August 03, 2022
It’s a summer of uncertainty for small businesses, as inflation continues to reach record highs. With a possible recession on the horizon, it is more important than ever for entrepreneurs to think strategically and bolster all facets of their business in order to withstand today’s turbulence, and emerge stronger for a better tomorrow.
The CNBC Small Business Playbook virtual summit will offer insight and advice from top experts on how businesses can hedge against inflation, supply chain disruptions, labor challenges and more.
For CNBC Small Business Playbook editorial coverage, stories and video, visit www.cnbc.com/small-business-playbook/.
Bethenny Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. Bethenny recently made a multi-year deal with MGM Television and Mark Burnett to generate unscripted television projects that she will produce.
Coming to HBO Max, Bethenny is set to headline a new business competition series, The Big Shot with Bethenny, from MGM Television, Mark Burnett and her own B Real Productions. In the upcoming eight-episode series, the next generation of business moguls will compete for a chance to win a spot on her Skinnygirl executive team.
She is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women, including the launch of the Skinnygirl Jeanswear Collection, which sold out on HSN within its first few hours.
Bethenny has teamed up with Endeavor Content to create Just B, a podcast devoted to being a self-made mogul in business, lifestyle and beyond. Just B with Bethenny Frankel launched in September 2020, instantly topping the charts becoming ranked #4 on the Apple Podcast episodes chart and the #1 podcast in the society and culture category within the first week. Just B with Bethenny Frankel is available on Apple, Spotify and other listening platforms.
Seattle based Multi-platinum and GRAMMY award winning rapper Macklemore made history as an independent artist with a combination of commercial success, critical acclaim and international appeal. Collectively Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 3 billion times and he is one of only two rappers in history to have a Diamond-certified single (“Thrift Shop”). His newly released song, the single “Chant” premiered on July 22nd.
Macklemore, an avid golfer, is the Founder of Bogey Boys, a new golf and lifestyle brand. He has a 11 handicap and plays three rounds of golf per week. He plays both recreationally and competitively. He won the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Celebrity Shoot Out.
Melissa L. Bradley is Founder of 1863 Ventures, a business development program that accelerates New Majority entrepreneurs from high potential to high growth. Melissa serves as General Partner of 1863 Venture Fund, Venture Partner at NextGen Ventures and serves an advisor to Reign Ventures, New Voices Foundation, as well as the Halcyon Fund. She is also a member of the Milken Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Asset Management Initiative, Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women Advisory Council, Launch with GS Advisory Council, Fast Company Executive Board, Square & Forbes Small Business Advisory Team, as well as the Target Accelerators Entrepreneurs Advisory Council. Melissa is the former Co-Chair, National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and was named one of The Most Entrepreneurial Women Investors in 2018.
Melissa is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where she teaches impact investing, social entrepreneurship, P2P economies, and innovation. In 2021 she was awarded Peter W. Gonzalez, Jr. Award for Excellence in Adjunct Faculty Teaching. In 2020, Melissa received The Ideas Worth Teaching Award which celebrates exceptional courses that are preparing future business leaders to tackle society’s largest challenges and create a more inclusive, just, and sustainable version of capitalism.
Melissa's educational background includes graduation from Georgetown University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the School of Business, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing from American University in 1993.
Ricardo Casas serves as Assistant District Director for Southeast Florida, Puerto Rico
and U.S. Virgin Islands for the SCORE Association - Counselors to America’s Small
Business and nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA). Ricardo is a member of SCORE’s National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Advisory Council as well as SCORE’s Hispanic National Steering Committee.
In addition to his leadership roles at SCORE, Ricardo mentors and serves on Boards of
Advisors of several minority-owned small businesses in healthcare, manufacturing,
education, nonprofit and wholesale trade industries.
Prior to joining SCORE, Ricardo has over 20 years’ experience with the ExxonMobil
Corporation where he held leadership roles across its Global Retail Fuels, Industrial,
Aviation, Lubricants and Chemicals organizations. He worked on projects in 40
countries around the world. Ricardo also held the positions of Lead Country Manager
and President of Esso Standard Oil Company (Puerto Rico), Esso Jamaica and Esso
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ricardo holds a Master’s in Management and a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering
from the Georgia Institute of Technology and completed the Advanced Management
Program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Jill Martin is an Emmy Award-winning television personality and New York Times bestselling author. Martin is the Lifestyle Contributor on NBC’s TODAY show known for her wildly popular “Steals and Deals” segments. She also serves as a guest co-host for the 3rd Hour of Today. After writing three fashion self-help books, Jill wanted to create a line of products for women to bring ease, comfort, and accessible elegance into their lives. Jill created a lifestyle brand for QVC that is coveted by the world’s most famous celebrities and adored by women (& men) across the world.
