Business Rockstars

Nell Merlino is Founder, President and CEO of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources for women to grow their micro businesses into million $ enterprises. She is author of “Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want It Their Way in Life, in Love, and at Work,” from Broadway Books, which is available from Amazon.com. Throughout her career, Nell Merlino has been inspiring millions of people to take action. She is the creative force behind Take Our Daughters to Work Day, which moved more than 71 million Americans to participate in a day dedicated to giving girls the opportunity to dream bigger about their future.Nolan Bushnell, inventor of Pong and founder of Atari, is rightly considered the father of electronic gaming.Bushnell’s career plans gelled while he was attending the University of Utah. At that time, he was learning the basics of computer graphics, while managing an amusement park and playing tournament chess on the side. Fascinated

Peter Manning founded his company on a simple premise: Men 5'8" and under must be able to by clothes that fit properly and feel great. Our customer is the over 25% of american men 5'8" and under who care about how he looks and his probably rarely, if ever, been able to buy a pair of pants that fit off the rack. To date, Peter Manning/Five Eight New York have sold their clothes in all 50 states, as well as in several foreign countries, so rest assured that you are in good company.Scott Page is a technologist, entrepreneur, musician and song writer. Most recognised as saxophonist for Pink Floyd. As an entrepreneur he formed Walt Tucker Productions, an audio video post production company, co-founded 7th Level, Inc. CD-ROM game and educational software company, co-founded New Media Broadcasting Company, a social media and collaborative communications enterprise, and is the co-founder and CEO of Direct2Care an online presence management company for healthcare.Although Marty Shannon has never quite liked talking ab

Jeff Stibel is a brain scientist and entrepreneur. He is currently serving as President and CEO of the Dun and Bradstreet Credibility Corporation and was previously President and CEO of Web.com, Inc. Stibel is also Chairman of BrainGate, a company whose “brain chip” technology – recently featured on 60 Minutes — allows the severely disabled to control electronics with nothing but their thoughts.Our pets should have a healthy option when it comes to eating. That's why Gary Ward co-found Canine Caviar, the only alkaline-based dog food in America that is specifically designed to help reduce the risk of cancer! Gary tells us just how he came up with this much needed product and how he took it to the next level. Canine Caviar is a lifestyle, not a cure. David Michail calls in to give our listeners any advice they may need on all things legal in the business world!

BoomPhones - How cool would it be if you could take your headphones off and they become a mini boombox? Enter BoomPhones, a Los Angeles-based company with an obsession for designing ultra-portable audio products that allow music lovers to create, inspire, and share amazing sound. These clever entrepreneurs explain just how they came up with this great idea, and how you can do something like this yourself!Tony Greenberg - As CEO of RampRate Sourcing Advisers and DeepStrat, Tony Greenberg has been an idea generator transforming perceptions and industries since he was 17. Tony fills us in on his incredible company RampRate, which has radically changed how IT services are purchased, creating actionable, data-driven, sourcing information that has saved tens of millions of dollars and thousands of hours of headaches for major clients in entertainment, Internet services, finance, media and video games.Evan Asano founded Mediakix in 2011 to help brands reach passionate audiences through online influencers on YouTube,

As CEO and president, Daymond John guided FUBU to a staggering $350 million in revenues in 1998, placing it in the same stratosphere as such designer sportswear labels as Donna Karan New York and Tommy Hilfiger. We get an exciting and rare look into the mind of one the industry leaders in fashion! Daymond shares his incredible story, and helps our listeners learn how to make your vision a reality! Anna Jerstrom stops by the studio to help our listeners learn just how to start a business, how to keep it running, and maintaining great customer relationships, In 2009, she decided to leave her cushy Merrill Lynch job in London to move to Costa Rica to learn how to surf full-time. A year later, the former investment banker founded, Calavera a surf-inspired water wear brand that now has 10 bikini styles plus shorts and rash guards.Betty Liu is the anchor of Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop with Betty Liu” (8-10am ET), a daily business morning news program that covers the opening of U.S. markets and financial, ec

