Critical Mass for Business

Sandeep Pandya is CEO of Everguard.ai , and is leading the way in the incorporation of wearables with computer vision, machine learning, and AI to make the world’s industrial environments safer and more sustainable.

Formed in 2020, Everguard.ai stemmed from Pandya’s belief that the world is experiencing a technological renaissance, and that the nexus of AI, digital connectivity, and information sharing will fundamentally reshape and improve the way people and their communities sustain each other.

Pandya is a technology veteran whose experience spans product introductions and innovations in semiconductors, connected devices, wireless infrastructure, cloud services, and novel AI/CV applications. His leadership has helped organizations of all sizes establish high-growth markets globally.

Sandeep is a recognized thought leader and member of the Forbes Technology Council.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Alec Torelli is a professional high-stakes poker player, entrepreneur, investor and speaker, who shares how the lessons he learned from poker can be applied to life and business.

Alec Torelli is the founder of Conscious Poker , a popular poker training platform, and after spending the last 20 years making decisions for hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single hand, he now gives talks in which he dissects the anatomy of decision-making to help others hone the way they make choices. Through his blogs, videos and keynotes, Alec tackles subjects such as the role of luck in life, evaluating risk, maintaining a positive mindset, strengthening mental fortitude, handling adversity and setbacks, managing your bankroll and cultivating self-awareness.

In addition to competing at poker, Alec is an established poker coach, investor, and author. He co-founded MHP Lifestyle, a company which buys, rehabs and operates mobile home parks.

Together with his wife Ambra, they divide their time between SoCal, Vegas, New York, and Italy.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Erin Shaver is the Founder & CEO of Taralumen Games , a company with a mission to create iconic video games with a mental health focus.

Erin has ten years of leadership and production experience from her tenure as Director of Operations for IndieCade, the International Festival of Independent Games. She has a bachelor's degree in theater from Northwestern University, has studied psychology and neuroscience at Columbia University and University College of London, and has worked in research labs within the departments of psychology at NYU and Columbia University.

Erin is also a proud mother and devout artist.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Cleve Adams is Founder of the Trestles Group, Inc. His specialty is building and selling tech companies and has had 8 M&A Exits. Cleve has been fortunate enough to be named one of the Top 50 Non-Technical Founders In Tech Industry History, and to be Co-Founder and CEO of the #2 Company in Forbes's Most Promising Companies in America. He is also featured in the new Bestselling books "Cyberminds" and "Right Leaders, Right Time."

Cleve is a 5-time award-winning VC/PE-backed Transactional CEO managing companies from pre-revenue to over $2 billion and has been hired by VC/PE firms to build and sell their portfolio companies. Cleve's average return to investors is 21x. He helped start, build and manage the largest company in the SaaS/Cloud cybersecurity software market from pre-revenue to a $1.0B IPO, the largest in San Diego county history and the first Cybersecurity Unicorn.

Cleve has over 20+ years of senior management, operations, sales and marketing experience in Security software, AI, Mobile, Wireless, SaaS/Cloud, Mobile security, digital and social media and Fintech. He has built a successful sales and marketing channel of 1100 resellers and distributors in 82 countries. Cleve has expertise in raising capital and has raised over $300M from tier-one VC’s for multiple companies.

Cleve led the team that started security titan Websense and grew them from pre-revenue to a $1 Billion IPO in less than 3 years. The company was subsequently sold to Raytheon for $2 billion. Cleve has been honored to serve as a software industry expert and speaker at numerous conferences, universities and corporations including the Harvard Alumni Assoc, Amazon, Investor Conferences, Cyber Security and Smart City Conferences. He has been quoted in top business publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and many more.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Max Emma came to the United States from the former Soviet Union with his family over 30 years ago. His first job was busing the tables at a local restaurant while learning English. Then, after graduating with honors with a degree in finance, Max worked in the corporate finance department of Qualcomm.

Four years later, Max joined the family construction business, growing it from 3 to 96 employees. Years later, together with his co-founder Max came back to his roots and founded BooXkeeping , a company providing bookkeeping solutions nationwide to the franchisees of over 80 franchise brands.

With the hashtag #coolbeancounters, BooXkeeping now is offering its own bookkeeping franchises to entrepreneurs from coast to coast. In his free time, Max likes to travel, spend time with his kids and friends or enjoy an occasional cigar with a single malt.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Steven Vengrow is the founder of Synergy Resource Group, a boutique executive search firm based in Southern California. He specializes in helping senior business leaders find, attract and retain the Top 5% Talent for their mission-critical positions!

Steven has 15 years of talent acquisition and executive search experience. Over this time, he has developed an extensive network of clients and candidates. His company, Synergy Resource Group provides their clients with customized solutions to meet their talent acquisition needs in the areas of Information Technology, Accounting, and Finance. The company has provided top-level talent to clients both locally and nationally at companies ranging in size from start-ups to Fortune 500.

Prior to working in the Executive Search industry, Steven spent almost 10 years working in corporate finance and investment banking. He holds an MBA from The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine, and an undergraduate degree from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Anne Devine is the CEO of Janus Electric, a leader in groundbreaking EV battery technology and revolutionary exchangeable battery systems for heavy vehicles.

Before joining Janus Electric, Ms. Devine served as Romeo Power’s Chief Operating Officer, where she was responsible for managing operating and production capabilities, driving operational excellence, improving efficiencies, and transforming the Company’s commercial EV battery manufacturing processes from prototype to commercial production.

Ms. Devine has more than 25 years of diverse experience in operational and manufacturing management, with unique automotive industry expertise from tenures at Ford, Navistar and UGN, as well as supply chain development, procurement, program management, vehicle launch, engineering and operations. Ms. Devine holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Kettering University.

Throughout her career, Ms. Devine has given back through involvement in professional and community organizations, including STEM-related initiatives that inspire the next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering and math. Ms. Devine is currently a member of the Automotive Women’s Alliance, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, California State University, Long Beach’s 100+ Women Strong program.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Chris Relth is a seasoned professional with 18 years of experience in the talent industry, recognized as a thought leader and an agent of change. He is the Founder and CEO of Artemis Search Partners , a specialized staffing and executive search organization, where he brings a tenacious approach to concierge-style permanent search and staffing services.

Additionally, Chris is a Managing Partner for Artemis United, a DVBE-certified joint venture that works with the state, fed, and clients to help meet their vendor diversity needs. Artemis United only hires military veterans internally to help with their transition to the civilian workforce.

Chris's leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment is critical to the success of his team and ultimately leads to successful outcomes for his clients. His company is dedicated to the satisfaction of its team members and is committed to contributing to positive, long-lasting impact through the promotion of happier, healthier workforces.

A Bay Area native, Chris holds a degree from Chico State University and has been a resident of Orange County for over a decade, where he currently resides in Ladera Ranch, CA. In his free time, Chris channels his energy into philanthropic pursuits as a partner of Miracles for Kids and sits on various boards. He is also a youth football and baseball coach and is heavily involved in fitness.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Kevin Murphy has over 30 years’ experience in the securities industry, and his extensive background includes the development of several broker-dealers and clearing firms from their inception to maturity.

Kevin began his career on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange as an Options trader in San Francisco, and later moved to Los Angeles where he traded Equities at the Exchange in Los Angeles. He was the Owner and CEO of Velox Securities and prior to that, the CEO of Electronic Transaction Clearing Inc ("ETC").

Prior to joining ETC, Kevin was also Executive Vice President of Operations and Trading for National Clearing Corporation, a premier Clearing firm in Beverly Hills California. Additionally, Mr. Murphy has frequently served as a resource for FINRA and the SEC in guidance regarding Clearing and Execution in US Equities and Options.

Currently, Mr. Murphy is the CEO of Valuable Capital Securities , a growing International conglomerate owned by the SINA Corporation with entries in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Riyadh, and now Irvine, investing in Equities, Options, Futures and Crypto, along with a Registered Investment Advisor arm. Kevin holds FINRA licenses 7, 24, 55, 63 and 65.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Davey Martinez is the Chief Executive Officer of Taqueros Mexican Food . With five years of experience working alongside several Fortune 100 companies, Davey uses his robust corporate experience to revitalize small business operations and directs strategy execution to promote expansion.

Davey specializes in lean six sigma techniques and is responsible for educating other employees on using progressive systems and applications, including artificial intelligence programs, effective communication procedures and organizational apps.

Davey is a Veteran who served in the United States Army for 16 years first with the 82nd Airborne and then with the 217th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. His combined business acumen and military experience assists his workplace with motivation, empowerment, and inspirational courage. Davey is inspired daily by his wife and their two children. In his free time, Davey likes to run, sing and play video games with his friends.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Bill Colone is the CEO and Chairman of Single Pass , a new Orange County-based start-up company developing a unique electrocautery device for use during deep tissue biopsy procedures. Bill formerly served as the CEO at Spinal Singularity, a seed-stage medical device development company in San Clemente, CA. Under Mr. Colone, the company raised over $6.6 million in dilutive funding and over $5.1 million in non-dilutive funding for product development, clinical studies, and regulatory approvals.

Prior to Spinal Singularity, he served as the VP of R&D for Direct Flow Medical until its sudden closure in November of 2017. He has over three decades of medical device development experience, including ten years as President of Endomed, until its sale in February 2005. Mr. Colone has vast knowledge of ePTFE and endovascular prostheses and is recognized for his contributions to endoluminal technology and vascular surgery.

Prior to Direct Flow Medical, he served as Director of Research and Development, and later Director of Aortic Procedure Development, for Endologix. Mr.Colone directed the development of the Nellix Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing System through design completion, CE trial completion, CE Mark approval, and OUS commercial launch. He also contributed to the procedure development and training for the US IDE investigation centers leading to the fastest enrolled IDE trial for an EVAR device.

Mr. Colone holds 13 US patents for medical devices with others pending. He also served as Director of Operations for IMPRA, Inc. (now Bard Peripheral Vascular) prior to founding Endomed. Mr. Colone holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University where he is a member of the ASU Advisory Committee for Chemical and Materials Engineering. Mr. Colone also served as an Associate Faculty Member at ASU from 2004 through 2007 and was a Founding Member and Board Member of the Arizona Technology Investor Forum.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Steve Delson is a co-founder and CEO of Gate 5 , a 12-year-old Orange County, California-based startup that has developed infrastructure that fights climate change with a scalable, innovative and sustainable process that transforms sewage sludge and other organic waste materials into 100% safe, usable, and marketable products, including clean water and surplus renewable energy.

Gate 5 Infrastructure is self-powered using the energy it produces, rather than grid electricity or fossil fuel. Being a thermal process Gate 5 Infrastructure will destroy contaminants of concern (like microplastics and pharmaceuticals) that survive traditional wastewater management, and our process reduces methane to 1/600th of today's treatment plants, while eliminating biosolids (treated sludge) that needs to be hauled away and land-managed. Gate 5 has recently received a $1.6 million grant from the California Energy Commission that combined with funding from Gate 5 investors will fund installation and operation of a Gate 5 demonstration plant at Santa Margarita Water District’s Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant in southern Orange County.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dr. Nicole Anderson is the Founder of Anderson Sport and Wellness . As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Nicole Anderson and her staff approach physical therapy, massage, and fitness coaching from the philosophy that the myofascial system is an important player in optimal function and the resolution of injury and pain.

Nicole personally understands significant injury and pain after suffering a disabling back injury and being able to return to an active lifestyle through a combination of treatments that she now implements in her own practice. This treatment approach involves our unique version of gentle and non-painful myofascial release, the MELT Method, Pilates, Neubie direct current and frequency-specific microcurrent to accelerate strength and mobility progress and re-train brain/body chronic pain adaptations, and unique corrective exercises developed by Dr. Anderson and her team.

Nicole has undergone extensive training in treating sport-related injuries, complex spine conditions, post-concussion syndrome, and chronic pain syndrome and regularly helps people with the help of her team to return to an active and healthy lifestyle even when other treatments at other facilities did not work – even surgeries. Patients have included professional, collegiate, high school, and recreational athletes, as well as people with auto-immune disorders and everything in between. Nicole and her team are sought after for their efficient, effective, and personalized approach to restoring people to health after injury.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

As one of the founders and President of W1SE Logistics, David Romanoff is a lifelong serial entrepreneur who brings both vision and real leadership chops, managing a team with over 60 years of aggregated experience in the logistics and technological arena. David is an expert in business startup, with a specialty in technology.

As a veteran owner-operator of a successful moving and storage company in Chicago, David recognizes the technology deficiencies in the industry and knows what it takes to make a logistics business thrive. He also understands the sensibilities of his marketplace because as logic would have it, he and his audience are one in the same. During his tenure as a moving company owner, David developed and created MoveLogic Pro, a globally recognized enterprise-level logistics software solution. MoveLogic Pro was born out of frustration with all the existing software options available. With his vision, David created the most effective, easy to use, and cost-efficient way to grow and manage a moving, storage, or logistic-based company.

David is the CEO of The Romanoff Group, and the CTO of Haven Capital Ventures which is an investment capital group focused on Real Estate Investments and fund management. In recent years The Romanoff Group has worked extensively with Web2 and Web3 emerging technologies, utilizing his vision and creativity to bring ideas to fruition. David has been a Real Estate broker for 20+ years, and has worked in every facet of the industry during that time.

David is the co-owner of Revital Exotic Jewelry & Apparel, a business he launched with his wife in 2010. Together, they run a boutique located in Dana Point, CA. Through their extensive world travel, Revital Exotic Jewelry enables them to support artisans the world over with the purchases of their handcrafted goods. It also allows them to do charitable work in the communities they touch.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dr. Sanjay Shrivastava is the founder and CEO of Innova Vascular, Inc., a company engaged in developing innovative cardiovascular medical devices. Prior to founding Innova, Sanjay cofounded BlackSwan Vascular, which is a medical device startup company that developed the first liquid embolic agent approved for a peripheral vascular use in the USA and has a strategic alliance with Sirtex Medical Limited. Sanjay also serves as a member of the board of directors at enVVeno Medical Corporation, which is a Nasdaq traded medical device company headquartered in Irvine, CA. Sanjay has been involved in developing, commercializing, evaluating, and acquiring medical devices for over 20 years.

