Seattle Executive Summit

11:20 - 12:20 PM

The Dark Side of Private Equity: Missteps that Could Cost You Millions

Presenter: Brian Daley, Director of Strategic Partnerships | Founders Advisors

With more Private Equity (PE) firms targeting private companies, business owners must be equipped to navigate this complex world successfully. Using case studies, data-driven insights, and over two decades of M&A experience, we’ll discuss the PE investor ecosystem, how they exploit inexperienced business owners, and strategies to help you protect your equity.

You’ll learn:

• 7 reasons your business is not qualified for PE investment (and what to do)


• Essential questions to answer before engaging PE


• The truth about “Minority Investors” and “Founder Aligned” PE


• Why 90% of founders lose in PE negotiations


• Enterprise Value Coaching through Industry Driven Valuation Scorecards

Topic: Financials - Mergers & Acquisitions

11:20 - 12:20 PM

All In on Sales Hiring: Bet Smart, Win Big, Build a Dream Team

Presenter: Steve Heroux, Founder | The Sales Collective

Tired of hiring “rockstar” salespeople who flop fast? Bad sales hires cost up to $1.3 million, and traditional methods succeed just 23% of the time. This session shows how to spot bluffers early using sales analytics and poker-inspired psychology to build a predictive hiring process.

• Attract and retain elite sales talent (not professional interviewers).


• Use the Sales DNA Test to decode hidden traits.


• Triple hiring accuracy with confident, data-driven decisions.

Topic: Customer Engagement – Sales

11:20 - 12:20 PM

Predictable Marketing ROI: A Framework for Guaranteed Outcomes

Presenter: Lori Turner-Wilson, CEO/Founder | RedRover Marketing

Marketing shouldn’t be a black box. In this workshop, Lori shares her 12 Battles™ Framework—a proven system that reveals hidden gaps costing you growth and replaces gut instinct with data-backed decision-making. Learn how to uncover true customer drivers, conduct perfectly legal competitive surveillance, identify the touchpoints most responsible for a customer's decision to purchase, pressure-test strategies before spending, and build a pay-for-performance team.

Topic: Customer Engagement – Marketing

11:20 - 12:20 PM

From Chatbot to Co-Worker: AI Agents in Your Business

Presenter: Ross Hartmann, CEO | Kiingo AI

Your competitors have access to the same AI tools you do. The difference is whether they're using them. In this session, you'll see real case studies of companies using AI agents to cut costs, reclaim capacity, and gain a competitive edge. You'll walk away with a framework for your own AI strategy, including how to identify your first high-impact use case and avoid the most common mistakes.

Topic: Business Operations - Technology

11:20 - 12:20 PM

The Growth Playbook: Scaling Smarter With Remote Teams + AI

Presenter: Pranav Dalal, CEO and Founder | Office Beacon

Discover how an AI plus human hybrid model is redefining workforce productivity. With 25 years of operational insight, Office Beacon shows how to remove workflow bottlenecks through targeted AI tools and high-performance remote teams. Learn how AI-assisted executive support, Prospectly’s AI-driven network expansion, and optimized hybrid workflows unlock immediate gains in efficiency and scale. This session gives leaders clear, actionable steps to integrate AI into daily operations in a way that empowers teams and accelerates scale.


Topic: Leadership - Hiring Recruitment & Sourcing

11:20 - 12:20 PM

Beyond Washington Saves: Building & Optimizing Workplace Plans

Presenter: Kevin Hasslinger, Financial Advisor | Principal | Edward Jones

As Washington prepares to launch the Washington Saves mandate, employers face new requirements—but also new opportunities. This session explains why relying on the state plan may limit benefits and how choosing your own plan can create greater value. For businesses with existing plans, we’ll uncover ways to optimize contributions, tax advantages, and employee engagement. Learn how to build or improve a plan that truly supports owners and employees alike.

Topic: Financials - Financial Management

1:15 - 2:15 PM

How to Keep More of the Money You Make

Presenter: Kimberly Ellis, Strategic Partnerships | Fisher\SMB

High earning business owners typically face a common problem—As income grows, so does your tax bill. While we can’t completely eliminate your taxes, we can show you:

• Create a tax shelter for up to $400,000 of earned income per year


• Diversify the tax treatment of your retirement income


• Pay yourself instead of Uncle Sam

Topic: Personal Development - Exit Planning

1:15 - 2:15 PM

Where AI Actually Moves the P&L in Manufacturing & Industrial SMBs

Presenter: Steve Russell, CEO | [up]start.13

Most AI conversations are theoretical. Most manufacturing margins aren’t. This session cuts the hype and goes straight to where AI creates operating leverage in $30M–$300M industrial companies and where it should be ignored. We’ll map six economic levers across your operation, go deep on the one that matters most, and pressure test whether AI pays back or just burns a quarter.

Takeaway: A clear lens on which lever moves enterprise value this year and the first disciplined step to prove it.

For manufacturing and industrial operators accountable for P&L.

Topic: Business Operations – Technology