Proactive Planning Team

Ashley Lupiani began her career in 2006 working at MetLife. In 2007, furthering her insurance career, she made the cross-country move from Connecticut to sunny San Diego, California. She spent nine years at LPL Financial, mainly focusing on Underwriting and Sales as an Advanced Case Consultant. Ashley joined Elite Assurance Team in 2016 and is currently the in-house Life Insurance Specialist. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Tony, and German Shepherd, Maverick, traveling, cycling, wine tasting, and cheering on her beloved New England Patriots. Ashley’s focus within Elite Assurance Team is with regard to life insurance consulting, case management, and agent contracting.

Since Bobby was a child, he has had two loves, hockey & business. Bobby always wanted to be a professional hockey player; however, lacked the one key ingredient to make that dream come true...TALENT. His other dream was to build a company that would help companies improve the way they do business. That dream is alive & kicking! Bobby Giurintano is the Co-Founder/Managing Partner of Recovery Guardian LLC.Recovery Guardian finds thousands of dollars for companies. They audit their current and past workers' comp insurance policies (up to 7 years back) looking for mathematical mistakes / errors that lead to the client getting a refund. His team eats, sleeps and breathes workers' comp insurance. Their work goes far and beyond your annual audit with your broker/safety group. Bobby is a Workers' Comp Consultant; helping owners & CFOs recoup overpayment from their past 7 years WC audits, reduce future premiums up to 50%, fight WC audit disputes & provide innovative benefits to keep employees healthier. He always puts the client first and takes pride in being very easy to work with. His process is designed to be as hands off as possible so that there is minimal effort required on the client’s end. The last thing we want is to add another “project” to the client's daily workload. Bobby has worked with 100+ companies nationally and loves what he does.

Boris Piskun is the Managing Principal of both Greenday Finance and GreenPACE Capital. Boris started GDF in 2016. GDF is a commercial solar developer and Power Purchase Agreement (“PPA”) provider throughout the US. GDF offers commercial & non-profit property owners a long-term solution to convert to solar energy with its proprietary commercial PPA. GDF has developed and manages over 700 projects since inception GreenPACE Capital LLC (“GPC”) provides C-PACE financing to commercial & non-profit property owners. The Company originated and C-PACE bonds in excess of $50 million. Prior to starting GDF & GPC, Boris ran several private equity firms in NYC, targeting the commercial real estate sector and acquired more than $1 billion in commercial assets during my tenure. He holds a Bachelor of Art degree at Columbia University and played professional basketball in Europe prior to starting his business career.

Brian Ableman, Co-Founder Founder and CEO of AGS Advisors, is an Employee Benefits, Personal and Commercial insurance, and Life Insurance innovator and strategist. His diverse background enables him to not only find solutions to complex benefits and insurance situations but also to help navigate AGS through a constantly evolving insurance environment and the growing needs of commercial and individual clients. With a foundation in publishing, Brian prides himself on not only building comprehensive solutions for clients but also on conveying those solutions in a clear, digestible way for company owners, employees, and individuals.

Charles enjoys explaining the R&D tax credit to anyone. He wants business owners to understand the credit’s potential. Having helped dozens of companies grow by enabling them to keep more money in their own bank account rather than the government’s, he wants to see the same benefit for your business as well, through appropriate usage of the R&D tax credit. While working at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Los Angeles, CA, Charles was fortunate to work with several large, high-profile Fortune 500 companies from various industries. He also worked for another CPA firm, Gatto, Pope, & Walwick LLP in San Diego, CA where he was able to engage with small and medium-sized businesses, again of various industries. Current clientele varies in size and location, so no matter where your business is located, and from start-ups to well established firms, he’s happy to work with you. Drop him a line so he can help you understand how your business can benefit from the R&D tax credit. Charles currently resides in Utah with his wife and two children. Sometimes he’s not looking at spreadsheets full of tax savings because his wife has pulled him outside for some fresh air, and makes him hike around the mountains. He does enjoy games of all types, reading books of all varieties, lounging around, and lunch. He’ll usually say “Yes” if you ask him out to lunch.

Chris Hall is the founder of Estate Guru and heads up strategic partnerships and business development for this industry leading cloud based legal solution. His current role with the team at Estate Guru is a mission to provide access to quality legal assistance for the masses. The goal is to take advantage of today’s powerful technology paired with the still very important, human element. Before founding Estate Guru he worked in the real estate industry and as a financial advisor, building a successful practice which he ultimately sold. Following the sale of his financial practice Hall spent nearly 10 years trading futures and managing a real estate partnership. Mr. Hall grew up in San Jose, California where he attended both High School and College. He now resides in sunny Dunedin, Florida. When not working you’ll likely find him enjoying time with his wife, on a bike, or on the links.

A seasoned businessman, Chris understands well the priorities and perspectives of successful investors and business owners and is highly attuned to providing solutions that best help them in the critical times of transition in their careers and lives Chris maintains a very extensive professional network. He has worked in large corporate and entrepreneurial settings, has managed over 60 sales executives company wide and was the top public presenter for his company.

Craig Favara is the Vice President of Sales at Bulk Mineral, assisting individuals with creative tax strategies that help them reduce their ordinary income come year end. With the help of his team, he oversees bulk acquisitions and charitable donations that provide our purchasers with leveraged tax deductions and optimal financial outcomes. Craig has experience working with fortune 100 and other companies as director. His experience includes managing a team of professionals, data analysis, client relations along with developing and training staff.

