Speakers

A native of Beirut, Lebanon, Aida immigrated to the U.S. in 1976 and settled in Pasadena with her family. Aida is a former Huntington Hospital Registered Nurse who found her niche and her passion in the field of Real Estate, joining her husband Hovig who founded Century 21 Golden Realty in 1987. Aida oversees the management of their 3 businesses which are Real Estate, Mortgage and Escrow. She was the president of the Pasadena Foothills Association of REALTORS® in 2002 and currently serves the organization on various committees and task forces. Aida has been a director for the California Association of REALTORS® for 9 years, has held various leadership posts and she has just been appointed as a trustee for the organizations PAC. She chaired the Armenian National committee of America Pasadena chapter for many years and was chair of the organization’s Western region in 2010. Her other volunteer affiliations include, the Pasadena Police Foundation board, Housing Affordability Task Force, Human Services Commission and Pasadena Armenian People’s Advisory Committee. She currently serves as a member of the Pasadena Economic Development Task Force and the Disaster Emergency Services Council. Aida is married to her husband of 31 years and they have two children Shant and Sevana. 

Alan Ratner is a Director and Senior Homebuilding Analyst at Zelman & Associates, an independent research firm founded by veteran housing analyst Ivy Zelman in 2007. Since its inception, Zelman has provided clients with timely, unique and data intensive research, including proprietary monthly surveys of executive-level leaders throughout the homebuilding, home improvement, non-residential construction, land development, banking and mortgage industries. As Zelman’s lead homebuilding analyst, Mr. Ratner is responsible for the company’s monthly survey of private homebuilders and land developers as well as providing analysis on the publically-traded homebuilders. Prior to the founding of Zelman & Associates, Mr. Ratner was an associate analyst from 2005 to 2007 at Credit Suisse Group as part of Ms. Zelman’s Equity Research team, which has consistently been recognized by Institutional Investor, Greenwich Associates, StarMine and The Wall Street Journal for their industry-leading analysis. Mr. Ratner is a CFA charterholder, a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts, and is certified with the Series 7, 63, 86 and 87 licenses. Mr. Ratner graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.  

A native of Mission Hills, San Diego, residential Realtor® Amy O’Dorisio puts her local knowledge to work for her clients.  Joining the Ascent Real Estate, Inc. family in July 2010, Amy O. maintains a reputation of individualized customer care, high-level service and follow-through.  Boasting a referral-based business, she advocates for her clients through her relaxed, yet professional personality.  Within the last twelve years, Amy O. has assisted in the purchase or sale of over 300 transactions.  Amy O. began her full-time real estate career in 2006 at Team Metro Real Estate.  Prior to that she worked at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Public Relations – San Diego’s oldest P.R. firm – and much of her marketing and public relations background has been integrated into her real estate career.

Angel Tucker is an Expert Personality Profiler, Certified Human Behavior Consultant, Best Selling Author, Award Winning Author, Creator of the “Four Pals” children’s book series, mother of 5, and a military spouse. Angel also has over 25 years of experience as a Real Estate Professional in the State of Florida. Just a few of her achievements include: #1 Agent in an office of over 100 Agents, Top 5 in her local Association of REALTORS®, and REALTOR® of the Year. Additionally, Angel completed nearly 100 transactions in a year while working only 25 hours per week. This is attributed to her vast knowledge of the different personality types and utilizing her easy to use ideas in her own business.  Her dynamic presentations have empowered 10’s of thousands of people with the ability to achieve success by gaining insights into different personality types. She is also a valuable media resource and is regularly featured on television, radio and the internet as an expert in her field.

Anthony Ramirez serves as Area Sales Manager for New American Funding. He is responsible for new business development and residential loan originations for San Diego County. Anthony has 14 years in the Mortgage Industry and the last five years has managed the top branches and is the San Diego Area Manager for New American Funding. He has also been given the Five Star Mortgage Professional Award by San Diego Magazine for top level service. He has also formerly served in the United States Army as an Infantry Man and Reconnaissance Scout. Anthony has the experience and track record of helping loan officers grow their business into high producing results. He believes in empowering loan officers to make the best decisions possible as it relates to their business. Anthony’s 10 rules for success are: Discipline starts with self, Define yourself, Have a clear vision, Dare to dream big, Write down your goals, Be decisive, Help others, Welcome failure, Reward yourself, and Maintain personal integrity.

ANTHONY SELF
Since 1992, Anthony Self aka "Tech Tony" has worked with many of the top real estate organizations in the nation and has personally trained well over 10,000 real estate professionals. Anthony is the author of the Save Time, Make More Money: Computer Shortcuts for Real Estate Agents - versions one and two. He has worked for a number of large real estate companies and understands how to translate technology to commission dollars. Some of the leading companies Anthony has worked with are: Ten-X, RE/MAX California and Hawaii, Real Estate Business Technologies, Homestore, zipForms, and Old Republic Title Company. Anthony also was an instructor at the UCLA Extension Engineering College in Los Angeles for over five years. He taught a broad range of subjects on web and multimedia development, utilizing advanced technology programs.

Audie is the Founder of Lion & Orb, a real estate public relations company whose clients are recognized around the world as category leaders. The company specializes in media relations and strategic partnerships. Audie manages creative public relations strategy for luxury brands, startups, technology companies, mega-agents and brokerages. 

Lion & Orb clients are regularly featured in The Wall Street Journal, Curbed, Inman News, and top business journals around the U.S. Audie regularly speaks to business leaders on the art of real estate public relations at top real estate conferences around the country.

Barbara is the Broker/Owner of The Betts Realty Group, Inc., a boutique brokerage located in Long Beach, CA.  Barbara has been licensed since 2003, and in 2007 her husband Harold joined forces with her to create a dynamic husband/wife team of which they have been practicing as ever since! For her entire career, she has had a philosophy of “Real Estate by Relationship” and working primarily by referral. Working by referral allows her to take care of the people closest to her while relying on referrals to their friends, family, and associates. Recognized as a top producer, her true joy is in helping their clients reach their real estate goals, whether buying, selling or investing.  She has a passion for her industry and gives back by teaching and coaching other REALTORS® and is highly involved at the local and state levels.  In her spare time you can find her at a dance event with her daughter or supporting her son in his professional baseball career.

Ben Bacal is a leader in the Southern California luxury real estate industry and founder of Roofshoot.com. Selling nearly two billion dollars in residential real estate, he has carved his niche and driven prices in the most prominent neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Ben is best known for his role in skyrocketing median home prices in the Bird streets and Trousdale Estates – arguably two of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The first person to sell a property for $20 million in Trousdale, subsequently causing the price in the neighborhood to double from $1500 to $3000 per square foot. Simultaneously catalyzing a similar trend in the Bird Streets, Bacal was the first to push prices above $1700 per square foot and most recently over $3000 per square foot. Ben is well respected among his peers and has become the “go-to” agent for hard to find trophy properties. His excellent relationships with home owners and developers alike, along with his knowledge of inventory allows him access to properties that are not available to most agents and gives him the ability to easily connect buyers with the best property for them. After his proven success through video marketing, Ben started Roofshoot, an easy to use app that allows real estate agents to shoot professional looking videos right from their smart phone and share with the world.

Bill Lublin, CEO of Century 21 Advantage Gold, Pennsylvania's largest Century 21 firm, literally "wrote the book" about technology and social media for REALTORS® as the lead author of the 2010 AND 2015 rewrites of e-Pro, the technology certification of NAR, and served as the 2017 Chairman of NAR’s Data Strategies Committee. A working REALTOR® with a love for technology, Bill created NAR's TechEdge event, has been named one of Inman’s Most Influential in Real Estate three times, was acknowledged as one of Swanepoel's 200 most influential in Real Estate. Bill has spoken for the National Association of REALTORS®, the Canadian Real Estate Association, the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, NAR’s Association Executive’s Institute, Inman News, the Federal Government, Harvard, Penn State, the Dubai Real Estate Institute, the London Sunday Times and numerous other organizations. Bill specializes in making complicated things simple, and offering real world solutions.

