Speaker Directory

Elle Benson

Elle Benson is a renowned national consultant who specializes in helping organizations transition to greater impact and build capacity. She founded Nonprofit Leadership LLC to support the social sector. With a remarkable career in the nonprofit sector, she has gained extensive expertise in various areas, including organizational development and change, executive transition consultancy, strategic planning, leadership development, and board governance.

Academically, Benson holds an MBA in organizational change and a Bachelor of Arts degree in business. She has obtained certifications in BoardSource and Group Facilitation to support nonprofit board of directors.

Notably, Benson's thought-provoking TEDx talk, titled "A Crash Course in Learning to Laugh," has catapulted her into the spotlight as a highly sought-after keynote speaker. Benson's passion for sharing wisdom extends to her writing as well. She is the author of two books that focus on mindfulness and happiness. Her publications, "Cultivate Your Happiness: Mama-to-Be" and "Cultivating Calmness in Children," provide practical strategies and insights making happiness obtainable daily. Through her books and keynote presentations, Benson aims to empower individuals and teams to cultivate wellbeing in their lives.

Click here to contact Elle.

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George Hampton

George Hampton joined Currax Pharmaceuticals in April of 2019 as Chief Executive Officer and serves on its board of directors. Prior to joining Currax, Mr. Hampton served as executive vice president, primary care business unit for Horizon Pharmaceuticals (HZNP), a public biopharmaceutical company. In this role he was tasked with leading the forward-looking strategy, as well as establishing operational goals for the business. Previously, Mr. Hampton served as executive vice president, global orphan business unit and international operations for Horizon Pharmaceuticals. He has more than 25 years of experience as a successful executive in the pharmaceutical and biotech field on both a national and international scale including specific expertise in rare disease (ACTIMMUNE, RAVICTI, PROCYSBI), autoimmune (HUMIRA), primary care, orthopedic (CELEBREX), diabetes (BYETTA), anti-infectives and cardiovascular spaces. This includes roles of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing and operations at G.D. Searle, Abbott, (now AbbVie), Amylin and Horizon Pharmaceuticals.

Hampton earned his Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He serves on the board of Amyrt Pharmaceuticals (AMYT.L), a biopharmaceutical company. Additionally, he serves on the board of IMAC (NASDAQ: IMAC) regeneration medical centers.

Click here to contact George Hampton.

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Jacolby Robinson

Jacolby Robinson is a Financial Center Manager of the Music Row location for Fifth Third Bank who has several years of experience specializing in providing financial advice, consultation, and literacy for both consumers and small business owners. Within Fifth Third, Jacolby has served on several committees including Employee Engagement, Coaching Taskforce, and Membership Advantage. While participating in Membership Advantage, a Financial Literacy and Empowerment program, she had the opportunity to partner with businesses in the community to educate and also provide strategic financial solutions.

Click here to contact Jacolby.

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Janna Landry

Janna Landry is known for her sought after ability to coach business leaders, including medical professionals, executives, public figures and entertainers, offering a unique blend of executive acumen and entertainment experience to uncover, define and capitalize on the strengths and abilities of her clients.

Janna has been an aggressive and enthusiastic front-line business development leader and sales and marketing executive and has assisted hundreds of individuals and businesses large and small in communication clarity and brand development for elevated positioning in the marketplace. She believes in mentoring to produce high achievers and strong communicators and delivers results by teaching her cutting edge techniques for success in a competitive business climate. She has proven to be an exceptional closer and negotiator, and she has the formula to assist you in developing these skills.

Artistically speaking, Janna is an accomplished vocalist, public speaker and professional actor. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and has studied the voice extensively. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry she has a long list of production credits in theatre, television, and the music industry both recorded and live. She holds memberships in SAG, AFTRA, and AEA performing unions. She has taught private voice for over 25 years.

Click here to contact Janna.

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Jeffrey Deckman

Jeffrey Deckman is a nationally recognized thought leader and award-winning author on Conscious Leadership and organizational design mindsets, models, and methods. His recently published book: “Developing the Conscious Leadership Mindset for the 21st Century” won four national and international Stevie Awards® and is an Amazon best seller in the Occupational and Organizational Psychology category.

In 2021, Jeff won the International Business Awards bronze medal for 'Innovator of the Year' for his work on the M3 Process for Leadership and Organizational Transformation. The M3 Process guides leaders and their organizations through the complex evolution necessary to transform themselves and their organizations into being 21st century ready.

Jeff is a serial entrepreneur who has bootstrapped two multi-million dollar companies and was the co-founder and partner of a leadership Think Tank. He has also built and run several non-profits as well as multiple political organizations. As such he has experience in a wide range of leadership arenas in a wide variety of organizations.

Jeff is a passionate consultant, teacher, author and speaker on the topic of the ways and means to integrate consciousness and business practices to help organizations to maximize their ability to be resilient and powerful as they engage in capitalism more consciously. He is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and regularly publishes on Forbes.com.

Jeff is a stage 4 cancer “thriver”, a dedicated student of consciousness and a Reiki Master. He blends his life experiences with decades of front-line management experience to help his clients build powerful and resilient 21st century ready organizations.

Click here to contact Jeffrey.

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Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy is the current General Counsel of Nashville SC, responsible for broad range of legal and business matters.

Click here to contact Joe.

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Kitty Barrow

Kitty Barrow is a co-founder, senior partner, executive leadership coach, trainer, and speaker for Southwestern Consulting with more than 30 years of professional sales, leadership, and entrepreneurial experience.