During his career, Sanjay has held positions at leading medical device companies including senior director, business development at Johnson & Johnson, vice president, upstream marketing and strategy at BTG, plc. (a publicly traded company that was acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation), director global marketing at Medtronic and director, research & development at Covidien/ev3 (merged with Medtronic). Sanjay holds 31 issued US patents and numerous International patents in medical devices and has edited two books including one titled “Medical Device Materials” published by ASM International. He was named among 100 Notable People in Medical Device Industry by the prestigious MD&DI (Medical Devices and Diagnostics Industry) magazine. He has been an invited speaker at clinical, business, and engineering conferences to speak about medical device innovation and commercialization. Sanjay holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s from the Indian Institute of Technology.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Sona Shah is the Founder & CEO of My Private Professor, an impact-driven, educational services company that collaborates with organizations to provide personalized, online tutoring services for their clients, teams, & their families.

After graduating from UC Berkeley School of Law & practicing business litigation for many years, Sona shifted gears to create a company more aligned with her dual passions of teaching & giving back. An OCBJ “Companies that Care” honoree, MPP’s bottom line is impact, a core value reflected in their sliding scale tutoring rates & “giveback” business model through which they earmark a portion of the proceeds from every tutoring hour to support students in underserved communities.

Over the years, MPP has evolved to best meet the changing needs of students across the country. Since the onset of the pandemic, MPP has helped businesses provide free & discounted tutoring as a meaningful benefit to working parents & their families, & has expanded its customer base to include national & international clients at an institutional level to help thousands of individuals get access to a critical educational resource that many could not have otherwise afforded.

MPP is grateful to work with a number of nonprofit organizations & public schools to provide free tutoring to students residing in emergency shelters & transitional living homes, & has collaborated with individuals & companies to help sustain this effort & enable as many students to benefit from this free resource as possible.

With over a decade of leadership experience on the boards of nonprofits in Southern California, Sona is grateful to currently serve as President of Tustin Public Schools Foundation, Board Member of Orangewood Foundation, & Founder of Inspire Philanthropy Foundation. Through her leadership at MPP & in the community, Sona is determined to do what she can to inspire & empower others to achieve their greatest potential & lead tomorrow’s world.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mike Schmitt is Founder/COO of The Rubra Group, LLC, a family business consulting group based in Santa Ana, CA. The Rubra Group was founded in 2009 and has evolved into a practice that services businesses throughout the Western US and TN. Mike brings a unique point of view and perspective with his diverse background in finance, marketing and operations. Mike has specific experience in the agriculture, construction and professional services sectors.

The Rubra Group focuses on helping closely held and family businesses to work on their long-term succession and management programs. Mike has over 25 years of experience leading diverse teams of individuals to exceptional performance. He is experienced in both publicly traded companies as well as small to mid-sized closely held companies.

Schmitt is a graduate of the California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo from within The School of Agriculture and holds a MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Management.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Clint Graham is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer for JointCommerce , a leading digital performance advertising solution designed for cannabis brands and retail e-commerce.

Clint has over a decade of experience in sales and partnerships, most recently as Vice President of Sales and Partnerships at Surfside. Clint combines his marketing strategy, leadership, and communication expertise to help companies connect with and understand their customers.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Todd Watts is the Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of PatientFi . Todd has extensive experience as an executive and investor across elective healthcare and financial services. Most recently, Todd was the Head of Operations at Alphaeon Corporation, a technology company serving medical providers in the elective healthcare segment with patient financing and medical device products.

Prior to joining the healthcare industry, Todd spent several years in financial services. At the NY office at J.P. Morgan Investment Bank, Todd advised companies with comprehensive strategic advice, capital raising and risk management expertise as a member of the Consumer, Healthcare and Retail Investment Banking Coverage Group. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Todd was an Associate in the Wilshire Funds Management Group. Todd earned his MBA from Yale University and a B.S. from the University of Southern California.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Ken Potalivo is the founder of ProGrowth LLC & RelPip LLC , and the author of “Secrets of Mindshare – Revenue Producers Get the Referrals They Want By Making Their Competition Irrelevant.” He has a strong business background, a degree in Psychology, and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Ken understands that any professional who does great work can make more money and become indispensable via a consistent flow of client referrals if they have the right process and system in place. He also knows it cannot be done by random networking where chance is in play. The RelPip community is born out of his vision to support all professionals who want the income and stature to live the life they want and to work with others who want the same.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Amariah Olson is the Founder of Olson Capital Investments. A commercial real estate investor, Amariah has turned $3k into $50+ million in assets, with over $100m in private transactions. Through Olson Capital Investments, Amariah purchases undervalued properties, including multifamily, hotels, and retail, turns them around and sells them.

Amariah and his brother Obin have had over 30 years combined experience in startup/business management, project development, financing, and real estate investing. They have produced films with global distribution in over 50 territories through major companies such as Sony, Best Buy, Redbox, and Walmart. They have produced advertising campaigns for Nickelodeon, Nasdaq, Sprint, and the US Marines. Additionally, they have been responsible for running teams of 20-100 personnel on their multi-million dollar apartment community renovation and film projects.

Amariah is also the co-founder of Yield Crowd, and co-founder of Olson Pictures. He is a Cannes finalist, a two-time midsouth Emmy Award winner, and was a 2006 nominee for the Daytime Emmy's. Additionally, Amariah is a member of the Forbes Finance Council.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Adam Coughran is an industry leader in safety and security training for schools, businesses, and organizations. Adam is a veteran of Southern California law enforcement who utilized his expertise to found Standards Training Group and Safe Kids Inc. , organizations dedicated to helping deter crime and mitigate violence.

Adam has been recognized as one of the “Go-To” experts for national media outlets, appearing on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, FOX’s Nancy Grace, HLN’s MichaeLA, CBS This Morning, and numerous live interviews.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Neela Singh is a highly experienced chief operating officer and business advisor with over 15 years of experience in the industry. She has a proven track record of success in driving operational excellence, maximizing efficiency and profitability, and leading teams to achieve business objectives.

Neela is a strategic thinker with a strong business acumen and a deep understanding of financial management. She is also an effective communicator and skilled negotiator, able to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and partners.

Neela holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and several certifications in Project Management, Scrum, Six Sigma & HR. She is committed to continuous learning and professional development, and stays up-to-date with the latest industry trends and best practices.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Chris Baiocchi is the Founder & CEO of Resolute Philanthropy . Chris has worked in the nonprofit space for more than 22 years as a communicator, fundraiser, and leader. He’s led annual giving campaigns, planned special events, written grants, and helped fundraisers and nonprofit professionals find the joy, innovation, and passion in their work.

Chris has worked for large and small shops, including St. Joseph Hospital, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, and Project Access. Chris has a CFRE and a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Chris is married and lives in Orange County, California. His son is a student at the University of Puget Sound. Chris is an active reader, an occasional cook, and loves bow ties, icebreakers, and heated arguments about the best sci-fi franchise.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Andrei Hall CFP®, CRPC®, President of Hall Wealth Management Group , has over 18 years’ experience in wealth management for retirees, high level executives, celebrities, and business owners. ‍

Hall Wealth Management’s success is based on Andrei’s firm belief in a holistic financial planning process. This starts with a comprehensive plan to develop planning, retirement, and estate strategies and determining which investments to be best utilized. During the year of the 2008 market crash, Hall Wealth Management had one of its most successful years in preserving clientele and acquiring new clients.

Andrei will work to understand clients’ monetary challenges and the proactive steps that need to be taken under the economic forecast with the goal to make future retirement attainable or current retirement improved.

As a former Vice President at Xerox for twenty-five years & former Senior Vice President at Printronix, Andrei also has a profound firsthand understanding in the affairs of executive level compensation along with business assets under management. Andrei executes expert strategies in providing plans in areas including but not limited to: Retirement Income Planning with a focus on distribution strategies, Estate Planning, Business Succession Planning and Investment Portfolio Design.

Andrei Hall is proud to be a member of Ed Slott's IRA Advisor Group. This group is comprised of financial professionals dedicated to the IRA industry. As a member of this group, Andrei has access to training modules, bi-annual workshops and regular webinars to further his knowledge and better serve his clients. In addition, it gives being a member gives Andrei access to Ed Slott and his group of technical specialists, who are also attorneys.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Meg Appelgate is the Co-Founder & CEO of Unsilenced . At the age of 15, Meg Appelgate was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them." 8 hours later she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months, she found herself in an additional behavioral modification program in northern Montana where she spent the next 3 years.

After graduating college, with a degree in psychology, completely oblivious to the abuse she had experienced, Meg spent the next 17 years dedicating her life serving on various non-profit boards to help them with board development and recruitment, and expanding their programs to further their impact. It wasn’t until she was well into her non-profit career that she woke up to the abuse and brainwashing that plagued her childhood and the effect it had on her entire adulthood. It was then that she became determined to pair her love of giving back and helping those in need, with her dedication to empowering other survivors of institutional abuse.

Meg brings to Unsilenced an extensive background in non-profit management, board development, and fund development. She is currently the Vice President, Trustee, and Managing Director at the Gochnauer Foundation. In addition, she is actively involved with and serves on the Board of Directors at Laura’s House in Aliso Viejo, CA, and The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

When she doesn’t find herself fully immersed in new ideas for fundraising and development, Meg loves traveling to see new places with her husband and 4 children.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Tara Zoē is the creative visionary behind SoberBuddy . Tara’s experiences with deep shame events and trauma led her to pursue a personal transformation journey that ultimately led her to greater understanding about why and how shame affects our lives in powerful ways.

Frustrated by the lack of resources and difficult processes for getting the help one needs while going through trauma, Tara felt technology could hold the solution.

Wanting to attack shame related to drug and alcohol addiction head on, Tara partnered with her father and addiction expert, Paul Brethen, M.A. LMFT, to create an evidence-based program that was easy to access and understand both emotionally and physically.

The SoberBuddy messaging and meetings offer a shame-free culture Tara is determined to spread, so people get the help they need sooner and without the fear of being pushed lower in society. With over 140K people using the SoberBuddy products, Tara now leads a team of top developers, clinicians, artists, and influencers who all come together to create the shame-free world of SoberBuddy.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Melissa Jacobi is Founder & President of The Jacobi Group . Melissa is a former collegiate tennis player from Chapman University and an Orange County native. She has more than seven years of partnership experience, and in her previous role, she served as the Sr. Manager of Multimedia Marketing and Partnerships for Newport Beach & Company. Her position worked jointly with the City of Newport Beach as she managed marketing and day-to-day operations for the Newport Beach Restaurant Association. She developed, implemented, and tracked integrated marketing campaigns for over 450 restaurants displayed on all Visit Newport Beach, Dine Newport Beach, and Newport Beach TV channels. In 2019, she was awarded 30 Under 30 by Destinations International and named one of 30 "Emerging Leaders" by the California Travel Association.

Melissa started The Jacobi Group, a boutique marketing agency, in 2021, focusing on brand management, public relations, and content strategy for restaurateurs, athletes, and lifestyle brands. You will spot Melissa in Orange County filming at a new eatery, hosting in front of the camera, or grabbing a bite with her family - Jason, Jaxon, and Luca.

Jason Jacobi is an LPL Registered Principal and Wealth Advisor. A former collegiate football player and Newport Beach native, Jason began his career in the financial services industry in 2013 at a Fortune 500 company where he developed a passion for the global financial markets.

In 2022, Jason earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation; and with over 70 areas of expertise, he is excited to assist his clients with the complexities that come during the financial planning process. His hospitality background has groomed him into delivering a client-centric experience focused on delivering exceptional services tailored to each individual, athlete, family, or business.

In his spare time, Jason loves to spend time with his wife, Melissa, and two kids. You can find them at the gym, down at the beach, on the water, traveling the world, or dining around town.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mark Beran is innately curious. He is one that has never stopped asking the question why? Consequently, Mark has driven teams to come up with innovative solutions that have resulted in significant intellectual property in the healthcare and medical device market.

Mark is an Orange County native and started his career at a startup called Respiratory Support Products that was successfully sold to Smiths Medical (now ICU Medical). At Smiths, Mark was Global VP of Sales & Marketing for Level 1 a company that marketed unique products for patient temperature management in the critical care setting and operating room. From Smiths, Mark took a full P&L role as VP & General Manager of Cincinnati Sub-Zero. He successfully led a team that pivoted the business to the emerging market of therapeutic hypothermia for patients post cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury. This move took the company to immediate profitability with a significant IP roadmap to drive profitable growth.

Mark was SVP of Sales & Marketing for Posey company where he developed a strategy that led to doubling revenue for Posey and a future exit to a private equity sponsor. From Posey, Mark was VP & General Manager of Gaymar industries and head up the Pressure Management business (high end therapeutic surfaces and devices to reduce pressure injury risk). This private equity owned business was successfully sold to Stryker.

From Gaymar, Mark took a role as Chief Commercial Officer for TIDI products where He led a team that executed on both an organic and inorganic growth strategy that led to two successful transactions with successful outcomes for the private equity sponsors and management team.

From TIDI, Mark moved to Chief Marketing Officer for Encompass Group a manufacturer of healthcare textiles for the acute care and senior living markets. He led a team to develop novel technology in the patient warming (OR) and specialty support surface space. Both products had significant intellectual property and competitive advantage over the market leaders.

Mark is now fractional Chief Commercial Officer for a PPE nurse’s shoe start-up called Gales (www.weargales.com) and is advising a start-up in the vascular access space called MightyWell (www.mightywell.com). Mark is advising MightyWell on the sale of their business.

