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Please watch this one-minute video prior to Step One and Step Two
Please watch this one-minute video prior to Step One and Step Two
THE SCOPE™ INSTITUTE | 800-474-1370
SCOPE™ Institute
Faculty & Staff 2026
- CONFIDENTIAL -
This information is confidential and proprietary to the SCOPE™ Institute community. It is not public information. SCOPE™ Institute faculty are here to support the business ownership journey, but only through SCOPE™ Institute Director of Education practitioners throughout the country.
Pam Lumborg
Faculty M&A Attorney
Dr, Guy Baker
Faculty Advisor Strategist
Dr. Jim Petersen
Faculty Business Owner Coach
Stan Gowisnock
Faculty Investment Banker
Pamela Lundborg is a partner at
Quarles & Brady LLP in Naples, Florida, specializes in business law, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and corporate transactions. She advises clients on contracts, asset protection, and corporate restructuring. Pam serves as a legal advisor to case management, but it also available for engagement in several states.
Dr. Guy Baker, CEPA®, is an American business executive, speaker, and author, recognized for his expertise in financial services, life insurance, and wealth management. Guy offers specialized knowledge to business owners on buy-sell agreements, split-dollar plans, charitable planning, and reducing risks and tax exposure from liquidity events.
Dr. Jim Petersen, CEPA®, is a leadership coach, military officer, professor, author, and financial services industry executive who has over four decades of experience. His coaching experience is extensive, as he served in many leadership and financial services positions. Jim is the Co-Founder and Principal of Diversified Professional Coaching, which brings to bear over 50 coaches across multiple industries.
Stan Gowisnock specializes in helping advisors address the unique planning needs of business owners, including key person protection, buy–sell funding, executive benefit design, and tax-efficient wealth transfer. He collaborates with advisors to structure and position life insurance solutions that align with broader business planning goals and multigenerational wealth strategies.
Eric Larson
Faculty Tax Credits and Incentives
Matt Gilbert
Faculty M&A Advisor
Jacqui Long
Faculty Charitable Start Ups
Thomasina E. Skipper MBA, CPMBC, CPBCs
Faculty Business Coach
Eric Larson is one of the nation's top authorities on tax credits and incentives, helping business owners identify often-overlooked opportunities. He is a specialist in Research & Development Credits, 179D, and Cost Segregation depreciation strategies. Eric has a reputation for making business owners feel at ease through a detailed process that involves accounting and fact-finding.
As a former business owner 5 times over, Mark specializes in demystifying M&A for business owners looking to orchestrate a world-class exit in 1-5 years. His mission has been to positively disrupt the sell-side of the M&A industry, offering a boutique experience typically associated with large investment banks. With personal experience as a successful founder and owner of multiple businesses, he understands the unique challenges and aspirations of business owners.
Jacquelyn Long is Co-Founder of InstantNonprofit, the highest-rated nonprofit formation platform in the industry, having guided more than 5,000 organizations from idea to impact. As the co-founder of Iconic Impact, she advises business owners on aligning philanthropy with their wealth strategy and business transition, transforming charitable intent into a functioning institution that endures.
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Thomasina is a business owner and C-suite business coach helping businesses, for-profit and non-profit, achieve their goals. Women Business Owners and Executives, From Solopreneur to CEO, Moving Clients to the Next Level. She is known for helping business owners create more value and scale revenues. She serves on the Atlanta Chapter of Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WFIS)
Bryan Setzler
Faculty - Exit Planning Design
Louie Hillman
Faculty - Exit Planning Design
Brad Etheridge
Faculty ESOP Administrator
Jerry Vanderzanden
Faculty Compliance & Case Design
Bryan Setzler and his partner, Louie Hillman, help business owners pre-fund the future sale of their business for the purpose of creating more post-sale cash flow, creatively addressing the pending capital gains event, and securing a legacy. They have successfully helped advisors acquire business owners as financial planning clients years in advance of a potential sale.
Louie Hillman and his partner, Bryan Setzler help business owners pre-fund the future sale of their business for the purpose of creating more post-sale cash flow, creatively addressing the pending capital gains event, and securing a legacy. They have successfully helped advisors acquire business owners as financial planning clients years in advance of a potential sale.
Brad serves as faculty ESOP administrator and helps business owners explore this exit strategy and implement employee stock owner ownership plans. Brad brings over 38 years of financial services experience in the areas of corporate tax efficiency, asset protection, legacy and business transition planning.
Jerry serves as compliance officer and case design specialist. He can assist advisors in complicated cases that require detailed planning. Jerry is also the Secretary of the Is Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center, providing insurance analytics and associated consulting services. Jerry is also a Certified Insurance Fiduciary®.
