Imagine More Podcast

Matt Pfaltzgraf, Founder and CEO of Softgiving, is a payment processing expert whose mission is to revolutionize the way people can support nonprofits through passive recurring fundraising technology. Prior to launching Softgiving, Matt was the Regional Payment Association Director at SHAZAM®, where he handled critical issues including ACH rules and regulations, payment security, and emerging financial technologies. During his time in the payment industry and severing as fundraising chair for many nonprofits, Matt observed firsthand the difficulties nonprofits had raising money for important causes.Armed with his payment processing background and passion for helping cause-based organizations, Matt saw a gap in the marketplace, and that is when Softgiving was born. Softgiving's innovative fundraising technology enables nonprofits of all sizes to expand their donor base while increasing retention and engagement through passive donation solutions that better fit their supporters’ lifestyle. From humbling beginnings, as a child, Matt was once on the receiving end of charity from nonprofits, but now he empowers them through Softgiving's innovative fundraising solutions.

Steven Dziedzic is a New York-based entrepreneur and the Founder of Lasting, the marriage counseling company. Lasting's first product is a simple, app-based program that helps couples build healthier, happier marriages in a few minutes a day. It's the #1 marriage counseling app in America. Before Lasting, Steven founded Hoppit, an award-winning restaurant app acquired by XO Group Inc. (NYSE:XOXO) in 2013. At XO, he served as the Director of Product for The Knot, the leading wedding brand touching a majority of America's marriages. The three apps he's stewarded—Lasting, Hoppit, and The Knot—have all been featured by Apple. Lastly, Steve is a startup mentor for Praxis Labs, an accelerator program focused on cultural and social impact, and serves on the board of Jonas Paul Eyewear, the leading eyewear brand for children. He resides in New York City with his wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Josie.

Rachelle Kuramoto has worked as a brand and content strategist, writer, and market intelligence professional for 20 years. She is an experienced and award-winning professional who balances creative and business acumen to projects, primarily in the B2B sector. Her objective in every engagement is to articulate what makes the client distinctive and sustainable in their market and with the stakeholders who matter most.Rachelle launched her career in the late 1990s in the technology practice of Ogilvy Public Relations, where she helped known and startup companies to build and grow their online presence. Since then, she has advised some of the most respected and innovative companies in the world across a host of sectors, including healthcare, technology, financial, transportation, media, education, and energy.Rachelle has had the opportunity to lead brand and content strategy endeavors for enterprise brands like Cox, Worldpay, The FreshMarket, and SWIFT Transportation. She has helped to launch and grow notable startups including Magic Leap, Roadie, and Greenlight Card and has supported numerous not-for-profit entities such Waymark (Formerly Kids3), Mercy Care Atlanta, Bearings Bike Shop, and The Drake House. When she’s not hard at work, Rachelle is an active volunteer who serves on the boards of the Alliance Theater and 48in48. She’s a competitive marathoner, adventurous cook, mom of two (and a dog), and wife to a fellow entrepreneur.

Raghu Kakarala is the Managing Partner at FortyFour. Prior to cofounding FortyFour he helped build and grow Spunlogic and Engauge into the largest private agency in the Southeast. After participating in the sale of Engauge to Publicis in 2013 Raghu travelled extensively with his wife Dolly and twins Sai and Avi and came back to Atlanta to help create FortyFour into a premier place for local talent to envision and create great work for leading clients. With clients across the globe as well as based here in Atlanta, FortyFour has grown to over 50 employees in its headquarters in Inman Park.

Julia Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group LLC, has been practicing financial planning for more than 20 years. At the age of 23, she married her entrepreneurial spirit and desire for helping others and started her own business. Julia’s passion has always been about helping people win with money by leading with education. She loves to help others by inspiring them to follow a plan for growth and pursue financial freedom. In 2017, Julia wrote a book titled, Fit Money, 7 Steps to get your Financial Life in Shape. In the book, she shares her personal experience of losing weight and getting in the best shape of her life and teaches how those same strategies can be used to become financially strong.Today, her dream to serve her community and become a financial advisor has turned into so much more. Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group has grown to a staff of 12 and has 5 locations throughout Oregon and SW Washington. Julia is recognized as being especially knowledgeable on topics relating to tax strategies for retirement and distribution planning and is also qualified to provide comprehensive exit planning services to business owners. Julia works from the beautiful coastal town of Newport, Oregon where she resides with her husband and their three children.

