Small Business Summit 2026 Sessions

As Technology Advisor at Creative Planning, I help drive technology strategy and innovation that empowers our organization to deliver exceptional client experiences. My focus is on aligning advanced solutions that include AI, automation, and digital transformation frameworks focusing on business objectives to create measurable impact. With over 33 years of executive technology leadership, I bring a proven ability to bridge the gap between business vision and technical execution. My expertise spans Generative AI, LLMs, NLP, Agentic AI, OCR, and enterprise automation, enabling organizations to unlock efficiencies and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Previously, as Founder and Principal Consultant at ONS Consulting Group, I partnered with businesses to implement emerging technologies and foster a culture of continuous improvement. My academic foundation, a Master’s in Computer Information Systems (Boston University) and Bachelor’s in MIS (Upper Iowa University), supports a career dedicated to making technology strategic, accessible, and impactful. Beyond my role at Creative Planning, I am an author, speaker, and adjunct professor, sharing insights on AI adoption, leadership, and technology enablement. My passion lies in helping organizations navigate today’s digital era with clarity, confidence, and agility.

Amy Mertz is the messaging director and COO at IFC Studios — and she wouldn't have it any other way. She crafts taglines for magical music festivals, helps multi-national companies discover their core messaging, and writes website copy for local institutions, doing what she loves every step of the way. (By which she means, "Learning tons of stuff without having to languish away in a highly structured school day.") As if writing by day weren't enough, Amy has also published several humorous fantasy novels, novellas, and short stories — because sometimes, reality is just too low on dragons. When she's not writing, she's hanging with her husband, the director of the UNI marching band (Go Cats!), and her hilarious young son.

Megan Hammes, MS, MCHES, is the Owner and Founder of Hammes Homestead and Consulting. With more than 20 years in employee health and well-being, she delivers evidence-based Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention trainings nationwide. Megan focuses on integrating mental health into workplace safety, helping organizations build supportive cultures grounded in prevention and connection. Outside of her work, she recharges on her rural Iowa homestead, prioritizing family, nature, and daily time outdoors.

Sara Sladky is a consultant and Certified Working Genius Facilitator with over 10 years of experience helping leaders and teams strengthen their relational, leadership, and empathy skills. Her career has spanned the nonprofit sector, healthcare, and corporate employee engagement, giving her a unique perspective on how organizations of all sizes and missions can build thriving cultures. Across every role, her focus has been the same: creating workplaces that are inclusive, proactive, and communicative—keeping employees engaged, informed, and aligned with the organization’s mission. Outside of work, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband and young children, traveling to National Parks, taking on house projects, gathering with family and friends, and trying new restaurants (she’s always happy to share her recommendations).

Michelle Pezley is the Chief Inspirational Officer and founder of The Wisdom to Thrive. For more than 30 years, she has educated and inspired audiences ranging from CEOs to preschoolers. She helps people unlock their leadership potential, build real connections with clear, purposeful communication, and rediscover their purpose. Before sharing this work with others, Michelle lived it herself. After years of checking the boxes, leading the projects, and keeping everything moving, she realized she was quietly holding back, doubting her voice, and questioning whether she was showing up as the leader she wanted to be. That experience became her wake-up call and the spark behind her mission: helping others show up fully and lead boldly. Today, Michelle partners with individuals, teams, and organizations to build confident, people-first leadership from the inside out. Through dynamic keynotes, interactive workshops, and personalized coaching, she equips professionals with the mindset shifts and practical tools to: - Lead with Confidence - Speak with Clarity - Live with Purpose A licensed coach and experienced facilitator, Michelle combines her background in communications, marketing, HR, and training with her expertise in behavioral frameworks such as DISC to help professionals understand themselves and others better, improving team dynamics, communication, and leadership. She’s recognized for her ability to create meaningful connections and empower lasting growth. Michelle’s goal is simple: to help others communicate clearly, lead authentically, and thrive at their highest potential—both professionally and personally.

Erin Earnest is the chief operating officer at Amperage Marketing + Fundraising, where she leads the agency’s people, operations and core disciplines, including strategy, brand, creative, marketing and communications. She works to ensure strong strategy and creative are supported by clear systems, smart processes and effective execution. A brand builder at heart, Erin has helped build and strengthen brands across the country in a variety of industries. She partners with organizations to clarify who they are, why they matter and how they show up in the world. Erin is known for bringing clarity to complexity, building strong teams and fostering collaboration that leads to meaningful work and measurable results.

At 16, Heather Marquez took her first leadership role as a retail cashier — and quickly discovered through trial by fire that there is far more to leading people than a title and a set of keys. That defining moment sparked a lifelong commitment to understanding leadership from the inside out, and to helping others do the same. Today, Heather is the founder of ActionCOACH Mind Links, a business and executive coaching practice based in Waterloo, Iowa, serving small business owners, executives, and team leaders across the Cedar Valley region and beyond. With over 25 years of management, operations, talent development, and leadership experience — including a career as a store manager and area training manager for a major national retailer — she brings hard-won, real-world insight to every client engagement. Heather understands the pressures business owners face daily: competing for customers in a crowded market, attracting and retaining top talent, managing limited resources, and building a team that functions as a true extension of the leader. Her approach is direct, practical, and customized — no generic frameworks, no cookie-cutter advice. Instead, she diagnoses what is holding a business back and builds a plan to move it forward. She is a certified ActionCOACH, an Executive Director with Maxwell Leadership Certified Team (one of the world's most recognized leadership development organizations), a ThinkBuzan Licensed Mind Mapping Instructor, and a DISC Specialist — a combination of credentials that gives her clients a distinct advantage. These tools allow Heather to work across the full spectrum of business growth: strategy and vision, team dynamics and communication, leadership development, and operational performance. Heather has facilitated training and development across a wide range of industries — retail, government, technology, nonprofit, and service sectors — in both domestic and international settings. She also serves as President of the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls and is deeply committed to community impact and leadership development for women and young people in the Cedar Valley. Whether she is coaching a business owner one-on-one, leading a group workshop, delivering a keynote, or facilitating a leadership retreat, Heather brings the same powerful combination: the empathy of someone who has sat in your seat, the tools of a world-class coaching system, and the accountability that produces lasting results. If you are ready to stop surviving and start thriving, Heather Marquez is the partner who will help you get there.

