Distinguished Speaker Series & Events

Stephanie Gronauer

• Named as one of "The Best Lawyers in America®" the last few years, Stephanie represents local and national companies, home builders, property owners and individuals on land use and zoning and real estate matters in Nevada. She has also been at the forefront of numerous special events in Southern Nevada including the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Super Bowl. She appears before various local governmental boards and commissions on issues related to land use entitlements, development agreements, inter-local agreements, government contracts, special events and property tax appeals. Since 2004, she has appeared at council, commission and board meetings representing clients and gaining approvals for the development of residential, high-rise, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, gaming and master-planned communities. Stephanie has been leading efforts on the repurposing of golf courses in Southern Nevada, most recently the Badlands Golf Course.

Kristopher Jones

"From Setbacks to Success: My Journey from Startup to Exit and Beyond"

• Kris Jones is a Northeastern, Pennsylvania-based entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author. In 1998, Kris founded his first technology company called “Pepperjam,” which would later be acquired by eBay in 2009. During Kris’s tenure as Founder and CEO of Pepperjam, the company was recognized by multiple organizations as one of the “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania” and named three times to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the United States. After selling Pepperjam, Kris founded a private investment firm called KBJ Capital, where he has made over 45 investments and raised tens of millions of dollars from some of the world’s top investors and most recognized celebrities.
• Kris is the best-selling author of 4 books with over 100,000 copies sold and has contributed nearly five hundred thought leadership articles to top publications, including Forbes, Fast Company, and Black Enterprise. Kris has served on numerous nonprofit boards over his career, including the Misericordia University Board of Trustees for twelve years before retiring from the board in 2020. Kris is a graduate of Penn State University (B.A.), Villanova University (M.S.), and Albany Law School (J.D.). Kris lives in Shavertown, PA and Penn Lake, PA with his wife Robyn and children Kris Jr., Lauren, and Jackson.

Patrick Charles

"Lessons from an International Supply Chain Leader of Innovative Supply Chain Services"

• A 38-year FedEx veteran, Patrick currently holds the position of Vice President, International Sales. In this role, he leads an organization of over 500 FedEx employees based across North America and Europe.

• Prior to his current assignment, Patrick served as Vice President Sales, Regional Commercial and Vice President of Sales for the FedEx Express MEISA region based in Dubai, UAE. During this time, he gained a multitude of international experience, including cultivating an Enterprise Regional team. In addition to his tenure in Dubai, Pat also served seven years in the FedEx Express Asia Region.

• Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University and an MBA from Anderson University. He lives in Carmel, IN with his wife and 3 children.

Jeff Krull, CPA, CISA, CITP

"2024 Cyber Predictions, Issues and Trends"

• Jeff Krull is partner and practice leader of Baker Tilly’s cybersecurity practice, with more than 20 years of experience in process and controls, information technology, and internal audit. His expertise includes cybersecurity, IT controls, System and Organization Controls (SOC) examinations, internal auditing, business process controls and specialized compliance assessments and attestations. Examples of these engagements include: cybersecurity, SOC examinations, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, internal audit, pre- and post-implementation assessments, privacy, and HIPAA risk assessments and specialized compliance attestations for clients. His client base includes a variety of industries – energy and utilities, healthcare, insurance, technology and service providers, government contractors and financial institutions. Jeff has provided services to clients ranging from small family-owned enterprises to Fortune 500 multinational organizations.

• Extensively involved in the industry through leadership and service roles, Jeff’s roles have included serving as an executive committee member on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Information Technology and Management Assurance (IMTA) committee; an AICPA COVID-19 Technology Task Force member; an AICPA third party certification working group member; and as former chair of the AICPA IMTA SOC Task Force. Jeff is also a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Carl J. Witkowski

"Lessons from an Artificial Intelligence Thought Leader"

• As Chief Operating Officer of Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies, Carl leads the company’s information and technology group, oversees human capital and culture, and manages operations. He also serves as President of GUARDCO, where he formulates managed care strategies focused on service and quality care.

• A recognized innovator with 13 technology and business process patents, Carl is a sought-after speaker on Human Capital and Information Technology, including AI. He has also dedicated decades to leadership roles in his community, serving on numerous boards and nonprofit organizations.

Mark Alles

• An honors graduate of Lock Haven University and the first in his family to graduate from college, Mark Alles has achieved great professional success. He is a renowned leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with deep operational, financial, business development, and commercial experience. Mark's career spans more than three decades, with a distinguished record of driving medical innovation for patients worldwide.

• Mark has outstanding global governance and commercial experience. As the former chairman and CEO of Celgene Corporation, Mark led the expansion of the biopharmaceutical company from a U.S.-based organization with fewer than 500 employees to a global company serving patients in more than 50 countries. He led teams that completed several multibillion-dollar company and product acquisitions, built a diverse suite of globally marketed medicines, and created a high potential pipeline of therapeutics for cancer treatment, all of which led to the $74 billion-dollar acquisition of Celgene by Bristol Myers Squibb.

Click Here to view full Biography