Keynote Speaker

Vance Morris
Founder, Deliver Service Now Institute

  • Vance Morris helps business owners attract, serve, and retain clients through experience-based marketing and customer service. A former Disney leader, his unique journey spans from factory security guard to bankrupt executive to successful entrepreneur. Now, he runs a thriving business and shares his insights on service-driven marketing that delivers measurable results.

    www.vancemorris.com | www.deliverservicenow.com

MC

Chris McAdoo Chief Experience Officer, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center

  • Chris McAdoo brings compelling energy everywhere he goes, shaped by his background as an entrepreneur, creative professional, and strategic executive. As Chief Experience Officer at Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, he advises companies and leads growth-stage initiatives and accelerators. He also hosts the Big Ideas Welcome podcast, featuring conversations with makers, change-makers, and leaders bringing bold ideas to life. Chris takes a unique approach to “business-as-usual,” challenging norms and encouraging businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial ecosystems to think creatively, care for their people (and themselves), and create value at scale. An accomplished painter and printmaker, Chris’s artwork is held in private and public collections across the country. 

    https://bigideaswelcome.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvmcadoo/

Meet the Presentors

James Scarlett
Owner, James F. Scarlett, CPA PC

  • James Scarlett is a Certified Public Accountant and owner of a leading accounting firm in Livingston, Tennessee. With decades of experience in tax strategy, business consulting, and financial planning, he serves more than 1,000 individual and business clients. Known for his client-first approach and forward-thinking systems, James continues to expand his firm’s reach and impact.

    www.jfscarlett.com

Brian Ostrovsky
Founder & CEO, Locable

  • Brian Ostrovsky is the founder and CEO of Locable, a software platform empowering thousands of small businesses and local media organizations. He is the author of Marketing 3-4-5™ and an advocate for vibrant local economies. After traveling the country teaching workshops, Brian and his family of seven now call Middle Tennessee home.

    www.locable.com

Netta Dobbins
Tennessee Grow with Google Digital Coach

  • Netta Dobbins helps small business owners grow their digital skills through her role as Tennessee’s Grow with Google Digital Coach. She provides hands-on training and guidance to empower entrepreneurs to leverage technology and online tools for sustainable business growth.

    (More detailed bios can be found here).

    nettadobbins.com

    Linkedin

    Instagram

John Deane
Co-Owner, Wildwood Resort & Marina

  • John Deane is the co-owner of Wildwood Resort & Marina in Granville, Tennessee. He and his wife Natasha have expanded their entrepreneurial footprint with Miss Sallie’s Market and Honest John’s Frozen Custard. Previously, John led Southwind Health Partners, one of the nation’s top physician practice consulting firms.

    www.visitwildwood.com

    Linkedin

    Facebook

Kent Moore
Attorney, Cookeville, TN

  • Kent R. Moore is an experienced attorney based in Cookeville, Tennessee. With 25 years of practice, he specializes in corporate law, real estate, estate planning, and probate, offering expert legal guidance to individuals and businesses throughout the region.

Kevin Pesta
Sales Trainer & Industry Consultant

  • With nearly 40 years in sales and marketing, Kevin Pesta brings deep insight into effective selling strategies. While his roots are in the mattress industry, Kevin’s lessons apply universally. His presentation focuses on practical sales tactics designed to boost performance and close more deals.

Gregg Bostick
Director, TSBDC at Pellissippi State Community College

  • Gregg Bostick leads the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Pellissippi State. With 30 years in corporate leadership at companies like Mayfield Dairy and Arch Chemicals, Gregg now helps small business owners navigate challenges and grow. He was named Tennessee’s 2023 ASBDC State Star.

    www.tsbdc.org

    Linkedin

Lisa Uhrik
President & Co-Owner, Franklin Fixtures & BenchMark Displays

  • Lisa Uhrik is an organizational strategist and business leader with over 35 years of experience. As co-owner of two manufacturing companies, she fosters cultures of innovation and productivity. Lisa speaks nationally on workforce trends and literacy, co-founded Plenty Downtown Bookshop, and hosts several popular podcasts on work and community.