Mark was born and raised in Southern California and grew up in Orange County. He went to Servite High School in Anaheim and graduated from Chapman University with a degree in Marketing. Mark gained his MBA from Babson College in Massachusetts. He lives in Santa Ana with his son Joseph and father Tony (a serial entrepreneur).

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mike Brown is the founder and principal of BlueLine Consulting Services which provides advisory and consulting services to financial institutions. He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Block3 Ventures, a FinTech and Web3 investment and advisory company.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

David Sohn is a business and technology executive who specializes in the creation and harmonization of processes that empower team members to maximize efficiency. Prior to co-founding Helpt he oversaw the global technical support and product content teams for a networking and computer peripheral manufacturing organization that was recently acquired by a Fortune 500 company.

David's 15+ year career in business and technology is enhanced by his insatiable desire for improvement that has resulted in a variety of degrees and certifications.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Kim Kelley Thompson is a business and personal development coach whose specialty is helping people get out of their heads and into action so they can achieve their goals and realize their potential. She brings 32 years of experience as a business owner, sales trainer and coach to develop effective leadership, efficiency and success in individuals and teams.

Kim blends inspiration with practicality as both are necessary to create lasting transformation. She believes that when we become aware of the patterns and habits that are dictating our lives, we can raise our standards and elevate our behavior. We are then able to take the focused, committed action that leads to desired results.

As a multiple business owner, award winning documentary producer, and mom, Kim understands the value of vision, leadership, communication, systems and processes. Having raised four children by herself, while managing a multimillion-dollar event company and starting her own business, Kim has become adept at simplifying the complex and breaking through the mental obstacles that stifle success.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Jon Darbyshire is the Co-Founder & CEO of SmartSuite . In 2021, Jon and his team launched SmartSuite, the work management platform that manages any process, from any industry, on one platform. Now, SmartSuite unites essential elements used to get work done, regardless of company size or type.

In the year 2000, Jon founded Archer Technologies, an enterprise governance, risk and, compliance software, giving business users—not developers—the ability to adapt software to their unique business requirements. Jon and the Archer team built a flexible, award winning platform and solution suite that became the mainstay of governance, risk and compliance teams for some of the world’s most powerful organizations, including 1 in 3 of the Fortune 100. Archer Technologies was purchased by EMC Corporation in 2010.

Throughout his career, Jon has been dedicated to automating everyday, essential business tasks to create smarter, more efficient organizations, no matter what the industry. Prior to Archer Technologies, Jon held leadership positions at both EY and Price Waterhouse, honing his skills in understanding the need to automate and simplify work for the enterprise.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Coach Greg LeFever has over twenty-five years’ experience in the fitness industry. His experience includes Founder / CEO of IMpowered Women's Fitness , Orange County's premier women-only fitness and wellness organization, Founder / CEO of Workplace Wellness Solutions , specializing in onsite employee benefit wellness programs of various fitness, yoga, leadership education, nutrition consultation, and mindfulness. He is also the Founder / President of Empowered Youth Life Style , a nonprofit company focusing on life skills and leadership skills for teens.

Mr. LeFever holds an MBA from Concordia University Irvine, BA with Finance emphasis from Cal State Fullerton, and Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certification from National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

In 2019, Nicole Sanchez launched a non-profit called The Bella Foundation , named after her 7-year-old daughter Isabella, that helps raise awareness and resources for domestic violence victims. As a young child, Nicole experienced domestic violence firsthand, and believes that one of the most valuable lessons we can teach our own children is to lead by example by helping others.

Nicole's mission is to help women affected by domestic violence get back on their feet, and back in the workforce by providing professional clothing, financial assistance for childcare, and even job placement so they can provide for their children and start a new chapter filled with hope and a future. The driving force behind Nicole's passion for this cause is her daughter Isabella, hence “The Bella.”

In Nicole's words: "I am proud to stand as a role model for my daughter to break the vicious cycle of domestic violence."

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

J. J. Wenrich has been an investment professional for over 20 years, beginning after graduating from the University of Kansas in 2000. He's a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional, founder of the firms Wenrich Wealth and Tax Pros + Investing, and author of the book Teaching Kids to Buy Stocks: Stories and Lessons for Grown-Ups .

J. J. met his wife Jodie—also a financial professional at the time—shortly after graduation and are raising four children together.

J. J. developed his fascination with the financial markets as a child, watching business reports on PBS, one of the few stations available in his small-town Kansas home. Fortunately, he had creative teachers along the way who included personal finance education and stock-picking games in their curriculum.

The combination of two decades of professional experience AND two decades of parenting were the inspiration for him to become an advocate for simplified financial education. He regularly hosts free personal finance classes for teenagers and young adults in his community, and worldwide via Zoom.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Carl Orsbourn is a global retail executive and board member whose experience spans across blue-chip companies (BP-owned ampm), disruptive start-up ventures (Kitchen United & Juicer Pricing ), and restaurants (Alfa Co). His knowledge of operational excellence, business development, and change management together with his ability to traverse industries and disciplines is admired by his diverse extensive network. Carl has been recognized as a Power Player by Nations Restaurant News and Business Insider for his thought leadership in supporting restaurants to adapt to the challenges and opportunities offered through digitization, technology, and automation.

As Head of Retail at ampm, Carl was responsible for repositioning the branded food & beverage offering while achieving record growth through $1.3 billion in retail sales and growing the network to over 1000+ franchise locations.

At Kitchen United, Carl established the operating model and led operations & customer success by working closely with restaurant partners, such as ChickFil’A and SweetGreen. As COO and co-founder for Juicer Pricing, Carl is building the operating model for dynamic pricing solutions for restaurants, shaping the path for improved profitability through automated intelligence. As a non-executive board member for Alfa Co., Carl advises this leading restaurant group in Saudi Arabia towards a greater digital footprint and further off-premise success.

Carl is a sought-after speaker at events across the world. He hosts 'The Monday Minute’ podcast and appears as a guest at many others. He is a frequent contributor to Forbes, Nations Restaurant News, and RestaurantOwner.com.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

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#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Chase Barr is the President and CEO of ATTAC Group Inc . Chase’s resume includes 17 years of specialized leadership, development, training, and implementation of programs for development of troops, staff, and clients up to the C-Suite.

Chase has led many top-level Executive Searches for Fortune 100-1000 firms throughout California and the US, within Finance & Accounting, Information Technology & Engineering, Human Resources, Administration and Operations. Chase partners with his clients to understand the need behind the need to ensure a true transparent understanding of the voice of the customer. Chase is also a Value-Added Associate (VAA) and Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst with TTI Success Insights and has a strong coaching background with leaders and staff alike.

Chase served as a Canvassing Recruiter in the USMC; which led him to recruiting after the Corps. He has led over 350 combat operations as a Squad Leader and Team Leader, ensuring the training, development, and mentorship of all personnel and bringing every Marine home who served under his leadership in combat.

Recently ATTAC has been growing through being a strategic partner for large State, County and City government recruiting contracts. Chase built and trained a diverse cross functional team of industry experts and local talent to assist in filling 1200+ positions to date, through the Covid Pandemic. One of his biggest strengths is building strong teams that communicate, understand the mission, and work cohesively in one accord.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Newly-published author Barbara Fulmer (Ditch Your Career Plan, 2022) has taken her years of corporate experience and consolidated the knowledge and insight she's gained to deliver practical, actionable advice that will help you take the next step on your career path.

Barbara founded her career consulting and coaching business, Performance At Work in 2009, out of a deep passion for inspiring people to perform at the optimum level of their abilities. Barbara is an energetic mentor with a collaborative style and the ability to motivate others to achieve their highest ambitions.​

Barbara's unique experience has come from the last 25 years working with thousands of employees and leaders as head of performance development for industry titans such as Toshiba and Jenny Craig/Nestle a division of United Healthcare.

As a business development professional, her clients included Disney, PayPal, Qualcomm, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Herbalife, Illumina, Wells Fargo, Samsung, Ross Stores and more. Barbara has entertained and inspired audiences as a successful keynote speaker, stand-up comedian, and now in her new book, Ditch Your Career Plan.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mark Tacconelli's unwavering commitment to innovation and results, combined with a dedication to customers’ needs, led him to successfully innovate new products with several company’s product portfolios while transforming many into product category leaders. A prominent thought leader, Mark’s extensive experience in information technology affords him a unique insight into the technological changes ushering in the fourth industrial revolution.

Mark is the Senior Director of Engineering and Product Management where he leads the strategy, engineering development, and product management activities for OpenText’s Salesforce and Oracle products and related technologies.

Mark is acting Board Member and financial advisor at Magique Beauty, a premium online beauty essentials manufacturer. Additionally, Mark serves as President at Kellogg Terrance Condominium Association, nonprofit association serving 220 residential homeowners.

Prior to OpenText and Magique, Mark served as Vice President and CTO for Soluziona USA, a technology services and implementation company, and as a member of the executive management team. Mark was also Vice President of Applications Development and Product Management at Scantron Corporation. Additionally, he was a member of the executive management team.

Mark held various positions at FileNet (an IBM Company) as a technical leader and Sales Engineer. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo and a Master of Business Administration with concentration in Information Technology from University of California, Irvine.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Rami Lazarescu is the founder and CEO of HappinessAssurance.com and Ampro Vacations Inc ., which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Rami is the winner of one of the nation’s highest awards - The Excellence Award for export bestowed by the President of the United States! A few years ago, Rami was nominated for the White House Trade Advisory Committee.

Rami was interviewed on national radio about his unique vacations plan and it was broadcasted to 141 radio stations. After due diligence investigation, the prestigious Forbes published an article about Rami titled: “Vacations: Making the Impossible, Possible!”

Other articles about Rami have been published by Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, Reuters, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Yacht Vacations Magazine, Woman’s Today, and many others.

Rami is married and has three kids.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

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LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

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Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

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#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Asbasia Mikhail, immigrated to the States with her parents as toddler in the early 1970s and grew up in Southern California. Having excelled in the sciences and having a passion to help others, she chose a career in medicine. She has been practicing Emergency Medicine for the last 25 years but about 5 years ago, she chose to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

While still working full-time as an emergency physician and directing two nearby urgent cares in the area, Asbasia also runs her own Online Personal Styling business known as The Stīl Trust (pronounced style) which is an all-female-run business. She created this online platform for busy, style minded women who wanted to look and feel their best but just didn't have the time or maybe lacked the know-how to elevate their style.

Asbasia's goal is to get women to look and feel their best while taking the struggle out of figuring out what to wear and providing confidence in every outfit!

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Nema Daghbandan is the CEO of Lightning Docs and a Partner with Geraci LLP . His practice encompasses all facets of real estate transactions, primarily representing lenders, brokers, and loan servicers.

His practice revolves around the preparation of documents and providing compliance advice to mortgage professionals related to nationwide commercial, residential, construction, and multi-family loan transactions. He also provides advice on documentation related to loan transactions, including servicing agreements, spread agreements, secondary market documents, leases, lien releases, procurement agreements, intercreditor agreements, and subordination agreements.

Mr. Daghbandan also possesses a deep expertise in loss mitigation and advises mortgage professionals in the management of defaulted loans and the remedies available to creditors.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

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LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dr. Carrie Perry earned her Ph.D. in Media Psychology from Fielding Graduate University. Her academic background and employment experience includes all aspects of Mass Mediated Communications including print, digital, and film. She has been a teacher, stockbroker, professor, and entrepreneur.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown, Carrie’s focus turned toward home, specifically, the kitchen. Thoughts of “now is a good time to do something different” she started cooking, canning, and baking. Lots of baking. With encouragement of friends and family, Sweet Talk Desserts was born.

With baking experience that spans about 40 years, her desserts include, pies, cakes, jellies, and caramel apples. Her promise is that she sells “love in every bite.”

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Frank Arellano is the CEO and founder of Revolv3 , a fintech SaaS platform out of Laguna Beach, CA. Frustrated by the lack of subscription management payment systems that could minimize false declines and maximize first pass payment approvals, he built his own.

Frank started his career with startups, then lead as an executive at Ingram Micro and Experian for over 20 years. Now backed by Rosecliff Ventures, he intends to reshape the recurring payment market. On the weekends you might find him jamming with one of his bands at a local wine festival, or a concert.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Andy Lin is the Chief Executive Officer at Provoke Solutions , a management and technology services firm focused on helping organizations getting their "big idea" out into the marketplace quickly and effectively.

Andy has also served as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer and GM of Southwest at prior companies. Having spent nearly 30 years in the consulting services industry, starting off his career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as a software engineer, he has worked with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 10 enterprises.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Kevin Wilson is the President & CEO of KM Management Solutions Inc. Kevin is a versatile business growth catalyst with a deep-rooted passion for creative/analytical problem solving and 20+ years of experience delivering superior organizational development, cost savings, and revenue maximizing solutions across multiple industries.

Kevin is equally skilled in new product development, leadership and team building, hardware/software design, risk mitigation, and project management. An outstanding communicator, Kevin also has keen attention to detail and a natural ability to forge collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Kevin has demonstrated success in identifying modifications and/or enhancement to existing technologies to create disruptive technology and establishing clear product differentiation. He was recruited into Hughes Aircraft to help transition existing military-based technologies into commercial products resulting in several telecommunication products most notably Direct TV from military satellite communications. He developed patented technology to differentiate a telecommunication product from similar commodity products allowing new product category and increased market share. New IP integrated software algorithms loosely based on particle density theory to predict optimum path for packet routing resulting in 30 percent increase in network capacity.

Kevin developed patented technology to capture majority market share of billion-dollar automated frame market. (Existing product offerings too large and expensive to meet Telco ROI requirements. Market capture requires a product that both reduces the number and size of switch points.) Kevin developed patented technology to reduce number of switch points using physical lattice structure to optimize CLOS matrix together with predictive software algorithms and developed new switch technology using laminate process to create high density switch module.

Kevin attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He later went to West Coast University, where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA).

