Dominique started her career in Promo as most do - by accident! She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC studying Fashion Merchandising with a specialization in Product Development and a minor in Psychology and Italian. Having met Whitestone's owner, Joseph Sommer through happenstance in NYC, she started her promo career in 2016 as the first long term hire for the company as the Operations Manager. A few short years later, after transitioning to a sales role, Dominique is now a multi-million producer, having built a $7MM annual book of business and sold over 20MM.

She has also assisted from a leadership standpoint, hiring 40+ colleagues, rebranding the business, moved offices (and herself across country), assisted with buying and selling ancillary businesses, and now finds herself heading up the sales department, specializing in enterprise clients. Dominique was a 2023 finalist for the ASI Sales Person of the Year and a proud member of the leadership team for Whitestone, receiving Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Business awards and Counselors' Best Places to Work in 2023.

Andrea “Anni” Kramer serves as the President of City Apparel+Merch, an award-winning organization with a focus on employee engagement gifts and incentives, offering managed uniform programs, corporate apparel, and branded merchandise. With a relentless dedication to building a culture of excellence, Andrea leads City Apparel+Merch with a purpose-driven mission and cultural habits that drive their customers to be raving fans.

As a Benefit Corporation, City Apparel+Merch operates with a steadfast commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Andrea’s vision extends beyond mere business success; she and her team actively engage in volunteerism, environmental initiatives, and impactful financial contributions. Andrea herself is deeply involved in various community endeavors, serving as the Campaign Chair of the United Way of Hancock County, and sitting on the boards of the Braden Kramer Foundation, the UF College of Business Advisory Board, the Family Resource Center, and Governor DeWine’s Board of Workforce Transformation. She also sits on PPAI’s Technology Committee and participates in several industry events ranging from NALC, LEAD and Women’s Leadership.

Under Andrea’s guidance and with the dedication of her team, City Apparel+Merch has earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year for Social Impact award, Community Partner of the Year, Woman in Business Champion of the Year, and recognition as Ohio’s top Female Business Enterprise. Solidifying its reputation as a leader in the industry, City Apparel+Merch has been recognized as a four-time recipient of PPAI’s Greatest Companies to Work for, a PPAI leader in Responsibility, Growth, and Innovation and PPAI’s Pyramid Award.

Beyond her professional achievements, Andrea is a passionate advocate for positive change. She embodies the values of leadership, motherhood, volunteerism, and advocacy. Her team reveres her as a trailblazer, inspired by her unwavering commitment to continual improvement. Andrea fosters a culture of collaboration and empowerment, recognizing that success is achieved through effective teamwork and the cultivation of individual strengths. In Andrea’s own words, “Those that collaborate well, WIN.” With her leadership at the helm, City Apparel+Merch not only excels in business but also hopes to serve as a beacon of corporate responsibility and community stewardship inspiring others to do good.

Dean Caravelis, CEO & Founder of Blezoo, launched his promotional marketing agency in the throes of the great recession in 2008. Dean's journey started with a blank sheet of paper, no partners, no funding, and no experience in the industry. He did have one advantage; as a former CMO, he knew the ideal customer well. This helped him survive the early days and build the business step by step.

In 2016, Dean received the Entrepreneurial Alumni Award from UCF, given to only 2 individuals every year at the second biggest university in the USA. In 2020, Dean launched Experience-in-a-Box, which is his take on creative mailers, that has now become what Blezoo is known for. This inspired him to purchase a warehouse building in 2021, where he has built out an on-demand fulfillment center & event space for the community.

Dean is finishing his first book, “The Connector’s Playbook,” where he writes about how you can win at business through generosity and human connection. This aligns with his passion for connecting people & providing memorable experiences.

On the personal side, Dean lives in Orlando, Florida, is married to his wife Marissa, and has a daughter named Stella who loves to come to his office and rearrange his wall of self-promos. Dean is fluent in Greek and has over 25 years of experience on the turntables.

Benji Bearman, CEO and co-founder of Liquid Screen Design, stands as a visionary entrepreneur and consummate swag connoisseur. Recognized as a 2022 ASI Salesperson of the Year finalist and a 2023 Titan CEO, Benji’s journey in the industry has been marked by exceptional leadership and innovation. Under his stewardship, LSD has achieved remarkable success, earning a number of industry accolades, including being named one of the Best Places to Work in Promo by Counselor Magazine in both 2023 and 2024.