Kitty spent the first 15 years of her career leading incredibly successful sales teams. She has gleaned invaluable insight from working with thousands of women over the years, helping them develop their sales and leadership skills. Kitty then exponentially increased her own experience when she stepped out of her comfort zone, changed industries completely, and led the way in growing Southwestern Consulting from the ground up in a male-dominated profession. Not only does Kitty currently lead one of the top Southwestern Consulting teams worldwide; her own sales records went unbroken for seven years. Her experience makes her one of the premier thought leaders on the subject of “leading like a woman.”

Now, as an executive coach and speaker, Kitty specializes in giving her clients the tools they need to advance in leadership personally and professionally. In addition to recruiting and onboarding thousands of salespeople during her own career, she has had success coaching managers and teaching business owners how to develop leaders, master delegation, and increase revenue.

Kitty holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, with a master in Sports Medicine. She is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters (a real-life “Soccer Mom”). In her spare time, she enjoys improv, IronTribe Fitness, road biking, sailing and Nashville Major League Soccer (MLS). She is active in her community, serving on the boards of Safe Haven Family Homeless Shelter and the Greater Nashville Auburn Club.

Click here to contact Kitty.

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Lucinda M. ("Cindy") Baier

Lucinda (“Cindy”) Baier is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. As of year-end 2021, the $2.8 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. The company's 30,000+ employees are taking care of America's seniors.

Ms. Baier became Brookdale's President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors on February 28, 2018. From the beginning, she initiated the company's operational turnaround strategy and developed the “Winning Locally” action plan. Within her second year, the company's Net Promoter Score® increased 20%. In her third year as CEO in 2020, J.D. Power recognized the company as #1 in customer satisfaction (in a tie) in assisted living/memory care communities. As CEO, she led the company through the largest public health crisis in 100 years by prioritizing the health and well-being of its residents, patients, and associates. She focused the company’s efforts on increasing diversity, including the Board and executive leadership team approaching gender parity in 2020. Ms. Baier led Brookdale's efforts to negotiate and restructure leases with its largest three REIT partners. She led the company through the sale of assets, including Brookdale's interest in the unconsolidated entry CCRC ventures and the majority share of its home health, hospice, and outpatient therapy business. These deals unlocked significant value for Brookdale and shareholders. In 2022 Baier published her first book Heroes Work Here: An Extraordinary Story of Courage, Resilience, and Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19 in which she shares how she and her team led Brookdale through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Baier has served more than a decade as a board member for public and private companies. Currently, she is on the board of directors of Argentum, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), and the Nashville Health Care Council, where she serves as Vice-Chair. She is a member of the NYSE Board Advisory Council, which identifies and connects diverse board candidates to NYSE-listed companies seeking new directors, and serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Board.

A number of organizations have recognized Ms. Baier. Some of her awards and honors include Amazon Best Selling Author, CEO Forum Group’s 2021 Top 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America; Nashville Medical News’ Class of 2021 “Women to Watch”; Corporate Citizenship 2020 Award from the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board; one of McKnight's 2020 "Women of Distinction"; and Nashville Business Journal’s "Most Admired CEO" list for two consecutive years.

Before becoming CEO of Brookdale, Ms. Baier was the company's Chief Financial Officer beginning in December 2015. In addition to experience as a seasoned chief financial officer for several companies, she has been responsible for multi-billion-dollar operations, the chief executive officer for a publicly-traded retailer, and served as an executive officer of a Fortune 30 company.

Ms. Baier is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Illinois State University, with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Accounting.

Click here to contact Cindy.

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Mila Grigg

Mila Grigg is a renowned Keynote Speaker, #1 Best Selling Author, and Brand Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder of MODA, a premier personal and corporate branding group in the US. Mila's expertise lies in coaching and consulting on various topics such as Executive Branding, Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Social Media, and Storytelling.

Mila's approach to branding is rooted in her own success and experience as a branding expert. She ensures that her keynotes, consulting agreements, and training sessions are based on tested and proven content, rather than mere opinions or theories. She believes in the power of authentic experiences and aims to help individuals and businesses create, communicate, and profit from their brands.

As a coach, Mila specializes in assisting executives in building their personal brand, developing leadership skills, crafting effective marketing and social media strategies, enhancing sales performance, and improving communication both internally and externally. She helps clients master non-verbal communication, emotional intelligence, storytelling, professional etiquette, and executive presence.

Mila and her team at MODA offer personalized services to companies of all sizes. Whether it's one-on-one consulting or training seminars for larger groups, they are dedicated to benefiting both the company and its employees. Their services include company branding, employee training, core value creation, and social media strategy development.

With her experience, relationships, and clear vision, Mila has been sought after by Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, service companies, associations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs around the world. She emphasizes the importance of branding as a driving force for success and helps clients harness the power of their brands to achieve their goals.

Click here to contact Mila.

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Nealy Glenn

Before Nealy Glenn opened The Cordelle nine years ago, she was an actress and writer. She attended the prestigious NYU graduate school for acting and continued to pursue her craft between Los Angeles and NYC for over twenty years. Nealy and her former husband had a successful partnership resulting in the sales of their man-on-the-run thriller THE MISTAKEN to Sony and a dark drama SLIPKNOT to Relativity Media. Occupant Films optioned the rights to their political thriller THE JACKALOPE. Through their collaboration, they were involved in navigating the complexities of the film industry: dealing with major film studios, managers, agents, and lawyers, along with marketing. Little did Nealy know, this was all training for when she became an entrepreneur.