Jeffrey A. Robinson, Ph.D. is an award-winning business school professor, international speaker and entrepreneur. Since 2008, he has been a leading faculty member at Rutgers Business School where he is the Prudential Chair in Business. He is the Academic Director of The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development, Director of Special Programs at the Rutgers Advanced Institute for the Study of Entrepreneurship & Development, and research fellow of the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation. He has used his business acumen to launch new ventures, advise established businesses and consult to Fortune 1000 corporations.
Through his research, business leadership and community activities he makes direct impacts corporate workplaces, entrepreneurs and economic development policy in the state of New Jersey and beyond. Emerging from his pioneering research, the New Jersey Social Entrepreneurship Institute and the CUEED Pipeline to Inclusive Innovation are national and international models for economic development and social problem solving using entrepreneurial approaches. He leads research on four National Science Foundation funded research projects related to inclusive innovation including the GEM Inclusion in Innovation Initiative (GEM i4).
Dr. Robinson is the author of many articles and books on the topics of management, entrepreneurship and workforce diversity. He is the co-author along with Dr. Randal Pinkett of Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness (published by Harper Collins Leadership). In 2022, he and Dr. Pinkett will release Black Faces in High Places: 10 Strategic Actions for Black Professionals to Reach the Top and Stay There (also published by Harper Collins Leadership). As a result of his work, Dr. Robinson is a sought-after speaker and trainer in many Fortune 1000 Corporations, foundations and leading social sector organizations including Wells Fargo, Comcast, KIPP Schools, Raytheon, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Novartis, The National Urban League and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). Dr. Robinson is a media commentator appearing on Dateline NBC and NBC Nightly News, PBS, NJN News, Marketplace on Public Radio International, Black Enterprise, NJ Biz, and The New York Times.
Dr. Robinson is co-founder of the consulting company BCT Partners (www.bctpartners.com) based in Newark, New Jersey. BCT Partners provides management, technology and policy consulting to corporations, non-profit organizations, foundations, and various government entities as they plan and implement change strategies and improve organizational effectiveness. At BCT Partners, Dr. Robinson supports the diversity, equity and inclusion consulting practice. He is the co-creator of the Redefine the Game Institute, a management-level education and career advancement program designed for Black business professionals and community leaders.
Dr. Robinson has completed five degrees in the areas of engineering, urban studies and business. At Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies at Rutgers College and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Rutgers School of Engineering. He has a Master of Science in Civil Engineering Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and an M. Phil. and a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.
Dr. Robinson is an active member of the community and volunteers his time with many worthy causes. He works with various community organizations to empower, educate and encourage others. He is President of the Board of Trustees of the Sphinx Scholarship Fund Inc. He is Chairman of the board of directors of Support Center for Nonprofit Management and a board member of Forward Ever Sustainable Business Alliance. He holds life memberships in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and the National Black MBA Association. He and his wife, Valerie Mason-Robinson, and three children are active members of Abundant Life Family Worship Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Dr. Robinson believes in the words “to whom much is given, much is required” and endeavors to use his time, talents, treasure and touch to encourage and inspire others to reach their God-given potential.
Dr. Nada Sanders is the Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. Dr. Sanders is an internationally recognized thought leader and expert in forecasting, predictive analytics, risk management and supply chain management. Her expertise is in identifying best practices in forecasting, developing a corporate technology strategy, and creating a resilient supply chain. She is author of the books Big Data Driven Supply Chain Management (Pearson), Foundations of Sustainable Business (Wiley), Forecasting Fundamentals (BEP) as well as Supply Chain Management: A Global Perspective in its 2nd edition (Wiley), and is co-author of the book Operations Management, in its 6th edition.
She has experience collaborating with industry and NGO leaders creating teams of both faculty and practitioners to jointly address research questions. As Research Director of the Supply and Value Chain Center (SVCC) at TCU, she was instrumental in developing a programmatic research agenda that unified business challenges of SVCC members with faculty research interests.
