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Anthony Simmons

Anthony Simmons is an established expert in the field of international business development with specialized knowledge of emerging market trends, government regulatory and public policy for entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Mr. Simmons expertise covers operational strategies, developing public-private partnerships, acquisitions, and investment strategic alliances. He has over 17 years of experience in senior leadership roles and consulting for start-ups and early stage growth companies in North America, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In conjunction with his business experience, Mr. Simmons was an executive level appointee for several government administrations within the Federal, State and local levels for over 20 years.

Mr. Simmons has extensive experience working with and advising various private business and quasi-government sectors in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Bahamas with the capability to target profitable opportunities and to create sustainable economic concepts for investors in these emerging regions.

Mr. Simmons has worked with several of the top corporations and NGO's such as Orange Dominicana, Clinton Foundation, Banesco, Tricom, CDEEE (Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Eléctricas Estatales), and the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Simmons is fluent in Spanish.

+Aziz

Cultural Strategist, Peter Mayer

Hailing from Kuwait, +Aziz relocated to New Orleans last year to lead Cultural Strategy at Peter Mayer, a legacy ad agency which positioned itself around culture long before his time. +Aziz has applied cultural insights to the work of trend houses, PR agencies, government think tanks, and brand innovation consultancies. On Instagram, +Aziz captures street style. As a singer-songwriter, he is working to bring together the musical heritages of New Orleans and the Arabian Peninsula (think pearl diving music meets big brass sound). Learn more: about.me/plusaziz

Garry Carter

Garry Carter is Global President and CEO of The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). ICB has now registered as a non-profit in the USA under The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers Inc. (ICBUSA) and has already engaged with bookkeepers, meet-up groups and training providers across the country.

Described by some as a phenomenon and by others not so kindly, Garry is a passionate advocate of bookkeeping standards and has spent much of his working life supporting and encouraging bookkeepers. Garry and his wife, June, founded the ICB in 1996 as a non-profit professional membership organization and together they have made it the world’s leading bookkeeping organization, with more than 150,000 affiliates, students and members spread across 110 countries. ICB is now a truly global brand and its independent certification is respected throughout the world. His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, Cousin to the Queen, is ICB’s Royal Patron.

Garry is passionate not only about bookkeeping but also commerce and is Chairman of the one-hundred-year-old Institute of Commerce. He works closely with Micro, Small and Medium-sized Businesses (MSMBs) and sees them very much as the driving force behind the global economy. He is also executive director of The Genesis Initiative, a UK cross-party political group that lobbies on behalf of the sector. As chairman of their Policy Senate, Garry spends time in the UK and European parliaments advising on MSMB matters. Genesis is comprised the chief executives from more than 100 membership bodies, which together represent in excess of 1.7 million businesses.

Garry recently received the great honour of being made a Freeman of the City of London, in recognition of his outstanding service to bookkeeping. The history of the honour dates back to the thirteenth century and one of the remaining privileges of being a Freeman is that Garry is allowed to herd his sheep across London Bridge. Although a rare sight nowadays, in September Garry and a group of his fellow Freemen will take advantage of this privilege at a special ceremony. Notable alumni include Admiral Nelson, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Closer to home, former Presidents Ulysses S Grant and Franklyn D Roosevelt were also bestowed with this honour.

Brian Tankersley

Consultant, speaker, and writer

Brian Tankersley is a consultant based in Farragut, Tennessee. Brian is a frequent speaker at national continuing education courses for K2 Enterprises, and publishes a nationally recognized blog on accounting and technology (www.cpatechblog.com). He also writes a column and serves as the Technology Editor for The CPA Practice Advisor. Mr. Tankersley has over 20 years of professional experience, including accounting, auditing, technology, and education, and has been with K2 Enterprises since 2005.

Tankersley has been recognized annually as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in Public Accounting Technology for 2011-2013 by Cygnus Business Media. Brian has made presentations in 46 of the 50 US states and has also taught courses in Canada. He received the 2009 Outstanding Discussion Leader Award from the Tennessee Society of CPAs, and was recognized for writing the 2011 Article of the Year for the Tennessee CPA Journal. In 2007 and 2008, Brian was selected by The CPA Technology Advisor as a “40 Under 40” honoree.

Brian is both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Technology Professional, and has bachelors degrees in both Accounting and Finance, cum laude, from the University of Tennessee. He is a certified public accountant (Tennessee), a certified information technology professional (CITP), and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Tankersley also holds numerous vendor software certifications, and is a member of the Tennessee Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.

Brian and his family make their home in Farragut, Tennessee.

Barbara Boldt

Dynamic international consultant and trainer

Barbara A. Boldt is a dynamic international consultant and trainer who specializes in training entrepreneurial CEOs and global managers in communication and relational skills that help them to succeed in the complex and competitive world of global business. Ms. Boldt has conducted trainings in the areas of global business management, international negotiation, intercultural communication, and global leadership. She has also taught business English and communication skills for international business managers from Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, among others. Ms. Boldt is a trainer for the European Association of International Education. She has taught in 13 countries including the Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and Spain, to name a few. Ms. Boldt, an American national, lived and worked in Europe for 19 years, including 11 Years in Italy and 8 years in Switzerland. She speaks fluent Italian, and intermediate German and French. Ms. Boldt holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of the Pacific (USA).

Tracy Carlson

Founder and principal, Right-Brain Brands

LinkedIn | Facebook

Tracy Carlson is a seasoned marketing strategist, speaker and advisor who helps companies develop brands that people care about and that inspire loyalty. Author of What Great Brands Know: Unleash Your Right-Brain Genius to Stand Out and Make Customers Care, Tracy has led some of America’s best-known brands (Dove, Hellmann’s, Wisk) and consulted to many more (including General Mills, Rubbermaid, and Pepsi). She has extensive experience advising startups and small businesses as well. Tracy’s non-traditional background combines equal parts Wharton MBA and unrepentant Yale humanities geek. She has written for The Washington Post and marketing publications including Ad Age, BrandWeek and AdMap. She has presented to audiences ranging from C-Level executives to small/midsize businesses and MBA students. Her most recent public appearance was on national television as a contestant on Jeopardy! To learn more about Tracy and her book, visit: www.rightbrainbrands.com

Nick Castellina

Research Director, Business Planning and Execution at Aberdeen Group

Nick Castellina is the Research Director for the Aberdeen Group’s Business Planning and Execution practice. Castellinajoined Aberdeen in 2010; with his primary research focused on the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. His enterprise applications research explores how ERP is used differently across industries, and how it can apply to all roles within the organization. To round out his research practice, Castellina leads yearly studies on Enterprise Performance Management, Business Process Management, project management, and all aspects of financial management. He is also responsible for managing Aberdeen’s manufacturing and financial management and GRC practices.

Nick holds a BS in Marketing from Bentley University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Boston with specializations in finance and marketing.

Cupcake Girls

Heather White and Lori Joyce, Canadian television personalities and founders of Cupcakes by Heather & Lori

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

To successfully run a business with your best friend, you have to like each other (a lot) and love what you do.

Heather White and Lori Joyce have the recipe down pat. They met working retail in Victoria, BC, when they were just 15 years old and often talked about what it would be like to own a company together someday. Time had other plans; after high school, Heather moved to Calgary to work in the fashion industry (putting that retail experience to work), and Lori went on to earn her degree in animal biology (…which had little to do with retail). Eventually, they both moved onto sales jobs in various industries, their teenage dream of company ownership fading into the past. Fast forward to 2001. Heather and Lori had reconnected and were working together in New York City—together again, and still talking about starting their own business. The events that shook the city, the nation and the world on September 11, 2001, inspired Heather and Lori to finally stop dreaming and take action. It was time to get started.

