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I was born into a family of four and raised in Brooklyn, NY in a one-bedroom apartment. I am also the first in my family to graduate from college. Hard work and sacrifice were foundational in my upbringing. On this road there have been many difficult decisions and sacrifices in order to make my dream of business consulting become a reality. Knowing there was an easier path, I rejected it. Instead followed my passion for consulting small business owners to achieve their goals of financial freedom and gaining more time with family and friends. I started my career directly out of college with my classmate and business partner John. I borrowed a car and my part of the down payment for my first business from my family. There was only enough business for myself and my business partner to work two and a half days each. We started out generating around $600,000 a year in gross revenue. My first paycheck was around $800 for the week, but there were times we couldn’t even pay ourselves. John and I could have worked at another location on our off days to supplement our income while the business grew naturally, but we learned it was good to take our lumps early. Instead, we invested our other days in the growth of the business and that led to us growing our business ten times the size to just over 6 million dollars in revenue. From that experience John and I learned a great deal of things about growing and leading a business. We decided that we wanted to help others enjoy the success that we were able to build. We could have just started buying practices and creating a business empire of eye care practices, but that’s what the huge monopoly players were doing, and crushing independent owners. That’s when we decided to take the road less traveled and opened Uppercut Consulting. Originally, we started out helping Optometrists grow their businesses and remain independent. That didn’t last long. Other inquiries were coming in from other medical professionals and small business owners. We were and are now in the position to help small business owners become the CEOs they need to be to successfully own and operate a thriving business. My philosophy is to lead like my children are watching every day, to set the right example in life and business. Dr. Scott A. Colonna is the CEO at Uppercut Consulting, GMC Properties, Westminster Eyecare Associates, College Hill Eye & Optical, and Mandalay Optical Lab. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the State University of New York College of Optometry. For questions or comments, please contact our VP of Operations, Jason Clute at jclute@uppercutconsulting.com or 407-502-8765, 400
$5,001 - $10,000
Sheila E. Smith is an appealing keynote speaker, and inspirational encourager, Sheila is the President & CEO of Rightsideof50 an Empowerment entity for regaining yourself, a business erected to encourage SELF-CONFIDENT, TRUE and SPIRITED overcoming as to putting forth the best you. Sheila releases herself and becomes open to all superficial topics with truth and honesty to discourse the shifts that prevent personal, professional development. In addition, having gone through her own conversions throughout life, the discovery of her lineage, divorce, relocation, profession change. Sheila has taken on the title role of becoming My Sisters Keeper by assisting many individuals with their stumbles through the uncertainty of their lives. Sheila is a graduate from Everest University with a Major in Business. To Sheila family is very important for they hold the key to completeness. She is the proud mother of three successful grown children. Always being sought after to teach within a classroom because of her no-nonsense attitude with children and parents, Sheila stood back to find her calling and passion. Now she is teaching but, in her capacity, and within her own lesson plan. You will find within her motivational speeches and teaching that they are very life focused and life based. Sheila has used and is using her past to giving other individuals the power to reach phenomenal heights whether through relationships, health, and daily life, her current lessons and speeches focus on the tools that are needed to be completely happy in life all while continuing to be successful in your work life. Sheila founded Rightsideof50, to provide all person a safe haven to release through writings and storytelling. Sheila is an admired and passionate speaker that has hit the scene running. Sheila has been featured as a Keynote speaker and featured on several pod-cast. In increasing her platform, Sheila has received the opportunity to launch a monthly segment featured on the National Podcast show “My Story Living with Lupus” Entitled “Life Lessons” by: Sheila E. Sheila will influence you with her concern and infectious vigor for life along with her loving heart and, truthful messages.
