Mentors

Business leadership bootcamp

A three day startup mentorship summit in California for a highly engaging and interactive experience that will provide a holistic and out-of-the-box exposure towards entrepreneurial success. Our business leadership bootcamp is a personalized and inspiring "boot camp for entrepreneurs" that will take you from surviving to thriving.
This is truly one of the most enriching leadership conferences..

Thrive Mentors

AJ Wilcox

LinkedIn Ads Expert | Agency Founder | Speaker

I fell in love with LinkedIn Ads back in 2012. Globally recognized as one of the top LinkedIn Ads experts, I speak with, train, present, and manage advertising campaigns for executives and teams around the world. I started B2Linked.com, an agency that specializes in account management and consulting with LinkedIn Ads back in 2014. Our team manages the largest and most sophisticated accounts worldwide. We recently became official Certified LinkedIn Partners. To date, we\'ve managed >100 LinkedIn Ads accounts, spent a cumulative $100M+ on the platform, and have managed 2 of LinkedIn\'s top 5 customers. Since founding B2Linked, I\'ve been honored to be invited to speak at 30+ conventions, such as Social Media Marketing World, HeroConf, Search Marketing Expo, and Content Marketing Conference. I’ve also been honored to have been interviewed on tons of awesome podcasts, such as Entrepreneur on Fire and Social Media Marketing Podcast.

ALAN BRODY

Founder of the iBreakfast

Alan Brody is the author of Are You Fundable? the book for Entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Angel Week and iBreakfast, New York and L.A.’s longest running Digital Media Executive Networking Group. He created the Marcom Awards, the first awards program for online advertising & marketing (now ADWEEK's Icon Awards). He has been a columnist for divisions of Advertising Age and ADWEEK and now runs the monthly Startupalooza pitching forum and the Capital Raising Workshop for Startups in 8 Cities in the US. He is one of the leading personalities in a new Startup series on the worldwide ZeeTV network.

ALISON ANTHOINE

Entrepreneurial Lawyer and Business Strategist

Alison Anthoine is an entrepreneurial lawyer and business strategist who has spent most of her professional life working in and around the media business. She has been an early angel investor, trusted consigliere and/or mentor for many entrepreneurs. In addition to her solo law practice, she is currently advising a startup that is developing content about developments in neuroscience for both professional and consumer audiences. She has also recently launched a new business, EOL Navigator, to empower individuals and families in making informed choices when navigating or planning for the end of life. Earlier this year, inspired by the Women’s March on January 21, she ran as independent candidate for Mayor of Cold Spring, NY against the incumbent (who would have otherwise run unopposed) and came within 23 votes of being elected.

Braden Pollock

Angel Investor

I'm primarily an Angel Investor having invested in a couple of dozen technology start-ups. I've also purchased more than a dozen small companies that have been rolled up into existing companies that I own and operate. In addition, I invest in high-value domain names as an alternative asset class.

BRIAN Mac Mahon

Founder of Expert DOJO

Brian McMohan is a serial entrepreneur and investor and has owned companies in over 35 countries. He is also the owner of Expert DOJO, who are the fastest growing startup accelerator in Southern California. At Expert DOJO early stage startups receive investment, success coaching, advice, and specialist help in all areas of their business growth. Their patented 12 step accelerator is unlike any other program available and gives direct access to specialists in branding, design, business planning, product fit, strategic planning, web development, growth hacking and so much more. In 2017 Expert DOJO brought 400 companies through their startup programs and made 4 investments. They are planning to bring 2,000 companies through their program this year and make 25 investments. All you want to know about Brian is contained in his TEDx talk - https://youtu.be/Y6f7lFy0oW0

Capt. D.J. Skelton

The Army's Most Seriously Wounded Commander

DJ served in the United States Army from 1997-2018. DJ was severely wounded in November, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq. Since his recovery at Walter Reed, DJ served as a military advisor to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullen. After six years of continual surgeries, rehab and recovery, DJ returned to the Infantry and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. DJ is fluent in Chinese, is one of the youngest graduates of Harvard\'s Senior Executive Fellowship program, a graduate of Stanford University’s GSB Ignite for Veterans program, and is the Founder of Paradox Sports, a non-profit organization that revolutionizes lives through adaptive outdoor opportunities that defy convention, empowering their pursuit of a life of excellence. He has conducted over 80 major surgeries to date and continues to rehab and triage his physical and mental limitations.


