The DotCom Magazine Entrepreneur Spotlight Series

About Vic Simianu and Sphinx Strategies:

Coming from a background in Biotechnology and Finance with an MBA from Kelley's School of Business, Vic is an entrepreneur focused on helping specialty pharmacies make key strategic investment decisions to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Vic has achieved outstanding results throughout his career leading business decisions for a broad range of healthcare and pharmaceutical industry players, and is passionate about developing innovations within the healthcare space.

Our mission is to become the nation’s most trusted independent specialty pharmacy consulting group, creating value for our clients and staff while catalyzing clinical, operational, and financial performance for our clients.

Sphinx Strategies is a consulting group focusing on developing and maintaining highly-integrated and collaborative Specialty Pharmacy operations. While Payors and PBM’s continue to force adoption of enhanced competitive requirements, specialty pharmacies face the compounded effect of time constraints, regulatory hurdles, and constant reimbursement challenges. Sphinx Strategies targets the effectiveness and speediness of their approach by combining efforts in accreditations, operational excellence, and data analytics in each phase of their projects for clients to achieve and surpass double and triple-digit ROI’s per engagement. The Sphinx portfolio of clients range from independent pharmacies to large IDN’s, ACO’s, and publicly traded pharmacies and insurers.

Accreditations often lay the foundation for specialty pharmacies to compete in the marketplace and develop key partnerships paramount to success in the industry. Being one of the first ACHC-Certified Specialty Pharmacy Consultants as well as achieving one of the first URAC Specialty Pharmacy accreditations, Vic has ridden the exponential growth within the SP industry as accreditations have become primary differentiators for pharmacies. He intimately understands the nature and history of the accrediting bodies, the rapid evolution of the accreditation standards themselves, and the ever-expanding value behind engaging and maintaining accredited processes.

About Billy Howell and The Cajun Turkey Company:

Ever since Billy was a boy, growing up in New Orleans, he just always seemed to wanta’ cook up things Cajun Style. Having experienced the best Cajun restaurants in and around New Orleans and by tasting some of the finest foods in the world, he created some mighty fine recipes, but nothin’ seemed to be more exciting than cookin’ up a traditional Cajun deep fried turkey. Seein’ the expression on his friends faces when he’d tell them that the whole turkey had been fried…well they couldn’t believe it… & then they couldn’t believe how
moist and juicy it was.

The Cajun Fried Turkey Company got its beginnings in 1994. That was the year that Billy Howell figured out that he couldn’t go about the business of cookin’ and selling his special Cajun Style Turkeys out of his garage. Before 1994 Billy cooked 600 turkeys in the garage in 2 pots. There was just no way to cook thousands of turkeys in that garage. We just had to find another way.

The Cajun Turkey Company, as our name might suggest, is a simple, tell-it-like-it-is family owned business. There's an honesty attached to directness and simplicity. For us, it means getting it right by doing things right. Not cutting corners, but taking the time and care to make the most flavorful, quality Cajun friend turkey and sides that are worthy enough to shipped all across the US.

The Cajun Turkey Company has been doing just that - bringing friends, families and entire communities together with delicious turkey and must-have and try foods for the past 26 years. With over 1.8 million pounds of Cajun Turkey delivered across this great nation of ours, we are proud, yet humbled by the response. It's a dream realized by our owner - Billy Howell, who started the company in his garage fueled by his passion, hard work and a hand shake to bring people together with good food - and a "turkey with an attitude" that makes new family traditions and all gatherings memorable.

About Kimberly Ann Johnston and NextGen Energy Partners:

As the Founder and CEO of NextGen Energy Partners have a proven track record in mobilizing billions of public and private sector capital investment towards building the 21st Century electric grid that is resilient, carbon-free, and equitable protecting and serving economies and communities.

Previously EY America’s Power and Utilities Partner, EY Global Energy Leader, CenterPoint Energy Finance Officer and VP of Tax, and Spectra Energy Director. In 2017, was recognized at Houston’s Most influential Women.

Serve on the leadership team for the National Consortium of the Long Duration Energy Storage Technologies.

NexGen Energy Partners, LLC is an owner and operator of distributed renewable energy systems sited at customers’ facilities. The company works with governments, schools, businesses and utilities across the nation to deliver its customers the benefits of clean energy without the capital investment and technical risk. NexGen Energy is based in Boulder, Colorado.