I am a proven certified Business Coach that helps business owners make more money and work less. I do this by asking the right questions, leading you to think differently and inspire action that generates desired results. I will help you with improving sales, implementing effective marketing and advertising, manage cash flow, team and leadership training

Jeff Stolper started on Wall Street 30 years ago in 1993 and by 1995 was the top producer/Stockbroker at his firm. By 1996 he was recruited to run a Wall Street firm and by 1997 he had transitioned to co-owning a NYSE Franchise brokerage firm. After 10 years on Wall Street and 6 financial licenses, Jeff pivoted and started his own innovative advertising firm called NBP (Neighborhood Business Partnership) which had accrued over 700 Business Owners in NYC within its first 3 years alone. By the end of 2005, early 2006 Jeff had gotten involved in a Health & Wellness direct selling company called Isagenix and became the 68th Millionaire/Legacy Member in that company as well with over 30,000 members in his organization worldwide. But in early July of 2013 he had created the best business idea of his career! Creating & successfully pioneering the Bill Reduction/Bill Negotiation Industry. Jeff is well regarding for being the best bill negotiator in the world and his company iDeal Advocates by being the Premier Bill Negotiation Company in the industry. Some of Jeff’s other accolades include: Founder/Chairman of the Edgewater NJ Chamber of Commerce Former Board Member of the Morristown Chamber of Commerce Former Field Advisory Member of Savings Highway Global Graduate of the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music and the Arts in NYC- Vocal Major (Fame School) Graduate of Tony Robbins Mastery University Programs Graduate of Peak Potentials Quantum Leap Programs Among his many, many accomplishments which are too many to list here, he is most proud of being a dedicated husband to his wife April and to his two children Mika and Jax

Ryan Hamilton and Jesse Raynes are the Founders of Inception Financial, and have over three decades of combined experience in renewable energy finance and development, with leadership positions at numerous clean technology firms including Solar City, NRG Energy, Javelin Capital, and Tesla. Ryan holds numerous securities licenses and leads Finance and Partner Operations, and Jesse leads Client and CPA Relations.

Josh is a CPA and CMI with specialist knowledge as state tax specialist who has significant experience with delivering cost reduction opportunities in the areas of real and personal property tax reviews, compliance, and economic incentives. He brings extensive experience in real and personal property tax appeal advocacy, real estate appraisal and testimony, economic incentive procurement and audits, property tax compliance planning and delivery.

Josh Yager is a recognized expert on the management and oversight of trust assets. He lectures and writes extensively on the policies, procedures, and practices for the prudent administration of trusts. He has been invited to speak to various Bar associations, CPA chapters, estate planning councils, Professional Fiduciary Association forums and AICPA national events. Josh has testified as an expert witness within the California courts on matters around trustee duties and prudence. Josh has led governance consulting engagements for the boards of public pension funds responsible for assets more than $30b, foundation and endowment boards with assets in excess of $250m and for individual trustees with modestly funded trusts. Credentials/Licenses: CalBar licensed attorney – Active CFP ChFC CLU

As the Vice President of Sales at The Atticus Group, a leading executive benefits consultancy, Justin holds a critical role in steering the organization's sales strategy, managing daily sales operations, and guiding the sales team. Justin's career foundation was laid in the U.S. Army, where he demonstrated commendable service in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This experience instilled in him a unique blend of discipline, leadership, and resilience. Boasting an impressive tenure of over twenty years in the Automotive industry, Justin has consistently shown his commitment to mastering the nuances of sales and sales psychology. His depth of knowledge in these areas is enriched by extensive, hands-on experience. Justin embodies and inspires a culture of mutual respect, relentless drive, and a deep-seated passion for the industry. Justin is instrumental in cultivating and maintaining robust relationships with key players across the insurance and finance sectors, extending our reach and fortifying our position in the marketplace. Justin's contribution to The Atticus Group is marked by a dynamic synergy of personality, expert knowledge, and an infectious enthusiasm, making him an invaluable asset to our team and a significant driver of our continued success.

Ken Smith began his career in 1993 with Lincoln National. He graduated from Tampa College with a degree in Management and Marketing. After starting his financial advisory firm in 1994, his focus shifted to financial planning with a tax mitigation emphasis. In 2003, he developed expertise in tax-efficient retirement planning, which allowed him to maintain his position in the top 1% of all financial professionals. He qualified in the top 1% for 18 straight years of his career. In 2010 he accepted that there was a dramatic change going on in the financial planning arena and began working with CPAs. In 2014, he co-founded Elite Resource Team and Elite Assurance Team to provide advisors with training, systems, and products to develop profitable CPA partnerships. He currently resides in Tampa, FL, with his wife. Outside work, he enjoys family, church activities and working out. Ken’s focus within Elite Assurance Team is with regard to agent development and internal operations.

Loren’s passion is facilitating the success of others. He has enjoyed nearly two decades of success coaching and advising business owners and executives on how to increase profitability – through improving operational efficiencies, marketing campaigns, organizational development, and relationship building – and then growing and preserving those profits from unnecessary risk and taxation through sound investment strategies. Due to his financial expertise, he has been a popular keynote speaker/presenter at numerous financial seminars and conferences; he also provides volunteer tutoring for high school and college students in math, finance, engineering, English, and political science courses.

Mark Wagner has a 25 + year career in the payroll industry and with Heartland as a Specialty Product Advisor for the last 11 years. He has spent several years in management with 2 payroll companies and is passionate about finding the best solutions for all clients’ payroll needs. Working hard to identify the solution for each client and then being relentless to make sure clients expectations are met or exceeded. He structures affordable solutions that are a value and enhancement to the client’s payroll platform.

