The Kickoff, presented by North Coast Business Initiative

Speakers & Panelists

Gain knowledge and insight to help grow your business.

Gina Prodnan Kelly
Gina Prodnan Kelly
Chief Marketing Officer at Cleveland Soccer Group & Co-Founder of Cleveland Astra
Jeffrey Stern
Jeffrey Stern
Principal @ The O.H.I.O. Fund | Host @ Lay of The Land Podcast | Co-Founder @ Axuall
Mylan Murphy
Mylan Murphy
Sports Marketing & Content Creator | 1.6M+ Followers @motivatedbymylan
Myles (Humble G tha Fiddla) Smith
Myles (Humble G tha Fiddla) Smith
AI Transformative Partner & Mindset Coach | AI Strategy & Governance | Secure, Human-Guided Agentic Systems | Harvard Business School AI Institute | Co-Founder, AI Forward Summit | Award Winning Violinist Virtuoso
Scott Nixon
Hosted By
Scott Nixon
Stay Beautiful America
Save The Date

Event Details

Location
WorkHub 99
11699 Brookpark Rd.
Parma, Ohio 44130
Date
Wednesday
January 20, 2027
Time
7:30 AM – Noon
Format
Breakfast, keynote & breakout sessions
What To Expect

Agenda & Breakouts

7:30 – 8:00 AM
Check-In, Breakfast, Coffee & Seating
Open networking and sponsor visibility.
8:00 – 8:10 AM
Welcome
Scott Nixon opens, frames the morning, and recognizes sponsors.
8:10 – 8:30 AM
Opening Keynote
Gina Prodnan Kelly: getting an ambitious idea off the ground.
8:30 – 8:55 AM
Facilitated Conversation #1
Jeffrey Stern and Cleveland entrepreneurship.
8:55 – 9:05 AM
Break #1
Networking and sponsor engagement.
9:05 – 9:30 AM
Facilitated Conversation #2
Mylan Murphy: visibility, social media, and translating attention into opportunity.
9:30 – 9:40 AM
Break #2
Networking and sponsor engagement.
9:40 – 10:05 AM
Facilitated Conversation #3
Myles “Humble G tha Fiddla” Smith: practical AI use for small businesses.
10:05 – 10:15 AM
Break #3
Confirm breakout assignments and move toward rooms.
10:15 – 10:20 AM
Breakout Instructions
Color coding, assignments, room locations, and switching instructions.
10:20 – 10:50 AM
Breakout Round 1
Guests attend their first selected breakout.
10:50 – 10:55 AM
Room Switch
All breakout rooms are attached to the main room.
10:55 – 11:25 AM
Breakout Round 2
Guests attend their second selected breakout.
11:25 – 11:30 AM
Closing Remarks
Scott Nixon closes the formal program.
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Structured Networking

Breakout Sessions

Building a Brand People Understand and Trust

Brian Butkowski and Laura Hardin

Brian: Brand concepts, logos, colors, websites, and a cohesive business presence.

Laura: Internal and external communication involving employees, customers, and relationships.

How Money Moves Through Your Business

Sarah Blesi and Eradin Berrios

Sarah: Merchant services, payment processing, fees, and accepting customer payments.

Eradin: Preparing to approach a bank.

Digital or Print: Where Should Your Marketing Dollars Go?

Chris Inman and Phil Vedda

Chris: Video, YouTube, Facebook, podcasts, and digital content.

Phil: Direct mail, signage, print collateral, and integrating print with digital.

Building a Business That Can Grow Without You

John Carpenter and Josh Muller

John: Hiring, retention, and building the right team.

Josh: Systems, delegation, scalability, reducing owner dependence, and preparing for growth.

Reserve Your Spot

Registration

General Admission
$40
Full access to keynote, breakouts, breakfast & networking.
Register – $40
NCBI Members: Enter your member code at checkout for the $25 member rate.
The People Behind NCBI

Executive Team

Brian
Brian Butkowski
Phil
Phil Vedda
Sarah
Sarah Blesi
Chris
Chris Inman
Laura
Laura Hardin
John
John Carpenter
Jason
Jason Lukz
Eradin
Eradin Berrios
Josh
Josh Muller