Critical Mass Business Talk Show | Orange County’s Longest-Running Business Talk Show

Based in Mission Viejo, Amour Propre®️ is a beauty brand that strives to make the world a better place, one person and one natural product at a time. Translating to “Self-Love” in French, Amour Propre®️ is centered in self-love, enhanced by science, inspired by nature and fueled by positive energy.

Amour Propre®️ is in business to encourage our customers to practice self-love by experiencing the joy of utilizing natural, organic, and aromatherapeutic wellness and beauty products. Established in March of 2020, Amour Propre®️ saw $20k in profit in its first month in business alone.

With over 150 products and variations made for women and men alike, the brand offers a luxury experience at an affordable price.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Founder & CEO Tahera Christy joins host Ric Franzi to share her success with Amour Propre®️, and what she has learned throughout her business journey.

Robert Ming is Founder and CEO of ThoughtWorld and is responsible for setting the overall policy and direction of the company and platform. His deep desire to bring people together and make the world a better place shows up both in the platform and in how he has invested his energy throughout life.

As a practicing attorney and founding partner of Quadrant Law Group, a law firm specializing in technology contract negotiation, Robert found his love for bringing people together and making complex things simple. He used those skills politically while Mayor of Laguna Niguel, California, where he served as a council member for 8 years.

During that time, he founded the Association of California Cities – Orange County, a public policy think tank for bringing elected officials together to tackle some of the most difficult political issues of the day. He loves making safe places where people can learn and expand their minds, as he has done as Chairman of Stoneybrooke Christian Schools, where he has served for 17 years.

Together with his wife, Susie, Robert is committed to creating a brave new world where their four children can hear and be heard without fear or violence, where they can think and understand the opinions of others and bridge the gaps between people.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Robert Ming joins host Ric Franzi to share his inspiration to found ThoughtWorld, and his insights as the company's CEO.

Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan made history in November of 2020. She not only received the highest number of votes for the position of Mayor in the city’s history, but also shattered glass ceilings as the first woman of color to hold the position, and the first Muslim woman to lead a large city in the United States.  

In addition to serving as Irvine Mayor, Farrah Khan is also the President of Horizon Consulting USA, where she serves as a recruitment consultant working with businesses, community organizations, and governments to find short-term and direct hires. She has 8 years of corporate management, 15 years of small business, and 5 years non-profit experience.

Mayor Khan grew up in northern California and began her career in the biotech and innovation industry as a regulatory manager focusing on streamlining complex products and international research. She and her family moved to Irvine in 2004 where her two sons have had the privilege of attending Irvine schools since Kindergarten. She and her husband also serve as Legacy Partners with the Irvine Public School Foundation. 

Mayor Khan is focused on ensuring that the City of Irvine is a leader throughout Orange County and California when it comes to innovation and technology, maintaining a healthy environment, combating climate change, and protecting the health and wellness of Irvine’s diverse communities. In her short time as Mayor, she has initiated several new strategies leading to Irvine becoming the first City in Orange County to spearhead COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in local neighborhoods and senior centers, passed HERO pay for frontline grocery workers, created a new committee focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and passed an ordinance to make Irvine carbon neutral by 2030.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Farrah Khan joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her work as the Mayor of Irvine, and as the president of Horizon Consulting USA.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Stephanie Oddo is an educator, entrepreneur, and Laguna Niguel City Council candidate. Most recently, Stephanie has found much reward in serving as Director of Government for the League of Women Voters of Orange Coast. She launched the League’s first-ever Observer Corps. The Corps inspires, trains and empowers volunteers to observe and report on their local city and county public meetings. The program currently observes 7 cities and 4 county boards. 

Stephanie is the founder of Healthcare Mask Collaborative (HMC). HMC served almost 150 organizations, had over 220 sewers who sewed and distributed over 65,000 cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the first Democrat to ever run a serious campaign in Laguna Niguel, Stephanie earned over 11,000 votes and was the next on the ballot to win in the 2020 election. Stephanie is now launching a new nonprofit with her business partner that will empower and educate women on how to report certain crimes against them.

Stephanie has also served as President of the Laguna Niguel Rotary Club where she spearheaded two efforts that are still in practice today: a free local dental clinic that serves approx. 100 people a year and an effort to obtain the club’s first Global Grant (raising money for medical equipment that trained doctors in Latin America how to perform free surgeries to burned children). This propelled her to serve as Chair of International Service for Rotary District 5320 (Orange County and Long Beach) and to train others how to obtain Global Grants.  

Previously, Stephanie was a public relations and web services consultant for government, nonprofits, and businesses in the Washington, DC. area. Some of her clients included Microsoft Government, Verisign, Maryland Dept. of Energy, EPA, NASA, U.S. Dept. of Justice, DC Healthy Families, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the nationally televised Hispanic Heritage Awards.

