Business Rockstars

Ben Vanden Wymelenberg and Kevin Groenjes envisioned a little more Mother Nature and a lot less Big Brother in their lives and in their electronics. They created 100% real wood covers for their iPhones, iPads, Beats by Dre headphones and more. Secret Project Name: Woodchuck. Their motto? “Put wood on everything”. They explained how their idea blossomed, and global Expansion.Nancy Fulton is founder of High Value Viral Media, a start-up that works with name talent and sponsors to create great content for free distribution worldwide. She’s also senior business mentor for Doug Richard’s School for Start-ups in the UK delivers training and support to thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide. Nancy stops by and discusses all of her useful tips for social media.Julie Aigner Clark is a full-time mom and former teacher, best known for founding The Baby Einstein Company, a start-up business that was born in her basement and became an internationally acclaimed, multi-million-dollar company in less than five years. Julie ex

Kevin Hong is CBD and Cofounder of Dealflicks Inc, which is yield management for movie tickets. $40 billion dollars are spent every year on movie tickets, popcorn, and soda, but 88% of movie theater seats are empty. Dealflicks partners with theaters to fill these empty seats. Prior to Dealflicks, Kevin dropped out of college and worked with his current partner and CEO of Dealflicks, Sean. They briefly worked together to build a communications business that eventually did over $1.6M in annual revenue. After the business took a turn, Kevin decided to go back to school and he finished with a degree in business and a focus in Finance.Chris Im was born and raised in southern California, graduating from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Business Administration and a specialization in Accounting. After choosing not to pursue a career in accounting, Chris became one of Dealflicks' first employees, where he gets the opportunity to work in different facets of the business. When Chris isn't driving

David Fransen David Fransen was appointed Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles by Prime Minister Harper in September 2008. He is Canada’s senior representative in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada. As Director General of the Center for Healthy Human Development at Health Canada from 1998 until 2001, Mr. Fransen led in the development of a federal-provincial agreement on early childhood development, a national diabetes strategy, and a national cancer control strategy. He was the Director General of the Office of Consumer Affairs from 1997 until 1998, and the Director of Economic Framework Policies at Industry Canada from 1995 until 1997. JP Stonestreet After graduating from The University of Kansas, he taught himself how to program in order to automate his tedious corporate job. That’s when he got his start in software.For nearly 20 years, he’s been a serial Internet entrepreneur and web consultant. He’s built dozens of websites for large and small companies, in addition to several of his

Natasha Case is a Los Angeles native. She attended UC Berkeley for her undergraduate studies, where she majored in Architecture and double minored in City & Regional Planning and Italian Studies. Natasha furthered those studies at UCLA where she pursued a Masters of Architecture, and after graduating worked as an architectural intern at Walt Disney Imagineering in Hotel and Master Planning. During this time she started baking cookies and making ice cream, and naming the ice cream sandwich combinations after famous architects and architectural movements. She handed them out to her peers who found them to be tasty comic relief in spite of recent layoffs and discussion of further impending cutbacks. She had also just met Freya, who was helping her make the product behind the scenes along with putting numbers to the concept as a business model.Steve Lehman was one of the founders of Premier Radio. From 1999 to January 2001, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of E4L Inc. (f/k/a National Med

Don DiCostanzo - Don DiCostanzo is the entrepreneurial co-founder of Pedego, a fast growing company that offers unique and innovative electric bikes worldwide. Mr. DiCostanzo is the founder of several successful companies over the past 10 years. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. DiCostanzo, spent over 20 years at Wynn’s, a worldwide public company doing business in over 100 countries. During his tenure at Wynn’s, he held a variety of sales and marketing positions that sustained Wynn’s position as the world leader of innovative products and programs for the automotive business.Simon Mainwaring - Simon Mainwaring is the founder of We First, the leading social branding firm that provides consulting and training to help companies tell the story of the good they do to build their reputation, profits and social impact. He is a member of the Sustainable Brands Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Diplomacy at the USC Annenberg School, the Transformational Leadership Council and a Fell

Dorie Speigel : From shampooing and blow-drying, to styling, braiding and up-do’s, to makeup magic, eyebrow shaping and semi-permanent lashes, the hairstyling and makeup professionals at Blow N’ Go! LA cater to their clients’ every immediate beauty need, and make them feel Red Carpet-ready for every occasion at which they need to look their best. Plus, they know exactly how to tame curly and textured hair, and make it behave. But Blow N’ Go! LA is not Dorie’s first L.A. beauty venture: her men’s grooming spa, The Green Room for Men on Pico Boulevard near Century City, has been a thriving business for 8 years. Dorie’s core belief is that “people need and deserve to feel cared for,” and since she is so good at caring for them, many of her male clients’ girlfriends and wives began to demand the same treatment. And that’s how Blow N’ Go! LA was born.William Quigley : William Quigley joined Clearstone Venture Partners (formerly idealab Capital Partners) shortly after its formation and concentrates on its Inter

