Business Rockstars

Irina Slavina is one of co-owners of Hudway. A head-up display or heads-up display (also known as a HUD) is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view information with the head positioned "up" and looking forward, instead of angled down looking at lower instruments.She is also a legal counsel and spokesperson for the company. Irina joined the company in 2014 when it was time to move the business from Russia to the United States. Hudway is now located in Silicon Beach, California (Marina del Rey). Irina is a licensed attorney. Prior to joining Hudway, Irina worked in prominent ligation law firms in Chicago and Los Angeles. She is a mom to a 5-year old boy.

Benny Luo is the Founder of web properties NextShark.com and NewMediaRockstars.com. His expertise lies in content marketing, PR, and social media marketing. He has worked with various brands including Billboard, MGM, and McDonalds.An ADHD-inflicted serial entrepreneur and internet marketer, he prides himself on thinking up new business ideas, getting excited about them, then realizing someone is already doing it — and then getting back to work. He is terrible at writing self bios.It is said that Generation Y is the most entrepreneurial generation of our time. With the increasing availability of business resources on the internet, launching a startup is easier than ever. We’re here to be on the cusp of this movement.NextShark is an online magazine redefining success, by millennials, for millennials. Our mission is to offer a fresh take on the business lifestyle, entrepreneurship and personal growth, while spotlighting current and rising leaders set on following their passions to change the world.

Clayton Alexander is an American inventor and serial entrepreneur who holds more than 70 patents worldwide and is the inventor of General Electric’s futuristic light bulb, the GE Infusion™.Alexander started his first business, Radiance Lightworks, in 1999 at the age of 23. By the time the company reached its 5th year in business it had grown its client base to include several fortune 500 companies, with lighting design projects all over the world. Radiance Lightworks, now celebrating its 16th anniversary, has shown steady growth since its inception and illuminates large-scale productions for Universal Studios, Mattel, 20th Century Fox and many other notable clients.Following the success of his first two companies, Alexander launched Ember Technologies in 2012. With big plans to revolutionize the dishware and drinkware industry, Alexander assembled an incredible team of world-class product designers and engineers formerly with Nokia, Microsoft and Amazon Labs, to take on this monumental task. Ember’s launch pr

After years of passionate experimenting to create a toffee that would combine only the finest, freshest and most natural ingredients, Newport Beach resident Betsy Thagard created the perfect toffee — B. toffee. She shared her delectable, handcrafted toffee with family and friends before they urged her to introduce it to the world. Since the inception of B. toffee it has created quite a stir in the candy confection world. With a core audience, strong following and ever growing customer base it has turned a passion into a profitable business. Today, B. toffee is growing nationwide, with premiere placement at the country’s most noted gourmet markets and specialty stores. B. toffee is recognized as a superior quality product with its sophisticated, sleek packaging being described as a “crunchy perfection of sweetness” and has also taken a bite out of the corporate, and party favor market. Most recently B. toffee received top GOLD honors for “Top Toffee” and “Best Packaging” by the Taste Awards in San Francisco, C

Tony Uphoff is CEO of Business.com, the leading online resource for businesses of all sizes. Before joining Business.com in 2013, he was CEO of UBM TechWeb, where he led the transformation of a declining $125M print-centric business into a fast-growing $225M dollar digital media, live event and marketing services powerhouse. Prior to that, Uphoff was founding CEO of Beliefnet, an Internet startup that was sold to News Corporation in 2007. He served as President of VNU Media’s Entertainment Group and Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, growing the business to $100M in revenue and delivering the 3 largest years in The Hollywood Reporter’s 75 year history. Uphoff was Publisher of InformationWeek in the mid-90′s, growing revenues from $15M to over $150M and into the largest brand in the history of B2B media. Uphoff also served in several key management positions at Ziff-Davis during the company’s rapid growth in the early 1990′s. Uphoff was named “Folio Forty C-Level Visionary” by Folio Magazine in 2011 and has

Born in Tehran, Iran, Mahmoud Reza Banki immigrated to the US to attend college and became a naturalized US citizen in the 1990s. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a double major in Chemical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. He subsequently earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biotechnology from Princeton University and has published numerous scientific articles [1] and a biotechnology book.[2] After completing his PhD, he worked as a management consultant at the New York City office of McKinsey & Company , the premier global management consulting firm.[3]After his release Banki earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles, and also worked at NBCUniversal.Banki spoke publicly for the first time about his case at TED (conference) Talk in 2014 [4] and presented a compelling case for change.[5]As of 2015 a documentary film about the case was being made.

Hanna created the Lollacup to fill a void that she saw in the marketplace. When her daughter was nine-months-old, she was able to drink from a straw, and her pediatrician suggested weaning her directly to a straw instead of a traditional sippy cup. Hanna purchased several toddler straw cups but realized that her daughter couldn’t get a sip out of any of them. Inspired, she set out to create a cup with a valve-free straw and weighted end so that children could drink from the straw at any angle – and Lollacup was born. Hanna Lim is the mother of three daughters and is the co-founder and president of Lollaland. Prior to creating the Lollacup, Hanna received her Masters in Education at UCLA and worked as a high school chemistry teacher. In her spare time, she is active in several parenting groups, serves on the board of the Wellesley College Club of Pasadena, and is a volunteer member of Kidspace Museum’s Circle of Friends.

