2.10.2024 Stan Liu, Mayor of Diamond Bar, California

Stan Liu was elected to the Diamond Bar City Council in November 2020. Prior he served as a City Parks and Recreation Commissioner. He is currently serving his first term as mayor. He is currently a sustainable and socially responsible entrepreneur and previously worked as a Network Administrator, Process Improvement Lead. Mr. Liu holds a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Azusa Pacific University. As a strong supporter of local community organizations and youth programs, Mr. Liu is very active and serves on many boards and committees, and currently holds the position of chair of the Walnut Valley Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and vice chair of the Youth Science Center board. He also serves as a board member for the Walnut Valley Education Foundation, Diamond Bar Community Foundation (advisory), Diamond Bar Girls Softball, South Pointe Parent Band Boosters, Helping Hands Ministry for Efree Church Diamond Bar, and President-Elect, Finance Chair, Diversity Equality and Inclusion Chair for the Entrepreneurs' Organization - Inland Empire. In his spare time, Mr. Liu teaches entrepreneurship to high school students and often acts as mentor to college students and young entrepreneurs. He also volunteers at community and church events, local elementary and middle schools as a DJ/MC and especially enjoys gardening with his daughters. He and his wife of over 18 years, Margaret, live in Diamond Bar along their two daughters Kaitlyn and Megan.

Mr. Liu immigrated to the United States at the age of 13 with his parents and younger brother. His younger brother, sister-in-law and their two sons also call Diamond Bar home. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin

2.3.2024 Manya Brooks, Carson Valley Golf Course

 Growing up in Ireland in the 1980’s I never expected that I would end up buying a golf course and living near Lake Tahoe. I started my career working as an intellectual property lawyer for the record industry. At the time I was living and working in Dublin, Ireland enjoying all the fast-paced challenges of a career in the legal world. Fast forward a couple of years and an unexpected meeting on an airplane (my future husband) and I find myself with 3 kids and a golf course in Carson Valley! This is probably the briefest summary that I can give of the last 30 years, but of course there have been plenty of adventures in between.

1987 Graduated from University College Dublin, Ireland Bachelor of Commerce

1991 Graduated Law Society of Ireland, Dublin as a Lawyer (Solicitor)

1991 - 1996 Worked as Head of Legal Affairs for Phonographic Performance Ireland (an organization that collected royalties on behalf of the record industry)

2001 Bought Carson Valey Golf Course in Gardnerville NV

2014 Started Mountain Golf & Utility Cars – selling, servicing, customizing golf carts

Continue to run both businesses while raising 3 awesome kids, now 25, 23 & 20.

I spend most of my time on the golf course side. My official title in the business is General Manager, a very broad title that covers all aspects of running a golf course. Staffing, food and beverage, customers, marketing, promotions, finances, and more staffing all fall under this role. Truly every day is different, and the level of challenge is wide ranging in a business that is open 7 days a week, year round.

1.25.2024 Aziz Musa, Founder Cush Digital

Aziz Musa, a visionary in digital marketing and a trailblazer in entrepreneurship, brings a wealth of experience from his remarkable journey in the corporate and startup worlds. As a former youngest public company CEO in the UK and the innovative founder of CushDigital, Aziz stands out for his unique ability to fuse cutting-edge technology with strategic business insights. His entrepreneurial ventures have not only spanned continents but have also deeply impacted the digital landscape in emerging markets. With a passion for nurturing resilience in business and a knack for leading through adversity, Aziz embodies the spirit of a true change-maker. His insights into agile product management, transformative sales strategies, and the burgeoning role of AI in marketing make him a compelling voice on the global stage. Join Aziz as he delves into the dynamics of creating and leading successful digital initiatives in some of the world's most challenging yet rewarding markets.

1.20.2024 Mike Bosma: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Selling Your Business

William “Bill” Steward 

William “Bill” Steward has a passion for life-safety and the protection of property. In the early 1990’s Bill started his career as an EMT & Firefighter and also as a Crew Member with Slide Mountain Fire Crew. In 2017, with 20 years of firefighting experience as an Operator/Firefighter and Fire Captain, Bill took his knowledge and experience of fire behavior and applied it to become one of the area’s leading Defensible Space experts. As founder, owner, and principal consultant with Foresight Fire, LLC, Bill provides practical, actionable, and life-saving strategies to protecting homes and families.

 Kevin Musico

 With more than 30 years of Executive, Entrepreneurial, Consulting, and Start-up experience, Kevin provides a unique and diverse perspective to risk planning and insurance.  After earning a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Southern California, his professional journey resulted in positions with multi-national publicly traded companies and closely held family businesses alike.  Nearly 30 years ago, while working as the Director of Marketing and Planning for Carson-Tahoe Hospital, Kevin was offered an opportunity to work in the highly specialized field of Corporate Revitalization and Turnarounds.  For many years he worked as an advisor to both troubled companies and companies seeking to organically grow profitability.  As a consultant, Kevin specialized in helping Board of Directors, Executive Management and Business Owners to identify and resolve risk, operational, and financial crisis situations.  After assisting nearly 100 companies with both in- and out-of-court corporate restructurings, he got recruited into several companies over the years as an Executive running business operations, business growth and development, and corporate mergers and acquisitions.  These roles built a solid foundation to successfully launching several startup businesses.  With decades of experience behind him, this led to the insurance industry where he and his wife Lori own and operate an insurance brokerage.   Today, Kevin assists consumers and businesses alike with determining best paths and optimal solutions to covering risk.  In 2023, Kevin teamed with Bill Steward and together, they work towards educating and implementing defensible space solutions that impact life safety and the insurability of homes across Nevada and California markets.

Adam Iveson

My professional journey has encompassed diverse roles, notably, within a family office environment for over ten years. Serving as a key liaison in business and legal relations, I navigated complexities within various industries, emphasizing collaboration and successful outcomes. I've been actively involved in real estate development, overseeing business operations in sectors such as restaurants, marina, and hospitality. My responsibilities extended to estate management, high-end vacation rentals, an elite health and fitness club, a golf course, and a significant 500-unit apartment complex. Concurrently, I managed personal assets and estates for the principal, demonstrating versatility and dedication and executing strategic estate management tasks. Properties and projects were located in various regions including Reno, Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, Laguna, Hawaii, and NYC. Following this, I dedicated five years to excelling in sales and client relations within the business machines, software, and IT sectors. This experience provided a deep understanding of client needs and effective sales strategies. Six years ago, I co-founded Ember Defense, a venture that has become a pioneer in the wildfire defense industry. Focused on business development and client relations, I cater particularly to high net worth and ultra-high-net worth individuals. Personally assessing over 3000 properties, I have worked to develop innovative strategies to safeguard assets from wildfires with our team. Throughout my career, I have maintained a commitment to excellence, adaptability across industries, and a focus on meaningful connections. My journey reflects a pursuit of innovation and a passion for safeguarding personal and business assets. As I continue to evolve professionally, my dedication remains centered on driving positive change and creating lasting impact in every venture.

1.6.2024: Shandel Sutherland, Shandel Group

Shandel is a Master Certified Coach who holds a Summa Cum Laude degree in Psychology.  She is a Coach University Graduate and holds certifications in Behavior Analysis, Professional Values Analyst, and Attribute Index Analysis. She is affiliated with the National Speakers' Association, International Coaching Federation, The Graduate School of Coaching, Target Training International, and the Young Entrepreneur's Organization.   As an author, speaker, and coach, Shandel has many tools to assist and equip you with principles and concepts that can take you and your goals and dreams to the next level. Fun fact about Shandel, after 45 years of being single, she was married to the love of her life on 12.13.14.