Jo Mosenson, Director of Operations & Business Management at J&G Associates, brings along a unique set of skills that she obtained through her tenure working with various for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in both the U.S. and Australia. She began her stint with J&G Associates, a comprehensive life insurance and estate planning firm, as a business consultant. After only 2.5 months she proved her knowledge and management ability was something unparalleled to what the firm had ever had before, and she was hired in her current role. Since her start with the company, she has taken the organization to new heights, especially in the technological and operational aspects. “Covid-19 completely flipped the way we did business like so many others. We went from a company where advisors were constantly traveling hours every day to meet face to face with clients, to a completely remote business model. I, therefore, made the decision to take on the challenging task of migrating our company to cloud based systems for ease of access for employees. This required extensive research, creating new procedures for how business would run while working from home, and then training staff on how to use the new technologies,” explains Jo. “It was not an easy feat. Some of the staff had used the same systems for almost 40 years, and typically, I would never initiate so much change in such a short amount of time, but it was a necessary transition that needed to happen. Covid-19 just sped up the process. Going completely remote is now the new way our company plans to stay.” The changes Jo implemented have proven to work, and allow the company to be even more efficient and successful, thus enabling them to serve clients even better than before.

It’s no secret that being a woman in business often has some challenges in comparison to male counterparts. Considering most of the companies Jo worked with were nonprofit organizations and the nature of that business tends to be female dominated, she probably did not experience as many barriers as many other women have in their careers. With that being said, all of those companies, despite having a majority of women staff, were all run by men. “While I didn’t experience it frequently, I have definitely experienced crude statements or have been held to different dress code standards. What I do get now, as a female leader in a male dominated industry, is when I meet people for the first time, let’s say at networking events, they will often say things like ‘go back and talk to the decision makers and let me know.’ It frustrates me that they automatically assume that I am not the one in charge. I do get a little chuckle when I see the expression on their faces when I reply bluntly ‘That’s me! I make the decisions.’” Armed with this unique ideology, she has been taking the company to new heights.

According to Jo, the most significant pain point right now is when doing business in the state of New York. They have put many limitations/regulations on how the industry does business and products that can be sold. From a tax mitigation standpoint, Jo and her team think outside the box to circumvent the laws to serve their clients better. For instance, J&G Associates’ extensive knowledge on the matter allows them to work with clients and advise them to set up trusts in particular states; that way, they have access to products that are not typically available to NY residents.

Jo is of adventurous nature and is a creative thinker, which has helped her to lead her teams successfully. “I believe that to succeed above the rest, rather than focusing on why something won’t work, you should figure out the different ways on how it could work. Even if others think it’s unrealistic. It’s the ridiculously optimistic person in me,” she says. “With that being said, it’s important to have teammates that trust you enough to voice their opposing viewpoints that challenge your way of thinking and keep you grounded. I think that’s why J&G Associates works so well. We have different types of people with different personalities and always encourage open dialogue. Everyone, no matter what their role is in the company, from a first-day intern to the president, has the same right to their opinions and is encouraged to put their two cents into discussions.”

When asked what Jo’s secret weapon is for successful leadership she stated, “There is no secret. I lead with a human-centric structure, focusing on empathy and trust. A company is only as good as the people who work within it. If you don’t lead with your staff’s professional and personal happiness at the forefront, how can you expect them to give your company their best work.” She says that encouraging a work/life balance, taking lunch breaks, allotted vacation time, and especially mental health days when needed are all part of that structure. She emphasizes that gone are the days of killing yourself for a job. “I learned that the hard way”, she exclaimed. “Working in Australia showed me that a company can be just as successful without its employees working long nights and weekends despite having become such a normalized culture in America. It’s part of why my mantra is, ‘work smarter, not harder.’” IEWL

Dominique Grubisa’s philosophy to business has always been to ensure that her high-quality programs and services are both accessible and cost-effective for anyone who wishes to acquire them, no matter their financial situation. As a lawyer with over 27 years of experience, she saw how the legal profession had become less accessible to the average Australian due to soaring fees and charges. With this in mind, she designed her property and business programs around her personal experiences and a strong legal foundation to help people self-educate and take ownership of themselves and their financial futures.

