Critical Mass Radio Show

Robert Riggs is the founder and managing member of Oralogix LLC, a health-care consultancy and specialty retailer of oral and perioral care products. He has over 20 years of experience in product commercialization and entrepreneurship. Robert is the innovator behind the Full Face Fitness™ movement – a program designed to integrate four previously siloed care areas: Face, Mouth, Neck, Upper Chest - plausibly uniting them into one high interest, high visibility region of the body…. The Social Zone™. Riggs is a credentialed member of various professional societies aimed at restoration and rejuvenation of the mouth, jaw and face. He holds a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School and is currently an Integrated Healthcare Practitioner candidate. Robert resides in Southern California. -- 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 Ri

Addison Adams is the founder of Adams Corporate Law and stands out as the go-to voice on Mergers and Acquisitions for California-based businesses. With nearly three decades dedicated to closing deals, Addison’s expertise isn’t confined to just M&A transactions. He guides business owners, helping companies of all sizes and across all industries in the Golden State achieve growth. Whether it’s mastering investor offerings, crafting watertight contracts, or navigating intricate corporate structures, Addison’s touch is evident in everything he oversees. Whether you’re a startup enthusiast or a seasoned business professional, Addison’s tales from the trenches of deal-making and California’s dynamic business environment promise to both educate and captivate. -- 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 Renaissance Executive Foru

Ria Berger is the CEO of Healthy Smiles for Kids Orange County. She is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 25 years of Operations, Business Development, and Human Resources experience in multi-cultural, multi-site locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Berger served for four years as a member of the Board of Directors at CalOptima (Orange County's single largest health insurer), with $3.6 billion in revenue. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Governance Fellow. Berger was previously a VP of Human Resources for several Fortune 500 companies ($2B-42B revenue). She is currently the CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, one of the nation's largest oral health care providers for children. Since the beginning of her tenure in 2014, the organization has increased its revenue by 250% within three years, tripled in employee headcount and launched an innovative Teledentistry program (one of the largest in the US

Jan Miller is a graphic artist, creative solutions specialist, and president of 21-13 Impact Graphics Inc. After graduating high school in his hometown of Downey, Califonia, Jan worked for Mann's Theaters for about a year doing accounting. From there, he started working for Musicland Group, where he stayed for a decade before deciding to go back to college to combine his business skills and artistic skills by pursuing graphic design. He graduated with high honors in 1998. Jan was soon after recruited by PSB, The Marketing Supersource (now known as West America Communications), as a graphic designer. His career then brought him to Advanced Media Post (AMP), where he served as a senior graphic designer, working on graphics for multi-media DVD menus, as well as print-work for films such as movie posters and DVD wraps. In 2005, Jan formed his own company, 21-13 Impact Graphics, Inc. He has won several awards, including Graphic Design USA Magazine's “2022 Designer to Watch” recognition, and Small Business Diversit

Nicholas Yrizarry is the CEO of Align Wealth Advisors. An alumnus of Princeton University, with nearly 30 years as a financial professional, Nicholas values his unique relationships with his clients. His personalized wealth management approach helps investors create financial stability, aligned with a desirable lifestyle. Some of the nation’s leading media outlets have called on Nicholas for his insight on issues impacting investors and their money. His commentary has been featured in outlets that include The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, MSNBC.com, Fox News, ABC News, and Bankrate.com, and he has also appeared on CNBC. Nicholas served on the board of trustees for the Laguna Playhouse from 2016 through 2019 and loves to support the arts. As a classical guitarist, he has performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and for charitable organizations such as Laguna Art Museum, Laguna College of Art & Design, Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, Richard Henry Dana Charity

Mandy Schaniel is the founder and CEO of Schaniel Consulting Inc., providing leadership and business coaching to startups looking to build a culture of inclusivity, progress and success for both business and employees. Her rise to leadership came early when she was recruited to join the executive team at ZipRecruiter as employee number 19. During her four-and-a-half years at ZipRecruiter, Mandy helped lead the company to its first million-dollar month, built the company’s first account management team, created a safe space for women and men to seek mentorship from growth-minded leaders like herself and led many on her teams to the next steps in their careers. -- 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 Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. Catch up on past Critical Mass Busines

Nicole Andrews is the CEO of Fastapp AMC. Nicole has a career spanning over two decades in the financial services industry, and brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to her role. Her journey in the industry began as a licensed appraiser and earned her Certified Residential Appraisal license in 2005. This early experience laid a solid foundation for her understanding of the appraisal landscape. Nicole's leadership extends beyond her impressive credentials. She is recognized as one of the top sales producers in the industry, achieving a remarkable milestone of 10 million dollars in sales in 2017 as an account executive. This achievement is a testament to her dedication, strategic acumen, and unwavering commitment to her clients. Nicole owned and operated Andrews Appraisal Company from 2001 to 2012. During this time, she honed her skills as a residential appraiser in California, further deepening her understanding of the industry's intricacies. This experience has been instrumental in her curren

