speaker biographies - National Entrepreneur Center

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Economic Outlook for 2015
Dr. Sean Snaith
UCF Insitute for Economic Competitiveness
Director
Sean Snaith, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized economist in the field of business and economic
forecasting. He holds a B.S. in Economics from Allegheny College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in
Economics from Pennsylvania State University. An award-winning forecaster, researcher and
professor, Dr. Snaith applies academic expertise to solve real-world problems. He has served
as a consultant for local governments and multi-national corporations such as Compaq, Dell and
IBM. He is frequently interviewed in national and regional media and is a sought-after speaker.
He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Economist
and CNNMoney.com and has appeared on CNBC, Fox Business Network and Business News
Network, based in Toronto.
Fascinate
Sally Hogshead
How to Fascinate
CEO and Founder
A Hall of Fame speaker, best-selling author, and the world’s leading expert on fascination. Sally
measured hundreds of thousands of people to identify a scientific approach to personality
branding. Over the past decade, her team has uncovered surprising trends about why certain
people and companies succeed. Today, Sally teaches how to communicate and captivate in a
world with a 9-second attention span.
As a world-class branding expert, Sally discovered a new way to measure how people perceive
your communication. Find out what makes you intensely valuable to others, so the world will see
you at your best.
Sally rose to the top of the advertising profession in her early 20s, writing ads that fascinated
millions of consumers. Over the course of her ad career, Sally won hundreds of awards for
creativity, copywriting, and branding, and was one of the most awarded advertising copywriters
right from start of her career, including almost every major international advertising awards.
She showed the world the best of how the world sees a brand, and today she does the same
for people and companies around the world. To break through and stand out in any competitive
environment, you must understand how to fascinate.
The Top 3 Risks of Crowdfunding
Matt Armstrong
Broad and Cassel, P.A.
Associate
Mr. Matthew D. Armstrong is an Associate in the Orlando office of Broad and Cassel. He is a
member of the Firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. Mr. Armstrong concentrates
his legal practice on public and private securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint
ventures, roll-ups and private investments. He also has extensive experience with real estate
law, including commercial transactions, commercial leasing, litigation and alternative dispute
resolution. Mr. Armstrong previously served as a legal extern for the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Social Security Administration
and the general counsel’s office of a large publicly-traded real estate investment trust (REIT).
Mr. Armstrong is an active member of various professional and community organizations.
Dealing with Difficult People
Dr. Mimi Hull
Hull & Associates
President
Miriam (Mimi) B. Hull, Ph. D., is President of Hull & Associates, which provides consulting, speaking,
training and facilitation services to Fortune 500 corporations, small businesses, not-for-profit
organizations, associations, conferences, and conventions. Clients include Darden Restaurants,
Florida Hospital, Siemens, State and Local Governments, SunTrust Bank, Walt Disney World,
and literally hundreds of associations and not for profit organizations. Dr. Mimi is a fully licensed
psychologist who specializes in organizational development, workplace human relations training,
and consulting.
Located in Maitland (Orlando), Florida, Hull & Associates provides programs on topics such as
Team Building, Leadership, Communication and Engagement, Board Development, Strategic
Planning, Change Management, Diversity, Motivation, Personality Conflicts and Insights, Sales
Training and Management, and Time/Stress Management.
Branding - It Isn’t Just for Cows!
Joe Rand
Yellow Shoes Creative Group
Vice President
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Joe joined Walt Disney Parks & Resorts in 2000 and has held a variety of marketing roles
including…
- Assoc Brand Manager – Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Brand Manager – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Domestic Segment Manager – Walt Disney World
- Director, Marketing – Disney Cruise Line
- Director, Domestic Marketing – Disney Parks & Resorts
Joe Rand, Continued
For the last four years Joe was responsible for developing marketing strategies to drive
domestic visitation and resort room nights for both the Walt Disney World Resort and the
Disneyland Resort, including dedicated segment-level efforts targeting African-American, U.S.
Hispanic, preschool and grandparent consumer segments. In his current role as Vice President
Yellow Shoes Creative Group, Joe leads an 80-person business operations group for Yellow
Shoes, the award-winning in-house agency for Disney Parks & Resorts. Responsibilities include
account management, creative strategy, business affairs and creative operations (traffic, proof
reading). Joe is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and received his MBA from the
Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Executive MBA program. He currently
resides in Maitland with SueAnn his wife of 20 years, and four daughters (yes, 4 girls!)...Kennedy,
Addison, Delaney, and Calista.
The Art of Prospecting
Steve Kloyda
The Prospecting Expert
Founder
For more than 30 years, Steve Kloyda has been creating unique selling experiences that
transform the lives of salespeople, prospects and customers. As Founder of The Prospecting
Expert, Steve teaches salespeople how to create their personal plan for sales and prospecting
success which attracts more prospects and drives more sales!
Steve began his sales career as a stockbroker in 1980. Without prior sales or business
experience, he quickly developed unique prospecting skills and disciplines that produced
phenomenal results. He opened 180 new accounts in 8 months, setting a company record of
nine new accounts in one day.
In addition to facilitating thousands of workshops across the country, he has personally:
- Made more than 250,000 telephone sales and prospecting calls.
- Listened to and analyzed more than 25,000 sales calls.
- Facilitated more than 6,000 one-on-one coaching sessions.
