ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Re-Release: Ken Sobaski, CEO, America's Thrift Stores

Ken has been the President and CEO of America’s Thrift Stores since November of 2013 when he stepped off of the board to assume this role. He spent his first 4 years building the team (21 of ATS’s Top 25 leaders came from outside) putting in scalable systems and processes (Net Suite, Dundas BI tool, Day Force HCMS, Speed Rail Processing system), improving operations and cleaning up the balance sheet. All to prepare for accelerating growth. 

Today, America’s Thrift Stores (ATS) is America’s premier thrift retailer in the Southeast, with 24 stores on track to deliver over $80 million in revenue and $10 million of sustaining EBIDTA in 2021 at a 66% gross margin and $12 million EBITDA run rate.  In the last 24 months, during the pandemic, ATS has added 7 new stores to its base of 17. Prior to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, ATS’s business was already incredibly healthy, growing total topline sales for 12 straight quarters and same-store sales for 11 straight quarters.  Reopening in June 2020, ATS emerged equally strong, with 4 back-to-back quarters of comp store sales growth, including a historic Q1 where both comp-store sales and Total Sales hit record-breaking levels. Sustaining EBITDA is expected to be over $14 million in 2022 and will more than double over the next 5 years as the company continues to grow comp store sales, opens 3-5 new stores annually, and enters the rapidly accelerating online thrift space. 

Prior to joining America’s Thrift Stores, Ken was a mentor, advisor, and coach to small and mid-size company CEOs as an Operating Partner with Alpine Investors LLC stretching across industries from Online Education to Online Retail Lighting & Design to Retail Furniture to Used Cars to Retail Thrift.  In this role, he coached CEOs and their leadership teams on helping them build and drive their growth strategies and sales & marketing execution. He also stepped into interim leadership roles and helped with sourcing and due diligence on potential new acquisition candidates. 

Ken Sobaski has been a visionary, strategic President & CEO with a history of significantly accelerating growth and inspiring teamwork on businesses across multiple different industries: consumer food, online e-commerce, recreational products, and giftware. He has over 30 years of experience at blue chip marketing-driven companies like Kraft, General Mills, Pillsbury, Polaris, and Capella Education Company, where he grew brands like Orville Redenbacher, Green Giant, Wheaties, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and Polaris. 

Ken’s distinction is his ability to lead his teams to achieve significant levels of growth not reached before. Here are a few examples:

• At Pillsbury, he took a $600mm refrigerated baked goods business that was flat or declining for 5 years and added $120mm in revenue in year 1, and built a pipeline of new products that grew $270mm of incremental revenue over 3 years
• At Green Giant he successfully launched Create-a-Meal, a $150mm new frozen vegetable meal starter business, achieving record shares in frozen vegetables, moving to #1 position in the category in 12 months
• On Orville Redenbacher, he reversed 49-months of declines with 12 months of double-digit volume gains.
• At Polaris, he grew revenue +34% in just over 3 years by focusing/improving marketing execution and upgrading the dealer network
• At Capella Education Company (an online consumer education company) he took growth from +15% per year to +25% per year, adding $120mm in revenue in under 3 years

Ken has served on the boards of The Minnesota Diabetes Association, The Twin Cities United Way, and The Council on Aging – Orange County. 

Ken holds a BA in Economics & Urban Studies from St. Olaf College and an MBA in Marketing & Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University 

Re-Release: Tim Murphy, CEO, Boomers Parks

Tim Murphy is the CEO of APX Operating Company LLC, dba Boomers Parks, owned by Cerberus Private Equity ($60B AUM). Boomers Parks operates six family entertainment centers and two water parks in California, Florida, and New Jersey.

Since becoming CEO in 2020, Tim led Boomers Parks from bankruptcy to profitability within a year, amidst a global pandemic. Initially operating at a $10 million loss, he revamped the customer experience and introduced new revenue streams, resulting in a 180% revenue increase in 2021 and continued growth through today.

Tim began his 35+ year career at Walt Disney World and has worked with over 150 entertainment, restaurant, and food & beverage brands at more than 10,000 locations in senior roles. He is also a Board Director at Coney Park & Happy City, part of The Carlyle Group ($426B AUM), which operates 100+ family entertainment centers in Latin America.

Tim's expertise includes top brands like Disney, Darden Restaurants, Jimmy John’s, Applebee’s, and Sonny’s. He has managed over 35 transactions involving 1,200+ locations, negotiating deals from $11 million to $350 million+.

He is a member of IAAPA, CAPA, FAA, AAMA, NRA, CRA, WWA, ICSC, and IFA, and is a licensed commercial real estate broker in Florida. Tim holds a BS/BA in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and an MBA in Finance from Orlando College.