Watching the world around them reel while they conducted business every day near Ground Zero, they knew they wanted their company to be fresh, fun and a reminder of simpler, more innocent times. That’s how Cupcakes by Heather and Lori was born.

They opened their first bakery in April, 2002, in Vancouver’s West End on Denman Street—go visit when you’re in the area! Four years and many, many cupcakes later, they opened their second location on West Broadway. Today, with two corporate bakeries and six franchised locations across Vancouver’s Lower Mainland, their company is still growing and more people every day discover Cupcakes.

What makes it work? Sure, one reason is because their amazing, from-scratch, preservative-free cupcakes are made with only the best ingredients, including real butter (seriously, try one and you’ll see why that’s a big deal). Here’s the other reason—Heather and Lori are a rare balance. Heather loves the visionary details of successfully branding and marketing the Cupcakes’ product lines. Lori loves the creative opportunities that franchising the Cupcakes brand create. Both of them have a strong commitment to the community and believe in paying it forward. They donate a portion of their proceeds from the Cause Cupcakes program—customized cause-specific cupcakes, designed in partnership with charitable foundations. They talk about their experiences of starting and running a successful business with other up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and they speak at various industry events.

Heather and Lori also have their own reality show on W and the OWN Network called “The Cupcake Girls,” displaying to the world that doing what they do is not always a piece of (cup)cake. Episode titles include, “Are We Having Fun Yet?”, “No Pain, No Gain”, and “Don’t Dish Out What You Can’t Take.” Clearly, the show is not sugar-coated—they reveal the good, the bad and the “um…what?” moments that make up what it takes to keep things together.

A shared dream between two 15-year-old best friends has become a reality. Today, Heather and Lori are recognized as two of BC‘s top entrepreneurs—and they hope that their success, longstanding friendship, and love for what they do will inspire others to achieve their own personal goals (and eat Cupcakes).

Clayton Oates

Clayton is a passionate presenter who understands what it takes to succeed in the Accounting & Bookkeeping Technology profession.

Clayton speaks from experience, after starting out his professional life as an Accountant at Price Waterhouse he then transitioned to Software Consulting in a regional CPA Firm before taking the leap into Small Business Ownership 15 years ago. He is also an Author, International Speaker, Husband and Father of 5 who has proudly built his business from a small country town on the North Coast of New South Wales – Australia.

As Chief Solutions Officer at QA Business, Clayton and his team have educated thousands of SMB's and their ABC's (Accountants / Bookkeepers / Consultants) in the use of multiple Accounting Technology solutions over the past 20 years.

From humble beginnings Clayton has continued to be recognized as a respected member of the Accounting Technology profession around the world. In 2015 he was included in the Accounting Technology Top 25 Thought Leader list compiled by CPA Practice Advisor, becoming the first Australian to be included in this prestigious list.

Seth David

Owner, Nerd Enterprises, Inc.

Seth David is the Dean of Beans at schoolofbookkeeping.com and President of Nerd Enterprises, Inc. which provides consulting and training services in Accounting and productivity based software. Consulting services range from basic bookkeeping to CFO level services such as financial modeling. Nerd Enterprises, Inc. and now schoolofbookkeeping.com is one of the leaders in the small business accounting world in online training resources offering courses on a wide range of software products. Seth David has been a top 10 speaker at The Sleeter Group’s Accounting Solutions Conference for the past few years. Seth makes extensive use of social networking tools, and web videos to maximize the impact of his training. His unique style and personal touch has helped him develop a large worldwide audience consisting of accountants, bookkeepers, and small business owners, as well as general consultants and technology enthusiasts. Seth graduated from Pace University in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in Accounting. Prior to starting his own firm in 2003, Seth worked at Biggs & Co., CPA's. An accounting firm based in Santa Monica, CA, specializing in bankruptcy, from 2001 to 2003. Seth’s role there was to perform audits; prepare tax returns for Corporations, S-Corps, LLC's, Partnerships; and bankruptcy compilation work for SEC reporting and litigation. Previously, from 1999 to 2001, Seth was a Senior Revenue Accountant for the Veterinary Centers of America. While there he managed the revenues for over 80 animal hospitals ensuring that the monthly closing entries were prepared so that the monthly and quarterly financial statements could be produced in accordance with SEC regulations. Seth also worked as an Auditor for United Government Services, a division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin auditing Medicare cost reports under contract with HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration) from 1996 to 1998. Seth David attended Pace University and received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with an emphasis on Public Accounting.

Andrew Davis

Best-selling author and marketing speaker, Monumental Shift

Andrew Davis’ 20-year career has taken him from local television to the Today Show. He’s worked for The Muppets in New York. He’s marketed for tiny startups and Fortune 500 brands. His latest book, Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships, is one of Amazon.com’s Top 100 Marketing Books. He’s produced for Charles Kuralt and MTV. He even produced a documentary film called Roadside Ambition: The amazing true story of one small town with two huge balls. In 2001, Andrew co-founded Tippingpoint Labs, where, as the chief strategy officer, Andrew and his team helped companies like Putnam Investments, Breville and TomTom. They built digital strategies for publishers like Rodale and Meredith. For more than a decade, Drew has led the charge to change the way publishers think and how brands market their products in a digital world.

Désirée Young

Désirée H. Young, M.B.A. is the founder of VentureWalk Business Partners, LLC, a forward-thinking business and leadership development company that grows businesses by connecting their model, message and mission to the money. As a pitch coach and facilitator for clients like Capital One Bank, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and dozens of small businesses; she helps people who struggle to say what they do gain confidence and clarity in communicating why their ideas matter. Desiree has helped business owners and professionals in over 27 different industries get funded, increase sales, and take control of their results through her Pitch-to-WinTM System. You can learn more about Désirée H. Young and VentureWalk at www.venturewalk.com or via any social media channels.

Dianne Mueller

Dianne Mueller is a Certified Professional Bookkeeper, Business Consultant & Trainer. Over the past 20 years she has earned a reputation for helping entrepreneurs keep their financial position up-front and central to their business and regularly presents seminars for new entrepreneurs looking for guidance during their start-up stage.

Dianne is passionate about the bookkeeping profession - so much so, that in 2007 she co-founded the Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (IPBC) Dianne is the current Chair of the Board of Directors and truly The Bookkeeper’s AdvocateR. She is continuously advocating for qualified, certified Bookkeepers and promoting progress and innovation in the bookkeeping world.

In 2011 she was awarded The Outstanding Achievement Mentorship award by Sage for giving back to the industry by mentoring other bookkeepers, and in 2014 she was added to the Sage “President's Circle” Awards for Sage Payment Referrals - again helping small business owners keep on top of their cash flow and getting paid faster. In 2014, Dianne was also awarded the “Oscar” of the bookkeeping world in London, England - the “LUCA” award - presented by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB), recognizing her Outstanding Service to the Bookkeeping Profession in Canada.

Dianne has three grown children, and resides on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada with her husband of 41 years.

Paul Donno

Director, 1 Accounts Online Limited

LinkedIn | Twitter

Paul Donno lives near Cambridge in the UK with his wife, two daughters and Labrador after 20 years of running his own practice in the traditional manner he sold his business to a local firm to concentrate 100% on online accounting.

Paul has worked with Sage using Sage 50 in his old practice and is a Sage Accredited Accounting Partner one of a few in in the UK to hold this accreditation.

Paul loves technology and was the first accountant in the UK to sign up a Sage One accounts client and payroll client and he was also the first accountant in the UK to become a Sage Online Certified Accountant.

Paul set up 1 Accounts Online Limited with his wife Jenni in December 2013 and they have been granted Sage Online accountant of the year and last November they received Highly Commended at the British Accountancy Awards in London.