She also produced, wrote, directed, and acted in a short film THE PASTOR’S WIFE. This experience, combined with her success as a photographer, has been instrumental in developing a creative marketing strategy for the two businesses The Cordelle and Saint Elle. Her photos can be seen at Photographer's Gallery in Los Angeles and at the prominent Beverly Hills Design firm, Buckingham Interiors.

Her knowledge of the film business, from creating and producing to marketing, combined with accomplishments as an artist, has been crucial in the development and success of design and development of The Cordelle.

From Nealy:

“Never did I think my path would cross over into business. Yet when my two friends from college said, ‘Do you want to move to Nashville and buy an old busted up building and turn it into a venue?’ I said, ‘SURE!’ We were all artists: my business partners were musicians, and I was an actress/writer. However, being an entrepreneur, oddly came fairly easy to me due to my family's long line of entrepreneurial endeavors. Being an entrepreneur was in my blood. However, we all had a lot to learn.”

Throughout the process of construction at The Cordelle, Nealy oversaw budgets, grants, accounting, and communication with the architects and contractors. The Cordelle opened on May 15th, 2014, with 37 events booked before opening. At that point, the business was so successful and busy, the team needed to know more. Therefore, through Pathway Lending's advising, Nealy attended the 10,000 Small Business Program at Babson College.

Through attaining education from the 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson College and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Preflight in 2018, Nealy was empowered to create change and to empower her team to focus on the fundamentals of business: Finance, Marketing, Research and Development, and Strategic “Big Picture” Thinking. The in-depth study into these topics has been invaluable as their team opened The Saint Elle, which caters to larger events.

Nealy is passionate about helping creatives learn how to do business because this has been her journey. She would love to have the opportunity to inspire others and tell her story.

Click here to contact Nealy.

Candace Warner

CANDACE WARNER, PH.D. is a sociologist who is passionate about culture, diversity, demographic data, and inclusion strategies. Candace has served as a trainer, facilitator, organizational consultant, and curriculum developer for public and private organizations seeking diversity and inclusion solutions since 2010.

Dr. Candace Warner is the founder and CEO of people3, Inc. The mission of people3 is to provide organizations with diversity and inclusion-centered training, consulting, and research solutions for individuals and organizations. Some of people3's current/past clients include Sony Music Nashville, TechnologyAdvice, PathGroup, Pillsbury Law Firm, TPAC, Asurion, Showpad, Sony Provident Label Group, Center for Nonprofit Management, as well as other health care, non-profit, and technology organizations. Through her work as a diversity and inclusion consultant for the last decade, Candace has also worked with multiple organizations such as auto manufacturing firms, police departments, construction companies, and railroad providers, and health care organizations.

Dr. Warner is also certified as a Cultural Intelligence trainer and assessment specialist through the Cultural Intelligence Center. Candace completed her master’s degree in Sociology and Ph.D. in Public Policy. Dr. Warner’s dissertation research centered on understanding diversity and inclusive-centered services and initiatives throughout Tennessee communities and municipalities. Her major research interests focus on economic inequality, poverty, race, ethnicity, and gender.

Click here to contact Dr. Warner.

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Daynise Joseph

Daynise Joseph manages Government and Community Affairs for Google Fiber in Nashville, TN Atlanta GA, and Huntsville, AL working with nonprofits, government agencies, and community stakeholders to support efforts to make digital literacy, STEM, and minority entrepreneur programs more widely available to underrepresented communities. Before joining Google, she was a nonprofit management consultant and nonprofit Executive Director in Nashville and grassroots community organizer working on various quality of life and social justice issues like affordable housing, living wages, public transportation, and education. Contact Daynise here, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Travis Claybrooks

Travis Claybrooks is the founder and CEO of Raphah Institute. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at Thomas Edison State University and his Master of Divinity at Liberty University. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Liberty University. His eclectic background includes service in the public sector as a police officer and as a soldier in the U. S. Army, as well as in the nonprofit sector as a child advocate. Currently, his nonprofit partners with the Davidson County Juvenile Court in leading the Restorative Justice Diversion Program, an alternative approach to resolving felony harms caused by youth in the Nashville community. Travis enjoys endurance athletics and weekend outings with his family. He resides in Nashville, TN.

Click here to contact Travis.

Colton Mulligan

Colton Mulligan founded FoxFuel Creative in his basement in 2015 with two of his best friends. They were cash flow positive in 90 days and worked with clients from Fortune 100 companies to local bars and breweries while growing the team to 10 folks and $2m in revenue by 2019.

At FoxFuel, Colton serves as CEO and is responsible for client relationships, guiding the discovery process through brand strategy into early creative concepting. With more than a decade of branding and marketing experience, Colton has worked to develop brand and marketing strategies for TSA Pre-Check, Hilton Hotels/Home2Suites, Ben Folds, M.L.Rose, Saint Thomas Health, Fiesta Grande, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Pinnacle Bank, Lipscomb University, Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins, Narus Health, Barge Design Solutions, RC Matthews, Waller, Centric Architecture, Lifepoint, HCA, and Community Health Systems. He also speaks at various events on Digital Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and his personal passion for addressing mental health in the workplace.

Colton lives in Nashville with his gorgeous wife Aly and his dog JT. He loves people, and he loves knowing their stories.

Click here to contact Colton.

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Janna Landry

Janna Landry is known for her sought after ability to coach business leaders, including medical professionals, executives, public figures and entertainers, offering a unique blend of executive acumen and entertainment experience to uncover, define and capitalize on the strengths and abilities of her clients.

Janna has been an aggressive and enthusiastic front-line business development leader and sales and marketing executive and has assisted hundreds of individuals and businesses large and small in communication clarity and brand development for elevated positioning in the marketplace. She believes in mentoring to produce high achievers and strong communicators and delivers results by teaching her cutting edge techniques for success in a competitive business climate. She has proven to be an exceptional closer and negotiator, and she has the formula to assist you in developing these skills.