In this episode of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Stephanie joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her career path, as well as her initiatives in Orange County and beyond!

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Paul Nelson, Esq. is recognized throughout Orange County as an expert in Family Law Litigation. As Managing Partner at Nelson Kirkman, Paul has built an excellent reputation in the legal community and has been quoted as a legal expert by Fox News and Forbes.

Paul's many honors and awards speak to his expertise: AV Preminent® & Judicial and Bar Highest Possible Rating (Martindale Hubbel®), two-time Super Lawyers Honoree (2021 & 2022), Honorary Chairman of the Business Advisory Council (2009), OC’s Most Talked-About Lawyers (2008), Premier Attorneys of Orange County (Orange Coast Magazine, 2008), as well as a National Leadership Award from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

With a strategic approach to high-stakes cases, Paul handles roadblocks by utilizing outside-the-box thinking to get it done, believing that there is always a way. In his work, Paul is guided by the principle that being a successful attorney is like playing a game of chess: it’s all about the long game. He joins host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to share more about his industry leadership in Orange County, as well as his professional philosophies!

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Monica Challingsworth is President and Co-Founder of Eustress and Demeter, a full-service restaurant consulting firm specializing in building sales programs for multi-unit restaurants and independent operators. Eustress and Demeter started in 2017 to fill a void in the restaurant industry. With an ever-changing landscape, they knew there was an opportunity to help brands of all sizes build incremental revenue programs. They have worked with some of the top names in hospitality and private equity and have curated a record generation of over $50 million in off-premises sales. 

At Eustress and Demeter, Monica has responsibility for developing, engaging, and sustaining her clients’ most important assets – their people and top-line revenue. In addition to Eustress and Demeter, Monica is the Co-founder of ED Distribution Group; the exclusive distributor for V10 Plus USA, a Japanese skincare brand whose core focus is to build confidence from within. Monica has hosted many Women’s Mastermind networking groups has been a speaker for multiple Business Councils and is building a Women’s Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Leigh Lester is the Founder & Executive Director of Ubuntu Institute of Learning, an international training organization focused on social justice issues ranging from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging to Entrepreneurship to Affordable Housing. 

As a trainer, consultant, educator, public speaker, serial ideator, and occasionally a coach, Leigh is always a positive force for her clients and co-conspirators. She is active in her community of Long Beach, She serves on a national Board of Directors for industry and nonprofit organizations. Her passion is service. She focuses that passion in affordable housing, under-invested entrepreneurship programs and/or diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives.  

Known for her ability to break big ideas into bite-sized pieces, Leigh’s magic powers include public speaking, training, schmoozing, collaborating and totally out-of-the-box ideation.  With over 20+ years industry experience, her main focus now is helping others create the right action steps to solve their problems. 

Her approach is hands-on, practical application focused on outcomes, steeped in years of personal experience. As the one minority in the room for many years, she puts her experience to use affecting policy at the national level. She serves on the board of a national appraisal organization, a member of the advisory board for the Ashoka-Brookings Partnership Initiative: Valuing Homes in Black-Majority Neighborhoods, an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Navigator with Forward Cities Initiative in Long Beach, California and she serves as a Global Advisor with How Women Lead, a Bay Area leadership network that brings together influential women in an inclusive and highly supportive community to connect, learn, and promote the voices of all women and propel their leadership forward.

In this edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show, Leigh Lester joins host Ric Franzi to discuss her leadership of the Ubuntu Institute of Learning, as well as her latest initiative, Launch Long Beach.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Ronald Stein, P.E. is an engineer and Founder of PTS Advance, a California-based company.

Founded in 1995 by Ronald & June Stein, Principal Technical Services (PTS) was designed to meet a gap in the market. Client organizations were seeking greater transparency and flexibility as they contracted specialized talent to augment key roles in their organizations. As a project manager in the industry, Ronald knew first-hand that success relied upon attracting and retaining great candidates with a full compensation package, including PTO and medical benefits – an approach not common for typical engineering staffing services in the ’90s. 

The PTS team subsequently delivered a best-in-class service to both the client and candidate as the premier contingent workforce management partner for the California Energy & Infrastructure market.

Now known as PTS Advance, the company is building on past successes and expanding the quality of service they offer to a nationwide list of clients and candidates in the Energy & Infrastructure and Life Sciences industries.

Ronald is a co-author of three books that focus on energy literacy: Just GREEN Electricity, Energy Made Easy, and his latest book Clean Energy Exploitations, which is nominated for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize competition in the General Nonfiction category. 

