May 18, 2026 – Easy App Building Joel Brewer, Functional Health Dr. Dusty Hess and Ford’s Matt Atkenson

June 10, 2026 - Steve Jobs in Exile Geoffrey Cain and The Back Nine P. Scott Bening

Geoffrey Cain [https://geoffreycain.net/] – Author of Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary [https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Exile-Remaking-Visionary-ebook/dp/B0FN3CGFWV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LBQS0AZQTMBG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WztWyOObdgenvUG-ToTyoWqIuBbFmKLX2SmdeGjNSTZ2ypgwPFVaIiEtXoFh0euHpau5i5SsblqhYWS82ldT-_lHFg2khbDWHGMF-jRIIW2MLRBSB-okgOD9zNLxXYn8CKsEPaFkG5zZA3A3Z6nWiuAveP1ys9QrL1_WcsIq99FpxegxtQxohqYZfTANhcOeMw64rZoTpJEdktz4kF6Z2g.n6JJwj4BcDsFYwYyPAjcTQwpjxW73MDE384hOInUuOQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=steve+jobs+in+exile&qid=1781009948&s=digital-text&sprefix=Steve+Jobs+in+Exile%2Cdigital-text%2C395&sr=1-1] I would have never gotten where I am in life or business if I hadn’t had people mentoring me. Geoffrey Cain is an award-winning author, investigative journalist, foreign correspondent, and expert on technology, innovation, and leadership. He is the author of Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary, a deeply researched account of the twelve years Steve Jobs spent outside Apple and how failure, setbacks, and reinvention shaped the entrepreneur who would ultimately lead one of the greatest comebacks in business history. Over the course of his career, Geoffrey has interviewed world leaders, technology founders, corporate executives, investors, dissidents, and innovators at pivotal moments in history. His reporting and research have taken him around the world, producing acclaimed books that explore the forces shaping technology, business, and society. His previous books include Samsung Rising, which was longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, and The Perfect Police State, which was named NPR’s Book of the Day and received a citation from the Overseas Press Club for the Cornelius Ryan Award. Geoffrey’s work has been praised by leading publications including the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Forbes, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews. Known for combining investigative rigor with compelling storytelling, he specializes in uncovering the hidden struggles, failures, and turning points behind remarkable success stories. In addition to his writing, Geoffrey is a frequent guest on CNN, NPR, Bloomberg Television, and other major media outlets, where he provides analysis on technology, business, global affairs, and innovation. He has also testified before the United States Senate and advised leaders seeking to communicate complex ideas and build lasting influence. As Managing Partner of Alembic Partners, Geoffrey works with founders, investors, and executives to develop thought leadership, strategic positioning, and powerful narratives that help them stand out in competitive markets. Whether writing about global technology giants or entrepreneurial reinvention, his work explores a central theme: how people recover from failure, adapt to change, and ultimately achieve extraordinary success. P. Scott Being – CEO of MonoSol, LLC [https://www.mbs2.org/] and Author of The Back Nine: Inspiration and Insights on Retaining Relevance, Purpose, and Integrity in Retirement [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX38KHM9?=undefined&linkCode=sl2&tag=risemedia1-20&linkId=cb1ae706e84446619e63dc525637f816&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl] A lot of what the wilderness is, is learning to work with the limitations of the world and finding your place within it. P. Scott Bening is an accomplished entrepreneur, business leader, author, and former CEO of MonoSol, LLC, the company that pioneered and commercialized water-soluble film technology used in single-dose detergent products around the world. During his tenure as President and CEO, Scott helped grow MonoSol from a small startup operation into a global industry leader serving the multibillion-dollar consumer goods market. Under his leadership, water-soluble unit-dose packaging became the worldwide standard for laundry and household cleaning products, transforming consumer behavior and reshaping an entire industry. Drawing on expertise in innovation, strategic partnerships, marketing, manufacturing, and business development, Scott built a reputation for guiding companies through rapid growth while maintaining a strong focus on customer needs and long-term value creation. His success earned widespread recognition, including induction as a Fellow of The Society of Innovators of Indiana, recognition by the United States Congress, and membership in the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Today, Scott serves as CEO of MBS2 Advisors, where he mentors entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders on growth strategy, leadership, innovation, and organizational development. He is also the author of The Back Nine: Inspiration and Insights on Retaining Relevance, Purpose, and Integrity in Retirement, a book that explores how successful professionals can continue to find meaning, contribution, and fulfillment during the later stages of life and career. A graduate of St. Lawrence University and the University of Illinois Chicago, Scott also serves on the Board of Trustees at Butler University. Through his advisory work, writing, and speaking, he continues to share lessons learned from building a global company while helping others navigate leadership, personal growth, and purposeful transitions in business and life.

