Meet the speakers and industry experts

By APC

Annie Newton is a trailblazing leader in the residential, commercial, and industrial painting industry with over 24 years of experience. A champion for women in construction, she brings grit, humor, and purpose to helping painting contractors grow and scale. As Founder and CEO of ProfitWorks, Annie created the industry’s first model combining fractional CFO/COO services with offshore professional solutions. Drawing on 18 years running a multi-location painting company, she now helps owners scale sustainably through smarter financial systems, offshore recruiting, and strategic consulting—while always believing business, like life, is best shared around a full table.

Austin Houser is a digital marketer, data scientist, and influencer known for his work helping entrepreneurs in the professional painting industry. With over a decade of experience leading a results-driven marketing agency focused on lead generation and online visibility, Austin combines strategic insight with practical execution to break down barriers for business owners.

Bracken Anderson is the Senior Partnership Manager at AlignOps, working closely with contractors and construction industry professionals across the country. With over four years of experience supporting hundreds of construction companies, she helps contractors leverage technology like BusyBusy and Safety Reports to improve productivity, increase profitability, and most importantly, create safer jobsites. Drawing from real-world collaboration with field teams and industry leaders, Bracken brings a practical, approachable perspective on using technology to strengthen safety management and overall operational performance.

Brad Ellison is the founder of Ellison Painting and Rollout Marketing. He has been feeding his entrepreneurial drive since age 19, when he started a local window washing company to pay for tuition. Ellison Painting is one of the fastest growing painting contractors in the industry, and Rollout Marketing has thrived by sharing and implementing the same explosive-growth methodologies for their clients.

Over the past 12 years, Brandon Lewis has coached over 550 franchised and independent painting contractors in 7 countries, ranging from start-ups to $50MM+. He helps owners realize their dreams using done-for-you tools and systems, group coaching, one-on-one mentoring, purchasing groups + done-for-you client retention strategies. An author, speaker and publisher – Lewis’ work has appeared in American Painting Contractor Magazine, Paint Contractor Magazine, InPaint Magazine, Professional Painting Contractor Magazine, and PCA educational outlets.

Brandon Pierpont is the Founder of Painter Marketing Pros and host of the popular Painter Marketing Mastermind podcast. He is a two-time published author, including the #1 Amazon best-selling book Painting Millions, and The Sales System Playbook for Painting Contractors. Brandon previously built and successfully sold a service business, giving him firsthand operator experience. He has helped thousands of painting companies increase sales and scale nationwide by turning marketing into a predictable growth engine. He brings an extensive background in investment banking and private equity. Outside of work, Brandon spends time with his wife and two young sons.

Brandon Vaughn is the Guinness World Record-holding, ADD powered “Systems Nerd” – who has turned his creative chaos into a superpower for scaling businesses. Having scaled his own coatings business from 0 to $2 million/month, while working less than 5 hours/week in the business – Brandon is an expert on scaling companies through people & systems.  Brandon has helped over 20,000 service business owners unlock new growth while escaping the grind of doing everything themselves.

Brian Nolan is the President, Owner and Co-Founder of Nolan Consulting Group, Inc. He has 30+ years experience in business planning, financial management, project management, quality improvement and operations management development.

Chris Moore is the founder of Elite Business Advisors and host of the Elite Business Advice Podcast. With over a decade of painting industry experience, he helps painting contractors grow through proven, innovative business strategies. After transitioning from contracting, Chris founded Elite Business Advisors in 2018 to coach and mentor business owners. His team focuses exclusively on the painting industry, combining firsthand experience with targeted coaching to improve efficiency, customer experience, and long-term business success.

Daniel Honan, CPA is the founder of Profitable Painter CPA, a firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. Over the last 10+ years, Daniel has helped 500+ painting business owners—from startups to $20MM companies—understand their numbers, increase profit, and uncover tens of thousands of dollars in tax and operational savings. A former painting business owner himself, Daniel built his firm to help contractors stop guessing and start using their numbers to make better decisions. He is known for turning complex financial concepts into clear, practical insights that help painters keep more of what they earn—without painting more houses.