Ronald is an internationally published columnist and energy consultant who writes frequently about all aspects of energy and economics, is a National TV Commentator- Energy & Infrastructure with Rick Amato, and a policy advisor for The Heartland Institute.

Over the last decade, Ronald has become the private business spokesperson for the energy and infrastructure industries. He is an energy consultant who writes frequently about all aspects of energy and economics. Through his more than 250 published Op Ed articles, he provides education for citizens as to what and why the energy infrastructures are the primary infrastructures that truly drive the worlds’ economies. 

At the 2018 Western State Petroleum Association (WSPA) Annual Conference, Ron was awarded the “President’s Award for his Tireless Efforts Protecting and Promoting a Vibrant Oil and Gas Industry in the West”. The November 2018 Press release that appeared on Yahoo Finance: “Recognizing Greatness in the Oil and Gas Industry” was shared with 17 million viewers. 

Ron joins Critical Mass Business Talk Show host Ric Franzi to discuss his firm PTS Advance, his thought leadership in the energy sector, and his success as an author.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

Steve Reinharz is the CEO of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc., (OTCPK:AITX) and Founder and CEO of the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD). 

Mr. Reinharz is a proven and seasoned leader in the physical security industry with nearly 25 years of experience holding various roles in multiple disciplines. Reinharz has led RAD to create and launch a successful line of artificial intelligence-powered solutions specifically developed for the guarding and concierge industries. 

Mr. Reinharz’s experience is multi-faceted in that he’s started and ran his own security integration company from the age of 24 to 31, becoming one of California’s premier system integrator. Subsequently, Mr. Reinharz was part of a team that successfully sold an integrator to a global security firm for $42 million and has held various other industry roles. Mr. Reinharz speaks and contributes to panels at ISC East and West, and ASIS. Mr. Reinharz is a leading member of several industry association committees, mostly through the Security Industry Association.

Mr. Reinharz credits almost two years of work performed for the LAPD as the basis for many of the technological innovations he has launched. Mr. Reinharz’ LAPD work was enabled by Captain (III) Charlie Beck who later went on to be LAPD’s Chief for 9 years. ‘Force-multiplication’ has been a hallmark of Mr. Reinharz’ career. Specifically using technology to expand and improve client security.

Mr. Reinharz oversees all aspects of AITX and the three RAD subsidiaries (RAD-I, RAD-M and RAD-G). As CEO of RAD, Reinharz leverages his extensive knowledge and interest in robotics and artificial intelligence to design and develop robotic solutions that increase business efficiency and deliver cost savings.

RAD is an innovator in the delivery of artificial intelligence-based solutions that empower organizations to gain new insight, solve complex challenges, and fuel new business ideas. Through its next-generation robotic product offerings, RAD can help organizations streamline operations, increase ROI, and strengthen their business. RAD robotics technologies improve the simplicity and economics of patrolling and guard services and allows experienced personnel to focus on more strategic tasks. Customers augment the capabilities of existing staff and gain higher levels of situational awareness, all at drastically reduced cost. RAD robotic solutions are well suited for use in multiple industries such as enterprises, government, transportation, critical infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

Steve Reinharz joins Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to discuss his firm RAD, and his leadership insights as CEO.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.

Food Network describes Andy Nguyen, co-founder of Afters Ice Cream, as the "mash-up king in the food industry," and it's his unorthodox approach and insights into modern branding, marketing, and "how to get your grind on" that has set him apart from the rest.

With other 25 locations (and more to come), Afters Ice Cream has been both an entrepreneurial and social media phenomenon with thousands of people turning up for their store openings/events. And that’s only one of the many restaurant concepts Andy and his team have started. Other ventures include: Dough & Arrow, Trill Burgers, Hello Kitty Cafe Vegas, Matte Black Coffee, Rodeo 39, and more. 

While Andy has reshaped the new age F&B industry, his journey to becoming a serial restaurateur wasn't easy... Like many entrepreneurs, Andy and school didn't get along so well, and he was quickly bored with his first "real" jobs. 

After a dozen+ years of struggle including adventures in real estate, re-selling sneakers, and being a Coachella VIP vendor, Andy founded a worldwide clothing brand, several food ventures, and a consulting agency, too. He even started his own non-profit, Passion Chasers, to help the next generation of dreamers find their own entrepreneurial spark.

Andy joins host Ric Franzi on Critical Mass Business Talk Show to share the inside scoop (no pun intended), including how he uses brand awareness and storytelling to appeal to future brand builders, as well as his goal of improving the food scene and pumping new life into other cities.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County.

This edition of Critical Mass Business Talk Show is proudly supported by Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. GRR provides legal advice and guidance on all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Learn more at GRR.com.