As the Director at CoachSimple (RealEstate.CoachSimple.net), Bryan has helped build and implement automated Coaching, Productivity, and Sales Enablement systems used by thousands of Sales Professionals in Coaching, Mortgage, Insurance, Technology, Recruiting, and Real Estate. With over a decade of Sales Management experience, Bryan has a deep understanding of sales processes and sales mentoring techniques that provide powerful insight and best practices across multiple industries. Bryan strives to help companies leverage their existing content and processes to help motivate their agents, managers and teams to take their business to the next level. Key areas of focus for Bryan are: Providing comprehensive onboarding and learning programs, facilitating business planning and goal setting, tracking key metrics and daily success habits, creating interactive coaching and mentoring programs, encouraging community-based discussions to increase knowledge base. It is Bryan's passion to help organizations reach new levels of success by implementing technology, improving their Sales Enablement process, and creating an everlasting Coaching Culture.

Bryson Womack helps REALTORS® grow their businesses. He’s spent the past 10 years in the sales and RE software industries, and has helped real estate professionals all over the county leverage new tools and technologies. That decade of experience has shown how important it is to stay current! As the Director of Sales at IDX, LLC. Bryson currently oversees sales strategies, and manages sales teams for two of the industry’s most innovative tech companies – IDX Broker and Agent Evolution. An intrepid traveler, Bryson spends a good part of the year spanning the country speaking at multiple Associations, RE conferences, engaging with broker and agents, and promoting the power of modern online applications.

CHRISSIE GRASSO
Chrissie began her professional career working at the New York Mercantile Exchange as a commodities trader. As the commodities markets were changing she decided to get her real estate license to launch her new career in New York City in 2011.  In 2013 her husband’s job transferred her to Los Angeles and she quickly got her California real estate license. Moving to California not knowing a person, she hustled her way through the volatile South Bay real estate market by TCing for top agents, joining the YPN Committee and organizing big gala events for a local charity. 

Technology is a big part of what she does managing transactions coast to coast. Focusing on California transactions where paperwork is abundant, Chrissie currently partners with the top agent Gary Kooba at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and manages what they do behind the scenes. Her business in New York and California started strictly on a referral basis with a small boutique company in both states, but now with the help of Instagram she has her license in New York with Dolly Lenz Real Estate LLC, refers business all over the country to her faithful followers, swaps marketing ideas with her local REALTORS® and reminds everyone who comes into this industry to never let fear decide their fate. 

Christina Sanchez, a senior partner at the Milagro Strategy Group, has over 25 years experience in broadcast media communications with an emphasis in Spanish language public affairs, social marketing and project management. Ms Sanchez Camino previously served 12 years as Public Affairs Director for Univision’s flagship station, KMEX-TV, Channel 34 the leading Spanish-language television station in the country where she was in charge of developing custom social marketing campaigns and promotions over multiple media distribution platforms. She also was Community Affairs Director at KWHY-TV, Channel 22 where she was executive producer and host of “Foro 22” a weekly Spanish language Public Affairs program. Christina has received multiple industry awards including two Emmy Awards from the Los Angeles Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in addition to the prestigious “Peabody” award for the campaign “Ya es Hora, Ciudadania” (Now is the time, Citizenship) which naturalized over 1.4 million Hispanics in the US. Her experience working for the largest Spanish language network provides clients great insight on achieving results through earned media and paid campaigns on various Spanish language platforms in the U.S.   

Cori Bracey has spent the last six years immersed in digital marketing and media for some of the fastest growing companies in the real estate industry. She’s worked on marketing strategies at the agent and brokerage level, while executing key events along the way. Bracey applied her marketing skill set to the digital fintech space while at a San Francisco start-up with a mission to redefine the home buying experience. Her passion for storytelling and branding has led her to Giveback Homes, where she helps activate the real estate industry’s power to create positive change at a local and global level.

Cornelius is a Real Estate Broker in Southern California and a Master Instructor in Taekwondo. He has been practicing real estate for over eleven years and been focused on REO real estate the past three years. He worked as a Law Enforcement Officer for the Federal government for over 6 years and decided to leave that career to focus on his real passion - selling real estate and helping families achieve their dreams. He started his own company to provide World Class Service to Real Estate Buyers, Sellers and Asset Management Companies all throughout Southern California. He loves what he does and will always make sure his clients comes first.  His team offers expertise in REO, short sales, traditional, commercial sales, investment properties, luxury homes, multi-family homes, and property management. 

Courtney hails from the East Coast, graduated college with a degree in Journalism/Public Relations from the esteemed Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park, and spent 9 years working in arts and entertainment public relations prior to entering real estate. Courtney has been selling real estate for nearly 10 years. She recently was the host of FYI Networks, “My City’s Just Not That Into Me,” where she played real estate matchmaker with buyers and sellers and cities nationwide. In 2011, Courtney formed ACME Real Estate, a design-savvy boutique brokerage focusing on brand marketing and real estate sales. As co-founder of the Northeast Los Angeles Business Culture, Courtney brought together over 50 small business owners in a transitional area to create community and cross promote, applying social media marketing and outreach. With her keystone client, bettershelter, Courtney has created a home design solution for savvy buyers throughout Los Angeles. In 2015, Courtney launched a second brokerage, Evolution Real Estate, with Adam Levin, ranked in top 5% of Southern California attorneys. Evolution focuses on luxury high end real estate on Westside of Los Angeles. In her free time, she enjoys being a mama, maintaining the brokerage website for design, rehab + real estate: acme-re.com, singing karaoke at dive bars, and military-style workouts.

Crystal Lindsey is a leading social media strategist, graduate professor, and President at TRIPLE THREE SOCIAL MEDIA (AKA 333 SOCIAL MEDIA). Crystal started her own social media firm 3 years ago after successfully spearheading an interior designer's social media campaign that doubled the size of her business. Her firm's second client was a top producing Silicon Valley real estate agent. Through these 2 clients, Crystal discovered how to use LIVE social networking, paid traffic and Storytelling Branding to increase referrals and drive web traffic using social media. Now, Crystal is here to teach you how to BUILD YOUR BRAND LIKE A PRO!

Born and raised in Southern California, Crystal Narramore has enjoyed over 25 years in various sales and marketing positions.  After seven years as a top producing real estate agent, she moved into leadership with Podley Properties in 2011. In her current role as President, she oversees six offices and 200 associates serving clients across the San Gabriel Valley. When asked about her role at Podley Properties, Crystal replies “I love leadership in this company. As President, I am a servant leader. My goal is to offer real support to our agents, enabling them to spend more time with their clients. I believe in listening carefully to our agents’ pain and pleasure, so we can support and inspire them to be their best. When we provide the best possible tools, education, and leadership, our agents’ ability to grow their business is limitless.”

Crystal has served on both the Grievance Committee and Board of Directors for the Pasadena Foothill Association of REALTORS® and as a Director for the California Association of REALTORS®.Outside of work, Crystal is the mother of five grown children and loves the sunshine, a good glass of wine, and just about any excuse to barbecue.

Almost 15 years ago, Dale Warner left the Real Estate Industry to pursue a career in digital advertising, web applications, and other emerging technologies. He now works in a space where both industries overlap, a Real Estate Technology company. In his role as Chief Operating Officer for Realvolve, Dale enjoys sharing his perspectives for Real Estate Agents after a decade and a half as a Sales Leader for tech startups. 

Darci LaRocque is an award-winning technology consultant, trainer and speaker. She is ranked in the top 100 “Elite Women Shaping the Future Of The Real Estate Industry” by Real Estate Professional Magazine (REP). She explains in a user-friendly way how to become more productive taking advantage of all technology has to offer.  It is changing how we live, work, eat and play. Darci’s understanding of this and desire to make it fun for everyone makes her consulting and presentation style interactive, humorous and informative. Darci has been featured in many national newspapers, magazines and spent 3 seasons as a tech expert on the national TV show Get Connected. Darci works privately with REALTORS® & Brokerages helping them be more comfortable with technology and taking it to the next level. She also has an online Membership Site for REALTORS® showing them how to automate their business systems, live webinars, masterminds and special resources!