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Sam Naghshineh is the Founder of Leaniar , a software services and solutions company focused on process automation for global Fortune 1000 companies. Leaniar leverages Human Emulation Software otherwise known as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning to remove the inefficiencies resulting from manual, repetitive and high-volume tasks.

Sam has over 25 years of consulting and sales and experience working for companies such as Ernst and Young, SAP, IMS Health (IQVIA) and most recently UiPath. Sam graduated with a BA in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona. He has also been a guest speaker at multiple MBA programs, including Cal State Fullerton, discussing the importance of Automation Skills in today’s workplace.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

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Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Deb Shrider is an award-winning writer who has written for a wide range of clients for more than twenty-four years. In 1998, she founded ‘Put It In Writing', providing writing and marketing services for various businesses and industries but with the specialized niche of real estate.

Deb's client roster reads like a Who’s Who in real estate, including former Presidents of the California Association of Realtors®(C.A.R.) and the National Association of Realtors®(NAR) and top producing real estate agents nationally and globally. She is a sought-after writer commended for her ability to communicate the ordinary extraordinarily.

Deb’s work has been extensively published in print and digital publications. She has written thousands of bios and social media profiles. Deb has worked for five trade associations - both non-profit and not-for- profit, handling a wide range of writing and marketing projects. She also created and facilitated a leadership academy to train real estate professionals for leadership positions. She currently serves as an advisor to the Vietnamese National Association of Real Estate Professionals (VNARP). In 2020, she launched The Write Stuff Lab for Real Estate Pros, a webinar series helping agents tackle branding and writing projects such as bios, testimonials, property descriptions, and more.

On a personal note, Deb is originally from London, England, and became a U.S. Citizen in 1998; she still retains her British accent.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

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Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Rebecca Hall, APR is a thought leader and celebrated entrepreneur in the public relations, branding and marketing industries. A visionary, Rebecca founded Idea Hall in 2003 as a fusion agency bringing together branding, marketing and PR – a model that is gaining industry favor today. Throughout the years Rebecca has attracted world-class talent to Idea Hall, ensuring the spirit of entrepreneurialism fuels the agency and that its craft is continually advancing forward, innovating and redefining boundaries of possibility.

Rebecca is a recognized marketing communications industry thought leader published in Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Native Society, Forbes and Orange County Business Journal. She also is a recognized influencer in the commercial real estate sector, named a 2019 GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum Woman of Influence, Marketing/Communications Professional and a 2017 Real Estate Forum CRE Best Boss. She is also a member of the Forbes Agency Council and for the past four years, Rebecca has maintained her position on Orange County Business Journal’s “OC 500” – a list of the 500 most influential people in the county.

Under her leadership, Idea Hall has been named to the Entrepreneur 360 list three years’ running (2017-2019), was named one of Medium’s “8 Coolest ‘Hidden Gem’ Companies to Work for in Southern California” and by the Orange County Business Journal as a “Civic 50” company three years running, an honor that recognizes Orange County’s top civic-minded organizations. The agency’s work has been recognized with myriad national awards including PRSA Bronze Anvil, Ragan’s PR Daily and the American Advertising Federation.

Rebecca earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Communications from Chapman University and currently is a Vice Chair on the Chapman University Board of Governors. Rebecca is an active member of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where she received the organization’s “Distinguished Service Award” and her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). and she sits on the distinguished board of the Orange County Business Council.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Susan Wright Kenny is the Founder and Chief Do GOODer of Do GOODer Partners , a consulting firm that empowers companies to engage their teams and customers in doing GOOD in the communities where they live and work.

Prior to founding Do GOODer Partners, Susan worked for close to 20 years a professional fundraiser supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

While working with MDA, Susan was responsible for the coordination and funding for healthcare clinics, support groups, and summer camps throughout Southern California. As MDA’s National Director of Retail Partnerships and Community Engagement, she worked with Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions, Lowe’s, Kroger, and other retailers to execute their annual customer engagement events resulting in millions of dollars raised for muscle disease research.

While working with RMHC, Susan was instrumental in the National Roofing Contractors Association’s first ever national charitable partnership with RMHC. Prior to leaving RMHC, she was the lead fundraiser for the $12 million capital campaign to double the size of the Orange County House.

Susan has volunteered her time to plan and fund the Association of Fundraising Professionals education seminar, OneOC’s Spirit of Volunteerism Awards, and the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce Women of Influence events. In addition, she has been a Board member to Advisors in Philanthropy and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Extraordinary Lives Foundation. She is a founding member of the 100 Women Who Care Orange County Chapter and volunteers her time for numerous nonprofit organizations.

Susan is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has a Human Resource Management Certificate from the University of California, Irvine. She is the proud parent of two incredible teenagers and dreams that one day every person and every company in the world will find their passion partner to do GOOD and create meaningful change.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

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Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Marlene Sheehan Dandler is the Founder of Seashore Academy . Marlene graduated from the Lakeside School in Seattle, WA in 1994 and Dartmouth College in 1998. During her time at Dartmouth, she studied at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany as well as at the Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China.

While at Dartmouth, Marlene worked as a German language instructor for Professor John Rassias, the creator of the Rassias Method, a unique, intensive language immersion technique used by the Peace Corps to learn a foreign language in 10 days’ time. This revolutionary method of rapid, effective language acquisition impressed Marlene greatly and became the foundation of Seashore Academy’s language immersion philosophy.

When her own three children were ready to start school, Marlene visited over 2 dozen public, charter and private schools searching for an academically intensive, nurturing school in which her children would be immersed in a foreign language.

Marlene and her husband decided to immerse their three children in Mandarin Chinese to best prepare them for future business and work opportunities. As there were no Mandarin immersion programs in Orange County at the time, Marlene spearheaded a successful effort to launch a public Mandarin immersion district school in Orange, CA, which operates to this day. While building the program, she homeschooled her children with a private Mandarin tutor.

Today, all of the children at the Seashore Mandarin program, including Marlene’s own three children, speak, read and write Mandarin Chinese in traditional characters. They work in an academically accelerated environment and enjoy plenty of free time to read and play.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mara James is Founder & CEO of the Extraordinary Lives Foundation . Originally from New York, Mara James relocated to California with her husband and her three children in 2007. They established Dr. James’s OBGYN practice, and for seven years, Mara managed the busy office. Then, in 2014, Mara unexpectedly experienced a manic episode and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Through her battle with mental health, many wellness professionals helped Mara heal and transform her life. Mara’s experience—in addition to the experience of some of her close family members—has kindled in her a passion for forwarding the cause of children’s mental health.

She established the Extraordinary Lives Foundation and created Piggie Bear & the HUGS for Life Healing Center to promote mental health awareness and provide both children and their parents with the resources they need to pursue holistic wellness in any and all avenues available. Mara lives with her family in Orange County, California.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Ben Olbon is the Founder & CEO of Outcome Elite Coaching , and helps student-athletes overcome fear, anxiety, and self-doubt in order to help them maximize their potential in sports and life.

Ben has 20 years of leadership and development experience from his time as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, to his time in the financial and pharmaceutical industries. He has an extensive history in sales and marketing, strategic planning, tactical decision-making, and critical thinking.

Ben has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal, been recognized as a top sales performer and trainer, an award-winning sales team leader, and a championship-winning pop-warner football coach.

Between those career highlights are a multitude of failures and missteps. The highest of highs have been separated by equally devastating lows. With the correct mindset and internal fortitude, failures can be our greatest opportunities to learn.

Ben’s transparent and emotional leadership style provides a safe and meaningful environment for true and sustainable outcomes to flourish. Making a positive impact in the lives of others is the reason why Ben has started Outcome Elite.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Garrett Day is the owner and operator of The Wellness Approach and Fitness and Wellness Inc, a holistic Sports Therapy practice in San Clemente that incorporates several methods of structural integration tools, separating him from other rehabilitation programs and wellness treatment centers.

A wellness consultant of 20 years, Garrett's individual program designs have captured quick rapid results of healing qualities that helps to balance back ones emotional, physical and spiritual state of consciousness.

Before devoting his work full-time to The Wellness Approach, Garrett served as an owner and operator of The Mind Body Wellness Club in Dana Point. While devoting his time into individual contractors in the fitness and wellness industry finding an easier way to build one's business without the financial stress of an individual start-up.

In Garrett's words: "Caretaking and working with people is a true passion of mine. Each individual patient requires a unique wellness approach that will assist with their whole-body balance.”

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Ramin Sedehi is passionate about closing the gaps between science, education, society, and policymakers to understand better the depth and breadth of the challenges facing humanity. To impact the health of communities, improve educational markers, and, most importantly, uphold democratic values and build inclusive societies, we must disrupt the status quo.

Ramin’s career is highlighted by his three decades as an executive, intrapreneur, bridge-builder, strategist, and award-winning faculty. He has served as a transformative leader at several world-class organizations (UCSF Health, UCSF Stanford Healthcare, University of Pennsylvania, American University of Beirut, and Weill Cornell Medicine.)

Ramin is the founder of Impact Human Learning , which focuses on strategies and actions to deepen learning in the 21st century. He currently serves as the Chief Strategy Advisor at EmC Leaders , focused on organizational and leadership training, development, and transformation. He is the co-author of Emotional Connection, The EmC Strategy, How Leaders Can Unlock the Human Potential, Build Resilient Teams, and Nurture Thriving Cultures.

Ramin advises and mentors leaders committed to unlocking the power of human-centered organizations and capable of nurturing emotion-centered connections, courage-based leadership, and systems thinking to solve intractable problems and thrive in the service of humanity. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and has completed graduate studies in Public Administration/Health & Science Policy from California State University, Hayward. Ramin is also a graduate of executive education at Stanford University business school.

In Ramin's words, "The need for reform, relevance, and gaining the public's trust has never been greater. Let's commit ourselves to building stronger bridges, embracing inclusion and diversity, and nurturing thriving communities."

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Rocky Foroutan is the Founder and Visionary behind LenderHomePage.com . He founded the company from his small home office in 2003 by building turnkey websites for mortgage brokers and loan officers. Sixteen years later, the company has grown to serve over 2,000 clients with an innovative, multi-channel digital platform that helps customers enhance borrower experience while gaining efficiencies and saving cost.

Prior to LenderHomePage, Rocky spent nineteen years as a software developer, sales and marketing management in Fortune 5000 companies.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Sheryl Utal is the Founder & CEO of Japa Health . Sheryl had a ten-year corporate career with senior roles in private equity, real estate development and management consulting, before she burned out and had to make a change.

Sheryl has been the owner of two successful lifestyle businesses both with profitable exits. Although she had successful exits the journey wasn't easy or linear and included turnaround experience. She has over 13 years of experience in wellness including 40,000 customers and 5M in revenue. Healing herself from autoimmune disease and trauma, Sheryl is passionate about natural healing, disease prevention and human optimization, a passion which began over 15 years ago after conventional treatment for an autoimmune disease diagnosis failed. She took her health into her own hands and was determined to be the most vibrant and joyous version of herself possible.

In 2013, Sheryl founded Red Diamond Yoga, a large yoga studio in LA and built a strong reputation for inspiring people through yoga, breath-work, energy healing, fitness and mindfulness. After five and half years and close to 40,000 students, she sold Red Diamond in 2018 to build Japa Health. Sheryl believes everyone has the capacity to heal and holds a strong vision for a world of empowered, healthy people.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dina Miller is the Founder & CEO of Electi Management Inc . A highly motivated, self-directed and results-driven CEO of a business management company, Dina attended MIT and subsequently earned my B.S. in Business from Johns Hopkins University. She later completed her MBA at the University of Delaware.

For over twenty years, Dina has built a “hands-on” track record of leadership, team-building and cross-functional collaboration. Thinking and planning globally while executing locally, Dina has a high-performing staff to support operational initiatives and client needs. She is passionate about what she does and embodies an energy and urgency as a culture creator and catalyst for change with an exemplary reputation for forging working relationships based on trust and respect. Dina loves to build strong, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with individuals, businesses and organizations.

Dina created Electi Management at the end of 2020, as the pandemic raged and she saw an opportunity to leverage her years of experience in business management, accounting, and operations to help other small businesses achieve new efficiencies in their accounting practices and workflows.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

A 20-year award-winning Broadcast Journalist with an emphasis on Public Relations, Kelly Bennett has been a reporter, anchor, senior assignment manager, TV host, and Radio Host, then transitioned into public affairs managing community/public relations for two major cable companies. She worked with many programmers within the industry, CNN, Court TV, Bravo, Lifetime, Oxygen Networks, and more, to bring successful programs that received commendations and proclamations from government officials.

In 2009, Kelly founded Bennett Unlimited PR giving her clients local, national, and international notoriety and connecting them to Influencers, networking groups, celebrities, VIPs, private clubs, executive round-tables, entrepreneur gatherings, and charity functions to further their career and goals. Her clients have been on the Kelly Clarkson show, Good Morning America, CBS, LA Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inside Edition, HuffPost Live, Dr. Oz, CNN, Getty Images, Huffington Post, New York Magazine, KTLA, Good Day LA, MSNBC, OC Register, Orange Coast Magazine, Rivera Magazine and many more.

In 2019, Kelly received the Ambassador for Peace Award from the Universal Peace Federation, and in 2011, Kelly was awarded the California Governor and First Lady’s Service Award for her volunteerism and community work. In 2005, she received a Commendation from Orange County Sheriff’s Department, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and US Postal Office for her work that helped bring the AMBER Alert to Orange County, and in 2004 she was given a Commendation from the County of Orange for her role in profiling the “Adoption Needs in Orange County” program. She won Business Woman of Distinction, American Business Woman’s Association in 2001. Kelly is the Society Editor for Orange County Newspapers, delivered to homes in the Newport Beach, Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Mission Viejo, and San Clemente zip codes and online. Her column covers non-profit galas, events, and lifestyles of the social scene. She also hosts a monthly talk show on KCAA commercial radio 102.3 FM, 1050 AM, and 106.5 FM, an NBC affiliate that reaches 5 million people in the Southern CA area, and podcasts to over 201 countries.