Matt’s career has been a series of entrepreneurial endeavors. A few years after the financial crisis, Matt pivoted into a role as a financial advisor and discovered a brand new fintech tool called Riskalyze. That discovery launched a transition into becoming the first sales hire at the startup technology firm and as Vice President of Sales, Matt built the process, strategy and sales organization from a start-up into a dominant industry leader. Ready for a new early-stage endeavor, Matt saw the desire advisors had to expand their holistic planning capabilities and the need for a high-quality estate planning partner. He joined Helios Integrated Planning and began building again a game-changing fintech solution for advisors. At the end of 2021, EncorEstate Plans was launched from Helios with its team intact where Matt took on the CEO role to lead the firm in its next phase of development and growth.

Michael Sir, President of OneProtection has been an industry leader in the disability insurance arena for 35 years, spending the last 23 years with Principal Financial Group as a DI RVP prior to his change of direction in 2020 when he formed OneProtection with Jim Leary. Mike’s career has been focused on educating and training advisors about disability insurance and how to better protect their client's income.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management. He started his career at KPMG working in International Tax Consulting as part of the Transactions & Cross Border Services division (M&A, International Tax, and Transfer Pricing) where he earned his CPA credential. Michael started Apex Business Partners in late 2020 with a focus on tax and business advisory for startups and got into cryptocurrencies as a niche practice area in 2021. Michael has advised on over $100,000,000 in cryptocurrency transaction volume for his business and individual clients since.

Mitch Nelson has assisted advisors in the design and placement of insurance solutions since 2004. He specialized in working with financial advisors and their clients to review, consult and secure personal disability insurance solutions. He has served on the Minnesota Financial Planning Association Next Gen Committee and has been published in the NAPFA Advisors Magazine and The Journal of Financial Services Professionals. He provides educational presentations to financial advisors across the country.

Reid Limpert founded JRL Premier Wealth Planning in 2011 after establishing his financial advisory career with two worldwide financial firms. In his time with the second firm, he was tasked with gathering high-end specialty planning strategies to integrate with the firm’s investment and insurance divisions. Since then he’s been providing successful clients across the country with the best planning strategies that legally mitigate taxes and risks.

My Partner, Ralph Head, and I are the Owners/ President & CEO of Strategic Benefits Alliance, LLC. SBA is the National Master Marketing and Sales Channel of Pearl Logic, Inc. Ralph and I have been business owners in several industries, including trucking/transportation, auto/truck leasing, residential/light commercial construction, property management, and health & life agencies. In searching for a way to differentiate ourselves from the murky water of Group Health Insurance, we were led to Pearl Logic and the eye-opening “Benefits of an Employer Controlled Environment” as opposed to the current Carrier Controlled Environment.”

Roger Roundy is the Owner/CEO of Strategic Associates, LLC. Strategic Associates is a Risk Mitigation firm focused primarily on the education and implementation of various tax code strategies, including tax code 831(b), Captive, and Private Re-Insurance. Throughout his years of risk management and tax mitigation services, Roger has helped 100’s of business owners and individuals find solutions to protect their incomes from the wealth-eroding factors of risk and taxes. As the CEO and Director of Operations for 831(b) solutions with Strategic Associates, Roger thrives on providing value using innovative but sound insurance and planning solutions. "Work hard, play harder; and provide opportunities for others to do the same" has been his M.O. during his business life. Roger has been married for 23 years and is the father to 5 wonderful children. He is an avid outdoorsman and loves to spend any spare time he can find either biking, skiing, snowmobiling, or hunting. Life is busy, and a passion for working with other successful business owners has directed his path to tax mitigation, including 831(b) private reinsurance and the extreme value and opportunity it provides to his clients. Roger owns and sits on the board of 3 successful insurance and consulting firms and is often referred to as the ‘visionary’ within those firms. Growing up in the small town of Paradise, Utah created a foundation of working hard and playing harder, dedication to service and family, all along with finding innovative ways to provide value to those he connects with.

Ryan Foncannon, MBA is an award-winning Advanced Tax Strategist and Private Wealth Advisor. He is the Founder and Managing Partner at S.W.A.N. Virtual Family Office (VFO). He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal. He won an award for being one of the top Advanced Tax Strategists in the nation at the Money 2.0 conference in December 2022. He also was recognized as the Top Retirement Planner for the State of Indiana with the Wealth & Finance Magazine, for 2023. He just recently won the 2023 CREA Global award for being an innovator and thought leader in the Finance & Tax space and is seen as a game changer in those fields. He is a major problem solver for business owners, high wage w-2 earners, and high net worth individuals & their families. His diverse background in insurance, advanced tax reduction, wealth management, financing, and business advisory allow him to bring unique strategies to the table for his clients. He looks at the whole picture, while other advisors are more transactional, another way he allows his clients to 'Sleep Well At Night'.

As the Founder of SDP Personalized Planning, Scott loves helping people live their dreams by putting together a plan, implementing and monitoring the plan, and seeing the plan come to fruition. In addition to his Financial Planning businesses, Scott served as a compliance officer doing due diligence for past Oil & Gas drilling programs and his been using Oil & Gas investment strategies for over 30 years. He enjoys using these experiences to find ways to use Oil & Gas opportunities to reduce his clients’ tax bills and provide his clients’ additional income. Scott has also been a developer, owner, and operator of restaurants and convenience stores. He understands what it takes to operate successful businesses through many business cycles and changing market conditions. Throughout his career, Scott has worked nationally and internationally with individuals, executives, business owners and professional athletes. Scott graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a composite minor in economics, accounting and statistics. He went on to complete executive money management training at Wharton School of Business. In addition, Scott has also earned the following designations: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Life Underwriter® and Chartered Financial Consultant®.

