AMBER LINNEKIN | HEART FOR ORPHANS

Amber lives in Williamsburg, Virginia with her husband, Ryan, and two children, Eli and Addie. Their oldest daughter, Natalie is a senior at the University of Mary Washington.

After an 18-year career in banking, Amber left to follow her passion in 2019. She is now the Director of Donor Relations at Heart for Orphans. For as long as she can remember, she has been drawn to helping the less fortunate, particularly children that are in situations far outside of their control! Taking the relationship building skills she developed in banking combined with her tremendous compassion for children, the role is a great fit!

Heart for Orphans is a non-profit in Williamsburg that serves orphans in Ukraine, Belarus and Kenya. They provide loving, nurturing, Christ-centered transition homes, foster support, and outreach programs to kids right where they are at.

All over the world, millions of children are living in orphanages and sadly, less than one percent will ever be adopted. In most of the areas Heart for Orphans works, teens age out of the orphanage at the age of 16. Unbelievably, with few possessions, they are turned out onto the streets to fend for themselves.

Amber first visited Ukraine with Heart for Orphans in 2013. On that trip, her heart was broken when she looked into the eyes of the sweet kids. As she saw their blank stares of hopelessness, something stirred in her heart! She came home and immediately began helping Heart for Orphans by volunteering. She knew that, as long as there was an orphan problem, she could not turn away.

DANNY RUBIN | RUBIN

Danny Rubin is the founder of Rubin, a leading provider of online curriculum for business communication skills (ex: email and phone etiquette). Rubin, the company, works with school divisions and colleges/universities nationwide to help students write and speak with greater confidence for college and career opportunities.

Danny is a Hampton Roads native (Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach). He's a former TV reporter for WTKR NewsChannel 3 and public relations professional at Rubin Communications Group where he worked alongside his father, Joel, a journalism and PR veteran in our region.

Rubin, the educational company, is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider that delivers its online curriculum, called Emerge, on a subscription basis. Customers include Atlanta Public Schools, Prince William (Virginia) County Schools and Michigan State University.

Learn more at www.rubineducation.com or on Twitter @RubinEducation

JOVAN NEAL | TRIPLE S CLEANING

Jovan Neal, Founder and CEO of Triple S Cleaning LLC, which specialize in commercial janitorial cleaning. 

Jovan has 20 years of experience managing and executing government contacts through ship repair and is a graduate of The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. Through the years of ship repair, starting from an apprentice and advancing to an Executive Manager role has allowed me to develop expert level business operations and management experience.

While the ship repair industry was a great field to work in, I always had a passion for business ownership as well as helping people.

Starting Triple S Cleaning was a direct result of that passion. I knew with a janitorial business I could have a direct affect with helping low income, disadvantaged men and women. Providing them with a steady income through job creation as well as basic life skills through training and development. We feel these things are essential to everyday life. Our goals are to continue working with re-entry programs, the city's work release program, and any other programs that will help provide a positive impact in the community.

TROY MCCULLUM | LAYER9

It requires a special leader to take an industry associated with brainiacs and turn it into an uber-cool operation, but that’s exactly what Troy McCollum has done with Layer9.

Founded in 2002, Troy has grown the company to more than 150+ managed clients stretching along the East Coast and more than 20+ CloudVue clients located throughout the United States. Focused on solving the Rubik’s Cube of business technology challenges, Troy's innovative approach has fortified digital environments and given clients the freedom to work from anywhere.

Troy lives in Suffolk, Virginia with his wife and 2 children.

LAWRENCE A. GHOLSON II, YOU FACTOR COACHING

Lawrence A. Gholson II is a Published Author, Business Strategist, and an “Add Value” Life Coach and Speaker. Specializing in team building, creative partnerships, and personal development, Lawrence challenges you to maximum capacity in order to achieve and discover your goals and ultimately your better self. He calls it discovery of your YOU Factor! As an entrepreneur himself, Lawrence provides mentorship and coaching to small business owners, contract professionals, and leaders on all levels through his company YOU FACTOR COACHING. 

