NickFriends Websites

Lauren Goldstein is the Founder and CEO of Golden Key Partnership. Known as “The Biz Doctor,” she helps 7 and 8-figure business owners break free from the grind, reclaim their time, and build high-performing companies that thrive without them. With a background in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, she applies her diagnostic skills to transforming businesses. Lauren's approach goes beyond surface-level fixes, identifying the root causes of operational challenges and team dynamics. She is also the Host of The Biz Doctor Podcast and delivers keynotes at industry conferences. Lauren is also an Austin Under 40 award recipient.

Keith Walker is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at INDY Cinema Group. He has over 15 years of experience in software engineering and development. He has a strong background in engineering physics, which helped him win the DARPA Shredder Challenge and write physics simulation software for satellites. He also has extensive experience in launching and scaling startups, such as Movie Heroes, a subscription model for physical movie theaters, and Joymode, a platform for renting experiences and products. His mission is to leverage his skills and expertise in software engineering, programming, and cinema software to deliver an amazing experience to moviegoers and cinema operators alike. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Jason Philip Yoong is the Cofounder & COO at Level Up, a career acceleration platform with over 250,000 followers. Level Up helps high performers make career breakthroughs through executive coaching, leadership courses, a weekly newsletter, an engaged community, and custom AI GPT tools. He also serves on the Harvard Business Review (HBR) advisory council and as a mentor at First Round Capital and Techstars. Previously, Jason led organizations and billion-dollar businesses at Amazon, Dentsu Aegis, and Universal McCann (IPG). He was also a founding team member of a venture-backed software startup, helping to raise $8M in seed funding. Jason has over 15 years of experience running large organizations in eCommerce, advertising, media, and marketplaces. He lives in Honolulu with his wife and daughter.

Eric Melchor is the Founder of 3rd Space Bucharest, happy hour-style networking events that bring people together in a fun way combined with lightning talks. He is an adventurous connector, creative strategist, and dad to two incredible kids. Born in Houston and now living in Romania, Eric has built his life around courage, curiosity, and community. He launches grassroots fitness programs for kids and hosts cocktail parties in Bucharest. Eric is committed to living fully, raising kind and curious children, developing ideas that ignite joy, and serving as a catalyst for authentic human connection. He wants people to feel more seen, more energized, and less alone in this world.

Edwin Dorsey is the author of The Bear Cave and Sunday’s Idea Brunch Newsletter. He is most well-known for exposing bad companies. The Bear Cave newsletter focuses on corporate misconduct, specifically writing about $1-billion-to-$10-billion, U.S.-listed public companies that he feels are misleading investors or harming customers. He graduated from Stanford in 2020. The Bear Cave boasts more than 50,000 subscribers, with about 1,300 paid subscribers. Sunday’s Idea Brunch features interviews with investors.

Dustin Hyle is an entrepreneur and IT professional. He is passionate about building the technical and marketing foundations that help businesses s쳮d online. His journey led him to found Iridium Hosting, a managed WordPress hosting company. He also founded 509Brand, a marketing agency for local service businesses. Dustin's background is in Information Technology, with experience ranging from desktop support to IT Infrastructure Manager. His specialties include server administration, troubleshooting, and system optimization. He noticed a gap in the market and built Iridium Hosting to provide a secure, high-performance environment specifically tweaked for WordPress. He is dedicated to providing personal, expert-level service to his clients.

Christopher Petkas is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who has transitioned into a career in defense innovation, technology, investing, and operating businesses. Born in Houston, Texas, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in International Relations. He was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse team for four years. Chris served as a Surface Warfare Officer before joining the Navy SEALs in 2012, serving until 2020 with five deployments. He earned an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 2020. Chris led the commercial artificial intelligence group at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Today, Chris is the General Partner at Contrarian Thinking Capital. He and his wife Codie reside in Austin, Texas.

Chris Gittings is the President of Cogent Connections, a business development and marketing agency. Since 2020, he has led the company in helping businesses build relationships with strategic partners, acquisition targets, potential hires, and prospective clients. Cogent Connections focuses on genuine, value-added connections through professional networking events. Chris's background includes research at Case Western Reserve University in the Laboratory for the Study of Emotion, Motivation, and Self-Control, and neuroscience research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He also worked as a Behavioral Therapist at Cleveland Clinic, working with children ages 6-9 who had ADHD, ODD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Chad Rubin is the CEO & Founder of Profasee. He has been building and exiting companies that solve real problems in the e-commerce ecosystem since 2008. These companies include Skubana, The Prosper Show, Sellers Choice, Think Crucial, and Deep & Saasy. He is the author of the bestseller Cheaper, Easier, Direct. Chad has spoken on stages around the world and led webinars. Currently, he is focused on helping Amazon brands with pricing through Profasee, an AI platform that dynamically predicts the perfect price for every product. He lives in Miami.

Cate Diaz is the Founder of Market Chemistry, where she and her team build high-conviction investor pipelines for early and growth-stage companies. They combine sharp positioning, compelling investor materials, and direct outreach to connect founders with the right capital partners. Cate has worked across industries including healthcare, SaaS, CPG, biotech, renewable energy, and aerospace. She has held strategic leadership roles, including Director of Marketing at ibble and Chief Marketing Officer at Rally. She also advises early-stage companies like WICKED Protein on marketing and fundraising strategy. Her expertise lies at the intersection of storytelling, systems, and private investments. Cate lives in Austin, Texas with her wife and their dog, Echo.