Dominique Grubisa is an Australian lawyer with over 27 years of experience. As a highly skilled debt and commercial law specialist and a property investor who has bought, sold or held multi-million dollars worth of real estate, Dominique Grubisa is uniquely qualified to talk about financial success. She is also an entrepreneur with businesses in Australia and South East Asia and amazingly, still finds time to be an educator and published author.

By challenging the status quo, she has met the growing need for a more equitable approach to the law by successfully combining this knowledge with cutting-edge learning materials and the most up-to-date industry data in a format that is easy to learn and digest. To help compliment her vision, Dominique has also created a business advisory which includes DGI Lawyers, DGI Finance, and DGI Accounting to help support her clients’ business goals and aspirations with professional divisions which can offer more than just cookie-cutter support, but rather a holistic approach to her client’s business needs. The result is a bespoke one-stop-shop experience whereby the company is united in delivering excellence for its clients’ entire wealth journey. Dominique has achieved this by building strong relationships and fostering a sense of abundance and cooperation within the wider DGI community. Her promise to clients – is to deliver reliable, accurate, and timely services and programs that enable them and their families to thrive.

As CEO of a successful company, Dominique is quite aware of her responsibilities, but she is also mindful of her unofficial role as a female leader and the obligations with this title. “With that in mind, I hope that the example I give, not only to my wider audience, but to women in particular, is that there should be no barriers to your success. I hope that by leading by example, by showing what can be achieved (as a woman), I can give women the confidence to go out there and become great female business owners,” she says.

Dominique has successfully built businesses from start-up to turning over tens of millions of dollars in Australia and internationally. She writes and speaks internationally on law, business, wealth and property. Her passion is making the legal system fairer and more accessible for everyone and empowering people by sharing knowledge.

Dominique has never thought of herself as being at a disadvantage just because she was a woman in business. “Whether you’re male or female, we all run the same risks when starting out in business with 20% of businesses failing in their first year and around 60% going bust within their first three years. That’s the simple truth. Your success lies solely within you. So be your best you.”

This steadfast leader is inspiring women by following the 4 pillars that outline the DG Institute’s business ethos: By empowering her team to take ownership for what they do, creating a positive work environment, and inspiring them to look for ways to innovate, to work together as one team and support each other in all that they do and always to consider their customer first when making decisions and ask whether they will be impacted positively.

By fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusiveness in the workplace, combined with a highly supportive executive group, Dominique hopes to give all team members the confidence and the opportunity to grow as leaders.

Dominique’s ability to adapt and pivot her business has been her greatest strength. Being able to read the signs in the market and the industry is crucial if you are to successfully ride the wave of change at the right time. DG Institute’s product offerings are constantly evolving and improving, and we test and measure everything. We use data as the canary in the coalmine for us, and we have weekly KPI meetings to review and monitor our metrics. “I think that whatever is measured improves and that your numbers are the dials and control panel of your business. These instruments warn you when something has changed, so if you are not across the numbers it’s like watching a sports game without being able to see the scoreboard, you may have a feeling that one team is winning but how do you know what’s happening on the field if you don’t know the score,” she explains. “We listen to the story the numbers tell and we are very swift to respond which means we can innovate quickly, check for success and grow a product that fills a need in the market or identify early, something which is not working and pinpoint the problem. The numbers help us know what buttons to press and levers to pull to move the needle fastest in the business.” WL

Armed with over 20 years of experience, for Cyntha Stopani, COO of LaborNow, it’s been a blessing to have the opportunity to pioneer and drive changes throughout the industry. For Cynthia, it has been a learning experience, “It hasn’t all been perfect, but through those lessons learned, we have been able to leverage the knowledge and experience into best practices and positive impact for colleagues and clients alike”, she says.

“LaborNow is a domestic light industrial and clerical staffing company that serves several major industries across the US. LaborNow’s expertise in light industrial and professional staffing is unsurpassed and its profound knowledge of the local markets allow us to effectively serve our clients.”

