Speakers

Ryan Gensler is in his third campaign as Akron's head women's basketball coach for the 2025-26 campaign after being named the 11th coach in the program's 50-year history on March 29, 2023.  Gensler came to Akron with more than a decade of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. 

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Gensler, earned his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in business from Saint Joseph's University in 2009. In 2011, he completed his master's degree in education, guidance, and counseling from Providence.

Gensler and his wife, Leanna, have sons, Jackson and Nolan, and a dog, Benny.

Dr. Hans R. Dorfi is Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer of the Polymer Industry Cluster (PIC), a global polymer industry consortium and innovation ecosystem.

He brings more than two decades of U.S. and European leadership experience in innovation, technology, and transformation.

As Senior Vice President at Bridgestone Americas, he advanced digital innovation, sustainability, and next-generation materials.

A champion of open innovation, Hans serves on the board of Bounce Innovation Hub and has held roles across startups, academia, and nonprofits.

He holds advanced engineering degrees from The Ohio State University and Vienna University of Technology.

Holly Klein, MNPM, BSN, is the Executive Director and Co-Founder. Sixteen of Holly’s twenty-five years as a registered nurse have been spent providing hands-on care and leadership in hospice and palliative care. She has a baccalaureate degree in Nursing and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management.

Early in her career she was inducted onto the Cornelius Leadership Congress and received the Barbara Mims Distinguished Nurse Award. In 2021 she was honored as “A Notable in Healthcare” by Crain’s Business Cleveland. She serves as a consultant for the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Office of Palliative Care at Northeastern Ohio Medical University. In 2025, Holly received The Smart Woman Award from Business Insider Online for her forward thinking and moving Grace House from a dream to a reality.

On the personal side, Holly is a wife and mother to 5 children. She spends her free time spending time with her family, attending athletic events, and reading or listening to a great podcast.

Jeff Mlakar serves on the Board of Directors of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, a three-time Drum Corps International world champion. In this role, he works to support the organization's mission of pushing the boundaries of the drum corps activity and providing a transformative experience for its members.

By day, Jeff works at the intersection of technology and human connection as Assistant Director of Visualization at Case Western Reserve University's Interactive Commons, where he has helped push the boundaries of what's possible in education - from executing the university's first fully holographic anatomy class to presenting the department's work at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He lives in the Shaker Heights area with his wife and two daughters.

Tina Graver is the founder and owner of Trees & Gardens Consulting, LLC, a woman-owned arboricultural consulting and plant health care company based in Northeast Ohio. An ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Tina has spent more than a decade working in professional arboriculture and holds degrees in Botany and Environmental Science.

She founded Trees & Gardens Consulting in 2024, took the business full-time in 2025, and has since grown it from a one-person operation into a growing company with employees, a dedicated facility, and an expanding range of consulting and plant health care services. Her work combines science, practical field experience, and a lifelong fascination with plants.

When she isn't talking about trees—which is admittedly rare—Tina is usually outside, working on the business, or spending time with her son and her dog, Star.

My career zigzags through management consulting, media, start-ups, and civic life, but the through-line is community. At Monitor Group, I helped Fortune 500s understand customer communities and launch new products. I went on to scale a regional magazine, help shape three successful startups, and serve on my local school board. Later, I founded Amp Strategy, a boutique marketing agency supporting foundations, nonprofits, and mission-driven clients.

At Unify America, I lead the Democracy League team, working to build lasting, local civic institutions that make democracy less polarized and more practical.

I'm a super-fan of Akron, Ohio, where I live with my two kids, one very quirky dog, and a fellow Ohio University spouse, who all (mostly) tolerate my obsessions with book clubs and competitive skeeball.

Dr. Rob McGregor has recently retired after 40 years of clinical practice with 12 years in the C-Suite as CMO of Akron Children’s Hospital.

While serving as CMO, he co-founded and served as inaugural board chair of the Akron Physician Wellness Initiative (APWI), an independent, 501C-3 providing barrier-free mental health services for med staff and trainees in Akron, Ohio. In addition to his work at APWI, Rob remains active as Professor of Pediatrics at NEOMED University and as a coach and consultant for his own company SageAdvizors.com. 

Rob is PCI certified as an ACC executive coach and most recently as a Simon Sinek certified Why Coach.

Tim is the owner/agent of Insurance Service Agency Inc., a Trusted Choice® Independent Insurance Agency that focuses on personal service and risk management through the proper use of insurance for families and businesses.

He is an active member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Ohio, currently serving as a State Leadership Council Member, and previously as Vice Chair of the NFIB Akron Area Action Council. Tim served 8 years on the Akron School Board, and 2 years on the State School Board. He is a Board Member of Ohio Excels, an education think tank located in Columbus that focuses on education and workforce development.

He also serves as Immediate Past President and Trustee of the Cascade Locks Park Association, and is past President of the Friends of the Akron School for the Arts. He is a graduate of Leadership Akron Signature Class 35 and active in its Alumni Association.

He participated in the Civility Project at the Univ. of Akron's Bliss Institute, and is currently participating with Unify America/Unify Akron trying to replace political infighting with problem solving. Tim remains active in several other trade associations and charitable nonprofit organizations in Ohio.