2026 SPEAKERS

Guinness World Record holder and renowned keynote speaker

Dave Davlin, Guinness World Record holder and renowned keynote speaker, combines world-class entertainment with impactful storytelling to inspire organizations to achieve excellence. With over 25 years of experience captivating audiences from NBA arenas to corporate stages, Dave delivers powerful messages on leadership, teamwork, and resilience. His unique ability to connect with diverse audiences ensures lasting impact, helping businesses foster collaboration and unlock their full potential. Keynote Speaker Dave Davlin is celebrated for inspiring organizations to achieve excellence through impactful and engaging presentations that blend entertainment, storytelling, and actionable strategies. With expertise in topics such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and fostering a culture of collaboration, Dave helps businesses overcome challenges, enhance communication, and drive sustainable success in today’s competitive landscape. His ability to connect with diverse audiences ensures that his message resonates with teams at every level, from employees to executive leaders. Drawing from his unique background as a Guinness World Record holder and seasoned entertainer, Dave Davlin has captivated audiences on some of the world’s most prominent stages, including NBA arenas, the Summer Olympic Games, and major corporate events. His unparalleled combination of humor, motivation, and practical insights creates a dynamic and memorable experience that leaves attendees inspired and equipped to take action. When you book Dave Davlin for your event, you’re not just hiring a speaker—you’re investing in a transformative experience that delivers measurable value. Dave’s keynotes are designed to energize teams, ignite innovation, and instill the confidence to face challenges head-on. Whether you’re planning a conference, leadership retreat, or corporate event, Keynote Speaker Dave Davlin offers a powerful message tailored to your organization’s unique needs. Make your event unforgettable by choosing Dave Davlin to inspire and empower your audience.

Co-founder and CEO, Adaptive

Matt Calvano is the co-founder and CEO of Adaptive, the AI-native project accounting platform for construction. Since founding the business in 2022, Adaptive has grown to nearly 1,000 contractors managing over $10 billion in construction volume, and has raised $26 million of venture capital from Andreessen Horowitz and Emergence Capital. With a background in real estate finance, and over four years working closely with construction CFOs and accountants, Matt has developed deep expertise in construction finance and a clear perspective on how AI is transforming the profession. He grew up in Michigan, graduated from Michigan State, and holds an MBA from Stanford.

Panelist, Partner (Construction Industry Specialist)

Al is a partner specializing in the construction industry and advising high-income and high-net-worth individuals. He is an active member of The Georgia Society of CPAs, AICPA, and numerous construction organizations including AGC, CFMA, ABC, AECA, IECA, and GUCA. Al has served in leadership roles with CFMA, AGC, ABC, and ASA, and is a member of the Atlanta Tax Forum. He authored Federal Income Tax Answers for the Construction Financial Professional, co-authored CFMA’s Revenue Recognition Course, and developed the CFMA Guide to State Tax Laws. A frequent speaker and contributor to national construction publications, Al received CFMA’s Chairman’s Award in 2016.

President and Chief Consultant, ESOP Consulting Group

Gary Gray is a Partner with Tenor ESOP Partners, leading the construction practice and helping business owners design successful exit strategies while empowering employees through ESOPs. He also serves as President and Chief Consultant at ESOP Consulting Group, providing expertise in post-transaction communication and in implementing an employee ownership culture.

Previously, Gary was the CEO and Founder of Graydaze Contracting, a national painting and Sealant Contractor. Under his leadership, Graydaze grew from a residential painting business in Georgia to one of the top five largest painting contractors in the U.S., with headquarters in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.

In 2017, Gary transitioned Graydaze into an ESOP, fostering continued growth and creating uncommon success for the employees. Today, the company generates $120 million in revenue, ranks as the 2nd largest Painting and Coatings Contractor in America, and has been recognized among Georgia’s 40 Fastest Growing Companies and the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America.

Gary’s extensive experience in construction and employee ownership makes him a trusted advisor for companies seeking sustainable success through ESOPs. Gary serves on a number of ESOP Boards and is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).

