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

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.

June 2, 2026 – Remote Leverage Abbas Mohammed and Franchise Guru Giuseppe Grammatico

Abbas Mohammed – Founder of Remote Leverage [https://remoteleverage.com/] – Recruiting Agency Helping Businesses Hire English Speaking Virtual Assistants From Latin America & The Philippines for 70% Less Than U.S. Employees. Whatever that reason is, I would just go and hire more people to fill that gap, and then I would move on to the next reason. Abbas Mohammed is the founder of Remote Leverage, a global recruiting agency that helps businesses hire English-speaking virtual assistants and remote team members from Latin America and the Philippines at a fraction of traditional U.S. hiring costs. Starting with less than $5,000 at age 18, Abbas scaled the company to more than $1.5 million in monthly revenue in under two years, building a team of more than 120 people across 25 countries. 3x Founder. Rather than inventing something completely new, Abbas focused on executing a proven business model better than anyone else. After recognizing that successful entrepreneurs were already leveraging virtual assistants to scale operations, he built systems, processes, and recruiting infrastructure that made global hiring simpler, faster, and lower risk for growing companies. Today, Remote Leverage helps businesses build remote teams without the overhead and financial pressure of traditional local hiring. Abbas is a strong advocate for practical entrepreneurship, proving that business success does not require groundbreaking creativity or massive startup capital. Instead, he emphasizes disciplined execution, strong systems, and hiring the right people. Giuseppe Grammatico [https://www.ggthefranchiseguide.com/] – Founder of GG The Franchise Guide Do not chase someone else’s version of success. Giuseppe Grammatico is a franchise veteran, consultant, author, speaker, and founder of GG The Franchise Guide, where he helps corporate professionals, executives in transition, and military veterans evaluate franchise ownership as a pathway to business ownership, income diversification, and long-term freedom. With more than two decades of experience spanning corporate leadership, franchise ownership, and master franchising, Giuseppe brings real-world perspective and hands-on experience to the franchise industry. He is the author of Franchise Freedom and host of the highly ranked Franchise Freedom Podcast, where he shares practical insights on entrepreneurship, semi-passive franchise models, and building financial security outside traditional investments. Since 2018, Giuseppe has appeared on numerous podcasts and media platforms discussing franchising as an alternative to stocks, crypto, and even real estate investing. Known for simplifying the franchise process, Giuseppe guides candidates through a structured, personalized approach to finding business models that align with their goals, lifestyle, and desired level of involvement. His expertise includes franchise evaluation, career-transition planning, scalable business models, and helping professionals create a “career safety net” through business ownership. Giuseppe’s content resonates strongly with audiences interested in entrepreneurship, wealth-building, alternative investing, and late-career pivots. He also maintains a strong online presence with more than 18,000 LinkedIn followers and actively promotes podcast appearances and collaborations across his network.

June 1, 2026 – Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer Kara Vaval and Greatest Hits Joe Abraham

Kara Vaval, Esq [https://karavaval.com/]. – Attorney, Keynote Speaker, Transformational Coach,The Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer and Author of From Clearance to Priceless [https://www.amazon.com/Clearance-Priceless-KaracterTM-Getting-Reclaiming/dp/B0GV1T3SLK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3E1CSWHG2BR5I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FM0mjuUKamO7k73Py1dZztf-ZS4KHEEW0X9P5RWyWtvGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.mPfMdYZsMAeckyipmMFDLYWanjZwLhNZEr0uuhbNaBI&dib_tag=se&keywords=from+clearance+to+priceless&qid=1780202395&sprefix=from+clearance+to+%2Caps%2C403&sr=8-1] Kara Vaval, Esq. is a Florida-based personal injury attorney, keynote speaker, transformational coach, author, and the creator of The Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer® brand. Born in Haiti, Kara overcame the loss of her father at age 14 and her grandmother four years later, using those early hardships as fuel to build a life rooted in purpose, resilience, and freedom. She is the CEO of Vaval Law, a personal injury law firm, and The InPowerment Institute, LLC, an educational and empowerment platform offering courses, coaching, retreats, and training for women who want to create fuller, freer, more intentional lives. Through her Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer Community, Kara helps women lawyers build virtual law practices, achieve financial independence, protect their well-being, and pursue success on their own terms. Kara is the author of 28,000 Days…Make Yours Count! and From Clearance to Priceless, which features a foreword by Lisa Nichols and became a bestseller in three categories within 24 hours of its March 2026 release. Through her Main Karacter™ framework, she encourages high-achieving women to step into the lead role of their lives, professionally and personally. She is also the founder and host of The Unfiltered with Kara Podcast and The Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer Podcast. Above all, Kara is most proud of being mom to her two children, Luc and Lia, who continue to inspire the life and business she has intentionally created. Joe Abraham – Serial Entrepreneur and Author of Entrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery that Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths [https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-DNA-Breakthrough-Discovery-Strengths/dp/0071754512/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2CC9B1093QQAA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vE93BRxmJ9OsErHclXw6VA.DgQowiLA_IqXCnDAZGMcRjjUcnZQR10X6rdN_G6ueew&dib_tag=se&keywords=Joe+Abraham+Entrepreneurial+DNA&qid=1780203815&sprefix=joe+abraham+entrepreneurial+dna+%2Caps%2C410&sr=8-1] Joe is founder/CEO of bosiDNA.com and it’s award-winning Accelerator. A serial entrepreneur himself, Joe has started up, grown and exited three companies of his own and invested in over 20 growing startups. He is author of Entrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery That Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths (McGraw Hill 2011). He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on FoxNews, CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC, WGN and numerous nationally syndicated radio shows on topics related to entrepreneurship and small business growth – and serves as advisor to  entrepreneurship programs domestically and around the world. In 2005, Joe launched a boutique startup incubator/SMB accelerator in Chicago where he launched a dozen startups with various entrepreneurs. Every one of those startups are still in business today. In the fall of 2008, while working with some of those companies, he stumbled across the discovery of Entrepreneurial DNA and proceeded to call itBOSI (for Builder, Opportunist, Specialist and Innovator). Two-and-a-half years of R&D later, the book Entrepreneurial DNA laying out the discovery and findings was complete. Joe runs bosiDNA.com [http://www.bosidna.com/] (a tech venture) and BOSI Performance Institute [http://www.bosiperformance.com/] that provides training and consulting services surrounding BOSI.