Dottie Sheppick is a founding partner of Specialty Mortgage Product Solutions, LLC (SMPS.) SMPS serves lenders and others focused on affordable, builder, first time homebuyer, CRA and other niche products. Dottie has over 25 years of experience working with state and local housing finance agencies to develop profitable and responsible home ownership programs, with her last corporate position as Bank of America’s Senior Vice President, Affordable Housing Executive. Prior to that, she was Director of Housing Impact in Fannie Mae’s Western Regional Office. Over the years, Dottie successfully launched Rural Housing, 203(k), community seconds, grants and other affordable programs. She also built the bond master servicing business from start up to an average of over $3 billion a year. Dottie’s is a known industry author and trainer. She served on Freddie Mac’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals Board of Governors, the Asian Real Estate of America Foundation Board and currently serves as a member of the Restoring Neighborhoods Task Force for the National Housing Conference. She is known for her entrepreneurial and responsible approach to affordable housing product development.

After a successful career as a top producing Realtor, and Broker/Owner of a mid-sized company in Colorado, Eric Sachs co-founded Breakthroughbroker.com. His passion is helping real estate agents build their business. Breakthroughbroker has become one of the most widely used agent resources in the industry with over 200,000 agents using the no cost site.  Eric teaches throughout the country, dedicated to helping real estate agents build their business and make more money.

With 28 years of experience in the San Diego’s real estate market, Gina’s level of client service is a significant factor in her consistently ranking among the top 1% for sales volume in San Diego County.  Having lived in San Diego her entire life, Gina has extensive knowledge in various Metro San Diego neighborhoods.  Selling 100 year old homes takes a special skill set and knowledge that Gina understands well, specializing in Mission Hill’s Craftsman Bungalow to the Spanish Eclectic.  Gina believes in the power of relationships, professional credibility, and being involved in the communities we serve.  Gina has also been active at the San Diego Association of Realtors where she has been on the Professional Standards Executive Committee for over 6 years.

Greg McDaniel is a partner in the McDaniel Callahan TEAM, one of the top teams in the East Bay, as well as Education Director for J Rockcliff Realtors. Greg has a passion for teaching up-and-coming agents as well as veterans looking for new ideas and a fresh approach to the business. Greg shows agents how to find their unique superpower and combine high-tech with high-touch to attract clients. Connect with Greg on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Greg Nelms has served as the Chief of Loan Policy for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Loan Guaranty Service, since 2016.  In his eight years at VA, Greg has held various roles, including Underwriter, Quality Assurance Specialist, and Supervisor in the Atlanta Regional Loan Center.   Additionally, he has over 25 years of mortgage banking experience.  Prior to joining VA, Greg served as an Underwriter, Producing Sales Manager, Regional Builder Manager and Branch Manager for a national lender. Throughout his career, he has focused on originating loans for first time homebuyers, with an emphasis in government loan programs.  He has developed many long-term relationships with his clients, realtors, builders and other industry partners.  In addition to valuing these relationships, he strives each day to honor his Grandfather, a WWII Veteran, for his service and sacrifice to the Nation.  At VA, his team is responsible for formulating regulations, policies and procedures to administer the VA home loan program in pursuit of the Loan Guaranty Service mission to assist Veterans, Servicemembers, and eligible surviving spouses obtain, retain and adapt their homes – a benefit earned through service and sacrifice to the Nation.

Gov Hutchinson is the Assistant General Counsel, and has been with C.A.R. since 1985. Hutchinson manages C.A.R.’s Member Legal Services Program in Los Angeles,advises REALTORS® through the “Hotline” on all aspects of real estate law and trains/supervises other “Hotline” attorneys. Hutchinson received his Degree in History from Princeton University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.Hutchinson is a master instructor for the Education Division of C.A.R. with certification from the Bureau of Real Estate. He also regularly speaks to Associations of REALTORS®, affiliated trade associations, city and county bar associations and major real estate firms.

Heather Ostrom is the Marketing Bossy Pants for her husband and business partner, Steve Ostrom, with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Roseville, California. Their approach to real estate and life: keep an upbeat attitude; stay stress-free with more laughter; when in doubt, put on an orange outfit; always keep a pulse on changes in our industry; listen to others; always be willing to work as a team to find a solution; and last but not least, find awesome ways to make clients feel the most prepared about the buying and selling process. Their success lies in their marriage of business and life - Steve is the "closer" on the ground, while Heather is the "online fisher(wo)man" for new business. Heather Ostrom’s background is as a professional graphic designer and REALTOR®. Currently, she oversees all print and online marketing for their real estate duo, with special emphasis on: working with sellers, educating their clients on process, social media, e-communications, and consistency of branding. 

Howard Fallman is Managing Senior Counsel, and has been with C.A.R. since 1995. His time is primarily divided between managing the C.A.R. "Hotline," and working with the Standard Forms Committee. Additionally, Mr. Fallman is an instructor for C.A.R. on C.A.R. contracts, risk management, disclosures, and the certified forms trainer classes. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was a professional musician, playing saxophone with Les Brown's Band of Renown for over 30 years. Fallman received his bachelor's degree from California State University in Sacramento, majoring in music, and his JD Cum Laude from Pepperdine Law School in 1990.

ISSI ROMEM

Issi Romem is Chief Economist at BuildZoom. He is fascinated with cities and earned a Ph.D. in economics at Berkeley to study them. Before joining BuildZoom he consulted for clients engaged in complex economic litigation, and for the Bay Area Council Economic Institute on matters involving housing, transportation, and the regional economy. He has taught econometrics as an adjunct lecturer at Berkeley.

As an award-winning speaker, Jarrod Haning trains companies in the psychology of music. By revealing the subconscious mechanism that drives our emotional response to music and language, Jarrod is able to give his audiences some very unique tools for increasing their income and influence. Jarrod leans on the data from the Nobel Nominated MindScan^TM when working with his coaching clients, and those clients have transformed their lifestyles. His background as a classically trained musician has equipped him with a unique set of leadership tools that you can use to create a business and life that works for you.  He is the principal violist for the South Carolina Philharmonic and has been called the “Seth Godin of music” and the “golden boy for music.”  With performing experience in 14 professional orchestras and over 20,000 hours of practice, He is able to deliver some powerful secrets on performance, productivity, and persuasion.  As an expert in music, he has helped doctors, lawyers, realtors, and more to impact their world with breakthrough results.

Jason Wells or jasonwellsesq as you’ll find him on all social media, is always teaching, always learning and always looking for fun. Most days you will find Jason training or preparing content for agents in the industry where he is passionate about social media, video, evolving markets, and agent development.

Video has been a constant marketing strategy for Jason as he found early success in 2010 with the use of video to explain the complexities of short sales. More interesting was he found people who watched his videos felt like they already knew him when they met. This lead to what would become a full video strategy for touching his sphere of influence, clients, recruiting and finding new buyers and sellers.

Jason is the first to tell you he isn’t the funniest, he isn’t the sexiest, he isn’t the smartest, nor is he even the best at what he does, but he loves it. He loves connecting with buyers, sellers and agents through media, and especially video including PressPlay Reality, a web-based reality series, and as host of the #StopLivingOnPause PODCAST.

Licensed since 2010, Jason’s team, WELLS Realty Group (AZ and UT), ranks in the top 1% of all real estate teams in the country and recognized by RealTrends as one of America’s Best Teams. His teams have achieved multiple years as Triple Platinum Producers at Keller Williams. In addition to the success of his real estate team at Keller Williams he also co-founded the PressPlay Realty Network which became the 12th team in the country to have 5 or more locations (AZ, CA, WA, UT and NV).

Individually, Jason has been named to the SEVRAR 40 Under 40 list three times, was Rookie of the Year in 2011, and has routinely speaks and teaches throughout the West.

Jennifer Powers, MA, MCC, is a highly sought after coach, speaker, and author. She is a leading expert in helping professionals improve their confidence and competence so they can live and work at their full potential. Jennifer founded her coaching and speaking practice in 2005. Since then she has coached hundreds of professionals, executives and entrepreneurs and has delivered powerful keynote addresses to over 250,000 people around the globe. In January of 2016, Jennifer received her MCC (Master Certified Coach), the highest earned credential from the International Coach Federation, which puts her in the top 3% of coaches worldwide. Jennifer earned her Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Houston and received her training and certification from Coach Training Alliance. She serves on the board of the Northwest Coaches Association and is a Past President of the National Speakers Association-Oregon Chapter. Additionally, she serves on the faculty of the Coach Training Alliance where she teaches others to be effective and thriving coaches. With clients on five continents, the energy and excitement Jennifer brings to her work is contagious as she inspires change in the lives and businesses of her clients across the world. Her best-selling book Oh, Shift! and Oh, shift! for Teens are available in bookstores across the country.  Professionals and entrepreneurs can now become licensed facilitators of her ground-breaking content through the Oh, shift! Licensing Program.

