PRESENTERS
STEVE G BRYAN
CEO/Co-Founder – Bluewire LLC
Steve is a veteran technology leader who fell in love with the trucking industry when he founded Vigillo in 2007. Vigillo was acquired by SambaSafety in a private equity backed transaction in 2017. Steve served for 3 ½ years on the Executive Team at SambaSafety as the EVP and GM of Transportation, overseeing the regulated trucking industry offerings within the broader SambaSafety business. Steve is now back as CEO and one of four co-founders of Bluewire LLC, a cutting-edge AI Software as a Service (SaaS) company. This company was launched to provide motor carriers and their insurance partners with a scientific, data-driven methodology to protect against the vulnerabilities which lead to reputation-damaging false narratives.
Prior to founding Vigillo, Steve combined his legal and business experience to lead five software start-ups and emerging companies to successful exits. Earlier in his career, he worked as a District Manager for Dow Jones & Co. and served for six years in the United States Army as a Maintenance Sergeant. Steve earned a Masters of Business Administration, JD and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Willamette University. Steve lives with his wife of 30 years in Portland, Oregon. They divide their time between their 5 adult children, 4 grandsons and planning the next Springsteen road trip.
BRUCE MEHLMAN
Founder – Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas
Bruce Mehlman leads the bipartisan firm he founded after serving at senior levels in politics, policy and business. Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas helps Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups understand, anticipate and navigate the ever-evolving policy environment and trends likely to impact the global marketplace.
A highly sought-after speaker, Mehlman frequently presents to Boards of Directors, global conferences and strategic planning sessions. Mehlman is an adjunct business school professor with The Washington Campus and has lectured on “winning business–government relations” at the Harvard Kennedy School, Yale School of Management and Georgetown University, among others.
Mehlman’s quarterly updates on political trends are widely read by business leaders and political observers across the country and have been frequently covered in leading publications, including the Washington Post, Axios, Politico, CNN, Fortune, the Daily Caller and UVA Center for Politics.
Mehlman previously held the post of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy, having been nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001. Before Commerce, he worked as the lead tech and telecom lobbyist for Cisco Systems, Policy Director and General Counsel to the House Republican Conference under Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) and General Counsel to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Mehlman is widely regarded as an expert in running issue campaigns, managing C-suite associations and developing strategies that achieve impactful policy outcomes. He concurrently serves as Executive Director of the Technology CEO Council and Co-Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance.
KEYNOTE - CHRIS NORTON
Motivational Speaker
Chris suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football at Luther College in Iowa. The doctors gave Chris a 3% chance of moving anything below his neck again. Four years later, he defied the odds and walked across stage at his college graduation with his fiancé, Emily Summers. The video went viral twice, garnered 300 million+ views, and caught the eye of the country’s top media outlets. Three years later, Chris attempted another incredible feat and walked seven yards down the aisle with his wife, Emily. Seven yards symbolized the seven-year anniversary of his injury. Their beautiful story once again captured the heart of the world.
Chris is a well-respected motivational speaker and speaks at numerous events across the country. He was recently named to the ITA Group’s 2018 Hottest Keynote Speakers List, alongside Michael Strahan, Magic Johnson and Mark Cuban. Chris has written a book, and he and Emily are working on their second book. He is also featured in the life-changing documentary 7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story. Chris created the Chris Norton Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with spinal cord and neuromuscular disabilities by providing opportunities that would not otherwise exist.
Chris’ message focuses on the fact that we all face challenges, but our circumstances don’t define us – we do. With inspiring anecdotes and positive action steps, Chris connects with his audience in a genuine, entertaining and impactful way. His message resonates with all of us: adversity is universal, but we all have the Power to Stand.
GREG FEARY
Partner – Scopelitis Garvin Light Hanson & Feary
Greg is President of the Scopelitis law firm and focuses on independent contractor issues and legislation as well as transportation insurance and corporate structure designs to reduce exposure to the firm’s transportation clientele. He audits its clients' independent contractor programs and provides legislative support for many organizations and clients on independent contractor issues. He also counsels clients on alternative risk programs including single parent and group captive insurers, risk retention groups, and various self-insurance and self-insured retention programs. Mr. Feary also conducts insurance audits and supervises litigation in the areas of premium disputes and specialized transportation insurance coverage controversies, including those involving occupational accident insurance. In addition, he regularly designs independent contractor programs and defends independent contractor disputes. Mr. Feary serves as one of the firms principle contacts in mergers and acquisitions due diligence work and advises on corporate structure and risk mitigation issues related thereto.
He is the Vice Chair of the ATA/NAFC Risk Management & Insurance Advisory Committee and a member of the ATA Insurance Task Force for which he serves as Chairman of the Lawyer’s Subcommittee.
DAN CLARK
Motivational Life Coach, Author, Teacher, Peak Performance Expert
When Dan Clark recovered from a paralyzing football injury, he started a multi-million dollar corporation and became one of the most in-demand speakers in North America. Since 1982, Dan Clark has been changing behaviors in organizations by reinvigorating passion in their purpose, building strong connections in the workplace, and transforming their workforce into high-performance thinkers.