According to Cynthia, it all starts with the people with whom one surrounds themselves. “The strength of our team is having a unified vision and a clear objective. There are hundreds of services out there, and it all boils down to a couple of things, “How are we different? What can my team and I bring to the table that other services don’t?” she says. “This is our starting point, then we listen. You have to be a good listener in order to understand where your clients are coming from. Based on this premise, we are able to conceptualize and be creative thinkers in order to stay ahead of the game.” For Cynthia, her associates are critical to success, as it all begins with them. Warren Buffett said, “If you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of your clients.” Understanding these values and their significance is the basis for LaborNow’s business model.

The KMG family of companies is a conglomerate of full-service staffing and recruiting agencies that partner with industry employers to find custom solutions for their hiring needs by matching top talent with positions. Over the past two decades, Harold Knight, Sam Delois, and their team have built an amazing company with a people-centric culture and a phenomenal solution-based approach for their clients, as well as a rewarding environment for their people. They start by listening to their clients and develop marketing and recruiting campaigns. Having the benefit of experience allows them to develop programs that will attract and retain talent—understanding when it is an employee’s market vs. an employer’s market steers them in the right direction. “Employees want incentives and we have been fortunate to have success with our incentive programs. This is why our clients continue to partner with us for more than 20 years.”

LaborNow does not believe in making fake promises to its clients and employees and delivers on their promise of great service. All credit goes to LaborNow’s robust Management Team with over 150 years of combined industry experience. “When employees leave companies, they don’t necessarily leave the company, they leave management”. And so, we have worked very hard to create a positive work environment where people enjoy coming to work, and that is key to our success. People want to come to work for LaborNow”, says Cynthia.

On advising the future COO’s, Cynthia says that one must establish one principle, surround themselves with the right team, and put in the work to be successful. “You will be successful by surrounding yourself with the right people. “When it’s all said and done you are only as good as your team”, she says. “Social media tools continue to evolve and using metrics in social media platforms provides insights about where we should focus our efforts. Keeping informed about market trends and latest practices is an extremely valuable tool. You have stay ahead of the game and our business model’s success is due in large part to our social media presence”.

Cynthia acknowledges that 2020 has been a tremendous year amidst the pandemic, and 2021 has started even greater. “We understand the importance of maintaining the level of service that our customers are used to. We don’t see our clients as customers, they’re partners and, in this respect, we are continuing to expand operations and adding key value-added services that other companies do not provide,” she says. “Whether it’s technology, consultation, risk management, or recruiting methodologies, we always look for improvements and efficiencies in what we do. Our partners appreciate that, and this is why we have long tenured clients that have continued to work with us for many years.The company would not be where it is today, if WE had not recognized the importance of this guiding principle.” IE

LaborNowHR

Management

Cynthia Stopani
Chief Operating Officer

Description

LaborNowHR is a domestic light industrial staffing company that serves several major industries across the US. LNHR’s expertise in the Light Industrial & Warehouse industry is unsurpassed and our profound knowledge of the local markets allows us to effectively serve our clients.

Tracey Hayes, a channel business development expert with 25 years of experience, supports MicroAge’s sales management team and account executives in navigating their approach and achieving the best possible results for their clients. Tracey Hayes joined MicroAge 28 years ago and has worked in several jobs while learning the industry and the business to gain a comprehensive understanding of both. Hayes has been able to do what she loves as the Vice President of Sales at a profitable and fast-growing IT solutions and services company.

Hayes specializes in helping others in realizing and achieving their personal and professional goals. From collaborating with Human Resources to create an award-winning company culture to helping account executives make a difference for their clients while building brighter futures, and even mentoring some of them into sales leadership positions, servant leadership is at the heart of her work. Making an impact matters to Tracey Hayes beyond job descriptions and KPIs. Hayes chairs MicroAge’s ActTogether initiatives—a program dedicated to helping MicroAgers across the country give back to local and national non-profits and critical causes.