Shapewear isn't usually pretty. We make pretty shapewear. We're disrupting the shapewear category by making body shapers so adorable you'll want to wear them out! A lingerie expert, founder Rachael McCrary realized her friends all had one intimate apparel problem in common – feeling bad and uncomfortable in their shapewear. A better option didn't exist, so she created Jewel Toned. The result? Shapewear that isn't quite underwear, and isn't quite outerwear. Perfect for women who make their own rules. We are a small office full of bad ass babes who work around the clock to take the shame out of shapewear. And our customers are women who aren't afraid of asking for what they want, working hard to get where they're going, or wearing their underwear in public.We design, manufacture and sell our own products directly to our customers so we can have a one-on-one relationship with you. Questions or want a Major Mini in your favorite color? Email us at: dreams@shopjeweltoned.com

Mattress industry veteran David Farley and daughter Shannon Farley have teamed up to introduce a customizable mattress, Luxi by SmartSleep Inc. The new mattress is sold direct to consumers at LuxiSleep.com. It has four layers, consisting of polyurethane foam, memory foam, latex and base foam. The zip-off mattress cover allows owners to rearrange the top comfort layers to suit personal preferences.As sleep experts, we’ve been designing and manufacturing specialty foam mattresses since before Tempurpedic landed in America. Our innovation has earned us over thirty (30) international and domestic patents, and we’re proud to own every decision along the supply and production chain. From innovative design and sourcing raw materials to packaging and shipping, we are as manufacturer-direct as it gets, from our home to yours.

Flex Watches founders, Trevor Jones and Travis Lubinsky, were born and raised in Southern California surrounded by the latest trends in music and fashion culture. In 2011, they created a unique, interchangeable watch that fit their vibes and matched their styles. The name Flex was inspired with a vision of living in the now and being flexible throughout life. Oh, and did we mention our watches are sillicone and actually flexible? Now ya know!Raising AwarenessTrevor and Travis began connecting with charities in hopes of using the watches to raise funds for the charities causes. Following their first local fundraiser in 2011, they ventured south to Mexico and donated more than 15,000 meals for children in need. Later that year, they partnered with MTV’s “The Real World” where they would ultimately reach millions of people creating an impact much bigger than themselves. Things were picking up.

ABOUT MARK WALDREP, PH.D. Founder and President of the Pacific Coast Sound Works in 1989, he developed software tools and techniques that established PCSW as the preeminent digital media service bureau for the most prominent software developers and publishers in the CD-ROM multimedia industry. PCSW clients include Warner New Media, Spectrum Holobyte, Broderbund, Rocket Science, Virgin Interactive, Disney Interactive, and The Learning Company. As a recording and mastering engineer with over 35 years of experience, Dr. Waldrep has repeatedly demonstrated his unique ability to embrace both the technical and creative aspects of the recording industry. In 1994, he was experimenting with technologies and interactive designs that could integrate the record business with the emerging multimedia industry. His innovative idea to place music videos, interviews, liner notes, and web connectivity on a standard audio CD resulted in the birth of the “i-Trax enhanced CD” format. His trademark “i-Trax” appeared on dozens of E

They call Kathy Smith "A Fitness Revolutionary" for a reason. Several, actually: Her online weight loss program, ReShape, combines downloadable workouts, food plans, shopping lists, and hundreds of recipes. And her new book and DVD, FastFit, sounds the alarm on the bellyfat epidemic and blood sugar roller coaster with breakthrough techniques for longterm health. So it's no wonder Kathy has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years, with a collection of bestselling books, DVDs, audios and exercise equipment. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in products, from kettlebells to yoga mats. With a mission to "inspire the best in all people," her work has been featured in countless media outlets, including The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Larry King Live, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and many more. A mother of two daughters, Kathy currently resides in Park

Currently "intrapraneur" at Mammoth Resorts, leading a startup within a 60 year old, $200M company. Mission is to create products and experiences focused on businesses and executives. Founded and led as CEO VC backed Practice Technologies (acquired), authored an Amazon Best-Seller on Customer Experience, occasional angel investor. Formerly large firm lawyer focused on Corporate Restructuring. Alum of HBS and UCONN School of Law.

Daniel Wagner is CEO and founder of Beverly Hills-based Bifrost Pictures, a production and financing company founded in 2013 to promote independent filmmakers and director-focused projects. He recently completed production on MILES AHEAD, a Miles Davis biopic starring Don Cheadle and Ewan McGregor, which marks Cheadle’s feature film directorial debut. It was recently acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and closed the New York Film Festival. Wagner also recently completed production of SHELTER, starring Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie, directed by Paul Bettany in his directorial debut. Shelter was acquired by Screen Media and was released in theaters and VOD November 13th of this year.With a background in finance and physical production, Daniel understands every aspect of film financing, in both domestic and international spheres.