Steve’s motivation, insights and down-to-earth strategies provide a powerful learning
experience for anyone wanting to transform their sales and dramatically grow their business.
Steve’s mission is creating ideas that Inspire, Encourage and Empower others to produce lifechanging results.
Be Your Own CFO
Maria Rodriguez-Scott
SCORE
Chair Emeritus
After beginning her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Maria held various leadership
positions with Old Mutual Group, U.K., an international long-term savings and investment group,
and Skandia Insurance Company Ltd, Sweden. Responsibilities included operations for the Group’s
emerging operations in Southern Europe and Latin America. Extensive travel has allowed Maria
to experience both the uniqueness of the various cultures as well as the common interests that
bind them. She is also fluent in Spanish. Maria is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial
Planner and Chartered Financial Analyst. Her areas of counseling expertise include Strategic,
Financial and Operational Management.
Networking with a Purpose
Steve Baldzicki
Big Fish Networking
Founder and President
Steve Baldzicki is the Founder and President of Big Fish Networking, Central Ohio’s Premier
Networking Organization since 1999. Big Fish Networking is ranked #1 for “Columbus Networking”
on Google since 2007. He also is co-founder of Networking Leaders Alliance (NLA), an
organization formed in 2008 to bring together the top networking organizations in Central
Ohio. NLA’s purpose is to collaborate with each other by sharing information and resources,
supporting each other’s events, and helping grow attendance and membership.
Principal of Monarch Title Services, he has over 15 years of experience in the real-estate field.
Steve develops and executes effective sales and marketing strategies to generate business
for residential and commercial title insurance. Selected as 1 of the 53 2014 Young Professionals
to Know in Central Ohio by City Pulse Magazine. He has been profiled in two books: Social
Capital, by Andy Chiodo, and Foundational Networking, by Frank Agin. Both of these books
recognize Steve as an expert in the networking field. He was awarded Columbus Business First’s
“Entrepreneur of the Month” in April 2003 and October 2007. Steve has also been regionally
and nationally publicized for his efforts with Big Fish Networking and its growth over the past 12
years.
As a skilled premier networker, Steve also serves on several boards, committees, and councils
within Central Ohio. A frequent speaker at several networking organizations, companies, local
colleges, and universities, he also consults on event development and management, as well as
marketing and sales strategies with Central Ohio area businesses.
In the Shark Tank
Phil Dumas
UniKey
Founder & President
Phil Dumas is the creator of UniKey, the industry leader in smart access control technology.
Dumas is a featured speaker at SmallBiz360 and “In the Shark Tank” will draw on UniKey’s history
and experience with ABC’s hit show, ‘Shark Tank.’ Dumas will reminisce about his experience
with bringing UniKey on the show and how he was able to lean on his negotiation skills from the
private equity experience he had. He’ll also expand on how the show’s exposure helped him
make connections for investment as well as the downside to exposing his technology to potential
competition. Dumas will pair all of this with best practices that he has learned since bringing the
first keyless entry smart lock, Kevo, to market.
Dreams and Obstacles
Lucas Boyce
Orlando Magic
Director, Business Development
and Legislative Affairs
Lucas Boyce is the Director of Business Development and Legislative Affairs for the Orlando
Magic. Appointed to this new role in July 2013, his responsibilities include strategic business
planning with a focus on developing a new sports and entertainment district (SED) in downtown
Orlando. He also oversees the company’s efforts in statewide legislative and government affairs.
Prior to this role he served as Director of Community Relations, Multicultural Insights, Cause
Marketing and Government Affairs. Lucas joined the organization in July 2008.
Prior to the Magic, Boyce served at the White House in the Office of Political Affairs where
he managed political activity and key races across the Plains-Southwest region of the United
States. Boyce also spearheaded proactive communication, public relations and education
outreach across diverse communities, constituencies and issues on behalf of the President.
During his tenure at the White House, Boyce also served in the Office of Public Liaison. In this
role, he directed African-American and Professional Sports Outreach in addition to work in
the fields of healthcare and economic policy. Prior to this, Boyce worked for Direct Impact,
a public affairs firm in Alexandria, Virginia, and served in the Vice President’s Political and
Communications Office.
360-Degree Thinking
Jerry Ross
National Entrepreneur Center
Executive Director
Jerry Ross is a successful entrepreneur who has also held corporate leadership positions with
AT&T, Ohio Bell, and Goal Systems Software. His personal business ventures include Sky-Tracker
Florida, Semco Properties, Maverick Business Magazine, and J. Ross Enterprises.
In 2007, Jerry was selected in a nationwide search to become the Executive Director of the
National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando, Florida. Since then, the Center has become a national
model for “economic development through small business development” by coaching and training
thousands of small business clients. The Orlando Business Journal has referred to Jerry as a
“virtual business incubator” and named him one of the “Top 10 Businessmen to Watch” in Central
Florida.
He is a nationally recognized speaker on small business who recently released his first book
entitled “Business Shorts”. He has been quoted by a variety of national print publications, including
Entrepreneur Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. He makes regular TV appearances to discuss
small business, and has provided commentaries for The Nightly Business Report on PBS. Jerry
is a member of Leadership Florida, a Board member of Orlando’s Minority Enterprise Business
Assistance Board, and currently serves as Chair of Florida’s District Export Council.