SPEAKERS

Nick Friedman

Co-Founder and Visionary

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Nick Friedman, one of the original College Hunks, is Co-Founder and Visionary of the world-class iconic franchise brand 'College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving,' which has over 200 franchises worldwide. Along with his business partner, Omar Soliman, Nick published the best-selling book Effortless Entrepreneur, and has appeared on numerous TV shows including the first episode of “Shark Tank” and more recently “Undercover Boss.” He is a purpose-driven, values-based, socially-conscious, and continuous-improvement/results-obsessed leader. He is extremely passionate about living the company purpose, vision, values, and brand promise-- ultimately helping to make a positive impact in the lives of team members, clients, and franchise owners. A lifelong learner, Nick is committed to getting better every day and helping team members as well as franchise owners realize their maximum potential in business and in life.

Omar Soliman

Co-Founder and Visionary

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Omar Soliman is a published author, entrepreneur and TV personality. He is the Co-Founder of College HUNKS Hauling Junk, a junk removal and moving franchise with over 250 franchises across the country and $300 million in annual sales. CHHJ was named one of the fastest growing franchises in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine and currently employs over 4,000 people nationwide. Omar was named 'Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under 30' by INC magazine and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner. Omar has appeared as a frequent guest on FOX Business News, MSNBC, on the premier episode of “Shark Tank” and, most recently, the season premier episode of “Undercover Boss.” Omar co-authored his first book along with his business partner, Nick Friedman, titled Effortless Entrepreneur. The book has become a national best seller and is a must-read for anyone looking to start a business. Omar is a guest speaker at universities, high schools and corporate events. His goal is to excite and motivate the younger generation about entrepreneurship.

Alan Stein, Jr.

Professional Basketball Performance Coach, Consultant & Author

Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to create winning mindsets, rituals, and routines during the unseen hours. As a successful business owner and veteran basketball performance coach, Alan spent 15+ years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstar Kevin Durant). He now transfers that vast experience to help businesses and organizations develop championship-level performance, cohesion, and accountability. Alan is a dynamic storyteller who delivers practical lessons that can be implemented immediately, and his programs reveal how to utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level.

Scott Greenberg

Speaker

Scott Greenberg designs game-changing steps to grow businesses, build high-performing teams and create unforgettable customer experiences. For ten years Scott was a multi-unit, award-winning franchise owner with Edible Arrangements. His operation won international recognition: “Best Customer Service” and “Manager of the Year,” out of more than 1000 locations worldwide. Today he’s a sought-after international speaker, business coach and author with clients that include McDonalds, Great Clips, GNC, RE/MAX, Smoothie King, Global Franchise Group and countless other companies in all 50 U.S. states and throughout the world. Going beyond numbers and profits, Scott delves into the human-side of business to help organizations boost performance and make a memorable impact on the lives of customers and employees. He is a VIP contributor to Entrepreneur.com and the author of the book, The Wealthy Franchisee: Gaming-Changing Steps to Coming a Thriving Franchise Superstar.

BJ Bueno

Founder, Author, Head of Strategy

As a gifted speaker and branding expert, Bolivar J. Bueno has had the privilege of presenting his ideas on consumer psychology for organizations including CNN, Target, IBM, Kohl's, and the LA Lakers. A dynamic thought leader in branding and marketing, BJ has been interviewed by CNN, USA Today, The New York Times, and CNN en Espanol. BJ has built a reputation for his insight and expertise into building brands. In 2006, BJ founded The Cult Branding Company as the premiere brand loyalty research consultancy, serving major retailers and other national and international brands including Kohl's Department Stores, Turner Classic Movies, LA Lakers, and The Life is Good company.

BJ is the author of several books, including Customers First: Dominate Your Market by Winning Them Over Where It Counts the Most. He also co-authored The Power of Cult Branding, a work that received rave reviews from leading mavens like Jack Trout, Al Ries, Jay Conrad Levinson, and Jeffrey Fox. 