Artistically speaking, Janna is an accomplished vocalist, public speaker and professional actor. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and has studied the voice extensively. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry she has a long list of production credits in theatre, television, and the music industry both recorded and live. She holds memberships in SAG, AFTRA, and AEA performing unions. She has taught private voice for over 25 years.

Click here to contact Janna.

____________

Jeffrey Deckman

Jeffrey Deckman is a nationally recognized thought leader and award-winning author on Conscious Leadership and organizational design mindsets, models, and methods. His recently published book: “Developing the Conscious Leadership Mindset for the 21st Century” won four national and international Stevie Awards® and is an Amazon best seller in the Occupational and Organizational Psychology category.

In 2021, Jeff won the International Business Awards bronze medal for 'Innovator of the Year' for his work on the M3 Process for Leadership and Organizational Transformation. The M3 Process guides leaders and their organizations through the complex evolution necessary to transform themselves and their organizations into being 21st century ready.

Jeff is a serial entrepreneur who has bootstrapped two multi-million dollar companies and was the co-founder and partner of a leadership Think Tank. He has also built and run several non-profits as well as multiple political organizations. As such he has experience in a wide range of leadership arenas in a wide variety of organizations.

Jeff is a passionate consultant, teacher, author and speaker on the topic of the ways and means to integrate consciousness and business practices to help organizations to maximize their ability to be resilient and powerful as they engage in capitalism more consciously. He is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and regularly publishes on Forbes.com.

Jeff is a stage 4 cancer “thriver”, a dedicated student of consciousness and a Reiki Master. He blends his life experiences with decades of front-line management experience to help his clients build powerful and resilient 21st century ready organizations.

Click here to contact Jeffrey.

____________

Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy is the current General Counsel of Nashville SC, responsible for broad range of legal and business matters.

Click here to contact Joe.

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Kitty Barrow

Kitty Barrow is a co-founder, senior partner, executive leadership coach, trainer, and speaker for Southwestern Consulting with more than 30 years of professional sales, leadership, and entrepreneurial experience.

Kitty spent the first 15 years of her career leading incredibly successful sales teams. She has gleaned invaluable insight from working with thousands of women over the years, helping them develop their sales and leadership skills. Kitty then exponentially increased her own experience when she stepped out of her comfort zone, changed industries completely, and led the way in growing Southwestern Consulting from the ground up in a male-dominated profession. Not only does Kitty currently lead one of the top Southwestern Consulting teams worldwide; her own sales records went unbroken for seven years. Her experience makes her one of the premier thought leaders on the subject of “leading like a woman.”

Now, as an executive coach and speaker, Kitty specializes in giving her clients the tools they need to advance in leadership personally and professionally. In addition to recruiting and onboarding thousands of salespeople during her own career, she has had success coaching managers and teaching business owners how to develop leaders, master delegation, and increase revenue.

Kitty holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, with a master in Sports Medicine. She is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters (a real-life “Soccer Mom”). In her spare time, she enjoys improv, IronTribe Fitness, road biking, sailing and Nashville Major League Soccer (MLS). She is active in her community, serving on the boards of Safe Haven Family Homeless Shelter and the Greater Nashville Auburn Club.

Click here to contact Kitty.

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Mila Grigg

Mila Grigg is a renowned Keynote Speaker, #1 Best Selling Author, and Brand Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder of MODA, a premier personal and corporate branding group in the US. Mila's expertise lies in coaching and consulting on various topics such as Executive Branding, Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Social Media, and Storytelling.

Mila's approach to branding is rooted in her own success and experience as a branding expert. She ensures that her keynotes, consulting agreements, and training sessions are based on tested and proven content, rather than mere opinions or theories. She believes in the power of authentic experiences and aims to help individuals and businesses create, communicate, and profit from their brands.

As a coach, Mila specializes in assisting executives in building their personal brand, developing leadership skills, crafting effective marketing and social media strategies, enhancing sales performance, and improving communication both internally and externally. She helps clients master non-verbal communication, emotional intelligence, storytelling, professional etiquette, and executive presence.

Mila and her team at MODA offer personalized services to companies of all sizes. Whether it's one-on-one consulting or training seminars for larger groups, they are dedicated to benefiting both the company and its employees. Their services include company branding, employee training, core value creation, and social media strategy development.

With her experience, relationships, and clear vision, Mila has been sought after by Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, service companies, associations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs around the world. She emphasizes the importance of branding as a driving force for success and helps clients harness the power of their brands to achieve their goals.

Click here to contact Mila.

____________

Nealy Glenn

Before Nealy Glenn opened The Cordelle nine years ago, she was an actress and writer. She attended the prestigious NYU graduate school for acting and continued to pursue her craft between Los Angeles and NYC for over twenty years. Nealy and her former husband had a successful partnership resulting in the sales of their man-on-the-run thriller THE MISTAKEN to Sony and a dark drama SLIPKNOT to Relativity Media. Occupant Films optioned the rights to their political thriller THE JACKALOPE. Through their collaboration, they were involved in navigating the complexities of the film industry: dealing with major film studios, managers, agents, and lawyers, along with marketing. Little did Nealy know, this was all training for when she became an entrepreneur.

She also produced, wrote, directed, and acted in a short film THE PASTOR’S WIFE. This experience, combined with her success as a photographer, has been instrumental in developing a creative marketing strategy for the two businesses The Cordelle and Saint Elle. Her photos can be seen at Photographer's Gallery in Los Angeles and at the prominent Beverly Hills Design firm, Buckingham Interiors.