Dr. Sanders has authored over one hundred scholarly works and has served on the editorial boards of prominent journals in her field, including the Journal of Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, Decision Sciences Journal, Journal of Business Logistics, and International Institute of Forecasting.
Holly Wade is the director of research and policy analysis for NFIB, where she provides analysis on public policy issues and economic trends affecting small business. She also produces the monthly Small Business Economic Trends survey with NFIB’s chief economist. She is a member of the National Association of Business Economics, National Economists Club, and the Department of Commerce’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business. She has undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Washington and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Denver.
Holly Thaggard is the Founder of Supergoop!, the first and only lifestyle brand 100% dedicated to UV protection that is changing the suncare industry through breakthrough, first-to-market SPF innovations. In 2005, she launched Supergoop!, a collection of ingredient-conscious, efficacious formulas that deliver broad spectrum protection in unique, user-friendly and feel-good ways. Holly is on a mission to stop the epidemic of skin cancer by changing the way the world thinks about sunscreen. Holly’s focus is on product innovation and development, and as a vocal advocate for sun and skin health.
Over the course of her Supergoop! career, the brand has earned numerous industry accolades, including Allure’s “Best of Beauty” list seven years in a row, a total of four CEW Beauty Awards, two products honored in Time Magazine’s Best Inventions lists along with inclusion in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies list for 2022. Holly has also been honored on Entrepreneur's 2019 100 Powerful Women List and Inc Magazine's 2019 100 Female Founders Building America's Most Inspiring Businesses. Prior to starting Supergoop!, Holly was a third grade teacher and professional harpist. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband and two children.
Maxeme (Max) Tuchman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Caribu, an interactive video-calling platform that helps kids have virtual playdates with family and friends when they can’t be physically together. Caribu is one of Apple's 15 "Best Apps of 2020", one of TIME Magazine’s 'Best Inventions', made Fast Company’s list of 'World Changing Ideas', was named one of the ‘Top Ten EdTech Companies to Watch’ in Forbes, and became one of the most innovative startups in the world by winning the 1776 Global Challenge Cup. Max has been the winner or finalist in 30+ pitch competitions, is the 59th Latina in the US to raise over $1M in venture funding, and the first Latinx founder to raise $1M in Equity Crowdfunding. Max has been recognized and honored as one of the Top 100 Female Founders by both Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine.
She has worked in almost every level of education from being a public school teacher, a consultant at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Executive Director of Teach For America, and manager of education projects under NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Before co-founding Caribu, Max was appointed by President Obama to serve as a White House Fellow at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She is a first-generation Cuban-American and college graduate, and alumna of the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs and the Miami Fellows Leadership Program. Max currently serves as a Trustee of The Miami Foundation and received her MBA & MPP from Harvard.
Renee Grimm is a division manager at Capital Group, home of American Funds, responsible for the northeast RP division. Earlier in her career at Capital she was a retirement plan counselor, responsible for relationship management and sales development in Michigan and northwest Ohio and before that, South Carolina, southern Georgia and northern Florida. She has 14 years of industry experience, all with Capital Group. Prior to joining Capital, Renee was a buyer at Delco Foods, an Italian specialty company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in merchandising from the University of Kentucky. She also holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation. Renee is based in Hoboken, N.J.
Patrick Knorr is the EVP/Chief Commercial Officer for the combined commercial operations for Astound Business Solutions. Prior to this role, he served as EVP of Business Solutions for Wave Broadband, responsible for all Business Solutions related Business Units. Knorr’s early Telecommunications career began in 1996 with bringing Internet to rural schools and communities in Kansas working for KINNET and Netspace Internet. In 1998, he moved to Sunflower Broadband, eventually moving into the position of Chief Operating Officer. There he built his reputation as an industry leader, serving as Chairman of the American Cable Association from 2006-2008. Driving early and successful deployments of numerous cutting-edge technology services (including early beta deployments for DOCSIS, RFOG, Voice Recognition Navigation, Dynamic Ad Insertion, and Multi-Room DVR’s) to a rapidly expanding base of residential and business customers, Patrick was named CableFax 2008 “Strategic Thinker of the Year.” Knorr is driven by helping teams achieve excellence and delivering excellence to customers.
Knorr is married with three children and has Bachelors in Science from Kansas State University.
Jen Rogers is an award-winning financial reporter and anchor. Most recently, she was the host of The Final Round, Yahoo! Finance’s live daily close-of-market show and Time for Change, its program focused on issues of diversity and social justice in the business world.