Ricky Kalmon has amazed audiences around the world. He has made numerous special guest appearances on ESPN, Hallmark Channel, Fox, FX, TV Guide, HLN/CNN and The Disney Channel. Ricky’s uniqueness comes from the way he combines music, audience participation, and comedy to create an unforgettable comedy show that is unmatched by anyone, anywhere. It’s a show that will keep you on the edge of your seat and take you on a Vacation of the Mind!Ricky Kalmon delivers corporate programs that will change the way you live, work, and think. The most requested stage hypnotist in the country, Ricky redefines the art of hypnosis. His motivational programs are inspirational and offer compelling, applicable tools anyone can use in personal and professional development. By "Unlocking the Power Within™,” he reveals how the subconscious mind can be the greatest tool in achieving new heights, reducing stress, increasing productivity and success. Ricky will show you how to enhance your mindset to repel doubt and ignite your positive intentions.

King of Pops was born as a result of a layoff, a trip to Latin America and a popsicle dream. In true founder fashion Steven has never walked into King of Pops without a new idea and a pat on the back for the crew. His mind never stops moving, producing on average 100 ideas per week, and though most of them are beyond the possibilities, the 1% that make the cut are true gold. Steven has founded four additional companies as an answer to business needs: Tree Elves, King of Crops, King of Pups, and Perfect 10 Foods. He loves his community, his King of Pops family, and he truly couldn’t envision a different life. Steven Carse is one-of-a-kind; he has a really big heart and his employees are proud to have an owner who cares about their well-being as much as he does.

Born and raised by entrepreneurs, fab’rik Founder Dana Spinola always knew a job could fulfill a bigger purpose. Her dreams to flourish both personally and professionally led Dana to start fab’rik in 2002 around the concept of high-style clothing with an affordable price tag. In 2006, Dana began franchising with like-minded women and has since grown fab'rik to 40+ stores across the U.S.Dana has always believed clothing has the ability to change lives. In 2009, she launched the brand's nonprofit arm, free fab’rik, which provides free shopping sprees for women and girls escaping sex trafficking. In 2012, fab'rik launched its in-house designed clothing line, Asher. Proceeds from the collection provide financial support for orphans in Kenya until they find their forever homes. At the intersection of passion and purpose, Dana has built a brand that truly delivers High Style with Heart.Forbes named her, “one of the five great American entrepreneurs you haven’t heard of yet but should know” because of her dedication to not only building a growing fashion brand but for inspiring a culture of people to weave purpose into their companies and their life. She was voted The Atlanta Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year, Women Making a Mark, 40 Under 40 and Women Who Mean Business, and has appeared in dozens of national publications from The Wall Street Journal to Elle. Motivational speaker, inspirational leader and author of ‘Love What You Do.’ Dana is committed to reminding women to dream big and and then chase those dreams relentlessly.Dana is a 1996 graduate of the University of Georgia in Management Information Systems. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, four children, two dogs and 20 chickens. While Dana sits at the head of a leading fashion franchise as well as a nonprofit organization, her most rewarding job is being a mom.

Kenan’s background as a formally trained artist contributes to her eye for detail, composition, and color in all that she does. Photography and painting are her main media, but that training extends to many things, including plating dishes of food and arranging flowers. Kenan is co-founder and Curator of Flowers for Chivalry Flowers (formerly Real Men Buy Flowers). Her previous work includes creating menus and product management for meal kit delivery company Peachdish, teaching cooking classes and photography workshops, producing product and lifestyle photography, and painting custom pet portraits. Kenan holds a bachelor's degree in studio art with a concentration in painting from UNC Chapel Hill, as well as a business certificate from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Kenan and her husband Nick live in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.

To know K.P. Reddy is to experience boundless enthusiasm for creating new ventures. K.P.'s multidisciplinary career spans the innovation continuum. Over 25+ years, he has been a technologist, subject matter expert, founder, CEO, advisor, investor, professor, author and coach. K.P. combines expertise in advanced technologies with critical, in-the-trenches experience as an entrepreneur. He is a globally recognized authority in AEC environments, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, collaborative communication, mobile applications and cloud computing. His passion is in launching game-changing startups, raising substantial investments, and leading organizations to meaningful acquisition and IPO exits.