About Roger Brown and TRAVELER FROM THE PAST:

Roger Brown began his driving career at 11, driving a truck, pulling a hay wagon while three men, including my father, loaded baled hay on a 160-acre ranch in Banning, CA. Picked cotton two seasons starting at 12. Next driving job at 15 delivering sand, gravel, and building supplies with a dump truck in Topanga Canyon. It was larger 18-wheel rigs moving livestock, logs, locomotives, and heavy equipment, including rigs with 9-axles and 120 ft. in length. Cleaning up railroad train wrecks brought me to equipment operating, including 100-ton cranes. I fought forest and wildland fires during 55 years operating dozers and excavators. Worked as a diesel mechanic for several trucking companies and offshore oil drilling platforms—packed mules for three seasons in the National Parks.

More About Author Roger Brown

Travel was instigated at an early age; by 19, I had been to forty-seven states and four foreign countries. At 53 took early retirement, bought an ocean blue water sailboat, and set out on an epic voyage for the past 28 years.

In between all of this designed and built timber homes in the California Sierras, and the blacksmith work and designed and built straw bale homes in Central Mexico and built roads in the jungle along the Mexican Coast. Currently, I have published my new book “Traveler from the Past”. Read this book to experience my traveling and life experiences.

About Micah Berg and AURA LOUNGE:

Aura Lounge: Nashville’s Premier Entertainment Venue to Open in January 2025 in Wedgewood-Houston

Nashville, TN – Aura Lounge, a dynamic 9,000 sq ft entertainment and event venue, is set to open in January 2025 in the heart of Nashville’s trendy Wedgewood-Houston district. Designed to offer an elevated experience for music lovers, socialites, and event-goers, Aura Lounge is poised to redefine nightlife and private events in Music City.

Located in one of Nashville’s most vibrant and creative neighborhoods, Aura Lounge will blend upscale ambiance with modern entertainment. The venue will feature a state-of-the-art sound system, captivating lighting, and a versatile space designed to host everything from live performances and private parties to corporate gatherings and cultural events. With its sleek interior and cutting-edge amenities, Aura Lounge will provide an intimate yet energetic atmosphere for guests to enjoy.

“We are thrilled to be opening our doors in January 2025 in Wedgewood-Houston, a district known for its art, culture, and innovation,” said Micah Berg, co-founder of Aura Lounge. “Our goal is to create a space that caters to Nashville’s diverse community, offering a venue where people can celebrate, connect, and create unforgettable memories.”

Aura Lounge will host a variety of events, including live music performances, DJ sets, themed nights, and private bookings. The venue will have top-tier amenities to ensure every event is executed seamlessly, providing an exceptional experience for all guests. Additionally, the space’s versatility will allow for customized setups, making it ideal for everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale celebrations.

With its strategic location in Wedgewood-Houston, Aura Lounge will be easily accessible and surrounded by some of the city’s most exciting developments, including art galleries, breweries, and creative hubs.

Aura Lounge is now accepting bookings for private events starting in early 2025 and is excited to partner with local and national talent to curate a diverse entertainment calendar.

For more information, event inquiries, or to explore booking options, please visit www.auralounge.live or contact Ollie Gabriel at [email protected]

About Aura Lounge

Aura Lounge is a premier entertainment and event venue located in Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston district. Offering 9,000 sq ft of versatile space, Aura Lounge is designed to host a wide variety of events, from live music and DJ nights to private parties and corporate gatherings. With a commitment to creating unforgettable experiences, Aura Lounge aims to be a key destination in Nashville’s thriving entertainment scene.

Media Contact:

Gayle Davidson & Ben Jackson

About Chester Santos and The International Man of Memory:

Chester Santos is widely regarded to be the world’s leading memory skills expert. Through his entertaining & educational television and movie appearances, professional seminars, and best-selling books, Chester has helped millions of people around the world to realize the benefits of an improved memory and sharper mind.

CNN, ABC, PBS, NBC, CBS, and the Science Channel have all featured Chester and his memory building tips. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, and most recently, TIME Magazine featured his advice for remembering numbers in a December 2018 Special Edition titled, “The Science of Memory”. The 2020 documentary film, "David vs. Goliath", features Chester Santos and his memory skills training.

Chester is also a best-selling author. His first book, "Instant Memory Training for Success", was published by leading academic publisher John Wiley & Sons (Wiley) in 2016. It quickly became a bestseller in WHSmith stores across the UK. Chester’s second book, “Mastering Memory: Techniques to Turn Your Brain from a Sieve to a Sponge", was published by leading nonfiction publisher Sterling Publishing (Sterling) in 2018. It has been acquired by 246 public libraries worldwide and is featured in the Psychology section of Barnes & Noble stores across the USA.