May 29, 2026 – 96% AI No ROI Cheryl Einhorn and Nearshore Business Eric Tabone

Cheryl Einhorn [https://areamethod.com/] – Consultant, Academic, Journalist and Author of The Human Edge, Smarter Decisions In the Age of AI AI doesn’t care about the consequences Cheryl Strauss Einhorn [https://www.areamethod.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] is the creator of the AREA Method, a research and decision-making system designed to help individuals, companies, and nonprofits solve complex problems with greater clarity and confidence. Her framework is widely used for business strategy, organizational decision-making, leadership development, and communication, helping leaders make smarter choices in high-stakes environments. Cheryl is the founder and CEO of Decisive [https://www.areamethod.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a decision-sciences company that provides leadership training, executive coaching, curriculum design, and professional development services. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Cornell University and previously taught at Columbia Business School and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. An award-winning investigative journalist, Cheryl has earned recognition for her reporting on business, international politics, and economic issues. Her expertise in research and analytical thinking led her to develop the AREA Method, which combines structured inquiry with behavioral psychology to improve both personal and professional decision-making. Cheryl is the author of several acclaimed books, including Problem Solved, Investing in Financial Research, Problem Solver, and Problem Solver Profiles. Her newest book, The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI, explores how human judgment and emotional intelligence remain essential in an increasingly AI-driven world. Through her writing, teaching, consulting, and widely viewed TED Talk, Cheryl continues to help leaders and organizations improve the quality of their decisions while navigating uncertainty, complexity, and rapid technological change. Eric Tabone – Founder and Managing Director of Nearshore Business Solutions [https://nearshorebusinesssolutions.com/] The more you get your hands dirty, the easier you see the problem, and you could create the solution. Eric Tabone is the Founder and Managing Director of Nearshore Business Solutions [https://nearshorebusinesssolutions.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a recruiting firm that helps U.S. companies build high-performing remote teams across Latin America. Over the last 16 years, Eric has lived and worked throughout the region, helping growth-stage and mid-market businesses hire vetted professionals in countries including Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Costa Rica. Originally from the United States, Eric moved to Bogota with limited resources and no Spanish, expecting only a short stay. Instead, the experience became the foundation for a career spent building companies, leading cross-border teams, and helping U.S. businesses navigate international hiring and remote operations. Since then, he has supported more than 200 successful hires while developing a practical understanding of both Latin American business culture and the operational demands of U.S. companies. Through Nearshore Business Solutions, Eric and his team combine AI-powered sourcing with in-country recruiting expertise to help companies identify, vet, and onboard top talent in under 30 days. His leadership philosophy is shaped by firsthand experience adapting to unfamiliar environments, building businesses across cultures, and learning how to lead effectively through uncertainty and rapid growth. Outside of work, Eric is a father of two daughters, an avid traveler who has visited more than 30 countries, a foodie, amateur sommelier, and dedicated runner. Ironically, the only class he ever failed in school was Spanish, a language he now uses every day.