On this Episode : Yifat Cohen and Sasha StraussYifat Cohen is one of the very few non-Google employees, who is asked by Google, to present Google+ and Hangouts to Google employees. She is often flown around the world to speak at various worldwide Google Events and Conferences. Yifat has also been featured on Mashable, DataMation, The Rise to the Top, Diamonds in Your Backyard, Entrepreneur on Fire, and many more. She pushes Google's technologies to its limits, and creates best practices and strategies for today's business owners and entrepreneurs. As a Google Plus expert, Yifat Cohen is best know for developing engaging online communities for both new business owners and national brands. She is the go-to gal, Founder at G+GoToGal. Sasha Strauss 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

On this Episode : Alex Capecelatro, Richard Gibbs and special guests Mikael (in-Digo)Alex Capecelatro describes himself as a "programmer, designer, builder, and thinker" on At the Pool, the new social network he founded. At The Pool blends elements from Meetup, Match.com and Facebook to connect you like-minded people who love what you love. In the vein of recent social media services like Google+ and Highlight, At The Pool is all about the interest graph, and it enables interest-based connections through "pools," proximity to others, and daily email recommendations.Mikael (in-Digo), better known as in-Digo or in-D1g0, is a prominent American Pianist, EDM Producer and Dj. Contrary to popular belief, that Djs "just spin records", Mikael is a Graduate from Several Universities (U.S.C., Tel Aviv University) with Diplomas in Music Performance as a Pianist. In-Digo has produced countless tracks, for many groups and solo artists since mid 2000's. Mikael is also collaborating with different musicians, including class

Terry Heller : has been a lifelong entrepreneur in various divergent industries including entertainment, real estate development and investment, and in the hospitality/restaurant industry. Most recently, Mr. Heller conceptualized and opened Plan Check Kitchen + Bar which offers a unique dining experience. Later he discovered a knack for discovering undervalued properties and started Heller Holding LLC. Founded and directed by Mr. Heller, Heller Holdings has completed dozens of distinctive residential dwellings and procured numerous real estate holdings throughout Southern California.Craig Balkam, one of the best Hollywood 'Executive Protection Specialists' in the business, has scouted locations, double-checked entourages, battled paparazzi, hung out, ordered in, and saved reputations. He's seen and heard everything - including some things his clients would prefer he hadn't. Here for the the first time he reveals the shocking, hilarious, and scandalous trials, escapades and mind-boggling demands in the life of

Tian Mu : Tian Mu is the co-founder and CEO of Naked Sky Entertainment. He built a 3-person start-up into a high caliber game development studio. Since the company’s inception in 2002, he assembled a team of top-notch developers; secured various development, licensing, co-marketing, and distribution deals; oversaw the production of all the projects; ran the operations of the studio; and raised funding from private investors for the development of a self-published, award-winning title. Tian has established marketing, distribution, and development partnerships with companies such as Microsoft, Sony, EA, Intel, nVidia, Epic Games, Riot Games, Valve, Paramount Digital, Majesco, and Bad Robot. Jay Samit : Jay Alan Samit is president of ooVoo – the world’s largest provider of social video chat with 50 million registered users. Samit is a leading technology pioneer with over 25 years experience in digital media. Prior to ooVoo, Samit was CEO of SocialVibe, the largest social media technology platform, reaching ov

Phil Wiser - Philip R. Wiser is the Chief Technology Officer of Hearst Corporation and is known as a key pioneer in the creation of the online digital music industry and the emerging over-the-top TV market. As the CTO at Hearst Corporation – one of the world’s largest private diversified media and information companies – Wiser leads Hearst’s technology and digital product strategies that address the rapidly changing consumer and media landscape. Hearst’s major interests include magazine, newspaper and business publishing, cable networks, television and radio broadcasting, Internet businesses, television production, newspaper features distribution, business information and real estate.Gary Polsky : Gary has spent nearly 30 years in the healthcare industry — from managing home infusion sales to running hospitals to founding hospice companies in four states. Gary catalogs his expertise and sales insights in his new book, Selling Healthcare http://www.sellinghealthcare.net/. This experience has taught him the im

Alison Triessl - Alison F. Triessl began her criminal defense practice at age 24 and has not looked back since. For the last 15 years, she has specialized in third strike, drug, murder and assault cases. She has earned the respect of her colleagues, clients and the southern California legal community for her excellent legal services and for the caring, personalized approach she takes to her clients. Richard Gibbs : Richard Gibbs 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. He swings by the studio to mentor today's protege Stephen Day. Stephen Day : Stephen is the founder and a director of “Ombience Inc.,” a 501 c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting individual and collective transformation through art, music and multimedia.

Christopher Lee : By booking the biggest celebrity speakers, best-selling authors, business leaders, sports figures, and top keynote speakers in the business — from the best up-and-comers to the most proven staples— as well as the best bands, comedians, shows and performers, CAL Entertainment ensures that your audience will be transformed, moved…and entertained.Michtchell Koulouris : In October 2004, together with his brother Peter, Mitchell launched DMI, and raised more than $2 million in investment capital for the company in 2004 while building its artist roster and team. DMI was the first label to sign on with MSN's new online Music Store, and has also partnered with additional leading online music stores such as iTunes, Napster, Real Music Store, SonyConnect, MusicMatch, and TowerRecords.com.