Founder of callaction.co, an intelligent lead engagement automation platform that helps agents, teams, and brokerages convert leads with automation. BIA/Kelsey SMB startup winner and RealogyFWD finalist. A lifelong entrepreneur with 30 years experience in real estate, Jessie started his real estate career in 1986 as a telemarketer for a mortgage company. At 18 he got his real estate license and worked as a full-time mortgage lender until 2003, personally involved in thousands of real estate transactions. Online since 1997 when he saw the opportunity of the internet and taught himself how to build websites, SEO, programming, and online marketing in the real estate vertical.

Joel Singer is Chief Executive Officer and State Secretary of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.), a statewide trade organization with 165,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. Singer was instrumental in developing Real Estate Business Services Inc. (REBS), C.A.R.'s for-profit subsidiary, and serves as its president. He also is president and chief executive officer of zipLogix®, a subsidiary of REBS. Singer has held the Association's top staff position since November 1989. He previously served as C.A.R.’s Chief Economist and headed the Association's Public Affairs Department. He also has been directly involved in the development of key business technologies and significant housing legislation in California. Before joining C.A.R. in 1978, Singer spent several years as a Chancellor's Intern Fellow at UCLA and a Fulbright Fellow in West Germany. Singer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and history in 1973 from UCLA. He earned a Master’s degree in the same subjects in 1975 from UCLA.

John Barrentine is the co-founder and CEO of RED Real Estate Group at the Keller Williams/Larchmont office in Los Angeles. Since RED’s inception in 2009 as a boutique “agency-within-the-agency,” John has been the driving force behind the growth of a client-driven team that is recognized among the leading realtors specializing in the Los Angeles Mid-City market, as well as neighboring areas. John now has more than 29 years of residential real estate experience, with more than two decades of those in the highly competitive Greater Los Angeles marketplace. Prior to establishing RED, he spent nine years in the Keller Williams/Beverly Hills office. He moved to Keller Williams from Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills, where he became associated in 1996. John began his real-estate career in Atlanta, where he was listing agent of the year for the Harry Norman company in his second year of business. Among RED’s notable hallmarks, John has been instrumental in creating and systematizing the real-estate process through a team-oriented approach that utilizes specialists at each stage of the transaction. He is a certified negotiator and regularly conducts continuing education seminars for both veteran and apprentice real-estate agents.

John Caruthers has been with the FBI since 1992, when he was hired in Washington, D.C. as an ITS. He became an FBI Agent in 1999. During his time in the FBI, John has supported the White Water investigation in LR, AK; investigated the Arellano-Felix Mexican drug cartel; served as San Diego’s Innocent Images coordinator; completed 2 assignments to FBI Headquarters’ Cyber Division; served as the FBI’s primary ICS/SCADA Threat Coordinator; and served overseas in Russia, Ukraine and The Netherlands. SSA Caruthers is currently serving as Supervisory Special Agent of the San Diego Division’s National Security Cyber Squad.

Over the past decade, Johnny Cupcakes, founded by Johnny Earle, has grown from a "joke" to a multi-million dollar, highly exclusive t-shirt brand driven by a community of world-wide collectors. Johnny shares his story of how he took his t-shirt brand from the trunk of his rusty car at age 19, with a learning disability, to some of the world’s most sought after retail locations. Johnny has been named Americas #1 Young Entrepreneur by BusinessWeek, one of the top innovative people in Massachusetts by The Boston Globe, recognized four consecutive years on the INC 500/5000 list of fastest growing independent companies in America, and has been featured on MTV, NPR, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and as a case study in several branding and business books. Impassioned and charismatic, he offers insight into how his success reinforces the power of details, customer experience and loyalty, and provides comprehensive blueprints for getting any small business, passion or idea off the ground, while also expanding the way existing creators think.

How do you stand out, rise above the noise, and get your organization’s voice heard online? Having successfully guided the growth of digital businesses for everyone from Hollywood talent agency ICM Partners to BuzzFeed and Google, Jonathan Perelman knows how to do it right.Perelman believes that “content is king but distribution is queen—and she wears the pants.” Pulling from his extensive experience at some of the world’s most successful and influential brands, he shows audiences how to tell their story in a genuine, authentic, and meaningful way that generates word of mouth marketing at internet scale. With great energy and stage presence, he breaks down the tactics and mindset that propelled Buzzfeed from a small start-up to a cultural phenomenon read by hundreds of millions of people the world over. As the vice president of BuzzFeed motion pictures, Perelman was a critical part of its transformation into one of the internet’s biggest and most effective producers of video content. He led the creation of 75 original videos per week resulting in 1.5 billion monthly views. Additionally, he developed more than 20 partnerships with major global telecoms and platforms and was the vice president of agency strategy and industry development. He was instrumental in the company’s advertising efforts that famously omitted display ads and used only carefully crafted sponsored content—creating a new model for successful consumer engagement. Before BuzzFeed, Perelman spent more than six years at Google, most recently as the global lead for industry relations. Perelman is renowned for his expertise. He was twice featured as one of AdWeek’s Top 50 Media and Advertising Executives and twice named to Billboard’s Digital Power Player’s list. VideoInk name him “Dealmaker of the Year,” and he was named to Broadcasting & Cable’s “Digital All-Star’s” list as well as Como’s “Top 5 Behind the Scenes Tech Talent.” He was also awarded Google’s 2011 OC Award, given for “substantial contributions to company”. Perelman serves on many industry boards, including The American Advertising Federation (AAF) and Advertising Week. Jonathan is a senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School. He is an investor in early stage tech and media companies, advises several startups, and is a member of several international foreign policy think tanks. Prior to Google, he was the deputy finance director on Cory Booker’s 2002 mayoral run in Newark, NJ and then a foreign policy advisory for his 2013 Senate campaign

Jordan Levine is an Economist at the California Association of REALTORS®. Jordan started in the Research and Economics Department of C.A.R. in 2016. As an economist at C.A.R., Jordan analyzes housing market conditions, macro-economic trends, and public policy issues through the use of external data from the public and private sector and from survey research studies conducted by C.A.R. He contributes frequently to C.A.R’s Market Analysis Articles, Housing Matters Blog, and Market Snapshot, and has written on various topics including: housing supply, distressed sales, housing tax policy, housing affordability, etc. Jordan has a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s with Merit in International Economics from the University of Sussex.  Prior to joining C.A.R., Jordan worked for an economic consulting company as an economist and director of economic research.

Jordan Scheltgen is co-founder and Managing Partner of Cave Social, a digital marketing agency specializing in real estate. He's an ex-athlete, traveler, and entrepreneur. His obsession with storytelling and helping connect meaningful companies/brokerages with homebuyers and sellers have helped him grow his agency to three locations across North America. Since speaking at last year's C.A.R. Expo Jordan has been invited to speak all over the world around social media and how to create impactful marketing. He's also the co-host of the marketing show, In The Cave and has his own column on leadership/marketing on Inc Magazine.

Jose Luis Casarez is a Broker Associate with Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates and BRC Advisors located in Beverly Hills.  He is also the CEO of Casarez & Cervantez Development, specializing in single-tenant property management and development. Jose is a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), fluent in Spanish and French.He was elected to the Board of The Beverly Hills Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors,  2018. He is Vice-Chair of the BHGLAAR Commercial Committee and is an active member of the Global Committee. Jose received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at San Diego, and an MFA from The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

Josh Sharfman has worked with the C.A.R. for the last 36 years: First as a consultant, then as an outside board member of the Association’s Real Estate Business Services, Inc. (REBS®) subsidiary, and now as the Association’s Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining C.A.R. on a full-time basis, Sharfman led product development for a variety of privately held and public companies, including Legal Research Network Digital Lava, ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc., Dassault Systemes USA, CADAM, Inc., and the CAM Center at the Hughes Aircraft Company. Sharfman also has served as an adjunct professor of engineering at the University of Southern California. Sharfman holds four system and method patents for software inventions. He provides expert testimony for software patent and copyright infringement matters.He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering from UCLA, a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Business. 