He brings over twenty years’ experience as a professional & personal development mentor, diversity & team building facilitator, a successful serial business owner, co-founder of The MAXIMIZED Life Coaching & Mentoring team, co-founder of the non-profit Inner Peace Coalition LLC, which focuses on trade & vocational certifications for youth in non-traditional education tracks; he is an active community coordinator, social entrepreneur, and Human Rights advocate. 

As a demonstrational speaker, Lawrence is motivating, inspiring, and encouraging; but he is quick to share that his goal is to ADD VALUE and that requires challenging YOU to access, dissect, and strategize current opportunities before you and liberating YOU to access, dissect, and strategize who you need to become in order to arrive at your “there”. 

“sUccess is YOUniversal” 

Dr. Hans Boateng — The Investing Tutor

Dr. Hans Boateng, The Investing Tutor, is an investing enthusiast! He has mastered the subject of investing and can teach it to almost anyone. He earned his Path of Distinction MBA from The College of William and Mary and holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from St. John Fisher College. Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. He recognizes the lack of investment literacy in immigrant and minority households. When he discovered how rich families built their fortune using the stock market, he decided to become an investor. After reading 400 books, 40,000 financial articles, and spending 11 years pursuing mastery, Dr. Hans now teaches his proven strategies.

Dr. Hans has impacted the lives of countless professionals and placed many families on the path to Generational Wealth. He is the most trusted investment tutor in the country.

Coleen Santa Ana, President Sentara Obici/BelleHarbour/St. Luke’s Hospitals

The seed for a career in healthcare was planted as Coleen Santa Ana watched her mother, an oncology nurse, tending to patients. "The compassion she showed patients, family members and colleagues made an impression on me," Coleen says. "It was the inspiration to focus my career on health care.”

Coleen is a product of the Virginia Beach public school system, James Madison University and Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned a master's degree in healthcare administration. She launched her career as a 15 year old hospital volunteer, immersed herself in the work through increasingly responsible leadership roles and has served as president of two Sentara hospitals before age 40.  A no-nonsense leader, Coleen’s faith makes her a mission-driven leader.

After working out west, Coleen returns to her Tidewater roots to be closer to her family and give back to the community where she grew up. As an alumnus, it is an honor for Coleen to sit on the board of Virginia Commonwealth University. She has held previous board positions with North Carolina’s College of the Albemarle and the North Carolina Healthcare Association and graduated from the Hampton Roads CIVIC Leadership Institute. She enjoys mentoring healthcare administration students, especially female minority candidates. Coleen is also active in the Filipino community. 

In Coleen’s eyes, Hampton Roads’ greatest asset is its diverse population.  She would love to see Hampton Roads’ seven cities create an inclusive, welcoming environment that celebrates diversity. Immigrating from the Philippines, Coleen believes hard work, perseverance, resilience, humility and a willingness to push outside her comfort zone has been her recipe for success.

“Being comfortable creates complacency,” she says. “Discomfort helps us grow and develop strength.” Coleen demonstrated this philosophy through five-years as a minority female president of a struggling hospital in rural North Carolina after Sentara took it over. She left it on a firm financial, clinical and operational footing and earned the respect of regional political and business leaders in the process.  Recognized for her success, Coleen earned the Modern Healthcare’s ‘Up and Comers Award’ in 2018.  In 2019, Coleen was honored as one of the ‘Women in Business’ by Inside Business. Currently, Coleen Santa Ana is the President of Sentara Obici Hospital, Sentara BelleHarbour, and Sentara St. Luke’s (Isle of Wight).

In her downtime, Coleen spends time with Hoku, her 16-year-old pug. She enjoys travel and the adventure and learning that come with it.

Cheryl Tan, Cheryl Tan Media

Cheryl Tan is a speaker, consultant, and CEO of Cheryl Tan Media. She specializes in supporting corporate professionals who want to fully utilize the power of video and create a greater impact in the world.

