Speaker bios

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Chad Blevins is the founder of Blevins Financial, which serves the complex needs of closely held business owners and high net worth individuals. He has a strong history of developing financial strategies, transaction structures, estate plans, and business optimization strategies for private businesses and their owners. He brings a focus across often-disparate areas into a single integrated strategy that greatly increases value and clarity for the client. 

Blevins has held executive leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies, private start-ups, and family-held businesses.  

Kevin Gemeroy is the President & CEO of Dynamic Computing, the premier managed IT services & cyber security provider to leading small and mid-sized businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest. Kevin is a fourth generation Seattle entrepreneur and small business owner who founded his company while attending the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. 

Kevin was recognized as Washington State’s Mr. Future Business Leader in 1998 and as a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 under 40 honoree in 2018. On a personal note, Kevin is an avid golfer, perennial little league coach, husband to a wonderful wife, and father of two twice exceptional boys. 

As President & CEO, Shannon Kavanaugh’s strategic vision ensures Archbright recruits, develops, and engages talented employees and builds the operational and technical infrastructure necessary to support the workplace performance success of over 2,000 employers in the Pacific Northwest. 

Kavanaugh is a thought leader and nationwide speaker on many topics impacting small to medium-sized businesses. She holds a BA from the University of Washington and an Executive Leadership certificate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. 

Kate Macartney is passionate about businesses thriving with Al and driving SMBs to get the ROl from their Al adoption. With over 20 years of experience in business consulting and change management with clients such as Microsoft, Liberty Mutual and Moss Adams, Kate ensures employee training, data governance, and security is embedded in comprehensive Al adoption strategies. 

She's been honored as Consulting Magazine Future Female Leader in Consulting. Kate earned her undergrad at the University of Washington, her MBA from Seattle University and with her Certificate of Leadership Formation. Kate lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband and children.

David Lightfoot has over 40 years of accounting, finance and operational experience. David has served as Controller, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of Finance for small and medium-sized businesses. He also has operations experience and has worked as a CEO, giving him a broad business perspective.

David has been a CPA for over 40 years and also is a CMA (Certified Management Accountant). He is currently Principal of David Lightfoot CFO, LLC. His clients call him a “world-class listener.” 

George Noroian grew up in a small family business, learning from an early age that there are both good and bad ways to be an entrepreneur. He had a rich and varied career path, serving in the diplomatic corps, getting an MBA from Stanford, and running two multi-million-dollar companies. 

His journey has given him experience and empathy, and he uses these to help business owners create the entrepreneurial lives they’ve always wanted. 

Jessica Norris is a partner at Shannon & Associates, LLP. She serves the firm's largest manufacturing, distribution and contractor clients—auditing and consulting on employee benefit plans and performing valuation and forensic services for a variety of clients. Jessica graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science, Major in Accounting and has an MBA, Economic Crime and Fraud Management from Utica College of Syracuse University. She is a CPA and a CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) and CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner). 

John Sherwood’s practice focuses on real estate, estate planning, probate, trust, business planning, and tax law.  He advises clients on estate planning matters, including family business planning; commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigation; business transactions; business planning; probate and trust administration and disputes. 

John’s real estate practice includes virtually all issues developers, landlords, tenants, and others in the real estate market face.  John represents a wide range of clients for Estate Planning and Probate from those with modest net worth to those having a net worth of $10 million and more.  

 Ben Wicks has been serving clients in wealth management since 1999. Ben's expertise is in serving closely held and family-owned business owners, executives, and wealth creators seeking to create a clear game plan for how their money connects to a life of meaning and purpose.  

His goal is to help families punch financial fear in the face and move forward with confidence and courage.   A Washington native, Ben's favorite place to be is in the mountains. He lives in Bothell with his wife and three kids and enjoys all things outdoors, live music, woodworking, and the conviviality of good food and drink with family and friends. Ben is a member of Bellevue Rotary, Vistage, and chairs the Seattle Children's Hospital Legacy Council.