IdeaMensch

A data scientist and generative AI specialist with experience in the health care, biotechnology, and banking industries, Etienne N. Ndedi is currently a data scientist with Anti-Money Laundering (AML). Etienne N. Ndedi previously worked as a data scientist for several other companies, including IQVIA and Gilead Sciences.

Tom Pernice Jr. has spent much of his life learning what it takes to compete, adapt, and stay consistent in professional golf. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1959, he developed an interest in golf at an early age. At Raytown High School, he earned All-State honors before taking his game to UCLA. From 1978 to 1982, Pernice studied economics and competed on the UCLA golf team. He became a two-time All-American and was named PAC 10 Player of the Year in 1981.

Shane Stodghill joined Oracle Corporation in Dallas, Texas, in 2015. As a senior regional manager of Oracle’s energy and utilities data platform, he manages an array of strategic investor-owned utilities. He leads a team of eight account executives and collaborates with numerous Oracle divisions, including the cloud engineering, business development, and marketing teams. Shane Stodghill also works with key stakeholders to further technical innovation and generate new revenue growth at the company.

Michael Cecchini (retired) served as the director of public safety for the Bay City Department of Public Safety, overseeing the city’s integrated police, fire, and emergency medical services. He joined Bay City in December 2006 as its 10th police chief, after retiring from the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department. Upon the consolidation of the public safety departments in 2013, Michael Cecchini assumed the director position and led the agency for 16 years.

Dr. Brandice Allen is a pediatric dentist based in Georgia. Brandice Allen grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to North Atlanta High School. She carried that hometown drive with her through college at Howard University and graduate work at Saint Louis University. Both schools pushed her to think beyond the classroom, and both set her up for the harder work that came next: dental school at the University of Tennessee. Dental school is where most people would stop and call it a career.

Jean-Pierre “JP” Conte is the founder and managing partner of Lupine Crest Capital, his family office dedicated to transforming mid-sized companies into industry leaders across healthcare, financial services, software, and industrial technology. Conte began his finance career in 1985 at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York before later entering private equity. He has overseen investments in companies including ConnectiveRx, Signant, and Advarra.

Dallas resident Randall “Randy” Blum has been president and CEO of Randall Blum Presentation Workshops, a company that assists Fortune 500 companies to improve presentation skills by their senior management. In this role, Randall Blum consults with organizational leaders to provide insights and skill training through interactive workshops and seminars.

Parker McCumber is the owner of Rookery Studios, a podcast and video production studio in Orem, Utah that helps business owners build authority through consistent, high quality content. Rookery Studios handles podcast production, video production, and social media management, giving entrepreneurs and professionals a complete system for turning one recording session into content that works across every platform. Rookery Studios is the natural extension of Parker’s work as a business coach.

Joseph Gradante is a finance professional and entrepreneur based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. His path into finance was not something he planned from the beginning. Growing up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, as a child, he often imagined becoming a meteorologist due to his affinity for the rain. Instead of meteorology, he opted to move to the PNW where he could live in it. Growing up in New York eventually pushed his interests toward Wall Street and the opportunities around him.

Quran Wilyum Riddick Jr. is a tax accountant based in Exton, Pennsylvania. Raised in Philadelphia, he learned early that progress often comes from discipline, sacrifice, and setting high standards for yourself. He attended Science Leadership Academy Center City before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration from Villanova University. He later completed his Master of Business Administration at West Chester University. His education did not happen in isolation.