Kelly Bennett is a member of TPEC (Television Publicity Executives Committee); HRTS (Hollywood Radio & Television Society), eWomen Network, Advisory Council Member for Special Olympics of Orange County, and an Honorary Member for Orange County Family Justice Center, and Past-President of the Orange County Community Relations Council.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

A reformed 'Corporate Rat' turned Entrepreneur in 2017, Traci Shirachi is the CEO & President of The Mark USA Inc . (“The Mark” or “the Company”). The Mark is a data analytics applied research and evaluation company comprised of about 15 employees that work with organizations nationally and internationally to define and articulate community and social impact focused on helping the underserved thrive.

The Mark uses rigorous data collection and research methods to evaluate and measure results for organizations and companies to achieve sustainable growth. Many of the organizations or companies that work with The Mark focus on demonstrating their social impact. These include universities and colleges to corporations and small businesses.

Traci formerly worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and has an MBA from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. She is actively involved and on the Board of Orange County Advisors in Philanthropy, and a Board member of WISE Place . She was honored in 2019, 2020, and 2021 as the Orange County Business Journal ’s Women in Business and also honored in 2020 and 2021 for Women in Entrepreneurship.

An entrepreneur who is passionate about social change and philanthropy in everyday living, Traci is married and a working mom of two little girls. She lives in Orange County, but relocated over 13 years ago from New York City and before that lived all over the country including Nashville, Tennessee. Traci was originally born and raised in the Bay Area and long time resident of the area.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Peggy Knauft is the Founder of Primary Pacific Properties. Peggy's incomparable customer service provides the optimal real estate experience for buyers and sellers and has helped her rank in the top 1% of all agents in Orange County, California.

Peggy’s clients value her genuine care and ability to deliver outstanding results, underscored by her honesty, helpfulness, and desire not to take herself — or life — too seriously. She distinguishes herself from other agents by using her marketing background and staging talents to effectively and persuasively market homes that attract the right buyer and secure the best offer. Along with Peggy’s corresponding Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation, she is also a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® and a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist.

Peggy graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in political science. Before her real estate career, she was a vice president of global marketing, honing her marketing expertise and accumulating more than 20 years of experience in negotiating multimillion-dollar contracts. But Peggy’s passion for properties encouraged her to hang up her corporate hat for one that felt custom-made. Her first lesson was realizing there’s no textbook on how to succeed in this business, but she quickly figured it out by flexing her creative muscles. In just a few short years, Peggy turned 99% of her clients into referrals, gaining such a broad base that she serves just about every type of buyer and seller. Peggy’s involvement in her own family’s real estate business holdings for more than 25 years has further enhanced her ability to navigate market conditions and negotiate effectively on behalf of her clients.

Peggy grew up in Pasadena and has been an Orange County resident since the 1990s. She currently lives in Laguna Niguel with her husband and two daughters. Her passion for real estate aside, Peggy enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at her daughters’ schools and for the community. She also loves traveling and sampling new restaurants.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dita Shemke is a highly-proficient financial executive with a wealth of experience in private and public companies, public accounting, angel investing and founding start-ups. Her biggest strength lies in her ability to think strategically and put the right people together to bring an idea to fruition.

Dita is a passionate advocate for women. Her support for women to be more self-sufficient is both a personal and a business priority. She purposely developed her 20-year-old wealth advisory practice to primarily work with women in transition and assist owners of private companies to grow and eventually exit their business. Dita is the Orange County Chair for 50/50 Women on Boards, a global campaign to increase the number of women on boards of companies in the Russell 3000. She is a founding member and part of the leadership of the Southern California Chapter of Private Directors Association (PDA), a national organization that promotes excellence on private company boards. She spearheaded the formation of the Collaboration of Professional Women (CPW) in Orange County, an affinity group for female members of Provisors and the Center for Women’s Leadership at Vanguard University. In addition to starting and founding organizations,

Dita is highly skilled in governance, having served on various boards of directors and advisory boards of nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, and university foundations. Dita received an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University with a focus on Strategic Planning. In her quest to find a larger platform for financial independence for women, she completed a Certificate in Microfinance from the Boulder Institute of Microfinance in Turin, Italy. Dita is passionate about learning, travel, food, and wine.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dr. Shahrzad Nooravi is a business psychologist, Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Founder and CEO of Strategy Meets Performance, a business consulting firm that partners with leaders of mid-sized to Fortune 500 organizations to help them create engaging, innovative, and productive cultures. Dr. Nooravi has been named “Trailblazer of the Year,” “Citizen of the Year,” and “A Voice to Listen to” for driving positive change in her community. Dr. Nooravi's new leadership book, "A Powerful Culture Starts with You" was rated as the #1 New Release in Workplace Culture and Best Seller in Business Coaching.

In a time in our history where employees have realized that they have many options for how and where they work, workplace culture is more important than ever. In her book, Dr. Nooravi shares the mindset it requires to be an engaging leader that employees are loyal to and do not want to leave. She will also share real-life client examples from her three-model approach for driving a strong, engaged and joyful workplace.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Stewart Gandolf, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Success, one of the nation’s leading healthcare and digital marketing agencies. Over the past 20 years, Stewart has marketed and consulted for over 1,000 healthcare clients, ranging from practices and hospitals to multi-billion dollar corporations.

A frequent speaker, Stewart has shared his expertise at over 200 venues nationwide. As an author and expert resource, Stewart has also written for many leading industry publications, including the 21,000 subscriber Healthcare Success Insight blog. Stewart also co-authored, “Cash-Pay Healthcare: Start, Grow & Perfect Your Cash-Pay Healthcare Business.”

Stewart began his career with leading advertising agencies, including J. Walter Thompson, where he marketed Fortune 500 clients such as Wells Fargo and Bally’s Total Fitness.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Yuko Tsuchida, CPA, MBA, is a Certified Public Accountant with over 10 years of tax consulting experience advising multinational corporations on value-added tax strategies. Her career started with KPMG's Japanese tax practice where she provided audit, tax, and advisory services to Japanese companies operating in the United States. After KPMG, she co-founded Think, LLP , a strategic tax advisory firm specializing in income tax planning, R&D credits, investment, employee and training tax credits, and incentive services. Throughout her career, she has helped clients claim over $100 million in incentives and credits.

Ms. Tsuchida founded Hito, LLC in October 2017 after seeing how many companies fail to achieve their projected growth because they lack the time and resources to implement tax planning strategies that aligned with their long-term business objectives. Hito is the Japanese term for ‘people’ and Ms. Tsuchida believes people drive business growth. Hito provides value-added tax consulting services focused on tax incentives and credits. Hito accelerates the growth of businesses and promotes change through tax benefits. This helps businesses unlock savings by minimizing taxes and freeing up capital for reinvestment into the business and its employees.

Ms. Tsuchida enjoys volunteering her time to guide nonprofit organizations, specifically those with missions that support childhood development. She has spent several months consulting with orphanages and early childhood development centers in Cambodia and South Africa. providing financial expertise on long-term financial sustainability, her dream is to build a not-for-profit organization in Sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia to provide education to underprivileged children.

Ms. Tsuchida holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Northeastern State University (Oklahoma) and a Master of Business Administration from IE Business School (Madrid, Spain).

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

During an extraordinary four-decades in international business, William (Bill) Edwards, CEO & Global Advisor, Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS), has played a leadership role in the successful global growth of more than 40 small, INC 5000 and Fortune 100 companies. He is widely recognized as an International Problem Solver, strategist, advisor and specialist on global cultures. His career covers international operating executive, and entrepreneurial experience in the energy, technology, licensing, management consulting and retail sectors. He has been a technical specialist, district manager, master licensee, brand senior executive and brand country president. Mr. Edwards has also started several international businesses.

Bill has lived in China, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, and Turkey and directed projects in over 50 countries. Mr. Edwards’ company has twice received the U.S. Presidential award for export excellence. He has published the respected GlobalVue™ country ranking analysis quarterly for 20 years and publishes a biweekly global business update newsletter that can viewed at: www.geowizard.biz

Mr. Edwards is the Vice Chair of the District Export Council of Southern California and the Vice Chair / Incoming Chair of the World Affairs Council of Orange County . He is also a member of the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) Leadership Council .

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

John Mendola is the Founder of the University Curriculum for Independent Learning , Founder & Chief Financial Officer of the Irvine International Academic Academy , Founder of Johnny Rock Music Group , and Managing Director of IRM Consulting Group, Inc. Additionally, John serves as a Professor of Business & Education at Westcliff University in Irvine, and has experience teaching at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) , Irvine Valley College , and other institutions.

A well-rounded and highly successful business professional, John offers real-world, hands-on experience in all facets of business planning, e-commerce and traditional marketing, sales, staff training and growth, branding, and contract negotiations. Highly experienced in global business and travel, John has developed the insightful and powerful “3Rs” business philosophy of Rapport, Respect and Relationships.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Mark A. Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You . Educated at MIT, Mark has spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia. He’s developed new software languages, online marketplaces, new authentication systems, and tracked criminals and terrorists on the dark web.

Mark helped create the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program , MIT’s “Career Success Accelerator”, where he’s taught for twenty years. Mark also serves on the boards of non-profits Techie Youth and Plant a Million Corals.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Ashley Harris serves as Chief Financial Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast leading all finance and accounting operations to ensure the fiscal strength of the Club. As CFO, Ashley oversees financial reporting, cash management, forecasting, GAAP compliance and audit readiness. Ashley is committed to maximizing the Club’s budget to ensure the continued growth and success of the Club’s mission to serve 9,500+ youth in Orange County.

Prior to joining Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, Ashley worked in corporate finance at Johnson & Johnson and Hyundai Capital America where she honed her skills in the areas of cash forecasting, financial reporting, capital asset management, budget management, auditing and SEC compliance.

Ashley prides herself on efficiency and implementation of strategies to streamline accounting processes and build financial metrics to complement business strategy, whether in the not-for-profit or for-profit world. Ashley has a strong passion for millennial financial success and wealth-building for people of all backgrounds. A significant amount of her participation in professional industry associations and community organizations correlates with financial education. In 2016, Ashley authored her first book, “It’s Not You, It’s Your Money” to provide a roadmap for young adults to have a positive and proactive relationship with money. Ashley was also featured on Charles Schwab ’s segment “Money Matters: Make it Count” where she discussed the importance of financial literacy and the impact that learning about money as a teenager had on her interest in personal finance and her career path.

Ashley is a member of Forbes Finance Council , Howard Alumni Association , National Association for Black Accountants , and Toastmaster Los Angeles . She also volunteers with Salvation Army Angel Tree Project . Since becoming a member of Forbes Finance Council in 2021, Ashley has been featured in several articles including, “16 Practical Steps To Help Your Business Weather An Economic Recession,” “11 Smart Ways A Young Adult Can Start Building A Good Credit Score,” and “Four Big Company Financial Practices To Use In Your Personal Finances.”

Ashley hails from Trenton, New Jersey. As a youth, Ashley was a member of her local Boys & Girls Club. Ashley won the Club’s Youth of The Year Award during her senior year of high school. She remains active with Boys & Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County as she knows the importance of the programs and mentorship that the Club offers. Ashley holds both a B.A. and M.B.A in Accounting from Howard University in Washington, DC.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Dr. Kathryn Hamel is the Chief Executive Officer at the Hecht Trauma Institute . Before she transitioned into non-profit leadership, she worked in higher education and served her community for nearly 25-years as a law-enforcement professional for two mid-sized municipal police departments.

Dr. Hamel is a certified trauma and resilience professional and educator and author of Body Mind & Badge: Strategies for Navigating Trauma & Resilience in Law Enforcement . She has worked as a police lieutenant, police sergeant, special victim’s detective, public information officer, and task force officer.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she holds a Doctoral Degree in Public Safety Leadership from Capella University, a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Studies from California State University, Long Beach. She also serves on the Board of Directors for KinderVision , a non-profit co-founded by her late mother, Ashby Sebastian, dedicated to addressing the exploitation of children.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Ashley Vallett is a recruiting professional with almost a decade of experience in the staffing industry and the owner of her own firm, Technacity Group , which she started in 2019.

After working for a variety of different staffing firms over the years, Ashley felt the companies she was working for were not serving the needs of her candidates and client communities, so she went out on her own and has never looked back. Now, almost 3 years later, she has built and scaled her company to a successful firm that is disrupting the industry.

One of Ashley’s goals has always been to help women and underrepresented groups advance their careers in IT and Engineering. She serves on the board of Women In Technology International (WITI) as the Corporate Partnerships and Alliances chair and is an Ambassador for Women in Games. It is her tenacious spirit that makes Ashley a powerful advocate for her candidates and clients alike and she looks forward to continuing to grow Technacity as a leader in the tech recruiting space.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Cathy Trinh is an inspirational speaker, global humanitarian, bestselling author, and the CEO of Recruiter Hustle, Inc. a unique executive search and networking firm. She is also a bestselling author, executive leadership coach and mental health advocate.

Born in Vietnam, and raised in California, Cathy developed a love for sales and marketing, talent acquisition through working in the corporate world for over 25 years. Cathy honed her emotional intelligence by engaging in thousands of high-level and transformational conversations with job seekers and leaders in start-up to Fortune 500 companies. Cathy is passionate about transforming new business owners and high-achieving entrepreneurial professionals to live fulfilled, happy, and liberated lives.

In addition to being a successful business owner, Cathy’s ability to communicate with any type of audience has made her an in-demand speaker and author. She has huge heart for those in the recovery community and gives back by sharing her knowledge from self-awareness through her own recovery journey. She openly and powerfully shares about how she overcame addition through self-mastery, personal empowerment and an abundance mindset. A critical element of her skill on stage is her ability to bring her authentic self to her work and to be relatable by sharing her obstacles as well as her triumphs.

