Community & Guest List

Tom Scarda hosts The Franchise Academy Podcast and is the author of three books: the #1 bestseller Franchise Savvy: 6 Strategies Pros Use to Pick a Top Performing Franchise, The Road to Franchise Freedom and The Magic of Choosing Uncertainty. A self-made small business expert and Certified Franchise Expert, Tom has owned and operated five businesses both franchised and non-franchised. Tom was the #1 franchisee of the year in one franchise concept and failed miserably in another concept. The lessons he learned from failure is what makes him such an expert. Named one of the top 50 business leaders on Long Island, Tom has helped over 1500 people figure out if franchising is for them since 2005. He’s been featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers and is a sought-after radio, Podcast and TV guest.

Mollie Eliasof is a couples therapist and relationship expert in NYC. She is also CEO of Mollie Eliasof Therapy, a group private practice located in Midtown Manhattan, where they support power couples, including CEOs and other high powered professionals, have successful relationships. In addition to being an ambitious business woman and a member of the Forbes Business Council, Mollie is passionate about helping people having to make difficult decisions at work feel supported at home and rejuvenated by their love.

He is the creative director and founder of 710 Squared. He is lead instructor of Green Skooled. They teach the business side of Canibus. Mr. Rener has lectured coast to coast on the rudiments of branding, visual vocabulary, viral video marketing, sales and user experience design. He has served as the only African-American on the re-branding board of CEO SPACE International, and was a distinguished member of their faculty for many years. Often known as ‘The Branding Guy’, his skill sets are incredibly diverse. Over 10 years ago, he produced the first educational car detailing web series, Final Touch TV, which has grossed over a million views on YouTube. Today, Mr Rener is a highly accomplished and sought- after consultant, strategist, educator, and designer. He has worked with a plethora of clients, that include Fast Frame, Wendy Ida Fitness, Bombay Saphire, John Leslie Brown (son of renowned speaker Les Brown), and many other clients who’s names cannot be divulged, because of standing non-disclosure agreements.

Christen Johnson is the CEO, Founder of a couple of different entities. At SophisticatedChic Brand, she is the Personal Style Coach for professional women helping them to determine their unique body shapes in order to hone in on a personal style that makes them feel the most confident. At Project Style University she coaches aspiring and emerging wardrobe stylists through the growing pains of building a successful styling business in the fashion industry.

When she's not coaching, or speaking to individuals about elevating themselves in style, she's figuring out new ways to expand her knowledge in business, spending time with family and friends or jamming to some of her favorite songs.

Kari Warberg Block, an unlikely disruptor, challenged an industry that by its very nature is toxic. As the Founder & CEO of EarthKind, Kari discovered that 98% of pest control solutions sold were poison & kill methods – so she set out to invent a better solution: plant-based pest control powered by nature. Kari was the first to develop, manufacture, and commercialize poison-free rodent and insect repellents for farm and home use, with a mission to build a purpose led company to create change through business. Once a mom on food stamps Kari started EarthKind with nothing more than a package of garden seeds and a vision, and has built it into $20 million company. Kari was selected as an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneurial Winning Women,” and has gone from being a part of her local homemakers club to advising the SBA, Congress and the White House on policy that impacts women in business. She has been featured in CNBC, the New York Times, Huffington Post and Forbes.