I’ve been working as a Financial Advisor for 13 years. In that time, I have found working with business owners to be most rewarding. I work with business owners to help reduce taxes and risk for their business and personal financial situation. Ultimately this work leads to the preparation and implementation for selling their business. I saw my father-in-law prospered building and maintaining a successful manufacturing business. After hanging around him and time passed, I realized that growing and maintaining a profitable business is a lot different than preparing a business to be sold and retire. It pained me to see him struggle over the decision to close the doors and be done or work through finding a buyer and transferring what he built. It was during this time I knew I needed to align myself with organizations and peers that can help me assist business owners protect their largest assets and prepare for one of the largest financial decisions of their lifetime. I am a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Exit Planner – I am trained and experienced in the unique crossroads of business planning and personal planning. In 2024 I founded my Envision Wealth with three other advisors after working for Financial Architects locally for 11 years. Forming Envision Wealth brings increased offerings to business owner clients to help reduce taxes and additional strategies to help protect their business, personal finances, and estate.

Emily is a professional public speaker and trainer who discovered her passion for connecting with audiences while teaching in classrooms along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Today, she brings that same energy and thoughtfulness to events, workshops, and team experiences across the country. Known for her interactive and thought-provoking style, Emily Zimmon helps groups strengthen connection, improve engagement, and create healthier, more inclusive environments. Her sessions blend insight, compassion, and practical tools to address real-world challenges—leaving audiences inspired, reflective, and ready to take action.

Lauren Riensche is an award-winning marketer who helps businesses of every size and stage turn positioning into profit. She leads go-to-market strategy development, translating complex products and propositions into clear value that drives measurable growth. As an entrepreneur, nonprofit board member, business advisor, and career marketer, she has built and scaled ventures across industries and continents. In 2025, she was named a Cedar Valley 20 Under 40 honoree for her Cedar Falls–based tourism business and community philanthropy work. Lauren studied Sociology and Economics at the University of Chicago, Western Civilizations at Universität Wien, and Entrepreneurship and Leadership at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business before building her career on both coasts, between both coasts, and abroad. Today, she brings analytical rigor and hands-on execution to the stage—delivering practical, immediately applicable frameworks that help business owners sharpen their message, attract the right customers, and convert marketing investment into revenue. When not focused on career and community, Lauren enjoys traveling with her husband and high school sweetheart, Luke, and hiking local trails with a good audiobook and her dog, Polly.

Following an internship in college, I spent 17 years in corporate retail including store leadership, HR leadership, and operations leadership within distribution. While it was an amazing time moving from role to role within corporate retail, it was important to slow down for my family to have more flexibility to be an active mom and citizen and that's when the small business world seemed like the next best thing. I've been the owner and manager of PeekaBoo on Main Street in Cedar Falls now for over 3 years and it's the best thing ever!

Mike was born and raised in a small farming community in the great state of Iowa. When Mike reached age 19, he signed up to be a Military Policeman in the United States Army. Mike spent 26 years in the service, serving throughout the world in many different capacities. During this time, Mike picked up a financial education. Mike retired at age 45 in 2009 to teach others about the world of money and how to reach that wonderful place like financial freedom. This had been his primary focus since his “awakening” at the age of 25. Mike currently teaches in-person and Zoom financial literacy classes all over the globe. Mike created “The Crazy Man in the Pink Wig” in 2011 to help others understand the value of thinking and behaving differently with their money, leaving the rat race behind. This lead to Mike writing five books: Financial Happine$$, What Color is the Sky, Graduation!, Now What? and The Path to Prosperity. In 2023, Mike started the non-profit, The Giving Solution, to help anyone and everyone with their finances at $0 cost. The goal of this non-profit is to empower the individual to take control of their finances and their life. Learn more about Mike at thecrazymaninthepinkwig.com and thegivingsolution.org.

Jake Schaefer, LMHC. is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Leadership Coach. He is the co-founder and clinical director of Cedar Valley Counseling Services, and the founder and CEO of Renewed Minds Consulting. His professional background includes work in emergency mental health services, pediatric oncology support at the Children’s Hospital of Iowa, work with adjudicated at-risk youth at Woodward Academy, and community mental health services at Poweshiek County Mental Health Center. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the mental health program at the University of Northern Iowa. His leadership development work has included several small businesses, three school districts, and one health care system.

Josh is the Owner Operator of Winding Media, a video production company that prioritizes long term relationships.

Angie Chaplin is a social entrepreneur, leadership strategist, and nationally recognized speaker with more than 30 years of experience in organizational development and strategic communications. She is the founder of Brave Leadership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to strengthening leadership capacity within health and human services, and the founder of two mission-driven LLCs: The Way Onward, a leadership-based recovery pathway, and Mindful Leadership, a consulting and training firm serving organizations and entrepreneurs. As a multi-entity founder, Angie understands firsthand the realities of building, funding, and growing purpose-driven ventures. Blending research-based leadership practices with lived experience, she equips leaders to grow themselves while growing their organizations and communities.