Julie Jaross is the Manager of REALTOR® Training and Business Services for C.A.R. Jaross manages the daily activities of the Business Services group, which supports, promotes, and trains REALTORS® on existing and new software products related to real estate. She is also responsible for developing and implementing budgets and business plans for these products. Additionally, she develops and manages new programs as needed, as well as hires, develops, and manages training and sales team members while working to improve current processes within the Business Services group. Jaross earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy Analysis from Pomona College, and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the University of California, Irvine. She also has a Certificate in Human Resources Management from California State University, Northridge, and a California Real Estate Broker License.

Justin M. Riordan, LEED AP is the founder of Spade and Archer Design Agency, a home staging company with locations in Palm Springs, Portland and Seattle. He is a thought leader and trendsetter in the real estate industry as well as the energy behind Spade and Archer, creating home staging that is simultaneously aspirational and obtainable.Prior to opening Spade and Archer in 2009, Riordan practiced interior architecture and interior construction for twelve years, bringing a diverse background as well as a Bachelor of Architecture to the home staging industry. With more than two decades of hands-on project management and design experience, Riordan delivers an unmatched level of precision, expertise and service to his clients. In addition, Riordan is an accomplished and engaging speaker who regularly presents at real estate industry events, sharing his expertise about home staging.

Keith is currently the Chief Strategic Officer for NextHome helping them with all their key initiatives. Prior to that, Keith served 4 years as COO of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie, at that time the 19th largest residential real estate services firm in the nation. In January 2008, Keith worked closely with the founders of SmartZip, Inc. and was a key contributor in helping the company grow. Keith used his expertise to guide the company in its goal to leverage the Internet and big data to empower investors and homebuyers to make better real estate investment decisions. Earlier in his career, Keith was a team leader with Keller Williams Realty in Northern California and was involved with the successful launches of three offices for the company in four years, with the largest office growing to over 200 agents under his guidance. He started in the real estate business with Red Oak Realty in Berkeley California, his home town. Keith knows the skills and techniques that can make any real estate agent successful, and coaches them to build careers that are profitable while maintaining a healthy balance between work and life.Keith has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Missouri Southern State.

Son, husband, father, outlaw, winemaker. Keith Saarloos never thought he would amount to anything; he was told that by Keith Saarloos many, many times. Then Keith decided that he didn't really like Keith Saarloos and wanted to prove him wrong. He started his first business, a Pepsi machine when he was 11. He realized he was not specifically talented at anything at all, and just like when you realize you are talentless, dumb and or ugly, you know the only way out is to develop a work ethic that will bend steel with just your presence. He now owns an operates a Winery called Saarloos and sons. A lot of people really like it. He doesn't sell any of his wines in stores or restaurants. He knew that the only way to compete with the rich kids is to make something so amazing, that people would want to get in their cars and travel 150+ miles just to get it. He has over 100 competitors within 20 miles and 40 on his street. Saarloos and sons consistently sell out every bottle every single year without "Selling Out" who they are. He lives by the Creed: Live to Honor those that have come before you + Prepare the way for those yet to come.

Kendyl Young is the founder and owner of DIGGS, a residential boutique brokerage in Glendale CA.  Kendyl’s detail oriented style of business has led to 27 successful years of selling and the launch of her own brokerage.   In 2015 she doubled her business with the help of Realvolve and her workflows.  Kendyl is named on Inman’s List of 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders and is a popular writer, speaker and thought leader in the industry. 

It takes a true Los Angeles native to know the ins and the outs of the city’s neighborhoods like Keri White. It was an early understanding of the California lifestyle and broad world view that gave Keri the ability to adapt and relate to a diverse roster of clients during her 10 year career in real estate. Keri’s longtime passion for real estate developed out of a desire for connecting people to the things that they love. Careful guidance, patience and persistence are trademarks that have allowed Keri to consistently deliver to her clients needs, time after time. Her clients remain the number one priority and she offers a high level of energy to grow and maintain lasting relationships, while bringing careful attention to every step of the process; from obtaining the trust of the client, getting the offer through, to negotiating the deal with a successful closing. Keri’s clients benefit from the network of agents at The Agency, its culture and global reach as well as her extended relationships with a remarkable team of educated Realtors, experienced Escrow and Title Officers, skilled Mortgage Lenders, and an efficient office staff in order to make sure every client's need is satisfied. Keri has always been instrumental in growing community; with a deep passion for team building, planning weekly meetups and social gatherings with other real estate agents, she understands the strength that comes from collaboration in a united team. Keri believes the foundation of a strong career starts with being surrounded by a group of hardworking individuals who have a desire to work and grow together. She possesses a love for building connections and a deep interest in elevating the strengths of those around her. In order to be forward thinking in the quickly changing landscape of real estate, Keri prides herself in knowing the market and stays up to date on current trends. It is her ability to self-motivate and collaborate that make her a dynamic addition to The Agency’s Brentwood office. When she is not caring for her clients, Keri enjoys expanding her worldview through travel. A devotee of the outdoors, Keri soaks up the SoCal lifestyle biking and working out around Santa Monica.

Kevin Reskey is Senior Vice President, Division Sales Executive for the Southern California Division for Bank of America. In this capacity he has responsibility for all sales and enterprise strategies and execution, performance and sales management along with P/L responsibility. Reskey currently oversees 11 Home Loans offices and over 400 Associates and is a key market leader. Kevin joined the organization in 2002 as Home Loans Manager in Fountain Valley, CA. In addition he has held a variety of leadership roles including VP, Regional Builder Manager for Southern California, VP, Area Sales Manager for Orange and Riverside Counties and most recently SVP, Regional Manager for Orange County. A career mortgage professional, Reskey has 27 years of experience in loan originations and production management and prior to joining Bank of America held key leadership roles at GMAC Mortgage and Norwest Mortgage. Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing) from San Diego State University in 1989 and he resides in Capistrano Beach with his 15 year old son and daughter.

When life gives you lemons…Kris and Kim Darney make some awesome lemonade. Their backgrounds are in corporate advertising and marketing. This unique perspective has brought them success in real estate as it brings an “outsiders” POV. When the real estate market crashed in 2007, Kris and Kim quickly realized they had a real heart for helping other REALTORS® survive. They offered their inherent skillset and were asked to train and coach REALTORS® across the nation.  Focusing on the skills and the mindset needed to beat the odds with great success. To benefit all REALTORS®, they’ve created Member Fitness®, a virtual platform that brings local REALTOR® Associations and their members together virtually through training and coaching videos, live stream and responsive notifications. As REALTORS®, The Darney’s welcome their clients to a modern setting in their Cartier Properties Boutique Studio. Comfortable couches, beverages and interactive big screens around the agency make home buying and selling a brilliant experience.

Kristi Kennelly, former Broadway performer, has been involved in real estate marketing and mortgage technology since 1998, but boasts she can still do a headstand. Her focus is effective marketing strategies/tactics, communication and how to best leverage technology to get it all done. Kristi has rejoined the Realtor.com team as a National speaker after spending 9 years leading the marketing department for Interthinx, a First American Company and recipient of Mortgage Technology Magazine’s prestigious10X and Synergy Awards. She enjoyed creating and producing training films for the mortgage industry and government agencies such as FSI: Fraud Scheme Investigation and Fraud Angels, generating thousands of requests and garnering over 20 accolades. She spent the last year as VP of Marketing for ARMCO, rebranding the company from head to toe in 12 weeks and building the marketing team from the ground up. She supervised daily operations for brand management, public relations, content marketing, lead generation, design, advertising, conferences/sponsorships and special events.

Getting an early start in real estate in 2003 with a Forbes Top 100 Broker, Laura brings over 15 years real estate experience as a brand marketing and technology strategist and executor. Currently, she is the VP of Growth and Partner Collective at Sequel, a new start-up that seeks to transform broker website solutions and the partnership experience for high end, brand-visionary, independent brokers.

