Entrepreneurship Summit March 30 - March 31, 2023

ANDREW (ANDY) BERMAN

CEO, Co-Founder - Vowel

Andrew Berman is CEO and Co-Founder of Vowel - a next-generation AI-powered interactive video conferencing platform. 

Building a world where meetings are searchable, shareable centers of knowledge for businesses. Redefining what data capture is capable of, Vowel is able to optimize the potential of every team meeting, alongside introducing seamless integrations with everyday business tools, helping every company bring out its best. Vowel has been featured in TechCrunch, Business Insider, Silicon Angle, and more publications. 

Before Vowel, Andrew was COO and Co-Founder of Nanit - a technology company in New York that develops smart baby monitors. The devices provide fail-safe monitoring, using real data and analytics to help families stay informed and connected with personalized reporting. 

Armed with lessons from his times as VC, angel investor, and entrepreneur, Andrew is passionate about innovation. While he continues to advise and invest in companies he believes in, he focuses on building new ventures that make a difference.

JEFFREY CHERNICK

CEO, Co-Founder - Morpheus XR

A former Wall Street wealth manager, Jeffrey Chernick is a serial entrepreneur, startup advisor, and angel investor. Jeffrey has been featured by more than 30 media outlets including Techcrunch, Forbes, and the LA Times. His first company RideAmigos is the leading SaaS commuter management platform, taking millions of cars off the road annually. With over 20 million downloads and $12 million raised, his visual caller ID app, Vyng, boasts 5 billion videos played across 170 countries (acquired by Digital Reef). Morpheus XR, his latest endeavor, is a VR metaverse for companies to connect their teams in secure, virtual campuses for team engagement, training and culture. He is a guest lecturer in entrepreneurship at Pepperdine University’s MBA Program. In his spare time, Jeffrey DJ’s across the world with neon drum sticks.

JUSTIN ETKIN

COO, Co-Founder - Tropic

Justin is the COO and Co-Founder at Tropic, a procurement platform designed to help the world's most innovative companies save money and bring visibility into their purchasing processes. After securing a $40M Series B from Insight Partners in early 2022, Tropic has continued its meteoric rise in the tech community, working with marquee companies like Docusign, Casper, and Plaid. Processing >$5B in spend across 400 global customers, Tropic sits at the center of the fastest growing category in B2B spending - software.

After spending several years at Bain & Company in Atlanta, Justin entered the world of startups in 2016 with Wunderkind, a leading Marketing Technology company based in New York. Since then he has established himself as a leading startup operator, scaling both Wunderkind and Tropic to several hundred employees.

DUSTIN FINKEL

CEO - Awakened Foods

Deeply Experienced, Innovative Brand & Company Leader ready to help you deliver transformational business growth. Deep understanding of the CPG category from big to small, having led $1B brands within Fortune 100 CPGs to starting a company from scratch to $10MM+ In Revenue. My approach is one of breakthrough thinking and a P&L mindset, grounded in delivering financial value to every stakeholder while finding strategies for breakthrough growth.

DAVID GASPAR

Partner, Head of Innovation - Gather

David Gaspar is Partner & Head of Innovation at Gather, a referral-based marketing agency for independents.  Through Gather's Knowledge Network of over 250 independent practitioners, we are a TaaS (Team as a Service) company with a diverse set of clients from IBM to Forbes, to TD Ameritrade to MetLife.  Gather has been listed for the last 2-years running by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5000 fastest growing privately held companies in America.

