Strategic advisor, deal maker, and global expert in private company finance and family offices. Founder of RAS Capital and the Family Business Audiocast, Adam has advised and financed over 50 private equity-backed companies since the mid-1990s, participating in billions in transaction value.
As an entrepreneur and investor, Adam has led over a dozen private company investments with $600M+ in sales and $250M+ in equity capital. He founded Circle Peak Capital, a pioneering private equity firm, and has served on multiple boards, including global advisory boards for Salomon Brothers and private equity firms.
Adam’s expertise spans investment banking, alternative investing, governance, and capital raising. A Columbia MBA graduate, he’s a frequent speaker, podcast host, and philanthropist, leading initiatives like Caring Capitalism and Leukemia Fighters.
Proud father of three, Adam is a patron of the arts, amateur pianist, and collector, actively shaping family enterprise, governance, and legacy strategies.
Learn More: https://www.rascapitalpartners.com/r-...
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At American Cloud, the mission is to empower businesses of all sizes to reach their full potential through the use of innovative cloud computing. The company is dedicated to promoting a free and open internet for everyone, as they firmly believe that such an internet is essential for fostering innovation, economic growth, and free societies. American Cloud is committed to providing its clients with the highest level of service, support, and security, enabling them to focus on their business without the fear of cancellation. The company strives to be the premier choice for businesses seeking to harness the power of the cloud, all while upholding the principles of a free and open internet. Their goal is to make it simple and affordable for clients to utilize the best tools and technologies to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Learn More: https://americancloud.com
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Mike Ashabraner grew up in the Kentucky foothills, fueled by hard work, grit, and a gift for bringing people together. Today, he's known as the Redneck Financial Coach, helping entrepreneurs grow their net worth with down-to-earth advice and real-world strategies. As the founder of the Hounds of Business and creator of the Hound Pack Principles, Mike is recognized for building powerful communities — all while sporting his signature camo cap and sharing country wisdom that sticks.
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Through his roles at Consumer Products giants The Coca-Cola Company and The Hershey Company, Preston has learned how to be a powerful leader while staying true to his values, purpose, and goals. Now he desires to share his knowledge with others to enrich their professional experiences and, ultimately, their personal lives.
Preston uses his wealth of hard-earned experience in the corporate arena to help others achieve at their highest levels. He is a game-changer when it comes to building capability in emerging leaders. Preston leads and teaches by example. His lessons are not drawn from the classroom of academic theory but from the crucible of marketplace trenches. Preston is a Certified Maxwell Leadership Team Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Trainer, and Executive Coach to help people become the best version of themselves.
See more here: https://prestonpoore.com
Jay has more than 30 years of experience in leadership, mentoring, and developing others. Before launching LeadersQ, he co-founded a leadership consulting company in India with clients such as Moog, Toyota, and UST Global. He has also consulted for startups, SMEs, and non-profit charities.
He enjoys the creativity involved in helping teams and individuals move forward to success as well as fly fishing and roasting coffee.
See more here: https://www.leadersq.com/about-us/
Scott Wozniak, CEO of Swoz Consulting, has helped leaders on six continents create high-performance organizations, whether that’s through better innovation, customer experience, or just accelerating their personal growth.
He has started four organizations (two non-profit and two for-profit) and written two books. His previous book, How to Fail as a Leader, is a leadership fable with epic medieval battles. Scott spent eight years working at the Chick-fil-A headquarters, including working directly with the founding family and executive team on company strategy, leadership development programs, and leading major change initiatives. In addition to helping Chick-fil-A, he’s spoken for and consulted with senior leaders at multi-billion dollar global companies, city governments, churches, software start-ups, and universities.
More of his journey can be found on his blog at www.ScottWozniak.com.
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Randy Gravitt is an author, speaker, and executive coach who encourages leaders to reach their potential.
In 2014 Randy founded Lead Every Day where he currently serves as the CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), leading a team of coaches and consultants who work with high-performance leaders, organizations, and teams around the world.
As a speaker, Randy delivers keynotes and training workshops on the topics of leadership, culture, team building, organizational effectiveness, and peak performance. Those he works with include Chick-fil-A, Grand Hyatt, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Kroger, and the Winshape Foundation. He has also served as one of the leadership coaches for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Buffalo Bills.
Randy’s writing includes two books, Finding Your Way and Unstuck, and he has a daily podcast, The Lead Every Day Show, with best-selling author, Mark Miller.
Randy and his wife Laura live in Sharpsburg, Georgia, where they raised their four daughters. Outside of work, he loves girl-dad status, being RanDad to his five grandkids, playing golf, reading, and sitting on his back porch.
Learn More: https://leadeveryday.com/services/spe...
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Strategic advisor, deal maker, and global expert in private company finance and family offices. Founder of RAS Capital and the Family Business Audiocast, Adam has advised and financed over 50 private equity-backed companies since the mid-1990s, participating in billions in transaction value.
