2025 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
We are excited to have you join us for Employee Owned 2025 taking place November 2-5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Employee Owned 2025 (EO25) is designed to help you adapt to the ever-changing business landscape through insightful speakers, innovative ideas, the latest industry updates, technical content you trust, and a focus on current events.
2025 FEATURED SPEAKERS
Jim Bonham
President & CEO
The ESOP Association
Michael Easter
Bestselling Author, Speaker, and Professor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Richard L. Wobbekind
Associate Dean for Businesss and Government Relations, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Finance, and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division
Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder
Stefanie Couch
Founder & CEO
Grit Blueprint
Sugar Ray Leonard
Legendary Boxing Icon with Championship Titles in five weight divisions, Olympic Gold Medalist, Hall of Famer, Bestselling Author, Television Personality, Ringside Analyst, Philanthropist, and Founder of the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation
Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation
2025 SPEAKERS
Aaron Geibel
Senior ESOP Consultant
USI Consulting Group
Alan H. Kandel
Partner
Husch Blackwell LLP
Alex Moss, MPPM
Founding Principal
Praxis Consulting Group, Inc.
Alexander D'Angelo
Power Systems Sales Engineer
DVL Group, Inc.
Alexander Grasser
Vice President - Consulting
Prairie Capital Advisors
Alexandria Moran
Fleet Manager
PRS Holdings, Inc.
Allison Wilkerson
Attorney
McDermott Will & Emery
Amy Markland
Communications Specialist
Wiley|Wilson
Angela Fisher, CPA
Director
Forvis Mazars
Ashleigh Newlin
Managing Director
Chartwell
Ashley Kirchner
Director
BMO
Avery M. Chenin, JD
General Counsel
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Barbara M. Clough, QPA, QKC, QKA
Vice President - ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
Barry Goodman, CFA,CPA/ABV,CVA,CBA,ASA
President
Advanced Valuation Analytics, Ltd.
Becky Streff
Vice President of People Operations
Holden Industries, Inc.
Ben Holder, CEO
CEO
Plastic Products
Ben Lee, PE
President/CEO
Staab Construction Corp
Beth Krieck, MBA, CPTD
Ownership Culture Consultant
ESOP Partners
Bill Frommelt
Principal
Strategic Talent Partners
Bob Gaffney
CFO
The Stark Group
Brad Kruse
Senior Manager, Transaction Advisory Services
Sikich LLC
Brandon Gallion
Director of Business Development
Freedom Industries
Brian Bowers
President
Bowers + Kubota Consulting, Inc.
Brian Hector
Partner
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
Brian Ippensen, CPA, CMA
President
TI-Trust
Brian Sweeney
CPA, Partner, Client Manager
Redpath and Company
Caitlin E. Muradian, MBA, MSA
Chief Financial Officer
TETER, Inc.
Cara Benningfield, CPA
Partner
Forvis Mazars
Carrie-Anne Taylor, MBA, BS Mechanical Engineering
Vice President
Echometer Company
Chad Bell, ASA
Senior Manager
CBIZ
Chad Duke
Vice President
Scott Insurance
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Chelsea McCarthy
Partner
Holland & Knight
Chelsea Mikula
Attorney
Tucker Ellis LLP
Cheryl Aschenbrener, CPA
Principal
Sikich
Chiranjiv Zutshi
CIO
CTL Engineering, Inc.
Chris Hicks
CEO/President
Gemini Industries, Inc.
Christel Jimenez
VP - ESOP Consulting
Principal
Christine Adee
CEO
OwnersEdge, Inc.
Cindy Turcot
Retired CEO
Gardener's Supply Company
Clifford Canavera, CFP®, MBA
President
Canavera Financial Group, LLC
Connie Woodmansee
Assistant Director-Operation
The Principal Financial Group®
Curt Rubinas
Managing Director
RBC Wealth Management
Danielle Montesano
Managing Director
JP Morgan
Danny Lamastra, MBA, MA
ESOP Communication Consultant
Blue Ridge Associates
David T. Paul, P.E.
President/CEO
Aqua Engineers
David Thrush, CPA, MSA
Principal
Doeren Mayhew
David Whaley, JD
Partner
Thompson Hine
Doug Dell, CPA/ABV (Inactive)
Executive Director
JP Morgan
Drew Larson, JD
Attorney
BrownWinick Law Firm
Emily M. Rickard
Attorney
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Eric Dollin, ASA
Director
GBQ
Eric Zaiman
Managing Director, National Credit Manager, ESOP Advisory Group
J.P. Morgan
Gary Irwin
President and COO
Creative Financial Staffing
Greg Daugherty
Partner
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Gregory Cook
Director
Prairie Capital Advisors
Gregory Kniesel
Managing Director
Value Management, Inc.