Since the publication of “The Journey, Mastering the Art of Slowing Down into a Beautiful Existence” in 2020, Cathy has led global leadership conferences, training groups and coached hundreds of leaders to become world-class, game-changers. She is the Vice-Chair, Board of Director of Sisters without Borders, a non-profit organization to empower young girls to become leaders within their communities. Trinh regularly connects with her legions of followers and fans through Instagram, and Facebook, posting pictures and videos about her inspirational life.

With a bachelor's degree from California State University of Fullerton, Cathy is also a cancer survivor, educator, musician, and mother of a 13-year-old son.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

John Beaver is President & CEO of BIOLASE. At BIOLASE, John’s vision is to raise a generation of kids not afraid of going to the dentist. He brings over 40 years of substantial leadership and technical experience in finance and business management for both public and private companies.

His experience leading debt and equity fundraising efforts to elevate companies from start-up to commercial success has positioned BIOLASE for growth. At BIOLASE, John has a pulse on investor relations, using dentist education to establish lasers as the gold standard of care, and building cross-functional teams internally.

When not charting the path for BIOLASE, you can find John rooting for the Houston Astros or heading to Texas to visit his grandkids. John Beaver was most recently the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. He joined the Company in 2017 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He assumed roles of varying responsibilities over the past few years, including Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Mr. Beaver has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Beaver brings to the board extensive management, financial, and operational experience.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Kayla Sibley currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at SERVPRO of Irvine, a franchise that has earned the reputation as being #1 in the cleanup and restoration industry. They specialize in services such as fire and water damage restoration, biohazard cleaning, mold remediation, and so much more.

Her journey started with her parents, Rod and Lillian Sibley, who have owned and operated this company since 1991 - a period of more than 30 years. What started as helping around the office at the tender age of eight blossomed into over fifteen years of experience and expertise in the restoration business.

Kayla graduated with honors from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. She is presently seeking her Certified Managerial Accountant License as well as her California State Contractors License while simultaneously overseeing the Irvine franchise.

Kayla has shown astounding passion to grow within Servpro Irvine, striving to make the company one of the greatest restoration firms in the surrounding Orange County region.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia

Hector Muñoz is the Owner & Head of Community Relations at Senior Helpers of South Orange County. Born in So. Cal. Hector is a Cal Poly Pomona Grad with an MBA from the University of Miami, and has spent over 25 years leading some of the largest restaurant brands in the industry as a Chief Marketing officer.

While living in Miami, he experienced a very challenging situation with his Father Jorge, who was dealing with diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. He and Sandy found themselves in a situation where they needed someone to care for their dad, given Mom was dealing with dementia. At the time, over 10 years ago, professional high-quality caregiving was not as widely available as it is today, so they had to look for whomever they could find to help Dad and ended up settling for someone who was inexperienced in the field but could at least tend to Dad’s immediate needs, like medication reminders, bathing, and medical appointments. But the needs were greater, and we knew there had to be a better way to address those needs. Hence the birth of Senior Helpers of South Orange County located in the city of Irvine, CA.

Hector became involved with Senior Helpers with the goal of providing dependable, loving, and affordable care for the elderly and therefore making a difference in their day-to-day lives. In the spirit of our servant leadership culture, Senior Helpers of South Orange County puts the needs of our caregivers and clients ahead of their own.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

James Muraca serves as the chief technology officer at Enersponse and loves building sustainable technology for scale. Muraca has held senior roles with various innovative organizations like InvertedPower, Zen Ecosystems and Planet Innovation.

Since starting his engineering career with Bosch, he has been involved in several projects ranging from digital health to now connecting massive pumping loads and fortune 100 building portfolios to grid service programs.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, James Muraca joins host Ric Franzi to share his career journey and insights as Chief Technology Officer of Enersponse.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow #technology #chieftechnologyofficer #enersponse

Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist, author and CEO of the Caregiving Club, a consulting and content creation company she founded in Orange County, California in 2010. Sherri brings her expertise in biopsychosocial lifestyle across the life course to corporate wellness programs and well home design. Her clients include employers, start-up age-tech companies, home builders, designers and real estate developers and senior living communities.

Sherri has been a TV producer and is currently the “Aging in America” commentator for Newsmax Media, Inc. TV, podcast host of “Caregiving Club On Air” and also writes articles for PBS, Forbes, USA TODAY and Thrive Global. She is currently on the Health & Aging Advisory Group for Georgetown University and has participated on caregiving task forces for The White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer's Association®.

Sherri earned her B.A. in journalism/political science and her master’s in gerontology at USC and currently resides in Newport Beach.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow #gerentology #caregivingclub

Richard Medcalf is the founder of Xquadrant , and host of The Impact Multiplier CEO podcast, and describes himself as "what you get if you were to put a McKinsey consultant, a slightly unorthodox pastor and Freddie Mercury into a blender."

Richard is an executive coach & leadership consultant to exceptional founders & CEOs and their leadership teams. His clients are elite performers who've already achieved incredible things, and still have the ambition to 10x their impact and influence and achieve something that seems impossible right now. That can involve 1:1 coaching, taking the leadership team to its next level, or scaling high-performance culture throughout the business.

After a Masters's Degree at Oxford University, where he came top in his year, Richard started his career in a premier strategy consultancy where he rose to become the youngest-ever Partner. He then spent 11 years at tech giant Cisco, firstly elevating Cisco’s relevance in the C-suite of its Fortune 100 customers before being selected for an elite team set up by Cisco’s President and CEO, John Chambers and Chuck Robbins, to catalyze strategic partnerships & new business models.

Richard has advised Founders and C-level execs for 20 years, from Fortune 100 companies (Comcast, Mastercard, Sanofi, Sky, Orange, Bosch…) to high-growth tech firms (in AI, networking, robotics, fintech, …). He has overseen over $2B of deals. Keen to marry the disciplines of strategy and leadership in service of his clients, he qualified as a senior leadership consultant and executive coach before founding Xquadrant in 2017.

Richard is bi-national English/French, lives near Paris, and is happily married and the proud father of two. He's also a licensed lay minister in the Anglican Church, and has an insatiable love for spicy food and the electric guitar.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Matt Armand is the Founder of Align Executive Search , an executive staffing and recruiting firm based in Orange County, CA. Align Executive Search helps clients find and employ top talent by sourcing currently-employed executives. The firm focuses on both perm and temp staffing for the medical, accounting, finance, engineering, technology and manufacturing industries.

Matt has a twenty-year history in the search and placement arena. Matt has multiple business ventures that he is a part of including sporting equipment, food, health, wellness and training services, and he is celebrating eight years in business with current team of twenty account executives at Align Executive Search.

An avid reader of self-help, spiritual, business, relationship-oriented material, Matt enjoys time with his family including his wife who is also an entrepreneur in multiple business verticals and his two lovely daughters. They are active in outdoors events including camping, hiking, dirt biking, gardening, skateboarding and bike riding to name only a few activities! Matt has traveled all over the world and enjoys health and fitness including yoga, weight training and running. He has participated in multiple fitness events and marathons. He also volunteers in helping others within recovery for addiction.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Matt Armand joins host Ric Franzi to share insights from the search industry, and from Matt's leadership of Align Executive Search.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow #staffing #executivesearch

Tolga Tarhan has more than two decades of experience leading companies. He was an early pioneer of cloud native thinking, popularizing developer and automation-focused workflows and serverless application development.

In 2013, Tolga co-founded Sturdy.cloud, an AWS Premier Consulting Partner, which popularized these concepts as one of the most innovative AWS partners. In 2017, Sturdy was acquired by Onica, where Tolga continued to lead the industry by pushing cloud native concepts into the Fortune 500 and building Onica into the largest cloud native AWS-focused professional and managed services company, worldwide.

In 2019, Onica was acquired by Rackspace Technology for $323 million and Tolga joined the Rackspace executive team as the Chief Technology Officer, where he helped Rackspace return to the public markets with an IPO.

Most recently, Tolga founded Kibsi (https://kibsi.com/ ), an end-to-end, low-code platform designed to build custom vision-enabled apps with ease, eliminating complexity, risk, and expense. In Q3 of 2021, Kibsi raised a $4m seed round led by NTTVC, and is expected to launch their platform in late 2022.

Tolga continues to show thought leadership in the field through his extensive speaking engagements at events, industry conferences, and educational groups. Tolga holds an M.B.A. from the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University. In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Tolga Tarhan joins host Rich Franzi to share his entrepreneurial journey and insights as the founder & CEO of Kibsi.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow #kibsi

Abir Alameddine is a C-level strategic thinker and executive leader with 22 years of experience garnered in split executive roles between operations, digital marketing, and finance. Abir’s passion is making an impact on people and processes.

Her professional career is evident in a number of areas including e-Commerce, operations, talent development, and financial transformations. Abir has an excellent track record as an executive coach, uniting people, technology, and operational efficiencies while driving expansion activities. She specializes in leading strategic initiatives that directly impact the financial bottom line.

As a key driver for higher cross-departmental collaborations, and human capital development, her work often leads to transformative business cultures. Abir has firmly established herself in the corporate space with over 20 years of experience serving in C-level roles--most recently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OrangeShine.com in Los Angeles, California.

She is also the Founder & CEO of Ze Titan , which provides consulting and coaching services to entrepreneurs in the eCom and social media marketing space. In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Abir Alameddine joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her leadership insights.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Meymuna Hussein-Cattan is a global executive leader, a culturally conscious motivational speaker, and an award-winning grassroots community organizer. For the last decade, Meymuna has been the Founder & Director of The Tiyya Foundation , supporting families of immigrants, refugees, and displaced indigenous people to overcome obstacles and actively participate in society. Her work led record-breaking initiatives, including creating innovative programs and services that impact nearly 1,000 people a year. She has been helping to transform sentiments and narratives around refugees and immigrants in Southern California.

Meymuna was awarded locally by the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, was a PBS/ KTLA Local Hero nominee, selected Woman of the Year by Congressman Adam Schiff, Outstanding Founder 2021 Award from National Philanthropy Day: by AFP Orange County, and at her social enterprise venture Flavors, Meymuna employs former-refugee chefs in Orange County and Los Angeles, where 40% percent of profits generated goes towards Tiyya's programming. Los Angeles Times recently awarded Flavors from Afar as 101 Best Restaurants in LA, and her community work was featured by Bon Appetit, BuzzFeed, LA Times, and Yelp.

Meymuna is a creative visionary with a solutions-oriented mindset, holding a master's degree in Organizational Management (MAOM) and a bachelors in social science, Multicultural Studies. With Afro-Indigenous roots in East Africa and being born in a refugee camp, her domain of expertise is in culturally conscious motivational speaking, ethnically diverse workshops, corporate media, strategic planning, and team development. Her knowledge is informed by 15 years spent in the non-profit sector, establishing global relationships from 24 countries, and lived experiences working closely with refugees, displaced indigenous people, and low-income immigrant households.

Meymuna is now helping corporations and higher education institutions strengthen their cross-cultural and intergenerational relationships to understand how to employ, support, retain, and empower a diverse workforce.

All while maintaining her grassroots life work at The Tiyya Foundation and social enterprise at Flavors from Afar , assisting and providing resources to historically excluded communities to navigate society on and off-line to overcome obstacles and actively participate in society. In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Meymuna Hussein-Cattan joins host Ric Franzi to share her insights as a multi-faceted leader, as well as her journey to founding The Tiyya Foundation.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV, and business podcast host of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on C-Suite Radio. He is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman and Founder of C-Suite Network , home of the world’s most trusted network of c-suite leaders, the company he founded in 2014.

Hayzlett is most widely known for being a business trendsetter and successfully leading through the transition of one of the largest corporate turnarounds of a Fortune 100 company as the Chief Marketing Officer of Eastman Kodak . In that role, Hayzlett helped the company reinvent the brand, embrace the emergence of new media, was one of the first corporate officers on Twitter and an early ambassador of digital marketing.

Following his departure from Kodak, Hayzlett made it his mission to help all types of businesses from Main Street to Wall Street transform themselves using the “adapt, change, or die” adage – a concept found in his best-selling book, The Mirror Test. He’s constantly embracing new opportunities and finding creative solutions to steamroll obstacles.

Hayzlett also serves on a dozen corporate boards, including DocuSign and Instream Adtech and two publicly-traded companies – LiveWorld (LVWD) and Global Cannabis Applications Corporation (APP). Hayzlett is a Hall of Fame public speaker and author of four best-selling business books: Think Big, Act Bigger: The Rewards of Being Relentless, Running the Gauntlet, The Mirror Test and The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Dr. Armia Abdo is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, entrepreneur, author, researcher, keynote speaker, teacher, and inventor. He is the CEO of DocPhyzio, a startup focused on combining tech and healthcare, providing the world’s first AI-powered posture assessment.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Dr. Abdo shares what sets DocPhyzio apart in the market, and his insights as CEO.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow #docphyzio

Raad Ghantous is the Principal of Raad Ghantous & Associates / RG&A, a firm specializing in luxury hospitality, wellness centers, and medical & day spa developments. Ghantous is also V.P. of Design for industry go to Identity Hospitality that specializes in spa and wellness consulting helping clients create successful environments that are conducive to healing and wellbeing, sanctuaries to heal the body, mind, and spirit.

Raad has over 25 years of experience in developing and integrating elegant and seamless designs/modifications to new and existing structures.

With degrees in both business and design, an international upbringing, and instrumental experience by working with industry giants Hirsch Bedner & Associates (HB&A), and architectural icons Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Go (WAT&G) Ghantous is able to marry his creativity in design to his acumen to marketing and business in general into a unique holistic vertically integrated approach to defensible and sustainable branding and experiential destination draw and development.

Today, Raad Ghantous & Associates is highly respected in the field of branded interior design, spa & wellness, and restaurant communities for the high standards of quality, beauty and detail in their design projects.