Laura is also a nationally recognized industry speaker, educator, and contributor. Formerly, Laura has worked for Inman News as the Director of Industry Engagement, VP of Strategic Development for RealSatisfied, and has been voted 2017 Inman's Most Influential in Real Estate, as well as the Swanepoel Power 200 in Social Influence for 3 years.

Leslie Appleton-Young is Vice President and Chief Economist for the C.A.R. Appleton-Young directs the activities of the Association's Member Information Team. She oversees analysis of housing market and brokerage industry trends, broker relations, and membership development activities. She is also closely involved in the Association's strategic planning efforts and is a well-known speaker in California’s real estate community. Appleton-Young earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

As VP of Marketing, Lisa manages all Marketing efforts for ReferralExchange. Previously, Lisa was at Technology Credit Union, World Savings/Wachovia Bank and several software companies. She has extensive experience in marketing, lead generation and brand building in the financial services, real estate, mortgage and technology sectors. She has a B.A. in Communications from UC Berkeley. Lisa’s hobbies include volunteering and traveling the world in search of the best chocolate.

Dr. Lynn Reaser is the Chief Economist for the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University. The Institute engages in economic analysis, modeling, and forecasting with practical and actionable recommendations for corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Dr. Reaser has deep experience in the financial services sector, including ten years as Chief Economist of the Investment Strategies Group at Bank of America and currently serves as Chief Economist of the Council of Economic Advisors for California State Treasurer John Chiang.

Marc holds the position of Lender Liaison of the Finance Helpline at the California Association of REALTORS®.  In addition to being a Licensed Real Estate and Mortgage Broker, he has served on a number of Valuation, Lending, Technology, and Vendor Management Panels for both the Mortgage banking and Real Estate Communities. Marc is a frequent speaker at title, mortgage and real estate industry events on topics ranging from Servicing Implementation, Short Sale, Title, Valuation, and Modification, and Technology solutions that improve the partner experience. Prior to joining C.A.R, he worked as a consultant for a number of Appraisal, Auction and Large Real Estate Operations throughout Southern California. The first 25 of Marc’s Real Estate and Lending Career were spent in Senior Management roles for the Nation’s largest mortgage lenders.

Mary Maloney ventured into real estate in 2003 not to sell homes, but to build communities. Five years later, she founded Hometown Realty, a boutique realty firm. With a flagship office in San Marcos CA, and a second office in Oceanside, CA, Hometown Realty’s vision is quite simple, “Client focused. Community Driven.” Everything they do in business aligns with their core values of serving the community. A Desert Storm Veteran, she spent eight years in the US Navy. That dedication and leadership experience, coupled with a later role in corporate marketing, Mary is armed to fight for her clients and position her company for success. Having held the title of “Top Producer” her entire real estate career, she is nationally recognized as a leader in the industry. Mary was named to the Inman 101 Top Real Estate Professionals and her team was named the #1 Team in North County San Diego by Real Trends in the Wall Street Journal in 2015. Mary’s commitment to the community is unmatched through her various charity work and sponsorships.

Mary Finn Parker has worked at Southern California Edison for 34 years. She is currently a Program Manager for the Residential Multifamily program.  She has worked in Customer Service managing Major Accounts in the Commercial Sector and in Treasurers Department handling Corporate Credit.

Mat Ishbia, is the President and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) – the No. 1 wholesale lender in the nation for two years in a row. Under Ishbia’ s leadership, UWM has soared to new heights, becoming one of the most innovative lenders in the industry. His management style and dedication to a team-focused business approach have enabled him to rapidly grow UWM into a leading lending operation that is highly reputable in the mortgage industry. Ishbia is known as the most prominent advocate for mortgage brokers nationwide while promoting the wholesale channel on national platforms such as CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV. He has been named one of the “Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40” and one of the “25 Most Connected Mortgage Professionals” by National Mortgage Professional magazine. Additional accolades include being named a “Rising Star” and Vanguard Award winner by HousingWire. Rapid growth at UWM, both in team members and production, has helped them earn recognition as an Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Company for the past three years and one of the largest privately owned mortgage lenders in America. 

Matt is one of the best social media strategists in the business. Initially known for developing the most comprehensive Facebook curriculum, his teachings continue to prove fantastic results. Referred to by many markets as, “Mr. Facebook,” Matt has mastered the art of taking a rather complex issue and simplifying it for all who attend his training sessions. His ability to understand consumer behavior through obsessive research, allows him to leverage his humorous yet transparent delivery to help others identify the type of creative content needed in order to grab the attention of their target audience. an expert at providing an executable action plan to ensure your success. Quickly becoming a crowd favorite, he has gained national recognition and continues to present tech training’s across the country with executable game plans.

Matt Hood is co-founder of Transported VR, a venture-backed technology company building the virtual reality marketplace for residential homes. As a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty Matt began working with VR in 2014 to better market listings on the westside of Los Angeles. Since that time his work has been featured in Fortune, Curbed and the N.A.R.’s Realtor Magazine. With Transported, Matt is helping to create the go-to VR destination for agents and their clients which features all active for-sale listings in a consistent, easy-to-use interface. Home discovery, browsing and touring can now take place entirely in VR. Matt holds a masters degree in real estate development from the University of Southern California and has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects for his work as a multifamily developer.

Megan Kirkeby is a Policy Research Specialist with the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Housing Policy Division and is part of the Statewide Housing Assessment team. Prior to joining HCD, Megan was the Policy Director of the California Housing Partnership, a state-created non-profit working on housing sustainability and preservation issues. She has also served as the Policy Associate for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, and interned with PolicyLink as the Community Equity Intern, analyzing infrastructure disparities in low-income unincorporated communities of color. Megan received a Bachelor of Arts in Global Economics from UC Santa Cruz and received a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Urban Planning and Regional Development from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Mia believes in providing a service that is delivered so well that people cannot help themselves but to rave about it, creating “Raving Fans” for life. This philosophy garnered her to be recognized by the National Association of Realtors and by Realtor Magazine in 2008, at the seasoned age of 25, as one of the 30 Under 30 honorees. Mia’s mission is to provide every client with the same unparalleled quality representation, consistently delivering real estate and mortgage services through a People First versus profit philosophy. Having opened her company at the age of 22, freshly after graduating UC Berkeley in 2004, she recently celebrated the company’s 11^th year anniversary. She is currently in collaboration with Channel 18 KSCI’s Kababayan Today with Giselle Töngi for “The Real Estate Buzz”, a segment that helps educate viewers about relevant news and trends in the real estate and mortgage world. Mia’s social activism for the poor can be found through her involvement with one of her greatest passions: Gawad Kalinga (GK).

Michael is a native Angeleno born and raised in the Valley. He began his career with Dilbeck Real Estate in 2006 before moving to PLG Estates in Beverly Hills where he found his love for social media and technology under the mentorship of Peter Lorimer. Michael then set off on his own and joined forces with Keller Williams three years ago where he currently works out of their Los Feliz location. He is the technology instructor and mentor to new and established agents in his office, which he is very passionate about.

Mike Bui is currently President of EQ1 Real Estate. EQ1 has a full collaborative team approach and agent centric model which focuses on the agents, empowering the agents to focus more on their clients. Mike managed an Investment Fund which had 10 Million under management for Real Estate Acquisitions, Re-Development and Sales in the Silicon Valley before starting EQ1 Real Estate in 2013 which now has grown into 2 offices with nearly 30 Brokers and Agents. In his short span in real estate, he has been involved in more than 500 million dollars in transactions and was a Cast member on HGTV's Flip It to Win It series. Mike started the Young Professionals Network for Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, served as a Board Member for both local and California Association of Realtors, 2016 President for the Asian Real Estate Association of America-Silicon Valley and past Mentor and Board of Director for at-risk youth for California Community Partners for Youth.

Nathaniel Osollo is a zipForm® Product Coordinator for  Real Estate Business Services, Inc., and the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. He leads webinars on the use of zipForm® Plus and zipForm® accessories for the Association’s membership. He also aids in national webinars for members of the National Association of REALTORS® across the U.S. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors from California State University, San Bernardino.