Harmony Gratzer
Marketing Director
Lochmueller Group, Inc.
Harvey M. Katz, Esq.
Partner
Fox Rothschild
Holly Jones, JD
Associate Attorney
Maselan & Jones
Ivy Wan-Beltejar, ASA, CFA
Director
Empire Valuation Consultants
Jack Moriarty
Executive Director
Lafayette Square Institute
Jacob Cook, CPA
Director
BDO Capital Advisors, LLC
Jade Palermo
Senior Manager & Proud Employee Owner
Empire Valuation Consultants, LLC
Jaime Hein, CPIM
Production Coordinator
Engineered Seal Products
Jake Cravens
Managing Director
Verit Advisors
James F. Joyner III
Managing Member
Integra Benefits Consulting LLC
Jamie Walrack
Executive Vice President
First American Bank
Jason P. Wellman
Director of Client Advocacy
ESOP Partners
Jenna M. Hayes
Corporate Counsel & CCO
Palmer Holland, Inc.
Jennie Msall
Director
Ventura Trust Company
Jennifer Schmitz
ESOP Promotions Committee Member
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc
Jenny Cripps
Chief Financial Officer
Gemini Industries, Inc.
Jessica Ogiba
Director of Communications
KE&G Construction
Jim Rogers
Manager, Global Information Systems
Engineered Seal Products
Joe Elbow
Senior Director of Leadership Development
Bridges ESOP, Inc.
Joe Marx
Vice-President, ESOP Consulting
Principal
John R. Manning, PE, CGC, CCM
CEO
KMI International
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John Williams
President/Founder
Elucidate Resources
Jon Forst
Founder
Datawise Technologies
Jon Shell
Chair
Social Capital Partners
Jon Williams
Vice President, ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Jordan Bergkamp, JD
Partner
Husch Blackwell
Jose Jara, JD
Counsel
Fox Rothschild
Joseph Faucher
Director
Trucker Huss, APC
Joseph Labetti
Vice President, Co-Leader Capital Markets
Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
Julie Govreau, JD, LLM University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel
GreatBanc Trust Company
Justin King
Director
Ryan Valuation
Kaitlin Wilusz Long, ASA, CFA
Director
Value Management Inc.
Kara Habrock
President & CEO
Roloff Construction
Karen D. Ng
Shareholder
N&G Legal Group, APC
Karen Ellis
Executive VP of HR
Superior Farms, Transhumance Holding Company
Katelyn W. Harrell
Attorney
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Kathleen McInerney Kane
President
Praxis Consulting Group
Kevin Rettler
Sr. ESOP Consultant
Principal Financial Group
Kevin Rusch, CPA
Vice President, Consulting
Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
Kip Kuster
Manager, ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge
Kjersti Cory
Independent Trustee
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Kristine Olsen
Buyer
Mountain Hardware & Sports
Kyla Alterman
Senior Consultant
Prudent Fiduciary Services, LLC
Kyle Wishing, CFA, ASA
Director
PCE Investment Bankers
Larry Goldberg
Partner
ESOP Law Group, LLP
Lars Golumbic, MA, JD
Principal
Groom Law Group
Laura Isaacs, PHR, SHRM-CP
ESOP Administrator
Rosendin
Laurie-Leigh White, CPA/ABV, ASA
Partner, ESOP Advisory
BVA Group
Leah Turnbull
Managing Director
BMO
Linda Jones, SHRM-CP
VP of Administration
Software Solutions
Lindsay Karls
Director of Human Resources
Vortex Optics
Lindsay Shafer
Principal
Praxis Consulting Group
Linshuang Lu, MSOD
Managing Principal
Praxis Consulting Group
Lori Stuart
Managing Director - Client Relationships
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Macie Adams
Corporate Trainer
Palmer-Donavin
Madison Rennie, SHRM-CP
HR Specialist
PERRY proTECH
Mark R. Fournier, CFA
Managing Director
Stout
Mark Russell, MBA, J.D., BBA
Sr. Managing Director
SES ESOP Strategies / Griffin Financial Group
Martin Pangrace, JD
General Counsel
Donley Companies, Inc.
Mary Bauman
Office Manager
Pavement Coatings Co.
