Meet Our Speakers

Chad Petersen is The Story Catcher—a Certified Spiritual and Narrative Coach who helps people rewrite the stories they tell themselves so they can live with purpose, presence, and peace. Blending humor, heart, and years of storytelling experience, Chad guides others to realize they are already enough.

Known as the Queen of Relationship Marketing, Jessika is on a mission to redefine corporate America and create something she wanted to be part of. Jessika founded NOW Marketing Group in 2010 with only a laptop and a vision to give people with heart an upper hand. NOW Marketing Group was recognized as Inc. Best places to work 2022, is a Forbes-recognized Agency Partner, Partnered with Facebook, Google and is a certified inbound partner with Hubspot. NOW Marketing Group works with more than 100 clients across the United States and beyond, choosing to serve – not sell. Jessika lives by a personal mission of helping inspire people to love more, give more and be more through authentic relating and proving doing what’s right, not what’s easy, can turn a vision into a profitable agency that produces results.

Shawn Quintero is a serial entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and owner of 10 businesses ranging from real estate to coaching to software. He is passionate about supporting founding owners become "Exit-Ready" and serves as a board member, fractional executive, and mentor to businesses looking to get acquired in the next 18 months to 3 years.

Founder of Real Business Connections & Balbert Marketing LLC Ben Albert transformed a challenging furlough into a thriving entrepreneurial journey. As the host of the Real Business Connections Podcast, Ben helps others find their voice and achieve success. Passionate about authentic connections and innovative marketing, Ben empowers business leaders to build impactful brands and create meaningful relationships. Join him to learn how to infuse your work with creativity, passion, and purpose.

Jerry: Grew up on a farm near Pandora, OH, graduating in 1976 from Bluffton College with a Mathematics degree where he was in charge of the campuses' one and only computer. He bought the 136 year old cider press and has been making cider for 50 years. Now he and his son Tom run "Suter's Produce" where they hire 100 High School and College students to run little red barn markets in neighboring towns selling strawberries and sweetcorn. In the fall they run a Corn Maze with hayrides, cider, donuts and pick-your-own pumpkins. His specialty is keeping those 100 students happy, motivated, and returning year after year. Mark: Mark has been teaching technology and entrepreneurship for 18 years to high school students. Every topic he teaches is paired with real world experiences where students are expected to embrace failure and develop resilience. He does this by demonstrating risk-taking and failure himself. Mark credits his entire outlook on how to work with high school kids to his dad Jerry. He said “Dad treats these workers like they’re his own kids, I’ve never seen anything like it. He loves them and encourages them to be THE BEST not just at work but in their own lives”.

Tracy Phillips is an Emmy-nominated video and visibility expert who has harnessed her 23 years of video production experience and award-winning documentary skills to help businesses create testimonial videos that do the selling, recruiting, or fundraising for them. Tracy is celebrated for her unmatched expertise, her quick wit, and her boundless enthusiasm for guiding her clients and students in the effective use of video to impact both internal and global audiences. Her signature 'laugh & learn' style of presenting has made her one of the most sought-after speakers, trainers, and workshop facilitators in her field. Tracy's client roster boasts New York Times best-selling authors, top players in the real estate industry, and Fortune 500 companies.

CEO of Yellow Barn Media - Small Business Coach + Cheerleader | Marketing Nerd | Natural Born Encourager & Happy Person | Lover of Email + Social Media

Makayla Boyd is a Senior Digital Content Specialist at the University of Cincinnati, which, also happens to be her alma mater. She earned her bachelor's degree in Electronic Media in 2020 and is expected to complete her master's in Marketing in the spring of 2025. Makayla has honed her skills and established herself as a published photographer, award-winning Videographer and experienced Social Media manager. Her passion for storytelling and visual aesthetics has not only enhanced her company’s YouTube channel but has also helped her gain over 1,800 followers in one year at her company.