As a perpetual student of the mind, BJ began exploring new ways of blending the fields of humanistic psychology, comparative mythology, history, religion, and psychiatry into his masterful discipline of consumer marketing and advertising. In his lectures, BJ explains that successful marketing is comprised of what we know about life: If it matters, it will sell; if it tastes good, let the customer taste it.

Rick Whitted

President & CEO

U.S. Hunger

Rick Whitted is the President & Chief Executive Officer at U.S. Hunger, a global nonprofit whose mission is feeding families today and uniting them to a healthier tomorrow. In total, U.S. Hunger (USH) has provided over 150 million meals to families in need. Before his appointment as CEO in March 2020, Rick served on USH’s board of directors. Rick has overseen the launch of several of the organization’s initiatives: expanding home delivery of fresh produce into its supply chain; aligning its Full Cart® program with the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health equity framework; and, developing a cloud based SaaS solution that uses A.I. and Machine Learning to identify root causes of food insecurity in the U.S. and provide real-time actionable intelligence on social determinants of health (SDOH). Rick is a graduate of Stetson University and Nova Southern University where he received a BA in Political Sciences/American Studies, and an MBA, Business Administration and Management, respectively. Prior to joining USH, he spent 27 multi-faceted years in banking; focusing on small business, government and non-profit banking. He is also an accomplished author and speaker with expertise in leadership, workplace culture and individual and team development.

Roman Cowan

Brand President

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Roman started his career with College HUNKS in 2013 as the Financial Controller. In that role, he would experience tremendous success by driving improved transparency around the company KPIs and financials, while also leading a charge for more data supported decision-making. Roman was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in 2016, after being credited with playing a key role in College HUNKS’ rapid growth in revenue, profits, and free cash flows in each subsequent year since his arrival. He was then promoted to Brand President in 2021, after a successful stint in his prior roles with the brand. As Brand President, Roman has taken on the challenge of expanding College HUNKS’ footprint and growing the brand’s reputation as a leader in the moving and junk removal industries. He has led the company’s strategic initiatives to enhance the franchisee and customer experiences. Under Roman’s leadership, College HUNKS has seen continued success and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry.

Marc Richard

Senior Vice President of Operations

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Marc brings over a decade of experience in driving franchise business growth to his role as Senior Vice President of Operations at College HUNKS. Marc previously served as Vice President of Franchise Operations for Smoothie King and before that, he held several leadership roles in operations at Domino’s. His emphasis on building and maintaining long-standing relationships, paired with his strong business acumen allows him to create opportunities for growth and success throughout organizations. He's also very passionate about our Brand’s Core Values and is committed to making the junk removal and moving process as stress-free as possible for our clients as we deliver on our brand purpose of ‘Move the World!’ Marc is a proud Michigan State Spartan, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Finance. Go Green, Go White! And, Go Green, Go Orange!

Kelsie Ackman

Senior Vice President of Franchise Development and Legal Affairs

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Kelsie Ackman is the Senior Vice President of Franchise Development and Legal Affairs for College HUNKS. She began her career at College HUNKS as a Franchise Legal Specialist in the fall of 2015 after retiring from stuffy law firms. She grew within the brand and became the Franchise Legal Manager in 2017, where she built out an entire Legal and Compliance Team. She was then promoted to Vice President of Franchise Development and Legal Affairs in January 2019. Kelsie then built out the Franchise Development team, and now leads a team of 10 individuals in growing the brand efficiently and uniformly. Her hard work has been recognized as a Women of Influence by the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine and a Top Corporate Counsel Finalist by Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Kelsie is a true Hoosier, as she was born and raised in Indiana and moved to Florida. Ackman holds a Juris Doctor, Law from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice.

Laura Butcaris

Vice President of National Accounts and Strategic Alliances

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Laura Butcaris is an energetic leader who has been with College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving since 2016. Laura joined the team as a Franchise Business Consultant, responsible for enhancing the level and type of support provided to new franchise partners in the first six months to one year of operation. Under her direct support, the new franchise locations’ “ramp-up” revenue increased by an average of 300% over previous years. Laura was promoted to Director of Franchise Performance in 2017, leading a team of coaches, learning specialists and support team who work directly to increase franchise partner revenue, profits, and satisfaction. In late 2020 Laura was chosen to lead the creation and launch of the National Accounts program for College Hunks to bolster the sales of National & Regional Commercial Accounts. Prior to College Hunks, Laura held various senior leadership positions within the Sports, Fitness & Spa industries in the New York metropolitan-area.