Kelly Perdew is the CEO of Fastpoint Games, a leading developer of live, data-drive games that enable clients to engage, reward and monetize their users. Kelly shows us how he engaged the world in a whole new platform, and how he keeps a fast growing community at the top of their "game." Kelly also explains how Fastpoint Games leverages an award-winning, proprietary cloud-based platform to deliver clients customized games and integrated gaming solutions across any channel and around any set of structured data. With nearly three decades of vast experience, Jon Taffer is an award winning expert, highly respected management guru and top rated television personality. His renowned method of Reaction Management® has become the industry gold standard, saving literally thousands of bars and restaurants as proven weekly on his hit TV series "Bar Rescue." Founder and Chairman of Taffer Dynamics, a world renowned hospitality consulting and business services firm, he concurrently serves as president of Nightclub and Bar

We have all heard the saying "Life doesn't come with a manual." And most of us would love one! Well, the time has finally come with "Little Blueprint" selling books on life, difficult situations, and how to handle them. It's safe to say we have all been waiting for a product like this. Katherine Eskovitz has not only found a blueprint for you, but a blueprint to success, and she shares her incredible idea and story with our listeners. This is a must listen if you have any questions about life, and we all do!Scott Page is a technologist, entrepreneur, musician and songwriter. Page is most recognized as the saxophonist for Pink Floyd, Supertramp, and Toto. As an entrepreneur, he formed Walt Tucker Productions an audio video post production company in 1987. In 1992, he Co-Founded New Media Broadcasting Company, a social media and collaborative communications enterprise. Since 2011, he has been the Co-Founder and CEO of Direct2Care, an online presence management company for healthcare.From a very early age Alexza

Stephen Humphreys is taking the world where it wants to go, one ride at a time! The Flywheel mobile app gets you a taxi in over 40 cities, you can watch real-time on the map as it approaches & hop in as it arrives. Stephen shares the battle he encountered with taxi companies, how he made his business stand out in a world of driving services, and what you can learn from this amazing idea.Dale Fox is Passionate about entrepreneurship, Fox serves as a Mentor for the Founder Institute, a technology startup accelerator and entrepreneur training program. We asked Dale to join Business Rockstars and give us an inside look at his groundbreaking company. Our listeners will learn first hand just how to start a company and keep it running like a well oiled machine.David Michail primarily represents high growth start-up and Fortune 500 companies in a myriad of strategic domestic and international business transactions. His practice area focuses mainly within the media, technology and entertainment verticals with a pa

James Morel Founder of LottoGopher.com .How do you provide ongoing strategic consulting, business plans, investor pitch decks, marketing plans, advisory board services and digital platform development to small businesses? James Morel gives our listeners a rare glimpse into strategic startups, and where to go after your business is up and running. Current and past website clients include: photo sharing platform, emergency services, streaming music, digital downloads, stock photography, cable advertising agency, talent casting and media workflow management platform. Howard Marks is Co-Chair of Start Engine and CEO of Gamzee. Howard is an incredibly successful technology entrepreneur that has worked with a number of companies specializing in the video game, online gaming, social gaming and internet education industry. He is also working as the CEO of Gamzee, a company he founded in April 2011 with the stated goal of disrupting the gaming industry by making games that anyone can play anywhere, anytime, and on an

On This Episode : Josh Flagg, William Quigley & Andy Abramson Celebrating his tenth year in the real estate business, Josh Flagg is back and bigger than ever. Having sold $250,000,000 in residential real estate in little over a year, Flagg is taking the rebounding real estate market by storm. So how did Josh do it? He swings by the studio and fills our listeners in on his amazing run, what you can learn from his mistakes, and how you can get started. His record selling achievements include the most expensive house in Brentwood and the most expensive house in Beverly Hills south of Sunset Blvd. Known as a heavy-hitter in the industry, Flagg has been the listing agent for the famed Dorothy Chandler Estate in Hancock Park and Merv Griffin's sprawling Bel Air estate.William Quigley joined Clearstone Venture Partners (formerly idealab Capital Partners) shortly after its formation and concentrates on its Internet, Gaming and Communications related investments. William’s current portfolio reflects his belief in