Austin Armstrong is a lifelong digital marketer, public speaker, host of the TikTok podcast BusinessTok, 2X 7-figure entrepreneur, and CEO of Syllaby, an AI video marketing tool that takes you from idea to creation in minutes. Austin has posted over 4000 videos on social media, tripling his own business’s revenue and thousands more across his clients’ accounts. Austin has leveraged his success on TikTok to gain millions of followers across every social media platform. He loves sharing the strategies that have worked for him to empower you. https://syllaby.io/ https://austinarmstrong.ai/ https://www.aimarketingworld.co/ https://x.com/socialtyPro/

Aleasha Bahr is a sales strategist, speaker, best selling author and founder of the Black Sheep Sales Method. Because if it’s a fit, it’s a fact and there’s no selling involved. She has 15 years of experience customizing sales strategies to your personality, audience and service (because sales is not a one-size-fits-all!) Her methods empower business owners to effortlessly convert up to 80% of their leads without pressure, pitching or pretending to be someone else. In her 15+ years in sales she’s sold $50 million+ in services herself and has helped others sell 17.5M over the last 4 years alone with her proven, personalized approach.

Michael W. Allison is a U.S. Marine Purple Heart Veteran, international keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and business strategist with over 20 years of experience in leadership, digital marketing, and content strategy. As the Founder & CEO of The Adversity Academy Leadership Group, Michael helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals master AI-driven social media strategies, relationship marketing, and brand growth. With a focus on resilient leadership, digital innovation, and social engagement, Michael has spoken at major industry conferences, including Microsoft FabCon, TEDx, and executive leadership summits, where he has trained thousands on leveraging AI, personal branding, and social media for business success. His insights have been featured by Microsoft, TEDx, ESPN, and VFW Magazine, making him an ideal speaker for Social Media Week Lima.

I am a native to Wapakoneta Ohio who accidentally turned a hobby into a 7 figure Gempire - no loans, no business experience or education, just an obsession and social media. I currently own an 18k soft building in downtown Wapakoneta with 5 Air BnB's where our clients fly in, design jewelry and accessories for weddings, pageants, proms or just a 'girls weekend'! I have had the privilege of speaking all over the country, including at Rhodes State College of Engineering to share how glam it can be! I also curated a book, 'The Gamechanger' in 2022 that was an international best seller (in 24 hours!) about how the smallest change in life can change it all. Happy to speak to you directly to answer any other questions but wanted to keep this brief! Our work (which is created completely from scratch in Wapakoneta) has been featured in Vogue, with Bella Hadid, complementing pieces from Klienfelds (Say Yes to the Dress), Nashville and other music artists (including Dolly), etc. You can read the whole story on our website here if you like: https://rhinestonelipgloss.com/pages/our-story

I am a passionate entrepreneur, DIY craft studio owner, and community leader who believes in the power of Meraki—putting soul, creativity, and passion into everything I do. As the founder of Beyond Laser Creations, I have built a thriving business by focusing on authenticity, connection, and creativity. With a strong background in small business branding and customer engagement, I love to help entrepreneurs establish their brand presence effortlessly. I also serves as a 4-H advisor, mentors young creatives, and leads workshops that empower others to turn their passion into profit.

Roger Wakefield is a Texas Master Plumber and inspiring entrepreneur with over 40 years of plumbing expertise and every state endorsement. He’s on a mission to showcase the trades as a lucrative and rewarding career. As a successful YouTube content creator, speaker, and trainer, Roger not only shares valuable insights for aspiring plumbers and other tradespeople, but also empowers entrepreneurs to venture into social media marketing to grow their businesses. As the most viewed plumber on YouTube, Roger is passionate about the trades, firmly believing that tradespeople—the ones that built America—are the original thought leaders worthy of deeper recognition. He strives to create awareness and provide access to proven techniques, mindset skills, and action items to help individuals get into any of the trades, advance in their careers to make the most money, learn what they need to know to start their own businesses, and how to start networking and using social media—all of which can be life-changing. What sets Roger apart is not just his expertise and insights, but his deep sense of responsibility and duty to uplift the trades and show appreciation to all blue-collar workers who protect the health and safety of this great nation. https://www.rogerwakefield.com/

Katie Brinkley is revolutionizing social media marketing with her less is more approach. With over 19 years expertise, Katie has developed a unique 4 post strategy that helps clients achieve more growth while posting less. This game-changing method leverages Katie's platform-agnostic storytelling tactics tailored to each brand's goals. From implementing social media growth for AT&T and DirecTV to providing done-for-you services for solopreneurs, Katie understands social media's evolution. Blending journalism and social media savvy, Katie helps clients attract their ideal audience and drive measurable results efficiently.

