Critical Mass Business Talk Show | Orange County’s Longest-Running Business Talk Show

John Forsyte has led Pacific Symphony since 1998, during which time it has emerged as the largest orchestral institution founded in the U.S. in the past 50 years. Under his leadership, the Symphony has grown in national and international stature. Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018 as one of two orchestras invited to perform in Philip Glass’ 80th birthday celebration. That sam...

LaVal Brewer is the President & CEO of South County Outreach in Irvine, CA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing hunger and homelessness by helping people help themselves. With over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management and more than a decade in executive leadership, LaVal is a seasoned expert in board development, strategic planning facilitation, and fostering high-functi...

Gregg Hemphill is the CEO of Nexbelt, LLC, a leader in premium belts and accessories. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, where he played on the golf team, Gregg worked in a variety of roles until 2001, when he met John Ashworth as he was starting a new golf brand with Quiksilver. Gregg joined the brand and worked there until 2006, later moving to tMax Gear as VP of Product. At...

Meg Treat, APR is a public relations agency leader, running industry professional, entrepreneur, and educator. She is the owner and CEO of Treat Public Relations, the endurance event industry's premier public relations and strategic communications partner. Her award-winning firm represents some of the largest endurance sports events in the United States. Meg founded Treat PR in 2016, looking to un...

Since founding Powerhouse+Co. in 2015, Kristin has advanced its standing as one of Orange County’s premier agencies by highlighting innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurism. She has continued to reimagine the firm’s approach to PR, influencer and social media programs to tell powerful client stories. Last year, Kristin redefined what it means for Powerhouse+Co. to be sought for its indus...

Alison Lehmann Edwards is the CEO of the nonprofit organization Groundswell, she has been involved with the organization since 1998, serving as the director for the BRIDGES Safe and Respectful Schools Program, then Deputy Director of the organization before becoming CEO in 2018. Ali has degrees in Ethnic Studies, American Studies and Cultural Studies. Groundswell is the organization that tracked a...

Sohail Sadeghi is the founder and principal of Atlantis Tax Group & Financial Services, a firm revolutionizing the tax industry by providing strategic tax planning services that go beyond traditional preparation. With over a decade of experience in both the public and private sectors, Sohail is committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals through proactive and innovative tax stra...

Jasmina (Jass) Brooks is President, Electrophysiology, Johnson & Johnson MedTech (formerly Biosense Webster, Inc.), a global leader in the science, diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Jass is a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience in the cardiovascular field, primarily focused on electrophysiology. She has accountability for setting the J&J MedTech Electroph...

Joshua Dominic is the Co-Founder & CEO of Dreamstar Lines , the premier overnight sleeper train service in North America. Joshua co-founded Dreamstar after experiencing the significant shortfalls in today’s travel and realizing other countries had a working solution, but one needing further development for the American market. By developing a luxury rail service that solves many of those issue...

Bita Safari is the founder and CEO of GIGO Clean Technology . GIGO Clean Technology provides a platform for an application that works like Uber for the cleaning industry. Starting from a small office in Santa Ana, California, the company plans to provide services nationwide by 2028. Bita Safari is an effective leader with an extensive project management background. Under her vision and leadership,...

Bryan Crain is the President of Orange County Rescue Mission , Bryan’s entrepreneurial career began 28 years ago as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California. He co-founded what became the largest independent radio show prep company in the nation, serving over 2,000 radio morning shows with daily written and audio content. After selling the company in 2014, Bryan was hired as the C...

Jennifer Strong is the founder of Cognitive Diagnostic Associates (CDA) , the largest special education company in the United States. An accomplished School Psychologist with specialized expertise in School Neuropsychological Assessment. Boasting an illustrious background in the field, Jennifer has embraced the role of Board Member and Region 9 (IX) Representative for Orange County within the Cali...

Jay Rogers is an investment professional and entrepreneur with almost three decades in the financial services industry. His career began with such firms as Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Bear Stearns and later transitioned to working full time with family offices and creating diverse investment portfolios. Alpha Strategies was established in 2009 by a group of highly experienced investment profes...