Founder and CEO, Billy

Nyasha Gutsa is the Founder and CEO of Billy, an all-in-one construction compliance management platform that helps general contractors streamline risk management and keep projects moving without delays. Billy enables construction teams to automate the collection, verification, and tracking of critical compliance documents—including certificates of insurance, W-9s, business licenses, and contracts—reducing administrative burden while improving visibility and control across projects. Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nyasha graduated from Fordham University before beginning his career in construction at Plaza Construction. He later became one of the earliest employees at Procore (NYSE: PCOR), where he spent over eight years as a Product Manager leading key initiatives across contracts, invoicing, and Procore Pay. In addition to his work in construction technology, Nyasha is an accomplished aviator. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), is a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), and is type-rated on Citation business jets.

Founder and CEO, Sofer Advisors, LLC

Mr. Hern is the founder and chief executive officer of Sofer Advisors, LLC focusing on business advisory services related to litigation assistance, estate and tax planning, and business enterprise valuations for various privately-held and public companies. He is a qualified financial analyst with a proven ability to simply and clearly communicate analysis to boards of directors, presidents and CEOs, CFOs, controllers and private equity portfolio managers. David has been recognized for enabling organizations to determine their enterprise and equity value for a variety of situations including strategic planning, sale or IPO, mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting (common stock, stock options grants, purchase price allocations, impairment analyses, etc.) and tax compliance (estate & gift, 409A, NUBIG). Industry experience includes, but is not limited to, professional services, business service, healthcare, information technology, financial services, and manufacturing & distribution.

Panelist, Director of Financial Reporting, United Infrastructure Group, Inc.

Blake Howard, CPA, CCIFP is the Director of Financial Reporting at United Infrastructure Group (UIG), a large bridge construction contractor based in South Carolina. He oversees consolidated and divisional financial reporting, supports complex accounting areas including joint ventures and revenue recognition, and leads efforts to standardize processes and improve the reliability and usefulness of financial data across the organization. Blake has over 15 years of experience in construction accounting and financial leadership, with a focus on building scalable accounting systems, creating process improvements, and delivering actionable insights to operations and executive teams. Prior to UIG, he served as CFO for multiple construction companies.  Blake began his career in public accounting with DHG (now Forvis Mazars), specializing in construction industry audits and consulting. Blake is a CPA and CCIFP and holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of South Carolina. He is passionate about helping construction professionals better understand and use financial data to drive decision-making.

President, Reputation Management, LLC

Anthony Huey, CSP®, is a highly-rated international speaker who offers session attendees pragmatic communications tools, tips and techniques they can use immediately. Anthony has presented more than 3,500 paid communications workshops, seminars and speeches in his career, and was named a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) by The National Speakers Association, an honor awarded to less than 12% of its speakers worldwide.

Anthony’s 25-year career includes tenures as a news reporter and senior editor, crisis management specialist, media relations consultant and executive speech coach. He owns Reputation Management, LLC, one of the nation’s leading communications training and crisis consulting companies.

His past client work includes a wide variety of advertising, public relations and communications initiatives for hundreds of trade associations, municipalities and companies, including Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Eli Lilly, Nationwide Insurance, The Kroger Company, Procter & Gamble, and many more.

Anthony holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.

Founder and Co-CEO, First Rule

Rhonda Huismann is the Founder and Co-CEO of newly formed First Rule, which combines construction contract training and a powerful AI contract review and lifecycle management solution built specifically for the construction industry. Rhonda has over 28 years of focused experience in the construction industry, having spent the majority of her career as part of the National Construction Practice of Crowe LLP.   

Rhonda specialized in audit, tax, and consulting, and was involved in creating a construction tax software which sparked her passion for bringing technology solutions to the construction industry. Rhonda worked closely with a wide variety of contractors across the U.S. creating and delivering an AI-powered solution that makes contract management for construction easier than ever. Rhonda loves walking alongside construction industry veterans and those on the front line to identify pain points – and then problem-solve how technology can alleviate that pain. 

