About Chester Santos and The International Man of Memory:

Chester Santos is widely regarded to be the world’s leading memory skills expert. Through his entertaining & educational television and movie appearances, professional seminars, and best-selling books, Chester has helped millions of people around the world to realize the benefits of an improved memory and sharper mind.

CNN, ABC, PBS, NBC, CBS, and the Science Channel have all featured Chester and his memory building tips. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, and most recently, TIME Magazine featured his advice for remembering numbers in a December 2018 Special Edition titled, “The Science of Memory”. The 2020 documentary film, "David vs. Goliath", features Chester Santos and his memory skills training.

Chester is also a best-selling author. His first book, "Instant Memory Training for Success", was published by leading academic publisher John Wiley & Sons (Wiley) in 2016. It quickly became a bestseller in WHSmith stores across the UK. Chester’s second book, “Mastering Memory: Techniques to Turn Your Brain from a Sieve to a Sponge", was published by leading nonfiction publisher Sterling Publishing (Sterling) in 2018. It has been acquired by 246 public libraries worldwide and is featured in the Psychology section of Barnes & Noble stores across the USA.

As the preeminent thought leader on memory skills and their effect on one’s professional, personal, and academic success, Chester has been booked to give presentations in over 30 countries. He has entertained and educated people of varying backgrounds, including executives for CEO Clubs International and YPO, investment professionals for NASDAQ and Credit Suisse, students for organizations at Berkeley, Stanford, and Harvard, and even actors for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) Foundation.

His keynote speaking credits include TEDx with some of the nation’s most highly regarded professors and scientists, the prestigious Talks at Google program featuring “the world's most influential thinkers, creators, makers and doers”, and the International Festival of Brilliant Minds in Puebla that had him speaking to an audience of 5000 people along with Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and other luminaries.

Chester Santos is also the personal memory and mind coach to some notable celebrities, politicians, professional athletes, and high-powered executives.

About Justin Connor and Camp:

Justin Connor is a business builder who currently serves as the Founder of Camp. He started his first business, The Noble Vine, while studying at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. A wine and spirits brokerage business, TNV was inspired by Justin’s experience working in the wine department of a supermarket in Washington, DC. Managing wine collections around the world drove him to later build Domaine, the world’s largest fine goods storage and logistics company. Domaine’s network of climate controlled warehouses supports thousands of collectors around the globe, secures billions of dollars in inventory, and fostered Justin’s lifelong love for driving forklifts. During his time building Domaine, Justin also launched multiple software products, such as Bottlestock, to make storing collectibles more efficient and fun for millions of collectors.

After Domaine, Justin was recruited to lead the Y Combinator backed logistics SaaS company, Easypost. As Easypost’s President, Justin grew revenue, rebuilt the legacy data stack to enable AI development, and launched the organization’s first equity plan for all team members. Easypost has grown into a billion dollar leader in the logistics technology space.

Currently, Justin is the Founder of Camp – where he is working with some of the world’s best chefs to create incredible immersive experiences. Justin believes that shared experiences are central to the human condition and endeavors to connect millions through the joy of food. He is a joint venture partner of Global Blue (NYSE: GB) and Eleventh Ventures, one of the Middle East’s largest holding companies. Justin has explored more than half of the countries on earth and is a volunteer mentor at home in DC. He has also raised millions of dollars to deliver nutritious meals to children through his annual FatKidWeekend dinner series. He lives in Washington, DC with his two daughters.

A new canvas for each chef's creativity, each CAMP is unique and includes exclusive dishes and moments. CAMP is limited to 60 guests to assure quality, personalization, and access to the Chef.

Camp creates dining experiences with the world’s best chefs at culturally relevant events. Each Camp is an immersive culinary experience that pairs exceptional culinary talent with digital and live artistry. None are remotely alike. We create global, fun, engaging, and delicious events that encourage our guests to escape the pressure of reality and connect with friends in one-off settings that we build from scratch.

About Penny Breslin and MoneyPenny, LLC:

Penny Breslin is the founder of MoneyPenny, a consulting firm specializing in helping accounting firms and other businesses embrace the power of technology to simplify their operations and increase their profit margins.

Penny has been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in providing quality consulting services to an international clientele made up of CPA firms and other businesses.

Penny has lived and worked overseas in South Asia for over 25 years. She has worked with many different Back Office accounting outsourcers. With her partners Sharmila and Nirmala, they bring the best practices they have found over the many years of working with not only remote teams but multicultural teams. Penny is also the Author of “CFO Services for the Accounting Firm: How to Start” and “It’s Not Just the Numbers.

Client Services specialist with strong business process and technical skills. Technical and support skills that help clients improve their experience of the company's' products and or services.

Comfortable relaying tech speak to non tech clients, documenting and team work with cross functional teams. Manage groups of 10-45 training and implementation for internal staff as well as clients.

Assist sales department with technical aspect and how it is delivered to the client.