Daniel Diaz has over 12 years in the painting industry. Prior to his current role, he co-founded and helped scale a multi-state painting company to $8M+ in annual revenue. ​While knowledgeable about the painting industry as a whole, he specializes most in scaling production teams, improving systems and enhancing production processes to streamline efficiency and profitability. ​He is based in Tampa, Florida. 

Denny Jahnz is a professional woodworker and finisher with over 30 years of experience in the industry. From building and finishing custom cabinetry and millwork to Refinishing, Refacing and restoration. He has spent many years as a mentor to many in the industry and now as a member of the SurfPrep family he is using that experience to help businesses large and small to be more efficient and productive.

After building his own successful painting company, Danny Kerr created Breakthrough Academy, a business coaching and system implementation company specifically for contractors in the construction, trades, and home services industries. Danny is one of North America’s top contracting thought leaders and a well-loved industry speaker.

Dave Scaturro is the owner of Alpine Painting and a seasoned leader with extensive hands-on experience managing teams, performance issues, and high-stakes workplace conversations. Drawing from real-world leadership challenges in the field and the office, Dave brings a practical, relatable perspective on applying emotional intelligence to difficult conversations.

Gaby Santiago is a sales representative and in-house designer with No Drip Painting, a full-service residential and commercial painting company based in Ohio. Known for her creative eye and deep passion for color and design, Gaby helps homeowners and designers alike bring their visions to life by blending artistry with practical expertise.

Jack West is a National Account Executive in the Association Risk Management Services department for Federated Insurance. Jack is responsible for overseeing Federated’s national affinity relationships as well as working to secure new association partnerships. Jack is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in Marketing. Upon graduation, he started his career with Federated in 1997. He has held the positions of Marketing Representative, ARMS Account Executive, District Marketing Manager, ARMS Field Manager, and ARMS National Account Executive. Jack’s experience and knowledge of the industry have provided him with numerous opportunities to present on insurance and risk management topics across the country. Jack and his wife, Reagan, live in Shakopee, MN with their daughter and two sons.

Dr. Jeff Cornwall has spent more than 50 years as a serial entrepreneur and educator of entrepreneurs. Upon his retirement from Belmont University in 2022, he was named Professor Emeritus. Since his retirement, he has become involved in the painting industry through his coaching of several business owners in the industry and through his work with the PCA.  Jeff is an advisor to both the Board of Directors of the PCA and its Executive Director. He also is currently helping to rebuild the PCA’s educational offerings to its membership.

Jim McBrayer is the founder and CEO of McBrayer & Associates Inc.  Since 2009. They have been consulting, training and coaching Commercial Paint Contractors to get more of what they want from their businesses ultimately making their businesses more valuable. Jim started his paint sales career in 1987 with PPG.  He advanced to Sales Director of PPG Architectural Finishes before leaving the company in 2009 to start his Sales Training Company.  His first customer was PPG.  Since then, he has trained thousands of people in the commercial paint contracting segment. Jim and Greg Mikszan, friends for decades, have now partnered to solve a problem facing commercial paint contracting owners: how to exit and get maximum value for their company.

John MacFarland is the Founder and President of MacFarland Painting, Inc., a highly regarded residential and commercial painting company serving the Greater Metro Detroit area. Under his leadership, the company completes thousands of projects annually without the use of subcontractors and employs nearly 100 team members. John is deeply committed to developing people and helping contractors build strong teams, sustainable businesses, and cultures where employees and leaders can grow together.

Josh Abramson is the founder and President of ALLBRiGHT Painting, a professional painting company he started in 1987 in the San Fernando Valley. Raised by a single parent, Josh launched the business at age 21 with a few hand-stenciled signs and a strong work ethic, gradually growing it through a focus on craftsmanship, customer satisfaction, and communication. He has earned numerous awards and recognition for both service and community impact, as well as speaking at industry events across the United States. 