Neil Kalin, Assistant General Counsel, has worked at C.A.R. since 1987.  Among his many duties for C.A.R. are the following:  Senior legal advisor to the C.A.R. Standard Forms Committee; primary author of amicus curiae (friend-of-the court) briefs; Legal Hotline attorney; instructor for Certified Forms Trainer program; principal instructor for substantive content for mediator panelists applicants for the C.A.R. Real Estate Mediation Center for Consumers; editor of the legal section of car.org; and teacher of CalBRE-approved continuing education courses.  Among Kalin’s related outside activities, he is an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Arbitration Panel and an Executive Committee member of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of California. He earned  a Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law. In 1982, he received a Certificate of Public Accountancy and in 2001 he was awarded his Certified International Property Specialist designation from the National Association of REALTORS®.

Nicole Solari was born and raised in Georgia, where she attended the University of Georgia and earned a B.S. in Psychology.  She moved to the Bay Area where she spent almost a decade working with companies such as Google, Facebook, and in her last role was the Global Director of Talent Acquisitions for Cisco Systems.  Nicole currently runs her own start up brokerage with a team of agents in Napa, Fairfield, Sacramento and is building her fourth expansion team in Contra Costa. Nicole recently opened a property management company to compliment the real estate sales business.  Nicole is a Broker Associate, GRI, CRS, SRS, CPRES and member of the Women's Council of Realtor's. Nicole is married with three young boys, two dogs and in her spare time enjoys yoga, running marathons and wine.

Pamela J. O’Connor serves as president and CEO of Chicago-based Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (“LeadingRE”), the largest global residential real estate network of 565 premier independent real estate firms, with 4,100 offices and 130,000 sales associates in 65 countries.Pam has managed real estate and relocation organizations for the past 30 years and was the first woman executive to head a major real estate network. Pam’s honors include being named one of the top 25 thought leaders by the National Association of Realtors, one of the top 100 Most Influential People in real estate by Inman News, and the 26th Most Powerful person in real estate on the 2017 Swanepoel ‘Power 200’ list. Most recently she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Executives by Real Estate Executive magazine, and she was honored with the prestigious H. Cris Collie Leadership Award in 2016 by Worldwide ERC, the professional association serving the employee mobility industry.Pam currently serves on the board of managers of UPSTREAM™, a real estate industry-wide data initiative, the DocuSign Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board of Moderne Ventures, a real estate technology investment fund. 

Patrick is Co-Founder of Transported and leads the company’s sales, business development, and commercial strategy. A veteran of the technology world, he has previously run four startup companies. Patrick has an engineering background and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Poloi Lin has been a project manager at Southern California Edison since 2009.  She is currently a Project Manager for Customer Distributed Resource Products where she leads the education & outreach for residential and commercial customers. Previously, she managed communications for the deployment of Edison SmartConnect to 5 million SCE customers and internal communications for the Enterprise Resource Management in the Transmission and Distribution business unit. Prior to joining Southern California Edison, Lin was corporate communications manager at Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. in Irvine.  She managed a large scope of communications such as public relations, marketing and advertising. Lin’s public relations agency experience includes working for Verizon Wireless, Nintendo, Canon Computer Systems, ViewSonic and other leaders in technology.

Raj Qsar is Owner & Founder of The Boutique Real Estate Group and they represent one of the most dominant Real Estate Teams in the Southern California Real Estate Market. The Boutique Real Estate Group has invested heavily in bringing all aspects of the real estate experience completely in-house.  From custom design, professional staging, amazing photography, cinematography and social media to technology, internet optimization & cloud based transaction management.  This not only provides The Boutique with complete control of the design, marketing & technology of luxury real estate but also gives them the look & feel of a true boutique marketing agency.  This design & tech-forward approach has earned The Boutique Real Estate

Ricardo is an 8-year veteran of the real estate industry and currently works as the National Trainer for W&R Studios - creators of Cloud CMA and Cloud Streams. Ricardo’s passion is helping real estate agents and brokers develop and implement lead generating marketing strategies. Having consulted with real estate companies large and small, Ricardo is well versed in the pain points and struggles of agents and brokers. He is skilled at devising creative solutions and innovative marketing plans to generate leads, drive business, and grow sales.

Rick became CMO of Ten-X in January, 2016, after spending two years with Auction.com as an Executive Vice President. One of the country’s most frequently-quoted sources on real estate, mortgage and foreclosure trends, Rick has appeared on the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CNN, ABC World News, CNBC, FOX, Bloomberg and NPR; briefed government organizations such as the Federal Reserve and Senate Banking Committee; and corporations like JPMorgan Chase, Citibank and Deutsche Bank. Prior to joining Auction.com, Rick was an Executive Vice President for Carrington Mortgage Holdings, which owns and operates multiple businesses in the mortgage, real estate and securities industries. Rick also spent eight years at RealtyTrac and won the Stevie® Award for National Marketing Executive of the Year. Before RealtyTrac, Rick developed and executed sales and marketing programs for technology companies such as Fujitsu, JD Edwards, Toshiba, and Hitachi; start-ups like Tickets.com; and consumer brands including Pizza Hut, Acura and Cox Communications. Rick is a member of the Corporate Board of Governors of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, and was included in Inman News’ Inman 100, an annual list of the most influential leaders in real estate in both 2013 and 2014.

Rodger Bradfield is the Training Program Manager for Southern California Edison’s Income Qualified Programs; most specifically the Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program. Rodger joined Southern California Edison in 2011; Rodger is a subject matter expert for the California State ESA Program for both policy and procedures and works on several statewide teams on standardization and integration of utility programs. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education as well as several training industry certifications, including Association for Talent Development (ATD) Credentialed Master Trainer, Development Dimension International (DDI) facilitator and CompTIA CTT+ in both the Classroom and Online disciplines. Rodger has 20+ years of training and business experience in the areas of Management, Customer Service, Logistics, and Info Technology.

Samuel Luna is the Single Family Affordable Lending Director at Freddie Mac. He leads the Lender Engagement Team for the Affordable Lending and Access to Credit Division. Working collaboratively with lenders, non-profit agencies and government agencies, his team creates outreach initiatives designed to increase homeownership opportunities and preserve homeownership for under-served families. Prior to this position at Freddie Mac, he was Managing Partner at Civic Center Home Loans, a mortgage and real estate firm in Los Angeles.During his time there Luna grew lending operations, developed productive partnerships, and improved the bottom line. He created new business channels and improved lending operations, which created unprecedented growth for the company. Prior to his position at Civic Center Home Loans, Luna was the National Director of Strategic Markets at Freddie Mac from 2008 to 2014. He held positions with Community Development Lending and Expanding Markets at Freddie Mac from 2002 to 2008. Prior to working at Freddie Mac, Luna worked for the City of Los Angeles since 1986. Prior to his appointment as General Manager, he was the Director of the Targeted Neighborhood Initiative for the Mayor’s Office. Most of his City experience was with the Los Angeles Housing Department, where he held several positions, including Director of the Neighborhood Recovery Program. The Neighborhood Recovery Program worked in targeted areas of Los Angeles, developing specific action plans for improving the quality of life in those neighborhoods

Over the past 15 years, Santiago Arana has gained a reputation as one of the most distinguished real estate agents in Los Angeles, garnering national recognition that includes being named among the Top 250 Realtors in the United States by The Wall Street Journal for five consecutive years. Part of a power trio that includes Billy Rose and Mauricio Umansky, Santiago joined The Agency in 2014 as Principal and Partner, specializing in high-end residential real estate and new construction in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, the Sunset Strip, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Spearheading the company’s new Westside office in Brentwood, he doubled his business in the last year with his sales volume topping $305 Million. 

In addition to being featured by Variety and NRT, Santiago was also chosen as one of “Hollywood’s Top 25 Real Estate Agents” by The Hollywood Reporter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Last year, he represented the top one half of one percent of more than 1 million REALTORS® nationwide by ranking #11 in the country, #4 in California and #1 west of the 405 freeway. No stranger to representing clients such as Lady Gaga, Larry David, “King of Bonds” Jeffrey Gundlach, and Alessandra Ambrosio, among others, Santiago excels in the art of discretion whilst under the limelight, taking great care to tailor his marketing strategies to fit each individual property. 