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Carmen Ring

Expert Translator & Interpreter

Over the past 12 years Carmen Ring has been working with all size companies helping them to conquer new international markets by translating their content and connecting them with the right partners to expand their exposure. From Hollywood productions to renewable energy companies, Carmen has helped industry leaders from a wide variety of fields to grow their international reach. Published author in several languages, Carmen now focuses on helping entrepreneurs understand and take advantage of the power of the global market.

DESIREE REID

General Manager – IMPALA INC

Desiree Reid is one of the foremost industry experts in global and multicultural business development, marketing and branding. From cosmetics, to fragrance, to fashion and entertainment, she has led high-profile and emerging brands in launching award-winning products, expanding global reach and meeting the demands of evolving markets. Throughout her 20 year career as a senior executive and management consultant, she has harnessed the power of brands’ DNA and positioned them for the ever-changing landscapes of today’s marketplace. Her experience ranges from global HBA giants like Avon, Revlon and Estee Lauder, to niche organizations like the Global Language Project, The Mission Society and MIST Harlem.

Faith Jones

Corporate Attorney and Executive Business Coach

Faith graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and with honors from UC Berkley Law School, and was named top 40 Under 40 M&A Advisor in 2015. Previously a corporate attorney with Skadden Arps in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, she has her own legal education and executive performance coaching business. Faith empowers business owners with clear and straight-forward legal knowledge so they can set their businesses up with confidence, and coaches them on a personal level to step into their power as successful entrepreneurs. Faith began her career as an attorney with Skadden Arps in its Los Angeles and Hong Kong offices. She represented clients in a wide variety of cross-border corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, earn-outs, investor rights, going-private deals, initial public offerings and general corporate matters.

Francesca Burack

Award Winning Serial Entrepreneur
CEO, Fearless Talent Development

Francesca Burack is a respected global leader and trusted advisor to thousands of aspiring and experienced women with ambitions to rise. She is a dynamic, inspirational, charismatic speaker, not to mention a dream-chaser and goal-reacher who easily relates to her audiences and provides impactful information that can be implemented immediately. As a speaker, Francesca has inspired business audiences around the world. As a consultant, she works with companies seeking systemic change in their management practices and culture. And as a coach, she trains individuals, especially women, to fearlessly stand in their authentic power and take action with heart and conviction. She is expert at drawing out hidden talents, developing effective, strategic communication skills, and crafting action plans that can be implemented immediately.

George S. Georgiades

FinTech, Blockchain, STO & ICO Lawyer

George S. Georgiades is a corporate and securities attorney based in New York focusing his practice on capital formation transactions (from startup to NASDAQ/NYSE) and regulatory compliance for intermediaries such as investment banks, investment advisors, hedge funds and funding portals as well as representing leading venture-backed blockchain and fintech companies. Since 2011, he has been working cooperatively with industry associations, intermediaries and regulators to fashion new and innovative regulations to provide startups with greater access to capital such as Crowdfunding and Regulation A+. More recently, he has been counseling US and international Initial Coin Offerings and Security Token Offerings on structuring and regulatory compliance. He routinely speaks at national and international conferences.

Haris Stamoulis

Investor & Value Creation Advisor

Value Creator. For over 30 years, I have been trying to assist corporate clients in boosting growth and/or restructuring their business. With particular strengths in deal structuring, capital raising, valuations and financial engineering, I’ve managed through the years to develop and sustain an extensive network of business relationships in the USA and Europe. As a former professional player, coach, team executive, and owner, I’d also consider basketball an important segment in my life.

Jason Roberts

High School Teacher at Chicago Public Schools

Jason majored in mathematics at the University of Chicago with plans of becoming a mathematician but got sidetracked into launching technology startups and building high-frequency trading systems. Not wanting to leave Pasadena for San Francisco, he infamously turned down the CTO position at Uber but instead opting to work as a consultant, designed and developed much of the company\'s original real-time technology, their global \"air traffic control\" and other foundational technologies. In addition to working on Math Academy, Jason spends his time advising startups and Fortune 500 companies on their technology strategy and product roadmaps.

