Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

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About Our Guests:

Aaron Parness works as a Director of Applied Science in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Amazon. His teams in Seattle and Berlin build robotic work cells to increase delivery speed and reduce the cost of order fulfillment for Amazon customers. Specializing in high contact and high clutter applications, he has led advances in giving robots a sense of touch by incorporating force and torque sensors into the robots’ motion plans and control loops. From 2010 to 2019, Aaron worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he founded and led the Robotic Rapid Prototyping Laboratory specializing in grippers and wall climbing robots. He received his PhD from Stanford in 2009 advised by Mark Cutkosky; and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering and BS in Creative Writing from MIT in 2004.

Beryl Tomay has been at Amazon for 20 years having joined in 2005 as a Software Development Engineer. She was part of the small team that launched the original Kindle device and remained in the Devices organization for the subsequent 8 years. She joined the nascent Last Mile organization, the logistics business that gets packages through the final steps on their way to customers’ doorsteps, in early 2014 as one of its first employees. Today, she is responsible for Amazon’s Last Mile delivery technology and businesses as well as Amazon’s customer delivery and returns experiences. Prior to Amazon, Beryl received her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Waterloo in Canada. Beryl and her husband love going to Kraken hockey games, walking their dog Luna, and visiting new and diverse restaurants.

S11 Ep23: Our Emotional Recession: How to Lead When People Are Depleted

Guest: Joshua Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Six Seconds

Around the world, people are emotionally exhausted, socially polarized, and struggling to stay engaged at work. Global emotional intelligence scores have declined for several years, and leaders today face an unseen burden: an emotional tax on every interaction, decision, and relationship.

In this episode, emotional intelligence expert Joshua Freedman joins Maureen Metcalf to explore how leaders can reduce the hidden emotional tax in organizations, rebuild trust, and create healthier workplaces.

Discover how EQ drives performance, why trust is a leader’s greatest currency, and what practical steps you can take to lead with clarity and humanity in turbulent times.

Here's what Joshua and Maureen discuss:

The hidden emotional tax draining teams and cultures
The business case for EQ (and how it improves performance)
Why trust is now a leader’s most critical output.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- The Human Energy Crisis at Work with Joshua Freedman

- What’s the Point: Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson

- To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about Joshua’s work at https://6seconds.org. His many books are available on Amazon.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

A staggering finding emerged from over a million emotional intelligence assessments: the world is in an emotional recession. Burnout, falling empathy, and disengagement are draining performance and wellbeing. Joshua Freedman, CEO and cofounder of Six Seconds, is on a mission to reverse the trend. For 25+ years, he has led the world’s largest EQ study (State of the Heart), advised global brands like FedEx, Shell, and the UN, and developed practical tools used in 150+ countries. A bestselling author; his 8th book, Emotion Rules (2026) equips leaders to transform emotions into actionable data that fuels trust, resilience, and results.

S11 Ep22: Think Acoustics, Not Optics: How Sound Will Transform Leaders

Guest: Brad Diskin, CEO of SGI

AI can see. But can it hear?

Meet Brad Diskin, CEO of Sound Genetics Inc. (SGI), the company teaching machines to listen. In this interview with host Maureen Metcalf, you’ll explore how acoustic intelligence is transforming security, leadership, and innovation across industries.

From detecting deepfakes and authenticating human voices to predicting infrastructure failures and even diagnosing disease through audio patterns, SGI’s technology is expanding how leaders think about AI, risk, and trust.

Here's what Brad and Maureen cover:

How “sound DNA” is transforming authentication, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity
Why AI’s next frontier isn’t vision; it’s hearing
What “digital audio imaging” means for infrastructure, health, and smart cities
The leadership mindset required to responsibly integrate next-generation AI.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- Fear Less, Shine More: Build Confidence in Your Leadership (and Life) with Tonjia Coverdale

- To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff

- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity with Michelle Harrison

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about the work of Brad’s company on their website,

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

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About Our Guest:

Brad Diskin was CEO of UROK Learning Institute for 20 years. The firm specialized in teaching students with learning deficits to read, write and do math. The firm taught students to read nationwide utilizing the company's proprietary reading program Literacy Links. One of the tools became the genesis of Sound Genetics Inc. The company received a United States Patent on August 22, 2023 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRE - FILTERING AUDIO CONTENT BASED ON PROMINENCE OF FREQUENCY CONTENT.

S4-Ep37: From Stress to Strength: How to Rewire Your Brain for Resilience

Guest: Jon Wortmann, Leadership Coach & Principal at Novel Communication

What makes some overloaded leaders bounce back stronger, while others burn out?

In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with executive coach and resilience author Jon Wortmann about how leaders can train their brains to stay calm, clear, and focused, even in chaos.

Wortmann draws from neuroscience, mindfulness research, and real-world leadership practice to reveal how resilience is more than “bouncing back.” It’s a trainable skill that rewires your stress response through deliberate habits: breathwork, focus, movement, and meaningful connection.

