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Gresham W. Harkless Jr. “Gresh” is the founder and Blogger in Chief for CEO Blog Nation (CBNation.co) and is the founder and digital marketing specialist behind Blue 16 Media. He currently works to help support small businesses and entrepreneurship with Blue 16 Media and CEO Blog Nation(CBNation.co). Blue 16 Media is a digital marketing company providing digital marketing services to small to medium-sized businesses and organizations. CBNation.co is a community of niche blogs, podcasts and content for entrepreneurs and business owners. He has been featured on WOL 1450 AM and 93.9 WKYS, Business Rockstars and has been published on All Business Experts, Fox Small Business, Patch.com, Prince William Business Magazine, The Atlanta Post and Under 30 CEO. He also is a member and founder of the $1M Club in BNI Northern Virginia South by passing a referral for over $1M.
Laura has nearly thirty years of experience managing front- and back-office operations and serving as a trusted assistant and advisor to executives. She works with solopreneurs and small businesses developing and implementing their office administration/management, digital marketing, and business operations strategies. Collaboration and true partnership are key for Laura in building her relationships with her clients.
Melissa Gruhin is the Founder of Two Halves, a custom-tailored strategic marketing agency for both brands and freelancers. Melissa has a decade of experience in branded, scripted, stand-up entertainment and digital media marketing. Her past roles have been at Buzzfeed, FOX, and Netflix, among others. After almost three years as a Brand + Content Strategy Consultant, Melissa experienced firsthand just how difficult it can be on your own in the world of freelancing and sought out every community and collective she could to support her on her journey to success as a solopreneur. Honing her skills in strategic storytelling and combining her mission of creating space where both clients and freelancers feel seen, heard, and most importantly, supported, Two Halves was born.
Medical Student and future Emergency Medicine Doctor by day, World Traveler, Photographer, and Fitness Addict by weekend and nights. When Adam is not seeing patients or studying, he’s planning his next adventure. Adam is the Co-Founder and one of the Creators at The Med Life. Inspired by the lack of teamwork in the medical social space, Adam set out to bring healthcare providers together from coast to coast through his team of content creators and their YouTube videos.
Dr. Jon Thompson, Founder and CEO of extraktLAB, is a separation scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur. He received his Doctor of Chemistry degree in 2001 from the University of Minnesota and has since has worked on everything from secret projects with NASA to helping companies enter the medical cannabis market. His company helps people find success in the business of pharmaceutical grade botanical extraction and refinement. Dr. Jon guides his businesses through ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) policies and believes we all deserve a sustainable future.
At 23, Rebecca was struggling with pre-diabetes and autoimmune disorders, and had to switch to a grain-free, plant-based, no-sugar diet to improve her health. After having a difficult time finding breakfast products she could eat, she created her own: Swapples, plant-based toaster waffles. Swapples are made from whole yuca root and 7 other real-food ingredients or less. Rebecca has grown Swapples to over 300 grocery retailers in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, successfully launched e-commerce to ship directly, and seeks to continue growing the company nationwide.
Diane is a business advisor and trainer focusing on helping small business owners and sales professionals succeed. As founder of Seize This Day, she works with her clients to be more productive and profitable. She is the author of Lemonade Stand Selling, Expert Insights, and the upcoming Succeed Without "Selling." Diane is also the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast, seen on Forbes and Inc as one of the best podcasts for small business.
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Dr. Alexis Moreno is a consulting psychologist and founder of Wit & Reason. Passionate about the interplay between media, culture, and human behavior, she has decided to dedicate her consulting services to enhance media corporations and the creative workforce.
Amir Shiekh is the Founder and CEO of 4b, a social platform bringing together original controversial news and topics from both sides. The unique concept came from years of frustration listening to divisive and bias content from all media sources. Amir is committed to bringing people together through respectful and productive fact based content in an intuitive social platform.