Connect with Tim at Tim@BoomersParks.com and on LinkedIn at TimMurphyCEO.

 

Andy Hilliard, CEO, Accelerance

At age 26, Andy Hilliard had a quarter-life crisis that changed the trajectory of his life. In an effort to find himself, Andy joined the Peace Corps in 1988. On assignment in Costa Rica, he fell in love with the culture—and the woman who became his wife. The experience led Andy to dedicate himself to enriching businesses and individuals through valuable cultural exchange. 

As CEO of Accelerance, Andy helps companies find the talent they need to scale high performing, globally distributed software engineering and product development teams. 

Andy and Accelerance travel the world, assessing and certifying development partners with a proprietary matching system, so clients can connect with confidence to the top 1% of outsourcing partners worldwide. The Accelerance team also helps clients optimize their outsourcing partner relationships through mutual understanding, communication, and effective management. 

Previously, Andy founded the groundbreaking nearshore software development services company, Isthmus Costa Rica. He began his global software services career as a Division Manager at Cognizant Technology Solutions during its formative years. 

Currently living in Kenwood, California, Andy has visited more than 60 countries. He holds an MBA in International Business, Finance, and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. 

Re-Release: Brian Will, Leader, Entrepreneur, and Author

Brian Will is a Serial Entrepreneur, a Two-time Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, and an industry-leading Business and Sales Management Consultant.

Brian has created or co-created seven successful companies in four different industries during his career. These companies were worth over half a billion dollars at their peak. He has also done multiple turnaround projects for companies from startups to Fortune 500, and helped those organizations drive billions of dollars in sales. His multifaceted background allows him to understand and teach agile processes and principles and articulate their implications from multiple perspectives, from the development team to the executive board.

Today, Brian Will owns a growing chain of restaurants in the Atlanta area and a residential and commercial Real Estate business in Georgia and Florida. He also serves on the city council in his hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia.

 

Thomas Rivera, Executive Director, Xcel Mentoring Network

Thomas Rivera is the Executive Director for Xcel Mentoring Network in Florida. Xcel furthers the ability to educate youth holistically through hands-on career training & certifications, mentoring, apprenticeship, and job placement.

Tom began mentoring in early 1990 by helping the poor, the afflicted, and the abused. He reached out to gang members and those who seemed to have no hope with a message of hope and grace. He later began serving as an Associate Pastor in one of the largest Hispanic churches in the Chicago metropolitan area. He worked in the inner city bringing a message of restoration and hope. Tom also traveled to Latin and South America on several missions to help and bring hope to the hopeless.

Tom moved to South Florida and continued his mentoring and spiritual counseling through his work in recovery centers as well as mentoring those he coached in fitness centers. Six years ago, Tom joined Xcel Strategies Inc. as a Regional Director and expanded its operations to South Florida. In 2023, Tom incorporated Xcel as Florida Mentoring Network, DBA Xcel Mentoring Network (an affiliate of Xcel Strategies Inc.) and is now serving as the Executive Director.

Tom has an extensive counseling education. He attended the Florida Theological Seminary and received a master’s degree in theology. Tom also hosted the radio program, Second Chance, which aired in 2012, delivering a message of hope to the hopeless, deliverance to the oppressed, and love to the rejected.

Key Messages: I believe that every kid should have the opportunity to pursue secondary education. It is my mission to educate youth on the multiple career path options and provide them with the opportunities and resources to obtain such.

Re-Release: Dale Wills, Owner & Founder, Centra Companies

Dale Wills is the owner and founder of Centra Companies, a group of land development, real estate, and construction companies based out of the Twin Cities. Since 2011, he has overseen the completion of more than $500 million in new construction across 50+ projects spanning 28 Twin Cities suburbs, ranging from new home construction to apartment rehab and commercial building. With more than 35 years of experience in property redevelopment, Dale Wills has taken Centra Companies to new heights opening several divisions, including Centra Homes and Centra Capital Partners, under his leadership.

 

About Centra:
We Build Homes and Communities

We take pride in building the places where memories will be made

Centra Homes is one of the largest residential property developers in Minnesota.  We’ve built dozens of communities throughout the North Metro, giving thousands of people a beautiful place to call home.

We are focused on creating thriving communities that offer all the best amenities in prime locations. Enjoy a place to work and play in the house you’ve always wanted.

 

Jeff Holman, Founder & CEO, Intellectual Strategies

As the Founder and CEO of a pioneering fractional legal team, I specialize in delivering tailored legal solutions that drive growth, reduce risk, protect intellectual property, and navigate complex regulations in the fast-paced worlds of SaaS, Ecommerce, and emerging technologies.