On this Episode : Erik Oberholtzer, Richard Gibbs & Ashley AlexanderHow do you create restaurant in a world full of them? Erik Oberholtzer co-founded a breakthrough company with some radical new ideas. Tender Greens is a chef driven, organic, fast-casual restaurant concept with 12 locations and counting. A professionally trained chef, Erik manages a growing team of talent along with some exciting new brands. Today we find out just how this concept works, and how you can learn how to create a business that involves risk.Richard “Ribbs” Gibbs (born in 1955 in Bay Village, Ohio) is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr. Dolittle, Big Momma's House, The Book of Stars, Queen of the Damned and the television series Battlestar Galactica. Gibbs was the keyboard player for the New Wave band Oingo Boingo from 1980 to 1984. He was also a session player, performing on over 150 albums for artists as diverse as War, Tom Waits, Boy Meets Girl, Living in a Box

Clients, agencies, media and academic institutions call upon Sasha Strauss‘ award-winning forums worldwide; from Romania to China, Switzerland to Mexico. Media channels like National Public Radio (NPR), Forbes and The Wall Street Journal seek his expertise on branding everything from presidential candidates to innovative start-ups and Fortune 500s. He has keynoted with notable speakers such as Magic Johnson, Tony Hsieh, Frank Gehry, Biz Stone and Simon Sinek. With nearly two decades in strategic brand development, Mr. Strauss has built brands at the world’s leading advertising, PR, marketing and branding agencies.Seth Goldman is Co-founder & TeaEO of HONEST® Tea, the company he co-founded in 1998 with Professor Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. Over the past fifteen years the company has thrived as consumers have shifted toward healthier and more sustainable diets. In March 2011, HONEST Tea was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company, helping to further the reach and impact of HONEST Tea’s missio

So how did Mr. Sarshar get to be the ultimate authority on how a man should live? Pizoor shares growing up, he was inspired by the impeccable manner in which his grandfathers dressed and maintained their appearance. He went on to create the first barber spa to do over $2 million a year in business (The Grooming Lounge); pioneered the first premium grooming-product online store and become the first to sell grooming products on HSN as an expert. He literally wrote the “bible” for cosmetology schools on how to teach men’s grooming. Now he helps our listeners understand the difficulties in starting a business that can be "experimental.A native of Honolulu, Kalika Yap, CEO & Founder of Citrus Studios, Inc., Luxe Link, and The Waxing Company. We find out how she was able to launch company after company even during the 2009 recession! A journalism major, Kalika worked for several media firms including Bloomberg and CNBC until 1996 when she uprooted herself again, and moved out west to Los Angeles. She recently w

Victor J. Coleman is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles-based Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange real estate investment trust (NYSE symbol: HPP). Hudson Pacific's current portfolio consists of 26 properties consisting of 6.2 million square feet totaling $2.5 billion located in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. HPP also owns two irreplaceable media and entertainment properties – Sunset Gower Studios and Sunset Bronson Studios – totaling approximately 900,000 square feet and are located in the heart of Hollywood, California.Shaun Tomson is a World Surfing Champion, an inductee in the Jewish and South African Sports Hall of Fame, the US Surfing Hall of Fame, and has been described as one of the greatest surfers of all time (Surfing Magazine 2004) and one of the most influential surfers of the century (Surfer Magazine 1999). He is a board member for Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club and Surfrider Foundation and he received