Before joining Yahoo! Finance, Jen spent more than a decade in television -- at CNN, MSNBC, and Reuters. She has had a front row seat for the biggest tech and finance stories of our time and has interviewed a who’s who of business leaders, including Warren Buffett and Elon Musk.
Jen is a runner, a reader, and a cancer survivor. She co-founded Comedy vs Cancer, an annual event which raises money for cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she also serves on the Patient and Family Advisory Council.
Rhonda Schaffler has been reporting on business for NJ Spotlight News since 2016. Previously, she worked as an anchor and reporter for CNN, Reuters and Bloomberg.
Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel is the Chief Marketing Officer for Staples, Inc., which includes Staples.com and Staples Advantage, Staples' B2B business. She has held this role since November of 2021 and is responsible for Brand & Creative Strategy, Customer Acquisition & Development, the Loyalty Program, and Marketing activation channels like Field Marketing, Email, and Direct Mail. Prior to her role as CMO, Amy was the Senior Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing for Staples, Inc. Here, she gained eCommerce expertise leading the Sell Side Merchandising organization, which was responsible for eCommerce and seller enabled sales. In addition, she led multiple Marketing teams, including Email, Direct Mail, Catalog, Field, and Customer Lifecycle Marketing. She was also responsible for the promotional strategy, prioritizing sellers' time via the Commercial Plan, and Vendor Programs. In addition, Amy spent almost a decade in positions of increasing seniority in Merchandising for Staples.com, StaplesAdvantage.com, and Staples’ Retail stores where she built her capabilities in P+L management, eCommerce, Retail, and Omnichannel customer experiences. These various positions included category responsibility for Office Supplies & Paper, Tech Services, Warranties, Software, Computing, and 3rd party gift cards. Amy started her career with Staples 14 years ago in Corporate Strategy. Before joining Staples, Amy was a Vice President at the strategy consulting firm Kaiser Associates and graduated with honors from Harvard Business School. She received her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, where she majored in Economics and Mathematics.
NYC-based video presenter and producer with extensive experience in all areas of television and digital video development and production, including anchoring, reporting, writing, producing, interviewing, editing, social media, hiring and team development. Organized, detail-oriented and collaborative leader with comprehensive experience in business news, media training and startups.
Contessa Brewer is a correspondent and substitute anchor for CNBC appearing throughout Business Day as well as the network’s 7pm ET newscast “The News with Shepard Smith.” She covers major news stories for CNBC including presidential elections, hurricanes, the coronavirus pandemic and trade wars. Her specialty coverage areas are casinos, the gaming industry and the insurance industry. Brewer joined the network in 2017 and is based at CNBC Global Headquarters.
A National Emmy-Award winning journalist, Brewer is known for her marathon on-air coverage of breaking news and big political stories. While an anchor for MSNBC, she hosted daily news programs and the long-running, primetime series “Caught on Camera.” As a correspondent, Brewer has contributed reports to CBS News, CBSN, WNBC, NBC News and MSNBC, where she covered a wide range of stories including presidential elections, debt ceilings, government shutdowns, natural disasters, terror attacks and celebrity news. She began her career in Reno, NV followed by Palm Springs, CA and Milwaukee, WI.
Brewer is a Remembrance Scholar and magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and Honors Program. She’s narrated several audiobooks and resides in New York with her husband, twin sons and a dappled dachshund.
Dominic Chu is a senior markets correspondent for CNBC, located at the network’s Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. He appears during CNBC’s Business Day programming and contributes to CNBC.com.
Previously, Chu was a New York-based markets correspondent for Bloomberg Television, where he covered the stock, bond, currency and commodities markets. During that time, he interviewed some of the world’s top money managers and business executives, and he also was part of the team that covered Hurricane Sandy and the Boston Marathon bombings. In addition, Chu handled sports business reporting for the network.
Chu brings extensive knowledge of the financial markets, having worked in sales and trading for UBS Investment Bank, mutual fund management for Hennessy Advisors and investment management for Seascape Capital.
He has spoken at numerous industry conferences and was a regular contributor to radio and television outlets across the country.
Chu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration from Cornell University.
Sharon Epperson, named one of “12 to Watch in TV News,” can be seen regularly on CNBC television and other media platforms.
As CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, Epperson covers the many facets of how people manage, grow and protect their money. Her expertise includes saving and investing for retirement, paying for college, managing mortgage, student loan, credit card and other debt, and building a financial legacy through estate planning.
Preparing your finances for the unexpected is another critical (and personal) aspect of her reporting. In September 2016, Epperson sustained a ruptured brain aneurysm and she nearly lost her life. She has become a staunch advocate for health and wellness issues, raising awareness about brain aneurysms and funding for research. In September 2018, she and her family established “The Sharon Epperson Chair of Research” through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to provide grants for research on early detection and innovative treatments.
Epperson is a lead contributor to “Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow.,” a multi-platform financial wellness and education initiative at CNBC in partnership with the micro-investing app Acorns, and developed its companion 8-week learning course and weekly newsletter, “Invest in You: Money 101.” She also contributes to NBC’s TODAY and NBC Nightly News as well as Today.com and NBCNews.com.
Her book, The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money-and Live Richly Ever After, was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Awards, honoring works that have “changed the lives of millions.” She also was a contributing writer for The Experts’ Guide to Doing Things Faster. Her personal finance expertise has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Weekend, Self, Essence, Ebony and TIME, where she had covered business, culture, social issues and health as a correspondent prior to joining CNBC.
Epperson has numerous industry and civic awards, including the Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Savvy Inspiration Award from the non-profit, financial empowerment group Savvy Ladies. She won an Alliance for Women in Media’s Gracie Award for Outstanding Online Host for her “Financial Advisor Playbook” video series on CNBC.com. She has received the Vanguard Award for her distinguished career in business and personal finance reporting from the National Urban League Guild, and the All-Star Award from the Association of Women in Communications. She also has won awards from the New York Festivals, the New York Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Epperson is committed to improving financial literacy, particularly in underserved communities. She was invited to the White House during President Obama’s administration to speak about financial literacy and to moderate a public meeting of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability at the U.S. Treasury Department. She also speaks frequently at conferences and events for local and national organizations, colleges and universities about many facets of personal finance.
An adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Epperson has also taught courses at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. She enjoys teaching the importance of budgeting and building long-term savings as part of her professional development courses for graduate students.
Epperson received her bachelor’s in sociology and government from Harvard University, a master of international affairs degree from Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from Carlow University in Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native, she has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame at Taylor Allderdice High School, her alma mater.
She currently lives with her husband and two children in Westchester County, N.Y.
Kristina Partsinevelos joined CNBC in May 2021 as a general assignment reporter. She is based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting appears on television and CNBC’s digital platforms. She covers stocks, investment trends around ESG and the reopening of the American economy for Business Day.
Partsinevelos joined CNBC from Fox Business Network, where she served as a business correspondent and economist for three years covering everything from technology, to the White House, to the Federal Reserve and reporting in the field around New York City during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also reported from South Carolina in the eye of Hurricane Florence, a category 4 storm, in September 2018.
Prior to that, Partsinevelos worked for Global News in London, BNN Bloomberg (Canada’s Business News Network), CTV News Channel and CBC Edmonton covering the latest financial news, including the retail, tech, and automotive sectors.
She is fluent in French and received her MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saȉd Business School. She also has a master’s in journalism from Carleton University.
Kate Rogers joined CNBC in September 2014 as a reporter based at the network's Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Rogers covers small business and entrepreneurship for the network appearing on CNBC's Business Day programming and providing daily stories and videos to CNBC.com. She will also contribute to the network's overall markets coverage.
Previously, Rogers was a personal finance and small business reporter for FOX Business and FOXBusiness.com. While there, she reported across FBN's and FOX News' daily programming. She also created and hosted a web series on entrepreneurship and startups called "Growing Your Business" for FOXBusiness.com.
Prior to FBN, Rogers was a reporter at the Nonprofit Times covering the business aspect of nonprofit management, and was an editor at the Union County Local Source.
Rogers holds a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Women's Studies from the University of Delaware.
1:00pm ET - 2:45pm ET
Multiple economic headwinds have converged to present the perfect storm for small businesses. We’ll break down the latest data to examine the state of small business in America, and the road ahead.
Holly Wade, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center Executive Director
Interviewer: Kate Rogers, CNBC Restaurant and Small Business Correspondent
Watch the full interview
Inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions are the three biggest challenges small business owners are currently facing. We’ll discuss ideas to lessen the strain and alleviate the pain.