Raad is also an educator on spa design, an authority on aging-in-place, and the developer of 'Your Home For A Lifetime', a holistic ADA / barrier-free / universal design aging-in-place approach to design/build.

In response to Covid-19 in 2020, Ghantous launched 'Designs for Your Life' which sought to innovate homes to reflect the new reality of daily living and the increasing overlap of personal and work/business lives into our new hybrid existence.

Raad is also the founder of Golden Seal Productions and is the host of his own live weekly show, 'The Raad Life' and the soon launching 'Being GenX'. The Raad Life , now entering its seventh year, takes you along on Raad's continuing journey of discovery as an ‘Age Explorer’ interested in life’s challenges & opportunities that come with getting older and bolder.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

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Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #criticalmassbusinesstalkshow

Jon Stark is CEO and Director of Peratech Holdco Limited, a tactile-sensing technology solutions company, providing next-generation human-machine interfaces with its proprietary Quantum Tunnelling Composite® materials and embedded force-touch software.

Prior to Peratech, Stark was VP of Printed Electronics at MFLEX (NASDAQ: MFLX), where he successfully led multiple new-technology commercialization efforts in miniaturizing power conditioning for high-speed communications, shrinking LIDAR systems to 20% of size and 5% of cost, and commercializing a touch-display module in commercial computing that won numerous awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). During his tenure at MFLEX, Stark also held executive-level positions in and Corporate Strategy and Marketing, when MFLEX was awarded Deloitte’s Fast 50 Technology companies three out of four years.

Before MFLEX, Stark held interim executive and consultative roles in strategy, change management, innovation, and communications in a variety of industries including software, portable technologies, mobile communications, banking and healthcare. His previous clients included InterActive Corp, JP Morgan Chase, Virgin Mobile USA, and Jamba Juice.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Jon Stark joins host Ric Franzi to share his leadership journey and insights as the CEO of Peratech .

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi , business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #peratech

Bruce Watanabe is the Founder & CEO of PowerBuy . PowerBuy is a one-stop Shopify app design to connect shoppers with all the best deals on necessary products and to provide merchants with free advertising. Using the power of social commerce and group buying, PowerBuy allows merchants to cut down on marketing spend by turning customers into micro-influencers.

A serial entrepreneur, Bruce has co-founded and exited a number of technology and Internet ventures including PowerBuy, MassGenie, SIRE Mobile (SMS Solutions), and SETA International (Global Systems Integrator & Solution Provider). With over 20+ years of leadership experience ranging from start-ups to Fortune 10 companies, Bruce is proficient in start-ups, M&A, Corporate Strategy, Business Development, Sales, and Channel Development.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Bruce Watanabe joins host Ric Franzi to discuss his entrepreneurial ventures and leadership insights as the CEO of PowerBuy.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ

Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia #powerbuy

Nithin Jilla is a passionate educator, social entrepreneur and philanthropist who champions building models and systems of social change that are sustainable and empower the next generation. Nithin began with his first efforts in philanthropy with his high school class – establishing a project to help raise funds to renovate educational facilities and provide students with scholarships in Kenya, to enhance the quality of education, one student and one school at a time.

Nithin currently serves as the Executive Director of Dreams for Schools (DFS), an EdTech organization whose mission is to make STEAM approachable and empower students to become the critical thinkers, creative leaders and technologists of tomorrow. Nithin has also advised and helped run a few family foundations and their grant-making strategies over the years. He’s always thinking about how we can reinvent and take new approaches in philanthropy to be more equitable.

Nithin is also the Co-Founder of Excelsior Creative – a creative web development agency. In the community, Nithin serves on several Non-Profit and Advisory Boards of organizations which include Harbor Day School, Asian American Futures, Electric Potential, Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University, and UC Irvine Alumni Association. He’s a lover of comedy, a closet chef, and enjoys brewing Kombucha. He cherishes being outdoors, spending time with friends, building and creating things.

During the pandemic, Nithin co-authored a children’s book, R is for Rice , a rhyming alphabet book on Asian-American food with the goal to inspire current and future generations of Asian-Americans to feel pride in their unique American identity. Nithin holds a BS degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Nithin Jilla joins host Ric Franzi to discuss his various entrepreneurial ventures and the social impact behind his work.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia

Thuy Pham-Satrappe is the President and Founder of Lux Lucet Ventures Corporation , a real estate investing firm. In June 2019, Thuy started investing out of state in Indiana the pockets of her time, and has since grown her rental real estate portfolio to over $2M with 26 properties.

In February 2020, Thuy decided to quit her corporate job to spend more time with her 2 young children and pursue her passion and vision for real estate investing. Her vision is to create passive income for her family and her money partners, because she believes a rising tide raises all ships!

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Thuy Pham-Satrappe joins host Ric Franzi to share her entrepreneurial journey, and leadership insights as the Founder of Lux Lucet Ventures Corporation.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia

Lisa Nguyen is the Founder & CEO of Smart Bean Inc. , a team of people with diverse entrepreneurial backgrounds that share one common goal: to revolutionize the relationship between small business entrepreneurs and their numbers through innovative and affordable products and services.

Over the last 20 years, Lisa Nguyen has worked for small businesses, invested in small businesses, and owned her own small business, and has tremendous respect and empathy for small business entrepreneurs as a result, as it takes intelligence, resilience, tremendous self-awareness and guts to start and build a viable business.

Lisa is realizing her dream with Smart Bean Inc., as her team develops products and services that will make intrepid entrepreneurs smile more, love more, and achieve more from life. SmartBean® uses technology to streamline the bookkeeping process, making it more efficient and therefore more affordable.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Lisa Nguyen joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and insights as the founder & CEO of Smart Bean Inc.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning #collectiveintelligence #southerncalifornia

Pembe Candaner is the Co-Founder & President of JobzMall . JobzMall is the new way of finding jobs and exploring organizations, founded with the belief that humans are so much more than a resume, and companies are so much more than a job post. JobzMall Inc. strives to make the job finding process enjoyable, engaging and accessible to everyone.

Prior to her work at JobzMall Inc., Pembe Candaner served as the CEO of Adecco SA Turkey, General Manager of Lee Hecht Harrison, and CEO of Kariyer.net, the largest employment portal of Turkey. She is a member of TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), the top business association of Turkey and Society for Human Resource Management.

As a vocal activist of women rights, Candaner hosted her TV show at national ‘Artı Bir TV’ channel about Woman Leaders and Entrepreneurs. She has also lectured in Bogazici University (Bosphorus University) and UCI (University of California. Irvine) on Development of Woman Leaders, Talent Management, Protocol and Etiquette and Intercultural Relations. Additionally to her career in private sector, Pembe has authored 4 books, and was awarded as the Business Woman of the Year in 2003.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Pembe Candaner joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her career path and leadership insights as the President of JobzMall.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Rodney Brenneman is a seasoned veteran in the medical device space. He has been CEO, board member, advisor and consultant to many early-stage medical technology companies. He is a mechanical engineer by training, with over 30 years of experience in medical device development, mostly in early-stage start-up companies. His experience spans many specialties including vascular, general surgery, interventional cardiology, pulmonology, emergency medicine, ENT, GI, urology and orthopedics.

Rodney is currently the CEO of PhageTech and prior to that, founded and lead ROX Medical for 14 years, raising $90M in venture funding. Rodney counts innovative problem solving as one of his core talents and is a named inventor on over 130 patents. Rodney has worked closely with all aspects of medical device development including fundraising, board management, R&D, quality, manufacturing, finance, regulatory, clinical, and physician training. Rodney most enjoys the leadership of small efficient teams solving important medical device and procedure challenges.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Rodney Brenneman joins host Ric Franzi to share his career journey and insights as CEO of PhageTech.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Nicole Suydam has more than 20 years of management and leadership experience working with local and national nonprofits dedicated to meeting human service needs. She currently serves as president and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County , one of Orange County’s largest nonprofits by revenue.

Suydam leads Goodwill’s social enterprise operation that employs nearly 1,800, manages 24 local thrift stores and ShopGoodwill.com – the online e-commerce marketplace for Goodwills across the country – and serves more than 18,000 individuals annually through its innovative programs and services aimed at providing purpose through employment.

Suydam has received several accolades for her commitment to creating a better and brighter Orange County for all, including being named to the Orange County Business Journal ’s “OC 50” list for 2020 and 2021 for her influence and impact in the community. She was also named one of just six 2019 Women of Coast by Coast Magazine and received the 2018 Women of the Year Award by the Orange County Business Journal. Suydam graduated from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa and lives in Aliso Viejo with her husband and two teenage daughters.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Nicole Suydam joins host Ric Franzi for an update on Goodwill of Orange County's work in our community.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Debora Wondercheck is the CEO of Arts & Learning Conservatory (ALC) . An effective corporate leader with seventeen years of experience in strategy development, program management, and implementation, Debora focuses on culturally sensitive and inclusive afterschool artistic training and education for all children in k-12 schools, particularly those who are underresourced.

As the founder of the nationally acclaimed Arts & Learning Conservatory (ALC), Wondercheck has a proven track record in fundraising, public education, executive leadership, non-profit governance, community building, and program development. Her professional interests include arts education sustainability, board development, and equitable access to the arts. Her extensive expertise in music and education, combined with her ability to build strong partnerships across the public and private sectors has delivered powerful results throughout her career.

As the go-to for afterschool programs, Wondercheck’s relationships have created artistic experiences for over 40 schools throughout Southern California. She is particularly proud of her recent partnerships with the Orange County Department of Education and the YMCA of Orange County . In addition to her work at the Arts & Learning Conservatory, Wondercheck serves on the Board of Directors for Arts Orange County, The Cultural Committee for the City of Costa Mesa, Philharmonic Society, Copper Tree Management, Orange County Theater Guild, and the Waldorf School of Orange County DEI committee among others. She is committed to using her experience to broaden access to high-quality education by supporting innovation, reducing barriers to entry, and building strong communities.

Some of her accomplishments include 2021 National Association of Women in Business, Board Pathways Graduate, 2021 Fieldstone Executive Graduate, 2021 Orange County Business Journal Women in Business Nomination, 2019, California State University, Gianneschi Leadership Fellow. Wondercheck is an accomplished conductor and cellist and volunteers with the children’s ministry at the Rock Church of Anaheim. Debora, a product of Orange County, is married to Gary, they have three teenage children and reside in Garden Grove, CA.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Rick Van Kirk is an executive who has worked in the Southern California region for 36 years in various manufacturing industries. Following his graduation from California State University, Fullerton in 1982 he has worked in the aerospace, computer, commercial electronics, diecasting, and medical device industries. During this time Van Kirk completed his MBA from Claremont Graduate School in 1991.

Currently, Rick serves as President and CEO of Pro-Dex Inc ., a design and manufacturing company in the medical device industry. He joined Pro-Dex as Director of Manufacturing in 2006, and was subsequently promoted to Vice President of Operations and then Chief Operating Officer in April 2013 and then to CEO in January 2015. During his time as CEO Pro-Dex, he has led a successful turnaround of the company and positioned it for further growth.

Previously, Rick served as Manufacturing Manager and Manager of Product Development for the ChargeSource division of Comarco Wireless Technologies, a provider of power and charging functionality for popular electronic devices and wireless accessories, and as General Manager at Dynacast, a leader in precision diecasting.

Recently Rick joined the Board of Directors for the Southern California Special Olympics and is Chair of the Nominating and Governance committee. He has lived in Orange County, California since 1989.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com .

Connect with Ric Franzi on LinkedIn HERE.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Based in Mission Viejo, Amour Propre®️ is a beauty brand that strives to make the world a better place, one person and one natural product at a time. Translating to “Self-Love” in French, Amour Propre®️ is centered in self-love, enhanced by science, inspired by nature and fueled by positive energy.

Amour Propre®️ is in business to encourage our customers to practice self-love by experiencing the joy of utilizing natural, organic, and aromatherapeutic wellness and beauty products. Established in March of 2020, Amour Propre®️ saw $20k in profit in its first month in business alone.

With over 150 products and variations made for women and men alike, the brand offers a luxury experience at an affordable price.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Founder & CEO Tahera Christy joins host Ric Franzi to share her success with Amour Propre®️, and what she has learned throughout her business journey.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Connect with Ric Franzi on LinkedIn HERE.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Robert Ming is Founder and CEO of ThoughtWorld and is responsible for setting the overall policy and direction of the company and platform. His deep desire to bring people together and make the world a better place shows up both in the platform and in how he has invested his energy throughout life.

As a practicing attorney and founding partner of Quadrant Law Group , a law firm specializing in technology contract negotiation, Robert found his love for bringing people together and making complex things simple. He used those skills politically while Mayor of Laguna Niguel, California, where he served as a council member for 8 years.

During that time, he founded the Association of California Cities – Orange County, a public policy think tank for bringing elected officials together to tackle some of the most difficult political issues of the day. He loves making safe places where people can learn and expand their minds, as he has done as Chairman of Stoneybrooke Christian Schools, where he has served for 17 years.

Together with his wife, Susie, Robert is committed to creating a brave new world where their four children can hear and be heard without fear or violence, where they can think and understand the opinions of others and bridge the gaps between people.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Robert Ming joins host Ric Franzi to share his inspiration to found ThoughtWorld, and his insights as the company's CEO.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Connect with Ric Franzi on LinkedIn HERE.

Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m

Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan made history in November of 2020. She not only received the highest number of votes for the position of Mayor in the city’s history, but also shattered glass ceilings as the first woman of color to hold the position, and the first Muslim woman to lead a large city in the United States.

In addition to serving as Irvine Mayor, Farrah Khan is also the President of Horizon Consulting USA, where she serves as a recruitment consultant working with businesses, community organizations, and governments to find short-term and direct hires. She has 8 years of corporate management, 15 years of small business, and 5 years non-profit experience.

