 years of corporate marketing experience and is quickly rising up the ranks at Disney Streaming Services. Today Hala hosts a #1 How-To podcast, Young and Profiting (YAP), and is one of the biggest influencers on Linkedin. YAP merges Hala’s passions for radio, entrepreneurship, business, and continued learning. Hala is an expert on networking, rising from failure, personal branding, Linkedin marketing and podcasting.

Yancey is a writer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former CEO of Kickstarter, author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World (Viking), and the creator of Bentoism. Yancey is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Drucker Institute and has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People.

He’s spoken at MIT, the Museum of Modern Art, Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, Web Summit, Stanford, and for startups, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies. He cofounded the artist resource The Creative Independent and the record label eMusic Selects. Yancey began his career as a music critic in New York City. He grew up in Clover Hollow, Virginia.

1. How small businesses are responding during crisis

2. What strategies can entrepreneurs implement now

3. What support programs can they take advantage of

4. How can we as  a community help them

Panelists:

Rieva Lesonsky  is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company specializing in covering small businesses and entrepreneurship. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America's entrepreneurs for more than 26 years. Lesonsky has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and numerous local and national television programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox Business News, The Martha Stewart show and Oprah and can regularly be seen on MSNBC's Your Business. Lesonsky wrote the bestselling book Start Your Own Business, currently in its 4th edition, and has co-authored several other books about small business and entrepreneurship.

Brian Moran is the CEO of Brian Moran & Associates, a New Jersey-based consulting firm, dedicated to helping SMBs and entrepreneurs run better businesses.Previously, he worked as an Executive Director of Sales Development at the Wall Street Journal, Associate Publisher at Inc. Magazine, and a Publisher at Entrepreneur. Brian has also managed two content companies, Veracle Media and Moran Media Group, which focused on helping entrepreneurs manage and grow their companies.He currently leads SMB Experts, an Oracle-sponsored panel comprised of today’s SMB thought leaders. He also sits on the board for a number of entrepreneurial organizations, including The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, United Athletes Foundation, and SCORE’s National Marketing Council. Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianMoran.

Dr. Tendai Ndoro has a PhD in Public Administration. She is CEO of three global small businesses and for the past 18 years has been contracted as Regional Director for the NJSBDC at Rutgers University/Rutgers Business School (RBS) - Newark & ASBDC-NJ statewide network. During her tenure with the Small Business Development Center with NJSBD, Dr. Ndoro has designed, developed & implemented innovative, successful small business and economic development programs, including ongoing RBS Student experiential learning initiatives. She has served as Essex County Commissioner for the Essex County Disparity Commission. Dr. Ndoro has participated as a focus group expert for the Obama Administration through the Small Business Administration, US Commercial Services/Dept. of Commerce, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and White House Entrepreneurship Summit on TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership).  

Rana Shanawani is the Executive Director for the Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp. in Chatham, NJ (WCEC). Before working at the WCEC, she was a non-profit consultant helping  international organizations in strategic management. In 2004, after working as a UN consultant for  several years, she served as the CEO of BIDAYA, a chapter of the Prince’s Youth Business International in  Syria. BIDAYA’s main objective was to provide under-served entrepreneurs with training, micro-loans,  and mentoring. During her tenure there she received the Takreem Achievement Award for Best Young  Entrepreneur and was selected to meet with President Barack Obama and Secretary Clinton at the  Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. Ms. Shanawani has received her Masters in Public Health  from Johns Hopkins, and her Bachelors in biology from Cornell University.

We discussed: 

1. How they have pivoted during crisis 

2. What strategies have helped them the most 

3. What challenges they have overcome 

4. What support programs have helped 

Jessica is a lifelong, NJ entrepreneur and self-starter. She founded her company, InCharged, 10 years ago by selling everything she had, moving in with her parents, and working three jobs - all while retaining 100% ownership. Over the last decade, she's grown InCharged into an event tech fixture. 

Medina is a strategist and creative designer committed to the empowerment of multicultural founders. He got his start as a graphic designer and art director before becoming chairman of graphic design and animation at Anthem Institute. In 2008 he co-created MEDINA = CITI, a design haus that led campaigns for Xbox, Pepsi, others. 

Clark is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator who partners with CEOs and healthcare executives to deliver fully integrated, health coaching and patient support platforms that help drive more meaningful engagement. Prior, he had a successful corporate career in sales/marketing.