Specialties: Client Services, Corporate and Client Training, Training development, Business Process, workflow, back office systems, Outsourcing development and implementation.

MoneyPenny LLC offers accounting solutions for accounting professionals, businesses and individuals who are looking to outsource day-to-day accounting hassles–paying bills, balancing checkbooks, payroll preparation and filings–while providing valuable financial and tax advice to help boost profitability and growth.

Stress-Free Back Office Accounting for Your Firm

We help CPAs, Accountants and Bookkeeping Firms harness the power of technology and qualified trained accountants to be more profitable, more efficient and more collaborative.

At MoneyPenny, we provide you with easy-to-use accounting softwares so you can keep track of your financials. Our team can work with software you know and trust, including Quickbooks and Xero. If you don’t have any softwares, we will help you decide which one is right for you and your business.

About Ken Reda and Profit Advisory Group:

GAIN THE EDGE YOU NEED AND WANT

CFO's at some of the most savvy Fortune 1000 businesses save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year by employing this one critical move. They engage the wisest cost management ninja's in the business: Profit Advisory Group.

PAG is a nimble, precision-obsessed team of cost control experts that conduct audits to scrub your bills for inefficiencies, over-charges and get you best in class pricing. This approach saves hundreds of thousands of dollars for clients operating budgets. That includes companies in every major business sector. Our clients on average save 23% on their telecom expenses.

The CFO's that work with us fully appreciate that Profit Advisory Group is a performance based company. You either see the savings or we don't get paid. Let's say that again. Profit Advisory Group is a performance based company. You either see the savings or we don't get paid. PERIOD.

PAG was established in 2002 with organizations like yours in mind. We understand the burden of managing multiple technologies at once – that’s why we provide full-service technology consulting and guidance to help simplify decision-making. With our guidance, clients cut costs and repurpose savings toward technologies that help their businesses stay relevant.

We’ve helped organizations throughout the U.S. and in over 100 countries save millions of dollars by implementing our strategies. Our services include procurement, telecom audits, and guidance to help you make the best decisions for telecom and IT solutions.

At PAG, we’ll do all the hard work for you. We can help you better understand what telecom services you’re paying for, correct billing mistakes, and present you with better pricing and service alternatives.
PAG provides businesses with a guaranteed-value proposition and has relationships with over 300 vendors to provide carrier service procurement to our customers.

How Our Process Helps You Save

We understand how high-stakes and stressful it is to be responsible for your business’s budget – and how challenging it is to know what the right purchases are at all times. That’s why we take a thoughtful approach to our partnerships in order to help you achieve your goals.

We offer expert technology guidance, procurement services, and risk-free audits to help you make smart technology decisions. Through our customized, zero-cost audit process, we’ve helped our clients save over $700 million and maximize their unique tech budgets.

Our goal is to guide you to the solutions that will support business growth – while keeping you financially sound into the future.

About Franklyn Baker and United Way of Central Maryland:

Cross-functional nonprofit management executive with over 28 years of experience in strategic planning, business operations, process improvement, change management, financial and data management, proposal and product development, health policy and promotion, legal affairs, clinical programs oversight, sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, and provider and community relations.

Specialties: Business process reengineering, change management, contract negotiation, government and provider affairs, regulatory compliance, legislative advocacy, program and policy development, product design, proposal writing, market expansion, asset management, housing development, financial analysis and reporting and business operations.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY STATEMENT

United Way of Central Maryland promotes equity, creates opportunity, and improves lives by increasing access to education, employment, health, and housing. We achieve equity by dismantling systemic and institutional barriers underrepresented communities face in pursuit of happiness and the quest to realize their dreams.

We respect and value all people without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or citizenship status, age or ability status. We expect our partner organizations, grantees, staff, volunteers, board members, vendors, and key collaborators to uphold these standards.

OUR COMMUNITY

United Way commits to pursuing a more just, fair, and equitable society where one’s background does not predict future outcomes.

We vigorously reject and vehemently oppose racism, sexism, discrimination, prejudice, and injustice in all forms.

We believe access to opportunities need not be predicated by one’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or social characteristics.

Our mission is to empower leaders and mobilize the caring power of communities to improve lives. As a leader in uniting and motivating others for good, we tackle tough problems by co-creating solutions with change agents and grassroots leaders representing all walks of life.

We amplify the power and impact of neighborhood leaders and link them to much-needed resources to bring about real change.

OUR PEOPLE

United Way believes in a diverse workforce reflecting the richness and vibrancy of the community we serve.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion principles drive our work and undergird our vision of an inclusive workplace where differences are embraced, and employees feel a real sense of belonging. These same ideals are shared by our board members, donors, and volunteers.

OUR IMPACT

We apply an equity lens to our neighborhood initiatives and impact work, to ensure that clients and community stakeholders representing different backgrounds maintain equitable access to services, support, and resources.

We are committed to responsible community investment and the equitable distribution of grant funds.

We seek to strengthen families by ensuring sustainable employment that pays a wage that allows for a secure place to call home, access to healthcare and healthy food, and education.

