Facilitators

We work with many great facilitators. Here is a sampling.  Please let us know what your needs are and we will reach out to our
experts.

FACILITATORS

Our facilitation partners have been certified to deliver a variety of programs for organizations such as Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and World Presidents Organization (WPO).  The range of their certification is from

Anna Birch

President and CEO, Adventure Links

Anna Birch has dedicated and constructed her entire adult life around roles as an experiential educator, program director, wilderness guide, and high level facilitator for executives, teams, and youth.  Since 1997, she has lived her life’s passion in cultivating Adventure Links as a learning organization that profoundly and positively impacts thousands of lives each year.

In addition to driving and developing Adventure Links, she has developed a sophisticated, yet lively executive facilitation style and engages in a continual pursuit to challenge the status quo of forums, executives, and corporate teams.   Anna has designed and delivered executive retreats, forum retreats, leadership summits, management workshops, and international learning events.  She is always remembered for being able to propel the transfer of real world learning with humor, insight, targeted program design, and professionalism.  She has worked with executive teams from companies such as World Bank, Fannie Mae, CACI, Allstate Insurance, NAVAIR, Social Security Administration, Discovery, and countless more over her 24 years of professional facilitation.  Additionally, Anna has designed and delivered retreats to many Entrepreneurs Organization forums, delivered strategy sessions to several EO committees.  She currently serves as the Global Lead Forum Director and the Membership Chair of her local DC Chapter. She previously served as EO DC Chapter President, Forum Chair, and as the Mid-Atlantic Forum Director. Anna is a certified Forum Trainer, Advanced Forum Series facilitator, and Accelerator facilitator.  However, delivering high impact forum retreats is one of her greatest passions.
Turning toward hobby and passion, Anna has been trained as a rock climbing instructor through the American Mountain Guides Association and regains focus and grounds herself in the world of the vertical or telemark skiing.  She loves her company and the life it has created around her, but she lives for the legacy she inspires for her two daughters, Audrey and Autumn.  She happily resides atop the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family.

Jim Desrosiers

Mo Fathelbab

Mo is author of Forum: The Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders and founder of Forum Resources Network, LLC (FRN) and Alumni Forum Services (AFS).  FRN has provided Retreat facilitation and Forum training since 1997 through a network for experienced facilitators and its clients include the Young Presidents’ Organization, World Presidents’ Organization, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, CEO Resource Alliance, the Virginia Council of CEOs and numerous corporate clients.  AFS was founded in 2010 to provide Alumni Forums to business school alumni.  AFS clients include several Harvard Business School clubs and UC Berkeley.

With over 1700 programs in 32 countries under his belt, Mo has conducted more Forum programs than anyone and is a leading authority on the subject.  He has educated trainers around the world to conduct Forum training and retreats.

Prior to starting FRN, Mo served as Executive Director of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) for 7 years.

Mo and/or Forum Resources Network have appeared on The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal online, CNBC, NPR, Investor’s Business Daily, The Montreal Gazette and monthly on CNN fn.

Mo loves cooking, yoga, and stand-up paddle boarding and triathlons.  He completed the Switzerland Iron Man in just over 14 hours. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Maryland and lives in Alexandria, VA with his life partner Sally and their son Eli.

Shelby Hacala

Shelby Hacala is an entrepreneur at heart and has been involved in multiple business ventures throughout his career. Co-owner of Plasmatec Inc. in 1985 the company specializes in coatings for the turbine and power generation industries. He successfully sold his business in 2008 and joined the corporate executive team of the buyer (Deloro Stellite) a multinational corporation with yearly sales of 300 million Euros. Shelby climbed the corporate ladder and had multiple successful international projects within Deloro Stellite and was a direct report to the corporate CEO. In 2012, Shelby was involved in the sale of Deloro Stellite to Kennametal Inc. After a four year corporate role, Shelby left Deloro Stellite and went back to his roots as an entrepreneur where he established two new start-ups. One business is focused on coaching and teaching business leaders and the other is in the sanitization and pest control industry.
Member of the Entrepreneur’s Organisation since 1995, Shelby has volunteered as a local chapter board member throughout the years. He is a graduate of the BOG “Birthing of Giants” 1998 entrepreneurial program offered by EO and MIT.
In 2003 he joined the EO trainer community to facilitate FTP (Forum Training Program), MTP (Moderator Training Program), AFS’s (Advance Forum Series), and Forum retreat Facilitation. Shelby is fluent in both the French and English languages.

In 2011, Shelby completed the certification process for YPO/WPO and is currently a certified professional facilitator for YPO, WPO, Spousal Forums, and Young Adult Forums. Since then, his teaching has also brought him to facilitate EO and YPO Forum retreats. Recently he has begun working with company CEO’s and their teams on strategy and personal development.

Shelby is happily married to Anna Krista and they have been blessed with three wonderful children (Caleb, Philip, and Rebecca). In his spare time he enjoys coaching his kid’s soccer, spending time sailing, playing hockey, and training for triathlons.