Paul has spoken to other accountants for Sage in London, Dublin, Madrid and Barcelona and is really excited to share his insight to running an accountancy practice in the cloud in New Orleans at Sage Summit 2015.

Paul will speak to the Summit about his Journey to the cloud from operating a traditional accountancy practice to operating entirely in the cloud. Paul will share his story so far and give an insight to this new way of working. Sharing his journey with you will give you an insight in how to move your business to the cloud and what to do if opportunity knocks.

Paul will also share his passion for cloud technology and will look at services such as Sage One, Zendesk, Google, Dropbox, Docusign, Hootsuite and others to help the business owner prosper with cloud technology and being truly mobile.

Evan Carmichael

Entrepreneurial expert

Evan Carmichael helps entrepreneurs. At 19, he built then sold a biotech software company. At 22 he was a venture capitalist helping raise between $500,000 and $15 million. He now runs EvanCarmichael.com, one of the world's most popular websites for entrepreneurs. His goal is to help 1 billion entrepreneurs. He has helped set 2 world records, works 20 hours per week, uses a stand-up desk, rides a Vespa, raises funds for Kiva, and created a line of Entrepreneur trading cards. He graduated from the University of Toronto and enjoys salsa dancing, being a DJ, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Eric Greenspan

Co-founder/CEO, Chief Clever Officer and Dean of Delight, schoolofbookkeeping.com

Eric David Greenspan is a father of two boys. I’m also a ferocious entrepreneur and I love marketing, social media and technology. I’ve also been known to create mind blowing customer experiences. I am Chief Clever Officer at SeventyFourMarketing and a co-founder, CEO, Chief Clever Officer, Dean of Delight at schoolofbookkeeping.com. At SeventyFourMarketing, I help companies get lots of attention. We specialize in marketing around what we call the SeventyFour Strategy. WordPress, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Instagram/Pinterest and more. At schoolofbookkeeping.com, I manage all aspects of the business and handle the company’s sales and marketing efforts, business development and technology. I spend a lot of my time at the keyboard and in the kitchen. I have over 10,000 hours at both. In my early years, I could be found on the municipal golf course in Palm Springs, California picking from plentiful lemon trees and selling lemonade on the second hole. Little did I know that this would be the start of my entrepreneurial career. I have spent my entire adult lifetime building companies. My greatest skill is identifying unique marketing opportunities and driving customer acquisition. My latest company accumulated over 50,000 customers and most importantly, over 44,000 unique customer testimonials.

Gregg Schoppman

Ken Simonson

Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America

Ken Simonson has been the chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading trade association for the construction industry, since 2001. His weekly summary of economic news relevant to construction, The Data DIGest, goes to 47,000 subscribers. He was the 2012-2013 president of the National Association for Business Economics, the professional organization for individuals who use economics in their work. Currently, he serves as an appointed member of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Data Users Advisory Committee. Ken has 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He earned a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.

Lisa Zamosky

Healthcare business columnist, Los Angeles Times

Twitter: @lisazamosky
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lzamosky
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazamosky

Lisa Zamosky is a nationally known expert on health insurance, the Affordable Care Act and consumer health and finance concerns. She is author of Healthcare, Insurance and You: The Savvy Consumer’s Guide, and a healthcare business columnist for the Los Angeles Times, where her Healthcare Watch column appears weekly in the business section. Lisa is a health reform expert for WebMD, and a longtime WebMD health insurance columnist and blogger.

Lisa spent more than 10 years in the health care industry, much of which was spent working for one of the largest managed care organizations in the country.

Lisa also advises organizations and develops multi-media programs that help consumers and employees better understand and manage their health care benefits.

Lesli Harris

Partner at Stone Pigman, Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law

Twitter | Linkedin

Lesli D. Harris is a member of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C. She focuses her practice on intellectual property and entertainment law, representing professional sports teams, television networks, startup companies, and a music venue. Other areas of emphasis include class action defense and business litigation. Ms. Harris is Co-Chair of Stone Pigman's Entrepreneurs and Startups practice group and is Chair of Stone Pigman's CornerStone Program, which partners with Louisiana-based startup companies to address their legal needs using customized alternative fee arrangements. Ms. Harris is Co-Chair of the New Orleans Bar Association's Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Technology Law Committee, Co-Chair of the American Bar Association's Intellectual Property Litigation Membership Subcommittee, and a member of the Louisiana Association of Black Women Attorneys. She is also a member of the New York and Louisiana Bar Associations. Ms. Harris is the lead author of the Fashion & Entertainment Law Guide blog, which covers news and developments in media, entertainment, fashion and intellectual property. She was included in Gambit's 2014 "40 Under 40" list, was named a New Orleans City Business 2013 Leader in Law and has been recognized as a "Top Lawyer" by New Orleans Magazine. Ms. Harris received her LL.M. from New York University School of Law with a specialization in intellectual property. She received her J.D. from Tulane University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. She can be reached at 504.593.0938 or [email protected].

Jerry Henderson

Partner
BKD CPAs & Advisors

Twitter | Linkedin

As national industry partner for BKD National Manufacturing & Distribution Group and chair of the firm’s M&D Committee, Jerry oversees a team of approximately 200 advisors who serve more than 2,000 manufacturing, distribution and transportation clients. He also serves on BKD’s Governing Board, which establishes firm policy and strategic initiatives.
His 20-plus years of experience include commenting on proposed Financial Accounting Standards Board pronouncements and assisting clients with the implementation of newly issued pronouncements as well as providing consulting services in the areas of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, strategic planning, succession planning, financing assistance, profit enhancement, risk management and performance improvement planning.
Jerry frequently writes articles appearing in national trade journals and is a well-respected speaker at regional and national conferences. He also has presented technical industry views on proposed accounting standards to the members of the Financial Accounting Standards Board on three separate occasions.
Through firm memberships in the National Association of Manufacturers, Association for Corporate Growth and Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA), Jerry works closely with these industry associations and advocacy groups. He serves on the SBIA Tax and Accounting Committee. Jerry also is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, The ESOP Association and Leadership Louisville. He was a 2006 inductee of Business First’s “40 Under 40” for professionals making a positive contribution to the community.
He is the chair of Metro United Way of Louisville’s Tocqueville Society and a past member of Hospice of Louisville’s finance committee.
Jerry is a 1990 graduate of Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, with a B.S. degree in accounting.

John Lipsky

A world-renowned economist, John Lipsky’s distinguished career in both the private and public sectors, has earned him the respect and regard of many leaders around the world. His service at the International Monetary Fund coincided with the most challenging era for the international economy in the past 70 years. Having served as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director—the organization’s No. 2 Leadership Role – between 2006-2011, as well as Acting Managing Director from May-July 2011, Lipsky was a dedicated and effective leader who sought more effective international cooperation during a period of historic upheaval for the global economy.

Lipsky's sudden accession as the IMF’s Acting Managing Director came at a time of particular stress for European economies, institutions and financial markets. He led the IMF delegation at the 37th G8 summit held in May 2011 in Deauville, France, that also focused on forging a new partnership with Middle Eastern and North African countries following the Arab Spring. Representing the IMF at critical meetings of Eurozone Finance Ministers, Lipsky pushed hard for stronger action to halt the downward spiral, to restart growth and to implement important reforms. His strong stance and steadfast leadership during this period was noted widely at the time in publications like The Economist.

Before coming to the Fund, Mr. Lipsky was Vice Chairman of the JPMorgan Investment Bank. In this position, he advised the firm's principal market risk takers, published independent research on the principal forces shaping global financial markets, was actively engaged with JPMorgan's key clients, and represented the firm around the world with senior public and financial sector decision makers.