As the preeminent thought leader on memory skills and their effect on one’s professional, personal, and academic success, Chester has been booked to give presentations in over 30 countries. He has entertained and educated people of varying backgrounds, including executives for CEO Clubs International and YPO, investment professionals for NASDAQ and Credit Suisse, students for organizations at Berkeley, Stanford, and Harvard, and even actors for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) Foundation.

His keynote speaking credits include TEDx with some of the nation’s most highly regarded professors and scientists, the prestigious Talks at Google program featuring “the world's most influential thinkers, creators, makers and doers”, and the International Festival of Brilliant Minds in Puebla that had him speaking to an audience of 5000 people along with Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and other luminaries.

Chester Santos is also the personal memory and mind coach to some notable celebrities, politicians, professional athletes, and high-powered executives.

About Justin Connor and Camp:

Justin Connor is a business builder who currently serves as the Founder of Camp. He started his first business, The Noble Vine, while studying at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. A wine and spirits brokerage business, TNV was inspired by Justin’s experience working in the wine department of a supermarket in Washington, DC. Managing wine collections around the world drove him to later build Domaine, the world’s largest fine goods storage and logistics company. Domaine’s network of climate controlled warehouses supports thousands of collectors around the globe, secures billions of dollars in inventory, and fostered Justin’s lifelong love for driving forklifts. During his time building Domaine, Justin also launched multiple software products, such as Bottlestock, to make storing collectibles more efficient and fun for millions of collectors.

After Domaine, Justin was recruited to lead the Y Combinator backed logistics SaaS company, Easypost. As Easypost’s President, Justin grew revenue, rebuilt the legacy data stack to enable AI development, and launched the organization’s first equity plan for all team members. Easypost has grown into a billion dollar leader in the logistics technology space.

Currently, Justin is the Founder of Camp – where he is working with some of the world’s best chefs to create incredible immersive experiences. Justin believes that shared experiences are central to the human condition and endeavors to connect millions through the joy of food. He is a joint venture partner of Global Blue (NYSE: GB) and Eleventh Ventures, one of the Middle East’s largest holding companies. Justin has explored more than half of the countries on earth and is a volunteer mentor at home in DC. He has also raised millions of dollars to deliver nutritious meals to children through his annual FatKidWeekend dinner series. He lives in Washington, DC with his two daughters.

A new canvas for each chef's creativity, each CAMP is unique and includes exclusive dishes and moments. CAMP is limited to 60 guests to assure quality, personalization, and access to the Chef.

Camp creates dining experiences with the world’s best chefs at culturally relevant events. Each Camp is an immersive culinary experience that pairs exceptional culinary talent with digital and live artistry. None are remotely alike. We create global, fun, engaging, and delicious events that encourage our guests to escape the pressure of reality and connect with friends in one-off settings that we build from scratch.

About Penny Breslin and MoneyPenny, LLC:

Penny Breslin is the founder of MoneyPenny, a consulting firm specializing in helping accounting firms and other businesses embrace the power of technology to simplify their operations and increase their profit margins.

Penny has been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in providing quality consulting services to an international clientele made up of CPA firms and other businesses.

Penny has lived and worked overseas in South Asia for over 25 years. She has worked with many different Back Office accounting outsourcers. With her partners Sharmila and Nirmala, they bring the best practices they have found over the many years of working with not only remote teams but multicultural teams. Penny is also the Author of “CFO Services for the Accounting Firm: How to Start” and “It’s Not Just the Numbers.

Client Services specialist with strong business process and technical skills. Technical and support skills that help clients improve their experience of the company's' products and or services.

Comfortable relaying tech speak to non tech clients, documenting and team work with cross functional teams. Manage groups of 10-45 training and implementation for internal staff as well as clients.

Assist sales department with technical aspect and how it is delivered to the client.

Specialties: Client Services, Corporate and Client Training, Training development, Business Process, workflow, back office systems, Outsourcing development and implementation.

MoneyPenny LLC offers accounting solutions for accounting professionals, businesses and individuals who are looking to outsource day-to-day accounting hassles–paying bills, balancing checkbooks, payroll preparation and filings–while providing valuable financial and tax advice to help boost profitability and growth.

Stress-Free Back Office Accounting for Your Firm

We help CPAs, Accountants and Bookkeeping Firms harness the power of technology and qualified trained accountants to be more profitable, more efficient and more collaborative.

At MoneyPenny, we provide you with easy-to-use accounting softwares so you can keep track of your financials. Our team can work with software you know and trust, including Quickbooks and Xero. If you don’t have any softwares, we will help you decide which one is right for you and your business.

About Ken Reda and Profit Advisory Group:

GAIN THE EDGE YOU NEED AND WANT

CFO's at some of the most savvy Fortune 1000 businesses save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year by employing this one critical move. They engage the wisest cost management ninja's in the business: Profit Advisory Group.