Mary Beth Gray
Partner
Klein Bard
Mary S. Josephs
Founder and CEO
Verit Advisors LLC
Matt Erba, MA
Corporate Recruiter
Palmer-Donavin
Matt Hancock, MBA
Principal
Praxis Consulting
Matthew Goedert
Shareholder
N&G Legal Group
Mayya Bower, PHR, SHRM-CP
Organizational Development Director
NCM Associates
Megan Glidden
CFO
Web Industries
Melissa Thomas
CEO
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Meredith Fiocchi, CEPA
Associate Vice President - Investments
Wells Fargo Advisors
Michael Lovett
Director
Ventura Trust
Michael Morosi
Chief Invesment Officer
3LS
Michael S. Hatlee, QPA, QKC, QKA, QPFC
Senior Plan Consultant
The Menke Group
Michael T. Graham
Partner
THOMPSON COBURN LLP
Michael Zermeno, CPA
Shareholder
Roorda, Piquet & Bessee, Inc.
Miguel Paredes
ESOP Trustee
Prudent Fiduciary Services
Mike Frommelt
Co-Founder
Strategic Talent Partners
Mike Mangiore, CCIFP
CFO
S.M. Wilson
Nicholas Francia, CEPA
Managing Director
The Capital ESOP Group - UBS Financial Services Inc
Nick Viner
VP
Prairie Capital Advisors
Nikki Reyes
HR Director
Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.
Patrick DeCraene
Executive Vice President
GreatBanc Trust Company
Perry Walter
Director of ESOP Transactions
SCJ Fiduciary
Pete Shuler
VP / Senior Consultant
Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
Peter Abrahamson
Managing Director & Founder
ESOP Structuring Specialists, Inc.
Peter Aliferis
Managing Director
Pendo Advisors
Peter Allport
Partner
Levin Schreder & Carey, Ltd.
Peter Jones
Partner
Tucker Ellis LLP
Phillip Chou
Senior Managing Director
AmbroseAdvisors, LLC
Randy R. Shrake, QKA
Vice President, ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Rebecca Glasgow, CFP, CEPA
Managing Director
RBC Wealth Management
Renee Lewis
Shareholder
Polsinelli
Renee Stadtmueller, CPA, QPA
Vice President, Administration
Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
Rick Pearl
Partner
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Rob Hilton
Managing Director
South Park Advisors, LLC
Ryan Graham
Managing Director
Chartwell
Ryan J. Kuchta
Director of Administration
ESOP Partners, Inc.
Sandra Smith, CPA, CGMA, CVA
Managing Director
Atlantic Management Company, Inc.
Sandy Shoemaker, CPA
Outside Director
Shoemaker Consulting
Scot Storjohann
Senior Vice-President
GreatBanc Trust Company
Scott Freund
Senior Vice President - ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Scott J. Stitt
Partner
Tucker Ellis LLP
Sean Jackson
ESOP Administrator
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods
Sean Power
Employee Stock Ownership Plans Co-Chair
Polsinelli
Serena Amlie, CFA, ASA
ESOP Client Advisor
Spinnaker Trust
Seth Webber, CFA, ASA, CVA, CPA
Principal
BerryDunn
Shaylor Steele
Chair, ESOP Group
Benesch
Shelby R. Sledge, MBA
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Sledge Works
Stacey Dolden, MA
Chief People Officer
SCS Engineers
Stephen C. James, CPA
Founder & Chairman
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Steve Baker
Vice President
SRC Holdings Corporation
Steven Greenapple, J.D.
Partner
Stevens & Lee, P.C.
Sue Wiltshire
Chairwoman, ESOP Committee, Trustee
Pile Dynamics, Inc.
Tara Strickland
Vice President of Employee Experience
AVIAN
Taylor Sekhon
Managing Director, Employee Ownership
BMO Commercial Bank, Canada
Ted Margarit, JD, MBA
Managing Partner
Paralign Capital Partners
Tiara Letourneau
Co-founder and CEO
Rewrite Capital Advisors
Tiffany Bennett
Corporate Human Resources Manager
Plastic Products Company, Inc.
Tim Lang
Managing Director
Chartwell Financial Advisory, Inc.
Tina Fisher
Managing Director - ESOP Consulting
Principal
Todd Bransky
System Integration Specialist III
Folience
Todd Wozniak
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP
Tracy Hawthorne
Chief Financial Officer
Donley's
Tracy Robinson
Senior ESOP Consultant
Principal
Tracy Woolsey
Senior Vice President
GreatBanc Trust Company
Ty Fukumoto
Executive Vice President
Prudent Fiduciary Services
Wayne Fjeld, CFA, ASA
Managing Director
Acclaro Valuation Advisors
Wendy Lankes, QKA
Manager-Operations
Principal
Witold Telezynski
Assistant Director - Consulting
Principal Financial Group
Zachary Freeman
SVP/Insurance Broker- Mgmt Liability, E&O, Cyber Practice Leader
Christensen Group