Panelist, Controller, Carter Concrete Structures

Dana is the Controller at Carter Concrete Structures, a leading Commercial & Residential Construction company founded in 2002 and employing approximately 126 professionals. In this VP-level role within the Finance Department, Dana oversees the Accounting team, ensuring financial accuracy and strategic fiscal management for the organization. Dana earned a degree from Valdosta State University and brings extensive experience in financial leadership. Prior to joining Carter Concrete Structures, Dana worked at Phoenix Corporation, a subsidiary of Falling Water Land Development, where they honed expertise in corporate finance and operational efficiency. Dana is recognized for a strong commitment to financial integrity and organizational growth.

Manager, Wipfli

Ellari Kerner is a manager with almost a decade of experience delivering data and analytics solutions through dashboard development, data management implementations, and consultative strategic planning. As a leader of data strategy for Wipfli’s analytics team, Ellari partners with executives and finance leaders to improve decision-making by ensuring their data is actionable, accessible, and integrated across the organization.

Ellari has supported both large organizations with mature business intelligence environments and growing organizations building their analytics capabilities for the first time. She is passionate about creating value-driven analytics strategies that bridge the gap between current-state data challenges and future-state business goals, helping leaders turn data into confident, informed decisions.

Founder and CEO, The Board of Life

David S. Kidder is a Fortune 500 keynote speaker, two-time New York Times bestselling author, and four-time founder with multiple successful exits. His work equips leaders and teams to ignite resilient growth through systems that turn disruption into durable advantage. He has delivered more than 200+ keynotes and executive sessions for organizations including Nike, P&G, Citi, and Microsoft, helping leaders adapt, align, and perform at the speed of change. David’s keynotes reveal how growth becomes a capability—how to install systems that transform clarity into execution and potential into measurable performance. As the Founder and CEO of The Board of Life, and previously the co-founder of Bionic (acquired by Accenture Song), David has built platforms that help thousands of leaders and enterprise teams thrive through reinvention, scaling, and transformation.

Managing Director, CBIZ

Jim Lundy is a managing director in the Tax & Business Services Division and a member of CBIZ’s national Construction Industry Practice group. With over 40 years of experience, Jim is a highly respected tax consultant in the construction industry, regularly working with more than 300 construction entities. His services include tax compliance reviews, continuity and succession planning, and dealing with federal and state tax authorities.

Jim is an accomplished speaker and author, recognized multiple times by the Tennessee Society of CPAs as Speaker of the Year and by the Alabama Society of CPAs with the Thomas A. Ratcliff Outstanding Discussion Leader Award. He has been the highest-rated speaker at AICPA’s National Construction Industry Conference and the AICPA National Tax Conference.

Jim often provides in-house training for CPA firms and organizations on tax rules and regulations in the construction industry. He has testified before the Tennessee Tax Commission on multi-state contractor taxation and has served in leadership roles, including past chair of the TSCPA Construction Committee and former chairman of the AICPA National Construction Committee. He has also been active in the Continuing Education Committee, the Accounting Careers Committee, the Tennessee Road Builders Investment Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Middle Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors.

Panelist, Executive Vice President of Client Solutions, Anterra Technology

Adam is a seasoned finance and technology leader with expertise in analytics, reporting, and ERP solutions for the construction, real estate, and service industries. As Executive Vice President of Client Solutions at Anterra Technology, Adam leverages over 20 years of experience in financial analysis, budgeting, and business intelligence. He oversees onboarding and implementation initiatives, enabling companies to gain visibility into more than $129 billion in revenue across 2.8 million projects. Prior to joining Anterra, Adam held senior positions at Protiviti, Silver Spring Networks, Argus Software, and Intel. Known as a trusted guide for clients, he is passionate about helping organizations maximize their ERP investments and confidently navigate complex cloud-based reporting, analytics, and workflows.