As Founder and Creative Director, Candice leads the people, practice and progress of Nimble. pushing her team and her clients to think big and always pursue what’s next. She also spearheads the interiors consulting practice — working directly with clients and project teams to orchestrate branded environments that engage and excite. Since Nimble.’s formation, Candice has directed the launch of over 100 new brands, led nearly 80 property repositioning campaigns, and traveled 40,000+ miles to bring innovation and consistent brand exposure to projects in 21 US markets and internationally. In this episode, you’ll learn how Candice approaches client acquisition, hires from a team perspective and balances work and play.

After completing graduate school at Rice University, Ericka taught English and College Readiness to freshman and sophomores. In 2014, Ericka left teaching and started Project 88 Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports college advisors and vocational training in the city of Houston and beyond. Since then, Project 88 has raised almost 1.5 million dollars, and continues to support Houston-area programs that connect students to four year institutions, community college, and vocational training programs.

Jodi Daniels is a Certified Informational Privacy Professional with more than 20 years of experience helping a range of businesses from solopreneurs to multi-national companies in privacy, marketing, strategy, and finance roles. During her corporate career, she proved a valuable asset to companies like Deloitte, The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, and Bank of America where she most recently served as the privacy partner for Digital Banking and Digital Marketing. Jodi started her privacy career by creating the comprehensive privacy program at Cox Automotive. She launched an online advertising network for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. Since launching in 2017, Red Clover Advisors has helped hundreds of companies create privacy programs, achieve GDPR compliance, and establish a secure online data strategy their customers can count on. Jodi makes privacy easy to understand by breaking it down into measurable steps using plain language her clients can relate to. She passionately supports the idea that privacy is more than just compliance and concern over fines. It's a human right we all deserve. She has made it her mission to help businesses build trust and transparency with this core value at its foundation. Jodi holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two little girls, and a big fluffy dog named Basil.

Anne grew up on a farm in Nebraska before attending Dartmouth College. She pursued her love of science and education, which led to a formative five years as a middle school science teacher. After earning a Doctor of Education degree in Education Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Anne worked as a consultant for Harvard's Data Wise project where she helped schools around the country implement data-based improvement practices. From there, Anne became Chief Program Officer at Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit and leading provider of STEM curriculum. She helped expand access to hands-on STEM curriculum and professional development to over 8,000 schools across the US. Anne and her husband founded District C, an organization focused on preparing our next generation of talent, leaders, workforce, community members and family members for the “three-point economy.”

Tammy Bjelland holds a BA and MA from the University of Virginia and is a certified Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. She began her professional career in academia before moving into ed-tech, where she got her first remote role in 2011. Since then, Tammy has continued to help people achieve location-independent growth as the owner of a learning experience design firm specializing in online courses, the author of How to Learn Online, and now as the founder of Workplaceless, which has just launched a Remote Work Certification Program to help people work remotely.

For over twenty-five years, Suzanne Reinhard has immensely influenced the luxury event and hospitality industry. With celebrity and coast to coast clientele like Jeff Foxworthy, Steve Harvey and beyond, Suzanne has been recognized as one of Atlanta's Top Wedding Experts by Modern Luxury Weddings. Beginning her culinary and service career at Johnson and Wales University, Suzanne honed her passion and talent for serving others. As her culinary and hospitality background evolved, Suzanne became an integral leader in several award-winning restaurants in the Southeast. In 2008, Suzanne made the leap from restaurants to the event world and became the co-owner of Magnolia Events and Planning. After assisting in the growth of Magnolia Events into a premier planning company, Suzanne Reinhard Events was launched in 2014. Suzanne executes an average of four to six weddings annually, allowing her the margin to give each client the service, attention and planner relationship they deserve. When she's not bustling about her home city of Atlanta or exploring international venues, Suzanne sets the planning aside and enjoys spontaneous moments with her family.

Jonathan is the “reasonably qualified” creative guy at Monday Night Brewing. He develops and maintains the Monday Night brand, including all design, social media and their obsession with Bryan Adams. He graduated from Emory in 2005 with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Religion. His background is in marketing strategy consulting, where he worked with some large beer brands that you’ve definitely heard of. He is married to the lovely Sarah, and has a daughter named Addie Gray and a Pit Bull-mix named Eden who comes to the brewery everyday. She’s a lover, not a fighter.