    LinkedIn

Stephen Williams
Director, TSBDC at Roane State Community College

  • Stephen Williams has over 40 years of business experience and currently leads the TSBDC at Roane State. A serial entrepreneur, he founded Stone Lion Capital and held executive roles in manufacturing and consulting. He was named Tennessee’s 2024 ASBDC State Star and is active in nonprofit wildlife rescue.

    www.tsbdc.org

    Linkedin

Lisa Arnold
Founder, Small Town Startup

  • Lisa DiVirgilio Arnold is the founder of Small Town Startup, a marketing agency and community resource hub for small-town entrepreneurs. With over a decade of experience helping businesses build visibility and drive results, Lisa specializes in creating holistic marketing strategies that go far beyond just social media, helping brands build real connections, community trust, and long-term growth.

    Socials:

    www.linkedin.com/in/lisadivirgilio

     www.smalltownstartup.com

Chris Mason

Entrepeneur

  • I'm a husband and dad first, entrepreneur second, and probably a fitness enthusiast third. In 2015, I left a secure six-figure job at a Fortune 100 company to pursue entrepreneurship—and I haven't looked back. I got my start in persuasive copywriting, then evolved into building entire marketing ecosystems that generate revenue without constant oversight. Behind the scenes, I help experts turn their ideas into profitable, scalable businesses. 

    I live in Nashville, TN, and believe in progress over perfection, designing a life you don’t want to escape from, and building revenue engines that aren’t tied to your time. Learn more and see case studies at chrismason.net.


    FUN FACT: Every quarter I do a “Hero Workout” in honor of fallen veterans.

    LinkedIn

Hannah Istvanko
Co-Founder, Privy Clear Advertising

Don Viar

  • MBA, CPA (Inactive), CISSP

    “Don’s experience and strategic vision helped transform EpiOn from a small-town technology company into a globally recognized IT services firm. Over the course of his career, more than 500 companies have benefited from his experience in business, IT, and cybersecurity – today, he brings that experience to bear for EpiOn’s clients. Don is a strategic thinker who helps organizations and teams translate vision into results. The IT landscape continues to shift rapidly – for the better and the worse. We are simultaneously at the precipice of an era of unparalleled productivity and extreme peril. Don helps leaders navigate the risks associated with cybersecurity and IT-reliance while embracing the potential of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

    Don and his wife, Ashley, have three adult daughters. He serves as an elder in his local congregation and is active in local civic leadership roles. In 2024, he accepted a seat on the Leadership Council for the National Small Business Association.

Jonathan West

CEO, Twin Lakes

  • Jonathan L. West is the CEO of Twin Lakes, a dynamic multi-services cooperative headquartered in Gainesboro, Tennessee. Under Jonathan's leadership, Twin Lakes has transformed from a rural telephone cooperative into a thriving multi-services cooperative with over 10,000 miles of fiber optic facilities under management. He has spearheaded strategic acquisitions and helped develop innovative products and services to meet the evolving needs of businesses and households in the region. His passion lies in implementing solutions that bring broadband and related technologies to communities in Tennessee.

    Jonathan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and has been with Twin Lakes since 2001, becoming CEO in 2010. Beyond his role at Twin Lakes, Jonathan serves as President & CEO of Trilight and holds board positions with NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, Tennessee Rural Communications Cooperative Association, Highlands Economic Partnership, iRis Networks, Tennessee Broadband Association, and the Tennessee Valley Corridor.

    Jonathan lives in Celina, Tennessee with his wife Claudia and their three daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, exploring state and national parks, and participating in numerous church activities.

    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvmcadoo/

    Big Ideas Welcome Podcast: https://bigideaswelcome.com/ (available on all podcast platforms and YouTube) 


Sara Chambers
Co-Founder, Privy Clear Advertising

Amber Flynn-Jared

Owner, The Real Estate Collective

  • Amber Flynn-Jared is the broker/owner of The Real Estate Collective, a boutique brokerage in Cookeville, TN. Amber and her team at RECO are passionate about delivering five-star service while making a positive impact in the community. Outside of real estate, Amber fancies herself a novice potter and mediocre pickleball player. She stays busy serving on numerous boards, attending happy hour, and spending time with a husband she adores, their kids and grandbabies, and her two pups.

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