Benjamin Peace Hoffman is the co-founder of cityHUNT, a company that crafts scavenger hunts. He is also a life and business strategist and entrepreneur. Ben harnesses the power of mindfulness, positive psychology, corporate team building, and adventure to enhance team productivity, employee relations, and workplace happiness. He leads mindfulness team-building and scavenger hunts in the United States and around the world. Ben is working on a book called "Scavenger Hunt For The Soul." His work focuses on connecting with yourself, connecting with others, and connecting with nature/the world. He lives in a small community outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

Ben Hirsch's expertise lies in creating experiences that generate massive ROI and build powerful communities. Currently, he is focused on scaling e-commerce events in the USA as Managing Partner for Ecom North, leading the expansion of their event footprint across the United States. He also partners 1-on-1 with a select group of high-ticket coaches and creators to plan, launch, and execute their first profitable mastermind event.

Austin Rief is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew. He was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His interest in the business world began during his junior year of high school. He graduated from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in 2013 and started college at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in 2014. In 2015, he joined Alex Lieberman to build Morning Brew, officially launching it as a daily email newsletter where he served as co-founder and COO. In 2021, he became CEO of Morning Brew and began making personal investments through Austin Rief Ventures. He transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman in 2025. He is also an investor in Oceans Talent.

Andria Yu is a communications professional with over 17 years of journalism experience. Since 2016, she has served as Director of Media Relations for powersports associations. Previously, she worked as front-page editor at USA Today and chief night editor at The Baltimore Sun. Andria has expanded national media outreach for powersports and helped shape public-facing communications campaigns. She is a longtime on- and off-road motorcyclist and certified MSF RiderCoach, DirtBike School Coach, ATV Safety Institute Instructor, and ROHVA DriverCoach. Andria is also an experienced spokesperson who regularly appears on live TV and serves as a video producer. She teaches motorcycle licensing classes in Maryland.

Adam Buice is a mortgage loan officer at Mortgage Investors Group. He specializes in helping individuals and families secure financing solutions to make homeownership more affordable. Adam's NMLS number is 1619090 and his GA number is 1619090. He was inspired by his mother, a Realtor, to apply his 10 years of experience in commercial banking to residential mortgage lending. When he is not working, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife, Meghan, and their daughters, Reagan, Emmy, and Grace.

Rand Larsen builds peer groups for SMB Owners and hosts SMB/ETA Meetups across North America. SMB/ETA means “Small and Medium Business Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition,” which involves buying and growing existing companies. He helps people navigate this process through his peer groups. Currently, he is traveling the USA in a modern camper van. He owns and operates SMB Community, a platform for small-business owners to share ideas and resources. Previously, he built Audience Automator, guiding creators in growing their online followings. He has also served as General Manager at Downs Septic and Drain, worked as an Associate with Mint Resource Group, and researched commercial properties at Larsen Commercial-Industrial Realtors. He founded DocuFamily and managed operations at Farmacann.

John Arrow is the CEO of FreedomGPT and a General Partner at Age of AI. He builds and invests in companies at the forefront of the AI revolution. He founded Mutual Mobile and bootstrapped it into a 300-person firm, which was later acquired by Grid Dynamics. His work has been featured in Forbes’ “Most Promising CEOs Under 35” and Inc. Magazine’s “30 Under 30”. John studied economics, advertising, and computer science at The University of Texas at Austin. During college, he earned his pilot’s license and met his co-founders.

Jacob Voncannon is an entrepreneur and investor with experience in real estate, direct-to-consumer business, and digital marketing. He is the founder of Bold Virtue Management, specializing in multifamily property acquisition and management. He also owns and operates Circle J Meat, delivering organic, non-GMO, hormone-free grass-fed beef directly to consumers from Circle J Ranch in Hempstead, TX. Jacob is passionate about exploring how artificial intelligence, generational psychology, and faith intersect to shape our evolving world. He hosts gatherings at his event space, bringing together diverse minds to spark innovation. He lives in Houston, Texas.

David Shapiro is the Founder of The Shapiro Group, a real estate company based in Austin, Texas. His passion for real estate began early, purchasing his first home at age 20. He helps others achieve their homeownership goals by making smart, informed decisions. At The Shapiro Group, he focuses on delivering personalized guidance and strategic insight for homebuyers and sellers. During his time at the University of Connecticut, he sold knives for Cutco Cutlery Corporation. He rose to become the top team builder in the country. He has built a diverse real estate portfolio that includes single family rental properties, partnership in a commercial building, and development experience with spec homes. David is passionate about fitness, healthy living, and exploring Austin’s food scene. He also donates and participates in events to help raise money for cancer and Alzheimer’s research.

Annika Lewis is a researcher and writer working on the history of technology, science, and medicine. Her current book project examines the history of lead poisoning prevention in the twentieth-century United States. She is also at work on a project tracing the history of electronic fetal monitoring. Annika holds a PhD in History from Princeton University. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.