With a heart for people and a passion for decor, Anisa and Casey created Truth & Co to combine their two greatest passions: family and design. As the home sets the stage for years of life and love for your family, they believe it deserves all the love, care, and attention it needs to make it the best backdrop for your family’s greatest memories.Anisa has been designing, drawing, and dreaming of homes since she was only seven years old. She began her career as a design consultant at 18 years old, advising friends, family, and clients on their home design and décor. She soon expanded her work to include larger projects such as room makeovers and full home renovations, walking with clients all the way from crafting their initial design to installing the final pieces of furniture.As an artist, Anisa loves painting and creating unique pieces for the home and family as well. Along with her husband Casey and their four daughters, Ava, Rosa, Eleanor and Adeline, Anisa is excited for the future of Truth & Co.Currently, Truth & Co is busy with everything from new constructions and home renovations to design consultations and room refreshers.

Sam Konigsberg is the Head Relationship Builder at Sablier Watches, a wine-inspired American luxury watch brand based in Atlanta, GA. Sam joined Sablier Watches in 2013 with a passion to share Sablier's patented design and unique philosophy with the world. Sablier has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg Pursuits, Esquire Magazine and in numerous charity wine auctions across the country. Sam's attention to time is important as he is also an Investment Consultant for BlackRock. The process of balancing corporate life and entrepreneurship has taught Sam many lessons that he shares in this podcast.

Kara Brown is the Founder and CEO of SmithBrown Marketing, a fractional CMO and team focused on B2B sales and marketing alignment and execution. Originally from Chicago, Brown was one of the first employees of Echo Global Logistics, the first tech-enabled freight broker. Brown was a one-woman department single-handedly managing the company’s brand, image and marketing initiatives as the company grew 3000% in just over 3 years. In 2008, she took on the role of Investor Relations and was part of the company’s successful 2009 IPO (NYSE:ECHO). This was all by the time she was 26. She was recruited by OHL (Ozburn-Hessey Logistics), at the time a $2B Nashville-based global supply chain provider with clients like Apple, Starbucks, Samsung, Sony and Remington.

Billy Boughey is a nationally recognized host and speaker who has led events for Delta, Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, FIFA, The John Maxwell Company and many other notable organizations. He is the Founder and President of the Atlanta based company: Elevate Experiences. Billy’s passion is to create world-class experiences that inspire each attendee to live and lead at a higher level. As a former baseball player at Auburn University, Georgia State University and the Philadelphia Phillies his experience includes working with many college and professional sports teams to improve their culture. His talents include keynote speaking and consulting groups on how to make their team members smile and their customers rave. He is currently writing his first book titled: “Created for Experience”, which will challenge readers to view each relationship as an opportunity for positive impact! Billy has participated in many freestyle hip-hop events and loves rap as a creative art form. Put on a beat and watch his passion to create come to life in vivid technicolor. Billy is married to Jenn and has three energetic children that you might see dancing on a stage near you!

Annelle Barnett is a global executive with over 20 years of experience successfully leading company and marketing operations for multiple corporations and self-owned entities. After building a successful marketing consultancy, Annelle founded Marketing Mob in 2013. Marketing Mob connects growth-oriented marketing professionals with companies whose primary objective is exponential growth. In 2018, she expanded the company’s career offerings by launching The Marketing Mob Job Board & Community and The Mob Method, a Land Your Marketing Dream Job Masterclass. Annelle attempts to stay balanced with yoga and international travel.

Jenni Catron is a leadership coach, author and speaker. Her passion is to lead well and to inspire, equip and encourage others to do the same. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently in the different spheres of influence God has granted them. As Founder and CEO of The 4Sight Group, she consults organizations on leadership, team culture and organizational health.Jenni is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. She loves a fabulous cup of tea, great books, learning the game of tennis and hiking with her husband. Jenni can be found on social media at @jennicatron and at www.get4sight.com.

See.Spark.Go co-founder and publicity maven, Brittany Thoms began her career in fast-paced agencies promoting national accounts through entertainment and sports-related events. With a desire to return to the city that captured their hearts— Athens, Georgia—Brittany and her husband Andy founded See.Spark.Go in 2007. Her strategic thinking and creative enthusiasm influence all of See.Spark.Go’s clients. She serves as a board member for Break Into Business and advises several other nonprofits on a regular basis. When she isn’t leading her team in winning PR strategy, she enjoys reading, playing football with her boys and enjoying life with friends and family.