Her core philosophy is this: Great video creators aren’t born. They are made.

Before running her own consulting business, Cheryl was a TV news anchor, reporter, and host for television stations in Georgia and Virginia. Now she shares the skills she learned in the newsroom with businesses and organizations around the country to help them create their own pieces of valuable content. She trains teams and executives on how to show up better on camera. She is also the creator of the Video Bootcamp, a coaching and mentoring program specifically tailored to entrepreneurs and experts. Her system eliminates stress, saves time, and helps students develop the skills to use video to reach a bigger audience. You can learn more about her system and hear expert interviews on her podcast, STANDOUT with Cheryl Tan. 

Cheryl and her husband have three sons. They live in Virginia Beach.

Kimberly Pomares, CEO COURTHOUSE ACADEMY

Kimberly Pomares is the CEO of Courthouse Academy, a Spanish immersion private school in Virginia Beach that serves infants through fifth grade. Courthouse Academy has been in operation since 1992 and is the only school of its type in the area.

Kimberly has a Masters degree in audiology and speech pathology from California State University, Los Angeles and is married to Paul Nolte, a retired Navy Commander. Paul and Kym have two grown daughters, Morgan and Taylor who live in Boston. Presently both Paul and Kym work to keep the school running optimally.

When Morgan was a preschooler Kym searched for a preschool and was not overawed by what she found so she went out and created what she wanted for her own children. Kym wanted her daughters to receive a great education in a caring environment. Kym also had a passion for the Spanish language because of her Cuban and Spanish ancestry. Addressing both these concerns and desires resulted in the creation of Courthouse Academy.

The school opened in 1992 to serve about 25 children with a teaching staff of 5. Today Courthouse Academy serves about 250 students and has a combined teaching and admin staff of about 60. The school is for English speaking students to learn to read and write in both English and Spanish.

In 2017 Kym won the “Child Care Rockstar” award given at an international venue attended by over 600 business owners and has been included in 3 books that are best sellers in the child care business field.

Kym is passionate about the benefits of being bilingual. In addition to supporting healthy brain development, becoming bilingual affords students opportunities that would not otherwise be possible. It has opened doors for her daughters, allowing them to work for an international company and frequently travel the world. Through her work and the school she wants all children to experience what the school offers. “Opening Doors to the Future Through Bilingual Education”.

Bob Pizzini, CEO – iFly Virignia Beach

Bob Pizzini is the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of iFLY Va Beach Indoor Skydiving. Development of iFLY Va Beach began in 2010, and which brought this multi-million dollar technologically advanced experience to Virginia Beach in 2015. In 2018 iFLY Va Beach was awarded the Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year. 

Robert retired from the U.S. Navy in 2010 after 26 years of service in Navy Special Operations as a Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician, and EOD Officer. While on active duty Robert completed multiple deployments in support of various operations throughout the world. In January 2009, he completed a combat tour with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Arabian Peninsula, Balad, Iraq. His personal decorations include the Bronze Star. 

Upon retirement from active duty he was an Associate with R3 Strategic Support Group from 2010-2015 where he managed various client portfolios advancing the government’s ability to combat terrorism. 

Mr. Pizzini received his Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from New York Regents College and graduated from Troy State University with a Master of Science degree, International Relations, National Security concentration. He is also a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and was an adjunct professor with American Military University’s School of Homeland Security from 2007-2010. 

Robert is a Master EOD Technician, Master Naval Parachutist, Master Training Specialist, Mixed Gas Deep Sea Diving Officer, United States Parachute Association Accelerated Free Fall Instructor (AFFI), and Six Sigma Green Belt. Professional affiliations include membership in the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, Chair Elect, Va Beach Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors, and the Virginia Beach Hotel Association Legislative Affairs Committee. Robert is a member of the Navy Special Operations Foundation Advisory Board as well as Chair of the Hampton Roads Sports Commission, and as a USA Hockey Level 4 coach he coaches youth and college hockey. 