Jeff Howell has transitioned his marketing experience and predisposition to authenticity into a successful ecommerce career. Aside from being a subject matter expert on ecommerce, he has also has gained notoriety for helping others be their authentic selves online. His message is clear: Be yourself because you never know who needs to hear what you have to say.

Marc Bowker is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience as the owner of Alter Ego Comics, an award-winning comic book store located in downtown Lima, Ohio. With deep expertise in comic retail, Marc has helped shape the local and national comic book community, offering valuable insights into building a successful and sustainable business in the niche world of comics. A certified Heroic Coach and personal development mentor, Marc specializes in guiding small business owners to increase their energy, productivity, and connection. Drawing from personal experience with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder after a nervous breakdown in 2016, Marc is dedicated to helping fellow entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of mental health while achieving peak performance in both business and life.

Jennifer Watson is an Emmy winning TV Personality, Global Marketing and Social Media Strategist, a Meteorologist on The Weather Channel, Speaker and Podcaster. Jennifer is a dynamic talent with a passion for every aspect of digital media from building brand strategies, creating content plans, to getting executive buy-in. She motivates audiences from the stage and drives engagement, including launching numerous Facebook Live campaigns for the biggest weather brand, garnering millions of views. She has been featured in Chief Content Marketer Magazine, and on stage at Content Marketing World, Social Fresh, Social Media Marketing World and Social Shake-Up to name a few.

Judi Fox is a LinkedIn Top Voice for Marketing Strategy. Plus she is listed as a Top 10 LinkedIn Coach in Yahoo Finance. Judi is featured in Inc Magazine, CEO Magazine, Social Media Week Lima, Vidsummit, Social Media Marketing World, Social Media Examiner, Video Marketing World, People of Video, and on several Top 100 Marketing Podcasts. With over 18 years experience in business development and sales, Judi Fox developed the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method. Clients are implementing this LinkedIn method to achieve more business and over 1 million content views in 90 days.

Tony Christensen is the dynamic force behind $400 million+ in sales through digital advertising excellence. As co-founder of Brick Social, Tony combines his passion for data analysis and social trends to create winning strategies for businesses of all sizes. His impressive client roster includes major brands like The Westin, DoorDash, Leica, and Drake Waterfowl. With a track record of generating over a billion views for clients, Tony has a remarkable talent for translating complex advertising concepts into actionable strategies anyone can implement. When he's not transforming brands into marketing powerhouses, he's sharing his expertise as an international speaker, delivering insights on what truly drives results in today's digital landscape. His contagious enthusiasm and proven expertise have made him the go-to strategist for brands looking to scale to millions in monthly ad spend.

George Whitcher is a seasoned programmer from New Hampshire. With professional experience dating back to 2006, he specializes in complex back-end programming, database queries, and server management. Beyond coding, he's a devoted husband and father, an avid snowboarder, a musician and composer, and a lifelong gamer—even writing cheat codes still found online. Proudly embracing his "nerd" identity, he’s always eager to learn and take on new challenges. He’s open to discussing projects, helping bring ideas to life, and sharing his wealth of knowledge with others.

Hello! I’m a firm believer that each person’s social media journey is unique to them. Mine is no different. Within my 14+ years of experience, I’ve seen a lot of things! Growing up in Houston, Texas we always had a motto to either “go big or go home.” Going big for me means being a social media ambassador to our industry. How can we grow understanding of our craft, our journeys, our passions? I’m here to share that journey with you. My core strengths lie in strategic social media planning, dynamic content creation and management, adept B2C/B2B paid marketing, meticulous budget oversight, influential influencer and community engagement, insightful analytics utilization, revenue optimization, and inspiring team leadership. I excel in aligning social media endeavors with broader business objectives, ensuring tangible outcomes such as revenue expansion and heightened audience engagement. Thriving in the rapid evolution of the digital landscape, I possess sharp adaptability skills, enabling me to swiftly pivot strategies to meet evolving market demands.

Keenya is the CEO of Keenya Kelly LLC, a Video Marketing & Consulting agency in Houston, Texas where she strategically helps business owners develop video & funnel marketing strategies. In just 5 years through vertical video marketing, Keenya has grown an audience of over 600,000, generated over $3 million dollars in her business and has helped thousands of business owners scale and market their businesses online. She recently helped one of her clients reach over $1 million dollars in her business in 10 months on the TikTok platform. As a partner with the Keenya Kelly brand you will surely reach Keenya’s strong female audience of influencers and entrepreneurs.