Previously, Mr. Lipsky served as JPMorgan's Chief Economist, and as Chase Manhattan Bank's Chief Economist and Director of Research. He served as Chief Economist of Salomon Brothers, Inc. from 1992 until 1997. From 1989 to 1992, Mr. Lipsky was based in London, where he directed Salomon Brothers' European Economic and Market Analysis Group during a time of fundamental and historic shifts in Europe.
Mr. Lipsky joined Salomon Brothers in 1984, working closely with Henry Kaufman when Salomon was a powerful and pioneering presence in rapidly growing global financial markets.

Mr. Lipsky spent a decade at the IMF following his graduate studies at Stanford. His key staff assignments were helping to manage the Fund's exchange rate surveillance procedure and in analyzing developments in international capital markets.

He also participated in negotiations with several member countries— including Brazil, the Philippines and Peru—and served as the Fund's Resident Representative in Chile during the design and implementation of key economic reforms during 1978-80. While still at JPMorganChase, Mr. Lipsky chaired a Financial Sector Review Group, established by former IMF Managing Director Horst Köhler, to provide the Fund with an independent perspective on the Fund's work on international capital markets.

Mr. Lipsky's current professional activities include serving as Co-Director of the Aspen Institute’s Program on the Global Economy. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Board of Directors, and is a Trustee of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). In January 2012, he joined the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington as a distinguished visiting scholar. SAIS is one of the country’s leading graduate schools devoted to the study of international relations. Mr. Lipsky is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Justin Packshaw

@Justin_Packshaw | Website | TEDx Talk

Justin is a world renowned explorer, philanthropist and speaker. He is co-founder and CEO of the luxury fashion brand, De Roemer.

He was an officer in the British Army and was involved throughout the first Gulf War in 1990. During his service he was also Equerry to one of the British Royal Family. On leaving the Army he took a Master’s Degree in Business before moving to New York to work in the financial sector which he did before starting De Roemer.

Adventure, sports and travel are an important feature to his life and he has represented Britain in the ‘Whitbread Round-the-World Yacht race’ winning the Bollinger Award for outstanding crewman. He has led expeditions all over the world including riding horses across Mongolia in conjunction with the National University of Mongolia in search of the Tsaatan reindeer tribes; motor-biking through East Africa; jet-skiing the coast of Nigeria and taking part and winning a 450 mile unsupported manhauling race to the Magnetic North Pole. He has been to both the Geographic North and South Poles and summited Mount Everest from Tibet along the infamous North East Ridge.

All his expeditions’ raise money for Charity and expeditions that he has been involved in have raised over $10m. He is very involved with raising awareness for injured Service personnel and is a strong believer in educating our youth in the benefits of the outdoors. He has taken wounded soldiers to the South Pole and retracing Sir Ernest Shackletons epic Endurance expedition of 1914.

He is part of Hewlett-Packard‘s worldwide ‘Influencer Advisory Board’, he’s a ‘Thought Leader’ for PayPal’s ‘People Economy’ Campaign as well as being an Ambassador for the UK Governments ‘GREAT Campaign’. He talks to businesses all over the world on ‘the Science of Achievement’ and how experiences learnt as a soldier, a professional sportsman and adventurer highlight valuable lessons that have significant relevance in the commercial arena. De Roemer

Ron Hulshizer

Managing Director
BKD CPAs & Advisors

Twitter | Linkedin

Ron has more than 25 years of experience helping companies with information technology (IT), security and financial accounting issues. He focuses on providing internal audit IT and IT security services to financial institutions.
His team conducts Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council reviews, general IT control reviews, internal and external penetration testing, business continuity plans and social engineering reviews for approximately 200 banks and financial institutions. He also coordinates Service Organization Control Reports®and SSAE 16 reviews for banking and financial institution clients.
Prior to joining BKD, Ron worked at technology firms, where he was responsible for financial and operational aspects, including IT operations and data centers.
He is a member of ISACA® and InfraGard®. Ron holds Certified Management Accountant® (CMA®), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT® (CGEIT®) and Certified Information Systems Auditor® (CISA®) designations.
He has been interviewed and published in various publications, including WebCPA and Illinois Banker. He speaks to banking associations about IT security and compliance and has spoken to the Arkansas Bankers Association, Kansas Bankers Association, Nebraska Bankers Association, Community Bankers Association of Illinois, Oklahoma Bankers Association, Texas Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas and Financial Managers Society.
Ron is a graduate of James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a B.B.A. degree, and a 1991 graduate of Ashland University, Ohio, with an M.B.A. degree.

Marge Wegren-Debre

Certified Professional Bookkeeper, Business Consultant & Trainer Marge is a Certified Professional Bookkeeper, Business Consultant & Trainer. As co-owner of a successful business for over 20 years, she has always strongly believed that small businesses deserve great bookkeepers, and has continually strived to make that happen through education, innovation, and implementation.

Marge has developed numerous training courses over the years, and is an accomplished writer, authoring several training manuals for bookkeeping in Canada. She has a passion for sharing her knowledge with those both new to the industry – and those that want to further their careers. Her training services include a two-day intensive for those starting their own bookkeeping business, and she runs a mentoring program for those that have graduated from her training series.

Some of Marge’s other accomplishments include: a mentorship from Ron Baker (Verasage member), was a Charter member of Sage 50 Canada PAC for many years, and is a Platinum Certified Sage 50 consultant. Marge held a seat on the IPBC Board of Directors for a number of years, chairing their Accreditation & Compliance Committee until recently transitioning to become their National Education Coordinator.

Marge resides on an acreage near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in a log home with her husband of 27 years.

Patrick Kenny

Director of Marketing and Communications, Canada Games Council

A marketing and public relations communicator for large scale organizations, associations, multi-media campaigns, and international sporting events, Patrick is a practical strategic thinker. Known for his professional nature at work and ability to read bedtime stories with the best of them at home, Patrick is a team player with an energy unwavering in overtime. He has consulted for world-renowned sports celebrities, IPO CEOs and his family during spirited dining room debates on Sunday evenings. Patrick is Director of Marketing and Communications for the Canada Games Council. Before joining the Canada Games, Patrick was Director of Corporate Branding and Communications Manager for Skate Canada’s Events and Marketing Division, a Communications Manager for the Central Canada Exhibition and a marketing and public relations consultant for some of Ottawa’s largest firms and sporting groups.
Career highlights include:

• Canada Games mission staff at the 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 and 2015 Canada Games
• Sponsor and agency servicing for some of Canada’s most successful companies
• Partner relations lead with domestic and international host broadcasters including CTV/TSN, CBC and ABC
• National advertising research and campaign development pioneering marketing efforts
• Media Relations Chair, Ottawa site, FIFA U-20
• Media attaché for Team Canada’s mission to Delhi, India and Glasgow Scotland for the Commonwealth Games
• Communications consultant for Wrestling Canada
• Team Canada communications for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Patrick lives in a century home in Carleton Place with his wife Lisa, son Noal and daughters Dale and Mae. Personal interests include downhill skiing, hockey and his children’s growing personalities.

Paul Tucker

Former Bank of England deputy governor, Sir Paul Tucker is one of the most respected central bankers and financial policy makers of our time. He spent more than three decades at the central bank, including experience in Asia, and was knighted for his reforms, which are creating a more resilient international banking system.

Sir Paul is noted for his analysis and understanding of the capital markets, developing a new rigor and set of relationships for the BOE, which informed his voting positions on quantitative easing and forward guidance as a member of the Monetary Policy Committee. Sir Paul was analyzing the data and driving economic policy at one of the world's most influential and internationally oriented central banks only a few short months ago, and he has much to share about the implications of monetary policy for the global economy, international financial markets, and risks to monetary and financial stability.