Learn how to:

Shift from the “short loop” of stress reactivity to the “long loop” of intentional thinking.
Use quick switching to get your brain back online in seconds.
Build resilience across four domains: physical, cognitive, emotional, and relational.
Lead teams more effectively by managing your own emotional and physiological state.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- How Purpose-Driven Women Redefine What It Means to Lead with Dr. Karen Longman

- How Inner Work Transforms Your Leadership with Jonathan Reams

- Leading from Within – A Former Navy SEAL on Transforming Yourself to Lead Others with Diego Ugalde

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!

RESOURCES:

For great tips on reducing stress and boosting your brain skills, pop over to Jon’s Quickswitching website at https://quickswitching.com/.

Jon has several excellent books. Hijacked by Your Brain is about dealing with stress; it’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4o3pvin.

For better leadership, he’s cowritten Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders; it’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/4nXD8zq.

And if you just want to improve your golf game (using neuroscience & psychology), be sure to read Your Brain on Golf: How to Turn Frustration, Fear, and Anger into Better Scores. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4pULk5x.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

Jon Wortmann is an executive & mental coach and speaker. A graduate of Carleton College and Harvard, his books have been #1 best sellers in 22 categories on Amazon. His work has been featured in O Magazine, Elle, The Huffington Post, Fox, Fast Company, and Psychology Today.

He began his training career in 2005 with a division of Time Warner, and has since worked with Fortune 500 firms, start-ups, universities, and non-profits to improve resilience, executive and board communication, client relationships, and leadership.

S4-Ep5: From Data to Dialogue: Why Leaders Need More than Numbers

Guest: Rens van Loon, Professor at Tilburg University

What do you do when logic and data aren’t enough? Today’s biggest leadership challenges—culture change, systemic disruption, complex decision-making—are wicked problems. They can’t be solved with old habits.

In this interview, Professor Rens van Loon, the world’s first Professor of Dialogical Leadership, explains how generative dialogue empowers leaders to navigate complexity, build trust, and create authentic change.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why truth and data are relational, not absolute.
How to integrate multiple roles (CEO, parent, coach, human) into one authentic leadership.
The practice of : suspending judgment, asking better questions, and co-creating new meaning.
The Japanese concept of Ma as a tool for reflection and transformation.
How leaders and teams can solve their wicked problemse.

If you’re a leader ready to move beyond old habits and create lasting impact, this conversation will reshape how you approach complexity.

Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Let’s Talk: Four Steps to Bridging Workplace, Political, & Family Disagreements with Mike Morrow-Fox
Empathy, Dialogue, & a Good Mood: What Leaders Need in Crisis with Ambassador Thomas Greminger & Peter Cunningham
Work, War, & In-Between: An International Peace Negotiator’s Top Tips for Resolving Conflict with John, Lord Alderdice

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!

RESOURCES:

You can learn more about Rens and his firm, &Dialogue, on their websites: https://ac3.788.myftpupload.com/ and https://dialogischleiderschap.com/ .

Rens’ book is Creating Organizational Value through Dialogical Leadership. It’s on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3VIicAx. His most recent book is Understanding Dialogical Leadership; it’s available at https://amzn.to/3Krhvt6.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.

-----------------------

OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

CONNECT WITH US:

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

Rens van Loon is a philosopher and personality psychologist who has been a professor of Dialogical Leadership at Tilburg University, within the Humanities and Digital Sciences faculty, since 2014. He supervises PhD students and teaches Dialogical Leadership and Dialogical Self Theory at institutions including TIAS, VU, and in the Comenius program. From 2015 to 2019, he served as a board member of the International Leadership Association (ILA), and for several years, he has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (WAR) of the Titus Brandsma Institute (TBI) (Radboud University). He is one of the authors of the frequently cited first article on Dialogical Self Theory in the American Psychologist in 1992. His work as a scientist, educator, and teacher primarily involves developing and applying this theory in the practice of leadership and organizational development.

From 2009 to 2018, Van Loon worked as Director of Human Capital at Deloitte Consulting as a leadership expert. Besides client work, his focus was also on internal guidance and training within Deloitte University and Deloitte Academy.

S11 Ep21: Fear Less, Shine More: Build Confidence in Your Leadership (& Life)

Guest: Tonjia Coverdale, Ph.D., CEO at Lambiante

Fearless leadership doesn’t mean living without fear; it means learning to fear less.

In this episode, Dr. Tonjia Coverdale shares her seven-level framework that helps leaders align who they are with how they lead. Together with host Maureen Metcalf, she explores how to create clarity and confidence in yourself, and high-performing teams as a result.

If you’ve ever wondered how to strengthen your leadership presence and speak with authentic clarity—even in uncertain times—this conversation is for you.