Her knowledge of the film business, from creating and producing to marketing, combined with accomplishments as an artist, has been crucial in the development and success of design and development of The Cordelle.

From Nealy:

“Never did I think my path would cross over into business. Yet when my two friends from college said, ‘Do you want to move to Nashville and buy an old busted up building and turn it into a venue?’ I said, ‘SURE!’ We were all artists: my business partners were musicians, and I was an actress/writer. However, being an entrepreneur, oddly came fairly easy to me due to my family's long line of entrepreneurial endeavors. Being an entrepreneur was in my blood. However, we all had a lot to learn.”

Throughout the process of construction at The Cordelle, Nealy oversaw budgets, grants, accounting, and communication with the architects and contractors. The Cordelle opened on May 15th, 2014, with 37 events booked before opening. At that point, the business was so successful and busy, the team needed to know more. Therefore, through Pathway Lending's advising, Nealy attended the 10,000 Small Business Program at Babson College.

Through attaining education from the 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson College and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Preflight in 2018, Nealy was empowered to create change and to empower her team to focus on the fundamentals of business: Finance, Marketing, Research and Development, and Strategic “Big Picture” Thinking. The in-depth study into these topics has been invaluable as their team opened The Saint Elle, which caters to larger events.

Nealy is passionate about helping creatives learn how to do business because this has been her journey. She would love to have the opportunity to inspire others and tell her story.

Click here to contact Nealy.

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Sam Davidson

Sam Davidson is a keynote speaker at conferences, conventions, and colleges about how anyone can take an idea and turn it into reality. His messages focus on story telling, entrepreneurship, leadership, service, innovation and how you can have a better impact through each. Sam knows the unique challenges faced by anyone trying to chase down a dream and live a meaningful life. His talks are funny, uplifting, full of energy, and focused on actionable steps so attendees can take what he says and use it in their own personal and professional lives.

Click here to contact Sam.

Janet Meek

Janet Meek is CEO and founder of JSMAssociates, an executive search and talent acquisition firm based in Nashville, TN. A tenacious business leader with expertise in Talent Acquisition and Development, Sales and Marketing, and Human Resources, Janet consults with healthcare and technology companies on building employer brands that attract and retain the industry’s most qualified job candidates. Before starting JSMAssociates, Janet led a team of recruiters at AppleOne, one of the nation’s largest recruiting and staffing companies.

Janet has a history of assembling strong teams and introducing innovative ideas. She co-founded Sales Executives, an executive recruitment firm specializing in sourcing top sales talent for Fortune 500 companies. She founded Sales Management Group, a niche sales and marketing consulting firm delivering solutions for small businesses in Middle Tennessee.

Janet, who attended Middle Tennessee State University, is a certified Integrity Selling Systems Facilitator and founding member of the Nashville Association of Sales Professions (NASP). Janet is on the board of Tennessee Youth Courts. She has also held leadership or committee positions with the Middle Tennessee Society of Human Resource Managers, the Healthcare Financial Managers Association, and the Nashville Area and Brentwood Chambers of Commerce.

Click here to contact Janet.

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Kitty Barrow

Kitty Barrow is a co-founder, senior partner, executive leadership coach, trainer, and speaker for Southwestern Consulting with more than 30 years of professional sales, leadership, and entrepreneurial experience.

Kitty spent the first 15 years of her career leading incredibly successful sales teams. She has gleaned invaluable insight from working with thousands of women over the years, helping them develop their sales and leadership skills. Kitty then exponentially increased her own experience when she stepped out of her comfort zone, changed industries completely, and led the way in growing Southwestern Consulting from the ground up in a male-dominated profession. Not only does Kitty currently lead one of the top Southwestern Consulting teams worldwide; her own sales records went unbroken for seven years. Her experience makes her one of the premier thought leaders on the subject of “leading like a woman.”

Now, as an executive coach and speaker, Kitty specializes in giving her clients the tools they need to advance in leadership personally and professionally. In addition to recruiting and onboarding thousands of salespeople during her own career, she has had success coaching managers and teaching business owners how to develop leaders, master delegation, and increase revenue.

Kitty holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, with a master in Sports Medicine. She is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters (a real-life “Soccer Mom”). In her spare time, she enjoys improv, IronTribe Fitness, road biking, sailing and Nashville Major League Soccer (MLS). She is active in her community, serving on the boards of Safe Haven Family Homeless Shelter and the Greater Nashville Auburn Club.

Click here to contact Kitty.

____________

Lucinda M. ("Cindy") Baier

Lucinda (“Cindy”) Baier is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. As of year-end 2021, the $2.8 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. The company's 30,000+ employees are taking care of America's seniors.

Ms. Baier became Brookdale's President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors on February 28, 2018. From the beginning, she initiated the company's operational turnaround strategy and developed the “Winning Locally” action plan. Within her second year, the company's Net Promoter Score® increased 20%. In her third year as CEO in 2020, J.D. Power recognized the company as #1 in customer satisfaction (in a tie) in assisted living/memory care communities. As CEO, she led the company through the largest public health crisis in 100 years by prioritizing the health and well-being of its residents, patients, and associates. She focused the company’s efforts on increasing diversity, including the Board and executive leadership team approaching gender parity in 2020. Ms. Baier led Brookdale's efforts to negotiate and restructure leases with its largest three REIT partners. She led the company through the sale of assets, including Brookdale's interest in the unconsolidated entry CCRC ventures and the majority share of its home health, hospice, and outpatient therapy business. These deals unlocked significant value for Brookdale and shareholders. In 2022 Baier published her first book Heroes Work Here: An Extraordinary Story of Courage, Resilience, and Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19 in which she shares how she and her team led Brookdale through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Baier has served more than a decade as a board member for public and private companies. Currently, she is on the board of directors of Argentum, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), and the Nashville Health Care Council, where she serves as Vice-Chair. She is a member of the NYSE Board Advisory Council, which identifies and connects diverse board candidates to NYSE-listed companies seeking new directors, and serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Board.