MicroAge is a complete IT solutions provider. Over the last decade, MicroAge has rapidly advanced from its roots as a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) and consulting group to become a robust and resourceful managed services provider (MSP) and digital transformation company. MicroAge offers a complete mix of end-to-end and managed services and technology solutions so technology leaders can innovate their businesses faster with one trusted point of contact—in the data center, on the cloud, everywhere. This past year, MicroAge was recognized on the CRN MSP 500, the CRN Tech Elite 250, and the CRN Solution Provider 500—Elite 150 category. MicroAge didn’t have any layoffs in 2020; instead, it acquired a services organization to power its services arm, and its client base has continued rapidly growing.

MicroAge is constantly adding new service offerings to its portfolio to enable technology professionals to take advantage of the most cutting-edge technologies available today while also planning for the future. Tracey Hayes’ sales executive team and Microsoft Gold-Certified cloud team have been working with clients in preparation for the first big changes to Microsoft 365 and Office 365 license pricing and consumption in years. MicroAge introduced new cloud services to its portfolio earlier this year, including Azure Cloud Consulting and SharePoint Development and Consulting Services.

Hayes says, “As I’m approaching almost three decades here at MicroAge, my takeaway has been how critical building your company culture is to scale your business. Sales VPs don’t talk enough about culture, but during the current “Great Resignation,” professionals want to be at a workplace where they’re empowered to grow, learn, and succeed on their terms. We try to provide that type of environment for our sales organization here at MicroAge, which is why even during unprecedented turnover, our sales organization has experienced remarkable retention and expansion—that makes me think that we’ve succeeded. More leaders need to focus on the culture they’re fostering at their organizations with their actions or inaction. Even in today’s connected workforce, there are ways to make meaningful connections, and those still matter in business. Your business is built on those relationships. That’s why at MicroAge, through the uncertainty and flux, we’ve continued having virtual awards ceremonies, daily virtual lunch breaks with associates playing games or performing, and digital team-building events from poker tournaments to wine tastings and cooking and mixology classes. Every member of our executive and leadership team reaches out to our associates to check-in, and we’re trying to stay on a first-name basis which is a growing challenge as MicroAge expands—a good one to have.” Hayes’ remarkable ability to see the bright side of any difficult situation and empower others in achieving their goals has made her a trailblazing woman leader. IEWL

MicroAge

Management

Tracey Hayes
Vice President of Sales of MicroAge

Description

MicroAge has expanded from being a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) and consulting group to a true managed services provider (MSP) and digital transformation company. With a vast array of subject matter experts and technology experts, MicroAge offers a complete mix of end-to-end and managed services and technology solutions so you can innovate faster with one trusted point of contact.

Marina Short the CEO of Consumer Profile Bureau began her journey at CPB 10 years ago – as the Marketing Executive. At that time CPB was still a niche reseller Credit Bureau.

Today, CPB is proud to be one of the five major Credit Bureaus in South Africa. Marina excels in understanding clients’ problem statements and challenges through extensive involvement with their industry and their operations.

South Africa has specific and unique challenges that stem from our difficult and uneven past; a past in which disparate communities with different financial affluence evolved into communities who are today striving for even opportunities and financial inclusion. Marina believes that “…by understanding this, I can work with the research and development team (team led by Alain Craven) and together we can design unique, bespoke, and customizable products that address the challenges our clients have. Though our hands on approach, we can provide insight and oversight solutions that identify key risks and rewarding opportunities. I believe in our products and that they can make a difference. Our unique mindset and drive for success has led to our historically small bureau now challenging the market that was previously dominated by strong players originating from the UK and US, and we offer truly unique, truly South African solutions.”

One of Marina’s biggest challenges (and subsequently her biggest success!) was in finding unique offerings in an established, mainly male dominant market. She strongly believes that women have a unique blend of intuitive skills and that they can seize challenges and produce solutions easier and more effectively than men. Hailing from a mining community where her mother had to work multiple jobs to keep food on the table, Marina was adamant about ensuring that she would work hard and succeed. “I embrace my femininity and uniqueness and never give up. I will find a way – no matter how difficult the road may seem initially. I am also a mom to three strong and successful boys—who are sensitive in their support to their partners and strong in leading their households—and I have taught them to always work hard to achieve your dreams and to enjoy life.”