Kush Kapila is founder and CEO of STERLINGS Mobile, the premier mobile salon and barbershop for busy professionals. STERLINGS launched 3 years ago and has performed over 14,000 services to over 2800 clients in San Diego. STERLINGS is currently in its national expansion phase with locations to launch in Seattle and San Francisco in early 2016. In addition to STERLINGS, Kapila is also a Product Manager in Healthcare Informatics for ResMed, a medical device company that treats Sleep Disordered Breathing. Born and raised in Montreal, Kapila holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from McGill University, a Master's in Bioinformatics from Concordia University and an MBA from the Rady School of Management - UCSD. Kush enjoys mentoring other startups and is currently the co-chair for Vistage on Campus at UCSD and advisor to Executive Oil Services and LabFellows. In his spare time Kapila likes to play hockey and guitar and spend time with his wife and son.

The visionary behind the Mama Strut is Jill Bigelow, a serial entrepreneur, finance professional, USC MBA (2007) and mom of three – ages 6, 3 1/2 and a new born. After giving birth to her second child in 2011, she was frustrated that her hospital's solution for her pelvic discomfort was ice in a rubber glove, gauze underwear and pain medication. After scouring both the medical and maternity markets, Bigelow was surprised to discover there was no singular product that truly addressed all her physical ailments as a new mom.Inspired by other braces for soft-tissue injuries, the idea for the Mama Strut was born. In August 2011, Bigelow applied for a patent and turned to innovation incubators, tech contests and clinical trials with multiple departments at USC, including AIM Incubator, Greif Center, Marshall, Viterbi's MEPC Innovation Incubator and the Alfred Mann Institute. Through USC's tremendous support, she was able to bring her vision to fruition and perfect her product. In 2013, her prototype was classified

Cary Levine is the founder and CEO of Mopro, a tech company in Southern California with 240+ full-time employees. Mopro is the death of Do-It-Yourself. With industry-leading artificial intelligence, Mopro has reverse-engineered the same high-quality digital products and services previously only available to the biggest brands, making them affordable and scalable for the 100 million small businesses globally. Mopro is the preferred digital partner of Pepsico, American Salon and Spa, and the National Restaurant Association. Cary received his Master’s degree from Columbia University, focusing on organizational systems: Leadership, Policy and Politics. Prior to his graduate work, Cary was program director for the International Bill of Rights Project, and served as a delegate with consultative advising status to the United Nations at the Geneva Convention in Switzerland. He received his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara.

Than Merrill is one of the most successful real estate investors in the nation. During the course of his investment career of more than a decade, Than has bought and sold hundreds of properties nationwide and founded FortuneBuilders using his unique blend of expertise, knowledge and passion for real estate with aspiring investors. As a graduate of Yale University and a former NFL player, Than attributes his success in sports, business and investing to coaching and education. These values were the driving force behind FortuneBuilders and the key to his student’s rapid success in the franchise-like systems he helps students set up within their business. Than exhibited his real estate prowess as he starred on A&E’s Flip This House, a popular house flipping show, and has since become a highly sought after speaker. As a bestselling Amazon author, Than’s book “The Real Estate Wholesaling Bible” continues to be a trusted guide for those looking to get started in real estate investing. Than Merrill is also active

Heather Storm is a professional host and actress with a passion for environmental conservation, delicious cocktails and adrenaline pumping fun. From a classy woman who appreciates fine wine and to one of the guys in the shop, Heather’s charm, and quick wit incite the enthusiast.While attending Oregon State University, Heather signed with a sports modeling agency and started working for local companies, including Nike & Adidas. She has appeared in commercials, films, TV, and fitness videos worldwide.Heather is currently the co-host of Velocity's Garage Squad, where she can be found working on classic cars with the team. She has also appeared on Tosh.0, several Spike TV shows and teen comedy features, Epic Movie, and Dorm Daze 2.

Jon Hotchkiss is a 14-time Emmy nominee and President of the Los Angeles television production company Hotchkiss Industries. Jon is also the creator, EP, director, writer and financier of the factual entertainment series: Pizza With Writers (which he also hosts), Get Sexxx Tonight, and This vs That, which are available as VOD @ adorablepuppiesinc.com. • Jon is also the creator, EP, director and writer of the series The Truth About Sex (10 X :30 Playboy TV), Invasion of the X-Mas Lights (3 X :60 TLC), My Dad is Better Than Your Dad (8X:60 NBC), and Punkin Chunkin (1 X :60 Science). • Jon was also show-runner on Bulls**t with Penn & Teller for two seasons and was one of the original writers on Politically Incorrect (where he spent five years). Jon has also written extensively for Curb Your Enthusiasm and the original Rosie O'Donnell Show. • Several of the programs Jon has created have been sold around the globe while "My Dad" remains in production in several international territories. Jon has partnered with