A number of organizations have recognized Ms. Baier. Some of her awards and honors include Amazon Best Selling Author, CEO Forum Group’s 2021 Top 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America; Nashville Medical News’ Class of 2021 “Women to Watch”; Corporate Citizenship 2020 Award from the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board; one of McKnight's 2020 "Women of Distinction"; and Nashville Business Journal’s "Most Admired CEO" list for two consecutive years.

Before becoming CEO of Brookdale, Ms. Baier was the company's Chief Financial Officer beginning in December 2015. In addition to experience as a seasoned chief financial officer for several companies, she has been responsible for multi-billion-dollar operations, the chief executive officer for a publicly-traded retailer, and served as an executive officer of a Fortune 30 company.

Ms. Baier is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Illinois State University, with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Accounting.

Click here to contact Cindy.

Elle Benson

Elle Benson is a renowned national consultant who specializes in helping organizations transition to greater impact and build capacity. She founded Nonprofit Leadership LLC to support the social sector. With a remarkable career in the nonprofit sector, she has gained extensive expertise in various areas, including organizational development and change, executive transition consultancy, strategic planning, leadership development, and board governance.

Academically, Benson holds an MBA in organizational change and a Bachelor of Arts degree in business. She has obtained certifications in BoardSource and Group Facilitation to support nonprofit board of directors.

Notably, Benson's thought-provoking TEDx talk, titled "A Crash Course in Learning to Laugh," has catapulted her into the spotlight as a highly sought-after keynote speaker. Benson's passion for sharing wisdom extends to her writing as well. She is the author of two books that focus on mindfulness and happiness. Her publications, "Cultivate Your Happiness: Mama-to-Be" and "Cultivating Calmness in Children," provide practical strategies and insights making happiness obtainable daily. Through her books and keynote presentations, Benson aims to empower individuals and teams to cultivate wellbeing in their lives.

Click here to Elle.

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George Hampton

George Hampton joined Currax Pharmaceuticals in April of 2019 as Chief Executive Officer and serves on its board of directors. Prior to joining Currax, Mr. Hampton served as executive vice president, primary care business unit for Horizon Pharmaceuticals (HZNP), a public biopharmaceutical company. In this role he was tasked with leading the forward-looking strategy, as well as establishing operational goals for the business. Previously, Mr. Hampton served as executive vice president, global orphan business unit and international operations for Horizon Pharmaceuticals. He has more than 25 years of experience as a successful executive in the pharmaceutical and biotech field on both a national and international scale including specific expertise in rare disease (ACTIMMUNE, RAVICTI, PROCYSBI), autoimmune (HUMIRA), primary care, orthopedic (CELEBREX), diabetes (BYETTA), anti-infectives and cardiovascular spaces. This includes roles of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing and operations at G.D. Searle, Abbott, (now AbbVie), Amylin and Horizon Pharmaceuticals.

Hampton earned his Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He serves on the board of Amyrt Pharmaceuticals (AMYT.L), a biopharmaceutical company. Additionally, he serves on the board of IMAC (NASDAQ: IMAC) regeneration medical centers.

Click here to contact George Hampton.

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Janna Landry

Janna Landry is known for her sought after ability to coach business leaders, including medical professionals, executives, public figures and entertainers, offering a unique blend of executive acumen and entertainment experience to uncover, define and capitalize on the strengths and abilities of her clients.

Janna has been an aggressive and enthusiastic front-line business development leader and sales and marketing executive and has assisted hundreds of individuals and businesses large and small in communication clarity and brand development for elevated positioning in the marketplace. She believes in mentoring to produce high achievers and strong communicators and delivers results by teaching her cutting edge techniques for success in a competitive business climate. She has proven to be an exceptional closer and negotiator, and she has the formula to assist you in developing these skills.

Artistically speaking, Janna is an accomplished vocalist, public speaker and professional actor. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and has studied the voice extensively. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry she has a long list of production credits in theatre, television, and the music industry both recorded and live. She holds memberships in SAG, AFTRA, and AEA performing unions. She has taught private voice for over 25 years.

Click here to contact Janna.

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Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy is the current General Counsel of Nashville SC, responsible for broad range of legal and business matters.

Click here to contact Joe.

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Kelli Straub

Kelli is a dynamic and accomplished professional with a strong background in the architecture and design industry, boasting over 10 years of valuable experience with STG Design. Recognized for exceptional leadership skills, effective people management, and a talent for project management, Kelli has consistently delivered outstanding results throughout their career.

An advocate for women in leadership, Kelli understands the importance of diversity and inclusivity in driving success. She has actively promoted gender equality in the workplace, championing the professional growth and development of female colleagues. Through mentoring and providing opportunities for advancement, Kelli has played a pivotal role in cultivating a more inclusive and equitable design industry.

One notable aspect of Kelli's career with STG Design, is her involvement with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). As an active participant in an ESOP, Kelli has gained a comprehensive understanding of the financial aspects of business ownership. This unique experience has honed their strategic decision-making skills and fostered a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Click here to contact Kelli.

