Influencer Blueprint Show

Nellie Akalp is a serial entrepreneur, small business advocate, and the Founder and CEO of CorpNet, a leading business formation and compliance service that has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs start and maintain their businesses across all 50 states. With over two decades of experience in the incorporation industry, Nellie has built multiple successful companies focused on simplifying the startup process for business owners. She is widely recognized for her expertise in business formation, compliance, and entrepreneurial growth strategies.

Nellie is a passionate advocate for small businesses and frequently shares insights on how entrepreneurs can properly structure their companies, stay compliant, and position themselves for funding and long term success. Her work has empowered countless business owners to confidently launch and scale their ventures.

Through CorpNet, Nellie continues to make business ownership more accessible by providing streamlined solutions, expert guidance, and ongoing support for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

During the show we discuss:

• Why choosing the right entity matters
• How LLC and corporation structures differ
• How S corporation tax elections work
• Why business compliance must continue after formation
• How to maintain separation between personal and business finances
• Why documentation matters for business expenses
• How compliance can support long-term growth and funding
• Why businesses should generally consider where they actually operate when choosing a formation state

Resources: https://www.corpnet.com/

Sebastian Sanders, widely known as "The Youth Principal," is an author, educator, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing economic mobility through youth development and community innovation. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he is the founder of Sanders Hand, a nonprofit that has impacted over 5,000 youth and college students across the U.S. and Ghana through financial literacy, leadership, and digital education. In 2024, the organization earned recognition as a Career & Technical Student Organization (CTSO) by the Texas Education Agency—one of only 10 in the state.

Sebastian also created the Young Billionaires Club, a hands-on entrepreneurship program for youth, and leads SJS Enterprises, where he advises businesses and schools on growth and impact strategy. A former leader at PepsiCo and Frito-Lay, he holds a BBA and an MBA in Management. He is the author of The Art of Giving, a TED Talk speaker, and host of "Money Mondays," empowering communities through practical financial education.

During the show we discuss:

• Turning experience into credibility and influence
• Building a brand around a mission people believe in
• Lessons from corporate leadership and entrepreneurship
• Using discipline, planning, and customer service to build a business
• Testing ideas and building proof of concept before scaling
• Building credibility through results, relationships, and testimonials
• Differences between younger and established entrepreneurs
• The responsibility that comes with influence and audience trust

Resources: https://www.sandershand.org/

Bridger Pennington is a fund manager, entrepreneur, and co-founder of multiple investment funds dedicated to making private investing more accessible. In 2019, he co-founded Fund Launch, an incubator helping emerging managers launch and grow investment funds. Today, the platform has more than 141,000 users and has helped launch 390 funds representing over $7.1 billion in reported AUM. In 2026, Bridger co-founded Fund Launch AI, an end-to-end platform designed to simplify fund and SPV formation, legal structures, administration, and vendor management. He also co-founded Fund Launch Partners, a $32 million GP Stakes fund focused on partnering with emerging fund managers, with more than $341 million in aggregate portfolio AUM. Through these ventures, Bridger is working to democratize Wall Street and make sophisticated investment opportunities and infrastructure accessible to a broader generation of fund managers.

During the show we discuss:

• Why an investment fund is essentially a pool of capital
• How to determine whether a fund could fit an existing business strategy
• How funds can help scale real estate investing
• Why fund structures can provide portfolio diversification
• How syndications differ from investment funds
• How blind-pool funds work
• How real estate funds differ from private equity funds
• How venture capital funds invest in startups

Resources: https://www.fundlaunch.com/

Raphael Lavin is a seasoned financial executive and entrepreneur with deep expertise in financial and credit analysis, leasing, and enterprise risk management. His experience spans operating a private equipment leasing company where he oversaw credit structuring, pricing, collections, and litigation—giving him a comprehensive understanding of multiple industries.

He began his career in a fourth-generation family-owned metals business, gaining hands-on experience across operations before transitioning into sales, where he expanded market reach and revenue. As the industry evolved, Raphael developed a strong focus on efficiency, cost management, and strategic change.

Later, he helped transform a small leasing operation by implementing modern business practices, adopting early credit scoring models, and building risk-based pricing systems. Raphael has also served in leadership roles across nonprofit and community organizations, applying his risk management expertise to governance and security initiatives.

He holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from the University of Chicago, along with a CLFP designation. Raphael resides in Chicago with his family.

During the show we discuss:

• Why how you finance equipment matters more than what you buy
• When leasing beats owning and how to choose the right structure for your business
• How to preserve cash flow while still scaling operations
• Why smart capital structuring increases profitability and flexibility
• The biggest mistakes business owners make with equipment financing
• How to use financing as a growth tool instead of a burden
• Why working capital is king—and how to protect it during expansion
• How experienced lenders evaluate deals and structure smarter financing

Resources: https://www.standardproserv.com/

Frank Tumminello is the founder of FileForms, a company focused on simplifying business compliance and filing requirements for entrepreneurs and companies across the U.S. With a strong background in business operations and regulatory processes, Frank has helped streamline how businesses stay compliant with state and federal requirements. Through FileForms, he provides practical solutions that save business owners time, reduce risk, and eliminate the complexity of ongoing filings—allowing entrepreneurs to focus on growth and scaling their companies.