Rieva Lesonsky is president and CEO of two companies that focus on small business and entrepreneurship — GrowBiz Media and SmallBusinessCurrents.com. She’s a nationally-known speaker, best-selling author, award-winning journalist, and authority on entrepreneurship who has covered the industry for more than 40 years. Before starting GrowBiz Media, Rieva was the long-time editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine. Lesonsky served on the Small Business Administration’s National Advisory Council for six years. The Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization honored her for helping drive “the entrepreneurial revolution in secondary education.” The ASBDC awarded her a “Champion of Small Business” award, and she received the prestigious Lou Campanelli award from SCORE. Rieva regularly writes about small business and entrepreneurship for print and digital outlets, has a podcast devoted to small business issues, and consults with and produces content for corporations targeting entrepreneurs and small business owners. -- C

Since starting her consultancy practice in 1980, Eileen McDargh has become known as a master facilitator, an award-winning author, and an internationally recognized keynoter/trainer and executive coach. Clients have ranged from global pharmaceuticals to educational institutions, from hospitals to the U.S. Armed Forces. Eileen is the author of seven books, including Your Resiliency GPS, A Guide for Growing Through Life & Work. Her book, Gifts from the Mountain, won the Ben Franklin Gold Award and was turned into a training program featuring Eileen. Her newest book was released to great acclaim: Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to Refuel, Recharge and Reclaim What Matters. For the last six years Gurus International, a British-based provider of resources for leadership, communication and sales training, has ranked Eileen in the top five of the World’s Top 30 COMMUNICATION Gurus following a global survey of 22,000 business professionals. Eileen is a certified speaking professional (CSP), a certifi

Dr. Chip Espinoza is the co-author of Managing the Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies for Managing Today’s Workforce Second Edition, Millennials Who Manage: How to Overcome Workplace Perceptions and Become A Great Leader, and Millennials@Work: The 7 Skills Every Twenty-Something Needs to Overcome Roadblocks and Achieve Greatness at Work. His books have been translated into several languages. He is also Dean of Strategy and Innovation at Vanguard University of Southern California and an Instructor in the UCLA Technical Manager Program. Chip keynotes internationally and across the country on creating an environment where managers and young professionals can thrive. Chip is a leading expert on the subject of generational diversity in the workplace. He consults in the civic, corporate, and non-profit sectors. His client list features great organizations, including The Boeing Company, Microsoft, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, Special Olympics, The Department of Defense, Sandia National Labs, and SA

Based in Dorsey & Whitney's California offices, Kent Schmidt has an international practice focused on defending and advising companies around the globe on navigating the perils U.S. litigation. Kent's legal practice includes virtually all types of general business litigation in the U.S., with emphases in unfair business practices, trade secret litigation, consumer class actions, product liability, securities and shareholder litigation and disputes, commercial contract disputes, Prop 65 (environmental) claims and labor/employment matters. He is a zealous and creative courtroom advocate, equally accustomed to representing plaintiffs and defendants.​ In addition to his general business litigation practice, Kent is an experienced First Amendment lawyer, representing clients on both sides of defamation cases and other matters involving free speech, including California’s unique anti-SLAPP statute.​ Kent speaks and writes on litigation risks, authored Avoiding and Managing U.S. Litigation Risks (Globe Law and

David Cristofaro founded Actionable Research in 2001 with the goal of developing marketing research solutions custom-tailored to the unique requirements of clients. His natural passion for discovering the attitudes and emotions behind the opinions and behaviors of the people around him is a perfect fit for marketing research, a field that allows David to think about the things he enjoys thinking about most. David has performed, designed and/or coached well over 375 primary research projects over the last 22 years, for companies including Johnson and Johnson, 3M Healthcare, Align Technology, Bio-Rad, NVIDIA, and many others. During his time off, David actively explores his passion for music – be it writing or performing on drums. His band, The Rewinders, recently released their third album, The Rewinders 3, which can be found on Spotify. David’s other interests include hot yoga, wake surfing, spending time with his 6 children and keeping up with the latest trends in the healthcare and technology marketplaces.

Tom Snelling is the President and General Manager of Food Systems Inc., a wholly-owned California corporation that was established in 1972. With a mission to provide the highest quality foods and service without compromise, the company's main business is providing corporate dining services for business, industry, and educational facilities. Prior to his role as President and General Manager, Tom served as the company's Director of Sales and Marketing. Tom has a background in the food service industry and professional and collegiate sports. With experience working with C-level executives with an emphasis on sales and marketing, Tom is experienced at establishing goals, developing strategies to meet and surpass those goals, and focusing team dynamics on accomplishing these goals. -- 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 Rena