Dan D'Aquisto (Duh-qwist-oh) is the Cofounder and Chief Revenue Officer of 2ULaundry. Dan grew up in a small hockey town outside of Minneapolis, MN called Red Wing, home of Red Wing Shoes. Dan grew up playing hockey before graduating and attending the University of Minnesota pursuing a degree in Marketing. After school, Dan worked in sales for a fast growing startup in Minneapolis called Sports Engine which recently sold to NBC Sports. In late 2015, Dan quit his job, packed up his car, broke the lease on his house, broke up with his girlfriend, and moved to Charlotte, NC to go all in on starting 2ULaundry. To date, 2ULaundry has raised $3M in venture capital, is a Techstars alumn, has 75 employees, live in Charlotte and Atlanta, and just recently opened the first of its kind retail laundromat in Charlotte, NC in partnership with Electrolux. 2ULaundry is looking to raise its Series A within the next 6-8 months for expansion.

After losing her daughter to a terminal condition, Ashley developed a new perspective on success, life, and love. She's the founder and executive director of Love Not Lost, a nonprofit who photographs people facing a terminal diagnosis to celebrate life, preserve memories, and support people in grief. In addition to the free portrait sessions they provide, Love Not Lost is on a mission to empower others to show up and love the people they care about who are hurting too. Everyone deserves to be loved and remembered. Ashley is passionate about growth, justice, and love. In fact, the driving question she asks daily is "How can we love people better?" She is constantly working on new initiatives and resources for Love Not Lost to answer that question as well as loving her self, husband, family, friends, and community better in her personal life. She loves speaking to companies, conferences, and groups about grief, love, and making the most of the time we have. You can learn more about Ashley's story at www.lovenotlost.org.

Elizabeth has a background in publishing from early roles with Seventeen and People StyleWatch and lifestyle PR where she worked on the accounts for brands ranging from Eileen Fisher to Nike to AVON. Upon moving to Atlanta from New York City in the Fall of 2014, Elizabeth launched a line of eponymous hair accessories that Spring that has largely serviced as a case study for her creative work as well as led her to be 2017 finalist in Forbes Magazine’ 30 under 30 list in retail & e-commerce. Carried in approx. 70 retail locations nationwide in its prime, the hair accessories, were also seen in publications from Bloomberg Businessweek to Teen Vogue as well as appeared on Good Morning America, HBO GIRLS, and The TODAY Show. With her businesses recently acquired, Elizabeth has refocused her time spent on growing her brand to helping others achieve similar results. Elizabeth leads the Domino team to ensure continuous development and growth of the company, which includes but is not limited to: securing new business, overseeing client related initiatives on a day-to-day basis, and developing strategic action plans for both Domino and clients.

After a year of research and planning, Jeanne developed the concept of The Groomsman Suit. Day to day, she leads product design and development for TGS. Her focus on high-quality fabrics, construction and components, and meticulous attention to detail are evident in every TGS suit. Jeanne continuously advances the TGS product by leveraging her great relationships with key industry partners that she has cultivated throughout her career.Being a passionate advocate for the TGS brand, Diana oversees marketing and branding efforts to bring maximum visibility and growth. She enjoys building relationships with engaged couples and industry partners and is committed to creating a fun, easy and thrilling purchasing experience for all TGS customers.

Dallas tells the story that Leonte was the catalyst for him starting T. Dallas Smith & Company.  Dallas states, “He was a sophomore at Morehouse who wanted to get into commercial real estate and he had no real estate license or real estate experience.  I told him to call me when he gets his license.  Two months later he shows up at my door with license in hand.  “Mr. Smith I have my license.”   I was trying to get rid of the kid.  For two weeks, I had Leonte getting my laundry, getting my dog from the kennel, getting coffee, whatever.  He did it all and always with a smile and a very humble spirit.   My epiphany was that his eagerness to get into this business was the same as mine was when I pursued Mr. Tift and Cushman & Wakefield.  I knew I had to help this guy and so T. Dallas Smith & Company was born.”  It was his tenacity and persistence after  that two week hazing period that has become his Modus Operandi.

