Critical Mass Radio Show

John Forsyte has led Pacific Symphony since 1998, during which time it has emerged as the largest orchestral institution founded in the U.S. in the past 50 years. Under his leadership, the Symphony has grown in national and international stature. Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018 as one of two orchestras invited to perform in Philip Glass’ 80th birthday celebration. That same year, the Symphony embarked on its first tour of China, performing in five major cities. The 2017-18 season culminated with the Symphony's first nationally televised appearance on PBS’s Great Performances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Forsyte spearheaded innovative community engagement efforts, including hundreds of video productions for schoolchildren and nonprofit partners. The Symphony also launched Symphony on the Go, a mobile stage concert series offering free performances in neighborhoods throughout the region. For its dedication to serving the community during this challenging time, Pacific Symphony was rec

LaVal Brewer is the President & CEO of South County Outreach in Irvine, CA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing hunger and homelessness by helping people help themselves. With over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management and more than a decade in executive leadership, LaVal is a seasoned expert in board development, strategic planning facilitation, and fostering high-functioning teams. LaVal's journey in the nonprofit sector began at age 16 when he took a part-time summer job with Culver City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, igniting his passion for community service. Growing up in South Los Angeles, his middle-class upbringing instilled in him an appreciation for stability and the importance of giving back. For 21 years, LaVal held leadership roles in Southern California YMCAs, including nearly a decade as Executive Director of three large branch facilities. His innovative leadership and commitment to community development propelled his success in those roles. Late

Gregg Hemphill is the CEO of Nexbelt, LLC, a leader in premium belts and accessories. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, where he played on the golf team, Gregg worked in a variety of roles until 2001, when he met John Ashworth as he was starting a new golf brand with Quiksilver. Gregg joined the brand and worked there until 2006, later moving to tMax Gear as VP of Product. At tMax, Gregg oversaw global accessories for TaylorMade/Adidas Golf, including golf bags, gloves, and headwear. In 2011, he joined Oakley as Director of Men’s Apparel, overseeing surf, snow, training, golf, and lifestyle categories. Gregg was later recruited back to Callaway Golf by his former CEO to oversee global accessories and licensing and eventually became the GM of Ogio, a brand Callaway had acquired. In 2021, Gregg was recruited to Nexbelt, where he has led the company’s growth, including the acquisition of Lejon Leatherwood’s, a maker of leather belts and accessories with production in Corona, CA. Gregg enjoys

Meg Treat, APR is a public relations agency leader, running industry professional, entrepreneur, and educator. She is the owner and CEO of Treat Public Relations, the endurance event industry's premier public relations and strategic communications partner. Her award-winning firm represents some of the largest endurance sports events in the United States. Meg founded Treat PR in 2016, looking to unite her passion for her profession with her passion for endurance sports. Meg is an avid endurance athlete whose running resume includes seven 26.2-mile marathons and a 31-mile ultra marathon. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.

Since founding Powerhouse+Co. in 2015, Kristin has advanced its standing as one of Orange County’s premier agencies by highlighting innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurism. She has continued to reimagine the firm’s approach to PR, influencer and social media programs to tell powerful client stories. Last year, Kristin redefined what it means for Powerhouse+Co. to be sought for its industry expertise, recognizing the agency could accelerate client growth by leveraging generalist PR knowhow and wide-ranging communications proficiencies to engage with new clients in unique sectors, including technology. This shift yielded the most diverse client roster in company history, plus impressive revenue growth. Beyond growing the agency, Kristin has fostered a transformative culture defined by creativity, development and achievement. In many ways, she has molded Powerhouse in her own likeness. It’s an upbeat, innovative, high-energy workplace where team meetings yield productivity and laughs, unique personali

Alison Lehmann Edwards is the CEO of the nonprofit organization Groundswell, she has been involved with the organization since 1998, serving as the director for the BRIDGES Safe and Respectful Schools Program, then Deputy Director of the organization before becoming CEO in 2018. Ali has degrees in Ethnic Studies, American Studies and Cultural Studies. Groundswell is the organization that tracked and reported hate activity for the County of Orange and produced their annual hate activity report for 30+ years. The non-profit now focuses its work on bringing diverse people together to co-create belonging in OC classrooms, courtrooms, board rooms living rooms and beyond. In her downtime, Ali enjoys playing soccer, going camping and getting into good trouble with her partner Chris and children Ellie and Sam. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi,