Marina has been compared to Angela Merkle by her colleagues, but she has had various role models carve the leader in her. “First was my mother who taught me to work hard and never stop believing in your dreams. My role models also included Wayne Abegglen – he knew how to motivate and mentor the people around him to give of their best. He taught me to focus on the processes and solutions – rather than the people and the problems. I have huge respect for Madiba – he overcame so many challenges and managed to unite all South Africa – and to encourage our belief in a bigger, better future – together as the rainbow nation.” Armed with such a unique ideology, she has taken the company to new heights.

Consumer Profile Bureau (CPB) was established in 1981 as Snyman en Vennote Krediet Profile Bureau – a bureau that offered solutions to the debt collections market. “It was mainly a reseller credit bureau when I joined in 2011 and I had to not only position the Bureau in industries outside the Debt Collection Industry, but also penetrate the already saturated market by bringing new and ground-breaking solutions to the market,” adds Marina. “CPB was nominated as a finalist in the International Banking Technology awards in 2017 and we were invited to London for the prize giving. We were super proud of the recognition and the success at that event – and we remain as proud of our team to this day.”

CPB focuses on understanding the problems in multiple industries and building, designing and creating customizable solutions that are readily adaptable for our client’s specific needs. CPB boasts quick turnaround time for taking products to market, leveraging on the philosophy of “build once, deploy often” and ensuring our products are rapidly and easily customizable in consultation with our clients. We build empowering solutions that allow clients to express their own business logic and rules in our templates.

We empower our clients with insights in a compliant environment that assists them in identifying risks and opportunities and, in the process, have maximum customer experience with minimum operational expenses and customer friction.

We will continue to disrupt the market by staying close to our clients, partners, and stakeholders and bringing them bespoke solutions that maximizes customer experience, optimizes compliance, and minimizes operational expenditure. IEWL

Consumer Profile Bureau

Management

Marina Short
CEO of Consumer Profile Bureau

Description

Consumer Profile Bureau is a registered Credit Bureau established in 1981. Our primary purpose is providing credit risk information on consumers and businesses. We do this, by supplying credit grantors with pertinent, focused information, therefore allowing credit grantors the ability to make informed decisions, minimising risk to themselves and their businesses. Credit grantors use the information supplied by CPB to assist them with the Affordability Assessment as required from them in terms on the National Credit Act.

As the organization’s first Black president and CEO, Adria Johnson has a perspective and lived experiences that fuel the need to improve lives around Metro United Way’s community. She was born and raised in Louisville, and there’s nothing she wants more than for the Greater Louisville Region to thrive. And Metro United Way plays a unique leadership role in ensuring positive, sustainable change.

Adria has had the blessing of working across multiple private, public, and nonprofit sectors. That variety reflects her intention to align her desire to serve others with career opportunities. As the daughter of a teacher and social worker, who also experienced episodes of poverty and struggle while growing up, it’s not surprising that compassion, empathy, service, and justice were rooted in Adria’s core.

Despite experiencing reward and success while working in the private sector for the first ten+ years of Adria’s career, there was a loud and growing urge to tailor her career to one that allowed her to more directly engage and impact those in their community who were struggling. “Hence, when the corporation I was working for at the time underwent a merger and began planning to transition its corporate headquarters out of state, rather than relocate or continue my career in this sector, I sought the opportunity to begin pivoting. And I’ve never looked back.” She adds, “Immersion into the human services field has provided me continuing and increased opportunity to serve our community’s and state’s most vulnerable citizens. And for that, I am grateful.”

Adria believes the key qualities contributing to her success are rooted in her: humility; authenticity; compassion; understanding; tireless advocacy for fairness, justice, and inclusivity; strong work ethic; courage; ability to connect and establish meaningful and trusted relationships across demographics and socio-economic spectrums; and unwavering desire to serve others. “I am a strong believer in ‘walking the talk’ and treating everyone with common courtesy and respect – from the curb to the cleaning closet to the board room,” she says. “I have broached each role that I have been given the opportunity to occupy with gratitude and an expectation that my success is measured by my ability to impact others and spur meaningful and lasting change.”