Far too often, historical inequities and institutional racism result in deeper educational disparities among students of diverse backgrounds, particularly students of color. By supporting the potential of young people striving for a quality education, we can significantly improve postsecondary outcomes and access to stable employment.

We employ evidence-based approaches to address complex community needs. By listening actively and gathering data about the challenges facing those in our region, we craft evidence-based solutions that will stand the test of time.

We disaggregate data by race and gender to address disparities, unearth structural inequities, and generate actionable solutions to deep-seated, systemic challenges.

We will keep you updated on our progress.

About Bill Hinshaw and Cobol Cowboys:

Experienced Founder and CEO with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology industry.

Proven expertise in systems architect, development, integration and support of mainframe software for banking and state government. Experienced in starting companies for software design, development, support and deliverables. Highly skilled in COBOL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, MQ, Assembler and related mainframe and server products.

Expert witness in matters related to systems integration vs. database interfaces. Testified at State of New Jersey Senate Hearings on Unemployment Claims. AI advisory role for debugging & documenting COBOL programs.

Strong business professional — attended Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana. Appointed Director of Data Processing by Governor of Indiana to implement mainframe computer services.

Founded and headquartered in North Texas, Cobol Cowboys provides professionals for legacy COBOL systems and other programming environments. Our name, Cobol Cowboys, was inspired by the movie “Space Cowboys” in which experienced (some retired) astronauts were called back into service to solve a current day problem in outer space.

After researching many published articles (both positive and negative) on the future life of COBOL, we came away with renewed confidence in its continued life in the coming years. Since COBOL is still the programming foundation and under-structure used today in most USA and International companies, we founded Cobol Cowboys in North Texas to provide professionals for legacy COBOL Systems and non-COBOL systems.

This renewed confidence in COBOL is supported by IBM’s strategies to keep COBOL robust and evergreen as a viable programming language today and years to come. These strategies are evidenced by IBM’s continued enhancements which allow COBOL and Java to run together on mainframes and to take advantage of the latest industry-driven database products (such as DB2 and SQL).

Furthermore, COBOL has been enhanced to develop “object oriented” code in addition to its time-proven legacy code still in use today. These and other programming enhancements offered by IBM keep COBOL a state-of-the-art programming solution.

We offer experienced COBOL (and other software) professionals in various vertical markets; including banking, government, insurance, health care, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation and others.

About Anthony & Peter McKelvy and Northern Re:

Peter is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Northern Re, a New York and Cayman based alternative asset group focused on securitizing risk in the casualty reinsurance space. He is responsible for the firm’s financial strategy and developing a modern tech stack to drive evolution in the space.

Peter also serves as the Chairman of Park Agency, the Kennedy family office built on four generations of familial success across public service, philanthropy and business. In that role he works to ensure the long term success of the family as it enters its 5th generation.

Before co-founding Northern Re, Peter spent years as a product leader managing multiple engineering teams at various startups. He joined Uber in its early stage. Peter established and led the Driver Compliance organization, growing the group from a concept to multiple engineering teams spanning several offices.

After five years with Uber, he left to lead product at Boost Insurance, where he was responsible for the company’s strategy and technology build. He and his team created a platform that propelled revenue growth from $0 to $100 million in 3 years.

Peter is committed to volunteering with philanthropic groups including Best Buddies and RFK Human Rights. In his free time Peter enjoys spending time outdoors exploring US National Parks.

Peter is a cum laude graduate from Bucknell University and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also licensed as a director with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Peter and his wife live in New York City.

A modern reinsurance company with a focus on data-driven portfolios of property and casualty risk.

Our thesis is built around combining deep industry ties, a sustainable capital structure and a partner-first approach to collateral. These elements enable us to deliver a more effective solution to the industry.

NoRe Holdings, maintaining an office in New York City, wholly owns Northern Reinsurance SPC, Ltd. a Cayman Islands domiciled B(iii) captive reinsurer.

About Jodie Lichtenstein and Fastback Refunds:

Jodie Lichtenstein is the CEO and co-founder of Fastback Refunds. From personal experience Jodie recognized a gap in the antiquated online merchandise refund process when she found herself waiting up to 3 weeks for thousands of dollars in returned wedding guest dresses. She founded the instant refund platform in 2023 and served as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer building everything from process, product, reporting, and marketing. As CEO, Jodie is focused on deal strategy, external partnerships, and investor relations.

Fastback is a new and innovative revolution that's here to provide you with a solution that is long overdue. Fastback transforms your return and refund experience with instant refunds.

Waiting 5-30 business days for a refund leaves consumers in limbo; cash restrained, stressed, and in fear of shopping freely. We're here to solve that problem in the simplest way. With Instant Refunds.

Fastback has created sophisticated technology and user experience that unlocks cash and provides consumers with certainty in the timing of their refund. Fastback strives to enable customers to have optionality, knowing that their refunds won't be tied up if they choose to return the items.