In his early years, Benji’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through as he was named “most likely to succeed in business” during high school. This foresight was apt as Benji, at the age of 10, set up a stand to sell his father’s retail store castoffs. Despite this early venture, Benji took a detour into nonprofit management for two decades, including running summer camps. However, the entrepreneurial flame reignited when he teamed up with Bryan Goltzman to transition Liquid Screen from a side venture into a full-time endeavor.

Benji’s strategic pivot during the pandemic, steering LSD towards custom swag boxes, fueled a meteoric rise in annual sales, soaring nearly 500% since 2019. All this growth has come through referrals and inquiries – no cold calls. Benji strives to partner with clients, helping to surprise and delight their customers and fans. Benji has built a team of talented designers, inside staff, and salespeople at Liquid Screen Design, and their work sets a standard for excellence in the industry.

Benji’s approach in every area of the business is focused on creating custom, one-of-a-kind pieces that tell a story, truly stand out and make an impact. He is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of promo and is constantly exploring techniques and approaches to create truly unique experiences for his clients.

Ryan Paules stumbled, or better yet: fell, into the Promotional Products industry. As an upcoming dad in early 2014, he was laid off from his national cookie bakery manager role on the same day as his wife's first ultrasound with their son, Harrison. Unemployed, with a mortgage and a baby on the way, Ryan went into what he always worked on the side: IT & computers. Opening Radar Support in 2014 and turning a side gig into a main gig, Ryan's Super Power was turning complex IT concepts into understandable concepts for his clients - He's still proud of his 5-star Yelp Rating, even though Radar Support is now closed.

Radar Promotions came about by one of his main IT clients being Bob Levitt of The Bob Levitt Company, and his illustrious Swag industry career spanning 30+ years. Through a fortuitous series of events, Bob and Ryan became more and more aligned with their vision for clients & customer service, despite Ryan having zero experience in the swag game. With computers becoming more and more reliable, and Ryan's work with Bob taking up more and more time, they arranged a buy-out that allowed Bob to pursue his goals, and Ryan to move away from IT and the emergency "My Computer crashed! Help!" phone calls.

With Bob moving on from The Bob Levitt Company, and Ryan at the helm, he had to update the name to better reflect the ownership change, but also something that resonated to Ryan as well. He always jokes that "the RadarPromo.com domain name was available, so that's where our company name came from." But looking back, he points to what comes to mind when someone thinks of Radar: an elevated level of awareness, or an all-seeing vision of the entirety of a situation. The now 10-person team at Radar Promotions brings that ethos to work every day, and what was initially "just a domain name" has become a daily mission for the team.

Looking forward, Ryan sees the promotional products industry at a painful crossroads. While e-commerce is clearly here to stay, he has built the company around something that he loves to describe as "...horribly inefficient, but astonishingly effective: Customer Service." After staying flat through SARS version 2019, the company has been on a trajectory that even Ryan sometimes can't believe - Inc. magazine pegged this growth from 2020 to 2023 at over 900%, putting the company in the running for the Inc. 5000 Awards in 2024. With that said, Ryan maintains a personal connection with just about every client in the company, making a point to walk, drive and fly to visit them at every opportunity. He points out the true social connection that only in-person meetings can have, and an estimation that people are yearning for that connection over the past few years. As the old adage goes: People don't do business with companies: they do business with people. His wife, Rebekah, reminds him that 100+% growth per year probably isn't sustainable but he's going to try!

Michael never dreamed that he would start a business, especially one in promotional product marketing. He attended Marquette University (’97) to study Political Science and loved his four years. When he graduated, he decided not to work in government and found himself at Danaher Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, in a purchasing department at their Chicago Armstrong Tools division. When he got married, he moved to Milwaukee and became a purchasing manager for a division of another Fortune 500 company (Leggett & Platt). During this time, he shored up his business knowledge by earning his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (’03).

In 2004, Michael wanted to change careers and try sales. He ended up taking a chance by working in sales for a one-person Chicago-based promotional product company, opening an office in Milwaukee (in his house). He got started in the industry with no sales background, no one knew of them, he had no industry knowledge, and was supported by a sole proprietor! To put it mildly, that first year was a challenge...

That company folded, and one year later he decided to start his own distributorship. That is how he came to run Magellan Promotions. Since then, Magellan has grown to the top 4% of branded merch companies, won multiple awards, and has helped over 500 colleges (their niche). He’s proud of the team they have built and loves being the captain of the ship!

Elizabeth Wimbush is PPAI's first-ever Director of Sustainability & Responsibility, bringing over a decade of experience from her days at Canadian distributors Rightsleeve and Genumark, where she led supply chain, sustainability and vendor management. Before joining the promo world, she ran a fair-trade organic cafe & bakery in Toronto that prioritized community and minimizing waste. When she's not supporting members in their sustainability journeys she's probably outside - on a motorcycle, in the ocean or learning how to be the best beekeeper these pollinators could ask for.