Justin Gordey plays a key role in aligning sales, production, and client experience—ensuring every project delivers a true white-glove experience from first conversation to final walkthrough. Before entering the trades, Justin spent years as an educator and coach, a background that still shapes how he leads today. Known for his ability to connect with people across personalities and roles, he focuses on building systems that support both high performance and healthy culture. His work centers on turning complexity into simple, repeatable processes that help teams win together. Justin brings a coach’s mindset to leadership—studying people, anticipating challenges, and equipping teams with the right tools to succeed. Whether he’s developing leaders, refining operations, or speaking to organizations, his goal is always the same: help people feel seen, supported, and empowered to do their best work. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and family and remains passionate about leadership, teamwork, and creating businesses that serve people well.

Kevin and Krissy Hayes are the husband-and-wife team behind Hayes Painting, a family-owned and operated painting company serving Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama. Kevin, who learned the trade working with his father and eventually took over the business, leads the company’s operations and strategic growth, bringing decades of hands-on expertise and a passion for delivering quality results.

Kevin Banks has a passion for helping teams of people find more joy and less frustration in their work. With a background in entrepreneurship, he has started and run multiple businesses. He has a wealth of experience and understanding of interpersonal relationships that help him guide companies towards greater effectiveness.

After spending a year living in Brussels as an au pair, immersing herself in French language and culture, Lily Steffen transitioned into government staffing, where she spent three years partnering with hiring managers to source and place the right talent. Today, she works in Customer Success at CompanyCam, managing a large book of business and helping customers adopt new features, streamline workflows, and realize measurable value from the platform.

Marcus Sheridan is a world-renowned communication expert, bestselling author, and keynote speaker who helps brands, sales teams, and leaders build trust and create more human connections with their audiences. With more than 23 years as an entrepreneur and over 13 years on the speaking circuit, Marcus is known for his clear, practical approach to communication and influence. His work spans sales, leadership, marketing, personal development, and trust, equipping organizations with strategies they can immediately apply to connect, engage, and lead more effectively.

Matt Kuyper is the co-founder of Harpeth Painting and serves as the company’s Director of New Construction, working alongside his wife, CEO Maggie Kuyper. In this role, Matt oversees commercial growth while helping balance Harpeth’s residential and commercial operations. Having scaled Harpeth Painting to more than $10 million in annual revenue in under six years, Matt is known for his candid, experience-driven insights. Matt frequently speaks on leadership development, mindset, and the operational realities of growing a painting company—particularly in a family-run business.

Michal Cheney is the visionary behind No Drip Painting, where she is revolutionizing lives through the transformative power of paint. With an unwavering commitment to making a difference in the painting industry, she has spearheaded initiatives that create a thriving environment for women to excel and serves on the PCA Board of Directors.

Mike Gore-Hickman is the founder of Painter Growth, one of the fastest-growing coaching organizations in the home services industry. What started as a mission to help painters build better businesses, has evolved into a movement—focused on scale leadership, and freedom. Having guided hundreds of owners through the chaos of growth, Mike is known for his rare ability to translate hard-earned operator experience into clear, decisive strategy. His work centers on helping founders escape day-to-day grind, build elite teams, and create businesses that compound far beyond them.

Nick Slavik is proprietor of Nick Slavik Painting & Restoration Co. and the host of the popular “Ask a Painter Live” podcast, a weekly, live call-in show that has been airing for almost 9 years. Nick has been a craftsperson for more than two decades and is the outgoing Chair of the PCA Board of Directors.

Peter Suciu is the founder and owner of European American Decorative Painting. He began learning the art of painting in Romania in 1975 and later brought his skills to the United States, where he built his company on a foundation of quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Over the years, Peter has specialized in professional interior and exterior painting, faux finishes, and is known for his precision and craftsmanship in wallpaper installation. Today, he works alongside his daughter, Jennifer Suciu, who joined the company after earning her business degree and aspires to one day carry on the family business.

Shane Fast is the founder of Renew Painting, a growing residential and commercial painting company built on strong culture, clear standards, and people-first leadership. Before entering the trades, he spent over a decade in vocational ministry, supported by seminary education, leading teams and serving families in communities marked by poverty, high crime, and limited access to resources. He also holds a teaching certification and has coached football at the youth and high school levels—experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, discipline, and team development. After navigating personal and professional failure, Shane rebuilt his leadership framework around empathy, self-awareness, and accountability. Today, he brings a practical, hard-earned perspective on how empathetic leadership builds resilient teams and sustainable businesses.