Originally from Sucre, Bolivia, and with Spanish/Croatian roots, Santiago benefits from his cosmopolitan background and experience as well as a wealth of international contacts. He earned a degree in Business Administration and Marketing and uses that education to take a sophisticated approach to addressing his clients’ real estate needs. Santiago is known for his exceptional work ethic and his ability to close deals, as well as his friendly attitude. His contacts, professionalism and passion for exceeding clients’ expectations combine to make Santiago the ideal choice for a wide variety of real estate needs and investments. In past roles, Santiago served as Director of the New Construction Division and distinguished himself with his knowledge of (and success with) new development and investment properties throughout the Westside. 

Much of Santiago’s work speaks for itself, with sales establishing new price records in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. Santiago’s sale of 500 Chautauqua ($15,350,000) in 2013 set the record for the highest price per-square-foot in Pacific Palisades for the year – and the second-highest price per-square-foot ever. Another property he sold, 224 Arno Way,blew away previous price records in 2011, closing in a very tough market for $9 million, a new record for the Marquez Knolls / Bel Air Bay Club area. 

As a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades with his wife and two sons, Santiago has an intimate knowledge of the Westside community. When not traversing the city for work, he enjoys martial arts (he’s a black belt in both kickboxing and Taekwondo), good Cabernet, opera and barbecuing with his family.

Sara Sutachan is the Industry Relations & Strategic Initiatives Manager for the C.A.R. Sutachan manages industry relations, membership development and strategic initiatives for the Association. In this role she helps the Association establish vision, identify new and emerging opportunities and relationships and is responsible for implementing key strategic initiatives.  Sutachan is closely involved in the Association's strategic planning efforts and is a well-known speaker in California’s real estate community. Sutachan earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate, and a Master of Economics Degree from California State University, Los Angeles

Sharran Srivatsaa serves as the President of Teles Properties. After leading Teles’ unprecedented 10X growth over 5 years and a 3-year consecutive streak on the Inc. 500 list, Sharran’s focus continues to be on the firm’s growth, culture, and innovation specifically on designing Teles’ signature agent service platform. Prior to Teles, Sharran worked on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, in Silicon Valley with startup companies, and around the world at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton resorts. In addition to being a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Sharran serves as co-founder, investor, and advisor to various real estate technology companies. Sharran received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and MBA with Honors from Vanderbilt University and he lives with his family in Orange County, California.

Sherry is the president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Sherry has more than 30 years of real estate experience, including, significant senior management positions in the areas of sales, marketing, new technologies, and franchise management. She is also regularly featured by national media outlets such as the FOX Business Channel, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, sharing her insights into industry reports and trends. She is a strong advocate of engaging with businesses and consumers through social media channels – making her the most followed CEO of a national real estate brand on Twitter. Sherry serves on the NAR real estate services and Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) Education Foundation advisory boards. She is also the chair of the national board of directors at the non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together. In 2015, Inman News named Sherry as one of the 33 people who are changing the real estate industry. Additionally, since being named Inman Innovator of the Year in 2010, she has been recognized six years consecutively as one of Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders. Additional accolades include the Swanepoel Power 200 list (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), the Most Influential Real Estate Executives list by Real Estate Executive Magazine (2013) and Profiles in Diversity Journal’s annual Women Worth Watching list (2013).Sherry is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and earned an MBA from the Ivey School of Business.

Recognized as an industry innovator and thought leader in the world of real estate, Spyro Kemble has earned a reputation for excellence. Having cultivated a network of prestigious alliances with some of the most in-demand organizations, brands, and influencers across the globe, Spyro’s tenure and insight have proven to be invaluable both personally and professionally. His unwavering dedication has allowed him to flourish throughout the ebbs and flows in real estate, and today he enjoys being able to mentor future generations. It also effectively positioned him for his current role as the President of the Newport Beach Association of Realtors. With a passion for life and a keen eye that appreciates the finer things, his energy, quick wit and relatability have created a platform for him in the public eye, through the Bravo series “Real Estate Wars”. Together, Spyro and his wife Tracy are active philanthropists for the WIN Foundation. Spyro serves as a Board Member for the non-profit organization which seeks to provide assistance to abused women while fostering self-esteem recovery. As a graduate from UCLA with a degree in economics and finance, Spyro is a proud Bruin fan.

As the Broker-Owner of Beach Real Estate Group in Manhattan Beach, California, Tamara is committed to her clients as a strong advocate with vast knowledge and connections.  Tamara is a third generation REALTOR® and prior to joining real estate, she was a successful hotelier - perfecting the art of delivering exceptional customer service. Since 2004, Tamara has been dedicated to improving the real estate experience through continuous innovation and the highest standards of service. Tamara holds her Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management. Tamara was 2014 President of South Bay Association of REALTORS®, where she earned 2010 REALTOR® of the Year. Tamara is among an elite group of real estate professionals who graduated from the Leadership Academy at the National Association of REALTORS® in 2012. Currently Tamara serves the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) in the following capacity: 2015-17 Federal Political Coordinator to Congressman Ted Lieu, 2012-17 Board of Directors | National Association of REALTORS®, 2017, Vice-Chair, RPAC Major Investor Council | National Association of REALTORS®, 2010-17 Board of Directors | California Association of REALTORS®, 2017 Liaison, Executive Committee | California Association of REALTORS®, 2016-17 Licensing Working Group | California Association of REALTORS®.

Tom Ferry is the CEO of Tom Ferry International, a Real Estate Coaching and Training Company.Tom is named the #1 Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200 and is the bestselling Author of Life! By Design.In his nearly 30 years of service to the industry, Tom has influenced well over half a million real estate professionals to increase their inner and outer wealth. With nearly 30,000 hours of personal coaching experience, Tom works daily to help agents and brokers grow a prosperous business while simultaneously balancing and loving their personal lives too.Tom is a highly sought after and renowned speaker whose charisma and personality have captivated audiences around the world. Tom’s love and passion for life is fueled by a commitment to discipline and helping professionals strive and achieve the success they deserve in life and business.Tom has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Mashable.com, Inman News, Agent Genius, Inc., Entrepreneur Magazine, Realtor Magazine, and many other leading publications.

Tracy McLaughlin has been Marin County’s top producer every year since 2005 and was ranked #39 Individuals by Sales Volume in the United States for 2016 by REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal. A lifelong resident of Marin, Tracy’s acute understanding of the local market, coupled with her unsurpassed knowledge of the region, has made her the broker of choice for luxury home buyers and sellers in Marin County. Tracy’s extensive experience in design and construction makes her uniquely qualified to advise her clients on the smartest investment decisions regarding which home to purchase, when to sell and what improvements to make in anticipation of selling to maximize the property’s resale value. The improvements include a comprehensive plan for design, construction and staging ranging in cost from $50,000 to $500,000. Tracy executes this system of prelisting improvements on about 70% of the homes that she lists regionally. For each dollar spent, there is an average of a 4X return on those improvements.

A native New Yorker, Vanessa started her career in real estate in 2003 as a sales agent, moving into management just one year later.  For three years she ran a large franchise, growing it to the #2 in profitability in the Northern CA region.  In the 2007 downturn she left to manage a small, independent brokerage, one year later becoming General Manager of the entire company, and ultimately acquiring the 35 year old brokerage with her partner in 2010.  Since then, she has rebranded  and reshaped the entire organization, moving it from 12th in market share to number 3 in just 4 years.  Presently, she oversees the 100 sales agents in two offices located in Berkeley and Oakland, CA.  She has spoken about branding, culture and agent retention at several organizations and conferences including ICSF, ICNY, NAR, CAR and Who's Who in Luxury.  In 2013 she was named as one of Inman's 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. She currently resides in Oakland,CA with her husband and two young children. 

Yvette Lozano has contributed to Peace Over Violence for sixteen years. Yvette Lozano serves as the Chief Program Officer. She oversees daily programmatic and personnel supervision in the Intervention Division. Lozano also maintains and ensures the vision for POV’s innovative and responsive services which include the Sexual Assault Response Team, Domestic Abuse Response Team, case management program, 24/7 Emergency Response and as a lead trainer and self-defense instructor for POV’s Empowerment Self Defense program.Lozano has provided statewide self-defense training and technical assistance to local rape crisis centers throughout California and to other community partners. Since joining POV, she helped produce A Model for First Responders: A Domestic Abuse Response Team Manual & Toolkit. Lozano has made a difference in the lives many children, women and girls providing support to survivors as an advocate.