NetWorkWise Presents: Conversations with Connors

Bill O'Herron: Peace, Love, and Relationships

Bill O’Herron is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been studying, teaching, and counseling  for the last 16 years. His work is currently focused on couples, trying to help clients better understand the challenges and work involved with being in a mature relationship.

Bill has been married to his exceedingly patient wife Linda for 21 years. They have 3 teenage daughters and 2 male dogs. After living in Wilton, CT for 15 years, Bill and his family moved to Austin, TX in 2013.

He graduated from Middlebury College, VT in ’86 with a BA in English, and earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University School of Social Work, NY in ’03.

Find out more about Bill and his services here.

Regan Solmo: A Leader's Leader

Regan Solmo is a high-functioning, passionate executive dedicated to gender equity with more than 10 years' experience serving on boards of directors of gender-facing nonprofits.

Currently the Executive Managing Editor of W Magazine, an award-winning publication covering culture, fashion, and art, she has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, and has held senior leadership positions at such titles as SPIN; Civilization: the Magazine of the Library of Congress; Lucky; and The American Benefactor.

She is currently the chair of the NY board of Girls Leadership, and also sits on the national board as development chair.

She graduate d with honors from Amherst College with a degree in Comparative Religion/ Feminist Theology.

She is a member of the NationSwell Council, a community of leaders taking action and tackling the nation's critical issues. She served for more than 6 years on the board of directors of the New York Women's Foundation, and is a dedicated supporter of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Red Hook Initiative, and Generation Citizen.

She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Mike Pfaff: Mixing Business with Pleasure

2019 is Mike Pfaff's 25th year in the professional sports business. He has been with the Ducks since 2002, took over the position of GM in 2006 and was named club president in 2011. 

Under Pfaff's leadership, the Ducks have led the circuit in attendance, became the first team in league history to eclipse the 7-million fan mark, and have welcomed a record 680+ sellout crowds. His efforts have been recognized by his peers, most notably in his being the first-ever three-time winner of the Atlantic League Executive of the Year Award (2008, 2010, 2016). Michael was also named to the "40 under 40" Class of 2009 by the Long Island Business News.  On the field, Mike’s role in player procurement has helped the club achieve new heights, earning six Championship Series appearances (2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) in the past eight seasons while bringing back-to-back Atlantic League championships to Long Island (2012, 2013).  

Michael is proud of the growth of the QuackerJack Foundation during his tenure. Founded in 2003, the team’s charitable arm has continued to expand its efforts and now contributes to over 800 non-profit and community organizations each year, while bringing awareness to worthy programs and causes in need of assistance on Long Island.

Additionally, Michael is a member of the Energeia Partnership, which brings together ethical leaders from Long Island’s public, private and not-for-profit sectors that work to address many of the region’s most difficult issues, such as education, institutional racism, poverty and the working poor, land use, energy, transportation, healthcare and media/social networking.

Prior to joining the Ducks, Michael worked at the National Football League Commissioner's Office in New York City for seven years (1995-2002). During his time at the NFL, he was assigned to work two AFC Championship games, three Super Bowls and six NFL Drafts. 

The Manhasset native earned his Bachelor's Degree at St. John’s University and currently resides in Sayville with his wife and their three children

Michael O'Brien: Who's in Your Peloton

On July 11th 2001 Michael OBrien was hit head-on by a speeding S.U.V. during a bike ride.

He calls it his Last Bad Day and it's a grateful one because it shifted his perspective in almost everyone aspect of his life. His recovery helped him climb to the corporate executive suite on his own terms and sparked his passion in helping other leaders shift their perspectives on leadership through executive coaching, speaking, and his memoir, Shift:Creating Better Tomorrows. To celebrate his 18th anniversary of my Last Bad Day this July, I'm setting out to help 1,000,000 people have their Last Bad Day as well. 

Michael's Website: https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/

Michael's Book (Use coupon code "shift" for 25% off the shipping cost!): https://www.mylastbadday.com/get-your-copy

Michael's Wealth Language Quiz: https://quiz.leadquizzes.com/q/JzB2KI

Jeremy Asgari: Turning Events into Life-long Journeys

Jeremy Asgari is an entrepreneur in the experiential and events industry. He got his start 15 years ago promoting nightlife parties and quickly grew a large network which started in New York City and is expanding globally. He became passionate about producing unique experiences and dove into producing live music events which eventually lead to working with various brands and finally the ability to execute engaging active events.