Sean Rogers launched Digital Financial Officers in February 2022. Previously, Sean spent 7 years in the wealth management space providing family office accounting services to top clients and businesses as well as handling the internal finances of the wealth management business.

Steve DeTray started his career in 2004 in wealth management, helping business owners plan for the sale and exit of their business. Steve’s main focus was on income and estate planning that came after the sale of the business. He also helped with the transition to retirement and the challenges of this new unknown season of life ahead. As a lifelong learner and reader, Steve was ideally suited to remain current with the quickly changing, emotional, and complicated environment in which the business owner had to navigate to be successful. In 2019, Steve sold his extremely successful wealth management practice for below the industry average. He learned from this experience and became very motivated to help others sell their businesses for significantly above the industry averages, and at high multiples. Now as a certified Value Builder Advisor, Steve is an expert at building value and developing a plan for a successful exit using Value Builder’s systematic approach to measure and grow the value of a business. Steve adds extra value by helping businesses take advantage of specialized tax credits and find many types of cost savings. This “hidden money” has provided an average savings of $200,000 for his clients. More than that, he is a skilled facilitator who helps enable businesses to thrive without their owners, thus enabling them to gain back control of their lives or exit their business.

Mr. Landgraf is an experienced global leader empowering, motivating, and producing lasting change for individuals and organizations. His international experience empowering and changing the lives of many executives, leaders, and organizations in more than 150 nations has increased profits, improved capital, and reduced costs in the tens of billions of dollars with sustainable outcomes. Mr. Landgraf is a committed and an initiative-taking executive with more than 30 years of global Business, Training, Strategic, Procurement, Finance / Funding, and Leadership experience in many different industries, from minor to Fortune MNCs.

President, Incentives Credit Advocate. We are in partnership with Business Incentives Solutions. BIS has been processing R&D Credits since 2004 and outsources their Customer Service and Business Development to I C Advocate. I C Advocate processes Employee Retention Tax Credits “ERTC” in-house. CPA’s review every file and we have an agreement with a tax attorney to defend all of our work should any taxing authority question the clients credits they received at our expense. I manage all aspects of the operations and business development. Former CEO, SDBizPros Inc. a full-service Professional Services Organization. SD Biz Pros provides Payroll, Human Resources, and Insurance services to small and medium size companies. I managed the operations and sales teams. Former CEO, New Century Search, A full-service wireless technology recruiting firm located in San Diego. Our specialty was placing engineers in companies that specialized in wireless products like cell phones, printers, and security devices. Qualcomm and Broadcom were two of our biggest clients. I managed all aspects of our operation.

Tim Goering is currently the President of MakingLuck Inc.,. At BNY Mellon, Wealth Management, Tim was Managing Director of Sales for the State of Florida. Nationally, they had over $190 Billion in private client assets and nearly two centuries of experience and perspective. From 2010 – 2014 his Florida team was able to double the assets under management from $2.5 Billion to over $5 Billion. Tim joined BNY Mellon, the oldest private bank in the country, from what was the newest private bank in the country. As the President of Seaside National Bank & Trust, South Florida Region, his team was able to build 5 branches, hire over 30 people and raise the balance sheet to over $100 million in assets all during the worst banking crisis in recent time. Prior to joining Seaside, Tim worked for GenSpring Family Offices, coordinating new relationships with ultra high net worth families seeking guidance and advice relating to investment management, estate and tax planning and multi-generational wealth planning. During his tenure Tim was instrumental in branding and growing the firm to over 10 times its original size as 1 of 10 sales professionals. His initial training in Wealth Management came as a Financial Advisor with Bernstein Investment Research and Management, where he developed new high net worth client relationships. Tim also worked in sales with Cordis, Johnson & Johnson selling coronary heart stents. After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Oceanography from the United States Naval Academy, Tim began his professional life as an aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps attaining the rank of Major before beginning his civilian career. Tim is the proud father of two young professionals and the husband of one terrific lady.

Meet Tracy Armstrong, a beacon of light in the complex world of college planning, whose journey from the classrooms of Detroit to the forefront of college funding is nothing short of inspiring. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and her MA from the University of Phoenix. With over 25 years of dedication as a Michigan Professional Certified teacher, Tracy has not only imparted lessons but has also guided her students through the pivotal chapters of their lives, helping them navigate their futures with care and precision. However, through her intimate involvement in her students' college planning journeys, Tracy uncovered a recurring and distressing challenge: the daunting financial burden of college education. Time and again, she witnessed families from middle to upper income brackets grappling with the reality that their financial aid options were limited. The stark reality hit hard—these families often had no choice but to deplete their savings and retirement funds, sometimes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to afford their children's college education. This financial strain not only jeopardized their immediate financial security but also cast long shadows over their retirement plans, potentially derailing decades of careful financial planning. Driven by a desire to make a tangible difference, Tracy gained her Life Insurance License in 2013 and later embarked on a journey to master the intricacies of college funding. Joining the Association of Certified College Funding Specialists, she earned her certification as a CCFS, a testament to her commitment and expertise in navigating the financial hurdles of higher education. This was more than an academic pursuit; it was Tracy's way of arming herself with the knowledge to fight a systemic issue head-on. With this new expertise, Tracy's conversations with families took on a new depth. She could now offer insights into navigating the financial aid system, employing tax-efficient savings strategies, and understanding the role of assets in the college funding equation. In addition, she focused on guiding students to select colleges that best fit them socially, academically, and financially. The outcome of working with Tracy is presenting families with viable options to protect their savings and retirement plans while investing in their children's futures. Founder of Blue Star College Planning.