Co-Founder and COO, Miter

Tobin started his career at The Parthenon Group in San Francisco. At Parthenon, he built reports on software for specialized Construction, Trucking, and Manufacturing use cases and learned that there is a big world out there wrestling with pen and paper. 

Tobin moved to Catalant where he focused on selling and implementing software that helps organizations place the right employees on different projects. He developed a deep appreciation of the potential for technology to build and manage strong teams. 

Tobin is a sixth generation Texan and son of two CPAs. During a visit home, his mother excitedly showed him Quickbooks Desktop – the software she recently implemented to run payroll at her job - and he was shocked that she was using that system in 2020. He then co-founded Miter in 2021 to create more intuitive software that helps contractors build with confidence. 

Outside of work, Tobin is either chasing his daughter around the house or sneaking in a few pages of a book during naptime.  

Facilitator, Growth Lead, Ramp for Construction

Ilana Slutsky is a Growth Lead at Ramp, where she leads go-to-market efforts for Ramp for Construction. Her background spans business operations, internal tooling, and data systems, with a specialty in taking unstructured problems and building scalable processes behind them. An avid AI practitioner, she's constantly exploring how to connect systems, automate workflows, and make Ramp work smarter for the teams using it. She works closely with construction companies to understand their real financial pain points and shape how Ramp solves for them.

Moderator, President & Principal, Big Blue Innovations

Jay Snyder is President and Principal of Big Blue Innovations, offering advisory services to technology startups, technology consulting to contractors, and mergers and acquisitions planning, headquartered in Cary, NC. Jay has been in the engineering and construction industry for 23 years with experience that includes executing nearly $1 billion of construction as a project manager and executive, participating in the acquisition of tech startups, assisting with venture capital fundraising, and advising contractor tech spinouts.

Director in the Advisory & Consulting Practice, Frazier & Deeter

Bradley Taylor is a Director in the Advisory & Consulting Practice at Frazier & Deeter, specializing in Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and cybersecurity compliance for federal contractors. With over two decades of information security experience, he advises organizations on meeting CMMC requirements and strengthening security controls across complex IT environments. His experience includes vulnerability management, incident response planning, internal control testing and data protection initiatives supporting regulated and government-facing organizations.

In addition to CMMC, Taylor’s work aligns with widely adopted security frameworks and regulatory standards, including the SWIFT Customer Security Programme (CSP), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002, HIPAA, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publications (SP 800-171, SP 800-53, SP 800-61) and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).

Prior to joining the firm, Taylor served as an Information System Security Manager in the United States Air Force, where he led vulnerability assessments and remediation, managed physical and cyber risk and supported data protection efforts. His responsibilities included penetration testing, digital forensics and security training for communications security (COMSEC) and computer security (COMPUSEC).

Panelist, Partner, Wipfli Advisory LLC

Ryan Rademann is a trusted advisor to the C-suite for dozens of construction firms across the nation. Rounding out his 12th year with Wipfli, Ryan is a regional leader for the firm's Construction and Real Estate practice, overseeing the Lower Great Lakes. His deep technology and GenAI expertise are deployed to support clients' operations, finance, accounting, IT, and business development functions. Pairing strategic business acumen with a track record of execution, he helps builders define and deliver on their digital transformation objectives.

Panelist, Senior Product Manager, Ramp for Construction

Teddy is the Product Manager at Ramp, where he drives the scaling of Ramp's internal integrations and the developer API ecosystem, empowering partners and enhancing platform capabilities. His work spans vertical solutions including Ramp for Construction, which connects field teams and finance with real-time spend controls and job-cost tracking. Previously, he led core product at Yext, managing hundreds of integrations across global platforms like Google Maps and Apple Maps.

CPA, CCIFP, ABV Assurance & Consulting Partner, Brown Edwards

Billy Robinson is a Partner at Brown Edwards, where he leads both the Construction and Real Estate Group and the Valuation, Forensic Accounting, and Litigation Services Group. With more than 25 years of experience serving construction companies and ESOPs—including general contractors, heavy highway firms, and specialty trade contractors—Billy provides assurance, consulting, valuation, and litigation support services to organizations ranging from $5 million to over $1 billion in annual revenue.