Matt Thomas is a fundraiser, fitness coach and storyteller. He founded Brawl for a Cause, a non-profit organization dedicated to training, equipping and inspiring everyday people to literally fight for what they believe in. He plans and promotes charity-boxing events showcasing first-timers fighting to raise funds and awareness for causes close to their hearts. He has bounced on a treetop trampoline in the Costa Rican cloud forest, was out-boxed and out-drank by a world champion in Havana, Cuba, and raced Porters down to Machu Picchu base camp in Peru. He loves people, passion and a good story, and count on him asking you what you believe in enough to take a punch for.

Josh Sweeney is the founder of EpicCulture, whose mission is to help businesses build an amazing company culture. He has a deep understanding and ability to utilize hiring process and behavior analytics to create business environments that people enjoy working in. Josh is a long-standing member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and served 5 years on the EO Atlanta Board before moving into a regional role. He has worked with and coached hundreds of entrepreneurs through the EO Accelerator and LaunchPad programs.

Darrah Brustein is an author and two-time founder with a payment processing company spanning 38 states and a networking events company which serves 30,000+ people. She contributes to Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global on networking, entrepreneurship and creating a life of your own design, and has been featured in over 300 press outlets including Time, CNN, Inc, Huffington Post, Fox, and Mashable (all built on the back of her network). She's on a mission to help others who are disenchanted with "sleep when you're dead" culture and chasing others people's definitions of success to build a life of their own design.

Morgan Lopes is an entrepreneur who leads Polar Notion, a digital brand experience team. They design and develop web and mobile apps for information, education, and influence based businesses. While he reluctantly accepts the title CEO, his role is to identify and amplify the strengths of each person who chooses to join their team.As of 2016, Morgan has also been serving as CTO for New Story, a startup-minded nonprofit that is moving the needle on the global homelessness crisis. In just over 2 years, they've grown from one home in Haiti to over 800 homes around the world and have built the first 3D home printer in the US.Along with his work at Polar Notion and New Story, he sites his greatest adventure as fathering two daughters and working to improve the world they’ll eventually inherit.

Juan Pablo is a dynamic speaker and coach who quit his day job at the age of 30 on the back of utilizing creative financing in real estate as well as having a burning desire to “Make That Wake Up Whenever You Feel Like It Money.” Now, a financially free real estate investor of 63 rental units with a rental revenue of $20,000 per month, Juan has helped many real estate investors obtain over $5.5 million in business funding for their real estate investments as well as improved their FICO scores to a 720 or higher. Juan is an active blogger for 100percentfinanced.com and blogger for the 100 Percent Financed Youtube Channel, helping to provide those who are frustrated with the 9 to 5 with the tools they need to succeed financially.

Andrew McConnell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rented.com, the world's largest marketplace turning vacant rental weeks into guaranteed income for homeowners. Andrew holds degrees from Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Cambridge University, and has worked with some of the world's largest public and private entities as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., and as a Director, Solutions Design at Axiom Global, Inc. In addition to speaking and writing about vacation rentals and the sharing economy, Andrew also contributes more general business insights and advice to publications like Inc.com, Forbes, and Huffington Post.

Mike Popowski is the CEO of Dagger. Mike drives Dagger’s vision, culture and growth. He brings over 17 years of digital, social and brand-building experience. A proven client service and team leader, Mike has had success building campaigns for the world’s biggest brands across a variety of industries.Mike joined Dagger from TBWAChiatDay New York, where he led the global repositioning for GSK’s global smoker’s health business, Nicoderm CQ (US). Mike was previously SVP, Client Partner at Moxie (formerly Engauge), where he architected the agency’s first content marketing practices for Cisco Systems, UPS and Wells Fargo. He was an early pioneer of social marketing as a consultant for AARP from 2008 to 2011, and implemented early digital content practices for AARP’s renowned Travel Ambassador, Peter Greenberg, and Health Ambassador, Martina Navratilova. Mike’s previous stints include AOL and SureClick, an Inc. 5000 digital agency based in Washington, D.C.Mike’s a native Vermonter so he really enjoys winters in Atlanta.

Molly Fienning is a Co-Founder of Babiators, one of Forbes' 100 Most Promising Companies and the leading sunglasses brand for babies & kids. Molly manages the e-commerce, marketing, p.r., social media and brand strategy for the company, which has sold over 2 million pairs of shades. Prior to Babiators, Molly has worked at IBM and Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Molly graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband Ted and sons, Sawyer and Fox.