To become an accounting expert, Trever completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and received an MBA. Though never interested in the tax and auditing professions of accounting, he began his career in corporate accounting. His accounting career has made him an expert in accounting principles for industry, accounting systems, software training, reconciliation, and financial statements. Trever has mastered accurate accounting reporting for many respective industries. Accounting reporting includes: general ledgers, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, expenses, and chart of accounts. Sub-par accounting, Trever BUCKs THE TREND.

RISK MANAGEMENT from ReNu Insurance We’re here to help you identify the risks that affect your business. Our service includes analyzing your effectiveness of managing risks, developing strategies to protect your assets and improve your risk profile, while reducing insurance costs, and monitoring and fine tuning risk management programs as your business evolves. This ensures you receive a comprehensive program that maximizes your insurance investment. As a bonus, you get a risk manager who acts as an extension of your team. Flight Plan 365© Flight Plan 365© is a quantifiable risk assessment tool consisting of a systematic method to better understand the risk issues facing your organization. It also benchmarks performance against ideal industry standards and facilitates the design of risk control and mitigation strategies.

Aleksander stands out in the financial landscape for his deep expertise in complex Qualified Plan models and innovative Financed Charitable Gifting techniques. Catering to a sophisticated clientele of business leaders, high-wage earners and high-net-worth individuals, Aleksander has masterfully orchestrated tax savings exceeding $60 million. With a career spanning over a decade as a wealth creation strategist, Aleksander is on a mission to empower his clients to safeguard and enhance their wealth using Advanced Pension Plans and Charitable Gift Financing strategies. As a dynamic serial entrepreneur, seasoned venture investor, and trusted advisor, Aleksander applies his extensive firsthand experience to offer practical, impactful wealth-building strategies. Aleksander is the mastermind behind the Pre-Tax Wealth Creation Blueprint—a comprehensive, step-by-step framework designed to significantly boost tax savings, reinforce asset protection, and accelerate personal wealth growth. His fluency in English, Russian, and Korean allows him to serve a diverse range of clients effectively. Aleksander is known for his straightforward personality, results-driven focus, and out-of-the-box thinking. These qualities have cemented his reputation as a “financial surgeon” of creative solutions for wealth creation, making him a sought-after strategist in the financial domain.

Ami Kassar, is the founder and CEO of MultiFunding LLC, and author of The Growth Dilemma. He is a nationally renowned expert on access to capital for entrepreneurs. He’s committed to ensuring that business owners have the best possible access to the capital structures to help grow and manage their businesses. Kassar is regularly featured in the national press and writes a regular column for Inc.com. He has advised the White House, the Federal Reserve Bank and The Treasury Department on the business credit markets. In addition, Kassar is a regular speaker at universities and business events across the country on topics including entrepreneurship and access to capital. Ami is the 2015, 2014, and 2013 recipient of the Small Business Influencer Award as well as the 2012 Small Business Advocate Award. Kassar earned his MBA from the University of Southern California and graduated with a B.A. in American Studies from Brandeis University.

Andrew Lassise (pronounced La-Cease) is a serial entrepreneur and has helped build and scale several 6, 7, and 8 figure IT businesses. He is the CEO (aka chief dorkestrator) of Tech4Accountants, an IT company that specializes in tech and cyber security for accountants. In 2020 & 2021were listed as an Accounting Today Top 100 VARS, The Manifest's Top 100 Cyber Security Companies, and have technicians that all hold certifications with the AICPA in cyber security. When he's not saving the world from hackers & malware, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his wife and two sons.

Andy Ruhland has 15+ years in benefits and Human Capital sales, service, and innovation with a focus on helping small- and medium-sized businesses run better and reduce costs. Andy educates clients on complex healthcare, administration and service options, then customize solutions that streamline processes and stop excess spending. Ask about his 360-degree integrated Human Capital Management platform and consulting services, which improve every aspect of how your company does business. Or just rest easy knowing you’ve controlled healthcare costs without eroding benefits to your employees. Andy started at NationalHR in 2001, working from Account Executive to Principal. In that time, the company tripled its bottom line and rolled out forward-thinking benefits buying solutions as well as an innovative Human Capital Management platform - all in response to client needs. Andy is a married father of three, he truly loves his job, and relishes the chance to work at the forefront of industry change, educating consumers and undoing broker stereotypes one thriving client at a time.

Ben started early as an entrepreneur. In 2003 at the early age of 27 he bought his first company. It wasn’t very long that he opened his second and ran them side-by-side for 10 years. His primary focus was income taxes, tax planning, asset protection and tax resolution. After he sold both of those companies, he decided to move in a different direction and moved into railroad construction as well as opening another tax resolution business. Today Ben is a Tax Resolution Specialist that helps companies and individuals out of dire situations. He has saved clients millions of dollars and helped companies and individuals become financially free from the IRS past problems. He also helps his clients create a future by helping his clients reduce taxes in the future. Highlights from Ben’s business activities include National Speaker for Tax Planning, helped clients receive over 40M in BP Funding, helped clients save millions from the IRS, received construction contracts of over $10M, and increased sustained profitability in the construction field of over 75% in first year of ownership.

