WNY Entrepreneur

Drew Cerza is affectionately known as the Wing King locally and nationally as the Founder of the National Buffalo Wing Festival. As a serial entrepreneur, Drew has been a real estate investor for over 25 years. For ten years Drew founding and ran RMI Promotions Group, a national food promotion company that raised money for local charities. Drew has served on over 15 local non-profit boards as he always believes in giving back to the community. Many accolades including,Buffalo Citizen of the Year, Italian man of the year and Tourism executive of the year has been honored upon Drew in recognition off his work in the community.

Jeremy Ballsmith is a self-made real estate broker and owner of a local property management, sales firm and construction company servicing over 200 owners around the world and assisting them with their local WNY and Rochester real estate needs. With a focus on real estate, his engagements go far beyond. With interests in aviation aircraft leaseback and management, real estate holdings and a new upcoming restaurant venture due to open late 2023 its safe to say he has embraced his ADHD personality and likes to keep moving about.

Our guest today is the Founder of Social Chameleon, a podcast production, distribution, and content company. They specialize in creating audio & video podcasts for entrepreneurs, as well as organizations. He is also the host of MIKE’D UP!, a podcast that showcases inspiring guests and other talented individuals who deliver their personal stories and insights to provide the ammo needed to LEVEL UP and achieve your greatest dreams. Welcome to the show, Mike DiCioccio (Dee-Choh-Choh).

Ginine Capozzi is the Founder and President of KnowledgeForce Consulting, LLC.

She is a strategic, dynamic, and pragmatic Learning and Development professional known for her deep business insights and the ability to create learning experiences grounded in the best practices of adult learning theory and cognitive/behavioral research.

Ginine has earned a Bachelor of Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in Education with a focus on Adult Learning from Buffalo State College, in addition to certifications in Articulate Storyline, HBDI®, Whole Brain® Thinking, and Hogan Assessments.

She has held various roles in education and training throughout her career, including high school teacher, college professor, training facilitator, instructional designer, and learning solutions architect.

In 2012 Ginine founded KnowledgeForce Consulting to support businesses seeking an employee training and development program that goes beyond skill building alone and provides lasting value to learners and organizations. She specializes in helping organizations address change, increase performance and productivity, develop leadership, increase motivation and engagement, and accelerate the pace of learning in the workplace.

Her “Putting the S in L&D: Strategy, Scalability, and Sustainability” model is designed to empower learning that measurably impacts organizations and is the foundation of her approach to “Training Reimagined.”

In addition to her professional experience, Ginine is also a board member of the Association of Talent Development (Buffalo Chapter) and is a founding organizer of DisruptHR Buffalo. In June of 2022, Ginine marked the 10th anniversary of KnowledgeForce Consulting with the launch of Invest in Your Community, a charitable initiative aimed at elevating the work of local non-profit organizations.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and Certified EOS Implementer, Stas Balanevsky has a
unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by business owners.
With over 30 years of experience across diverse industries, including healthcare, digital
marketing and media, sporting goods, and international finance, Stas has developed a
well-rounded skillset and a passion for helping others succeed.

Starting his first business at just 13 years old, Stas has nurtured a lifelong love for
entrepreneurship and the drive to push others to achieve their goals. In addition to his
work as a Certified EOS Implementer, Stas is a highly sought-after speaker, a member
of the Western New York Vistage trusted advisor group, an Entrepreneurial Leap
Collaborator and serves on the board of the Holimont Ski Club.

When Stas is not working, he can be found on the slopes of said Holimont Ski Resort or
on the water, enjoying his passions for skiing and sailing. He is married with two adult
children and loves traveling the globe with his family and friends.

Stas brings a unique combination of expertise, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit to his
work, making him a valuable asset to any organization seeking to achieve its goals and
reach new heights.

Check out EOS Implementers Here

Josh Briner is a short-term rental investor, teacher, and entrepreneur.  He and his business partner own short-term rentals throughout Upstate New York and the midwest.  They also own Vibe Short-Term Rental Management, which seeks to provide quality short-term rental management services to owners throughout Upstate New York.  Josh also founded the Facebook group Upstate New York Airbnb Investors which acts as a social networking hub for short-term rental investors in the region.

Wendy is the Founder and Director of the Creative Relationship Center with a background in Relationship and Communication Skills and an Expertise in Enneagram Relationships and better marriages. Having struggled through her own relationship struggles and losses, she looks at the starts and stops of life as an opportunity to integrate your past to heal and accept life in a more positive way. She believes that learning to ‘unstick’ our selves from past destructive relationship styles and relate more honestly and clearly gives us the tools for a successful future. Wendy is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Divorce  and Family Business Mediator and an Enneagram Couples/Marriage Coach. She has served as a Human Resource Director, a Crisis Counselor to high level tragedies and is often called upon by WBEN as the “Relationship Expert” and has been a phenomenal force of transformation for many of her clients. A producer and host of the WKBW show "ALL About Love", Wendy has helped couples to understand the complexities and successes of relationships. She believes developing quality Communication Skills, Emotional Intelligence and Financial Stability are the keys to every successful relationship!

For twenty years I have created companies devoted to elevating construction standards with employees and clients while creating beautiful environments.  I'm perpetually motivated by growth and improvement.

From humble beginnings on Sean’s apartment porch in 2009, The Mac Groups’ award-winning team has grown organically for a decade, evolving to become the Nickel City’s certified Premier Google Partner.

As WNY’s 1st Social Media Agency, The Mac Groups has launched over 200 successful, revenue-generating campaigns – TMG’s expertise recognized through hand-selected invites to Googleplex California, LinkedIn corporate headquarters as well as 1 Hacker Way – Facebook’s main campus. Sean has been the Director of Digital Marketing for Actor/Celebrity Mark Wahlberg for the last 9 years, he has won several awards and continues to share his creative digital experiences with those who need help.

He’s a hyper-responsive leader that can jump into action at a moment’s notice. He answers the phone, responds to email, and he doesn’t let busy days get in the way of our client’s needs.

Most importantly, Sean believes work should be fun. Whether it’s through the super creative concepts he can come up or the engaging campaigns we launch and promote on social media, we know how to take our fun, enthusiastic attitudes and translate them into amazing work for our clients.