Asgari has been running his company Socialight Entertainment for 15 years and in the last two years have been focusing on his latest project the Outsiders. He says his forte is his networking ability, his creative vision and his ability to execute.

He is currently most proud of the impact the Outsiders has had in such a short amount of time. He feels the positive impact it’s having on its members which has reached far beyond his expectations already; and yet there's the potential to do so much more.

Fred Jacobs: The Man of the People

Fred Jacobs is the Chief Revenue Officer at Apex Fund Services Group. 

Throughout his career, Jacobs has held various leadership roles the US, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, equipping him with comprehensive cross-jurisdictional management experience. Prior to joining Apex, Jacobs managed sales, relationship management and client service for the Fiserv Investment Services group. His 20 years of achievements in the Alternative Investment Industry include building the business development activities for both SS&C GlobeOp and PFPC/PNC. Jacobs brings the ability to understand client needs and to build and manage an institutional grade, multi-disciplined sales force across a global platform.

In addition to holding leadership positions at some of the most renowned financial services companies in the country, Jacobs has established an industry-wide reputation through serving as chairman and moderator at several major investment industry conferences. He has spoken on topics related to growth, structure, and trends in the global money management industry.

Holt McCallany: Bringing Hollywood Down to Earth

Throughout his career, character actor Holt McCallany was a go-to for strong, silent and decidedly dangerous men on either side of the moral fence, as evidenced by his small but memorable turns in films like "Alien 3" (1989), "Tyson" (HBO, 1995), "Fight Club" (1999) and "Three Kings" (1999). The scion of an acting family, McCallany paid his dues in a wide variety of projects, rarely vaulting past supporting roles, but always delivering a committed and often unsettling performance. In 2011, he advanced to leading man status with "Lights Out" (FX), a gritty drama about a former heavyweight boxer who forges a comeback to save his family from criminal pressures. Though the series lasted only one season, it propelled the actor to a new level of visibility through key roles in films including hacking drama "Blackhat" (2015), crime thriller "Shot Caller" (2016), action sequel "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (2016) and Clint Eastwood's aviation biopic "Sully" (2016).

 

Born Holt Quinn McAloney on Sept. 3, 1964, Holt McCallany was the oldest of two sons by Irish actor Michael McAloney, who won a Tony Award for his production of Brendan Behan's "Borstal Boy," and actress-singer Julie Wilson. A childhood spent in Dublin was cut short by his parents' divorce, with McCallany returning with his parents to the United States. There, he was sent to live with his maternal grandparents in Omaha, NE, but this period was a troubled one for him. After being expelled from school, he ran away to Los Angeles, where he decided to become an actor. McCallany's parents eventually tracked him down and sent him back to Ireland to finish high school. After graduation, he studied French at the Sorbonne and theater at the Ecole Marcel Marceau.

 

Upon returning to the States, McCallany apprenticed at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, OH, then relocated to New York City, where he landed a job as an understudy in Neil Simon's "Biloxi Blues" on Broadway. His feature film debut came in 1987's "Creepshow 2" as a murderous Native American who receives his comeuppance at the hands of a cigar store Indian come to life. Soon after, he found steady work in films and on television. His intense presence and formidable build made him a natural for men of action on either side of the law, whom he portrayed in minor and supporting roles for such noted directors as Brian De Palma with "Casualties of War" (1989); David Fincher, who cast him as a self-sacrificing convict in "Alien 3" (1989) and as the Mechanic who explains the rules of "Fight Club" (1999); and for William Friedkin in the box office bomb, "Jade" (1995). McCallany found more substantial roles in independent fare or television; the former provided him with his first starring role in "The Search for One-Eye Jimmy" (1994), as a film student who encounters a parade of odd characters upon his return to his hometown of Brooklyn. The latter brought him to the HBO biopic "Tyson" (1995), in which he starred as legendary fight trainer Teddy Atlas, who helped develop Tyson from street tough to boxing legend. The project inspired McCallany to develop his own television program about a trainer, which would eventually bring him to the FX Network and "Lights Out."