As a former leading member of the G20 Financial Stability Board, he has keen insight into international policymaking and into how large and complex international banks and markets should be properly supervised given the myriad of global regulations. He believes the new regulatory regime will influence monetary policy as well as shaping banks' strategies, and that policy to cure the problem of “too big to fail” should focus less on breaking up banks and more on 'resolution regimes' that put losses on to equity investors and bond holders, not taxpayers.

Sir Paul was instrumental in establishing how an independent Bank of England sets monetary policy free from political decisions, illustrating how central bankers were responsible for some of the most effective policy initiatives during the last decade. Reflecting his agency in public policy via the Bank of England, globally and in Europe, Tucker is now a senior fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Public Policy, as well as at Harvard Business School.

Chelsea Krost

TV & radio talk show host and Millennial lifestyle expert

Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Chelsea Krost is an accomplished speaker, published author, television and radio talk-show host, Executive Producer, certified health coach, and entrepreneur. She is the Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of MPulse, a news app by Millennials for Millennials.

Chelsea has appeared as a Millennial & Lifestyle Expert on Good Morning America, Anderson with Anderson Cooper, The Meredith Vieira Show, Wendy Williams, The Today Show, The Tyra Banks Show, Bloomberg News, Good Day New York, FOX Business and several other top media outlets. In addition, Chelsea sits on the board of Cosmopolitan Magazine as a Millennial Board Member. The Chelsea Krost Show made its television debut in March of 2013. The show provided a platform for today’s hot topics, trends and issues that affect Millennials. For the past three years, Chelsea has served as the Millennial spokesperson for U by Kotex. In addition, Chelsea has been a brand ambassador/spokesperson for such notable and diverse brands as Intel, MasterCard, BCBG, IBM, Suave, Microsoft, TurboTax, Kyocera, Illy Coffee, and The International Rotary.

Rieva Lesonsky

CEO of GrowBiz Media

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a custom content creation company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship, and the blog SmallBizDaily.com. A nationally- known speaker, best-selling author, and authority on entrepreneurship, Lesonsky has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 30 years. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was the long-time Editorial Director of Entrepreneur magazine.

Peter Margaritis

Twitter | LinkedIn

As the Chief “Edutainment” Officer for Peter A. Margaritis, LLC, Mr. Margaritis’s primary role is to help business leaders strengthen their business success skills. For some clients, that means helping their team hone technical skills, like U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). For some clients, it may mean working to develop non-technical, professional skills training, like presentation, business development, and leadership skills. With every client, the goal is the same: help the team improve their skills to improve business results. Over the past 30 years in business, Mr. Margaritis has managed, recruited, developed, hired and fired – all to develop successful teams. He has sold products ranging from bank loans to corporate incentive certificates. In addition, he has created compensation matrixes, analyzed financial statements, and designed and delivered accounting and professional skills courses. Beyond that, Mr. Margaritis has performed stand-up and improvisational comedy. Mr. Margaritis has delivered over 80 seminars, conferences, and workshops as a speaker and trainer and is also is a thought leader for the Business Learning Institute. His presentations cover subject matter both technical and non-technical for clients that include Fortune 500 companies, large and national regional accounting firms, state CPA associations and the American Institute of CPAs.

Gene Marks

Columnist, author, and small business owner

LinkedIn | Facebook | Youtube

Gene writes every day on business, politics and public policy for the Washington Post and weekly for Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur and the Huffington Post. Gene has written 5 books on business management, specifically geared towards small and medium sized companies. His most recent is The Manufacturer’s Book of Lists. Nationally, Gene appears on Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC discussing matters affecting the business community. Through his keynotes and breakout sessions, Gene helps business owners, executives and managers understand the political, economic and technological trends that will affect their companies so they can make profitable decisions. Gene owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful ten-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium sized businesses. Prior to starting the Marks Group PC Gene, a Certified Public Accountant, spent nine years in the entrepreneurial services arm of the international consulting firm KPMG in Philadelphia where he was a Senior Manager.

Mike Michalowicz

Author and entrepreneur

Twitter | Facebook

By his 35th birthday MIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident that he had the formula to success, he became an angel investor… and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Among other innovative strategies, Mike created the “Profit First Formula”, a way for businesses to ensure profitability from their very next deposit forward.

Mike is now running his third million dollar venture. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and MSNBC's Your Business business make-over expert. He is also regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine and American Express's "Open Forum" series. Mike was a recurring entrepreneurship expert for CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and has appeared on the CES Roadshow series as well as on NBC, Fox News, ABC News Now, CNBC's On the Money, and Pat Croce's Down To Business.

Mike is a popular keynote speaker across the globe on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, which BusinessWeek deemed “the entrepreneur’s cult classic.”

Michele Avery

Michele Avery is a certified public accountant (CPA) who specializes in the valuation of privately held businesses. She has worked exclusively in the field of business valuation for over a decade, and her work spans numerous industries. Michele holds the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Accredited in Business Valuation credential and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts’ Certified Valuation Analyst credential. She has lectured on business valuation topics for the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants, 22nd Judicial District Court Bar Association, and National Business Institute. Michele has also written extensively on business valuation topics for the Society of Louisiana CPAs’ publication Lagniappe.

Michelle Edelman

Michelle is a luminary in the advertising industry, having worked for clients including Motorola, Altoids, Unilever, Starbucks, adidas, and Allstate before joining the Peter Mayer team a year ago to lead the strategy disciplines. Her global strategic work on Dove yielded the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, which was recently named the top ad campaign of the 21st century in AdAge. She has led strategic planning at agencies like Ogilvy Chicago and Leo Burnett. She frequently speaks at universities and industry events about advertising, and has edited two books on the Baby Boomer generation. She holds a BS, MPH, and MBA, all from Northwestern University.

Barry Moltz

LinkedIn | Facebook

Barry gets business owners growing again by unlocking their long forgotten potential. With decades of entrepreneurial experience in his own business ventures as well as consulting countless other entrepreneurs, Barry has discovered the formula to get stuck business owners unstuck and marching forward. Barry applies simple, strategic steps to facilitate change.

Barry has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 20 years.

After successfully selling his last operating business, Barry has branched out into a number of entrepreneurship-related activities. He founded an angel investor group, an angel fund, and is a former advisory member of the board of the Angel Capital Education Foundation. His first book, “You Need to Be A Little Crazy: The Truth about Starting and Growing Your Business” describes the ups and downs and emotional trials of running a business. It is in its fifth reprint and has been translated into Chinese, Russian, Korean and Thai.

His second book, “Bounce! Failure, Resiliency and the Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success”, shows what it takes to come back and develop true business confidence. It has been translated into Korean and German. His third book, “BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World” shows how customer service is the new marketing. His fourth book, Small Town Rules: How Small Business and Big Brands can Profit in a Connected Economy shows how when every customer can talk to every other customer, it’s like living in a small town: Your reputation is everything!

His fifth book, “How to Get Unstuck: 25 Ways to Get Your Business Growing Again” is currently available.

Barry is a nationally recognized speaker on small business who has given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging in size from 20 to 20,000. As a member of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, he has also taught entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has appeared on many TV and radio programs such as CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, MSNBC’s Your Business and NPR’s The Tavis Smiley Show. He hosts his own radio show, Business Insanity Talk Radio on AM560, and writes regularly for the American Express Open Forum and other online and offline periodicals.

Bob Oster

Bob Oster is a senior consultant and owner with nSpire Technologies, an IT business solutions firm. His certifications with Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, and RSA, along with over 20 years of experience, grant him the acuity to guide businesses to ultimate IT efficiency. With specialty areas including server deployment and maintenance, virtualization, disaster planning, and security, Oster has co-authored two technical books and served as a certified instructor for New Horizons Computer Learning Center. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of New Orleans.