Skylar Faria is a servant-leader, entrepreneur, and industry innovator with nearly four decades of experience building high-performance organizations. As a leader at SurfPrep Sanding by Dixon Enterprises, Inc., Skylar has helped cultivate a values-driven culture centered on service, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. His leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that true success comes from serving others first; employees, customers, and partners alike. Recognized by industry leaders for innovation and impact, Skylar brings practical, real-world insights on leadership that drive engagement, accountability, and sustainable growth.

Steve Harper is on a mission to help individuals and organizations practice and leverage The Ripple Effect to grow better cultures, stronger communities, and more actionable, mutually rewarding networks. A captivating speaker, entrepreneur and business strategist, Steve is leading a moment of CONNECTION through podcasts, Ripple events and online communities for Ripplers worldwide.

Stuart Mackay is a business advisor and coach with Elite Business Advisors, where he helps painting contractors and trade business owners unlock growth, improve operations, and build companies that work without them. Before joining Elite Business Advisors, Stuart spent over 15 years in the painting industry, including founding and scaling his own painting business to seven figures in under two years.

Tanner Mullen is the Founder & CEO of DripJobs, a CRM platform serving 2,300+ painting and home service contractors, and Founder of Routemize, a route optimization scheduling platform. Before building software, Tanner founded Premium Painting and grew it to over $1.5M in annual revenue—giving him firsthand experience with the operational chaos contractors face daily. He’s also the author of 31 Days of Value and runs a 250,000-member Facebook community for contractors. Tanner’s approach is simple: build systems that let contractors focus on the work, not the busywork.

Zach Kenney is a recovering craftsperson turned business owner. He went from being broke and working alone to paying a few guys under the table to 10+ W2 painters while still broke and finally moving to an all subcontractor model that has been quite profitable. His company is based in Boston and serves the high end of the market.

Dr. Doug Holtz-Eakin is President of the American Action Forum, a Washington, D.C.–based policy institute focused on developing practical, market-based solutions to today’s economic and fiscal challenges. A nationally recognized economist, Holtz-Eakin brings decades of experience at the intersection of public policy, academic research, and real-world economic analysis. Prior to leading the American Action Forum, Holtz-Eakin served as Director of the Congressional Budget Office, where he provided nonpartisan analysis on federal spending, taxation, and long-term fiscal policy. He has also held senior roles advising policymakers on issues ranging from tax reform and healthcare to labor markets and economic growth.

Caitlin Reed is a Partner at Public Opinion Strategies, where she helps organizations, associations, and campaigns understand what audiences really think—and how those insights should shape strategy. With deep experience in public opinion research, Caitlin specializes in translating complex data into clear, actionable guidance for leaders making high-stakes decisions. At Public Opinion Strategies, Caitlin works across a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research efforts, including message testing, brand and reputation research, issue advocacy, and stakeholder analysis. Her work supports clients navigating competitive markets, policy debates, and rapidly changing public sentiment, with a focus on ensuring research findings are practical, relevant, and grounded in real-world decision making.

Alex Martinez is a Senior Facilitator at the Disney Institute, where she helps leaders and teams apply time-tested Disney principles to improve culture, leadership, and the customer experience. Drawing from Disney’s globally recognized approach to service excellence, Alex works with organizations across industries to translate big ideas into practical behaviors that drive results. In her role, Alex leads immersive learning experiences focused on leadership alignment, employee engagement, and delivering consistent experiences at scale. She is known for connecting Disney’s operating philosophies to real-world business challenges.

Chad VanLue is the Senior Regional Sales Manager for the Orlando region at Pittsburgh Paints Co., where he leads sales strategy and contractor partnerships across one of the company’s most active and competitive markets. With extensive experience in coatings distribution and field sales leadership, Chad works closely with professional contractors to support growth, efficiency, and long-term success. In his role, Chad oversees regional sales teams while collaborating directly with contractors on product selection, system recommendations, and solutions for real-world jobsite challenges. His focus is on helping pros navigate evolving customer expectations, performance requirements, and market conditions while delivering consistent quality and value.