Metro United Way works daily to lift its community by mobilizing people and maximizing its community’s resources to advance opportunity and equity for all. Metro United Way drives efficiency and impact throughout the local nonprofit sector through best practice sharing, data-informed decision making, advocacy, and accountability for quality and results. They bring together businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to engage in the kinds of collaboration that changes lives.

“The woman I am today has been shaped, no doubt, by the generations of women in my family before me. I think about my great-grandmothers and grandmothers who had limited educational achievement, endured domestic violence and abuse, and who shouldered rearing children and held down their families either lacking a mate or with inconsistent support. Again, no doubt, these phenomenal and resilient women have shaped me,” explains Adria.

However, her greatest motivational role model was her late father, who consistently told Adria that these women shaped her strong work ethic; yet he was her superstar. He was the ultimate public servant, exercising a level of service, kindness, compassion, and humility that she strives to emulate daily. “Upon being selected as Metro United Way’s next president and CEO, he told me to ‘Go make Louisville better’ and I intend to keep him smiling from Heaven by doing just that.”

For those who want a strong and equitable community, Metro United Way is the change agent that fuels the community’s spirit of unity by building lasting, transformative opportunities for all. For more than 100 years, Metro United Way has empowered individuals and families to achieve their fullest potential by generating meaningful and lasting change in our community. They use data-driven insights to identify and prioritize the community’s greatest needs, focusing on equitable outcomes for all. Metro United Way brings together 116 nonprofit partners, 865 corporate partners, more than 2,000 volunteers, advocates, and more than 41,000 donors to fuel powerful programming and transformational policymaking. Together, they fight to improve the disparities that persist in education, economic mobility, health, housing, and racial equality in Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham and Shelby counties in Kentucky as well as Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana. IEWL

Metro United Way

Management

Adria Johnson
President & CEO at Metro United Way

Description

Metro United Way advances the common good in our community by creating opportunities for a better life for all. For 100 years, Metro United Way has served our community and will move forward throughout the next decade with a more focused approach to addressing community-level issues by showing measurable progress in the areas of education, financial stability and health, the building blocks for a good quality of life.

Insider Threats Are More Risky Than You Think

According to US-Cert.gov, an Insider Threat is a current or former employee, contractor, or other business partner who has or had authorized access to an organization’s network

Kara Stewart-Mullens, CEO and Co-founder of Neurobiologix, Inc., began her journey in marketing and sales 40+ years ago. She has always been a go-getter, who wanted to make her own money, not just from chores but from working or selling something she had. “I come from a family of doctors who worked round-the-clock and as you know if you have kids, you want to be like your parents. I was the girl on the corner selling lemonade every weekend, selling pens and pads I brought back from the medical tradeshows I attended with my Dad to my friends on the playground until I got in trouble for selling my 5th grade friends items with prescription drug names on them,” she says. “All this energy and drive to give another person something they may need led me to where I am today and that feeling of accomplishment when one of our products is purchased still makes me happy.”

Kara’s goal has always been to incorporate her company, make a difference in the lives of others, and at the same time have fun doing it. Working with her older brother, Dr. Kendal Stewart, MD, and creating a business that helps people overcome challenging health issues has been amazing. “Hearing that their lives or a child’s life has changed for the better is something that is hard to describe. It is absolute joy that their life is better.”

Talking about empowering women, Kara says Neurobiologix has seven amazing women working together who ensure that the company is operational in the perfect manner. “We do have men in our company as well but I love to offer women growth in a company to help create our vision,” she says. “Before Neurobiologix, I worked in a very man centric work environment. I pushed and crawled my way to the top but it shouldn’t have been that hard. I want to offer women a great place to work, have fun at what they do and see that what they are doing as well is to make people’s lives better.” She adds, “I share our company goals, monthly sales and my vision with everyone, and sometimes would be left out of ‘Upper Management’ conversations at past jobs so at Neurobiologix I share our future for the company and what we are doing about it.”