June 9, 2026 – Radio AI Riply Jen Austin and American Financial History Joseph Moore

Jen Austin – Founder & President of Riply [https://riplymedia.com/], the first AI-powered newsroom designed for local radio As long as we have it as a human-led entity, then it can be very effective. Jen Austin is a three-decade radio veteran and on-air personality who has been heard on more than 100 stations across the U.S., reaching over 10 million listeners through Townsquare Media, Virtual News Center, Global 1 Media, Mountain Dog Media, iHeart, Baroka Broadcasting, and others. After decades in the business, Jen saw the same challenge again and again: shrinking staffs, tighter budgets, and local communities losing reliable news coverage. That experience led her to found Riply, a full-service, ready-to-air newsroom built specifically for radio stations, podcasters, and content creators. Riply delivers local and regional news, weather, sports, lifestyle, and entertainment content using a powerful blend of AI speed and human editorial oversight. Stations can choose human or AI voices, add new voices without new hires, and fill programming gaps across mornings, afternoons, nights, weekends, and holidays. Jen is not a tech founder who discovered radio. She is a broadcaster who built the platform she always wished existed. As president of Riply, she remains hands-on with editorial standards, sound quality, and ensuring every piece of content is natural, accurate, credible, and broadcast-ready. Riply was created to support local radio, not replace it. Its mission is simple: help stations expand their on-air presence quickly, affordably, and responsibly, while giving teams more time and flexibility to focus on the content that matters most to their communities. Joseph Moore PhD [https://www.josephmoorebooks.com/] – Author of How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice that Worked (& Didn’t) [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joseph-S.-Moore-PhD/author/B0G21WSRKZ?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=989c07eb-d8dd-4f2b-b8d5-72867a5ff0e6] The lesson of history is clear: upward mobility is as alive as ever before. Joseph Moore is the author of How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice that Worked (& Didn’t). He is an author, historian, and investor whose research into America’s 300-year pursuit of wealth helped make him financially independent in his mid-40s. Moore spent more than a decade studying the financial strategies Americans have used to get ahead, from stocks and real estate to scams, speculation, crypto, and wild get-rich schemes. He even tested some of history’s strangest ideas himself, including buying land on the moon, founding a cryptocurrency, shorting Jim Cramer’s stock picks, and renting out every room in his house. His writing combines serious historical research with sharp humor and unforgettable stories, including tales like Teddy Roosevelt’s wife taking away his checkbook. His work has appeared through HarperCollins, The New York Times, Oxford University Press, and other major outlets. His first book was praised as “extraordinary” and “witty,” and his newest book has been described as one that “leaves you believing in the American Dream again.”

