RIA Fall Conference | Speakers & Presentations

 Jill K. Bishop, Ph.D., Workforce Language Services, Chicago, IL

Jill Kushner Bishop, Ph.D., is founder & president of Workforce Language Services, a Chicago-based, woman-owned company offering onsite Spanish and English as a Second Language training, diversity training, leadership development and translation/interpretation/transcription services. A linguistic anthropologist, she has taught English and Spanish around the world and has researched, written and lectured extensively on the subject of language, culture and identity.

 Nick Hodges, CPA/PFS, MBA, CFP™, NCH Wealth Advisors, Fullerton, CA

With over 25 years’ experience providing effective tax strategies and business consulting services to entrepreneurs, Nick Hodges helps successful business owners across the country navigate the many transitions of their growing companies. His specialty is helping successful business owners convert their success into personal wealth for retirement. Working as their Premier Tax CFO, Nick helps business owners go beyond just getting the numbers right for their businesses, he helps them get the financial answers right for their families and their futures.

 Jeff Kraai, CBA, Exit Strategies, Inc., Vancouver, WA 

With more than 16 years of entrepreneurial ventures, including five start-ups and sales, Jeff Kraai has a solid understanding of what it takes to successfully create, expand and sell businesses for their maximum value. Jeff is a broker licensed to sell businesses throughout the states of Oregon and Washington, and understands what makes a business saleable, the obvious financial needs of buyers and sellers, and the requirements of both parties to the transaction. He also understands the process of preparing a business for sale and works within realistic timeframes. His no-nonsense approach will provide answers to any business owner about the decisions and challenges before, during and after the sale of his or her business. His experience and ability to think about all the factors that impact negotiations provide an extremely valuable perspective.

 Tom Leahy, Leahy & Associates, Denver, CO

Tom Leahy is the president of Leahy & Associates, Inc., a multi-faceted consulting company providing: practitioner training and certification, corporate team skills training, meeting facilitation and challenge course/climbing wall design and installation. In 1993, Tom created a unique conference and training venue for experiential educators where participants were in control of the conference content and their own learning. After that first attempt was met with mixed results, Tom was introduced to the “Open Space” concept created by Harrison Owens. “Open Space” Technology is the foundation, formation and framework from which all “UnConference” processes have evolved.

 John Mosher, Successful Directions, St. Louis, MO

With over 44 years of service within the restoration industry, John established Successful Directions in 2004. He offers professional consulting services to the industry as well as executive coaching, motivational seminars and the “Business of Business” seminars. John’s approach is based in the reality of the everyday business of companies in the industry.

 Luciana Tiberio, Workforce Language Services, Chicago, IL

As the Program Manager of Workforce Language Services, Luciana plays an integral role in language and culture training, curriculum development and consulting. A certified Cultural Detective trainer and active member of the Chicagoland Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, she has facilitated language and culture training for the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council, Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago, the Valley Industrial Association and at the World of Asphalt Show and Conference.