Neurobiologix was born out of a need for clean, unique products, first for the autism sector, then grew to be a boutique nutrition company with products for everyone. Kara and her brother, Dr. Stewart—an incredible biochemist—started back in 2009 private labeling other companies’ products, but he was never satisfied with those products. He wanted these unique combinations that no one had made. “One day, I said to him to give me a formula he wants. I learned about the manufacturing business, already knew what I needed about marketing, and soon we had 5 of our products to sell on the 1st website I built,” says Kara. “5 doesn’t sound like much, but it was the birth of our true company. My brother designs the formulas, and I work to bring them to market and spread the word.” With nutrition, there are always bumps in the road. “The product came out discolored, or a raw ingredient is not available. It is the most challenging inventory game I have ever worked in. You run out of a product; you have let so many people down. I try my hardest not to let that happen.”

According to Kara, a lot is going on at Neurobiologix, and for the days to come, they are looking towards more. “Our medical doctor customer base has really picked up over the years and we are expanding distribution in to several new countries such as Asia, Egypt and the Middle East,” says Kara. “We move in to our new and bigger offices/warehouse in November to expand our private label division and growth has been a blessing even during COVID. After 12 years I see no slowing down but only going up. We have been very blessed.” .IE

NeuroBiologix

Management

Kara Stewart
CEO and Co-founder

Description

Physician Designed Supplements that specialize in assisting with: Autism, Nervous & Immune System Dysfunction, Sensory Processing Disorders, Genetic mutations, Neurological Issues, Anti-Aging and General Nutrition for the entire family.

Improving the Human Condition with Brain Science For three decades, Adriana Vela, Founder, MarketTecNexus LLC, has been an ardent observer of technology and behavioral trends using systems thinking to anticipate the negative impact of disruption on businesses and how to minimize it. Adriana’s life has been about creative problem-solving since her formative years. It was always about figuring out how to overcome economic hurdles, obstacles or escape ‘crab mentality.’ Professionally, it was to capture early mover advantages based on observed trends. It is no surprise that technology innovation plays a dominant role in her work and why she got good at anticipating disruptions – whether driven by market shifts, disruptive technologies, or changes in social and behavioral norms.

Adriana’s #1 corporate value is empowerment, which drives the company’s mission to Improve the Human Condition. She calls on her multi-disciplinary, multifunctional, and multi-industry background that keeps her at the forefront of technology and scientific innovations. “I firmly believe that we have trained our brains to work against us and not for us, and this is causing a lot of unnecessary suffering,” she says. “This needs to stop because we live in an increasingly VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous). New ways of thinking are needed to manage in this world.”

Having grown up with adversity and challenges, Adriana learned to be agile and a quick study. Despite this, she is no stranger to the pressure of underlying double standards in workplaces because of her decisiveness and directness. Qualities that are lauded in men but found to be threatening or aggressive in women. Adriana recalls her professional attire mirroring men’s suits and colors when meeting with C-level executives. “To be taken seriously, you almost had to look like them. We’ve come a long way since, but statistics still show women experiencing sexual harassment, pervasive stereotypes, and lack of advancement opportunities, especially in male-dominated industries.”

“When you know your brain, you start leading yourself – lead yourself first before leading others.”

Having conquered numerous obstacles, Adriana has an unwavering commitment to advancing women leaders through exclusive women’s empowerment training programs. When combined with brain science coaching techniques, women can break the barriers that hold them back. “Women represent 45% of the S&P 500 workforce but only 4% of the CEOs. Globally, women hold only 24% of leadership positions,” she explains. “While we are seeing more women leaders emerge, it is not enough to balance the scales and create meaningful change.”

Adriana says that for centuries, women have been victims of their circumstances with no power or say, but women leaders outright refuse to be victims and ardently work to change their situations. “I carved many new paths for myself and fervently fought off the obstacles along the way, from escaping poverty to securing my education to growing my career and becoming an entrepreneur,” elucidates Adriana.