Alan Patterson

Linkedin

Dr. Alan Patterson has guided more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies in re-thinking how best to elevate their talent and drive effective organizational change. He has 27 years of international consulting experience in change management, leadership development, and executive coaching. In 2006, he formed Mentoré, a consulting organization that focuses on aligning leadership, strategy, roles, and skill sets to major shifts in the business. Prior to Mentoré, Dr. Patterson worked as a Partner for 20 years at Bryan Associates, Inc., a consulting group specializing in competency-based talent development initiatives. Dr. Patterson’s expertise has been tapped by many global and national organizations, including Anheuser-Busch, CVS, Entergy, Federal Reserve Bank, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard, Major League Baseball, Merck, Sea World, the United States Navy, and Williams Sonoma. A published author, Dr. Patterson has been a featured speaker and workshop leader for several national associations, including serving as a national expert resource for the American Institute for CPAs (AICPA) and many state CPA associations. He holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MA from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and an Ed.D. from Boston University.

Jody Padar

CEO and principal, New Vision CPA Group

Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook

Jody Padar is one of the profession’s foremost visionaries and pioneers. As a practitioner, she is CEO and Principal of the New Vision CPA Group, a public accounting firm based in the Chicago area. And as an author, lecturer, coach, consultant and mentor, she advocates for progress and innovation in the profession, heralding a new way of thinking about the practice of accountancy and giving it new purpose. Having successfully transformed her own firm into a technologically advanced, paperless work environment, she is now dedicated to educating her fellow colleagues on how to make the same transition. She is a regular contributor to a number of industry publications, including Accounting Today and CPA Trendlines, where she offers practical tips and advice on running a next-generation firm. Padar has been named by Accounting Today as “the Top 100 Most Influential to the Profession” for the last four years and manages her firm and discover new “best practices.” She has recently published her first book: The Radical CPA: New Rules for the Future-Ready firm. Padar is married, has two teenage children and swims competitively.
Padar earned her BBA from Saint Mary’s College and MST from Northern Illinois University. Padar is also an adjunct professor at Oakton Community College.

Timothy Ringgold

Timothy Ringgold is a high-caliber leader and strategist with a history of driving innovation and excellence in the security and energy industries. He served as the Chief Executive Officer for an international defense, security, and energy company where he aided in the company's expansion to Iraq, Hungary and West Africa. Mr. Ringgold is a Retired US Army Colonel and seasoned CEO with distinguished service in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill, and at the White House. Mr. Ringgold has extensive international experience having worked with or in more than 40 countries. He has negotiated international contracts with the U.S., Iraq, Hungary, Ukraine, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Guinea, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Romania, and other government and commercial companies worldwide. Mr. Ringgold is a masterful speaker, panelist and presenter. He wrote, co-wrote and contributed to numerous defense policies, military reviews, annual reports and articles published in notable periodicals and publications. Mr. Ringgold holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and M.A. in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University (USA), M.A. in Economics from Temple University (USA), B.S. in Physics from the U.S. Military Academy (USA), and a Diploma in National Security Policy from the U.S. Army War College.

Ron Buist

Marketing Expert; inventor of “Roll Up the Rim to Win”

If you’ve ever won a free coffee, a donut, or even a television because you “rolled up the rim to win,” you have Ron Buist to thank. The former marketing director for Tim Hortons for 24 years, Buist help turned a once little-known donut shop into one of Canada’s leading franchises. Buist is a confident, entertaining, and motivating presenter who takes audiences behind the scenes of this beloved Canadian institution, and shares the many valuable lessons about marketing, customer service, and business that he picked up along the way.

Buist is the author of the bestselling book, Tales From Under the Rim, the Marketing of Tim Hortons(now in its second printing), and a marketing consultant and speaker who is now focused on sharing his secrets of success with retail organizations, business schools, senior executives and others through his presentations.

Buist's success story is applicable to all businesses and services, from banking to baking, production to party supplies. He has spoken to universities, marketing associations, and businesses ranging from The Funeral Association of Canada to financial institutions and many Chambers of Commerce. His presentations deal with key issues all businesses face, and provide audiences with formulas to increase their own success.

Ron Baker

Founder of VeraSage Institute

Ronald J. Baker started his CPA career in 1984 with KPMG’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Today, he is the founder of VeraSage Institute—the leading think tank dedicated to educating professionals internationally—and a radio talk-show host on the www.VoiceAmerica.comshow: The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Knowledge Economy.

As a frequent speaker, writer, and educator, his work takes him around the world. He has been an instructor with the California CPA Education Foundation since 1995 and has authored fifteen courses for them, including: You Are What You Charge For: Success in Today’s Emerging Experience Economy (with Daniel Morris); Alternatives to the Federal Income Tax; Trashing the Timesheet: A Declaration of Independence; Everyday Economics; Everyday Ethics: Doing Well by Doing Good; and The Best Business Books You Should Read.

He is the author of seven books, including: Professional’s Guide to Value Pricing; The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services, co-authored with Paul Dunn; Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value; Measure What Matters to Customers: Using Key Predictive Indicators; Mind Over Matter: Why Intellectual Capital is the Chief Source of Wealth; Implementing Value Pricing: A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms; and his latest book The Soul of Enterprise: Dialogues on Business in the Knowledge Economy, co-authored with Ed Kless.

Ron has toured the world, spreading his value-pricing message to over 120,000 professionals. He has been appointed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s Group of One Hundred, a think tank of leaders to address the future of the profession; named on Accounting Today’s 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Top 100 Most Influential People in the profession; voted number six and nine of the Top ten Most Influential People in the profession in 2012, 2013, and 2014; selected as one of LinkedIn’s Influencer Bloggers; and received the 2003 Award for Instructor Excellence from the California CPA Education Foundation. He graduated in 1984 from San Francisco State University, with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a minor in economics. He is a graduate of Disney University and Cato University, and is a faculty member of the Professional Pricing Society. He presently resides in Petaluma, California.

Desmond Ryan

Desmond Ryan is a professional Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant with over 30 years of extensive experience in trade development, investment promotion, training and facilitation, and institutional development focused on the stimulation of SMEs, including best practices and sustainability for SME service providers. As a Senior Strategic Consultant, Mr. Ryan has worked on a wide range of international projects in Europe and the Middle East in sectors including information technology, manufacturing, professional services, and construction. Clients included the EU, World Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as multinationals in the private sector. Mr. Ryan is a recognized International Trainer, Educator, and Mentor. He has conducted over 75 training courses and one-on-one coaching for over 200 entrepreneurs in more than 10 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, including Ghana, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Qatar, Poland, Ireland, Greece, Germany, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Ryan has served as CFO and Business Support Manager for the Qatar Science & Technology Park, and has worked with the Dublin Business Innovation Centre as a Senior Venture Consultant and Financial Controller. He also helped set up several Irish Seed and Venture funds and participated in the design, strategic planning, fundraising and construction of a $50 million smart incubator in Dublin.

Leslie Shiner

Industry expert, author, speaker, and trainer

Twitter | Facebook

Leslie Shiner—author, speaker, and trainer—has more than twenty years’ experience as a financial and management consultant. She is also the author of numerous publications that focus on the construction industry including A Simple Guide to Turning A Profit as a Contractor. Ms. Shiner is an engaging speaker with a long history of rave reviews. She continues to receive high praise for her ability to make financial management interesting, understandable, and even entertaining.
Ms. Shiner’s post-graduate education focused on Finance and Accounting culminating in an MBA from UC Berkeley. Ms. Shiner has combined her knowledge of construction management with her passion for education. Ms. Shiner has been the keynote speaker at the Sleeter Conference and at the ABC of Wisconsin Winter Convention. Ms. Shiner’s past speaking engagements have included the Remodeling Show, JLC Live, the International Builders Show, the World of Concrete, the Southern Building Show, CEDIA Expo, International Roofing Show, and the Southeast Builders Conference to name a few.
Leslie was recently named one of CEDIA’s Overall Top Instructors. Ms. Shiner has taught as Adjunct Faculty both at the California State University System and Dominican University.