Richard Manders
Founder, FreeScale Coaching – Gazelles Coach

A serial entrepreneur, lifelong learner and student of business. I am dedicated to helping other CEO’s and their leadership teams scale their business and their personal freedom simultaneously through coaching and development. If you are the leader of a business and have found yourself feeling stuck, overwhelmed or frustrated with the business and your team, I may be able to help.

Some of my experiences include:

• Co-Founded and managed iAutomation from $0 in sales to become the industry leading company with 160 employees and ~$80M in sales. Profitable from Q3 onward for more than 15 years at 3~5+ times the industry average.
• Brought in and developed leadership team to run the business and now currently serve as an outside director and consultant
• Successfully sold two companies: iAutomation to the leading private equity firm in the middle market (Riverside) and CSI to a rollup consortium
• Played key role in seven acquisitions and dozens of evaluations (on both buyer and seller side). I have a deep understanding of how to value, qualify for strategic fit, merge, optimize and grow combined enterprises.
• Since 2007 worked hand in hand with The Riverside Company the leading private equity firm in the middle market, (our major shareholder in iAutomation) and grew the company 8 fold during this time
• Recruited, interviewed, hired and developed dozens of professionals that are leaders in their/our industry
• Developed sales strategies, CRM and funnel management systems, marketing and deployment plans that resulted in above-market results everywhere I have worked
• Lifelong learner. Attended hundreds of seminars, read hundreds of books and worked with many thought leaders on Business Management, Sales, Personal Development, Coaching, People skills, negotiation and more
• Traveled extensively worldwide building market and support channels in the US, Far East and Europe

Renee Manning

Renee Manning is a business coach and facilitator who focuses on helping small groups achieve their goals by creating deep, interpersonal relationships in a safe space for personal and professional growth.

She connects with groups by demonstrating vulnerability and active listening. She utilizes connection exercises, meditation and visualization techniques to encourage the discovery of inner potential while trusting that the ancient premise that “nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.” (Marcus Tullius Cicero).

As the founder of Forum Worldwide, she works with executive Forums (peer-groups) and management teams facilitating workshops, coaching leadership skills, developing and delivering content. Forum Worldwide helps clients succeed in creating a high-value Forum experience grounded in the understanding that deeper connections create better results. In addition to traditional coaching techniques, Forum Worldwide offers meditation, visualization and yoga as non-traditional ways to explore Forum relationships and better understand one’s self.

Prior to starting her company, Renee had a decade-long career as the Vice President of Forum at EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization).  Forum is EO’s number-one rated benefit, delivered to 90 % of EO members – approximately 9,000 participants in 120+ chapters – worldwide. In this role she supported an international group of member leaders, who are successful entrepreneurs (+ $1 million USD annual revenue), by providing professional experience in the area of facilitation, leadership coaching, strategic planning and member service. She also managed a global team of eight staff –three in the U.S. and five abroad—and oversaw the operations of a $1.3 million EO Forum Training business, including content development and the creation/maintenance of facilitator accreditation and certification processes.

She has a passion for international experiences, having completed a certification in Advanced Intercultural Management from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, and finds more similarities than differences in her global clients.

Renee lives outside Charleston, S.C. She loves spending time outdoors with her family (she is a wife and mother of three daughters), with her friends, forum and on the mat; Renee is a certified yoga instructor (RYT 200).

Todd Smart

President, Smart Partners

A “serial entrepreneur”—as described by Crain’s Chicago Business—Todd has founded and been president of four successful businesses since the age of 22. In addition to Crain’s, Todd has been featured in a number of publications like Forbes and Success Magazine. He was also highlighted in a cover article for Inc. magazine.
Todd’s first business in the food industry grew from startup to 85 people in 18 months. Since then he has also been involved in technology and publishing. Currently, he works with leadership teams and entrepreneurial peer groups to increase their effectiveness. In the last 13 years Todd has been a speaker, trainer and facilitator for more than 600 events. Todd is a Certified EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer and a master trainer with YPO/WPO/EO.

Alana Winter

President and CEO
STILETTO SPY SCHOOL and MI6 ACADEMY

Alana spent 17 years as an active member and previous Board member of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO).  She is also one of the leading certified trainers and retreat facilitators for EO, having worked with forums all over the world for the past 7 years. She also works with YPO Forums, coaches individuals and leads retreats for various private and corporate groups.  Alana has spoken at business conferences and universities on entrepreneurship and the six keys to success.  She also consults for private businesses providing training in effective communication for successful results.

Alana Winter is the founder and president of Stiletto Spy School and Mi6 Academy, training programs featuring components of defensive and offensive tactics, focus, strategy, sophistication, and charisma – skills every secret agent should possess.  Clients not only learn important life-saving techniques, but also key elements that translate to success in the boardroom and every-day life.

Prior to Stiletto Spy School and Mi6, Ms. Winter built and operated several entrepreneurial businesses, including a fashion accessories company in Australia and three successful video distribution companies in the United States.

Ms Winter holds a B.A in Psychology from Wesleyan University and has studied Business extensively.  In addition to being a world traveler, she has lived in Australia, London, Italy and New York.  She speaks fluent French and Italian.