Mary Mills

Vice President of Marketing

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Mary brings a wide range of Marketing expertise and entrepreneurial understanding to her role as Vice President of Marketing at College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving. In her role as Vice President of Marketing, she is responsible for developing comprehensive impactful programs that drive growth & revenues. Her focus is on driving leads to each franchise location while providing training, ongoing strategy, and improved implementation across all channels. Mary is a member of the International Franchise Association’s Marketing Committee and is a recognized speaker and authority in franchise marketing appearing as a frequent guest on podcasts.  

Mary has previously worked with many other franchise brands while at United Franchise Group and before that experienced life as an entrepreneur herself, owning her own Marketing Company. Her career began as a Broadcast Journalist serving as a reporter, producer, anchor, and news executive. Mary's expertise has been recognized in the franchise industry and in the broader business community where she received awards, accolades, and invitations to speak and share her knowledge.

Adam Verrill

Director of Sales and Loyalty Center

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Adam Verrill is the director of our Sales and Loyalty Center for College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving. Before joining College HUNKS in October 2016, Adam served as Asurion's workforce management manager. Adam started as the workforce management manager when coming over to College HUNKS until the opportunity became available for him to take over as director in early 2020. His job is running our internal call center that fields sales and customer service calls for our franchisees across the country. When Adam is not working, he enjoys coaching his son's baseball teams and watching anything sports related.

Timothy Fletcher

Performer

In the 3rd grade, Timothy picked up his first musical instrument, a clarinet, Although Timothy first started playing drums in 6th grade he didn’t find a love for them until later, while attending high school. Upon graduation, he partnered up with a friend to form their first musical group named “A1Chops”. Although he and his former musical partner occasionally perform together, 2019 marks a pivotal moment as that is the time Timothy struck out on his own, Since then, Timothy’s unique talents and personal style make him a much sought after performer. Having been on Ellen, appearing in numerous commercials, performing for the NBA TNT, BET, Nickelodeon and many more TV shows too numerous to mention. With millions of fans following him on Instagram and TikTok, Timothy now travels the world sharing love and positive vibes through his magical drumbeats hoping to inspire those across the world and encouraging them to follow their dreams and to never give up.

Eric Olinger

Vice President of Technology

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Eric Olinger is a dynamic Technology Executive with a rich background in leading teams and spearheading growth in high-stakes environments. He has a history of impactful roles, including VP of Software Engineering at PODS Enterprises and CIO at Hunter Warfield. Eric shines in implementing agile methodologies and hybrid team structures to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and bolster outcome quality. His energetic, team-focused leadership style has consistently yielded substantial technological improvements, aligning IT strategies with enterprise goals.

Ben Berman

Expert EOS Implementer

EOS Worldwide

Ben Berman is an experienced entrepreneur, coach, and business strategist. As an Expert EOS Implementer®, he has helped 75+ high-growth companies in 750+ sessions. Ben’s focus is on guiding freedom-focused entrepreneurs to improve strategy, execution, and results. His results-oriented approach has led to more than a dozen clients successfully selling their businesses, while others have achieved self-managing operations by empowering their teams.

Ben exclusively works with clients dedicated to meaningful growth, helping them double, triple, or even 10x their businesses. Beyond business success, his proudest accomplishments lie in his clients’ achievements and the joy they experience throughout the journey. Prior to becoming an EOS Implementer, Ben gained valuable experience as a serial operator, overcoming entrepreneurial challenges and achieving successful exits.