With a background that spans engineering, business, and law, I bring a multifaceted perspective to the table. I began my legal career as a patent attorney, where I honed my skills in protecting groundbreaking inventions and guiding companies through the intricacies of intellectual property law. Today, I combine that experience with a deep understanding of business strategy to lead a dynamic team of attorneys who operate cohesively and collaboratively as a FRACTIONAL LEGAL TEAM that integrate seamlessly with our clients’ operations. We effectively operate as a fully-staffed in-house legal team, although on a fractional budget, that scales with our clients' needs and circumstances.

My approach is simple: I build legal teams that function as an extension of your business. We’re not just advisors; we’re partners in your success, committed to delivering the legal support you need to innovate and grow. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of corporate governance, safeguarding your data privacy, identifying and protecting your IP, negotiating technology licenses, or helping you resolve disputes, we have the expertise to help you move forward with confidence.

At the core of our practice is a deep understanding of the unique challenges that startups and scaling companies face. We tailor our services to meet your specific needs, offering the flexibility and strategic insight that traditional law firms often can’t provide. Our goal is to empower you to focus on what you do best—building your business—while we handle the legal complexities.

Let’s connect if you’re looking for a legal partner who understands the demands of scaling a business and is ready to help you achieve your vision.

Re-Release: Jonas Bordo, CEO and Co-Founder, Dwellsy

About Jonas Bordo

Jonas Bordo is the CEO and Co-Founder of Dwellsy, the free residential rental marketplace that makes it easy to find hard-to-find rentals. Prior to co-founding Dwellsy, Jonas was a senior executive at several leading real estate firms including Essex Property Trust and Bentall GreenOak and was with the Boston Consulting Group after graduating with his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  Jonas has had the good fortune to build, re-build and lead amazing teams across the multifamily and commercial real estate operational and strategic spectrum, manage large P&Ls, deliver big profit increases, orchestrate the sale of several businesses, develop a strategic plan for one of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, implement a Toyota production system and create more than 40 brands. He is husband to Rosalind and father to Bailey, Zach and Thea, an avid hiker, a lifelong learner and a maker of things, sometimes out of wood.

About Dwellsy

Dwellsy is a comprehensive residential home rentals marketplace based on the radical concept that true, organic search in a free eco-system creates more value than the pay-to-play model embraced by all of the current rental listing services. Indeed, while barely more than a year old, Dwellsy has more residential rental listings than any of the major listing sites—as well as the most diverse set of listings—including both affordable and higher-end properties. Dwellsy’s entirely different approach to residential rental listings focuses on presenting houses and apartments based on features renters need and want — not based on how much landlords pay to show their listings. Dwellsy investors include Blackhorn Ventures, Anne Wojcicki, Stanford Professors, and a number of residential real estate industry insiders.

Jonas and the Dwellsy team have also recently launched their own podcast, Rent Matters, available wherever you listen to podcasts!

Craig Barber, Past CEO, Restaurant Growth Services

Craig Barber is the past CEO of Restaurant Growth Services, with several years of experience as a C-level executive for a multi-concept franchisor along with owning a franchise while serving as board chair for the franchisee association provides unique insight into the opportunities (and challenges) of franchise relationships. Have served on the boards of a public company, private equity-owned companies and the franchisee association of a large (1,500+ unit) mid-scale restaurant concept.

Re-Release: Cameron Gunter, CEO, PEG Companies

Cameron Gunter is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PEG Companies, a full-service commercial real estate investment firm known for its unique approach to creating value. A bold leader, Cameron has a widespread reputation for successfully guiding his teams through challenging endeavors that many others in the commercial real estate space have shied away from. 

Cameron’s farm-raised work ethic, outside-the-box thinking, commitment to absolute transparency, and past professional experience have helped him to lead PEG to where it is today. A CPA by training with over eight years mastering the entitlement process in city management, Cameron brings a perspective that helps PEG offer compelling investment opportunities through innovative and cost-effective solutions to the complexities of real estate markets today. As one of the youngest finance directors in Utah’s city government history, Cameron structured the largest tax incentive project in the western United States at the time for the city of Lehi, Utah with Micron Technology, Inc. and continues to make headlines as PEG grows throughout the United States and Canada. 

With dozens of projects completed and many others under way, Cameron is proud of the market-leading position PEG has secured in its nearly 20 years of operation. Whether it is becoming the first developer ever to finish an AC Hotel by Marriott on time and under budget, building one of the only four-story branded hotel buildings in downtown Jackson Hole, developing a major student housing hub for Utah’s largest university, or breaking ground on the first Qualified Opportunity Zone projects in multiple states, Cameron Gunter rises to every challenge and finds great fulfillment in spurring economic growth for communities everywhere. 

Cameron received his BA in Business Administration from Idaho State University.