Bruce Gendein - A sought-after speaker on the topic of Qualified Retirement Plans, Bruce spends much of his time touring the country to share his insights with financial services professionals—financial advisors, brokers, CPAs, insurance agents, and attorneys. He has addressed MDRT’s Top of the Table, LIMRA’s Advanced Sales Forum, the Arizona Institute, and NAIFA and SFSP chapter meetings, as well as corporate educational symposiums nationwide. A financial services industry veteran, Bruce has been in the business for more than 30 years, helping successful individuals and advisors tackle complex financial and retirement planning challenges. As president and co-founder of The Senex Group, Bruce works with advisors nationwide to deliver seamless solutions that enable them to provide complete, end-to-end qualified retirement plans to their clients and generate a significant new revenue stream. Prior to founding The Senex Group, Bruce built a successful financial and retirement planning firm that served more than 850 clients from three offices in the Midwest. As a financial advisor, he started a third-party pension administration firm, was named “rookie of the year” for a major mutual life insurance company, and qualified for MDRT in his first year in the life insurance business. He has held Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations for more than three decades and remains committed to advancing the knowledge and capabilities of fellow advisors to help them better serve their clients.

Christi Horan began her career in 2009 after graduating from San Diego State University with a degree in Economics. She previously worked for firms such as Mass Mutual and LPL Financial in the Annuity Consulting and Sales department before joining Elite Assurance Team in 2018. Christi leads the Annuity Consulting and Case Management Team with over ten years of Annuity sales experience. Christi was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and enjoys traveling with her husband, spending time with her dogs, and all things beach related! Christi’s focus within Elite Assurance Team is with regard to annuity consulting and case management.

Mr. Stone is the principal and president of Stone Law Offices, Ltd. He has been practicing in the State of Nevada since 1993 and provides legal counsel and services to affluent clients and families in the areas of wealth transfer and preservation strategies, including advanced estate planning, sophisticated tax planning (federal income and estate taxes), charitable planning, and planned giving, multi-generational family governance, business law, including business exit planning (aka business succession planning), and domestic and international asset protection planning

Darren Sugiyama was born and raised in Long Beach, California and received a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University where he was also the team captain and 2nd Team All-Conference baseball player. He continued his education and earned a Master’s Degree in Multicultural Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After starting his career as a counselor in a gang prevention program in his hometown of Long Beach, California, worked as a teacher in the public school system in Honolulu, Hawaii, and as a counselor in Halawa Prison and the Honolulu Detention Home. Darren decided to follow his entrepreneurial dreams and started his own employee benefits firm in 2003 called Apex. During his first year in the insurance business, his personal income for the year was only $277 (he proudly displays his personal tax return on the wall of his office). But just seven years later, Apex was producing over $37 million in annual sales and was the #1 producing firm in the country for three different insurance carriers concurrently. Since then, Darren expanded his insurance business portfolio, building a life insurance agency called DaVinci, which was responsible for 25% of all the life insurance policies sold for Pacific Life in Orange County, California in 2017. In 2018, DaVinci was responsible for 29% of the all the life insurance policies sold for Penn Mutual in Orange County, and in 2019, over 38%. In addition, Darren founded Lionsmark Capital in 2016 which is now one of the most dominant premium financing intermediary firms in the life insurance industry, and in 2020, he co-founded the revolutionary fintech firm Breadbox which offers proprietary solutions to investment advisors and life insurance advisors across the country. Darren is also an internationally acclaimed 8-time author with published works being distributed in over 15 countries. As a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker, business coach, and mentor, Darren does both live and virtual motivational speaking events, as well as private coaching sessions, teaching others how he built his businesses using extremely unorthodox methods.

Derek Spitzer began his career at a global tax consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas. As a consultant in the transaction tax practice, Derek worked directly with several Fortune 500 companies in the retail, healthcare, storage, and manufacturing industries. Derek joined Captive Insurance Group, LLC in March 2014 as Director of Operations and helped grow the firm until it was acquired by Higginbotham Insurance Agency in February 2020. Higginbotham is the largest independent insurance broker in Texas, and a top 15 insurance broker in the United States. Derek as a Managing Director, along with former management continue to run the captive insurance operations. Derek graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Brigham Young University. He is married with three children and lives in Colleyville, Texas.

Donald S. Feldman, CExP™, CPA, CVA, MBA founded Keystone Business Transitions, LLC in 2009, a firm based in Lancaster, PA devoted to exit and succession planning for business owners. He has been a CPA for 30 years and a valuation professional for 25 years. For the last 20 years, Don’s practice has focused exclusively on succession and exit planning for business owners, including transfers of business interests to family members and key employees, as well as sales to outsiders. KBT also provides Business Valuation services in connection with Exit Planning transactions. Don has been awarded the designation Certified Exit Planner™ by the Business Enterprise Institute and is a member of the CExP™ Board of Standards. Don holds a joint M.S. in Accounting / M.B.A. degree from Northeastern University. He has been a regular columnist for Business2Business Magazine (Central PA) and is a frequent speaker for trade associations and continuing education programs for accountants, attorneys and financial advisors.

James M. Duggan is a founding principal of DUGGAN BERTSCH, LLC, a Chicago-based business, tax, estate and wealth planning firm comprised of attorneys and accountants. Jim’s practice has concentrated principally on business and corporate law, and estate and wealth planning, primarily as they relate to closely held business interests and high net worth families. Jim’s experience in the structuring and implementation of Family Offices, sophisticated tax planning, and asset protection planning strategies is nationally recognized, as is his role in the firm’s development of a leading multidisciplinary planning protocol. In addition to giving frequent lectures and authoring articles in his areas of concentration, Jim also serves as a director on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Jim’s educational background includes attaining a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the College of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Magna Cum Laude), a Masters in Business Administration in Finance from the DePaul University Graduate School of Business (Summa Cum Laude), and a Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law, where he was awarded positions on both the DePaul Law Review and DePaul Business Law Journal.