June 8, 2026 – Legacy On The Line Andrea Baumann Lustig and Hunter Kurt Belding

Andrea Baumann Lustig – Manager Partner at Fischer Stralem Advisors [https://fischerstralem.com/] and Author of Legacy on the Line: Overcome Blind Spots to Grow and Transfer Your Wealth [https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Line-Overcome-Transfer-Wealth/dp/1394348827/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21L8XHRY2NQZL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.waPgaDpGKiIEyUf30CyEguHnENAXI57SrmtSvAhoRN5v4CXHvRtFOxPZsMD13YWm61xj9aefXJgw5WFHrvzqUYcc3Yl-vic5IeHZLrzposRHgVSCuNCt84_P9D6Gn5liXNHlTfTMVysETwlpU3Pve26tdxX_C6yVwr957_w5NV1eO9W5nljpor--J97r9nk491qHU5J6Yqf5RdEMEz8p8NJuN9WLBpzS_6iwOezieVQ.fAHRgp7mr1H9-M9PTruA-22iOb02bv7_rEuNFa0aO90&dib_tag=se&keywords=legacy%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bline&qid=1780835424&sprefix=legacy%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bline%2Caps%2C453&sr=8-1] The same hustle that built your business can actually work against you when it comes time to sell it. Andrea Baumann Lustig is Managing Partner of Fischer Stralem Advisors, where she helps entrepreneurs, executives, and multigenerational families build, protect, and transfer wealth with long-term purpose and strategy. With more than 30 years of experience in wealth management, investment banking, and management consulting, Andrea specializes in guiding founders through the often-overlooked transition from business success to lasting personal wealth. A sixth-generation wealth adviser whose family legacy in finance dates back to Banque Levy in 1810, Andrea has been repeatedly recognized on the Forbes list of Top Women Wealth Advisors. She is also the author of the upcoming book Legacy on the Line, which explores why founders should begin wealth planning long before a business sale or liquidity event occurs. Andrea believes many entrepreneurs make a costly mistake by delaying wealth planning until after they exit their business. By then, critical decisions involving taxes, estate strategy, ownership structures, philanthropy, and family wealth transfer may already be fixed, limiting flexibility and reducing long-term outcomes. Her work focuses on helping founders think strategically years before a sale so they can maximize both financial opportunity and family legacy. At Fischer Stralem Advisors, Andrea leads a multi-generational advisory firm that coordinates closely with attorneys, accountants, and insurance professionals to create highly personalized wealth strategies. Clients rely on her team not only for investment management, but also for integrated planning that aligns financial decisions with long-term goals and values. Andrea earned BA and MPA degrees in International Relations from Princeton University and an MBA from Yale University. Beyond her professional work, she is deeply involved in philanthropic and educational organizations, serving in leadership roles with institutions including Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, and Park Avenue Synagogue. Andrea is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship, wealth stewardship, succession planning, philanthropy, and the historic transfer of wealth now underway in America. Kurt Belding – Founder of Western Obsessions TV [https://westernobsessionstv.com/] The biggest thing videos do is pop and exposure, exposing more people to what we do, and then also starts to build trust within the brand. Kurt Belding is the founder and host of Western Obsession TV and the driving force behind Hunt Adventures, a company dedicated to connecting hunters with exceptional guided experiences across North America and beyond. A lifelong outdoorsman with a deep respect for the fair chase tradition, Kurt has built his reputation on authenticity, integrity, and a passion for the hunting lifestyle. Through Western Obsession TV, he shares real world hunting adventures, showcasing the people, places, and wildlife that make the outdoors so compelling. Kurt and his team personally evaluate every outfitter and destination featured through Hunt Adventures, ensuring that each experience meets the same standards viewers have come to expect from the show: genuine hunting opportunities, quality outfitters, and unforgettable adventures. His mission is simple: help hunters create lasting memories in the field while preserving the traditions and values that define the hunting community.

June 5, 2026 - Elephant in the Family Room Rene Sonneveld and Greatest Hits Brian Smith

Rene Sonneveld [http://renesonneveld.com/] – Author of The Elephant in the Family Room: Managing the Complexities of Legacy Businesses [https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Family-Room-Complexities-Businesses/dp/9915430922/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cJECwJfBJJn2OfN0QvGS12Tf2Iw7M2jpBWw3d0YSg9-5GvpyO2DihVhjvvruH4QA.JAIQB6UH13XlZf2FBSaFY01VqCl2hdj8mwOhDZWqOVk&qid=1780593141&sr=8-1] The less we talk about those things that are hard but are necessary to talk about, the bigger the elephant gets. René Sonneveld is an executive coach, educator, former international executive, and author of The Elephant in the Family Room: Managing the Complexities of Legacy Businesses. For more than 25 years, he has worked with business families, entrepreneurs, and ultra high net worth family enterprises around the world, helping them navigate the often-unspoken emotional dynamics that shape succession, governance, leadership, and long-term family unity. René began his career as an international tax lawyer, working across the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Curaçao before moving into senior leadership positions with major global financial institutions. At UBS, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank, he advised some of the world’s most successful family enterprises and wealthy families, leading initiatives in wealth management, family governance, succession planning, fiduciary structures, and family office strategy. Through that work, he discovered that even the most sophisticated governance systems fail when they ignore the human side of family relationships. Drawing on those experiences, René developed Enterprise Family Coaching, an approach that combines governance expertise with the psychological and relational realities that determine whether family businesses thrive across generations. Since 2012, he has advised family controlled companies and business families worldwide, helping them address issues that are often difficult to discuss openly but critical to preserving both family harmony and business success. A Master Certified Coach and Vice Chairman of the International Coaching Federation’s Global Board of Coaching Education, René also teaches leadership coaching and organizational performance at American University, Rutgers University, and North Carolina State University. His work spans six continents and focuses on helping leaders, families, and organizations address what others leave unsaid. Through his writing, teaching, and advisory work, René provides a rare inside perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing multi-generational family enterprises. Brian Smith [https://briansmithspeaker.com/] – Keynote Speaker & Founder of UGG If you did all the research and knew what was ahead, you would never start. Brian Smith is an Australian born entrepreneur, bestselling author, and keynote speaker best known as the founder of the UGG Australia brand, the iconic sheepskin footwear that grew into a global fashion and lifestyle phenomenon. After graduating as a chartered accountant in Australia and studying at the UCLA Graduate School of Management, Brian left public accounting and moved to California driven by his passion for surfing and business. Noticing that there were no sheepskin boots available in the United States, he and a friend imported a small number of pairs from Australia and began building what would become the UGG brand, growing it into a national business over seventeen years before selling it to Deckers Outdoor Corporation, where it continued to expand into a billion dollar global brand. Drawing on his experience building and selling UGG, Brian became a sought after business speaker, sharing lessons on entrepreneurship, brand building, leadership, resilience, and company culture with audiences around the world. He is also the author of The Birth of a Brand, and his talks combine personal stories with practical insights to inspire business owners and leaders of all ages.