Here's what Tonjia and Maureen cover:

Find your authentic leadership voice
Overcome fear and self-doubt in tough moments
Use wellness practices to boost leadership performance, and
Inspire trust, clarity, and innovation in your team.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson
Reinvent, Collaborate, Succeed: A CEO’s Winning Leadership Formula with Susan Howe
How Great Leaders Are Made: Insights from The Economist’s “Boss Class” with Andrew Palmer

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

-----------------------

OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

Tonjia Coverdale, PhD, is a three-time CXO and seasoned technology executive with 28 years of experience leading enterprise data strategy, architecture, and AI-driven transformation across Fortune 100 financial services, higher education, government, and consulting. As Principal & CEO of Lambiante, she helps organizations harness technology — with architecture, data, and AI at the core — to align business, people, and purpose for transformational outcomes. A 500-hour certified yoga teacher, Tonjia brings a wellness-informed approach to leadership, known for her high energy, bold presence, and visionary leadership.

S4 Ep3: Why Corporate Social Purpose Also Means Profit

Guest: John Heiser, founder/CEO of TRG

Can a business make money AND make the world better? John Heiser says yes.

John, the former president/COO of Magnetrol, shares powerful stories about transforming the manufacturing company into a true social institution. He discovered that for-profit companies really can thrive when they also embrace their role in helping their communities flourish.

Here's what John and Maureen cover:

Why hiring employees on the autism spectrum boosted business performance AND created life-changing opportunities;
How apprenticeships for at-risk high school students built a new talent pipeline;
Why defining purpose as “flourishing” changed how employees connect with their work.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose – with Ryan Gottfredson

- Why Principle Beats Process: Inside the Koch Leadership Framework with Steve Daley

- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity with Michelle Harrison

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about John and his current company, TRG Management Solutions, at https://trgtransforms.com/. For more about Magnetrol, where he pioneered his flourishing policies, check their website at https://www.ametek-measurement.com/magnetrol.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

-----------------------

OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

CONNECT WITH US:

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

In addition to being the Founder and CEO of TRG, John has completed an Executive in Residence Fellowship with the International Leadership Association, the largest global community dedicated to leadership theory and practice.

Most recently, John was CEO of LabVantage Solutions, Inc., a laboratory informatics technology company. As CEO, he spearheaded the creation and execution of the company’s global strategy, innovative culture, and financial management, leading to unprecedented revenue and profit growth.

Prior to his role at LabVantage, John served as the President & COO of Magnetrol International, Inc., a global leader in level and flow process control instrumentation.

John began his career as an attorney in private practice before transitioning into business, where he has held numerous leadership positions in legal, government affairs, sales, and marketing with DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., and Bausch & Lomb.

S11 Ep20: What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose

Guest: Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., leadership researcher

Most leadership development fails because it focuses only on skills and knowledge, but real transformation happens deeper…all the way down to upgrading your mental operating system.

Professor and researcher Ryan Gottfredson explains how upgrading your inner operating system (not just adding new “apps” of skills) shifts leaders from self-protection toward value creation. Together, Maureen and Ryan unpack his framework of Awareness, Altitude, and Upgrade, showing how leaders can move from being dependent thinkers toward truly interdependent leadership. Here's what Neil and Maureen cover:

- Why only 1% of leaders reach the highest level of maturity;

- Why 98% of leadership programs fail to create transformation; and

- What Jack Welch, Alan Mulally, and Satya Nadella can teach us about long-term impact..

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- Bringing Clarity to Confusion with Terri O’Fallon & Kim Barta

- Do It on Purpose with Nell Derick Debevoise

- Leading with Care & Purpose with Raj Sisodia & Sudhanshu Palsule

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!

RESOURCES:

Ryan’s new book is Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/42iMLAp, and audiobook at https://amzn.to/4pazdkh.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership, The Elevated Leader: Leveling Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development, and Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation .

He is the founder and owner of his consulting company, Ryan Gottfredson LLC, where he specializes in elevating leaders and executive teams in a manner that elevates the organization and its culture. He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), Experian, and others. He has also partnered with dozens of organizations (e.g., Federal Reserve Bank, Nationwide Insurance, Cook Medical) to develop thousands of mid-level managers and high-level leaders.

He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University. His research has been cited over 4,600 times since 2019.

S3 Ep2b - Heroes No More: Why Good Leaders Step Out of the Spotlight

Guest: Gama Perruci

What if leadership really isn’t about leaders anymore?

We revisit our eye-opening conversation with the late Dr. Gama Perruci — former Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center — as he challenged the “lone leader” and “hero leader” narratives we love so much. Instead, he found what works best for business is a powerful five-component leadership model: Leader, Follower, Goal, Context, and Culture.

Here's what Gama and Maureen covered:

Why context determines the most effective leadership style, far and above personality;
What the difference between the American and French Revolutions teach us about better leadership today; and
The true business imperative for our dynamic, interconnected world.

Produced in collaboration with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity – with CEO Michelle Harrison

- Cultivating Cross-Cultural Leadership with Bjorn Ekelund

- To Stop a Tyrant: How Five Types of Followers Make (or Brake) a Toxic Leader with Ira Chaleff

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

The book Gama and Maureen referenced is Understanding Leadership: An Arts & Humanities Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT.

Another book you’ll enjoy from Gama is Global Leadership: A Transnational Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4nftSGS, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/41xsZRq.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

We may earn a small commission from Amazon when you purchase from these links.

-----------------------

OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

CONNECT WITH US: