Mike Griffin is a seasoned banking executive, turned entrepreneur. Leveraging his experience in finance, he formed CMG Ventures and bought his first equipment rental and event rental businesses, Best Rent-All and Best Tents & Events in January 2020. After navigating COVID he transformed the Best businesses into thriving and successful companies.

Then in 2022, he bought his third and fourth businesses, TCS Event Rentals, an event rental company specializing in large-scale events and Piedmont Portables, a portable sanitation company.

Today, with over 140,000 chairs, 10,000 tables, 26,000 square feet of staging and an army of rental items from tents to tabletop, Mike’s companies serve clients from Massachusetts to Florida.

Cyndi is a distinguished serial entrepreneur with a rich history of success in the event rental industry. She began her career in 1996 as a full-time piano teacher, nurturing the talents of 50 students each week in her studio. This foundation in education laid the groundwork for her entrepreneurial spirit, leading her to establish a bounce house rental company and ultimately create Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals, one of Central Florida’s most renowned luxury event rental companies. Her latest venture, Orlando Marquee & Decor, further exemplifies her innovative approach and commitment to excellence.

With a keen eye for market opportunities, Cyndi strategically positioned her brand to attract private equity interest, culminating in the successful sale of Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals in 2021 to the largest event rental company in the Southeast. Under her visionary leadership, the company thrived, consistently earning accolades including being named as one of the Orlando Business Journal’s Fastest 50 growing companies in Central Florida several years in a row. Cyndi’s dedication to the event rental industry established her as a respected authority in the event rental landscape.

Beyond her entrepreneurial achievements, Cyndi is deeply committed to mentorship and education. She has served on the board of the American Rental Association of Florida for over seven years, where she actively contributes to the advancement of industry standards and training initiatives.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Cyndi cherishes quality time with her husband and business partner, Darrin, and enjoys exploring the world through travel. She takes great pride in her two grown children, Zac and Alyssa, and loves sharing moments with her golden retriever, PJ.

Fiffer Raush founded Treasured Events in August of 2012 after spending months procuring vintage items for her daughter’s wedding. She had no thoughts of starting a rental business until friends of friends started borrowing her carefully curated items. She realized there was a market for this, so stopped loaning the items and started renting them as a “little side hobby.”

Within 5 years, this hobby had grown into a six-figure business and continued to grow annually. Treasured Events thrived in the South Central PA area as Fiffer and her husband Alan became highly sought after as they provided not just rental decor, but wedding styling and planning assistance as well.

In 2022, a wedding planner friend approached Fiffer and asked if she was interested in selling. The timing was right, and after negotiations, they arrived at favorable sales terms, and the sale became final at the end of 2023.

Fiffer and her husband are enjoying retirement and traveling (often to Florida to visit their grandbaby), and has lots of ideas and advice on how to make your rental business marketable and ready to sell.

Christie Zangrilli is the Co-Founder and CEO of Party at the Moontower, an Austin based boutique event rental company specializing in modern-eclectic furniture and custom build backdrops and decor.

Born into a restaurant-business family, Christie observed very early how a well designed space is essential in shaping a guests impression, which in turn, creates that delightful and memorable experience we all strive for in the event industry.

Following the company’s rapid growth from 4 to 12 full time employees in 2022, Christie has been dedicated to creating a workplace built on positivity, ingenuity, dependably and drive—values that are evident to both their clients, partners and employees.

Within it’s 7 years, Party at the Moontower has had the pleasure of crafting spaces for clients such as Create & Cultivate, Meta, Lululemon, Red Bull and Spotify. Christie holds a BA in Communication Design from New York University and a MFA in Design from The University of Texas.

Jeff Ginter is the General Manager of Choura, a company hired by promoters of live events to design and build temporary infrastructure required to activate outside. Now in his eighth year at the company, he’s served in different roles. There’d be nobody better to give a perspective on the science behind moving rentable assets in the world of live events.

Prior to joining Choura, Jeff spent five years with AEG on the venue side and bounced around various freelance contracted positions reaffirming his stance that consistent collaboration is the key to loving what you do.

A SoCal native with a midwest persona, Jeff has found his way by adapting himself to the needs of the people that surround him. He’s found a niche by gaining the trust of the front-line staff and has spent countless hours on jobsites and inside the warehouse understanding the critical tasks of his teams.

Jeff is looking forward to openly discussing the challenges and successes he’s experienced in building a team that is equipped to think differently in this ever-changing industry.

Shani Gailbreath (pronounced Shay-nee) is the beauty guru behind some of the most epic multi-day destination weddings worldwide. With a background in commercial, editorial, and celebrity hair and makeup, she’s traded the bright lights for jet-setting, working exclusively with trendsetting, adventurous clients who know all about a great experience. Her success didn’t just happen by chance. Shani has built her ultra-luxury business by strategically networking and connecting with the best industry insiders, ensuring she’s always in the right rooms with the right people. With a strict cap of 18 weddings a year, Shani’s focus is all about the experience. Her clients are the ones who want more than just hair and makeup—they want a trusted friend who can mix a killer French 75 while also making sure every strand of hair is in place. If you’re into art, fashion, travel, and making unforgettable memories, Shani’s your girl for a beauty experience that’s anything but ordinary.

Melinda Perry founded M2 Exteriors in 2011 out of a passion for enhancing outdoor spaces for her friends and loved ones to gather and admire nature’s beauty. Within a few short years, primarily through word of mouth, M2 Exteriors began to flourish and evolve from that small garden business into a thriving multi-dimensional operation—taking on larger and more comprehensive jobs. With the added instruction from England’s Oxford School of Garden Design, the expansion of the M2 team and 12 years of design and build experience, M2 Exteriors has grown into one of most distinguished boutique exterior design firms serving the greater Nashville area.

Shannel Aiken understands that true success is built on strong relationships. With nearly 10 years in the event industry, she has cultivated meaningful connections that have been instrumental in her company’s growth. Her dedication to fostering trust and respect has propelled her business to become the 2nd fastest-growing rental company in America in 2023, according to the American Rental Association. Drawing on her background in finance, management and psychology, Shannel doesn’t just manage her business—she makes every decision with care, unique insight, foresight, and a few laughs along the way.

Shannel’s focus isn’t just on her own growth; she’s committed to helping others thrive too. She’s created a space where everyone can share knowledge and support each other. For Shannel, it’s not just about doing business; it’s about growing together, one relationship at a time.

Jamie Trull is a Financial Literacy Coach and Profit Strategist who helps business owners understand the finance side of their business so that they can make and KEEP more money. Prior to becoming an online entrepreneur, Jamie spent her career rising in the ranks of Finance Leadership in the Coca-Cola System. After leaving the Corporate world in search of a more balanced and fulfilling life, Jamie leveraged her background and her CPA designation to serve women-owned businesses as a Virtual CFO. Recognizing that there was a lack of truly accessible and understandable financial education resources for small business owners, Jamie pivoted her business toward creating resources to help fill that gap and impact more people. Today Jamie has helped thousands of business owners feel more confident about their finances through her resources and programs.

Chris is an Executive Business Advisor helping companies transform their operations using applied analytics to drive revenue and profits while helping organizations scale using its most precious asset: people. He is a business owner and former corporate executive with a mission of getting the right people into the right seat in every organization. Supporting business leaders in accelerating their growth and performance is his passion.