2025 Judges
Phil Whitebloom is a dynamic sales leader with over 40 years of experience in sales and executive leadership. Beginning his career at Sony, where he rose to Vice President of Sales, Phil earned the prestigious Samurai Award twice for his exceptional impact. He’s driven over $1.5 billion in career sales, leading teams across North and Latin America. As the founder of BeenThere Consulting Services, Phil empowers businesses and individuals to achieve growth through sales coaching, workshops, and motivational speaking. He also co-hosts the BeenThere/SoldThat Podcast and is the author of Handling Objections – Clues for Closing the Sale, a go-to resource for mastering sales challenges. Phil’s passion for leadership extends into the community. He’s been a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and co-founded ASPIE, a charity supporting adults with disabilities. Known for his dedication to both business and community, Phil’s influence reaches far beyond sales. In his personal life, Phil’s curiosity drives him to explore astronomy and nature photography, embodying his lifelong commitment to learning and excellence.
Joshua Campbell is a Partner with the Pearce Group at Merrill, a Private Wealth Management Group rated as the 2024 #1 Private Wealth Team in MD by FORBES and Barron’s (DOW Jones -WSJ). He leads the team’s business exit planning efforts, aimed at efficiently guiding high net worth and ultra high net worth clients through the process of exiting or liquidating closely held businesses, while helping to ensure the best long-term outcomes. He has studied extensively to become a Certified Exit Planning Advisor® professional with the Exit Planning Institute, as well as earn the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ professional designation from the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. He also attended Liberty University, graduating Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Management and Strategic Leadership.
Tonya R. Taylor is a Howard County resident of over 30 years with experience as a judge in two youth pitch contests. Mentored a winning contestant who later appeared on Shark Tank. Eager to support the entrepreneurial spirit of local youth as a judge for the Howard County Children’s Business Fair. BIO: Tonya R. Taylor is a dynamic digital marketing executive and Principal at RisingStarIdeas.com, where she designs impactful marketing solutions. Her expertise drives measurable R.E.S.U.L.T.S. for organizations seeking enhanced digital presence. As Vice President of Marketing for the American Marketing Association of Baltimore, Tonya actively contributes to the marketing community. Known for her innovative and data-driven approach, she brings strategic planning and analytical precision to every endeavor.
Luis With over a decade of experience—first in the world of audio, then expanding into video production—Luis brings a unique vision and mindset to every project. He thrives on the creative freedom that content creation allows, and he loves helping others bring their vision to life with excellence and purpose. THE WAY HOME PRODUCTIONS is a multimedia production and content marketing company that was established by Luis A. Catarineau in 2018.
Corey Laub is the owner and executive chef of Old Line Kitchen & Wine Bar in Columbia. He was born and raised in Columbia, MD, and is passionate about small business.
Eliza Freeman is the Director of Coaching for Kidokinetics Central Maryland. She brings over a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and public relations to support youth development and community engagement. She thrives on building strong relationships and leading teams with purpose, creating impactful programs that inspire growth and make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families. As an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and a former Rotary member, she is committed to strengthening community connections and supporting local initiatives.
2024 Judges
Hosni Ali is the Head Coach & Founder of HA Level Up. Coach Ali has a background in teaching, coaching, and providing therapeutic recreation for youth with behavioral health conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Coach Ali has conducted basketball skills training for over a decade. He also played professionally overseas for several years in China, Italy, India, and Egypt. Coach Ali is known for being a versatile player with remarkable ball-handling skills, impeccable defensive footwork, excellent rebounding techniques, and hardworking hustle plays.
Get to know more about Coach Ali’s company here.
Dr. Pamela Gurley is a content strategy expert, global professional speaker, and world-renowned children’s book author. The CEO of Clark and Hill Enterprise and Founder of the Brown Girl and Brown Boy Literacy Foundation, her 27-year career also includes working as a United States Federal Government civil servant for 14 years across the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Department of the Army, Department of Defense, Department of State, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Dr. Gurley’s budget, management, and leadership experience extend domestically and internationally across several continents and countries. She is a retired United States Army Veteran with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master’s in Health Service Administration, and a Doctorate in Management.
Erin Kryukova is a primary patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Intellectual Property (IP) Champion as part of the USPTO’s the Council for Inclusive Innovation – Community Outreach Campaign. Erin graduated from American University with a B.S. in physics, and from the University of Toledo with a PhD in physics with focused research on star formation. After graduate school, Erin began working at the USPTO, where she examines patent applications, keeps up to date with the state of the art, and takes pride working with inventors and applicants who seek patents. More recently, Erin has been thrilled to engage her local community as an IP Champion and has hosted workshops, performed book readings, and can be found at booths supporting local innovators and entrepreneurs.
Robert Lynch, Owner | Summit Imprints
Adam Kocher | Summit Imprints
Lauren Stoll | Summit Imprints
Summit Imprints offers awards, promotional products, branded merchandise, custom apparel, and creative services. State-of-the-art engraving and customization services unite in-house production with a diverse network of suppliers and vendors. The in-house production team specializes in laser engraving, rotary engraving, heat transfer printing, full-color sublimation printing, embroidery, sandblasting, and more. The design team also provides layout, design, and artwork services upon request. From the showroom and workshop in the historic neighborhood of Mount Vernon (Baltimore, MD) Summit Imprints inspires customer and team loyalty through custom-designed products for recognition programs, annual events, conference giveaways, and brand awareness.
2023 Judges
Previous Judges
Safania Romas founded Collectively Social, a boutique PR and Marketing Agency based in Howard County, Maryland. With years of experience, knowledge, and professionalism,
Safania has helped many small to mid-sized businesses grow.
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Shamika M. Godley is the Principal & CEO of S. Godley Architects. Shamika hails from Howard University, where she graduated with honors and on full scholarship from the American Institute of Architects in 1997. Her passions include teaching young aspiring Architects and educating her interns, clients, and staff on how to ensure successful projects for the last 14 years with her business. Her love of learning keeps her engaged and looking with new eyes at every opportunity. Shamika supports teams large and small, traditional design, bid build, or design-build in all areas of the building industry. S. Godley Architects aims for a personal connection to client project completion, start to finish.
Nahom Tekle is the Co-Founder and President of The Business Academy, an education, business, and career development nonprofit for college students. Nahom graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in Finance. He worked in Finance for several years and then transitioned into nonprofit leadership as the Executive Director of a youth development nonprofit. Nahom currently serves as Director of Community Outreach for Montgomery County. In his spare time, Nahom likes to play tennis, go hiking with his dog Saint, and explore new restaurants.
Loretta Johnson is a native of Georgetown, South Carolina. She’s a graduate of Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, and holds an MBA from the University of Hartford, Hartford, Ct. She began her career with The Hartford Insurance Company, Hartford, CT., and has also held positions with MetLife Auto & Home, the St. Paul Companies, and Nationwide Insurance throughout her career. Loretta opened her Baltimore County State Farm Insurance Agency in May 2009 and is recognized as an Honor Club Agent. Having served the Baltimore community for over 10 years, she enjoys giving back to the community. She’s an active member of the Iota Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Columbia, Maryland, and is a Lifetime Member of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College, Columbia, Maryland Chapter.
Max Pedemonte is a well-seasoned customer service professional with a background in big retail chains, non-profit organizations, and small start-ups. Having worked and studied in all sorts of areas, from Addiction counseling to Escape Rooms and landscaping to Conflict Resolution. I love to hear about new businesses and am always excited to see if I can help.