Chris Skaling is the visionary founder and CEO of NAITIVE, an innovative AI Consulting Agency that is transforming the consulting landscape. With over 15 years of experience in AI integration and cloud transformations, Chris is at the forefront of pioneering AI-driven solutions that redefine how businesses operate. At NAITIVE, Chris leads a team dedicated to offering a fresh, personalized approach...

Polina Kratova is the Founder and CEO of RiseUP Stars , a pioneering organization in youth enrichment and education. With over a decade of experience working with tech-enabled startups and building impactful programs, Polina has dedicated her career to empowering young minds through innovative, hands-on learning experiences. RiseUP Stars is a leading provider of enrichment programs that span befor...

Tom Wood is a seasoned entrepreneur and industry expert with a passion for helping business maximize profits and increase their bottom line. As the CEO of Silent Streams, he has successfully saved companies millions of dollars and increased employees' benefits at the same time. With a keen eye for innovation and a commitment to excellence, Tom is dedicated to changing the way business owners appro...

Known as The Transformational Book Coach for “cause publishing,” Susie Schaefer believes that books are the gateway to creating a movement. Whether writing a book helps an author heal past trauma or raise awareness for social change, Susie empowers storytellers to be part of the global conversation and create a ripple effect for humanity, particularly when an author shares their own story in conne...

Shannon Chapman graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 2000, making her way to SDSU days before her 18th birthday. She wanted to be a teacher, so she majored in English & had her BA by 2004. She was 21 when she graduated college & set out to become a teacher abroad. Instead, she welcomed a baby boy at age 23 with half of her credential completed & a job as a substitute teacher. Th...

Jenn Quader is President & CEO of The Smart Agency , a 30-year-old company she acquired in 2018 that is now the leading professional communications firm for commercial real estate and financial services companies in the United States. Her personal mission is to empower the next generation of confident communicators by sharing her voice in the global movement toward empathetic and human-first b...

John Cervenka is the CEO and a co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc. Starfish is a fast growing global social media platform that enables users to promote their good, connect with others that share common interests, and easily connect with the causes they about. Prior to launching Starfish, John was an Institutional Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Before joining Morgan Stanley, John was a producer...

Ian Tonks is an expert EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide . Through the Entrepreneurial Operating System™, Ian Tonks combines timeless business principles with a set of simple, practical, real-world tools to help entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses, enabling them to crystalize their vision, instill discipline and accountability throughout the organization, and build healthy, funct...

Sebastian Zelger, born in 1988 in Germany, is the CEO of Liqui Moly USA . His early experiences with low-paying and physically exhausting vacation jobs during high school fueled his determination to pursue higher education and a successful career. While studying, Zelger gained hands-on experience at prominent companies like Porsche AG in Stuttgart and Carl Zeiss in Aalen. In 2014, Sebastian joined...

Scott Cannon is the CEO of OC-based BigRentz , a leading procurement software company that solves long-standing challenges in construction by streamlining equipment procurement and improving logistics. The platform connects contractors to over 14,000 rental yards and 6,000 rental companies across the U.S., reducing inefficiencies in a traditionally fragmented industry. With BigRentz’s expansive ne...

Curtis McCullom is a Human Potential Coach, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, speaker, and trainer with over 35 years of experience in self-improvement and personal development. As the CEO of the Curtis McCullom Group LLC, Bespoke Human Potential Coaching, Curtis helps individuals and entrepreneurs break through mindset blocks, increase income, and find fulfillment through his L.G.E.T. Mindset™ (...

For more than 25 years, Bill Wilhelm has played a pivotal role in helping shape R.D. Olson Construction to become one of the nation’s leading general contractors, commemorating 40 years in business this year. Under Wilhelm’s leadership, R.D. Olson Construction has earned an award-winning reputation across the Western U.S. and Hawaii for projects spanning hospitality, multi-unit, adaptive reuse, ed...