Janel is the Chief Marketing Officer for TaxExact, the solution that revolutionizes the 1040 review process. She is an experienced B2B sales and marketing expert with over 25 years of experience in the FinTech and SaaS space, the past decade of which has been dedicated specifically to working with public accounting firms. She brings a strategic approach to marketing and sales leadership to TaxExact and an innovative growth mindset to the firms she serves. A StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide, Janel also helps accounting firms learn how to tell their brand story and build marketing strategies that attract profitable clients.

Jeffrey Deckman is a consultant, thought leader, and an international award-winning author on the new leadership mindsets, models and methods being demanded by the modern economy. His recent book: “Developing the Conscious Leadership Mindset for the 21st Century” won 2 international and 2 national Stevie Awards® from the International Business Awards and the American Business Awards respectively. It is also an Amazon Best Seller in the Occupational and Organizational Psychology category. He is a serial entrepreneur who founded and built two multi-million dollar firms in the technology sector and was a partner in a think tank where he focused on developing new 21st century leadership and business models. In 2005 he founded Capability Accelerators; a consultancy firm specializing in helping business owners and executives transform their leadership teams, cultures and organizations to compete and thrive in the highly complex, rapidly changing modern business world.

Mr. Grushkin is the Regional Director of Cost Segregation Initiatives (CSI). He brings forty plus years of executive experience to the CSI organization. Over the last nine years Joel has directed cost segregation studies for developers, investors and owner/ users of properties that cover the gamut of property types and vertical markets. Property types run from million-dollar owner user office condominiums, to $500,000,000 in Senior Living Facilities, fast food franchise locations, hotels, high-end restaurants, manufacturing facilities, medical office buildings, shopping centers, multi-family housing, auto dealerships, and vacation villas. His background includes founding and chairing the private equity, venture capital and real estate practice groups of DHR International, the 5th largest executive search firm in the United States, eleven years with Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young) as a Principal and director of the firm’s Management Consulting Practice. He was also a member of AY’s Real Estate Industry Specialty Practice Group. Joel was also Chief Operating Officer of Edward Carpenter & Associates, a group of five consulting companies specializing in the start-up and on-going consultation to financial institutions in the areas of economic feasibility, capital formation, governance, mergers and acquisitions, business and regulatory affairs, and real estate. In addition to his executive search and consulting experience, Joel has also held positions of CEO, COO, and Vice President Corporate Development at either the holding company or operating company levels in conglomerates with holdings in real estate development, home building, financial services, mortgage banking, retail/entertainment, and automotive. He has been a guest lecturer at San Diego State University and University of California-Berkeley, Orange County Corporate Directors Forum, and the San Diego Venture Group. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of DHR International, the San Diego Venture Group, and Compliance Coach recently sold to FIS. He is currently on the Advisory Board’s of Soteria Intelligence, and Aerovu Technologies.

John Frazier is a native Texan who spent several years in Northern Virginia before moving to Nashville. John has over 10 years experience as a top producer in the financial services industry and has earned numerous awards. Coupled with his strong desire to help the less fortunate and support worthy causes, he is a perfect fit for the charitable planning industry, bringing both knowledge and heart to the organization. As an advocate for research, treatment and prevention of childhood cancer, John volunteers for the Live 4 Tay Foundation and Hope Nation Radio. Over the past 25 years he has also been involved with numerous other charities including the Nashville Humane Society and March of Dimes.

Jon Randall is a Certified Master Coach® and Premier Franchise Consultant who hit #1 in GDC Growth on the FC Scorecard for the advisors he works with all over the country. He was named Franchise Consultant of the Year in 2015 at his broker-dealer. With more than 15 years experience as a practicing advisor, he knows how to help financial advisors get to where they want to go with their life and practice. Jon works with some of the top financial professionals in the industry – the average GDC for the advisors he coaches is more than $1.2 MM. He is a national presenter at financial service industry conventions and workshops around the country. Financial advisors coached by Jon consistently grow at a significantly higher rate than the average advisor. His specialties in consulting include marketing, investments, financial planning and practice management. Jon is also a published author – his book Attract More Clients, Better Clients is on sale now. Jon has a master’s degree in Psychology and Coaching and is working on his doctorate degree in Performance Psychology. Jon and his wife, Kathleen, live in Winterville, North Carolina, with their two boys, James and William

Kim has over 30 years of experience and has been in the retirement plan industry since 1983. His areas of expertise include ESOPs and executive compensation planning. He uses his income tax and accounting background to help companies determine the feasibility of an ESOP, forecast repurchase obligations, and craft ESOP transactions designed to address each client’s unique needs and objectives. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Earlham College and a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Denver. He passed the CPA exam in 1985. He is a member of The ESOP Association, the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and the Employee Owned S-Corporations of America (ESCA) (including its Advisory Committee). In addition, he is a Past President of the Boise Chapter of the Western Pension & Benefits Conference. A frequent speaker on employee benefits and ESOP related topics, Kim has also written articles on technical ESOP issues for both The ESOP Association and the NCEO. Kim accepted the position as the Executive Director of the Beyster Institute at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management in March 2019. The Beyster Institute’s mission is to move the employee ownership community forward through educating students, academic faculty, management, company founders, and consultants to learn about and build ESOPs and other forms of employee ownership. Prior to joining the Beyster Institute, Kim worked in the ESOP practices at Principal Financial Group, William M. Mercer & Associates, RSM and KPMG.

Laurence joined QXGlobal Inc in 2014. After graduating from Ramapo College with a BS in Business Management, he worked in various sales positions leading teams of as many as 25 people. Laurence has played a vital role in growing QXAS to a team of over 50 accountants working with over 100+ CPA & Accounting firms in the US. He's an experienced traveler who has worked in 8 countries with the most extensive work being completed in India and the US.