During the show we discuss:

• Why business compliance is often overlooked
• Annual reports and maintaining good standing
• How missed filings can affect financing
• Compliance requirements when operating across multiple states
• Nexus triggers involving employees, assets, property, sales, and revenue
• Costly compliance mistakes and franchise taxes
• How compliance can affect business sales and due diligence
• Technology, APIs, and AI in compliance

Resources: https://fileforms.com/

Based at J D Factors' Canadian head office in Mississauga, Ontario, Tina also oversees branch operations in Montreal, Calgary, and Halifax. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in commercial finance, factoring, portfolio management, and operational leadership.

In addition to her executive responsibilities, Tina has served on the Advisory Board of the International Factoring Association, contributing her industry knowledge and leadership to the advancement of the commercial finance sector. She is also a graduate of the University of Toronto.

With her deep experience in commercial lending, operations, and leadership, Tina brings valuable insights on business finance, factoring, risk management, and supporting the growth of businesses across Canada.

Tina Capobianco is the Senior Vice President of Operations at JD Factors LLC, where she oversees the company's Canadian operations and portfolio, with its head office in Mississauga, Ontario, and offices in Montreal, Halifax, and Calgary. She has been in the factoring industry since 1992, beginning her career as an Account Executive and gaining extensive experience across operations, credit, underwriting, and business development.

Tina currently serves on the SFNet Executive Committee as Education Chair and is a member of the SFNet Canadian Chapter. She also helped launch the first IFA Chapter in Canada, serves on its board of directors, and is an Advisory Board member for the IFA in the U.S. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and has earned the Certified Account Executive in Factoring (CAEF) designation.

During the show we discuss:

• Why revenue does not always mean positive cash flow
• How to understand your business's cash-flow cycle
• Why cash-flow planning should start early
• How to identify cash-flow gaps before they become emergencies
• Why businesses should seek financing before they desperately need it
• How factoring can provide immediate working capital
• Why growth can create cash-flow problems
• How to determine whether factoring is right for your business

Link: https://www.sfnet.com/detail-pages/speaker-title/tina-capobianco-bio Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-capobianco-55b8a39/

Chris Johnsen combines a dual JD/MBA with real-world entrepreneurial experience to deliver a powerful, business-first approach to legal strategy. With a background spanning advertising, retail, and real estate, he brings practical insight that goes beyond traditional legal counsel.

Chris is known for translating complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance while maintaining the negotiation strength and precision clients expect.

Before founding Johnsen Law, Chris was a partner at the international firm Holland and Knight, advising companies of all sizes on a wide range of corporate matters. His experience spans industries including oil and gas, transportation, healthcare, technology, entertainment, financial services, securities, and real estate. Above all, Chris is committed to helping businesses build, scale, and succeed with confidence.

During the show we discuss:

• Why partners need a strong operating agreement
• How to choose the right business entity
• Why LLCs can be a flexible starting structure
• When a Delaware C Corp may be appropriate
• How to protect your business name and intellectual property
• Why you should negotiate personal guarantees when possible
• How to separate business and personal assets
• How entity "buckets" can help with asset protection

Resources: https://www.johnsenlaw.com/

Dan Negroni has coached 30,000+ Gen Z employees directly, and teaches 200+ of them live every semester — so what he bring isn't theory, it's pattern recognition from the ground and the classroom. The research base behind the work spans 400,000+ participants.

Business owners are hiring Gen Z every day and losing them just as fast — not because of pay or perks, but because of a coaching gap most leaders don't see. That gap shows up in retention, engagement, performance, and how their leaders are actually leading. Dan knows just how to make that concrete and actionable.

During the show we discuss:

• Why Gen Z and older generations struggle to communicate
• How to close the generational communication gap
• How to build confidence through action
• Why fear prevents employees from taking initiative
• How to create a safer environment for employees to practice difficult conversations
• How to become a coach instead of just being a boss
• How to create a culture of accountability
• How technology and AI can support—not replace—human connection and development

Resources: https://dannegroni.com/

Mark Dusseau is the technical co-founder of StarterStack.ai, a profitable, bootstrapped enterprise AI company based in Atlanta. StarterStack builds the operating system for private capital, deploying on-premise AI agents that automate underwriting and monitor portfolio risk in real time for non-bank lenders scaling from $50M to $500M.

Before StarterStack, Mark was a data scientist and product leader. He started his career at Ernst & Young and later worked alongside engineers at Two Sigma. Across startups and mid-market companies, the products he has built have driven over $500M in revenue and impacted more than four million users.

Mark is a builder who focuses on operational throughput rather than theoretical AI. He actively invests his own capital into early-stage tech startups, backing founders who share his pragmatic, execution-first approach.

During the show we discuss:

• Why AI is changing modern lending
• What happens after you submit a funding application
• How AI and human underwriters can work together
• How AI can improve lending speed
• How AI can help lenders evaluate more deals
• How lenders can use AI without giving up human judgment
• How AI can improve pricing flexibility
• How AI can create both efficiencies and new risks

Resources: https://www.starterstack.ai/

Duane Youngblood, known as The Success King, is the founder of Bizstart Group Inc. and creator of the CBL Wealth Blueprint. He spent 18 months studying consumer credit law to fix his own credit from scratch, then built a system that has helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs improve their credit, build fundable businesses, and access capital. With 37 years in credit and business funding, Duane teaches entrepreneurs exactly how to go from financial setbacks to building a business that can get funded.

During the show we discuss:

• Why a good credit score doesn't tell the whole story
• How credit patterns can affect funding decisions
• How to manage utilization throughout the month
• How to build a stability fund
• How to separate personal and business finances
• How to build business credit alongside personal credit
• How to strengthen business credit history
• How to use the 3 S's to build a stronger business profile

Resources:

https://bizcapitalsolutions.com/