 

McCallany continued to work steadily throughout the late 1990s and early 21st century in steely character roles for films and television shows both major and minor. He was the by-the-books lieutenant who made life difficult for George Clooney in "Three Kings" (1999), enjoyed a recurring role for three seasons of "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-12) as a tormented cop who ends his own life after being implicated with tampered evidence, and played an Irish mobster who pressed Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) into committing crimes for him on "Heroes" (NBC, 2006-2010). While pitching his boxing trainer series to HBO, he was informed that FX was developing a show about an aging fighter who was forced to return to the ring. McCallany was eventually cast in "Lights Out" as Patrick "Lights" Leary, a forty-something brawler who re-enters the sport after landing in trouble with a local mobster. After the show's cancelation, McCallany returned to the big screen with supporting roles in action thriller "Gangster Squad" (2012) and Sylvester Stallone vehicle "Bullet to the Head" (2012). Another TV series, crime drama "Golden Boy" (CBS 2013) was again canceled after a single season, but led to a recurring role as a district attorney on later seasons of procedural drama "Blue Bloods" (CBS 2010- ). Supporting roles in Liam Neeson thriller "Run All Night" (2015), hacking adventure "Blackhat" (2015), romantic comedy "The Perfect Guy" (2015) and crime drama "Shot Caller" (2016) were followed by a pair of high profile character roles opposite Tom Hanks in Clint Eastwood's "Sully" (2016) and Tom Cruise" in action-adventure sequel "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (2016).

This bio was provided by Turner Classic Movies

Jared Kleinert: Being a Connector for Greatness

Jared Kleinert is an entrepreneur, TED and keynote speaker, and award-winning author who’s been named USA Today's "Most Connected Millennial" after spending years identifying and connecting hundreds of the world's smartest and most talented Millennials.

His first book 2 Billion Under 20 was voted the "#1 Entrepreneurship Book of 2015" by the Axiom Business Book Awards and his latest book 3 Billion Under 30 was released in January 2017 profiling 75 Avengers-esque individuals who have collectively started companies worth billions of dollars and reach hundreds of millions of people each month through their work.

In addition to his research and keynote speaking business, he's the CEO of Kleinert Ventures (kleinertventures.com), a marketing and business development agency that partners with #1 NYT bestselling authors, Fortune 500 executives, major keynote speakers, Emmy award-winning journalists, seven-figure business owners, VC-backed startup founders, and others who lead their industries and positively impact the world with their thought leadership. The United Nations has touted him as a "Champion For Humanity."

Wally Backman: The Player's Coach

Wally Backman is in his first season as manager of the Long Island Ducks in 2019. He brings 20 seasons of managerial experience across professional baseball to Long Island, having amassed a 1,127-1,077 overall record (.511 winning percentage). In that time, the Oregon native has led his teams to six Division Championships and three League Championships. Additionally, he was named the 2014 Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year after guiding the Las Vegas 51’s (AAA, Mets) to a league-best 81-63 record. 

Prior to his coaching career, Backman enjoyed a 14-year Major League playing career. Nine of those seasons (1980-88) were spent played with the New York Mets, where he helped lead the team to a World Series Championship in 1986. He also spent time in “The Show” with the Minnesota Twins (1989), Pittsburgh Pirates (1990), Philadelphia Phillies (1991-92) and Seattle Mariners (1993). The infielder compiled a .275 lifetime batting average with 240 RBIs, 482 runs scored, 893 hits, 138 doubles and 117 stolen bases in 1,102 MLB games. Backman was originally drafted in the first round (16th overall) by the Mets in the 1977 MLB Draft.

Todd Richheimer: It's the Nuance Where Opportunity Lies

First and foremost, Todd Richheimer is a dad to two amazing little girls. Isla is 3 1/2 and Brooke 1 1/2. He's a husband to an amazing woman - who he met the first day of law school - and he's someone who prizes his relationships with his family and friends above all else. 

He's a lawyer, tech entrepreneur and the co-founder of Lawfty. He is in the business of turning legal advertising into a science. He's someone who believes that work should be fun, but that fun is not a substitute for hard work.

Richheimer is an eternal optimist, exercise enthusiast and aspiring vegan (who loves buffalo wings, which is a problem). He's worked as an investment banker, political operative and a lawyer. Richheimer says he stopped "working" the day he became an entrepreneur, and he plans to spend the rest of his life collaborating with smart people to build cool businesses.