A native of Los Angeles, CA., Nelson Paez has been the Chief Executive Officer of DreamHammer since it’s founding in 2000. Mr. Paez provides visionary, strategic and tactical leadership for DreamHammer with the goal of being the global leader for intelligent control software. Mr. Paez builds strategic customer/partner/investor relationships worldwide and oversees corporate administration, product development, marketing, and sales for the company.Mr. Paez’s passion for science and technology began at an early age when he taught himself how to program computers in 1983 at the age of 10 and later studying sciences at California State University, Los Angeles at the age of 13. Mr. Paez moved on to Business Economics at University of California, Los Angeles to learn how to utilize science and technology to create successful businesses using tech giants like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison as his model. Freddie Ravel is the internationally acclaimed Harmonics Maestro that blends his infectious passions for music and bu

Sandro Monetti is a leading international celebrity journalist, TV personality and event host who has interviewed all the biggest stars in Hollywood. The LA based Brit is the creator and director of the number one rated Hollywood tour on Trip Advisor, his Celebrity Inisder Movie Locations Tour of LA. He has toured his smash hit autiobiographical one man stage show ‘Clooney Cowell Pitt and Me: Amusing Encounters with the A-List’ and written two bestselling books, biographies of movie stars Mickey Rourke and Colin Firth. Hosting the first annual Next Generation Entrepreneurship and Global Crowdfunding Forum taught him all about crowdfunding and he used funds raised on Indiegogo to finance a stage version of the multi-award winning short film he wrote and directed, Les Miserables parody, ‘Miserable Lesbians’. Richard Gibbs (born in 1955 in Bay Village, Ohio) is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr. Dolittle, Big Momma's House, The Book of Stars, Quee

Gordon Gould, Co-founder and Co-CEO SmartyPants Vitamins, has worked in the digital media and internet industry for over 16 years. Gordon has co-founded several companies in the consumer social media space and was founding CEO of both Upoc.com, the world’s first mobile social network, and ThisNext.com, the largest independent social shopping platform. Gordon has worked closely with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, technologists, content providers, marketers, non-profits, and consumers/users to help create compelling, useful services.Courtney Nichols Gould, Co-founder & Co-CEO, SmartyPants Vitamins has worked in, around and with startups almost her entire career. Having most recently served as COO of Clear, the first fast pass for airport security, from its inception through its successful launch and beyond, she previously served as interim CEO of www.wemix.com, president of Mail.com and still serves as an advisor, investor and board member for various stage start-ups.Howard J. Leonhardt Founder of Leon

Indu Subaiya, is the co-founder of Health 2.0 - a company that promotes, showcases and catalyzes new technologies in health care through a worldwide series of conferences, code-a-thons, prize challenges, and more. Health 2.0 also has the leading market intelligence on new health technology companies.Indu is the entrepreneurial force behind Health 2.0′s vision and growth. When she’s not inventing new products and services and co-curating the annual event with Matthew Holt, she is a mom, writer and film aficionado who actually likes living in Los Angeles. Renée Strauss is synonymous with weddings. She has guided brides from around the world achieve their personal best and fulfill their vision for their special wedding day. Internationally recognized, Renée styles brides, the bridal party, and the wedding itself. Having reached success in bridal, Renée finds personal fulfillment in consulting as the luxury bridal expert she most enjoys. Recently appointed Luxury Weddings Ambassador for LWH Hotels, a worldwide h

Tom Larkin is the co-founder and CEO of Social Rebate. Tom was previously Principal, Portfolio Manager for Transamerica Investment Management. Prior to starting Social Rebate, Tom was the youngest partner at Transamerica, earning the Principal designation at 26. During his career, he has examined, modeled, and invested in several thousand companies. Tom co-managed two top-performing small cap portfolios, and was the lead analyst for over a third of the economic sectors covered in the company. He has been involved with entrepreneurial pursuits for the last 6 years. he graduated from Duke University with a BA in Economics in 2003Ben Stewart is the co-founder and CTO of Social Rebate. Ben has an extensive background in web development and design for several large-scale e-commerce focused companies. Ben began his career as Director of Development for Out of Pocket Films at Sony Pictures before transitioning to his tenure at DDC Internet. As the Head of Creative Media and Web Development for DDC Internet, Ben mana