If there’s one thing Kate and Tallia know to be true, it’s that pursuing the work you want is always worth it. What started out as a blind dinner date in 2014 quickly turned into a lasting friendship rooted in their love for seeing women succeed. With Tallia’s expertise in mindset and career coaching, and Kate’s corporate branding and marketing experience - a dream team was born. After empowering women all across the country to define success on their own terms, they created Mavenly + Co. to help women go from where they are in their careers to where they truly want to be.

Lindsey has been in the luxury travel industry for over eight years, three of which as the owner of Epperly Travel, a boutique agency that specializes in customizing 4 & 5-star vacations across the globe. While she currently serves as the Wendy Perrin WOW List expert specifically for the Caribbean, she enjoys planning trips for clients across the globe - although she tends to prefer personally inspecting the beach destinations. She has been recognized nationally by Travel Agent Magazine as one of their top 30 Under 30 and locally in Atlanta as one of Jezebel Magazine's trailblazing 10.After launching Epperly Travel at the end of 2014, Lindsey has built a team of 13 independent contractors who represent the agency across the U.S. At the same time as she manages travel planning, she balances the growth of her company through a recently launched training program, aiming to educate new and existing agents on the core values of how Epperly Travel does business and what it takes to succeed in the travel industry.Part of her story has been to establish a strong balance between work and home life, even to the point where she has been invited to educate other business owners on her tactics of working smarter not harder. Speaking of home life, Lindsey is recently engaged and looking forward to her wedding this July at the brand new Park Hyatt in St. Kitts!

Ryan McCarty is an author, speaker and the co-founder of Culture of Good, Inc. Building upon the success of his award-winning program at TCC-Verizon, a Verizon retailer with over 800 stores, that inspires employees, ignites positive change in the world and impacts their bottom lines, Ryan and TCC-Verizon CEO Scott Moorehead created Culture of Good to teach for profit companies how to operate with the soul of a non-profit. Ryan helps other organizations engage the hearts of their employees, empowering them to make changes in their communities. His work has been featured in Inc., Forbes, People Magazine, Huffington Post and more.

Brooke Beach is the Founder and CEO of Marketwake - a digital marketing agency that focuses on sharing stories and building brands. Most recently she was the CEO of a technology company called Kevy where she helped turn around the company after it's pivot into marketing automation in 2015. Brooke graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. After graduation, she became a spokesperson for Fortune 500 companies and helped lead nation-wide PR and marketing campaigns. A serial entrepreneur and sought-after leader in the industry, Brooke has a passion for helping businesses and leaders grow.

Chuck Blakeman is a Best-Selling Business Author and World-Renowned Business Advisor who has built ten businesses in seven industries on three continents, and now uses his leadership experience to advise others. His company, Crankset Group, provides outcome-based mentoring and peer advisory for business leaders worldwide in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia.Chuck sold one of his businesses to the largest consumer fulfillment company in America and led three other $10-$100 million companies through repositioning in the Marketing Support Services industry. He presently leads the Crankset Group and a for-profit business based in Africa, focused on developing local economies to solve poverty.

Danica Kombol is the CEO of the Everywhere Agency, a leading social media & content marketing firm that works with Fortune 500 companies crafting and executing successful campaigns. She founded the blogger network, Everywhere Society to power the agency’s many award-winning influencer campaigns for clients like Macy’s, Carter’s/OshKosh, Coca-Cola, Cox Communications, Moe’s and others. As a social media marketer, Danica draws on her extensive background as a television producer and PR executive. She began her career at Sesame Workshop and went on to become a successful television producer working on such legendary shows as Saturday Night Live and Kids in the Hall. She’s a frequent speaker at social media conferences and global forums. Danica serves on the board of WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association), and National Black Arts Festival. She’s a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and an alumna board member of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.

Andrew Lorimer is currently the director of marketing for Eagle Rock Distributing Company. ERDC is the top beverage distributor in Atlanta, where he gets to market the top breweries in the world. When Andrew joined ERDC he felt it was important to learn all aspects of the business, knowing this was a long-term career move. Andrew worked on everything from the logistics side of the business (merchandising and delivery)...to the sales side as an account manager….until the role he is in now. Marketing beer, wine, spirits and non-alcohol brands they sell is an honor. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Marketing. Andrew's been able to truly use his education and degree towards his career which is not something most people can say. On the personal side, Andrew and his wonderful and supportive wife have been married for 11 years. They have three kids under the age of 8. It’s total chaos and a lot of fun!