Roze MerditaJ, Founder/CEO – Real Women Collective Action (rwca)

Roze has over 10 years banking Experience and over 8 years running small businesses. At Fulton Bank, she holds the position of Commercial Lender. In her career has focused primarily on business development, strategic planning, management, business lending, consumer lending, team development, coaching, and community development. Additional abilities include building successful work teams, project management, multi-layer communication, networking, and relationship building.

Throughout her banking experience, she has been inspired to bring value with her commitment to financial education, service, open communication, and connecting people with resources.

Her career in banking has involved many roles and responsibilities that she used every day to help those around her. While in these roles she completed a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business all the while raising her children as a single mom. To say where there is a will there is a way barely describes her.

Roze was born and raised in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. Women in Kosovo are limited in life choices and are considered second class citizens. Becoming a resource and creating a path for women is one her main passions in life. She believes anyone can achieve great success, with hard work, dedication, and focus.

As a strong believer in lifelong learning, Roze provides regular programs for school children called “Teach Children to Save,” in which participants learn about their wants and needs and concepts of saving money. She delivered “Teach Children to Save” to over 300 students in Hampton Roads in 2015. She mentors and coaches youth groups on financial management in Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank, Goodwill, and various shelters throughout the year.

Jim Schneider, Owner – Schneider Custom Builders

Jim was introduced to the construction industry when his dad, a contractor himself, started bringing him to work as a 9‐year‐old boy. In 1984, he started his company that over the years has developed into a Custom Design Build firm.

Schneider Custom Builders designs new custom homes and remodels but takes more pride in building relationships. “We’ve grown to realize the critical nature of earning the trust of our clients is only overshadowed by maintaining it. It’s easy to build/remodel a house for a client, it’s our goal to build/remodel a home for a friend.”

Jim, a Norfolk resident, has been married to his wife Sue for 29 years and has two children, Mackenzie and Joey. He serves on the board or the Ghent Business Association, Advisory Board of the CHKD Child Abuse Prevention Program and is a past Chair of the Craftsmen, club #11 of the National Association of Home Builder’s 20 Club program.

Polly White, COO — Gather

Polly White is a founding partner with and COO of Gather, a professional coworking community. Gather currently has three locations in Richmond that provide collaborative and creative workspace to more than 500 businesses. Gather’s newest and flagship location will be opening in Norfolk in June at 500 East Main Street. A second Hampton Roads location will open in the Tech Center, Newport News in August. Together with the Richmond locations, Gather will provide a community to more than 1,000 businesses.   

 A serial entrepreneur, business consultant and speaker, Polly is known throughout the US and internationally from her columns in Entrepreneur.com and Richmond.com among others. She has written two award-winning books with her business partner and husband, Doug.    

Polly gives back to the community through her work with nonprofits, chambers of commerce, foundations and boards.  

Stephanie Gorham, Executive Director — VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads

Stephanie, Executive Director of VOLUNTEER Hampton Road, received her Bachelor's Degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. She is a seasoned nonprofit development professional with more than 15 years' experience working for various nonprofits in the Texas area and most recently served as the Development Officer supporting the Tidewater Community College Foundation. During her time at TCC, Stephanie raised funds in support of numerous scholarships, student leadership programs and needed equipment for student programs.

Stephanie began her career in Texas where she served as the Vice President of Resource Development for the United Way of North Texas and the Director of Development for CASA of Red River, Texas.

Stephanie resides in Chesapeake with her husband Jim Gorham, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, and their four children.

Curtis & Robin Hoessly, Allegra Marketing, print & Mail

Curtis and Robin both grew up in Norfolk and after a career in foodservice decided to purchase a local commercial printing company with the intention to transition it into an Allegra Marketing Print & Mail franchise.

Twelve years later and a number of acquisitions Allegra now has over 30 employees to service the entire Hampton Roads market. In addition, Allegra has been joined by Image 360 (a full service sign & graphics division) which allows Allegra and Image 360 to offer a complete graphics communication expertise to our customers in Hampton Roads.