Billy is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Criminal Justice. He is an active member of numerous professional associations, including the AICPA; the Virginia and Tennessee Societies of CPAs; multiple CFMA chapters (Blue Ridge, Central Virginia, and Knoxville); the AGC of Virginia and Tennessee; ABC of Virginia and Greater Tennessee; and the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance. He is also a frequent speaker at local, regional, and national industry events.

Billy is deeply committed to advancing CFMA’s mission of supporting construction financial professionals through education, leadership development, and meaningful industry connections. He is passionate about strengthening the association’s impact and elevating the financial management profession across the construction industry.

He has served on a variety of boards and committees, including CFMA’s Investment Committee, United Way, local community foundations, and Main Street organizations. His professional accomplishments include being twice named a “Super CPA” by Virginia Business magazine, recognition as a Top 40 Under 40 by both the Tri-Cities Business Journal and CFMA nationally, and earning the CCIFP designation in 2014 and his ABV credential in 2024. Billy is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in both Virginia and Tennessee. He is married and the proud parent of two teenage sons and enjoys hiking, hunting, travel, and real estate development.

Director of Consulting, Forvis Mazars

Kathryn Schneider is a Consulting Director at Forvis Mazars (forvismazars.us) in Newport, RI. With more than 25 years as a technology evangelist, Kathryn serves as a trusted advisor and industry ambassador. She leverages her knowledge and deep industry experience to advise companies on rationalizing their existing tech stack, identifying redundancies, and strategically selecting tools that align with business goals. By simplifying and consolidating technology resources, Kathryn helps organizations achieve cost savings, agility, and improved performance.

As a passionate AI enthusiast, Kathryn is dedicated to helping construction firms harness the power of AI and automation. She understands the unique complexities of the construction industry—from project management and resource allocation to compliance and safety—and works closely with clients to identify practical opportunities for digital transformation. Kathryn’s approach ensures that emerging technologies deliver measurable results, such as increased efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage, while remaining grounded in the realities of construction operations.

She serves on the Construction Financial Management Association Maine Chapter Board and is actively involved with numerous industry associations, such as Women in Manufacturing (WiM) and Women in Technology (WIT). She also volunteers her time with local clean water nonprofits.

She is a summa cum laude graduate of University of New Hampshire, with a B.S. degree in Business Administration

Principal, Forvis Mazars

Cy has more than 20 years of experience working with and serving clients across various industries.  He primarily focuses on performing IT general control engagements, Cybersecurity assessments, and manages various other cybersecurity-related services for clients across the Firm.

Before joining Forvis, he worked for a community bank in their risk management division and other accounting firms specializing in Information Security related internal audits and IT Control Assessments for Financial Institutions.

Cy has been a practicing Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) since 2009.  His professional memberships include ISACA®, Tennessee Bankers Association Strategic Technology Steering Committee and InfraGard Middle Tennessee Members Alliance.

He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee, Martin, with a B.S. degree in business administration with accounting and finance emphases, and a graduate of University of Memphis, Tennessee, with an M.B.A. degree with a focus in Executive Leadership.

Founder/Co-CEO, Esquire 

In almost four decades serving construction companies of all sizes and trades as general and litigation counsel, Eliot has found that his greatest service to the industry lies in his ability (some would say calling) to teach construction professionals how to lower risk, maximize profits, optimize opportunities, and energize their careers. 

Eliot is a founder and co-CEO of First Rule Contract Manager Corporation – a company dedicated to pairing the latest generation of generative AI and world class contract training built specifically for the construction industry.  

A frequent public speaker and published author, Eliot combines his extensive industry knowledge with skills honed through improv training and his years of studying with and coaching international public speakers to create engaging and immediately impactful courses, workshops, and presentations.