Cleveland's CEOs You Should Know
Get to know business leaders in Northeast Ohio. Learn about their business and management style.
Episodes
April 23, 2025 • 15 mins
Augustine “AJ” Wadian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Premier Home Pros, a home improvement company projected to hit $180 million in revenue by 2025. AJ sparked the idea for the company, launching it with his partners and closing their first sale within three days. He’s passionate about scaling smart, aligning sales, marketing, and installation through systems-driven leadership.
Noah Jackson is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer o...
Noah Jackson is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer o...
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April 15, 2025 • 27 mins
Michael Sirpilla is a co-founder and CEO of Society Brands Inc., a tech-enabled consumer products company headquartered in Canton, Ohio that acquires e-commerce native brands. Society Brands recently raised $205MM for acquisition financing, one of the largest early stage raises in Ohio’s history. He has primarily focused on organic growth throughout his career. Prior to starting Society Brands, he founded a financial services whole...
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April 15, 2025 • 11 mins
Jeff Beck is a seasoned business executive with extensive experience in the home improvement industry. He began his career at Leaf Home Solutions, where he quickly worked his way up the ranks to become the company's CEO. Under Beck's leadership, Leaf Home Solutions experienced significant growth and expansion, becoming the world’s largest provider of gutter protection with LeafFilter.
In his new role as CEO of Window Nation, the na...
In his new role as CEO of Window Nation, the na...
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April 15, 2025 • 10 mins
Fire-Dex, provides innovative PPE customized to keep firefighters safe. A family-owned company that is committed to the health and safety of first responders. Partnered with their sister company, Gear Wash, the largest Independent Service Provider of PPE care and maintenance in the world, their mission is “to serve those who serve."
Steve Allison took over operational responsibilities for the company worldwide. Allison is a 28-year ...
Steve Allison took over operational responsibilities for the company worldwide. Allison is a 28-year ...
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India L. Birdsong Terry serves as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). She joined RTA in September 2019 and brings over 15 years’ experience working in positions of increasing responsibility in the public transit industry. Birdsong Terry began her career in 2006 when she joined the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where she served in planning, instruction, control ce...
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March 20, 2025 • 9 mins
Mark Allen Roberts is a senior level sales and marketing leader with over 35 years of experience in driving profitable sales growth in market leading organizations. He has done so at companies like Timken, VMI, Gardner Denver, Mobility Works, and Frito Lay. In 2018, he received the Business Excellence award from NSME and in 2019, The Highspot Sales Enablement Award. He was also recognized by Sales Hacker Inc. in the Sales Enablemen...
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March 10, 2025 • 18 mins
Ted Otero: Ted Otero is a Cleveland native from Independence and now resides in beautiful Auburn Township with his wife and business partner, Kelly, and their two children Isabella and Austin. He is the founder and President of Otero Signature Homes. He holds a civil engineering degree from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from Cleveland State University. He has over 25 years of real estate and construction experience bot...
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March 7, 2025 • 15 mins
Megan graduated from Marquette University with a liberal arts double major in Spanish and English and earned a minor in Philosophy. As an AFS student she attended the University of Sevilla and went on to attend the University of Madrid, Spain her junior year of college.
Her continuing desire to learn about other cultures and ways of life and to delve in completely through the language lead her to serve in the Peace Corps in Thailan...
Her continuing desire to learn about other cultures and ways of life and to delve in completely through the language lead her to serve in the Peace Corps in Thailan...
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February 21, 2025 • 26 mins
Nick Lopez attended Arvada West High School and left Colorado as a wide-eyed first-generation college student to work on a BS in business marketing from Michigan State University. His plan was to walk on to the wrestling team, which would ultimately pay for the cost of tuition and living. The reality was that a scholarship was a couple of years away, so Nick made the tough decision to hang up his wrestling shoes for an entrepreneur...
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February 18, 2025 • 15 mins
Richard Klaben, CEO of the Klaben Auto Stores Richard Klaben has been the CEO of the Klaben Auto Stores since 2010, but active in the business since 1974 when he began detailing cars for the founder of the business – his father, Albert Klaben Sr. Throughout the years, Richard worked in various positions with responsibilities for every facet of the business. The Klaben Auto Stores currently represent Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Jee...
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December 16, 2024 • 10 mins
The Center for Black Health & Equity is a leading nationally recognized public health entity that provides solutions to issues impacting African American health.
We engage health care organizations, public health officials, faith leaders, and African American communities in health promotion and disease prevention work.Our mission is to facilitate programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent. We do t...
We engage health care organizations, public health officials, faith leaders, and African American communities in health promotion and disease prevention work.Our mission is to facilitate programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent. We do t...