PAG is a nimble, precision-obsessed team of cost control experts that conduct audits to scrub your bills for inefficiencies, over-charges and get you best in class pricing. This approach saves hundreds of thousands of dollars for clients operating budgets. That includes companies in every major business sector. Our clients on average save 23% on their telecom expenses.

The CFO's that work with us fully appreciate that Profit Advisory Group is a performance based company. You either see the savings or we don't get paid. Let's say that again. Profit Advisory Group is a performance based company. You either see the savings or we don't get paid. PERIOD.

PAG was established in 2002 with organizations like yours in mind. We understand the burden of managing multiple technologies at once – that’s why we provide full-service technology consulting and guidance to help simplify decision-making. With our guidance, clients cut costs and repurpose savings toward technologies that help their businesses stay relevant.

We’ve helped organizations throughout the U.S. and in over 100 countries save millions of dollars by implementing our strategies. Our services include procurement, telecom audits, and guidance to help you make the best decisions for telecom and IT solutions.

At PAG, we’ll do all the hard work for you. We can help you better understand what telecom services you’re paying for, correct billing mistakes, and present you with better pricing and service alternatives.
PAG provides businesses with a guaranteed-value proposition and has relationships with over 300 vendors to provide carrier service procurement to our customers.

How Our Process Helps You Save

We understand how high-stakes and stressful it is to be responsible for your business’s budget – and how challenging it is to know what the right purchases are at all times. That’s why we take a thoughtful approach to our partnerships in order to help you achieve your goals.

We offer expert technology guidance, procurement services, and risk-free audits to help you make smart technology decisions. Through our customized, zero-cost audit process, we’ve helped our clients save over $700 million and maximize their unique tech budgets.

Our goal is to guide you to the solutions that will support business growth – while keeping you financially sound into the future.

About Franklyn Baker and United Way of Central Maryland:

Cross-functional nonprofit management executive with over 28 years of experience in strategic planning, business operations, process improvement, change management, financial and data management, proposal and product development, health policy and promotion, legal affairs, clinical programs oversight, sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, and provider and community relations.

Specialties: Business process reengineering, change management, contract negotiation, government and provider affairs, regulatory compliance, legislative advocacy, program and policy development, product design, proposal writing, market expansion, asset management, housing development, financial analysis and reporting and business operations.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY STATEMENT

United Way of Central Maryland promotes equity, creates opportunity, and improves lives by increasing access to education, employment, health, and housing. We achieve equity by dismantling systemic and institutional barriers underrepresented communities face in pursuit of happiness and the quest to realize their dreams.

We respect and value all people without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or citizenship status, age or ability status. We expect our partner organizations, grantees, staff, volunteers, board members, vendors, and key collaborators to uphold these standards.

OUR COMMUNITY

United Way commits to pursuing a more just, fair, and equitable society where one’s background does not predict future outcomes.

We vigorously reject and vehemently oppose racism, sexism, discrimination, prejudice, and injustice in all forms.

We believe access to opportunities need not be predicated by one’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or social characteristics.

Our mission is to empower leaders and mobilize the caring power of communities to improve lives. As a leader in uniting and motivating others for good, we tackle tough problems by co-creating solutions with change agents and grassroots leaders representing all walks of life.

We amplify the power and impact of neighborhood leaders and link them to much-needed resources to bring about real change.

OUR PEOPLE

United Way believes in a diverse workforce reflecting the richness and vibrancy of the community we serve.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion principles drive our work and undergird our vision of an inclusive workplace where differences are embraced, and employees feel a real sense of belonging. These same ideals are shared by our board members, donors, and volunteers.

OUR IMPACT

We apply an equity lens to our neighborhood initiatives and impact work, to ensure that clients and community stakeholders representing different backgrounds maintain equitable access to services, support, and resources.

We are committed to responsible community investment and the equitable distribution of grant funds.

We seek to strengthen families by ensuring sustainable employment that pays a wage that allows for a secure place to call home, access to healthcare and healthy food, and education.

Far too often, historical inequities and institutional racism result in deeper educational disparities among students of diverse backgrounds, particularly students of color. By supporting the potential of young people striving for a quality education, we can significantly improve postsecondary outcomes and access to stable employment.

We employ evidence-based approaches to address complex community needs. By listening actively and gathering data about the challenges facing those in our region, we craft evidence-based solutions that will stand the test of time.

We disaggregate data by race and gender to address disparities, unearth structural inequities, and generate actionable solutions to deep-seated, systemic challenges.

We will keep you updated on our progress.