VISION ’21: What a Speaker Lineup!
This year’s VISION conference is packed with top-notch content to help your MSP grow and scale faster than the competition. The speaker lineup alone is worth attending for! The sessions will cover a variety of topics — from cybersecurity to sales to KPIs — but the unifying theme is something that The 20 takes very seriously: looking ahead to see what MSPs need to be doing now to ensure their success in the future.
As a business owner, being successful means outsmarting the competition, and a big part of ‘outsmarting the competition’ is seeing further than the next MSP — knowing what’s ‘around the corner’ so you can best position your business for success.
So, come to VISION ’21 and improve YOUR vision with thought leadership from the best in the business. Here’s a preview of the speaker lineup. Which session is going to have the biggest impact on your MSP?
Maye Musk: Keynote!
Session Title: Living Dangerously — Carefully
Maye Musk, a role model, trend-maker and rule-changer with a fascinating family is set to deliver a keynote address on September 30th at VISION ’21. Maye is a respected dietitian who gives talks all over the world about health, nutrition, business, and aging. But things were not always so easy or glamorous.
She became a single mom at thirty-one years old, struggling through poverty to provide for her three children. She also dealt with weight issues as a plus-size model and overcame ageism in the modeling industry (in 2017, Maye became CoverGirl’s oldest spokesmodel).
Undeterred by these difficulties, Maye still managed to earn two master’s degrees and establish a lifelong career as a dietitian, despite having to start over in eight different cities across three countries and two continents. She made her way through it all with an indomitable spirit and a no-nonsense attitude to become a global success at what she calls the prime of her life. Her book, A Woman Makes a Plan, has been published by Penguin Random House in the USA and Canada. It is an international best-seller in over 70 countries, with more to come!
At VISION ’21, Maye will share her story, giving us a glimpse into the mind of one of the most resilient people on the face of the planet.
Tim Conkle – The 20
Session Titles:
- The Year of the Return
- Marketing Automation: The Long Game for Sustained Growth
- MSP Growth is Easy as A-B-C (Always Be Changing)
- The Future-Proof MSP
Tim Conkle holds over 30 years of entrepreneurial success in the Information Technology and Services sector. As a leading voice in the Managed IT Service Provider space, Tim is dedicated to developing simple, solid IT solutions for SMB clients and MSPs (Managed Service Providers) across the nation. His notoriously energetic nature, along with his deep-rooted passion for technology, has helped him forge solid customer relationships built on trust, dependability, and service. Tim currently serves as President & CEO of Roland Technology, President of the Board of Directors for Cytracom, and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).
At VISION ’21, Tim will speak on a variety of topics pertinent to your MSP’s growth, but you can always expect two things from a Tim Conkle talk: to learn a lot and to be wildly entertained in the process!
Alex Kloeti – HubSpot
Session Title: Driving Digital Growth Through Outstanding Customer Journeys
Alex Kloeti is a rising business and technology leader focused on impact through growth, and currently a key player in HubSpot’s business development organization. Since graduating from McGill University in Economics and Computer Science, Alex has facilitated growth operations across both the consulting and software industries, at companies ranging from three employees to 3,000. Alex is a Stowe, Vermont native currently living in Boston, Massachusetts.
At VISION ’21, Alex will dazzle us with his forward-thinking ideas about growing a business in the digital age. He will examine the topic through the lens of the “customer journey,” a concept that is deeply relevant and useful to MSPs.
Dan Wensley – ScalePad
Session Title: Asset Lifecycle Management for Fun & Profit
Dan Wensley is the CEO of ScalePad, global leader in Automated Asset Lifecycle Management. He is entrusted with leading a team of great minds to help IT Service Providers sell more and service less by automating time-consuming processes for hardware, software and warranty services.
No stranger to the ITSP/MSP ecosystem, Dan brings with him more than 25 years of experience propelling organizations to success by applying a high level of tact, ingenuity, and his innate understanding of the unique needs of the industry to develop high performing teams that know how to deliver.
Dan regularly speaks and moderates at industry events across the globe. At VISION ’21, you can expect Dan to share future-focused insights and expert analysis to give your MSP a competitive edge.
Luis Giraldo – ScalePad
Session Title: Asset Lifecycle Management for Fun & Profit
Prior to recently joining ScalePad as Chief Experience Officer, Luis found success in a variety of endeavors. As a professional musician, he traveled the world playing the keyboard with pop star, Shakira. Although he says those days are “firmly in the past,” Luis continues to play jazz piano and has multiple jazz albums to his name! His career as an entrepreneur and innovator is just as illustrious. He founded the MSP firm Ook, where he remains CEO, a second MSP that was acquired by Fully Managed in 2011, and he developed a documentation SaaS app called Monkey Box. Luis also served as Senior Director of Marketing at N-able, where he revamped the content for their MSP marketing platform and facilitated a major rebranding.
After 15 years owning and operating his own IT company, Luis still finds it “amazing to see what technology can do for the businesses” he works with. Luis believes strongly that tech can “help businesses succeed, grow, transform, and innovate.”
At VISION ’21, Luis will be joining Dan Wensley for an illuminating conversation about Asset Lifecycle Management. Two consummate IT pros and expert strategists, their insights can help take your MSP to the next level.
Howard Getson – Capitalogix
Session Title: How Thoughts Become Things
Howard Getson runs an algorithmic hedge fund — and the data science company that powers it. Capitalogix created a revolutionary financial technology platform that uses Adaptive AI to maximize performance with real-time insights. While most high-frequency trading focuses on using technology to make thousands of transactions in a short period of time, Capitalogix’s technology performs millions of observations and only acts on the opportunities determined most likely to have an edge. His prior company, IntellAgent Control, which he founded in 1991, was an Inc. 500 company and won an IBM-Lotus Beacon Award for best business application. Howard is currently on the Advisory Council of the Hastings Center — a Bioethics and AI research institute. Mr. Getson earned a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from Duke University in 1984, and in 1987, he received his M.B.A. in Finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his J.D. from Northwestern University Law School.