JENNIFER JACQUES

Managing Partner at Jacques & Associates

Jennifer represents clients in the full range of mergers and acquisitions (both buy and sell-side), venture capital and private equity investments, securities transactions, and other complex and general corporate matters. Her work has touched on numerous market sectors, including technology, financial services, healthcare, advertising, media, fashion and energy. Jennifer has been particularly active in venture capital work, where she has served as outside general counsel to several venture-backed companies and has advised numerous women- and minority-owned and led businesses. She also has significant experience in drafting and negotiating license and commercial agreements including software, technology, trademark, design and patent licenses.

John Ryan Beers

CEO, Nonnie's Nectar

Ryan Beers enjoyed a long and storied sales career before he entered the cannabis market in Denver, CO in 2009. That prior experience, paired with Ryan’s pioneering ingenuity, has lead him to create the most successful cannabis brands of their time. Between brand-launches he created a unique vaping experience in Venice Beach called Nidor: The Art of Vapor. The custom-built art gallery featured local artist’s work, and caught the eye of a 2015 up-and-comer: Snapchat. Snapchat bought Nidor and the entirety of the artwork to be used for their office space. His latest pioneering adventure is into hemp extract, creating a whole plant extract product line suitable to treat his Nonnie’s epilepsy before she passed. Today Nonnie’s Nectar is the premiere hemp CBD product line featured in many Los Angeles dispensaries and high-end health foods stores.

Kyle Ellis

Combat Aviator | Instructor | Military Leadership Circle

Kyle is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, an active duty Marine, and has over 11 years’ experience in leading America's finest. He has flown six military type/model/series aircraft, holds multiple military and FAA instructor qualifications, and has completed over 200 combat missions. As member of the Military Leadership Circle, Kyle seeks to help bridge the widening military-civilian divide and advocate for veterans in the work force. He is currently a full-time graduate student at the Naval Postgraduate School pursuing a Master of Science degree in Information Technology Management and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Information Management.

Laurie Marshall

TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT ATTORNEY AND NATIONAL SPEAKER ON TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHTS AND BRAND PROTECTION

For over 20 years, Laurie has been counseling clients on trademarks, copyrights and the legal aspects of branding. Laurie worked for much of her career as in-house trademark counsel for Major League Baseball. In 2010, Laurie founded her own law practice and continues to represent many MLB clubs, the National Basketball Association, Daymond John from Shark Tank and hundreds of small businesses. She speaks regularly on the Legal Aspects of Branding a Small Business at events and conferences throughout the country. She holds a JD from Hofstra University School of Law.

Lisa Chau

Marketing Director Lampix

Lisa Chau is a Director at Lampix, which creates intelligent tabletop augmented reality powered on blockchain. She has been published over 100 times in Forbes, US News & World Report as well as Huffington Post on TABLES: Technology - Academia - Business - Leadership - Entrepreneurship - Strategy. Her work includes profiling high level executives, successful entrepreneurs, established professors, distinguished creatives and award-winning authors. She is the Managing Director at Laampix, an Intelligent tabletop augmented reality Powered on blockchain

Marina Nicholas

European Partner

Over 25 years creating innovative products and advising Start Ups and Enterprises. As an award winning business advisor, Marina's dynamic style brings clarity, strategy and growth to inspire and transform companies. ?Awards include 'International Business Woman of the Year', 'Start Ups Women in Business', 'Business Start Up Award' and 'Best New Product' from 80 global entrants. Marina loves the outdoors and having new adventures. In the last few months adventures have included a trip to the Arctic Circle and a ski endurance challenge in the French Alps – 200km in 25 hours.

Max Shapiro

CEO of PeopleConnect

Max Shapiro is a serial entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of PeopleConnect a 19 year old executive search firm which helps early-stage high-tech companies find the talent they need to succeed. The company\'s clients are in technology, biotech, clean tech, apps, services, medical devices, and consumer products. PeopleConnect has the most unique recruiting model in the world! It\'s called Employees Without Paychecks whereby the company places people at startups who are willing to work for options only for the first three months of their employment. Shapiro is also the producer of four monthly PitchForce pitch events alternating between San Francisco and Palo Alto. Shapiro was a co-founder of the Runway Innovation Hub located in the Twitter building in San Francisco. He is also an Angel investor. He has been called one of the most connected people in Silicon Valley, connected to over 10,000 people on LinkedIn.