$1,501 - $5,000
I'm funny, genuine, sentimental, and uniquely aware of my insecurities, shortcomings, and struggles. Mine is a story of growth, from living in a "me"-o-centric world to really seeing the world as it is and still finding a way to love it or the strength and energy to change it. Here's the details on me: In October 2015, Jennifer Vigil joined the newly formed tourism organization Destinations Panama City as President and Chief Executive Officer. In her role, Vigil leads efforts developing strategies to help drive tourism to the Panama City area via the branded organization Destination Panama City. Destination Panama City touts itself as the place “Where Life Sets Sail”; and it surely did for Vigil. She graduated from Troy State University (Panama City Campus) with a Bachelor’s of Science (focus Computer Science / Programming) and a Master’s in Public Administration. She has two beautiful daughters Madison (23) is a graduate of UCF Orlando and Sydney (20) is a junior at Florida State University Panama City. Her daughters, she says are her greatest accomplishment and the funniest, most annoying people on the planet. She also has a dog, #BearDogVigil, that she would gladly chase into traffic any day of the week. Here's what LinkedIn says: Highly motivated, personable, and professional. Unique combination of education and employment experience. Talent for quickly mastering technology, concepts, and policy. Always diplomatic and tactful. Experience handling sensitive, confidential records and equally well versed in the Florida Sunshine Laws. Flexible with the ability to remain poised under pressure. Here's are the topics I talk about: Women in Leadership Thriving Not Just Surviving After an Abusive Relationship Why Women in Leadership Hide Abusive Relationships #ExceptionalNotAcceptable Life Happiness and How I Found It Informed Communities Community Engagement The Key to Life is Self Restraint
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Justin Malama is the Founder and IMPACT Life Coach for his Christain 501c3 non-profit, 3 Nails 1 Tree Community Organization (3N1T). Justin received his Bachelor’s degree from Baker College in Business Administration. Justin is certified by DRC (Dream Releaser Coaching). Justin is currently continuing his coaching certifications with 6-Star Coaching focusing on becoming a dual certified Transition Life Coach. IMPACT Coaching through 3N1T includes individuals, group, and support organizations. Justin's expertise comes from experiencing and THRIVING through hardships such as child loss, divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and family court. His extensive knowledge of these hardships as well as surviving emotional abuse has allowed him to be one of the most powerful motivational speakers and compassionate coaches in his field. Justin's passion is helping people grow stronger through personal hardship, especially the father's who have been overwhelmed by the family court system.
$251 - $1,500
Shuchi brings 18 years of Silicon Valley and Cross-border experience in various sectors, with a focus on Technology and Impact. She currently serves as the Head of SAP.iO Foundry SF that invests in and accelerates early-stage Enterprise Software Startups. Over the course of her career she has worked with great entrepreneurs and mentored Startups out of Startup Weekend, Women 2.0, Founder Labs, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and others. She is a big advocate of anti-recidivism, inclusion and has worked with the likes UCLA, Anti Recidivism Coalition and the Tech/Startup ecosystem to create opportunities for at risk and underserved communities. She was named a Digital Leader by the United Nations Foundation and is also a Certified Yoga Instructor.
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From Homeless and hopeless to inspirational to everyone around me. It took a journey through the depths of negativity to the climaxes of a positive mindset to get me to a formula that encourages, inspires and transforms. No matter what it is that you are looking to be, an entrepreneur, employee looking to progress, or a stay at home mom/dad. The techniques I teach have lead many down the path of mental, emotional and financial betterment. I do not teach what is new, I teach what is proven!
$1,501 - $5,000
Jason is a creative, visionary business leader who has been acknowledged for being strategy driven and analytical with more than 20 years of combined experience driving large scale change that builds organizational effectiveness and propels revenue growth. His leadership acumen cultivates high energy, ambitious and challenging environments that generate innovation and effective solutions to business problems. Jason’s extensive operational accomplishments span start-ups, mid-size medical device companies and global pharmaceutical organizations. He is a leader and entrepreneurial strategist with a business centric focus on continuous improvement, human capital management and development. Jason has an outstanding ability to communicate vision and mission, select and energize high-performing teams, and consistently hit ambitious business milestones.
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I'm a Millennial Marketer from New York City who started a digital marketing agency, Le Pale Shadow LLC, and marketing automation company, Internet Bots NYC.