As an entrepreneur and investor, Adam has led over a dozen private company investments with $600M+ in sales and $250M+ in equity capital. He founded Circle Peak Capital, a pioneering private equity firm, and has served on multiple boards, including global advisory boards for Salomon Brothers and private equity firms.
Adam’s expertise spans investment banking, alternative investing, governance, and capital raising. A Columbia MBA graduate, he’s a frequent speaker, podcast host, and philanthropist, leading initiatives like Caring Capitalism and Leukemia Fighters.
A proud father of three, Adam is a patron of the arts, amateur pianist, and collector, actively shaping family enterprise, governance, and legacy strategies.
Learn More: https://www.rascapitalpartners.com/r-...
Become a CEO Zones Member: https://ceozones.com/apply
Dr. Modupe S. Taylor-Pearce is a renowned leadership scholar, speaker, and coach, recognized as one of the top 50 most influential coaches in the world. Based in Sierra Leone, he is the CEO of BCA Leadership, Africa's largest leadership enhancement firm, which supports leaders across the continent in making impactful decisions. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Cornell University, and Capella University (PhD), Dr. Taylor-Pearce combines academic rigor with practical experience to develop transformative leadership practices.
With a career spanning over two decades, he has led high-stakes business turnarounds, pioneered peer learning networks, and mentored leaders in for-profit, non-profit, and public sectors. A TEDx speaker and podcast host of *Success in Africa*, he is committed to empowering leaders to bridge Africa’s leadership gap and unlock its immense potential. Dr. Taylor-Pearce’s passion for service-oriented leadership and self-discipline continues to inspire individuals and organizations worldwide.
See his books: https://ceozones.com/product-category...
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Tracey C. Jones is nationally known for her leadership expertise, as well as her ability to connect on a core level with her audiences.
As a graduate of the Air Force Academy with twelve years as an officer in the United States Air Force, Tracey’s storied career in uniform took her from Roswell, New Mexico to the Gulf War to stations in Germany and England, where she honed her operational expertise and tremendous leadership skills in a number of command roles. As a civilian, she built an impressive career as a corporate “fixer” over ten years with industry leaders such as Applied Materials and Northrup Grumman, as well as a stint as a Project Manager with the National Security Agency (NSA). A believer in the value of lifelong learning, Tracey holds her PhD in Leadership and an MBA in Global Management.
Her father, the late Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, founded Executive Books in 1965 with the goal of changing the world one book at a time. After amassing an exceptional leadership background of her own, Tracey took the company’s reins in 2009 – and carries on her father’s tremendous legacy today. She believes that philanthropy and community engagement are at the heart of leadership. The profits of Tremendous Leadership support The Tremendous Trust which has provided over $1.3 million in donations locally and globally over the last eight years.
Learn More: https://www.traceycjones.com/
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Davin Salvagno is a bestselling author and dynamic inspirational speaker known as one of the top voices on purpose and leadership in the world. His clients have included many Fortune 500 companies, Universities, and Division I collegiate teams. His work has been featured in Forbes, Worth, Newsweek, and the Harvard Business Review.
Davin is the Founder of PurposePoint & The Purpose Summit, the Cofounder of Heartcount, and the Bestselling Author of “Finding Purpose at Work.” His new book “Thieves of Purpose: 12 Mindsets Robbing You of Your Purpose and Potential” releases February 2025.
Learn More: https://www.davinsalvagno.com/
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Dr. Terry Lyles holds a PhD. in psychology and is recognized as a national/international educator, author and speaker to universities, schools, Fortune 500 Companies, world-class athletes, and public audiences. He teaches groups of all ages how to Navigate Life Storms and enhance performance through integrating psychological and physiological tools, metrics and practices.
Learn More: https://www.terrylyles.com/
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Dr. Alan Harrelson is a husband, father, and founder/owner of The Pipe Cottage and Pipe Cottage Social, an online social community.
He is a native South Carolinian who now lives on a 200-acre farm in the mountains of southeast Kentucky.
His doctoral research focused on the history of American rural life and the historical significance of Southern agrarian thought.
A recent convert to the Catholic Church, Harrelson’s current research interests explore the contributions of Catholic writers and thinkers to the literary history of rural America.
An avid pipe smoker, Harrelson offers commentary on all things pipe smoking through his social media brand called The Pipe Cottage and has his large online community, Pipe Cottage Social.
Join Pipe Cottage Social: https://www.pipecottagesocial.com
Visit The Pipe Cottage: https://www.pipecottage.com
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Dee Ann Turner understands the importance of stewarding talent.
A 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc, she was selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001 and served as the Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Additionally, she led Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, and Culture and Engagement, and Talent Management. More recently, Dee Ann launched and led Chick-fil-A’s sustainability function focusing on a strategy to implement sustainable practices at the then $10.5 billion company.