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December 16, 2024 • 10 mins
Matt Jones, CPA serves as CEO of Affinity Whole Health. Founded in 2012, Affinity has assisted thousands of men and women with hormone therapy and injectable weight loss. Matt's career began in public accounting, he spent time in Fortune 500 sales and business operations. Matt is a life-long Clevelander and enjoys reading, exercise and spending time with his wife and two sons.
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November 18, 2024 • 44 mins
Ilan Sobel has been the CEO of BioHarvest Sciences since July 2020. Ilan has brought the company’s first product, VINIA, to North America, building a direct-to-consumer machine that is now generating significant revenues. VINIA’s go-to-market success has established a template for the company’s near-term product pipeline of nutraceutical plant cell banks.
In addition to commercial focus and planning, Ilan has scaled production capa...
In addition to commercial focus and planning, Ilan has scaled production capa...
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November 18, 2024 • 30 mins
Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., serves as president and CEO of
American Humane, the country’s first national humane
organization and the first to serve animals, whenever and
wherever they are in need of rescue, shelter or protection.
She is the executive producer of the acclaimed documentary,
Escape from Extinction, narrated by Dame Helen Mirren, and
its follow-up, Escape from Extinction Rewilding, which
features narration by Oscar winner Meryl Str...
American Humane, the country’s first national humane
organization and the first to serve animals, whenever and
wherever they are in need of rescue, shelter or protection.
She is the executive producer of the acclaimed documentary,
Escape from Extinction, narrated by Dame Helen Mirren, and
its follow-up, Escape from Extinction Rewilding, which
features narration by Oscar winner Meryl Str...
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November 12, 2024 • 10 mins
Richard F. Trice Jr., R.Ph., MBA President Glenbeigh Hospital & Outpatient Centers Rick Trice is the President of Glenbeigh Hospital, part of the ARMC Health System. Before joining the ACMC Healthcare System in 2017, Rick served as Pharmacy Manager at University Hospital Health System Geneva Medical Center and Conneaut Medical Center. With 19 years of experience in managing clinical and non-clinical departments, Rick’s lead...
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October 30, 2024 • 7 mins
David has been a banking leader in Northeast Ohio since 2011, as part of a career that includes more than three decades of banking experience nationally, focused on corporate and commercial banking. Cleveland is his home, and he enjoys supporting his city and finding success for his company all at the same time.
David is the first regional president for First Financial in Northeast Ohio. In his first year after being named to the po...
David is the first regional president for First Financial in Northeast Ohio. In his first year after being named to the po...
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October 22, 2024 • 42 mins
With over a decade of pioneering work at Heirloom Traditions Paint and my current leadership role as CEO of CamCoat, I bring a wealth of experience in product development and the creative direction of our products.
My core competencies lie in transforming spaces with a keen eye for color, interior design aesthetic, furniture placement and kitchen & bath design.
At CamCoat/Heirloom Traditions, our mission is to deliver sustainable...
My core competencies lie in transforming spaces with a keen eye for color, interior design aesthetic, furniture placement and kitchen & bath design.
At CamCoat/Heirloom Traditions, our mission is to deliver sustainable...
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October 22, 2024 • 28 mins
Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board Matt Calkins is Appian's founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board. Matt grew Appian from a startup in his basement to the most successful software IPO of 2017 with only $10 million of outside capital. He serves on the board of the Sorensen Institute and sits on the Leadership Council for the Virginia Public Access Project. Matt was the top Economics graduate of his class at Dartmouth. He is the...
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October 4, 2024 • 16 mins
Craig has worked in the arts in the United Kingdom, Australia and now, the United States. His
current role is in Cleveland, Ohio as the President & CEO of Playhouse Square, a unique
collection of 12 venues presenting an impressive season of performances and concerts as well
as hosting eight resident companies.
Craig was previously in London as CEO of the Royal Albert Hall, one of the world’s most wellknown and busiest performance v...
current role is in Cleveland, Ohio as the President & CEO of Playhouse Square, a unique
collection of 12 venues presenting an impressive season of performances and concerts as well
as hosting eight resident companies.
Craig was previously in London as CEO of the Royal Albert Hall, one of the world’s most wellknown and busiest performance v...
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September 17, 2024 • 15 mins
Erika L. Anthony, a native New Yorker, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Cleveland VOTES. Cleveland VOTES is a nonpartisan, democracy-building movement that works to reconstruct and strengthen power through active participation of our collective partners. Erika has held executive and senior positions with the Ohio Transformation Fund, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and Oriana House, Inc. She also serves on a number of b...
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