Mayor Khan grew up in northern California and began her career in the biotech and innovation industry as a regulatory manager focusing on streamlining complex products and international research. She and her family moved to Irvine in 2004 where her two sons have had the privilege of attending Irvine schools since Kindergarten. She and her husband also serve as Legacy Partners with the Irvine Public School Foundation.

Mayor Khan is focused on ensuring that the City of Irvine is a leader throughout Orange County and California when it comes to innovation and technology, maintaining a healthy environment, combating climate change, and protecting the health and wellness of Irvine’s diverse communities. In her short time as Mayor, she has initiated several new strategies leading to Irvine becoming the first City in Orange County to spearhead COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in local neighborhoods and senior centers, passed HERO pay for frontline grocery workers, created a new committee focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and passed an ordinance to make Irvine carbon neutral by 2030.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Farrah Khan joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her work as the Mayor of Irvine, and as the president of Horizon Consulting USA.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Stephanie Oddo is an educator, entrepreneur, and Laguna Niguel City Council candidate. Most recently, Stephanie has found much reward in serving as Director of Government for the League of Women Voters of Orange Coast. She launched the League’s first-ever Observer Corps. The Corps inspires, trains and empowers volunteers to observe and report on their local city and county public meetings. The program currently observes 7 cities and 4 county boards.

Stephanie is the founder of Healthcare Mask Collaborative (HMC). HMC served almost 150 organizations, had over 220 sewers who sewed and distributed over 65,000 cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the first Democrat to ever run a serious campaign in Laguna Niguel, Stephanie earned over 11,000 votes and was the next on the ballot to win in the 2020 election. Stephanie is now launching a new nonprofit with her business partner that will empower and educate women on how to report certain crimes against them.

Stephanie has also served as President of the Laguna Niguel Rotary Club where she spearheaded two efforts that are still in practice today: a free local dental clinic that serves approx. 100 people a year and an effort to obtain the club’s first Global Grant (raising money for medical equipment that trained doctors in Latin America how to perform free surgeries to burned children). This propelled her to serve as Chair of International Service for Rotary District 5320 (Orange County and Long Beach) and to train others how to obtain Global Grants.

Previously, Stephanie was a public relations and web services consultant for government, nonprofits, and businesses in the Washington, DC. area. Some of her clients included Microsoft Government, Verisign, Maryland Dept. of Energy, EPA, NASA, U.S. Dept. of Justice, DC Healthy Families, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the nationally televised Hispanic Heritage Awards.

In this episode of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Stephanie joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her career path, as well as her initiatives in Orange County and beyond!

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Paul Nelson, Esq. is recognized throughout Orange County as an expert in Family Law Litigation. As Managing Partner at Nelson Kirkman, Paul has built an excellent reputation in the legal community and has been quoted as a legal expert by Fox News and Forbes.

Paul's many honors and awards speak to his expertise: AV Preminent® & Judicial and Bar Highest Possible Rating (Martindale Hubbel®), two-time Super Lawyers Honoree (2021 & 2022), Honorary Chairman of the Business Advisory Council (2009), OC’s Most Talked-About Lawyers (2008), Premier Attorneys of Orange County (Orange Coast Magazine, 2008), as well as a National Leadership Award from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

With a strategic approach to high-stakes cases, Paul handles roadblocks by utilizing outside-the-box thinking to get it done, believing that there is always a way. In his work, Paul is guided by the principle that being a successful attorney is like playing a game of chess: it’s all about the long game. He joins host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to share more about his industry leadership in Orange County, as well as his professional philosophies!

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Monica Challingsworth is President and Co-Founder of Eustress and Demeter, a full-service restaurant consulting firm specializing in building sales programs for multi-unit restaurants and independent operators. Eustress and Demeter started in 2017 to fill a void in the restaurant industry. With an ever-changing landscape, they knew there was an opportunity to help brands of all sizes build incremental revenue programs. They have worked with some of the top names in hospitality and private equity and have curated a record generation of over $50 million in off-premises sales.

At Eustress and Demeter, Monica has responsibility for developing, engaging, and sustaining her clients’ most important assets – their people and top-line revenue. In addition to Eustress and Demeter, Monica is the Co-founder of ED Distribution Group; the exclusive distributor for V10 Plus USA, a Japanese skincare brand whose core focus is to build confidence from within. Monica has hosted many Women’s Mastermind networking groups has been a speaker for multiple Business Councils and is building a Women’s Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Leigh Lester is the Founder & Executive Director of Ubuntu Institute of Learning, an international training organization focused on social justice issues ranging from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging to Entrepreneurship to Affordable Housing.

As a trainer, consultant, educator, public speaker, serial ideator, and occasionally a coach, Leigh is always a positive force for her clients and co-conspirators. She is active in her community of Long Beach, She serves on a national Board of Directors for industry and nonprofit organizations. Her passion is service. She focuses that passion in affordable housing, under-invested entrepreneurship programs and/or diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives.

Known for her ability to break big ideas into bite-sized pieces, Leigh’s magic powers include public speaking, training, schmoozing, collaborating and totally out-of-the-box ideation. With over 20+ years industry experience, her main focus now is helping others create the right action steps to solve their problems.

Her approach is hands-on, practical application focused on outcomes, steeped in years of personal experience. As the one minority in the room for many years, she puts her experience to use affecting policy at the national level. She serves on the board of a national appraisal organization, a member of the advisory board for the Ashoka-Brookings Partnership Initiative: Valuing Homes in Black-Majority Neighborhoods, an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Navigator with Forward Cities Initiative in Long Beach, California and she serves as a Global Advisor with How Women Lead, a Bay Area leadership network that brings together influential women in an inclusive and highly supportive community to connect, learn, and promote the voices of all women and propel their leadership forward.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Leigh Lester joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her leadership of the Ubuntu Institute of Learning, as well as her latest initiative, Launch Long Beach.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Ronald Stein, P.E. is an engineer and Founder of PTS Advance, a California-based company.

Founded in 1995 by Ronald & June Stein, Principal Technical Services (PTS) was designed to meet a gap in the market. Client organizations were seeking greater transparency and flexibility as they contracted specialized talent to augment key roles in their organizations. As a project manager in the industry, Ronald knew first-hand that success relied upon attracting and retaining great candidates with a full compensation package, including PTO and medical benefits – an approach not common for typical engineering staffing services in the ’90s.

The PTS team subsequently delivered a best-in-class service to both the client and candidate as the premier contingent workforce management partner for the California Energy & Infrastructure market.

Now known as PTS Advance, the company is building on past successes and expanding the quality of service they offer to a nationwide list of clients and candidates in the Energy & Infrastructure and Life Sciences industries.

Ronald is a co-author of three books that focus on energy literacy: Just GREEN Electricity, Energy Made Easy, and his latest book Clean Energy Exploitations, which is nominated for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize competition in the General Nonfiction category.

Ronald is an internationally published columnist and energy consultant who writes frequently about all aspects of energy and economics, is a National TV Commentator- Energy & Infrastructure with Rick Amato, and a policy advisor for The Heartland Institute.

Over the last decade, Ronald has become the private business spokesperson for the energy and infrastructure industries. He is an energy consultant who writes frequently about all aspects of energy and economics. Through his more than 250 published Op Ed articles, he provides education for citizens as to what and why the energy infrastructures are the primary infrastructures that truly drive the worlds’ economies.

At the 2018 Western State Petroleum Association (WSPA) Annual Conference, Ron was awarded the “President’s Award for his Tireless Efforts Protecting and Promoting a Vibrant Oil and Gas Industry in the West”. The November 2018 Press release that appeared on Yahoo Finance: “Recognizing Greatness in the Oil and Gas Industry” was shared with 17 million viewers.

Ron joins Critical Mass Business Talk Show host Ric Franzi to discuss his firm PTS Advance, his thought leadership in the energy sector, and his success as an author.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Steve Reinharz is the CEO of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc., (OTCPK:AITX) and Founder and CEO of the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD).

Mr. Reinharz is a proven and seasoned leader in the physical security industry with nearly 25 years of experience holding various roles in multiple disciplines. Reinharz has led RAD to create and launch a successful line of artificial intelligence-powered solutions specifically developed for the guarding and concierge industries.

Mr. Reinharz’s experience is multi-faceted in that he’s started and ran his own security integration company from the age of 24 to 31, becoming one of California’s premier system integrator. Subsequently, Mr. Reinharz was part of a team that successfully sold an integrator to a global security firm for $42 million and has held various other industry roles. Mr. Reinharz speaks and contributes to panels at ISC East and West, and ASIS. Mr. Reinharz is a leading member of several industry association committees, mostly through the Security Industry Association.

Mr. Reinharz credits almost two years of work performed for the LAPD as the basis for many of the technological innovations he has launched. Mr. Reinharz’ LAPD work was enabled by Captain (III) Charlie Beck who later went on to be LAPD’s Chief for 9 years. ‘Force-multiplication’ has been a hallmark of Mr. Reinharz’ career. Specifically using technology to expand and improve client security.

Mr. Reinharz oversees all aspects of AITX and the three RAD subsidiaries (RAD-I, RAD-M and RAD-G). As CEO of RAD, Reinharz leverages his extensive knowledge and interest in robotics and artificial intelligence to design and develop robotic solutions that increase business efficiency and deliver cost savings.

RAD is an innovator in the delivery of artificial intelligence-based solutions that empower organizations to gain new insight, solve complex challenges, and fuel new business ideas. Through its next-generation robotic product offerings, RAD can help organizations streamline operations, increase ROI, and strengthen their business. RAD robotics technologies improve the simplicity and economics of patrolling and guard services and allows experienced personnel to focus on more strategic tasks. Customers augment the capabilities of existing staff and gain higher levels of situational awareness, all at drastically reduced cost. RAD robotic solutions are well suited for use in multiple industries such as enterprises, government, transportation, critical infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

Steve Reinharz joins Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to discuss his firm RAD, and his leadership insights as CEO.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Food Network describes Andy Nguyen, co-founder of Afters Ice Cream, as the "mash-up king in the food industry," and it's his unorthodox approach and insights into modern branding, marketing, and "how to get your grind on" that has set him apart from the rest.

With other 25 locations (and more to come), Afters Ice Cream has been both an entrepreneurial and social media phenomenon with thousands of people turning up for their store openings/events. And that’s only one of the many restaurant concepts Andy and his team have started. Other ventures include: Dough & Arrow, Trill Burgers, Hello Kitty Cafe Vegas, Matte Black Coffee, Rodeo 39, and more.

While Andy has reshaped the new age F&B industry, his journey to becoming a serial restaurateur wasn't easy... Like many entrepreneurs, Andy and school didn't get along so well, and he was quickly bored with his first "real" jobs.

After a dozen+ years of struggle including adventures in real estate, re-selling sneakers, and being a Coachella VIP vendor, Andy founded a worldwide clothing brand, several food ventures, and a consulting agency, too. He even started his own non-profit, Passion Chasers, to help the next generation of dreamers find their own entrepreneurial spark.

Andy joins host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to share the inside scoop (no pun intended), including how he uses brand awareness and storytelling to appeal to future brand builders, as well as his goal of improving the food scene and pumping new life into other cities.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Lisa Rehburg is President of Rehburg Life Insurance Settlements, and a life insurance settlements broker. Lisa is passionate about assisting financial, insurance, legal and non-profit professionals to help their clients benefit from their unwanted or unneeded life insurance policies.

Having been in the health and life insurance industries for over 30 years, Lisa has presented to hundreds of organizations, including various Financial Planning Associations, Fiduciary Associations, Estate Planning Councils, Planned Giving Roundtables, NAPFA, NAIFA and Health Underwriters Associations, to raise the visibility of life insurance settlements as an option for clients, when appropriate. She has held executive roles at carriers, general agencies and TPAs, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and a Master of Arts in Organizational Development.

Lisa Rehburg joins host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to discuss how her firm helps clients benefit from their unwanted or unneeded life insurance policies.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Michelle Beauchamp, Founder of The Champ Group, is a certified coach, speaker and trainer on the John Maxwell team.

Michelle’s 25 years in Corporate America as a Sales Leader in Telecommunications, combined with her 12+ years as an entrepreneur, has equipped her to help others explore their strengths, improve areas of weakness and through a journey of inner discovery, create and lead inclusive cultures that enrich relationships and increase productivity.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Michelle Beauchamp joins host Ric Franzi to discuss how The Champ Group guides leaders to create inclusive and diverse cultures and productive, thriving organizations.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Dr. Adrian E. Garcia is a published author, inventor, and CEO/Founder of FynCom. Describing himself as a rare breed and a "capitalist cypherpunk," Adrian understands the libertarian movement of cryptocurrency. and also knows how to create mass appeal to the businesses that move mountains (of data). He helps businesses adopt the idea of digital currency while still creating sustainable business models.

Adrian's life history consists of lifestyle businesses, engineering academics, legal loophole exploits, social engineering, and cryptocurrency. He lives for innovation and is focused on using his skills to reinvent the data economy.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Adrian joins host Ric Franzi to discuss his firm FynCom, a company that helps businesses use their marketing budgets more efficiently by allowing them to reward responses to outbound emails, calls, and messages, as well as surveys and in-app/website notifications.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Anna Lisa Lukes & Jay Lukes are the co-founders of The Lukes Network, LLC, an organization that uses the power of stories, data and collaboration to make an impact on organizations and communities.

A purpose-driven full-service marketing and sustainability company, Anna Lisa Lukes founded The Lukes Network with twenty years of experience in executive-level management, marketing, fundraising, and sustainability to draw upon. Co-founder Jay Lukes, also the firm's Chief Operating Officer, comes to the table with more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, including digital and traditional advertising across industries.

A 51+% woman- and minority-owned company, The Lukes Network exists to make an impact on organizations and the community, with primary focus areas being government agencies, small businesses (real estate, food, beverage, hospitality and services) and nonprofits.

Co-Founders Anna Lisa & Jay join host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to discuss their business model with The Lukes Network, their leadership insights, and their collaboration as partners.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.