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I feel that it is important for me to speak about my life because I’m one of the last few survivors from that horrendous period of history, the Holocaust. I speak about my experience as a small child being hunted and being discriminated against, and I show that it is possible to survive and go on with your life. My name is Kati Preston. I am eighty years old, and after a number of different careers, I finally found the reason for my present life: I now spend most of my time speaking in schools, colleges, libraries and other venues, about my life experience. I also speak about my fervent belief in the power of each one of us to make the world a better place, through tolerance. Although, most of my time is spent speaking and writing, I am also still chair of “Hampstead Stage Company”. We are a non-profit theatre company that I helped start over thirty years ago, touring all over the U.S. bringing adaptations of classic literature to thousands of schools and libraries. I was born in 1939, at the start of the Second World War, to a Hungarian Catholic mother and a Jewish father. My whole Jewish family of 28 members was exterminated in Auschwitz, but my life was saved by a Christian peasant girl, who hid me in her hay barn. I grew up in Hungary and Romania under communism, and then later immigrated to Israel. I studied in Paris, became a journalist and fashion designer in Israel, worked in fashion in New York, Lisbon, Milan and London where I ran my own large successful fashion business. After moving to the US, I started the theatre company, designed costumes, and got involved in local politics. I started speaking because, as time passes, there are very few survivors left. Recently I wrote a book about my life: “Holocaust to Healing. Closing the Circle”, and I am now working on a graphic novel for middle schoolers. I feel it is vitally important not to forget history. I not only speak for the dead, but through my life story, I hope to teach tolerance and acceptance. Young people are living in an exceptional time these days. They are more informed, more open, and they are willing to listen, accept and embrace tolerance.
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Antonio Argibay, AIA, LEED AP, is managing principal at Meridian Design Associates Architects P.C., an award-winning, global company headquartered in New York, with offices in Miami and Sevilla, Spain. Their portfolio of work runs the gamut of commercial interiors to retail to residential to healthcare. Since founding the firm in 1981, he has focused Meridian toward a strong social responsibility to find people-centered solutions, an area of great passion for Antonio. His primary area of practice is Media & Entertainment, where he and his team of visionaries plan next-generation spaces to work seamlessly with today’s workflows and remain relevant for years to come through carefully projected future scenarios. Antonio and his staff have proven the innovative quality of their work through projects such as the game-changing Warner Media HQ relocation to Hudson Yards and HBO’s LAG Data Center. Meridian’s other blue-chip entertainment clients include CBS, CNN, ESPN, Telemundo, A+E, ABC, Discovery and NBC. Antonio and his work have been featured in the Associated Press, Broadcast Engineering, The New York Times, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, EFE News and many other leading publications. He was recently profiled by Hispanic Executive Magazine – https://hispanicexecutive.com/2018/antonio-argibay-meridian-design/. He is an active speaker in the areas of Media & Entertainment, Architecture, Diversity, Leadership and Sustainability at venues including Columbia University and M Booth. Antonio received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pratt Institute. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, LEED and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards accredited and a registered architect in over a dozen states. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino and has been recognized with awards from The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Inc. and Upwardly Global.
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Latina serial entrepreneur Danay Escanaverino is CEO of LunaSol Media, a boutique digital agency connecting clients to the Hispanic/Latinx markets. She is an avid growth hacker, having delivered millions of global leads and sales for her clients and is a speaker at various industry events. A twenty-year veteran of digital marketing and having been part of multiple acquisitions, Danay has worked with brands like Hallmark, Quickbooks, T-Mobile, Best-Buy, eBay and Ford. She has also won several awards, including the Latina Entrepreneur award from Latinas In Business. Danay's ability to stay ahead of marketing trends and her absolute passion for delivering measurable results to her clients have earned her a reputation as a Multicultural Marketing Growth Hacker.
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HIV Educator & Advocate | Community Health Specialist | Sex Ed Technical Assistant
Arlington, Virginia
As of the past over 14 years, Pablo has been a dedicated and passionate sexual health advocate, peer educator, and public speaker as someone living with HIV since 2009. He has experience in having lived with HIV for seventeen years, worked as a public health professional in HIV prevention and education for over three years, over a decade of volunteer work in sexual health peer education, and years of public sex-ed policy reform advocacy locally and statewide in Virginia as well as federally. Having reached over 7,000 people 200 presentations, his professional and lived experience informs all of his talks and community outreach to better inspire and educate his peers and the broader public.
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