June 3, 2026 - Unframe AI Larissa Schneider and Greatest Hits Kay Koplovitz

Larissa Schneider –  Co-Founder & COO of Unframe AI [https://www.unframe.ai/] We didn’t want to be this company that is just sitting in a corner or basement and thinking about what the market wants. Larissa Schneider is a global enterprise technology executive and co-founder of Unframe, an AI company helping large organizations turn artificial intelligence from an expensive experiment into a practical business tool. With more than a decade of leadership experience in enterprise technology, Larissa has helped scale high-growth companies through IPOs, acquisitions, and major expansion phases, including senior leadership roles at Nutanix and Noname Security. Throughout her career, Larissa worked at the intersection of complex enterprise technology and the real-world business teams expected to use it. After watching companies struggle with clunky AI tools, painful integrations, and unclear ROI, she co-founded Unframe to solve the gap between AI’s promise and actual enterprise value. At Unframe, Larissa leads strategy and operations as the company builds an AI layer designed to make existing enterprise systems genuinely intelligent without forcing companies to rip out and replace their current infrastructure. The company raised $50 million to help enterprises deploy AI solutions that integrate quickly, deliver measurable outcomes, and reduce the friction that has slowed AI adoption across large organizations. Larissa discusses why so many enterprise AI projects fail, what businesses actually need from AI tools, how to bridge the gap between experimentation and execution, and why the future of enterprise AI will depend less on hype and more on seamless integration, usability, and measurable business impact. Kay Koplovitz – Chairman of Koplovitz & Co, Founder of USA Network & Sci Fi Channel and Author of Been There, Run That [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0795344899/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0795344899&linkCode=as2&tag=schoforstarra-20&linkId=7XSJ7VESLZOQ54XV] People actually do treat you in the end the way you treat yourself Kay Koplovitz started her amazing career by using geosynchronous orbiting satellites to broadcast the Thrilla in Manila between Ali and Frazier, opening the world to global communications. She launched the first satellite delivered basic cable network, USA Network, creating the two revenue stream model – advertising and licensing – that still exists today. It is the model that makes the cable networks so profitable. During her tenure, she built USA into the #1 ranking in prime time viewership among cable networks, for 13 consecutive years. The Company was sold in 1998 for $4.5 Billion and became a publicly listed company. Today, she is devoted to helping women build their companies and create jobs. As Chairman of Springboard Enterprises, the nation’s premier platform for connecting women with venture capital, Kay helped 481 companies raise over $5.5 billion in new capital. Springboard partners with Angel Funds, VC’s and corporations to grow great female owned companies that have yielded extraordinary growth levels and positive liquidity events for investors including IPO’s. Her latest passion is joining thought leaders at Singularity University and XPrize to brainstorm ways to bring technology innovation to commercial enterprise and better the lives of the 7 billion people around the globe.