Interior architect and designer by training, Céline founded kotmo in 2014, a B Corp certified company. Passionate about design and sustainable development, she is convinced that these two areas are the key to building a better future.

A serial leader and dreamer, Pierre Martichoux made an early shift in life from politics to building businesses, with an emphasis on USA Made products and an inspired team.

Born in Paris, Pierre found early opportunities as a leader in politics and military service – his studies at Sciences Po, The Paris Institute of Political Sciences, lead to the key position as Student President overseeing and rallying student leaders throughout Paris. During his required military service in France, Pierre served as interim captain, leading all incoming recruits. Those early successes in motivating large groups were the bedrock of his evolution into an entrepreneur.

After graduation in 1990, Pierre pursued the opportunity to create a US presence for a European entity - Prat Pressbooks. Forging a sales channel in US markets proved a challenge and was the first foray into the start-up environment for Pierre but within 2 years, he grew US sales to $4M.

With success in motivating teams and creating sales, Pierre founded Chameleon Books and Journals in 1998. The inspiration then, as it is now, was to harness US manufacturing to create thoughtful, curated, and on-trend products in the journal space. In 2018, and through the acquisition of a small Texas-based maker, Chameleon has extended its line to custom packaging and services.

Leading the Company with a unique regard toward sustainability and thanks to the effort of its entire team, Chameleon like achieved the esteemed B-Corp accreditation in April of 2023.

Rob Spector is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader, renowned for transforming a small promotional products supplier, Bankers Pen Company, into the thriving Spector & Co. Under his leadership, the company expanded from a modest 8,000-square-foot office to a massive 150,000-square-foot headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. In 2018, Rob successfully navigated a major liquidity event, selling 75% of Spector & Co. to Blue Point Capital Partners. In 2023, Rob continued his expansion strategy by opening a 92,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas, further solidifying the company's presence in the industry and in North America.

His educational background includes a BA in Political Science with a focus on Middle East Studies from Concordia University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of New Hampshire. Rob is a guest lecturer at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, has been a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) since 2001, and is actively involved in both the Quebec and Miami/FLL Gold chapters.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Rob is passionate about sports, including ice hockey, skiing, tennis, and running. He is also deeply committed to philanthropy, serving as a gala host and board member for the Israel Cancer Research Foundation and an ongoing advisor and former board chair for Technion University, and board member at Technion Canada.

Clive Goldberg is the President of Logomark, having joined the company as the COO in April 2019 less than a year before the start of the global pandemic and promoted to President in March 2023. With a broad background in the just-in-time distribution automotive aftermarket parts industry, Clive brought to Logomark a wealth of experience in managing just-in-time inventory with high-pressure deadlines. His previous roles include CFO and COO at OSC Automotive, Inc., and CFO and CEO at One Stop Parts Source, where he honed his skills as a proven executive leader. Clive's broad-based financial and operational acumen and his relentless focus on efficiencies through technology have enabled him to drive efficiencies and bolster financial outcomes across the organization. Clive holds an honors degree in business economics from the University of South Africa and a bachelor of commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Dan Pantano is the President and CEO of alphabroder - one of the foremost leaders in the multi-billion branded merch industry. With more than 90,000 customers, alphabroder ships over 50,000 boxes and more than a million units of product a day. Their mission, to "empower our customers to brand the world through market-leading service, products & solutions" is powered by over 3,200 employees in 10 facilities across the US and Canada. Passionate about leadership and culture, Dan leads a global brand team that strives to exemplify integrity, customer care, accountability, respect, and excellence.

Roni Wright, MAS, vice president of supplier The Book Company, based in Delray Beach, Florida, is a 30+ year veteran of the promotional products industry. In her volunteer and leadership roles, Roni has served on the boards of PPAI, PPEF, the Regional Association Council (RAC), PPAF and other leadership organizations. In 2020, Roni was inducted into PPAI's Hall of Fame. Over the past ten years, Roni has cultivated a love of yoga and has become passionate about ssharing the benefits she has gained from her yoga practice. She achieved her 200-hour certification and teaches yoga, meditation and pranayama in her spare time. Twice, Roni had the opportunity to study in Mysore, India with R. Sharath Jois.

Catherine Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of commonsku, a cloud-based CRM, order management and social collaboration platform that empowers entrepreneurial excellence. Designed for the promotional products industry by promotional products experts, commonsku makes it fun and easy to collaborate and connect with promotional products professionals. Distributors and suppliers use commonsku to share best practices, find great products, build closer relationships, and learn from industry experts and peers.