In addition to his client work, Ben mentors and coaches fellow EOS Implementers, sharing his knowledge and helping them deliver exceptional results. Outside of work, he mentors young entrepreneurs, trains in counterterrorism and crisis response, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Jonathan Bowman

Expert EOS Implementer

EOS Worldwide

Jonathan is a lifelong entrepreneur and founded his first company, Harmony Home Health, at 22 years old, right after graduating college. Harmony landed on the 2012 and 2013 Tampa Bay Business Journal Fast 50 lists and helped Jonathan win the overall Up & Comers Under 30 Award in 2011.

Despite nine straight years of strong growth, however, Harmony hit the ceiling in 2013. Jonathan implemented EOS to trigger the company’s turnaround, doubling Harmony’s revenue over the next three years, and ultimately sold it to a private equity company as their platform acquisition in the industry. Since then, Jonathan has devoted his time to being an EOS Implementer, facilitating 500+ sessions for more than 50 entrepreneurial companies throughout Florida. He is passionate about bringing this system to other entrepreneurs and helping them get what they want from their businesses.

Jonathan is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT. He is a former President of the Entrepreneurs Organization in Tampa Bay and lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys cooking, sailing, traveling and exercising.

Ricky Rodriguez

Host

Not only an alumni of College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving but a three-time Reunion host, Ricky is back to host the 2024 reunion. After moving to the UK to start a family, he has delved into the SaaS industry and is a Founder & CEO of a London based start-up. His success can be attributed to his experiences with College HUNKS and the adaptation of their values and company culture to international markets. 

Dan Whalen

Vice President of Operations

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Dan Whalen is the Director of Operations for College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, leading both the Franchise Operations and Corporate Operations divisions. Joining the brand in 2016 as the General Manager of the Tampa corporate location, Dan successfully led his team to Top 5 in performance among College HUNKS franchises. Dan’s leadership was also able to land his location on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. More importantly to Dan, he was able to assist in creating several “Building Leaders” stories, with two of his former team members becoming Franchise Owners, and two more becoming corporate team members with Brand Central. Prior to College Hunks, Dan gained his experience from operations management, sales, & entrepreneurship–all within the health and fitness industry. Dan also has a passion for writing about personal development, where he’s had over 75 articles re-published on various websites.

Sean Winship

Director of Training & Talent Development

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Sean is a leader who firmly believes in a people-first approach to business and life. With experience leading teams and team managers, and with years of consulting all levels of leadership, he has proven time and again that people are the key to a strong and thriving business. He is thrilled to be leading the training department at College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving, serving as our Director of Training and Talent Development.On a personal note, Sean is a family man - he has been married to his middle school sweetheart since 2007 and together they have 3 boys. He also enjoys challenging himself in long course triathlon as his primary hobby.

Bryan Cross

Senior Franchise Business Consultant

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Bryan is the Lead Franchise Business Coach for Ramp Up, leading the team that supports new owners through their first 12 months in operation. In his role, Bryan helps these new locations build their foundation through execution of the College Hunks Way in operations, marketing, and recruiting. In addition to leading Team Ramp Up, Bryan also oversees the New Owner and Manager Franchise Training at Brand Central. His goal is to provide a world-class training experience that paves the road to success for those coming into the brand.

CHHJ is the second Franchise system Bryan has worked with. The first was a Youth Sports Franchisor that operated flag football, soccer, t-ball and basketball for boys & girls. He started as a Program Director for the corporate-owned location and eventually worked into a Corporate Store Director and Coaching role for the system. It was in this role that Bryan discovered his love for coaching and tries to bring that passion into College Hunks each day with the Franchise locations he works with.

Outside of College Hunks, Bryan enjoys staying active and spending time with his family. Whether it’s working out, playing golf, or playing with his daughters, there aren’t many quiet moments in the Cross household; especially come college football season when the Georgia Bulldogs are on TV!

Billy Markou

National Move Coach/Grand Opening Specialist

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Billy started with the brand in March of 2015 at the Long Island location. He quickly became a captain in two weeks and was leading moves five days a week. Billy wanted to grow in the company and a personal opportunity presented itself for him to relocate to Denver and work at the franchise there. When a new owner took over the business, it gave Billy a chance to make positive changes at the location for both his team and clients. This led him to be nominated for 2017’s HUNK of the Year Award.