Aimee Bucher is the Founder & CEO of Harrison Latham, where she is dedicated to creating happier workplaces. She is the founder of Matrizuri, an online community for women to connect, grow, and lead with purpose. She is the Executive Producer for TEDxFaurotPark in Lima, Ohio. An ICF-certified executive coach, Aimee has worked with a diverse range of organizations—from solo entrepreneurs and government agencies to global companies including Moderna, Google, Deloitte, bp, the United States Air Force, Chevron, and IBM —as well as individuals seeking personal growth and happiness. Aimee is also an accomplished speaker and published author. She is certified in the Energy Leadership Index, Emotional Intelligence, and Performance Gap Indicator. Aimee's academic background includes degrees from Miami University and The Ohio State University, and her career has followed many exciting paths, including starting her first business at the age of 12, teaching music at the high school and undergraduate levels, owning a web design agency, and serving as Chief Marketing Technologist at a marketing firm. Aimee says she has now found her true purpose: helping people create happiness. Outside of her professional life, she is a classically trained pianist, actress, improv group founder, and passionate social justice volunteer.

Jeremy Vest is a no-nonsense YouTube veteran with over 16 years of hands-on experience and more than 50 billion organic views to back it up. He turns YouTube channels into powerful sales machines for brands big and small, cutting through the noise with real, results-driven strategies. Known for straightforward training, practical tools, and gritty insights shared on stages worldwide, Jeremy's approach gets straight to what works. His mission is to help 100,000 businesses unlock their YouTube strategy.

Michael King is a seasoned executive coach, speaker, and multi-business owner with a background that’s as dynamic as the leaders he serves. A former professional musician and executive pastor, Michael brings a unique blend of creativity, emotional intelligence, and business acumen to every stage and coaching session. He is the founder of Teams.Coach, a leadership development company, and Gawker Traffic, a client-facing agency focused on growth strategy and digital presence. Michael works with a wide range of clients—from high-performing entrepreneurs and small businesses to some of the most innovative and influential leaders in the Fortune 500. Known for his direct, no-fluff communication style and strong sense of humor, Michael delivers high-impact insights paired with inspirational, real-world stories that drive clarity and action. His passion lies in helping leaders cut through the noise, simplify their strategies, and lead with confidence. Michael has been married to his wife Beth for 26 years and is a proud dad to three amazing kids—and three dogs that require just as much attention. He’s a fan of all things Apple, a regular at Starbucks, and finds his balance riding his Ducati motorcycle whenever possible.

Victoria Gonzalez serves as the Public Information Officer for the Allen County Sheriff's Office, where she combines strategy, clarity, and a steady hand to keep the public informed. With over 13 years of experience in various forms of media, Victoria has developed a sharp eye for what makes communication effective—especially in the world of government PR and social media. She's also passionate about helping small businesses find their voice online, proving that public service and digital storytelling can absolutely go hand in hand. Whether she's managing crisis communication or crafting the perfect social media post, Victoria brings a fresh, human approach to public relations.

Ali McGee Kelly has served on the leadership team at Social Media Examiner since 2015, first managing the Social Media Marketing Society and now also leading the AI Business Society. There, she guides professionals to master generative AI, boosting their productivity and creative impact. With 20 years of business development experience and an MBA, Ali has established herself as a trusted voice in helping businesses harness emerging technologies to drive measurable results. Ali's background uniquely blends psychology, social media marketing, and strategic business insights, allowing her to connect deeply with audiences seeking practical, actionable advice. Passionate about demystifying AI, Ali has become a trusted voice, regularly helping marketers transform their strategies, streamline workflows, and become indispensable in their fields. Her interactive meetups leave attendees inspired and equipped to leverage AI in their daily tasks.

Ryan Koral is the founder of Tell Studios, where he helps brands turn their story into strategic video content that multiplies marketing results—with zero confusion about what to say or how to say it. With over 20 years of experience behind the camera (and behind hundreds of business transformations), Ryan’s known for helping people show up on camera with confidence and soul. He’s also the host of the Grow Your Video Business Podcast (1M+ downloads) and a firm believer that you don’t need more content—you just need the right story told the right way. And maybe a dad joke or two.