Doug Sleeter

Doug is a passionate leader of innovation and change in the small business accounting technology world. As a CPA firm veteran and former Apple Computer Evangelist, he has melded his two great passions (accounting and technology) to guide developers in the innovation of new products and to educate and lead accounting professionals who serve small businesses. The CPA Practice Advisor has recognized Doug as one of the "Top 25 Thought Leaders" in the accounting profession for the past several years and he has been named to Accounting Today's "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" each year 2008 through 2014. He was recently awarded the 2013 Small Business Influence Champion award. Doug is founder of the Sleeter Group, the author of numerous books, and writes a regular column in The CPA Practice Advisor. Doug and his family live in Pleasanton, CA.

Susan Solovic

THE small business expert

A woman of many talents, Susan Wilson Solovic is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com top 100 and USA Today bestselling author, media personality, sought-after keynote speaker, and attorney.

An Internet pioneer, Solovic was the CEO and co-founder of one of the first video-based Internet sites, a company she grew from it’s infancy to a million dollar plus entity. In 2006, she accepted the Stevie Award (the Oscar’s of business) on behalf of the company for the Most Innovative Company under 100 employees; that same year the company was voted the Best Investment Opportunity at a Venture Forum in the Silicon Valley.

A media personality, Solovic is a former small business contributor for ABC News and hosted a syndicated radio program, It’s Your Biz. She appears regularly as a small business expert on Fox Business, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal’s “Lunch Break”, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC and many other stations across the country. She hosted her own PBS special called Reinvent Yourself Now: Become Self-Reliant in an Unpredictable World. In addition to television and radio appearances, Solovic is a featured blogger on numerous sites, including Constant Contact, Entrepreneur, AT&T Business Circle and FoxBusiness.com.

Solovic was recently named in the Top 10 of both SAP’s “Top 51 Potential Human Influencers” and she consistently ranks in the top 5 of the “Top 100 Small Business Experts to Follow on Twitter” She has written four bestselling books which have been translated into multiple languages.

In addition to running her business, Solovic serves as the media director for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) is an advocacy, research, education and networking organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For more than 20 years, SBE Council has worked to strengthen the ecosystem for small business success.

Solovic received the Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship Leader of Distinction Award, and she was the first recipient of AT&T’s Innovator of the Year Award for being a pioneer in a new industry. Additionally, she has won numerous awards for small business journalism include recognition from the SBA.

Solovic is a member of the Advisory Board for the John Cook School of Entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University where she also served as an adjunct professor on entrepreneurship in the MBA program. She served on the National Women’s Business Council, which counsels the President, Congress, and the SBA on issues affecting women business owners. She is a past board member of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University, the Women Presidents’ Organization, Women Impacting Public Policy and the Institute for the Economic Development of Women. Currently, she is mentoring a women entrepreneur in Rwanda.

Solovic started her career as a news anchor and reporter. Her corporate career took her to the C-Suite level of a Fortune 100 company becoming the first female executive in the company’s financial services division. She obtained a law degree from Saint Louis University and is Of Counsel with the firm Junge & Mele, LLP in New York City.

Tim Wilson

Partner
BKD CPAs & Advisors

Twitter | LinkedIn

Tim is national industry partner for BKD National Construction & Real Estate Group. He has more than 30 years of experience performing audit, accounting, tax and management consulting services in various industries. He assists clients in the areas of business and strategic planning, operational and control reviews, mergers, acquisitions and consolidations, financial forecasts, feasibility studies, valuations, business process improvement and audit and tax issues. In addition, he is leading the implementation of BKD’s firm wide Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) practice.
Tim has provided strategic planning consulting for a variety of businesses and industries, including start-ups. He has assisted many clients with their long-range business development plans, using business and market fundamentals with an emphasis on the financial aspects of growing a business.
He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants, Associated General Contractors of America, Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and Heart of America Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, as well as chair of the board of St. James Academy and advisory board member of Truman State University School of Business. Tim serves on the Emerging Issues Task Force for CFMAand also is a member of the Kansas City Area Development Council Board of Directors. He also is a Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) through the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals.
Tim is a graduate of Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, with a B.S. degree in accounting.

Tom Hood

Tom Hood

CPA, CITP, CGMA

Twitter: @tomhood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoodcpa
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhood

“If there is a conversation about the future of the profession, you’re bound to hear Hood’s name mentioned as one of the people leading the way. From his Innovation Summit to his many speaking engagements, from his prolific tweets to his range of alliances with vendors, other organizations, and thought leaders and influencers at all levels, Hood is doing as much as anyone – and more than most – to lead public accounting forward.” – Accounting Today 2013. Tom Hood is passionate about three areas: leadership, learning, and technology. Mr. Hood’s recognition and awards reflect his leadership in helping CPAs shape their future through his work at the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, a center for the development of leadership, strategic thinking, and collaboration skills for CPAs. Mr. Hood and his team have facilitated and taught the Major Firms Group (Top 100 CPA firms) for the AICPA and the AICPA Leadership Academy and lead strategic planning sessions for the top CPA firms all over the US, as well as corporations and nonprofits. Mr. Hood was named the second most influential leader in the CPA Profession in Accounting Today’s 2013 list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, his ninth time on the list. Linked-in recruited Mr. Hood as one of their Top 150 Influencers, and he was named to the Top 25 Influencers in Learning by HR Examiner. He is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and consultant and has been featured in the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today, and AccountingWeb. He won the AICPA Special Recognition Award for his contributions to the profession leading the CPA Vision Project in 2003. He is also considered a thought leader in the Association Community, having spoken at the DigitalNow Conference and the ASAE (American Society of Association Executives).

Tom Quinn

Tom Quinn

Chairman and CEO, QSM Group Chairman, Canada Games Council

Tom Quinn is currently the Chairman and CEO of the QSM Group that manages investments in retail businesses in Canada and the US. In addition the company is also consulting with various businesses and associations in Canada.

Until recently, Tom had been employed for over 35 years with the Forzani Group, Canada's largest specialty sporting goods retailer with over 550 stores and 25,000 employees. For the last several years he had held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of the corporation and has demonstrated a proven track record of building high performance teams and resulting in a highly successful business. Over the course of the 35 years, Tom had been closely involved in the growth of the private corporation from two stores with $4million in sales to a public corporation doing over $1.8 billion in retail sales in his last year. Tom also managed the marketing initiatives that elevated the various FGL brands including Sports Experts and Sport Chek to be among the most recognized brands in our country.

As a competitive elite athlete in badminton competing for over 17 years representing Canada in Canadian Open and various international events, Tom continued to serve the sport as the Vice President of marketing for five years and Chaired the Canadian Open Championships three times. In 2009 he was inducted into the Quebec Badminton Hall of Fame.

Prior to being elected Chairman of the Canada Games Board of Directors in 2009, Tom served as the Federal Appointed board member from 2006. He has also been the Governor of ski Quebec (2000-2009), Board Member of the Quebec Special Olympics (2000-20005), Governor of the Quebec Sports Celebrities Festival (1990-2011), Co-president of the Fondation des Jeux du Quebec (2001-2002), Vice president of the Forzani Foundation (2004-2011), and since 2010 serves on the Board as a governor of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and Chairman of the fund development committee.