At VISION ’21, Howard will share business insights rooted in his unique philosophical perspective. There’s a good chance the wisdom he shares will not only enhance your IT business, but give you a whole new lease on life!
Zane Conkle – Cytracom
Session Title: Beyond VoIP: The Next Billion Dollar Opportunity for MSPs
Zane Conkle is an accomplished SaaS leader with broad marketing and technical expertise for developing successful, service-oriented brands. He co-founded Cytracom in 2008 and is the visionary behind the original platform development. Zane led the company to develop one of the first channel-only VoIP models tailored exclusively for Managed Service Providers. He has combined his passion for technology with a laser focus on simplification to create a purpose-built company with the mission of “Connecting the Modern Workforce.”
At VISION ’21, you can expect Zane to open your MSP’s eyes to an exciting new opportunity for MSPs looking to boost their bottom line.
John Tippett – Cytracom
Session Title: Beyond VoIP: The Next Billion Dollar Opportunity for MSPs
John Tippett has more than 25 years in the technology industry, ranging from operating managed IT services firms to leading channel development of companies aspiring to grow in the IT industry. John is an active figure in the industry, regularly participating in industry events and leading community organizations, and offers a unique blend of sales, marketing, operations, and technology experience. As COO of Cytracom, he leads the executive management team to drive transformation and growth across the organization. John was named the inaugural CompTIA Member of the Year in 2016, an honor recognizing his commitment and dedication to advancing the IT industry.
John will be joining Zane Conkle at VISION ’21 for an unforgettable session about the next “billion dollar opportunity” for MSPs.
Ryan Bowman – ThreatLocker
Session Title: How Zero Trust is Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity & What This Means for Your MSP
Ryan Bowman brings 20+ years of IT experience to ThreatLocker as a Solutions Engineer. He works closely with partners to understand the threat landscape and assists in successfully deploying ThreatLocker’s zero trust approach to protecting their customers against the latest threats.
MSPs are facing a wave of cyberattacks that seems to only be growing stronger and more sophisticated. MSPs that survive — let alone thrive — over the next several years are the ones that prioritize cybersecurity right now. Ryan’s session at VISION ’21 will give your MSP a deep look at one of the hottest ideas in security: zero trust. Don’t miss it.
Ted Roller – Zomentum
Session Title: How MSPs Can Increase Close Ratios Using 3 Key Strategies
Ted Roller has over 25 years of experience in the SMB channel, first as a solution provider with Oxford Systems Integration, recognized as a “Fast 50” company by the Dayton Business Journal, then as Channel Chief of Intronis, a cloud-based BDR company, and as VP of Channel Development with LogMeIn, Inc. (LOGM, Nasdaq). Roller has been recognized by MSPmentor, The Channel Company, SMB Nation, and others for his contributions to the channel, and his channel programs have won a multitude of awards.
Elite MSPs have elite sales — it’s really that simple. Come to VISION ’21 and learn about three key strategies you can use to drive your MSP’s close ratio through the roof.
Mark Elliott – The 20
Session Title: Building a Revenue Engine with Sales Cadence
Mark Elliott has been helping businesses develop strategies to analyze, manage, and overcome the ever-changing technology challenges they face for over 25 years. A central focus has been security and HIPAA compliance. His experience includes preventing, detecting, and responding to hackers and threats, thus ensuring that your organization is safe from invasions while simultaneously meeting regulatory compliance.
During his career, Mark has advised clients on effective – and cost-effective – approaches to developing infrastructure that fosters productivity and profitability. His work has provided him with a broad-based knowledge of business from the inside, with an expertise in areas that go beyond IT alone, ranging from strategic planning to cloud computing to workflow automation solutions.
Expect a dynamic and inspiring presentation from Mark at VISION ’21, where he will be diving into the topic of sales cadence: what it is, and how your MSP can harness it to rise to the top of the industry.
Ken Pecot – The 20
Session Title: Good to Great with the Right KPIs
Ken Pecot serves as the Chief Operating Officer for The 20 MSP Group.
Ken is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record of helping companies grow their business. Ken has an extensive background in global P&L management, professional and managed services, manufacturing and SCO, enterprise IT operations, sales, R&D leadership, product management, corporate strategy and international business. Ken has run business units with global P&Ls in excess of $2B. He has held previous executive roles with NetScout Systems, Danaher Corporation, Real Networks and Nortel Networks. Ken excels in building winning teams, lean business methodologies, and helping his customers win in the marketplace.
Ken’s talk at VISION ’21 will shed light on how to best use KPIs to grow your managed IT services business. His deep understanding of the topic has the potential to transform the way your IT business looks at metrics.
It’s Time to Get Inspired!
2020 was a hard year, with business owners having to negotiate a variety of pandemic-related challenges. A lot of MSPs are still trying to get back into the regular swing of things. We decided early on to make VISION ’21 all about helping MSPs rediscover their passion, regain any lost momentum, and most of all, get excited about the future again.
As our MSP members know, here at The 20 we’re committed to looking ahead to what’s next, because we know that flourishing as an MSP depends largely on the ability to anticipate and adapt to a rapidly evolving IT industry. And when we look over the speaker lineup for this year’s VISION conference, we can’t help but smile thinking about how many business owners the sessions will inspire and reenergize.
Last year was hard, but 2021 is “The Year of the Return.” Are you ready to kickstart your comeback?
Registration for VISION is OPEN.