ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Skyler Ditchfield is the Co-Founder and CEO of GeoLinks, the fastest growing WISP in America. Recognized as an industry innovator and thought-leader, Ditchfield is currently appointed to the BDAC’s Streamlining Federal Siting Working Group, the Schools Hospitals and Libraries Coalition’s (SHLB) Strategic Advisory and Fundraising Committees, and the FCC Advisory Board for Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA). With both a passion and dedication to closing the U.S. Digital Divide, Ditchfield is determined to bring connectivity to every unconnected Anchor Institution in America over the next 7 years. To accomplish this goal, Ditchfield actively looks to change the landscape of Internet across America by influencing the reform of broadband funding and spectrum policy on both a state and federal level. Believing that action fuels influence, Skyler led GeoLinks to successfully connect more schools than any other ISP in both 2016 and 2017 earning GeoLinks’ a variety of awards including CENIC’s “Corporate Partnership Award” and the Central Coasts’ “Most Disruptive Technology” Award. Within his company, Ditchfield is passionate about cultivating the best company culture around—one that combines respect, collaboration, and a “best idea wins mantra.” His dedication and work ethic have earned him various accolades in including “Top Innovator in Diversity and Inclusion”, “World’s Top 5 Best Businessmen of 2017”, and Camarillo’s 2018 “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

George Pontiakos is an Executive leadership professional with highly-effective expertise in growing businesses rapidly to successful market leadership or acquisition positions. George exhibits seasoned adeptness in establishing aggressive, entrepreneurial business cultures in geographically dispersed, globally competitive landscapes. His career has spanned the Fire Service (Lt. Eng 1 LFD), Electronic Warfare, Data Communications, Telecommunications, Optical Communications, Mergers and Acquisitions, Venture Capital and Health and Wellness sectors. George is the President and CEO of the Zuellig Group North America, which includes BI Nutraceuticals and Zuellig Group Properties, and Chairman of the Board for two of the Zuellig Groups, a $13 billion dollar Global Conglomerate, operations in China; Suzhou Bio-Products and ZGNI Shanghai Nutraceuticals, as well as a Group Director for ZGNI Hong Kong Holdings. Previously, he founded Monovasia Corporation, a consultancy focused on M&A transactions, venture capital, and counsel to technology start-ups. George was also the founder of MedEfficient Healthcare Solutions, a provider of Electronic Prescribing Software. George’s early senior leadership roles focused on communication (telecom and optical) technology markets and defense sensor and NOE deception/suppression applications.

Oscar Zapata is an avid entrepreneur and CEO of the SHOTS Brand of companies, including SHOTS Miami, SHOTS Orlando, SHOTS Labs, and SHOTS Franchising. Oscar has a background in the adult casino-style gaming hospitality segment and a deep love of marketing. Zapata has passion for brand building and franchising. Oscar obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering, with an emphasis on Electrical Engineering, and his Master’s Degree in business administration, with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship, both from Florida International University. He has an 11-year-old daughter named Mia and a beautiful wife named Marcela. When not with his family, Oscar is growing the SHOTS brand.

Brent Erenwert has been in the produce industry for 20 years, with a strong focus on sales and purchasing. He’s grown through many roles at his family’s produce firm Brothers Produce. Starting in the warehouse as a child, he has risen to the current CEO. Brothers Produce has been in business for over 38 years and one of the most respected produce companies in the US. A serial entrepreneur, Brent has started and co-founded several ancillary organizations including Houston Cold Storage – a full-service cold storage operation, as well as Produce Universe Brands which he sold to Vance Publishing in 2015.

Scott Montgomery has over three decades in the bike and outdoor industries, most recently serving as CEO of Nutcase where he orchestrated a merger with Bravo Sports in 2016. He started his career working alongside his dad to build Cannondale, starting at the young age of eleven and coming on fulltime after completing college. Prior to that Scott was the Founder/GM of Scott Sports and CEO of Club Ride Apparel.

Tom Dickson is from San Francisco. He graduated from BYU in 1971 with a degree in manufacturing engineering. Tom had always had an interest in bread making, and that hobby led him to start a business called Harvest House Food & Grains. One day he spilled some grain and found that when he sucked it up with his vacuum, it acted as a wheat grinder. That was the beginning of the Magic Mill which would later lead him to make blenders and starting Blendtec. The company has continued to grow since then, leading Tom and his team of engineers to come up with many variations of the home blender and turning him into an internet celebrity through the “Will It Blend?” YouTube series.

Helen Fu Thomas is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Touchjet USA, Inc. An award-winning entrepreneur and marketer, Helen has a track record of building technology and digital media companies from the startup to exit. She was the founding CEO of LeapFrog China. At Livescribe, she grew worldwide sales from 0 to $50 million within three years. She built BlueFocus Communication Group from $0 to $200 million in North America within two years.

Aaron Caddel is the 26-year-old Founder and CEO behind brand darling, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. What started as a dream while renting out a closet in San Francisco in 2011, has grown into an international vehicle for food culture. His success has never been cheap, though. He moved to San Francisco in his teens, due to driving restrictions placed on him shortly after a brain tumor diagnosis. He credits his success to an internal drive built from avoiding that reality.

Adam Bryant is a respected and noted expert on executive leadership whose work includes 525 Corner Office columns for the New York Times. At Merryck & Co., Adam is a Managing Director and Partner following a distinguished career as an editor and journalist. He works with executive leadership teams and organizations to foster a culture of innovation based on a best-practice framework he developed for his widely praised book Quick and Nimble.

ROI’s Into the Corner Office podcast showcases middle market CEO’s leadership stories and dives into the heart of what helps shape dynamic leaders. Our guests share their backgrounds, talk about their early years, and let us behind the scenes to see what helped shape them before they were known for their success in growing, developing, and leading extraordinary middle market companies and teams. Listen as they tell their own middle market executive leadership stories – straight up and right Into the Corner Office.