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Kitty Barrow

Kitty Barrow is a co-founder, senior partner, executive leadership coach, trainer, and speaker for Southwestern Consulting with more than 30 years of professional sales, leadership, and entrepreneurial experience.

Kitty spent the first 15 years of her career leading incredibly successful sales teams. She has gleaned invaluable insight from working with thousands of women over the years, helping them develop their sales and leadership skills. Kitty then exponentially increased her own experience when she stepped out of her comfort zone, changed industries completely, and led the way in growing Southwestern Consulting from the ground up in a male-dominated profession. Not only does Kitty currently lead one of the top Southwestern Consulting teams worldwide; her own sales records went unbroken for seven years. Her experience makes her one of the premier thought leaders on the subject of “leading like a woman.”

Now, as an executive coach and speaker, Kitty specializes in giving her clients the tools they need to advance in leadership personally and professionally. In addition to recruiting and onboarding thousands of salespeople during her own career, she has had success coaching managers and teaching business owners how to develop leaders, master delegation, and increase revenue.

Kitty holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, with a master in Sports Medicine. She is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters (a real-life “Soccer Mom”). In her spare time, she enjoys improv, IronTribe Fitness, road biking, sailing and Nashville Major League Soccer (MLS). She is active in her community, serving on the boards of Safe Haven Family Homeless Shelter and the Greater Nashville Auburn Club.

Click here to contact Kitty.

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Kristen Davis

Kristen Davis is the president and CEO of Nurture the Next, whose mission is to create a future for children filled with promise and prosperity. A fierce advocate and champion for children and families, Kristen leads the agency’s strategic management, finance, and administrative needs.

A skilled trainer, Kristen is certified by myriad programs, including Healthy Families America, Circle of Parents, and Zero to Three. She has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Tennessee and is a Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker in the state. Kristen previously served as the Director of Programs for Nurture the Next, as a social worker for Marshall County Schools, and as Team Leader of the Peninsula Behavioral Unit in Knoxville. Kristen recently led the organization through a complete rebranding of the mission, vision, and name of the organization, creating an increase in awareness and reputation for serving families.

An appointed member of the Joint Task Force on Children’s Justice and Child Sexual Abuse and the Commissioner’s Children’s Advisory Council, Kristen has been instrumental in increasing awareness and education around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In 2015, she was recognized as one of Nashville Business Journal’s 2015 “40 Under 40” for her significant positive contributions in Middle Tennessee, as well as a “Woman of Influence” in 2018. She was also named as the Jim Pryor Child Advocate in 2019.

Kristen has a spirit for service. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville and is a tireless volunteer with her church, and is a graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee. She lives in Nashville with her two children, and most weekends she can be found at hiking at Warner Park.

Click here to contact Kristen.

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Lucinda M. ("Cindy") Baier

Lucinda (“Cindy”) Baier is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. As of year-end 2021, the $2.8 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. The company's 30,000+ employees are taking care of America's seniors.

Ms. Baier became Brookdale's President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors on February 28, 2018. From the beginning, she initiated the company's operational turnaround strategy and developed the “Winning Locally” action plan. Within her second year, the company's Net Promoter Score® increased 20%. In her third year as CEO in 2020, J.D. Power recognized the company as #1 in customer satisfaction (in a tie) in assisted living/memory care communities. As CEO, she led the company through the largest public health crisis in 100 years by prioritizing the health and well-being of its residents, patients, and associates. She focused the company’s efforts on increasing diversity, including the Board and executive leadership team approaching gender parity in 2020. Ms. Baier led Brookdale's efforts to negotiate and restructure leases with its largest three REIT partners. She led the company through the sale of assets, including Brookdale's interest in the unconsolidated entry CCRC ventures and the majority share of its home health, hospice, and outpatient therapy business. These deals unlocked significant value for Brookdale and shareholders. In 2022 Baier published her first book Heroes Work Here: An Extraordinary Story of Courage, Resilience, and Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19 in which she shares how she and her team led Brookdale through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Baier has served more than a decade as a board member for public and private companies. Currently, she is on the board of directors of Argentum, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), and the Nashville Health Care Council, where she serves as Vice-Chair. She is a member of the NYSE Board Advisory Council, which identifies and connects diverse board candidates to NYSE-listed companies seeking new directors, and serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Board.

A number of organizations have recognized Ms. Baier. Some of her awards and honors include Amazon Best Selling Author, CEO Forum Group’s 2021 Top 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America; Nashville Medical News’ Class of 2021 “Women to Watch”; Corporate Citizenship 2020 Award from the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board; one of McKnight's 2020 "Women of Distinction"; and Nashville Business Journal’s "Most Admired CEO" list for two consecutive years.

Before becoming CEO of Brookdale, Ms. Baier was the company's Chief Financial Officer beginning in December 2015. In addition to experience as a seasoned chief financial officer for several companies, she has been responsible for multi-billion-dollar operations, the chief executive officer for a publicly-traded retailer, and served as an executive officer of a Fortune 30 company.

Ms. Baier is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Illinois State University, with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Accounting.

Click here to contact Cindy.

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Mila Grigg

Mila Grigg is a renowned Keynote Speaker, #1 Best Selling Author, and Brand Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder of MODA, a premier personal and corporate branding group in the US. Mila's expertise lies in coaching and consulting on various topics such as Executive Branding, Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Social Media, and Storytelling.

Mila's approach to branding is rooted in her own success and experience as a branding expert. She ensures that her keynotes, consulting agreements, and training sessions are based on tested and proven content, rather than mere opinions or theories. She believes in the power of authentic experiences and aims to help individuals and businesses create, communicate, and profit from their brands.