Bill Carpou is the CEO of Octane, a business accelerator for early-stage companies. Octane has created one of the nation's most dynamic ecosystems to enable technology industry growth in Orange County by connecting people, resources and capital. Portfolio companies have received more than $4.4b in capital since 2011. He is also the founding partner of Visionary Ventures and Elevation Ventures; both provide series A and growth capital to high-quality companies. Prior, Bill was an Operating Partner with The Blackstone Group, working with portfolio companies to grow revenue and improve enterprise value. Bill relocated to Orange County in 1998 as the President of IKON Office Solutions and held several positions prior to leaving after the strategic exit of the company and acquisition by Ricoh Corporation in 2007. Bill has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Villanova University where he serves as a board advisor for both the Villanova School of Business and the Villanova Institute of Innovation. He is also a mem

Brenda Rodriguez has served as Executive Director of Affordable Housing Clearinghouse (AHC) since 2009. This is her fourteenth year with the organization which is celebrating over 30 years of addressing the evolving affordable housing needs of the community. Some of her responsibilities include identifying business opportunities to sustain the organization, overseeing fee-for-service programs/contracts, managing housing developments (both rental and for sale), financial literacy and counseling, and representing the organization at various community events, cultivating relationships between nonprofits, lenders, and other community groups to facilitate Community Reinvestment activities. Although homeownership continues to be a challenge in Southern California, Brenda is steadfast in ensuring the community is educated on the process and benefits of this long-term investment through support and collaboration of lenders, nonprofits, and various partners. Under her leadership, AHC successfully made homeownership a

Johnlery Cruz is the founder and CEO of Carbon Fiber Cabinets, a company with a mission to craft exclusive carbon fiber cabinets and architectural pieces while also serving as the Director of Operations and business development for PCW Millworks. The carbon fiber brand represents luxury craftsmanship showcasing the perfect backdrop within the automotive industry and car enthusiasts. Johnlery has ten years of experience in the construction industry ranging from cradle-to-grave large commercial buildings to small retrofits. He has a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chico State University, and started his construction internships during his last two years of college. His career started at the largest Mechanical Firm on the West Coast and has transitioned to luxury craftsmanship in the carpentry industry. In his free time, Johnlery loves to play golf and spend time with his family. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering va

Braelyn Davis is the CEO and co-founder of Planet Based Foods, the first company to develop plant-based meat and dairy products with hemp as a key ingredient. The brand represents the culmination of six years of research and development around how to utilize hemp seed in delicious plant-based food applications. Davis has enjoyed more than a decade in the space, backed by training as a nutritionist. Prior to founding Planet Based Foods, Davis introduced a range of retail products using hemp and CBD. He is responsible for building the brand as it expands its consumer product innovation. Davis is on a mission to establish hemp as a superfood protein source that can feed the world sustainably for generations to come. -- 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 Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at ww

Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist, “authorpreneur” and founder/CEO of Caregiving Club, a strategic consulting and educational content creation firm with an expertise in caregiver wellness, well-home design and brain health/Alzheimer’s. Her new book, Me Time Monday – The Weekly Wellness Plan to Find Balance and Joy for a Busy Life, is a creative non-fiction, self-help book released August 22, 2023. Her first book, A Cast of Caregivers – Celebrity Stories to Help You Prepare to Care, was a top-selling book in Amazon’s family and relationships category. Sherri is also the host of the podcast, “Caregiving Club On Air,” writes articles for various online news outlets including PBS Next Avenue, Forbes.com and USA Today, and serves as an on-air aging wellness expert for TV and radio news. Snelling has a master’s degree in gerontology from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology a a master’s certification from MIT Sloan School of Management on Shaping the Jobs of the Future and a master’s certification fro

Suzy Engwall is the CEO and President of HealthTech Strategies, LLC as well as the VP of Early Medtech Development at Alira Health. She is a healthcare innovation leader, speaker, startup advisor and mentor who has been working to make change in healthcare for over 17 years spending the last 7 in the healthcare innovation space. In her current roles, Suzy works with early-stage startups to help them navigate the challenging landscape of bringing a product to market in the highly regulated healthcare space. Independently, she consults with healthcare organizations to set up their corporate innovation programs and assist them in the commercialization of new product. She also serves as a leader for the Founder Institute HealthTech chapter, a pre-seed accelerator, and is a long-time board member for GameChanger Charity – a 501c3 that helps deliver joy and distraction therapy to hospitalized children. Suzy is a graduate of Arizona State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Entreprene

Manuel N. Gómez is the Producer & Founder of OC World. Manuel N. Gómez, Ph.D. served as Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at the University of California, Irvine from 1995 to 2010. He began his work as a counselor in the Educational Opportunity Program, was a program officer with the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education in Washington D.C., and he served as Interim Vice President for Educational Partnerships in the University of California Office of the President. Manuel also served as a member of the Children First, Paul Merage Foundation, on the Board of Trustees for the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Board of Governors for the Orange County Community Foundation. Currently, he is an Advisory Committee member of the UC Berkeley Institute for the Study of Higher 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 b