Michael Sanchez Consultant at United States Department of Defense

Marissa is Founder and Chairman of Information Experts, an 18-year old multi-million dollar global strategic communications and learning firm. Under her leadership, Information Experts has won more than 100 awards for creativity & leadership, was named to the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 2009, 2010, and 2011, and won the SmartCEO 2010 GovStar Industry Star Award. She is also the Founder and CEO of Successful Culture, a consulting firm that helps CEOs build excellent cultures, cultivate exceptional leadership skills, create growth-focused advisory boards, and reach their personal and organizational potential. With Successful Culture, Marissa is able to tap into two decades of business building experience to pursue her purpose and passion of helping other entrepreneurs fulfill their visions, build healthy, sustainable companies, and succeed on their own terms. She is the author “My Company Rocks: Eight Secrets to a Growth-Driven Culture That Keeps Employees Happy & Engaged,” and the #1 best-selling, award-winning book on advisory boards “Built to SCALE: How Top Companies Create Breakthrough Growth Through Exceptional Advisory Boards.” Marissa has been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Working Mother Magazine, Washington Woman Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Inc. Magazine, BisNow, Fortune, and on many TV networks as a successful woman business owner and working mother. She is a regular contributor as the regional small business expert on ABC’s Washington Business Report, is a syndicated columnist for SmartCEO Magazine, and is the author of an internationally known blog on organizational culture, leadership and entrepreneurship: www.successfulculture.com.

Jake is a founding partner of The RAIL Group, serving as the Chief Development Officer and Board Secretary. He provides TRG with over six years of fundraising and nonprofit leadership development experience. Jake has worked directly with Board of Directors members at two different nonprofit organizations, as well as a volunteer advisory board. A component of services to each of these boards was providing advice and training on being active organizational leaders via fundraising, outreach, and strategic planning. While at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), he served as steward of an era of 100% board giving and worked with board members to solicit funds from other organizational members for both annual and capital campaigns. For the last two years, Jake has worked with The Washington Center’s (TWC) Board of Directors and Alumni Advisory Board members on training seminars for strategic planning, fundraising, volunteer management, and social media outreach. Jake has previously led fundraising efforts for a member-based healthcare non-profit, worked in direct sales for cause-marketing, and guided multiple start-up companies through their development phase. Jake holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland and maintains membership in Alpha Epsilon Pi and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Founder at Pulse + Signal. Integrating smart digital branding & communications to bolster the platforms for next generation of leaders in health. Co-founder of FastForward Health Film Project. Mentor.