Catherine has over 15 years of experience in banking, management consulting, and growing businesses through her time at TD Bank, eBay, and A.T. Kearney. Catherine was also an owner and Managing Director at RIGHTSLEEVE, a leader in the online category of the promotional products industry, who sold to Genumark in 2019.

In her work with RIGHTSLEEVE, Catherine has been recognized as a PPB’s Best Boss and as an ASI Power 50 list honoree and she led RIGHTSLEEVE to multiple awards including ASI Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year, PPAI Web Award, and Counselor’s Best Places to Work. Under her leadership, commonsku has received two PPAI pyramid awards and twice been recognized as a PPB Best Places to Work.

Mark is the co-founder of commonsku, a business software application designed specifically for the promotional products industry. Mark is one of the founding chefs of PromoKitchen and is the host of the popular PromoKitchen podcast where he interviews industry thought leaders as well as business luminaries such as Seth Godin and Dan Pink. Recognized with multiple honors in the industry, including ASI's Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year, ASI’s Hot List, and PPAI’s Rising Stars, Mark has been featured in several major media publications (PPB, Counselor Magazine, Stitches, and Advantages). An innovative leader, Mark frequently mentors promotional entrepreneurs through writing, speaking, and training, and shares his technology expertise with promotional professionals across North America (PPAI Expo, ASI Chicago, ASI San Diego, PPPC, MAPPA, SPPA, Promo East, Partnering Group, NALC, ASI Power Summit).

Erin Burley is a Customer Success Manager with commonsku, a cloud-based CRM and order management platform designed for the promotional products industry. As a member of the Customer Success team, she specializes in onboarding new distributorships, building and maintaining educational resources for the platform, and offering ongoing support to commonsku’s many users. Erin takes pride in the close relationships she has cultivated within the commonsku community and prioritizes finding new ways to help users streamline and elevate their business.

Recognized by PPAI’s PPB Magazine in 2016 as one of the industry’s most Powerful Partners and by PPB Magazine as a 2018 Rising Star, Aaron Kucherawy’s grace under pressure is legendary. Aaron began with commonsku in the early days and with the platform’s rise and success, he grew from Manager to VP of customer success, leading a team that’s always there when you need him. Aaron remains one of the most admired team members by customers. An expert in platform proficiency and systems integration, Aaron thrives on guiding new users and advising the pros on how to scale and grow their business using the commonsku platform.

Charlie Moscoe is the VP of Product management at commonsku, bringing over 10 years of business-to-business Product Management experience to the team. With a background in design and computer science, he has worked across a wide variety of industries, with a focus on marketplace applications. Charlie combines user-centric design processes with data-driven experimentation to help commonsku's customers grow and thrive. Outside of work, Charlie loves to get out in nature, hiking in the forest or out in the back country on his snowboard.

Sarah Remple is the Senior Community Manager at commonsku, where she leverages her expertise in social media marketing, public relations, and event planning, to ignite brand engagement with commonsku’s distributor and supplier customers.

Passionate about sustainability and community marketing, Sarah thrives on crafting innovative campaigns and creating impactful and sustainable branded merchandise with commonsku’s network of suppliers. Her latest passion has been creating a Merch Standards Guide, that supports positive collaboration with commonsku supplier partners to create merchandise that matters at our events. The goal of the Merch Standards Guide is to empower suppliers in the branded merch industry to understand the impact branded merch has on people and the planet, and to increase the pace of positive change in our industry.

Sarah also hosts the skummunity forum and helps orchestrate the industry’s most coveted event experiences that help inspire and educate the industry.

With a strong background in event and brand marketing, Sarah is the former Brand Marketing Manager for a sustainable fashion brand and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Manitoba as well as spent time studying abroad at Linköping University.

Bobby Lehew is the Chief Content Officer at commonsku, a cloud-based CRM, order management platform designed for the promotional products industry by promotional product experts. Bobby was the CEO for 15 years at Robyn, a branded products fulfillment company that specialized in private-label, e-commerce company stores. A multiple PPAI Gold Pyramid Award winner, a PPAI Silver Technology recipient, an Addy Award recipient, and recognized (in his work with Robyn) three years in a row by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., Bobby is co-host of the popular podcast, skucast, and a national speaker on topics related to B2B marketing, B2B selling, and storyselling. Bobby is an ardent bibliophile who loves to explore creative insights from entrepreneurs who bridge the world between art + commerce.