Presenters
Jared is a financial service executive with 20 + years of management experience with Fortune 50. He is a highly motivated financial service leader with a track record of consistently exceeding performance objectives. Jared has strong proficiencies in business development and sales management. He is driven, articulate, and experienced with hands on leadership believing in coaching, mentoring, servant-ship, accountability, and solid execution of strategies.
Jared is an industry leader with experience in Operations Management, Financial/Operations Control, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Staff Selection/Development, Revenue Generation, Budget Responsibility, Competitive Product Positioning, and Delinquency/Collections.
Dave is the online marketing leader trusted by millions of small businesses. In his role, Dave acts as an educator and an advocate for small business leaders, marketing professionals, and nonprofits by providing practical marketing advice to help them achieve their goals. Dave earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his Bachelor of Arts in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. Additionally, Dave has continued his education attending the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York City for media designers and creative professionals.
He is a dynamic leader, speaker, creator, and award-winning marketer who strives to inspire small businesses by simplifying the complex world of online marketing. Dave also hosts the Be a Marketer podcast.
Joe is the founder of Imagine! Studios. Joe is a children’s book author, illustrator, and cartoonist who loves to encourage and inspire people through art and stories. Joe has a Bachelor’s degree in fine art from Bowling Green State University and has worked as an illustrator for leading children’s education publisher Carson-Dellosa.
His work has been published in books, greeting cards, magazines, and newspapers. Joe is the creator of the cartoon character Herby the Parrot, author and illustrator of Herby Gets a Life, and illustrator of numerous other books for children, with more exciting books in the works. Joe lives in Sarasota with his wife Kristen and their cat Isabella. When not creating art, he enjoys singing, acting, dancing, reading, going on adventures in the great outdoors and to faraway places, and playing with model trains.
Heather is the Founder of Invigorate Nexus Consulting. Heather Koester is a high-energy community connector adept at working strategically with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations to align mission with purpose and achieve measurable impacts. Heather can see the big picture while at the same time precisely and efficiently managing all critical aspects of multi-faceted projects.
Her strong connection to community through civic leadership, including serving as an Executive Board Member for nonprofits, Trustee to Foundations, volunteering, and through her wellness company. Her leadership skills were honed through a decade of military service, first as a Combat Medic for a U.S. Army Military Police Battalion, then through her appointment to lead a public relations over a six-state region.
Joshua Matlock serves as President and CEO of CareerSource Suncoast, a private nonprofit organization serving Manatee and Sarasota counties, by helping businesses grow and communities prosper with proven solutions for talent recruitment and development. Joshua is an advocate of the importance of investments in people and partnerships for creating conditions where people can do their best work.
It’s those businesses and communities that value people more who will thrive most in the future. Joshua has the honor of chairing Manatee Technical College’s Board of Governors and serving on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County, Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Bradenton Area EDC, Florida Workforce Development Association and the Leadership Manatee Alumni Association.
Kevin has been in the Audio-Visual business for over 11 years. Kevin has a bachelor’s degrees in business administration and economics from Frostburg State University. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder and elected President of Frostburg State University Entrepreneurship Club. Furthermore, Kevin achieved an MBA from University of South Florida while attending at the Sarasota-Mantee USF Campus. Kevin has the Florida Low Voltage Certification for limited energy cable installation, maintenance, and repair.
Prime Audio Visual has been featured in several publications for cutting edge technology installations and customized solutions in both commercial and residential applications. Kevin is a former Operations Director focused on expanding a Florida based automation company. Kevin has started two successful home improvement/home renovation companies. His Passions include entrepreneurship, improving efficiency, and creating a positive work environment.
Tracie founded Sunshine Community Compost as a non-profit organization that offers community composting education and action programs in Sarasota and Manatee counties. She is a Manatee County native with a career background in community-based healthcare, non-profit solar energy, and organic and regenerative agriculture. After 17 years in California, Tracie returned to her Florida roots, combining her life skills with her passion for healthy, thriving people and the planet.
She hopes to bring more awareness to the interconnected benefits of composting, to the social and environmental challenges that result from normalizing concepts of “waste” and “disposability”, and the importance of honoring the intrinsic value in all of life. Her desire to advance the mission of Sunshine Community Compost is what brought her to CareerSource Suncoast, where she learned the importance of having a solid foundation in business development to grow the organization.