Annual Summit Speakers
Joy Bennett
Founder, Jumpstart Marketing
Joy is driven to make things better, from copy and visuals to communities and culture. Since 1998, she's supported businesses with strong writing, creative and effective marketing, and insight into audiences, customers, and donors. She likes to remind her clients that humans are unpredictable, so much of marketing is experimenting and testing to see what happens when ___ (fill in the blank).
In her personal time, she is an avid reader who is endlessly curious and always learning. She plays electric bass and keys at an average level (you can find her on her church's worship team on Sunday). Also, she's a stickler for the proper use of the Oxford comma.
She and her husband Scott have been married since 1998 and together have 4 children, 3 living. They live in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area with their 3 kids and assorted pets.
Kal Patel
CEO, 1st Inspections Services, Inc.
With over 35 years of experience starting multiple businesses from the ground up, consulting business owners across industries and coaching individuals both personally and professionally, Kal Patel embodies an entrepreneurial spirit. Currently the CEO of 1st Inspection Services and Crestpoint Companies, his experience spans capital construction, development, real estate and hospitality.
With deep expertise in business and a knack for strong leadership, he is skilled in everything from helping start companies with a shoestring budget to developing exit strategies with financial gains. His most recent business ventures span a social media marketing agency, medical clinics, and general construction geared toward ground up hotel construction and tenant improvements across retail, office and medical spaces.
Kal is also a passionate writer and speaker and has shared insights in various podcasts, contributed to outlets like Forbes Council and Entrepreneur Leadership Network and lent his voice to the book, Living a Wealthy Life. A resident of Mason, Ohio, Kal is an active member of his community and serves as both an assistant coach and board member of the Mason Comet Skippers, a competitive jump rope team that both of his daughters were a part of since they were in the 3rd grade. He is also a board member with the West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance. When he's not working, he loves to hike, ski, read, listen to podcasts and travel with his wife and family.
Lina Patel
Associate Director, Accenture
Lina Patel’s generosity has been spread everywhere, whether to her husband, her two loving daughters, her job, her community, or her volunteer work. She is a human full of humility, grace, and a spirit of positivity that is such a beautiful and rare sight.
Lina has nearly 25 years of experience as a highly accomplished executive after graduating from UT Martin with a business administration degree and a management information systems major. She is an expert in her field and a mentor to all.
In Lina’s field of work, she is an Associate Director for Accenture, a company she has been with since 1999. She has dedicated her career to delivering excellence in improving processes and implementing innovative solutions. She has an unmistakable drive to find answers and offers her expertise to numerous organizations ranging from local school districts to global business companies.
Not only does she display excellence in her job but also in the hard work she puts into volunteering for her community. Lina serves as a Chair on the Mason for Kids Committee, Committee Leader for our Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Committee, Board Member for the Mason Schools Foundation, Board Member of Junior Achievement, and more. She goes above and beyond and does more than the average person does for her community.
One of her most significant accomplishments was going from Mason City Schools superstar volunteer to a formal project manager to help their Executive Team and Administrators implement a new operating system, Objectives, and Key Results (OKRs). She led the project management for a district with 1300 employees and over 10,000 students, helping transition to a transparent accountability system based on community input and feedback. She contributed to Jonathan Cooper’s Mason City Schools team, working to drive the Three Big Rock agendas: provide inclusive excellence, culture changes, and personalized learning.
Lina Patel is the embodiment of hard work. Recently, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with her daughter; refusing to give up and leading on with a determined spirit and passion. She has worked extremely hard in her career to provide inclusivity in the community and to advocate for diversity. As a second-generation immigrant woman in a male-dominated industry, she has broken stereotypes and has fought not to conform to traditional gender roles. She has put in so much effort to get to where she is now.
Lina Patel has made her family proud by being the first person in her family to graduate from college. She is a role model for all. She is connected to her origins and even helped her father open a hospital in India in the village her family is from, helping provide healthcare, which is free to use for all, a prevalent problem in the area. Along her journey, she has helped lift others, being instrumental in our community with her can-do attitude that shows others that anything is possible with hard work and effort.
Dr. Jen Mott
Assistant Principal & Athletic Director, Mason City Schools
Dr. Jen Mott has been with Cincinnati Circus Company since 2006 as a juggler, stilt-walker, balloon artist, and fire performer when she also began college. Since then, she earned both with her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education for Spanish and completed her Master’s program in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Cincinnati. There she also had the opportunity to be part of the first ever Division 1 Lacrosse team for UC.
In 2020, Dr. Mott earned her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership Studies at Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH where she initiated her research interest on Teacher Perseverance. She continues to serve Xavier University as faculty in the Educational Administration program.
While Cincinnati Circus Company has been her consistent weekend and summer job for nearly twenty years, Dr. Mott has continued to serve the students, staff and broader education community of Greater Cincinnati in a variety of capacities as a Spanish and Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). After classroom teaching, Dr. Mott moved into school administration and is currently a middle school administrator and Athletic Director in one of the largest public school districts in Ohio.
In addition to her daily duties in the community that she serves, Dr. Mott has performed at a multitude of school presentations for students and/or staff. She has expanded her message of capturing our full potential and saying YES to new opportunities in the areas of business, organizational development, entrepreneurship and creativity.
In her free time, Dr. Mott can be found planning trips, booking flights, and traveling across the country and internationally, having been to as many countries as she is years old. Being a fluent Spanish speaker adds value to the Spanish-speaking country she likes to travel and perform in; however, she is looking forward to more new opportunities to come since she is passionate about adventure, new experiences & cultures, and continually learning along the journey.
Groups can work with Dr. Mott anytime they need help motivating leaders, employees, students and/or parents in unique, engaging ways that incorporate juggling and/or balloon storytelling from a professional in the field through workshops, keynote speaking, and anything else they can dream up together!