Mike Simms - In 2009, Mike Simms spearheaded Simms Restaurant Group expansion in Manhattan Beach, partnering with brother Chris on Simmzy’s and Tin Roof Bistro. Last year, they teamed with chef David LeFevre on M.B. After graduating from Cornell’s Hotel School Mike worked in Napa Valley managing Tra Vigne restaurant. For the last three years, he has concentrated on opening and operating two restaurants in Manhattan Beach, Simmzy’s and Tin Roof Bistro.Bob Pritchard - Previously Marketing Manager for Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch, Marketing Manager for Formula One, Corporate Manager for Evander Holyfield, Marketing Director first Skins golf with Mark McCormack, Created "100 Years...100 Movies" celebration of the centenary of Hollywood Movies for American Film Institute, Business and Marketing Consultant, Business and Marketing speaker-1500+ speeches, 53 countries, 91 Fortune 500 companies, Global Ambassador for Kidney Health, Business Radio Program Host on voiceamericabusiness internet radio.Jennifer Laska -

Adam Miller - Is the founder and CEO of talent management software leader Cornerstone OnDemand (www.csod.com). The company had a successful IPO in 2011 and today is one of the world’s fastest growing publicly traded SaaS companies, with over 12 million users. Miller’s vision drove development of one of the first talent management cloud solutions in the market, which has received top ratings from Gartner and IDC, among others. Neil Strauss - Six-time New York Times’ bestselling author Neil Strauss is the author of the recent hit sensation RULES OF THE GAME: Master the Game in 30 Days a practical manual for would-be pickup artists—an easy-to-follow guide to the basics of approaching and attracting women—and sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Game.

Ryan Blair - His path to entrepreneurial success was anything but ordinary; he grew up in an LA gang, lived with a meth addicted father, landed in jail and dropped out of high school his freshman year, yet managed to transform his life. Ryan’s life was changed by a mentor that saw his potential despite his flaws. Mentoring at-risk youth has become Ryan’s greatest passion and he strives to give back by helping teens turn their lives around and become future entrepreneurs. Kevin Kelly - Is a leading authority on the success principles of entrepreneurship, leadership, sales and motivation. Raised among a small entrepreneurial family retail business, he has been selling and negotiating, listening to and serving customers from a very young age.

Eric Hebel - CEO & Founder of ProductionBeast – a cloud-based platform enabling production companies to find the best crew and resources based on relevance, keep track of all their go-to freelancers—where they are working, when they’re available—and organize their projects and communications all in one place. Katrina Parker - Recording artist and contestant on The Voice (NBC), grew up in the small town of Holly Ridge, North Carolina with big dreams! With a voice described as “powerful but tender,” “passionate” (LA Times) and “flawless,” the L.A. singer/songwriter went on to become a fan favorite, a Top 8 Semi-Finalist and “the embodiment of [The Voice]” (Rolling Stone). Richard Gibbs - Stops by the studio and mentors up and coming pop sensation Katrina Parker. Katrina also gives a wonderful performance.

Jim Kwik - CEO of www.KwikLearning.com, is a world expert in speed-reading, memory improvement, brain performance, and accelerated learning. For two decades he has served as a mental coach to leaders in education, entertainment, technology and business.Ken Kragen - A graduate of Harvard Business School Ken Kragen‘s illustrious career far transcends the music and entertainment industries where he has spent many incredibly successful years. He has managed some of the world’s most important entertainers, including Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Trisha Yearwood, Olivia Newton John, The Bee Gees, Burt Reynolds, The Smothers Brothers and many others.

DramaFever - DramaFever is the largest online video site for the distribution of international televised content. The company streams movies, documentaries, and TV shows on demand with professional subtitles.Seth Shapiro - Two-time Emmy® Award winner Seth Shapiro is a leading executive and advisor in digital media. His work includes cutting-edge projects in television, online, games and music with the Walt Disney Company, Comcast, DIRECTV, Intel, Time Warner, McCann, Showtime, Universal, Verizon, Goldman Sachs and a range of new ventures.Ann Marie Michaels - Ann Marie Michaels founded Village Green Network (formerly Real Food Media) in 2008. She began her career in 1995 in Silicon Valley working at CKS Interactive. She went on to produce digital advertising at Razorfish, Foote, Cone & Belding, Deutsch, and Schematic (now POSSIBLE).Lizanne Falsetto - Few young women are offered the choice between a career in basketball or fashion. thinkThin® founder and CEO Lizanne Falsetto chose fashion and embarked on a

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. Shaun Tomson : Shaun Tomson is a board member for Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club and Surfrider Foundation and he received the SIMA Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2002. Shaun founded and sold two multi-million dollar clothing brands – Instinct in the 80’s and Solitude (co-founded with his wife Carla) in the 90’s.