Sohail Sadeghi is the founder and principal of Atlantis Tax Group & Financial Services, a firm revolutionizing the tax industry by providing strategic tax planning services that go beyond traditional preparation. With over a decade of experience in both the public and private sectors, Sohail is committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals through proactive and innovative tax strategies. Sohail's career began as a tax preparer at Liberty Tax, followed by a role at Squar Milner, Orange County’s largest public accounting firm at the time, where he worked as a Tax & Audit Associate. There, he gained invaluable expertise in public accounting, auditing, and financial compliance. Transitioning to the private sector, Sohail held high roles in finance at various private firms. His work focused on corporate accounting, tax optimization, and financial analysis, helping corporations streamline operations and achieve tax efficiency. In 2023, he founded Atlantis Tax Group & Financial Services to d

Jasmina (Jass) Brooks is President, Electrophysiology, Johnson & Johnson MedTech (formerly Biosense Webster, Inc.), a global leader in the science, diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Jass is a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience in the cardiovascular field, primarily focused on electrophysiology. She has accountability for setting the J&J MedTech Electrophysiology end-to-end global strategy as a leader in cardiac ablation, advancing its innovation agenda, and driving execution to position the organization for continued growth. Previously, Jass was Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing, Biosense Webster, Inc. In this role, she worked with cross-functional and international teams to set the strategy and shape the company product pipeline to drive growth, market share, and profitability. Having joined Biosense Webster in 2014, Jass held positions of increasing scope and responsibility in the Global Strategic Marketing Organization. Prior to joining Johnson & Joh

Joshua Dominic is the Co-Founder & CEO of Dreamstar Lines, the premier overnight sleeper train service in North America. Joshua co-founded Dreamstar after experiencing the significant shortfalls in today’s travel and realizing other countries had a working solution, but one needing further development for the American market. By developing a luxury rail service that solves many of those issues, Dreamstar Lines was born. Joshua is responsible for the company’s overall vision and direction, based on 13 years of experience in startups, finance, strategy and logistics. Prior to creating Dreamstar, Joshua served in the United States Air Force Reserves specializing in logistics and mobility before going on to graduate with a degree in Economics from Columbia University. After a brief financial career focused on corporate strategy and acquisitions, Joshua transitioned to start-ups focused on business development for Darktrace and Cloudkitchens. Lastly, he was a partner and co-founder in Falcon Funds, a search fu

Bita Safari is the founder and CEO of GIGO Clean Technology. GIGO Clean Technology provides a platform for an application that works like Uber for the cleaning industry. Starting from a small office in Santa Ana, California, the company plans to provide services nationwide by 2028. Bita Safari is an effective leader with an extensive project management background. Under her vision and leadership, GIGO Clean is revolutionizing the cleaning industry. Born in Iran, living under a socially unjust system, experiencing war and revolutions, and witnessing many traumas, she experienced additional challenges when she emigrated to the United States. As she acclimated to United States business norms, her personal life and career have been a roller coaster taking her up and down many challenging and complex paths. But she does not give up. “I am like the city of Venice, built out of desperation and survived unimaginable circumstances," says Bita. "We are both strong as ever, even with an uncertain future." While Bita is

Bryan Crain is the President of Orange County Rescue Mission, Bryan’s entrepreneurial career began 28 years ago as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California. He co-founded what became the largest independent radio show prep company in the nation, serving over 2,000 radio morning shows with daily written and audio content. After selling the company in 2014, Bryan was hired as the Chief Operating Officer at Orange County Rescue Mission. In his role as COO, Bryan led the development of diverse programs and facilities such as Tustin Veterans Outpost, Restoration Roasters, Double R Ranch, and emergency housing for human trafficking survivors. He was promoted to CEO in 2023. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Jennifer Strong is the founder of Cognitive Diagnostic Associates (CDA), the largest special education company in the United States. An accomplished School Psychologist with specialized expertise in School Neuropsychological Assessment. Boasting an illustrious background in the field, Jennifer has embraced the role of Board Member and Region 9 (IX) Representative for Orange County within the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP). Furthermore, she actively mentors aspiring School Psychologists through the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) mentorship program. She has pursued advanced post-graduate training in school neuropsychology, garnering the Diplomate distinction from the American Board of School Neuropsychology. Raised in the diverse landscape of Alaska, Jennifer’s unique perspective is enriched by her upbringing alongside her father, Dr. Larry Reynolds, a distinguished Physician in the state of Alaska who earned legislative recognition for his remarkable contributions. H

Jay Rogers is an investment professional and entrepreneur with almost three decades in the financial services industry. His career began with such firms as Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Bear Stearns and later transitioned to working full time with family offices and creating diverse investment portfolios. Alpha Strategies was established in 2009 by a group of highly experienced investment professionals with a shared belief that qualified investors are still underserved in their access to deep domain expertise in alternative investments generating consistently high levels of “pure” alpha. It has since grown into a diversified financial services company with specialties in alternative investment consulting and management. Jay has been a trusted advisor to multiple family offices and is instrumental in syndicating private investment opportunities among family offices and institutional investors nationwide. These opportunities include real estate, private debt & equity, and venture capital. Jay also acts as