Nada Sanders, Northeastern University, Distinguished Professor, Supply Chain Management
Jeffrey Robinson, Rutgers Business School, Provost and Executive Vice-Chancellor
Moderator: Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC Nasdaq Reporter
Watch the full interview
He’s a Grammy-award-winning rapper who recently added a new title to his resume: small business owner. Macklemore will share how a pandemic hobby led to his newest venture, and how he has applied many of the lessons learned in the music industry to his role as an entrepreneur.
Macklemore, Rapper & Entrepreneur
Interviewer: Dom Chu, CNBC Senior Markets Correspondent
Watch the full interview
SPONSORED AND PROGRAMMED BY ASTOUND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Work from home has been great for companies and workers, though the concept has created a blurred line for the end-of-the-day, and workers often feel isolated. With the hybrid work environment and the fact that its benefits are likely here to stay, employers face the challenge of effectively communicating with remote or hybrid workers. This session will focus on ways small businesses can stay focused on clear communication to keep remote employees connected and engaged.
David Bryan, Poly Chief Technology Officer
Patrick Knorr, Astound Business Solutions EVP and Chief Commercial Officer
Moderator: Rhonda Schaffler, Business Anchor
Watch the full session
SPONSORED AND PROGRAMMED BY CAPITAL GROUP
If you aren’t offering a retirement plan to your employees, you may want to re-think that. Low jobless numbers combined with the great resignation mean small businesses need to stay competitive to attract new talent and retain it. Setting up a plan or reviewing one you’ve had in place for a long time might feel daunting. It doesn’t have to be. This session will address why offering a retirement plan is a true benefit to both employer and employees. We will also discuss perceived hurdles in setting up a plan for your business and how it may be easier than you think.
Renee Grimm, Capital Group SVP Retirement Plan Division
Interviewer: Caroline Woods, Financial Reporter
Watch the full session
SPONSORED AND PROGRAMMED BY STAPLES, INC.
An inflationary environment, supply chain disruptions, and the ever-present threat of an economic downturn are squeezing small businesses just as they work to recover from the pandemic. Now, more than ever, companies need to work to find ways to manage costs and save money through these uncertain financial times. This session will explore specific ways small businesses can navigate these increasingly expensive times and also take steps to avoid costly supply chain disruptions.
Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel, Staples, Inc. Chief Marketing Officer
Interviewer: Jen Rogers, Financial Reporter
Watch the full session
There are so many obstacles that can often feel insurmountable for small business owners. That’s why perseverance is key. We’ll talk to two inspiring entrepreneurs who will share their inspiring stories of how they beat the odds, overcame challenges, and “made it,” and how you can too.
Holly Thaggard, Supergoop! Founder & Chairman
Maxeme Tuchman, Caribu CEO & Co-Founder
Moderator: Jill Martin, TODAY Show Lifestyle & Commerce Contributor
Watch the full interview
It is possible for anyone to be successful, according to a reality star turned self-made businesswoman. She’ll reveal the secrets to her unconventional rise, why straight-talk and authenticity are key, and how to bounce back after being knocked down.
Bethenny Frankel, Entrepreneur & Author
Interviewer: Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
Watch the full interview
Here’s your chance to engage with fellow business owners and exchange insight and ideas. Plus, we’ll answer your questions, and offer up pro-active steps you should take to navigate the challenges of today, and successfully plan for tomorrow.
Melissa Bradley, 1863 Ventures, Founder & Managing Partner
Ricardo Casas, SCORE, Assistant District Director Southeast Florida
Moderator: Contessa Brewer, CNBC Correspondent
Astound Business Solutions provides businesses of all sizes with affordable high-capacity, secure connectivity to your mission-critical applications through award-winning service that increases overall agility and responsiveness to your customer needs. As a national telecommunications provider, we offer advanced communications solutions to eight of the top 10 metro markets that are delivered over a diverse, carrier-grade network that we own and maintain, providing the speed, bandwidth, and reliability you need to support your growing data demands. We maintain a local, customer-centric approach, with dedicated industry experts on-hand around the clock to help you stay on top of today’s evolving IT technology and remain competitive in their markets.
Capital Group has been singularly focused on delivering superior long-term results for investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. As of March 31, 2022, Capital Group manages more than $2.6 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors around the world.