Dee Ann was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems, responsible for selecting thousands of Chick-fil-A franchisees and corporate staff members. Under her leadership, Chick-fil-A enjoyed industry-leading employee engagement scores and became known for selecting the best talent in the hospitality business, maintaining a 95% retention rate for corporate staff and franchisees. She has also mentored and championed hundreds of people to discover their unique vocational callings and build careers they love.
Dee Ann Turner
Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, focused on writing books and speaking to audiences both virtually and in-person on how to steward extraordinary talent. She's the author of two best-selling books covering the topics of corporate culture, customer service and career success. It’s My Pleasure and its newer version, Bet on Talent, teaches leaders how to find and keep extraordinary talent. Her latest book, Crush Your Career, teaches talent how to be extraordinary. Additionally, Dee Ann serves as Executive in Residence at High Point University teaching students career development skills and serving in the Access to Innovators Program. In 2023, Dee Ann was named to the Georgia Titan 100. Representing both the private and public sector, these leaders are Titans of industry who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, passion, and influence in their field.
Website: https://www.deeannturner.com/
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John L. Gronski, Major General (U.S. Army Retired) is the founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a keynote speaker, leadership seminar facilitator, executive coach, and author. John also serves as a leadership fellow for the Association of the United States Army.
John earned an MBA from Penn State Great Valley, a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and has been trained as a Certified DISC Practitioner and Six Sigma Black Belt.
John has earned a superb reputation as an international speaker, a motivational storyteller, and a much sought-after leadership seminar facilitator. His presentations feature inspirational stories and wisdom gained from his own leadership experience and the experience of others.
Website: https://johngronski.com
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With 25 years in corporate America’s tech sector and a formidable track record in sales and marketing leadership, Eric is recognized for his expertise and insights.
As an author and keynote speaker, he is deeply passionate about culture, leadership, and worthiness. His debut book, You Are Enough: Overcoming Lifelong Doubts of Worthiness, is a testament to my commitment to empowering others to recognize their intrinsic value. Additionally, as the host of the nationally recognized podcast, Counsel Culture, he explores these themes, offering insights that resonate globally and guide personal and professional growth.
website: https://www.ericbrooker.com/
Instagram: / thebrooker9
Facebook: / ericbrooker
“You Are Enough” : https://www.ericbrooker.com/books
Podcast: https://www.ericbrooker.com/podcast
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Rene Godefroy is the award-winning author of “Kick Your Excuses Goodbye.” His empowering message on resilience has inspired teams at Aflac, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the US Army.
His journey began in a poverty-stricken village in Haiti. He arrived in the U.S. as at the age of twenty-one. He was a broke and hopeless immigrant, unable to speak English.
But, the chance to pursue the American Dream and the freedom to do so excited and energized him.
Rene became a true believer when he started his first business with three dollars in a parking lot. He discovered that hard work, resourcefulness, and a positive attitude were the formula for success in America.
“Most people take freedom for granted in this country. I cherish it with all my heart. What makes a nation great is not knowledge or resources. It’s the freedom to use and apply them that makes a nation great,” says Rene.
Today, he joins forces with leaders to help them boost morale, reduce turnover, and spread a positive attitude. His keynote presentations challenge audiences to embrace change and transform crises into opportunities.
Visit Rene Online: https://www.renegodefroy.com/
Connect with Rene on LinkedIn: renegodefroy
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As President of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., Mark has spent 30+ years cultivating extraordinary leaders.
He is an international bestselling author and an award-winning leadership keynote speaker who has written eight books, including the New York Times and International Bestseller, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. His latest book is The Intention Imperative: Three Essential Changes That Will Make You a Successful Leader Today.
Mark is also a Leadership Expert in Residence at High Point University, the Premier Life Skills University. Students are invigorated by his strategic and actionable principles that empower them to tap into their unique assets to achieve their best, but also to feel fulfilled.
Mark holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association (NSA) and is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame. He was honored with the Cavett Award, the highest honor the NSA bestows on its members, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the speaking profession.
Mark’s ideas are taught in 90 counties by Crestcom Leadership Training and his list of more than 3,000 clients includes Costco, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, KPMG, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Sandvik and John Deere.
As Mark shares with audiences, “Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be extraordinary in whatever you do.” Are you ready to Be Extraordinary?
Visit Mark Online: https://marksanborn.com/
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: @markmatteson
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Mark Matteson is an inspiring speaker and the author of the international bestseller, Freedom from Fear. For over 25 years, Mark’s positive humor and peak-performance tools have impacted organizations around the globe, igniting personal and professional success for hundreds of thousands of people.
Visit Mark Online: sparkingsuccess.net
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: @markmatteson
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