Dan Clark is the primary contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the author of twenty of his own books. Dan Clark has been published in more than 30 million books in 30 languages worldwide. Dan Clark was named “One of the Top Ten Speakers in the World” by Achievers North America and Achievers Europe.
Over the past 25 years, Dan Clark has spoken to more than 3½ million people, over 4,000 audiences, in all 50 states and 35 countries. Dan has spoken for over half of the Fortune 500 companies, NASA, Super Bowl champions, the Mayo Clinic, Million Dollar Round Table and to combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2005 Dan Clark was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. Dan Clark’s story of his fight back from a paralyzing injury that cut short his football career has been featured on 500+ TV and radio shows, in Entrepreneur magazine and Mayo Clinic Magazine. Dan Clark inspires others to achieve championship results, build effective teams, garner customer satisfaction, and create a successful workplace.
DONALD BROUGHTON
Principal, Managing Partner – Broughton Capital
Donald Broughton founded Broughton Capital at the beginning of 2017, after spending over two decades as one of Wall Street’s top analysts – first at A.G. Edwards where he covered the Transportation industry, led the Industrials Research Team, and served on the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee. Beginning in mid-2006 Broughton published reports warning of an impending economic slowdown and by early 2007 published reports explaining why a recession was imminent.
His stock-picking performance has been repeatedly recognized by The Wall Street Journal as an “All-Star Analyst,” by Forbes in its “When Picky Analysts Pick” series, and ranked by both Zacks Investment Research and Starmine as a 5-Star Analyst (their highest rating). He is a frequent guest on national broadcast media, such as CNBC and Nightly Business Report. Many in the transportation industry know him for his quarterly tracking of trucking bankruptcies. Notorious as a hard-hitting forensic accountant, as a ‘Sell-side analyst’ he used ‘Sell’ ratings more often than any other Transportation analyst, and is highly regarded for his forecasts that translate goods flow data into economic forecasts.
Prior to going to Wall Street, Mr. Broughton spent almost a decade in various Distribution and Operations management roles in the beverage industry, including serving as the Corporate Manager of Distribution for the Dr Pepper / Seven-Up companies and Chief Operating Officer for Bevmark Concepts. He is convinced that most individuals know more about the economy than they realize, and believes that economists are only boring because they are lazy, or choose to be.
LEAH BROWN
Senior Retention Strategist – Magnet Culture
Leah Brown is the Senior Retention Strategist for Magnet Culture, a Louisville-based firm committed to reducing unnecessary employee turnover for clients across multiple industries. Leah has 25 years of experience as a speaker, trainer, and coach. She is also a Dale Carnegie Certified Trainer, a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst through TTI, and is on faculty for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organization Management. Because of her expertise, Leah is Magnet’s Lead DISC trainer and assessment consultant. Leah was recognized for her professional impact when Louisville's Business First Magazine named her one of the "20 People to Know in Education and Workforce Development." She is a contributing author for the book, “Staying Power: Why Your Employees Leave & How to Keep Them Longer.”
SPENCER TENNEY
Managing Partner – Tenney Group
Spencer Tenney is a Managing Partner of the Tenney Group, a three-generation family-run advisory firm focused on business sales, acquisitions and business valuations exclusively in the transportation industry. Spencer has helped Tenney Group close more than 50 transportation business sales across the United States. Articles by Spencer have been published in Transport Topics, National Bus Trader, Limousine Charter & Tour and other magazines. He is also the author of two e-books, "5 Keys to Maximizing Your Transportation Business Sale” and “5 Case Studies that will Protect the Value of Your Trucking Company”.
Additionally, Spencer is a sought-after speaker at national trade shows, including the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention and the United Motorcoach Association Expo. Spencer is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. He currently holds the designation of Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) through the International Business Brokers Association. Spencer is also the only Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) in North America that is dedicated exclusively to the transportation industry. Spencer and his wife, Lauren, reside outside of Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee. He enjoys songwriting and is actively involved in the Hope Clinic, a faith-based organization that equips women, men, and families to make healthy choices regarding unplanned pregnancies, depression and addictions.
KEYNOTE - LEIF BABIN
President / Co-Founder – Echelon Fron
Leif Babin is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as President/Chief Operating Officer, leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Leif served thirteen years in the Navy, including nine in the SEAL Teams. As a SEAL platoon commander in SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, he planned and led major combat operations in the Battle of Ramadi that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the US Army’s 1st Armored Division achieve victory. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War.
Leif returned from combat and became the primary leadership instructor for all officers graduating from the SEAL training pipeline. There, he reshaped SEAL leadership training to better prepare the next generation of SEAL officers for the immense challenges of combat. During his last tour, Leif served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer at a SEAL Team where he again deployed to Iraq with a Special Operations Task Force. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart. Upon his departure from active duty, Leif co-founded Echelon Front, a premier leadership consulting company that helps others build their own high-performance winning teams.