Dave developed his keen business and financial competencies advising clients on a range of financial transactions in the investment banking division of Jefferies & Company, and then as an M&A and business strategy specialist at GE Capital. Prior to joining Gather, he was the COO and CFO for Hitviews.com, the world’s first influencer marketing company, where he developed the initial monetization strategies for the industry

DAVID GLATTSTEIN

Co-Founder, President - Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)

David Glattstein is the Co-Founder & President of Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG). He graduated with a BBA from Goizeuta Business School at Emory University and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. David Glattstein became immersed in the investment world. His significant experience in investing and helping small businesses grow led him to join forces with Dr. David Bessler in building the world’s veterinary emergency company. From his research and experience, David recognized the veterinary industry lacked any innovation and entrepreneurship. He believed a successful and reimagined veterinary business model required being fully invested in its customers and staff. This meant a full revamp of the customer experience as well as the need to foster a robust team culture. With a better way in sight and a partner in Dr. Bessler, who shares the same vision for vet med, David is building the world’s veterinary emergency company—bringing a revolutionary customer experience to as many people and their pets as possible.

VANESSA JESWANI

Co-Founder - Nomad Lane

Vanessa Jeswani is the Co-Founder of Nomad Lane, a brand of elevated bags and accessories to keep professionals organized on the go. She started the company with her husband after traveling to more than 40 countries. She recently acquired another e-commerce company, Lark, a brand of premium bamboo kids and women’s apparel that’s designed for sensitive skin.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Vanessa spent almost a decade developing comprehensive digital marketing programs for multi-million dollar companies in New York City.

Vanessa grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States to attend Emory’s Goizueta Business School. She currently lives in Miami with her husband and 2-year-old after living in Bali for a year.

COLIN MCINTOSH

Founder, CEO - Sheets & Giggles

Colin is Founder and CEO of Sheets & Giggles, a sustainable bedding brand based in Denver. S&G is famous for its award-winning Eucalyptus Lyocell sheets, which have been spotlighted on national TV programs like Good Morning America and The View, and which even won "Best Overall” sheets in Good Housekeeping.

Colin kicked things off with the help of crowdfunding, raising $284,000 from a preorder campaign in 2018 when S&G was just an idea. Only 2 years after Colin packed and shipped S&G's first box from a cold empty warehouse in Denver, S&G hit a major milestone – its first month with over $1 million in sales. The company has now shipped 200,000+ boxes in 4 years, and it has expanded to make sustainable mattresses, pillows, and even coffee.

Beyond the growth, Colin is most proud of S&G’s philanthropic and environmental work, donating over $100,000 to charity in its first 4 years of business.

TODD RICHHEIMER

Founder – Lawfty Law LLP

Todd is the founder of Lawfty Law LLP, a national personal injury firm, and Lawfty LLC, a technology and analytics company focused on helping other personal injury firms better their practices (www.lawfty.com). Todd is a graduate of Emory University and Was U School of Law, a former investment banking analyst, big-firm lawyer, law firm founder, and tech entrepreneur focused on bettering the legal industry with analytics. Todd’s interests lie at the intersection of law, technology, and business. Todd believes that there is a tidal wave of change coming to the legal space - as we collectively figure out how to solve a glaring access to justice problem - and that for entrepreneurial and business-minded lawyers, this change will provide a once and a generation opportunity to build impactful, sustainable, and lucrative businesses.

OMER SATTAR

Co-Founder, Co-CEO– Sightline Payments

Omer is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Sightline Payments, playing a pivotal role in establishing the company’s vision as well as overseeing new business development and strategic partnerships. As an early innovator of payments in gaming, he was one of the first to define the omnichannel experience for the industry, envisioning the roadmap and solutions necessary for operators to provide a smoother and richer user experience for its patrons. Previously, he was the president of UB Ventures, a service provider to the prepaid card industry, and the senior vice president of cash access services for Global Cash Access, Inc. (later rebranding to Everi).

VANESSA YOUSHAEI

CEO, Founder – Petite Ave

Vanessa Youshaei is the founder & CEO of Petite Ave, a personal styling service for women under 5'5", which has been featured in Forbes, Instyle Magazine, and NY Post. With nearly 40% of the US female population under 5'5", Petite Ave is targeting one of the largest - and most underserved - demographics. Previously, Vanessa worked in sales and marketing at Google where she received the company’s coveted Platinum award. Vanessa’s vision is to now create a future where women are celebrated no matter their shape or size.