Shannon Miles is the CEO of BELAY, Inc. an INC 500 Fastest Growing Company and winner of CultureIQ and Entrepreneur’s #1 Company Culture awards. Since 2010, the company has grown to nearly 700 team members and serves nearly 1,000 clients on a daily basis. Whether through team development or Balance Mentoring, Shannon is passionate about serving others and inspiring them to live life more fully, while firmly remaining her own worst critic. While on Necker Island with Richard Branson, she learned that if your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. Shannon loves yoga and spending time with her family, whether that’s on the front porch of their home in Georgia, on the beach in the Panhandle of Florida, or snowboarding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Thor Conklin is an Entrepreneur, Profitability Consultant and host of his daily podcast, Peak Performers Podcast. 2018 marks his 18th year as an entrepreneur. The first company Thor created was a global risk management consulting firm that served the private equity community. His top 15 clients had a combined revenue of $12.7 billion USD and operated in over 100 countries worldwide. His background, in risk management, served him well when he lost 1/3 of his team, in the World Trade Center attacks, on 9/11. Since that time, he has started, bought and sold several multi-million dollar businesses making him a sought after, cross-industrial resource for entrepreneurs and executives in all stages of business.

Drew French currently serves as Founder and President at Your Pie. In this role, he leads a growing brand with its mission to be a globally admired brand by creating a culture that improves the Your Pie family. He is passionate about working as part of a team to improve the communities that Your Pie serves. In addition, he serves on the board of non-profits Athensmade and Extra Special People. Drew graduated from the Terry College of Business in 2005 with a degree in marketing and currently lives in Athens, GA with his wife Natalie, their two daughters Anna and Scarlett, and their 3 dogs.

Jeff is the owner and managing principal at Pollock Commercial, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate services firm founded in 2009. Jeff has completed a wide variety of transactions including tenant representation, single user-building sales, landlord representation, purchaser representation and development consulting services.Jeff is also active within the commercial real estate community. He serves on several boards and is the current President of the 350 member Georgia CCIM Chapter. He has developed continuing education seminars for his peers on the topics of social media and productivity strategies and was recognized by the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors with the President’s Award in 2011 for his contributions.

In 2011, Wes co-founded Honeysuckle Gelato in Atlanta, Ga. As CEO of Honeysuckle Gelato, Wes manages the company’s day-to-day operations with a focus on marketing, strategic planning, retail expansion, business development and overall growth.Honeysuckle Gelato is a manufacturer and wholesaler of gelato and sorbet. As a wholesaler, Honeysuckle Gelato supplies caterers, restaurants, specialty food stores, big box retailers and select Delta Air Lines flights. In 2015, Honeysuckle Gelato opened its first retail location at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ga. and is currently exploring opportunities in Savannah, Ga., Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN to open additional retail locations.

Andy is the founder of Accel Financial Services. For the last 13 years, Accel Financial Services has helped small businesses and entrepreneurs discover their true direction, understand and take control of their financials, and leverage that financial knowledge to specifically command their own destiny. Born and raised in Atlanta, Andy graduated from Georgia Tech, worked in the finance and M&A side of the collections industry, until realizing small businesses didn’t know what they were missing when it came to understanding their financials. Andy and his wife of 13 years have two kids, live in Cumming Georgia, and spend much of the year thinking about their next Disney Cruise!

Darshana Patel is an Energy Intuitive, Medium, and Host of the show enLight’n Up on The Lighter Side Network. After 20 years in the corporate world, Darshana traded in her corporate armor for the tools of a spiritual warrior at her business, Unscripted Way. She has been shifting the paradigms of possibility for everyday people ever since. Gifted with the ability to see and feel subtle energy from birth, Darshana helps her clients to “see the unseen”, and to resolve and repattern energy distortions. Her own life experiences provide the perfect mix of intellect and compassion to help others blaze new pathways to unleash their full potential. Darshana possesses an undergrad in Information Systems, a Master’s in Transformative Conflict, and advanced certifications in organizational change and personal transformation. While working to complete her prefatory book, “A Field Guide for the New Awakening,” Darshana furthers her mission to create new realms of possibilities for all spiritual warriors in-the-making.