Chris Skaling is the visionary founder and CEO of NAITIVE, an innovative AI Consulting Agency that is transforming the consulting landscape. With over 15 years of experience in AI integration and cloud transformations, Chris is at the forefront of pioneering AI-driven solutions that redefine how businesses operate. At NAITIVE, Chris leads a team dedicated to offering a fresh, personalized approach to consulting. One notable achievement includes developing an AI Agent team for a real estate firm. This groundbreaking solution autonomously scans specialized data to identify target clients, generates personalized marketing material, and translates complex data queries into real-time insights—all through natural language processing. Such innovations empower clients to make informed decisions with unprecedented speed and precision, exemplifying NAITIVE's commitment to transforming industries. Chris's journey from architecting data solutions for global tech giants to founding NAITIVE reflects his passion for challen

Polina Kratova is the Founder and CEO of RiseUP Stars, a pioneering organization in youth enrichment and education. With over a decade of experience working with tech-enabled startups and building impactful programs, Polina has dedicated her career to empowering young minds through innovative, hands-on learning experiences. RiseUP Stars is a leading provider of enrichment programs that span before, during, and after-school settings, as well as structured recess and out-of-school camps. Under Polina’s leadership, the organization has expanded to reach thousands of students in California, offering unique opportunities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), wellness, and mindfulness education. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Tom Wood is a seasoned entrepreneur and industry expert with a passion for helping business maximize profits and increase their bottom line. As the CEO of Silent Streams, he has successfully saved companies millions of dollars and increased employees' benefits at the same time. With a keen eye for innovation and a commitment to excellence, Tom is dedicated to changing the way business owners approach cost containment and risk mitigation. Silent Streams is an industry leader and completely revolutionizes the way businesses operate by providing innovative solutions in cost containment and value-added services. Our cutting-edge technology and expert team help businesses dramatically increase bottom line profits and create healthier and more profitable work environments for their employees. Whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation, we can help you achieve your goals and drive growth without risk or financial investment. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running

Known as The Transformational Book Coach for “cause publishing,” Susie Schaefer believes that books are the gateway to creating a movement. Whether writing a book helps an author heal past trauma or raise awareness for social change, Susie empowers storytellers to be part of the global conversation and create a ripple effect for humanity, particularly when an author shares their own story in connection to their mission, message, and community. Susie's bestselling books include A Path to Purpose: Seven Inspired Stories to Discover Your True North, The Pivot Project: Stories to Inspire the Shift in Your Life, Your First Book: The Publishing Guide for New Authors, and The Escape: How to Leave Your Abusive Relationship Safely (International Impact Book Award). -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn

Shannon Chapman graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 2000, making her way to SDSU days before her 18th birthday. She wanted to be a teacher, so she majored in English & had her BA by 2004. She was 21 when she graduated college & set out to become a teacher abroad. Instead, she welcomed a baby boy at age 23 with half of her credential completed & a job as a substitute teacher. This was not exactly how she had imagined her pathway into teaching, but she knew she would somehow, someway, accomplish her goals. Fast forward a few years & she was living in Orange County again, working as an executive assistant for Pepsico. She was learning the beverage industry, but she was also learning how to run a business. A year or so later, she moved on to Pepsi Bottling Group, learning sales, marketing & anything she could about small-format business. She became the number one sales rep in CA, breaking records and exceeding quotas. From there she took over a dive bar for a friend who wanted out of t

Jenn Quader is President & CEO of The Smart Agency, a 30-year-old company she acquired in 2018 that is now the leading professional communications firm for commercial real estate and financial services companies in the United States. Her personal mission is to empower the next generation of confident communicators by sharing her voice in the global movement toward empathetic and human-first business leadership. Jenn honed her skills working on behalf of major companies such as Fox/MGM Entertainment, Ford Motor Company, Michelin, and Mazda before specializing in commercial real estate. Today, in addition to leading her company, she is a poet, author, and now a recording artist with her debut vocal jazz album called “Love, In All Its Forms.” -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ri

John Cervenka is the CEO and a co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc. Starfish is a fast growing global social media platform that enables users to promote their good, connect with others that share common interests, and easily connect with the causes they about. Prior to launching Starfish, John was an Institutional Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Before joining Morgan Stanley, John was a producer and writer with FOX Studios, Sony Television, Spike TV and Game Show Network. John attended the University of Southern California and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He and his wife, Kerry, live in Southern California and have 4 children. Steven Mott, COO and co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc., is an experienced business professional with a focus on Real Estate Construction and Management. He has worked with Williams-Sonoma and Dole Foods, among other top-tier companies. Founding Starfish Social Media is the result of Steven’s desire to create a legacy and make a difference with his time and treas