As a coach, Mila specializes in assisting executives in building their personal brand, developing leadership skills, crafting effective marketing and social media strategies, enhancing sales performance, and improving communication both internally and externally. She helps clients master non-verbal communication, emotional intelligence, storytelling, professional etiquette, and executive presence.

Mila and her team at MODA offer personalized services to companies of all sizes. Whether it's one-on-one consulting or training seminars for larger groups, they are dedicated to benefiting both the company and its employees. Their services include company branding, employee training, core value creation, and social media strategy development.

With her experience, relationships, and clear vision, Mila has been sought after by Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, service companies, associations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs around the world. She emphasizes the importance of branding as a driving force for success and helps clients harness the power of their brands to achieve their goals.

Click here to contact Mila.

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Nealy Glenn

Before Nealy Glenn opened The Cordelle nine years ago, she was an actress and writer. She attended the prestigious NYU graduate school for acting and continued to pursue her craft between Los Angeles and NYC for over twenty years. Nealy and her former husband had a successful partnership resulting in the sales of their man-on-the-run thriller THE MISTAKEN to Sony and a dark drama SLIPKNOT to Relativity Media. Occupant Films optioned the rights to their political thriller THE JACKALOPE. Through their collaboration, they were involved in navigating the complexities of the film industry: dealing with major film studios, managers, agents, and lawyers, along with marketing. Little did Nealy know, this was all training for when she became an entrepreneur.

She also produced, wrote, directed, and acted in a short film THE PASTOR’S WIFE. This experience, combined with her success as a photographer, has been instrumental in developing a creative marketing strategy for the two businesses The Cordelle and Saint Elle. Her photos can be seen at Photographer's Gallery in Los Angeles and at the prominent Beverly Hills Design firm, Buckingham Interiors.

Her knowledge of the film business, from creating and producing to marketing, combined with accomplishments as an artist, has been crucial in the development and success of design and development of The Cordelle.

From Nealy:

“Never did I think my path would cross over into business. Yet when my two friends from college said, ‘Do you want to move to Nashville and buy an old busted up building and turn it into a venue?’ I said, ‘SURE!’ We were all artists: my business partners were musicians, and I was an actress/writer. However, being an entrepreneur, oddly came fairly easy to me due to my family's long line of entrepreneurial endeavors. Being an entrepreneur was in my blood. However, we all had a lot to learn.”

Throughout the process of construction at The Cordelle, Nealy oversaw budgets, grants, accounting, and communication with the architects and contractors. The Cordelle opened on May 15th, 2014, with 37 events booked before opening. At that point, the business was so successful and busy, the team needed to know more. Therefore, through Pathway Lending's advising, Nealy attended the 10,000 Small Business Program at Babson College.

Through attaining education from the 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson College and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Preflight in 2018, Nealy was empowered to create change and to empower her team to focus on the fundamentals of business: Finance, Marketing, Research and Development, and Strategic “Big Picture” Thinking. The in-depth study into these topics has been invaluable as their team opened The Saint Elle, which caters to larger events.

Nealy is passionate about helping creatives learn how to do business because this has been her journey. She would love to have the opportunity to inspire others and tell her story.

Click here to contact Nealy.

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Sam Davidson

Sam Davidson is a keynote speaker at conferences, conventions, and colleges about how anyone can take an idea and turn it into reality. His messages focus on story telling, entrepreneurship, leadership, service, innovation and how you can have a better impact through each. Sam knows the unique challenges faced by anyone trying to chase down a dream and live a meaningful life. His talks are funny, uplifting, full of energy, and focused on actionable steps so attendees can take what he says and use it in their own personal and professional lives.

Click here to contact Sam.

Mila Griggs

Mila Grigg is a renowned Keynote Speaker, #1 Best Selling Author, and Brand Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder of MODA, a premier personal and corporate branding group in the US. Mila's expertise lies in coaching and consulting on various topics such as Executive Branding, Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Social Media, and Storytelling.

Mila's approach to branding is rooted in her own success and experience as a branding expert. She ensures that her keynotes, consulting agreements, and training sessions are based on tested and proven content, rather than mere opinions or theories. She believes in the power of authentic experiences and aims to help individuals and businesses create, communicate, and profit from their brands.

As a coach, Mila specializes in assisting executives in building their personal brand, developing leadership skills, crafting effective marketing and social media strategies, enhancing sales performance, and improving communication both internally and externally. She helps clients master non-verbal communication, emotional intelligence, storytelling, professional etiquette, and executive presence.

Mila and her team at MODA offer personalized services to companies of all sizes. Whether it's one-on-one consulting or training seminars for larger groups, they are dedicated to benefiting both the company and its employees. Their services include company branding, employee training, core value creation, and social media strategy development.

With her experience, relationships, and clear vision, Mila has been sought after by Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, service companies, associations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs around the world. She emphasizes the importance of branding as a driving force for success and helps clients harness the power of their brands to achieve their goals.

Click here to contact Mila.

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Travis Claybrooks

Travis Claybrooks is the founder and CEO of Raphah Institute. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at Thomas Edison State University and his Master of Divinity at Liberty University. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Liberty University. His eclectic background includes service in the public sector as a police officer and as a soldier in the U. S. Army, as well as in the nonprofit sector as a child advocate. Currently, his nonprofit partners with the Davidson County Juvenile Court in leading the Restorative Justice Diversion Program, an alternative approach to resolving felony harms caused by youth in the Nashville community. Travis enjoys endurance athletics and weekend outings with his family. He resides in Nashville, TN.

Click here to contact Travis.