Staples, Inc. Company Bio
With over 30 years in the game, Staples is here to help organizations feel confident navigating the ever-changing world of work. With a wide selection of quality products and services specifically designed for how you work, and a knowledgeable team dedicated to our customers, our mission is to ensure you can get the job done and done right wherever and however you work.
Staples.com
Get your favorite products through our effortless site, with most orders delivered next day to businesses and homes.
StaplesAdvantage.com (for business)
Purchasing programs tailored for business needs with customized pricing and member-only features and services.
Stacey Abrams is the three-time New York Times bestselling author of While Justice Sleeps, Our Time is Now, and Lead from the Outside, an entrepreneur; and a political leader. A tax attorney by training, she served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives and seven as Minority Leader. Abrams has launched multiple organizations devoted to voting rights, training and hiring young people of color, and tackling social issues at the state, national, and international levels. She is the founder of Fair Fight, Fair Count, and the Southern Economic Advancement Project. A small business owner, Abrams co-founded the financial services firm NOW Corp. and Sage Works Productions, Inc., a media company. She has received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School.
Barbara Corcoran’s credits include straight D’s in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. Over the next 25 years Barbara would parlay that $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate business, building the largest and best-known brand in the business.
Corcoran is the author of the best seller “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!” and host of top podcasts “Business Unusual with Barbara Corcoran”.
Corcoran is a motivational and inspirational speaker. She is a frequent small business and real estate contributor on every major network. Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past twelve seasons on ABC’s four-time Emmy award winning show, Shark Tank, investing in over 80 businesses to date. Follow Barbara on Twitter and Instagram @BarbaraCorcoran.
Ravin Jesuthasan is a recognized futurist, global thought leader and author on the future of work and human capital. He has led multiple research efforts on the global workforce, the emerging digital economy, the rise of artificial intelligence and the transformation of work.
Ravin is the Global leader of Transformation at Mercer and a partner of the firm based in Chicago.
He has led numerous research projects for the World Economic Forum including its ground-breaking studies; Shaping the Future Implications of Digital Media for Society, Creating a Shared Vision for Talent in the 4th Industrial Revolution and HR 4.0: Shaping People Strategies in the 4th Industrial Revolution. He is a regular participant and presenter at the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings in Davos and Dalian/Tianjin and is a member of the forum’s Steering Committee on Work and Employment.
He has been recognized as one of the top 25 most influential consultants in the world by Consulting Magazine, one of the top 8 future of work influencers by Tech News, one of the top 100 HR influencers by HR Executive and was named to the Thinkers 50 Radar Class of 2020.
Ravin is the author of Transformative HR, Lead The Work: Navigating a World Beyond Employment and Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach to Applying Automation to Work. Transformative HR and Reinventing Jobs were winners of the Axiom silver and gold awards for business book of the year in 2012 and 2018 respectively. His latest book Work without Jobs came out by The MIT Press in spring 2022.
He has authored over 150 articles including 14 for the Harvard Business Review and his article in the HR People and Strategy Journal entitled Performance Management as a Business Discipline received the Walker Award for the most original and valuable contribution to the HR profession. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes Magazine.
Ravin is a frequent guest lecturer at universities around the world including Oxford University, Northwestern University, University of Southern California and New York University and an advisor to and featured prominently on PBS’s highly acclaimed documentary series “Future of Work”.
Gary Vaynerchuk is the chairman of VaynerX, a modern-day media and communications holding company and the active CEO of VaynerMedia, a full-service advertising agency servicing Fortune 100 clients across the company’s 4 locations.
In addition to VaynerMedia, VaynerX also includes Gallery Media Group, which houses women’s lifestyle brand PureWow and men’s lifestyle brand ONE37pm. In addition to running VaynerMedia, Gary also serves as a partner in the athlete representation agency VaynerSports, cannabis-focused branding and marketing agency Green Street and restaurant reservations app Resy.
Gary is a board/advisory member of Ad Council and Pencils of Promise, and is a longtime Well Member of Charity:Water.
Gary is a highly sought after public speaker, a 5-time New York Times bestselling author, as well as a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, and Uber.
Gary is currently the subject of DailyVee, an online documentary series highlighting what it’s like to be a CEO and public figure in today’s digital world, as well the host of The GaryVee Audio Experience, a top 100 global podcast, and host of #AskGaryVee, a business and advice Q&A show which can be found on both YouTube and Facebook.
Gary also appeared as judge in Apple’s first original series “Planet of the Apps” alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba and Will.i.am.