In 2018, Billy made the move to the Brand Central team with an opportunity to be the first National Move Coach. For this role, Billy traveled and conducted regional trainings that focused on the development of managers, trainers, and business owners in the field. From October 2018 to March 2020, he conducted more than 30 regional training events, encompassing over 120 locations and almost 1,000 HUNKS! When the pandemic hit, Billy transitioned to a Franchise Business Coach position, which entailed working from home and changing his skillset to become more systems- and processes-oriented. Since then, Billy has been able to transition back into a full-time training position, where he works exclusively with new owners who have just opened their businesses. As a Grand Opening Specialist, Billy applies the skills he’s honed over the years to help new owners and set them up for success in their first year of business. 

In his down time, Billy enjoys building and racing off-road cars, spending time with his family, and their beloved dog, Ryder. Most recently, since moving into their new house, Billy has been enjoying all the projects that come with being a homeowner.

Devin Weberg

Senior Franchise Business Consultant

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Devin’s background stems from the retail world, with 10 years’ experience in the industry and another seven in the recreation/leisure industry. Devin has held many different roles in his career, from Golf Professional to Retail Manager, and for the past seven years, he has been in franchise consulting. Throughout his experience in different industries, Devin has gained a wealth of knowledge which has helped him grow to love the franchising world. During his time in franchising, Devin successfully opened more than 50 locations across North America between five different brands and consulted a region consisting of 60 Franchise Partners ranging from 1-35 years of business ownership and $68 million+ in annual revenue. 

When he is not diving into reports, Devin’s interests are anything sports-related, but golf and hockey are his two main passions, as well as poker as a side hustle. Devin also loves spending time with his wife, new baby boy and two dogs when he has free time.

Greg Mullis

Manager of Corporate Operations

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Greg Mullis is the Manager of Corporate Operations for College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, leading the four corporate locations and helping spearhead the vision for growth in the Corporate Division. Greg joined the brand in December 2021 as a Franchise Business Coach, helping Franchise Partners across the system and consistently receiving some of the highest satisfaction scores amongst the FBC team. Through his success as an FBC, along with his background in Corporate Operations, Greg was chosen to lead the Corporate Division at the start of 2023.

Prior to joining College HUNKS, Greg spent almost a decade in the fitness industry as a multi-unit director with Gold’s Gym. He had full P&L responsibility for about $30M in annual revenue and over 300 employees. Greg learned tremendous sales and leadership skills through those years and transitioned them into the insurance industry, and shortly thereafter, started his own Life & Health insurance agency. He had a successful agency for five years before selling and exiting that industry in 2021. 

Outside of work, Greg loves spending time with his wife and their two dogs while traveling, watching sports and eating great food. Greg is also very passionate about health and fitness, competing in endurance events like marathons and Ironman Triathlons.

Ben Berkobien

Franchise Business Consultant

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Ben started his College HUNKS journey in July of 2020, with a soon-to-be-opened franchise in Michigan. He, along with the Franchise Partner and team, were able to grow the organization to achieve $1.5M in sales in 2021, and $1.95M in sales for 2022. The team has had 15% year-over-year growth in 2023, and will be joining the $2M Club this Reunion. During the development of that location, Ben realized his passion for coaching, managing by the numbers, and building these kinds of businesses. He joined the Brand Central team as a Franchise Business Coach in June of 2023. Before joining this amazing brand, Ben spent several years managing another moving franchise (while attending college).

Kenneth Hoyle

Franchise Business Consultant

College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving

Kenneth joined College HUNKS in July and has been immersed in learning the business since then. He spent the last few years as a Franchise Business Coach in the wellness and fitness industry, with a focus on driving business and building highly effective teams. Prior to that he worked in the hospitality and entertainment industry for 18 years, where he was fortunate to grow from Ops Manager to Director of Operation. He married his amazing wife, Rose, in March of this year atop a 120' tall waterfall with a handful of their closest loved ones. Between the two of them they have four sons, ranging from ages 6 to 25, with a daughter-in-law on the way next year. Most of their free time is spent backpacking and hiking the amazing Appalachian Mountains.