Mark Hartman
Faculty M&A Advisor / CEPA
Mike Smith
Faculty Premium Finance
Omar Ritter
Fractional CFO
Dr. Daralee Barbera
Faculty - Business Owner Coach
Mark serves as a faculty consultant for M&A deals and can help business owners determine the best strategy for a successful exit. Mark Hartmann isn’t just an M&A expert—he built, scaled, and sold his own company. A three-time Inc. 5000 honoree, he knows how to create value, attract buyers, and negotiate the best exit.
Mike is a faculty expert on premium financing for business owners and brings decades of experience to help advisors understand the value of the strategy. He created a high-performance strategy, structure, and process that significantly improved premium financing, enabling advisors and brokers to uncomplicate the process of premium financing.
Omar Ritter oversees the placement of Fractional CFOs for the SCOPE™ Institute as Area President of Focus CFO. With over two decades of experience, he is a seasoned finance and accounting expert with a high proficiency in Mergers & Acquisitions and human capital management. He is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)
Dr. Daralee Barbera is a veteran of the financial services profession, retiring as Managing Principal after a distinguished 34-year career at Waddell and Reed. She was the Executive Vice President of GAMA International. She is co-Principal and President of Diversified Professional Coaching (DPC) LLC.s. She is a business coach for leadership and personal development.
Tina Dao
Faculty - Fractional COO
Bennett Lebowitz
Certified Exit Planning Advisor
David Gilliland
Faculty Busines Growth Specialist
David Beas
Advisor Consultant
As a Success Architect and Fractional COO, Tina brings more than 30 years of leadership experience at companies such as Amazon, Fitbit, and Walmart. Tina helps business owners build structural value to benefit the exit plan and supports the operational aspects of achieving higher enterprise value and organizational growth years before an exit.
Bennett, a CEPA-certified professional, possesses a deep-seated passion for guiding business owners through the intricate process of successful transitions. With a background as a third-generation small business owner, Bennett brings a distinctive perspective to the table, allowing him to genuinely connect with the hurdles entrepreneurs encounter when implementing a business continuity plan.
David Gilliland is a business leader who understands the power of people and teams to deliver exceptional business results in both small and large organizations. He helps executive teams align their efforts to deliver exceptional results through leadership, vision, strategy, clear metrics, and effective meetings. David's process helps a business owner scale growth prior to an exit, giving the business a higher enterprise value.
David specializes in helping advisors address the unique planning needs of business owners, including key person protection, buy–sell funding, executive benefit design, and tax-efficient wealth transfer. He collaborates with advisors to structure and position life insurance solutions that align with broader business planning goals and multigenerational wealth strategies.
Matt McGill
Faculty Exit Planning Coach
Scott Grotjan
Faculty Cost Reduction
Tom Hardin, CMT
Faculty Financial Markets Specialist
Mike Smith​
Faculty PPLI
Matt McGill heads up the Capstone Division at SCOPE Institute, helping business owners with the transition from the demands of business ownership. Matt provides support through the exit and into the next chapter of a professional's life that helps avoid many of the emotional and mental setbacks post exit.
Scott provides a wide range of cost reduction and profit improvement solutions. He uses proven methodologies and effective strategies such as strategic sourcing, process optimization, M&A integration, and change management. Scott helps business owners reduce expenses that help build long-term enterprise value.
Tom has a broad breadth of experience and knowledge, spanning more than 30 years in the investment management industry. He is known as a leader, innovator, and educator. Tom’s contributions to the emerging science of Evidence-Based ETF Portfolio Strategy have been substantial and are well documented. Tom is a certified market technician (CMT) and advises business owners on market investments.
Mike is a faculty expert in private placement life insurance for business owners and brings decades of experience to help advisors understand the strategy's value. He created a high-performance strategy, structure, and process that significantly improved PPLI, enabling advisors and brokers to simplify the process.
Coming Soon
Estate Planning Firm
Coming Soon
401k Specialists
Coming Soon
Chartible Planning Expert
Coming Soon
Valuation Specialists
SCOPE™ Institute - Senior Staff
Brent Slinkard
Co-Founder | Executive Director
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Gary Schulte
Co-Founder
Kim Reinike
National Events Manager
Alexa Bailey
Executive Assistant
Chief of Staff
SCOPE™ Institute Support Staff
Dana Whitting
Copywriter
Elisa Garcia
Research & AI
Aggy Pearson
Events, Media and PR
Derek Carpenter
Designer
Dawn Pennington
Copywriter
Tawna Beall
Case Manager
Marc Drake
Case Manager
Davis Reed
Case Manager
Alec Beacon
Event Manager
Logan Martin
Event Manager