“As a female leader, the biggest lesson that I learned came from discovering that I did not know myself as well as I thought I did. Despite my strength and prowess, I fell into a two-year bout of depression after a car accident. Desperate to end my pain, I invested years researching psychology and cognitive science to understand how to make the brain work for you and not against you. While painful, my experience ultimately made me a better human being, and my life has been incredible since.” Armed with brain science techniques and neuroscience-backed tools and programs, Adriana has taken the company to new heights.

MarketTecNexus was born out of a culmination of more than three decades of technology and behavior trends expertise, years of psychology and cognitive science research, together with professional training and certifications in behaviors, motivators, and emotional intelligence. “This is my most exciting venture because I get to deliver exponential value to teams, leaders, and companies with holistic human-first performance systems to help grow a new crop of future-ready leaders.” Adriana assists companies and leaders improve their odds in the ever-evolving VUCA world by getting ahead of disruptions. Her brain science training and advisory solutions are designed to reduce or eliminate unnecessary suffering in the workplace and social environments. When fully integrated, clients emerge stronger, more vital, and sitting firmly in the driver’s seat of their life and thriving. IEWL

Gina Danner’s committed leadership spans over 30 years. The CEO of NextPage has left her mark through both good and challenging times in so many ways. She is constantly focused on the future, including the future product and service mix, future leaders in the company, and future impact on the community.

Gina’s passion for the company is demonstrated in how she shows up every day. While many leaders stay in their office, it is not unusual to see Gina on the plant floor working alongside the staff, moving skids, catching mail, packing boxes, and sweeping floors, willing to help where she can. When needed, she will work 16-hour days in departments to better understand the employee experience with the goal of improving their environment and experience.

“If people are uncomfortable with you it is often because you’ve spoken the truth in a way that resonated.”

“The barrier I have faced most often over these last 33 years, usually as the sole female in a room full of industry leaders, is the reality that I can make my peers uncomfortable. I am direct, honest, and I use data to make my points,” she says. “If I speak up on a topic, it is typically a subject I care about so I know where I stand and have data points to support it. That directness and fearlessness can be off-putting to those that don’t know me and don’t know my heart.” But, Gina’s role model, her father—a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant—raised her to dream, create a vision, and then work harder than anyone else in the room.

For Gina, time is precious. To build her company, she spent endless hours focused on work. She has learned, “If people are uncomfortable with you, it is often because you’ve spoken the truth in a way that resonated. The realization of that makes them uncomfortable. Some of your close allies may try to encourage you to “shrink,” don’t be so bold, be less blunt. Over the years, I have learned to regulate my passion and external voice, but I will never be small enough for some people.” Armed with this ideology, she has taken the company to new heights.

What started as a small company, where everyone was family, has become a 140-person strong organization focused on taking care of some big brand names. The company’s goal is to provide clients with something different – something they like to call “More than Print.”

While direct mail is the primary product produced, NextPage provides clients peace of mind in knowing they are committed to providing the best products at the best value with the best results alongside a team that helps them solve problems other than ink on paper. “When we are able to fully engage with a client it isn’t unusual that we will streamline their billing interactions with us, as well as every other touch point along the ordering process,” she explains. “When I think about NextPage and more important our advancement, I think about the development of a solid brand that speaks to the value we deliver for our clients. In 2013 we crafted a one page “brand poster.” This individual sheet of paper drives every decision at NextPage. If the decision doesn’t align with the brand, we know it is the wrong decision.”

What’s in the future? NextPage will continue to advance creating digitally and physically connected marketing solutions supporting marketers and brands of all sizes. 2022 will see an expansion of those efforts with added innovation and investment. “We are launching and formalizing our Managed Services program that provides enterprise clients with a single source for print, mail, and copy solutions on or offsite. In addition, we are expanding our API suite to further enhance ease of service for enterprise marketers,” adds the steadfast leader. “The goal is to reduce the cost of marketing execution and increase the value of the physical piece.” IEWL

NextPage

Management

Gina Danner
Owner & CEO of NextPage

Description

NextPage is a total marketing solutions company combining traditional print expertise with personalized digital marketing techniques to drive results.