Michelle Gadsden-Williams

Managing Director NA & Canada, Inclusion & Diversity Lead
Accenture

As Managing Director of North America & Canada Inclusion and Diversity, Michelle Gadsden-Williams is responsible for further strengthening and accelerating the company’s efforts to foster an inclusive culture. Michelle joins Accenture with more than 25 years of experience as an advocate for equality within corporate America and a thought leader around diversity and inclusion. Michelle is a seasoned diversity practitioner with experience working in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries before transitioning to financial services in 2011.

Oriana Leo

Chief Strategic Officer
Future Famous Group

Oriana left pharmaceutical sales to pursue a career in entertainment, only to find there wasn't an efficient way to stay in "camera-ready" shape given her limits. Those limits were the usual culprits: time, energy, equipment - and the most disruptive one - chronic migraine. She adapted the pelvic "tilt technique" for proper posture and spinal alignment into a modern "Workaholic Workout," allowing her to stay fit and pain-free while pursuing her dreams. She now provides TBO corporate wellness consulting, personal training, and on-demand fitness video subscriptions. Currently the spokesperson for Nonnie's Nectar hemp extract line, she promotes a holistic and cannabis-friendly methodology for optimal performance for new moms and serial entrepreneurs alike.

PHIL SCHNYDER

Director of Business Development for Avanquest Software

Mr. Phil Schnyder is a 20 years veteran of the software industry and currently the Director of Business Development for Avanquest Software, a leading publicly listed global software developer and publisher. At Avanquest, he helps run the software division which sells over 300 products via online and retail channels globally. Previously he was the President/CEO of askSam Systems, a developer of some of the world's most popular freeform database and information management tools. Phil helped design the askSam products that won numerous industry awards including PC World's "Internet Utility of the Year" and PC Magazine's "Editor's Choice". In 1984, Phil helped start North American Software, a software publishing company based in Munich, Germany. He is an advisor to many software startups and an angel investor.

Rahul Narvekar

Founder, The India Network

Rahul Narvekar is a seasoned startup entrepreneur, having earned his stripes in Mumbai and accumulated a track record in Delhi. Most significantly, Rahul has a wealth of experience with e-commerce out of India. He has been involved with the industry from its inception to the present, and he's passionate about sharing with you all the hallowed rules that he has learnt (and broken!) In addition to startups and e-commerce, Rahul's specialities include all elements of the retail experience, be it online or physical. Rahul is also an expert in real estate sourcing, pricing, negotiation, buying, leasing, renting and development.

Ryan Foland

Communication Strategist | International Speaker | Writer

Ryan Foland coaches leaders worldwide on the art of simplifying spoken and written messaging for greater impact. He is the inventor of the 3-1-3 Method, a process whereby ideas begin as three sentences, condense into one sentence and then boil down to three words. Ryan was recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top Youth Marketer and was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Personal Branding Expert. Ryan’s company InfluenceTree, specializes in helping individuals discover, build and grow their personal brands. Ryan is a radio show host and is known as the high energy #GingerMC. Learn more at www.RyanFoland.com


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Sweta Patel

SF Community Director

Sweta Patel, a startup growth advisor and founder of Silicon Valley Startup Marketing who has advised for more than 200 early-stage startups and high-growth companies and ressurected 144 of them. Follow Sweta on Facebook and Instagram

Tania Yuki

Founder and CEO of Shareablee

Tania Yuki is Founder and CEO of Shareablee, the leading provider of actionable competitive intelligence for social media. She began her career as a media and internet attorney, specializing in digital rights management, IP and film financing. Since moving to the US, Tania has run an online video content network as head of acquisitions and branding and has also led product management for comScore's Video Metrix. Tania also founded Wimlink in 2008, an organization that holds regular events and seminars promoting entrepreneurship, leadership and the professional development of women.