Mark Goodman has consulted for Carlyle Group and investment banking firms of Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan, and many others building premium financing models for the past 25 years. A featured speaker and author of numerous published articles on advanced estate planning and tax reduction, he has co-authored the book Estate Planning for the 21st Century. Mark is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and a lifetime member of Top of the Table, a distinction earned only by the top 450 financial planners in the world. In addition, he is a member of both the National Council of Certified Estate Planners and the International Association of Financial Planners. Mark is the Principal of National Wealth Advisors and the Founder of National Financial Partners, a formerly publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, now owned by Madison Dearborn. These companies provide a broad array of services including wealth preservation strategies, estate planning, executive benefit planning, insurance, and investment management. Together, these offices are staffed by over 100 Principals supported by over 400 professional specialists with expertise in their fields. Their client base included some of America’s wealthiest families, Fortune 500 companies, privately held corporations, and charitable foundations. Mark and his wife Dustin reside in Naples, Florida with their children Jamie and Emma.

Matt Miller is an international tax specialist, specializing in the U.S. taxation of foreign source income, as well as planning and reporting for businesses and individuals with cross-border transactions. A graduate of the Master of Science in Taxation, with a post-graduate Certificate Degree in International Taxation from Golden Gate University, Matt has worked with hundreds of IC-DISC’s since 2012 and has managed the IC-DISC practices of two of the largest service providers in the U.S. Additional areas of U.S. international tax specialization include tax incentives on foreign sales available to C-Corporations (known as Foreign Derived Intangible Income (“FDII”)), Global Intangible Low-Taxable Income (“GILTI”), Subpart F Income, and Transfer Pricing.

An early adapter to technology in the delivery of services for business owner clients, Michael and his firm was one of the initial firms engaged with the BizEquity business valuation services. Now with over 40 million valuations conducted by the platform the process and results have ‘democratized’ the understanding of business value for business owners. Michael has engaged with CPAs, Attorneys, and business owner clients to deliver valuations since 2014. Having been a part of leading and growing small businesses, Michael entered the financial services industry looking to bring business owner clients valuable information to make important decisions. Having engaged with BizEquity as well as the Business Enterprise Institute (Business Exit Planning) and the Value Builder System (Business Coaching and Exit Planning) Michael delivers perspective to business owner for understanding the real ‘sellable’ value of their business as well as where there are gaps in value which would cause its transactional value to falter. Knowing the ‘book’ value of a business is a starting benchmark for every client, however Michael strives to elucidate to clients during the valuation process those areas of their business which need focus and attention to solidify the value of their business.

Founded on the principles of honesty, integrity, and outstanding service. Card Group International is able to offer merchants the ability to process credit cards safely and securely, meeting all PCI-DSS & EMV-Chip industry standards. Card Group International delivers their customers overall savings, and virtually unlimited solution options without compromising the highest quality service your business deserves. They have strategically aligned themselves with industry leaders by partnering with a variety of top-notch companies such as CardConnect, NPC, Elavon, Chase Paymentech, First Data, Global Payments, and WorldPay to provide excellent service and individualized products. These alliances allow impact to customize front end, and back end solutions for each customer’s unique needs allowing them to process on any processing platform, in the US and Canada. Their merchants do not have to settle for meeting half their service needs.

Paul is a serial entrepreneur who qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the U.K. with Crossley and Davis (which eventually became Lathams Chartered Accountants), becoming a Partner in 1986 and Head of Business Services in 1993. Whilst at Lathams, Paul started to develop the advisory processes which are today at the heart of Elite Proactive Planning Process. Those processes were largely developed with the aim of helping Business Owners to Clarify Vision and Maximize Business Potential. When Lathams was sold to Tenon Group Plc in 2001, Paul became National Head of Business Planning at Tenon. Paul left Tenon to become Finance Director at Debt Free Direct Group Plc where he was a Founding Director and helped to take the business “Public”. DFD rapidly grew to become the market leader in debt advice in the UK. Paul emigrated to the USA in 2011 and has since developed several business interests, including being a Founding Partner of HaydenRock Solutions and Elite Mastermind, both of which are today part of Elite Resource Team. Paul’s main management focus at Elite is with regard to the constant refinement and further development of the Proactive Planning Platform. Paul’s areas of expertise within the Elite Member Support Team are: * Create a clear vision * Build an engaging purpose (or business vision) * Help professional partnerships create a succession strategy * Create a strong value proposition * Define clear service level separation (and "stop doing too much for the money") * Create a standard customer service framework (to help shape your business brand)

Mr. Fox is a nationally known wealth strategist, philanthropic estate planner, educator and speaker. He has dedicated his career to helping individuals, professional advisors, charitable institutions and planned giving organizations, “do well while doing good.” Randy has authored hundreds of articles and presentations for attorneys, financial advisors, CPAs and HNW families. He is currently the Editor in Chief of Planned Giving Design Center, a national newsletter and website for philanthropic advisors, and has the following designations: CFP® and AEP®.

Ron has spent more than 30 years helping businesses make sense of the numbers, not just counting the beans but evaluating the root causes and developing corrective actions. He has achieved success by teaching companies how to understand their financial picture and how to measure the results for success. When Ron is not found helping businesses succeed, he can be found spending time with his wife or one of his three children. This usually involves tinkering with a car, going to the gym or driving a team of horses. Ron holds both a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and a Masters of Accounting-Tax from Brigham Young University. Ron began his career at Ernst & Young. Since then Ron has been a controller, a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, President and Chief Executive Officer.