Since 2011, Tom has also been involved with l'association handicappe du Quebec and is intimately involved with their annual fundraising Gala every fall.

In 2013, Tom was the Chairman of the Quebec Special Olympic Provincial games and was also elected to the Institut National du Sport du Quebec as its Chairman. In October of 2013, he will Co-Chair Canada's Sports Hall of fame induction dinner in Toronto. In 2014, Tom will be appointed as the Chairman of the PGA Tours Canadian Open Championship.

Over the course of his involvement with the various charities and associations, Tom has been actively involved in raising funds exceeding $100 million.

Tom has always been active in the sport community as a volunteer, coach, participant and administrator and continues to enjoy his time on the golf course, surfing, paddle boarding, and snowboarding. He has been promoting an active lifestyle in his role as Editor of the Fusion magazine for the past 11 years and continues to focus on being involved in initiatives that promote a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Steve Strauss

Senior USA TODAY small business columnist

Steven D. Strauss is the country’s leading small business expert. An internationally recognized speaker, columnist, and attorney, he is also the author of 17 books including the the best-selling Small Business Bible.

Steve’s column, Ask an Expert, appears weekly at USATODAY.com and is one of the longest-running (17 years) and most highly syndicated business columns in the world. Steve is also the featured columnist for Bank of America's Small Business Community and he is the spokesperson for Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. He writes for SCORE, The Huffington Post, and many more. He also appears regularly on TV and radio.

Steve speaks the the world over and has been a select speaker for the U.S. State Department, speaking in places like India, Japan, Mongolia, and the West Bank. He sits on the Board of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in France. Whether it is a keynote to 1,000 business leaders, a breakout to start-up entrepreneurs, or one of the many webinars and tweetchats he hosts, Steve always brings energy, insight, intelligence, enthusiasm, and only a few bad jokes to his audiences.

PR firms often tap Steve to be the small business spokesperson for corporations wishing to reach the small business marketplace and in this capacity he has done many SMTs, RMTs, contests, media events, and so on for clients large and small alike.

Strauss Syndication creates world-class content for clients (both Steve Strauss branded as well as private label): Blogs, articles, webinars, e-books, white papers, etc.

Steve's latest venture is TheSelfEmployed.com, where entrepreneurs can get everything they need from Steve and his great partners like EHealth, SCORE, Dun & Bradstreet Credibility, McAfee, Greatland, Vertical Response, and Staples.

Sabine van Egeraat

Sabine van Egeraat is an international entrepreneur that specializes in assisting companies to be successful abroad. It is her personal mission to help others establish relevant and international networks globally. Ms. Egeraat has worked and lived in numerous countries across the world herself, enabling her to gain very practical knowledge of doing business internationally.

Ms. Egeraat is highly skilled in the area of marketing communication, sales and business development. She has helped both multinationals and SME’s in increasing their market share, partner searches, international PR and branding. Over the past decade, she has helped global companies in restructuring their marketing and communications strategy, creating stronger brands and a more profound customer intimacy.

Accredited by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an official Trade Practitioner, Ms. Egeraat assists SMEs in penetrating new markets, setting up efficient international marketing and communications plans, and finding new business partners worldwide.

Ms. Egeraat holds a University Degree in International Marketing and a Master’s degree in International Communication and Strategies.

Geni Whitehouse

Geni is a CPA on a mission to make boring subjects interesting. She is an author, speaker, and blogger and has not only spoken at a local TEDxNapaValley event, she has also helped curate and coach speakers for three subsequent TEDx events.
A regular speaker at accounting and technology events around the country, she has found the humor in taxes, financial statements, and even fixed assets. Her pursuit of the formerly boring started as a partner in an Atlanta CPA firm and followed her through careers in high tech and startups before leading her to the heart of California wine country. While living in California, she has found numerous ways to combine wine and her southern upbringing with her financial and business storytelling. She has been named one of the “Most Powerful Women in Accounting”, an industry “Thought Leader”, and one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.”

Ray Wang

R "Ray" Wang is the Principal Analyst, Founder, and Chairman of Silicon Valley based Constellation Research, Inc. He's also the author of the popular business strategy and technology blog "A Software Insider’s Point of View". With viewership in the 10's of millions of page views a year, his blog provides insight into how disruptive technologies and new business models such as digital transformation impact brands, enterprises, and organizations. Wang has held executive roles in product, marketing, strategy, and consulting at companies such as Forrester Research, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

His new best selling book Disrupting Digital Business, published by Harvard Business Review Press and now globally available provides insights on why 52% of the Fortune 500 have been merged, acquired, gone bankrupt, or fallen off the list since 2000. In fact, this impact of digital disruption is real. However, it’s not the technologies that drive this change. It’s a shift in how new business models are created.

Wang has held executive roles in product, marketing, strategy, and consulting at companies such as Forrester Research, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Personify, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is a prominent and dynamic keynote speaker and research analyst working with clients on digital, innovation, business model design, engagement strategies, customer experience, matrix commerce, and big data.

His Silicon Valley research firm, Constellation Research, Inc., advises Global 2000 companies on the future, business strategy, and disruptive technology adoption. Ray is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and well quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC TV, Reuters, IDG News Service, and other global media outlets. Wang has thrice won the prestigious Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR) Analyst of the Year Award.

William Gordon

William Gordon is the Associate General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Hercules Offshore, Inc. where he manages the compliance, risk, and litigation departments. Prior to joining Hercules, Mr. Gordon spent 7 years at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, DC., where he specialized in international regulatory compliance, enforcement, and litigation. Mr. Gordon graduated from Pomona College in 2002 with degrees in economics and international relations and from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 2007. An expert in a wide range of compliance and corporate governance issues, he regularly authors articles, industry updates and speaks on various issues within his areas of expertise.

Flynn Zaiger

Flynn Zaiger founded Online Optimism in 2012, starting with nothing more than a laptop and a lot of coffee. Three years, dozens of website builds, many clients, and several office upgrades later, Online Optimism is now a Google Partner Agency proudly helping businesses establish themselves online. As a Google Analytics Qualified Professional, Flynn has been quoted on Forbes.com, Inc.com and Social Media Today for his expert opinion on a wide range of internet marketing topics. His proudest accomplishment has been starting Online Optimism's program of installing Google Analytics free for any New Orleans business, happily assisting the growth of the local economy.

Lisa Zamosky

Lisa Zamosky is a nationally known expert on health insurance, the Affordable Care Act and consumer health and finance concerns. She is author of Healthcare, Insurance and You: The Savvy Consumer’s Guide, and a consumer health care columnist for the Los Angeles Times, where her Healthcare Watch column appears weekly in the business section. Lisa is a health reform expert for WebMD, and a longtime WebMD health insurance columnist and blogger. Lisa spent more than 10 years in the health care industry, much of which was spent working for one of the largest managed care organizations in the country.

Paul Ziliak

Paul Ziliak, co-founder of xkzero has helped conceive and launch Mobile and Web sales apps for ERP systems, Universal Search for ERP, and most recently a solution designed to save distributors and manufacturers money on freight through a managed transportation services partnership with Echo Global Logistics. A registered CPA and former auditor, Paul has dedicated his professional career to the growth and success of mid-sized and small businesses. Paul lives in Chicago and is a married father of three sons. An active leader in Illinois CPA Society networking events, Paul has also coached youth baseball since 2007.

Josh Zweig

A graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business in Canada, Josh has a passion for entrepreneurship. His experience with a “Big 4” accounting firm and several years in public practice as a CPA have allowed him to work closely with many business owners across a wide variety of industries. Josh went on to co-found LiveCA LLP, Canada's first online accounting firm that focuses on transitioning businesses to cloud based solutions.