Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and The Bucket List Journal. Ben is ranked the #2 Motivational Speaker in the World by Global Gurus and starred in The Buried Life, MTV’s highest rated show on iTunes and Amazon. As the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, FOX, and NBC News. President Obama called Ben and The Buried Life “inspiration for a new generation” and Oprah declared their mission “truly inspiring.”

In university, Ben was unexpectedly hit with a depression that forced him to drop out of school. In an attempt to feel alive again, he created the world’s greatest bucket list with his three best friends. They borrowed a rickety old RV and crisscrossed North America, achieving the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream of their own, they helped a stranger accomplish their dream. From playing basketball with President Obama and having

It's an impersonal world, where so any products and services are seen as easily replaced, indistinct commodities. Whether you stand out or get lost in the crowed is a choice. A mindset. Ken Schmidt faced those same challenges himself and gained acclaim for his role in the extraordinary turnaround of the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That transformation was based on a change in mindset and a focus on answering three key strategic questions. While times have changed, what humans want and need from the businesses they buy from and work for hasn't. In his high-energy speeches, Ken inspires companies and individuals to shift their thinking and ride a path to success by becoming memorable - not for what they do or what they make, but for how they connect with people. Ken is the author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He's also host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. In all of his endeavors, Ken brings an unconventional perspective that helps organizations and individuals reframe how they engage with their marketplace.

Jon Schallert is the only consultant and professional speaker who teaches businesses and communities how to turn themselves into Consumer Destinations. Schallert speaks to thousands annually on his proprietary 14-step “Destination Business” process, which he developed over the course of twenty-four (24) years by studying and interviewing over 10,000 independent business owners in over 500 cities and towns. Jon’s Destination Business strategy has been used around the world by businesses large and small to help them capture more market share, even when larger, better-capitalized competitors seemingly have the advantage. His process examines how a business elevates their unique qualities that a targeted customer finds most important. When independent business owners apply Schallert’s strategy, they naturally attract more local consumers along with customers from outside their traditional marketplace. Businesses also begin to attract more free publicity from the media, which in turn attracts more consumers than traditional advertising could ever reach.

Joe Trusty is the CEO and founder of PoolMarketing.com, the premier digital agency specializing in the pool and spa industry. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Pool Magazine, the leading publication for pool industry news.

With over 25 years of expertise in marketing and IT, Joe has a deep background in web development, SEO, and digital marketing. His extensive experience and innovative approach have earned him recognition as one of the top 10 IT directors in America.

Throughout the 1980s Rowdy Gaines was the fastest swimmer on the planet. His world records confirmed his place in swimming history. The Olympic Boycott of 1980 came during the peak of his career when he set world records in the 100 M and 200M freestyles and Swimming World Magazine voted him World Swimmer of the Year.  At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, no swimmer won more races than he did with his three gold medals in the 100M freestyle, the 4x100M freestyle, and medley relays. During his career, he broke a total of 14 World Records.

In 1991, the swimming world was shocked to hear that Rowdy had contracted Guillan-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune virus that attacks the nervous system. Completely paralyzed for over two weeks, Rowdy fought back, overcame the disease, and one year later went to the World Masters Championships and won the glamorous 50 and 100-meter freestyle events.

He has also been inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame and works with many charitable organizations including the USA Swimming Foundation, Swim Across America benefitting research for cancer, and Special Olympics.

Vishak joined KIK in 2023 as the President of the KIK Pool Division, overseeing the global pool care business with leading brands including Clorox® Pool & Spa™ (under license), Pool Time®, Pool Essentials®, BioGuard® Natural Chemistry®, and Bayrol (Europe). He has extensive leadership and P&L experience, bringing over 30 years of general management, engineering, marketing, and procurement experience from his prior roles at General Electric, Stanley Black & Decker, Sears and his last role as President, Outdoor Accessories & Golf at Vista Outdoor. Vishak holds both Masters and Ph.D degrees in Chemical Engineering from MIT.

Ted Lawrence is the Vice President of Pro Sales at KIK/Biolab and has served the swimming pool industry for over 34yrs. Ted has owned and operated his own retail stores, ecommerce sites, managed large scale retail operations and held several leadership positions in the pool distribution space where he oversaw four global chemical brands and retail product strategies.  Ted is a PHTA board member, serves on multiple committees and volunteers his time as a mentor to many in the industry.  Ted holds bachelor’s degrees in both Economics & Finance from Penn State University where he was a nationally ranked student athlete.

Jennifer joined KIK in May 2019 as Chief Human Resources Officer. After a brief sabbatical in 2021 she returned to the role in May 2022. Prior to joining KIK, Jennifer held CHRO roles at MORSCO and LMI Aerospace. She began her career in the aerospace divisions of Goodrich Corporation within Human Resources and held senior leadership roles at Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Dean Foods. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario with a post-graduate in Human Resources from Humber College.

Ryan Andersen is the Vice President of Marketing at KIK/BioLab, where he has dedicated the past 13 years to various roles within the BioLab Marketing team. With a diverse background in both consumer packaged goods (CPG) and B2B marketing, Ryan has successfully driven growth for prominent brands in the Lawn Care and Pool industries. He earned his MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Georgia State University and holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from Texas Christian University.

Erica joined KIK in 2023 as the Director of Talent Acquisition. In her role, she has been instrumental in creating and executing comprehensive talent acquisition strategies in collaboration with senior leadership, resulting in significant improvements in time-to-fill metrics and substantial cost savings. Prior to joining KIK, she held roles at Baxter, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, and Constellation Brands. Throughout Erica’s career, she has developed expertise in building employer brands, driving diversity recruiting initiatives, and implementing innovative talent acquisition technologies to streamline processes and enhance resource utilization. Her commitment to continuous improvement and strategic alignment has been pivotal in shaping high-performing teams and fostering a culture of innovation and agility.

Rick Harvey is a dynamic leader with extensive experience in driving sales growth and fostering client relationships in the pool and spa industry. As the Director of Sales at Biolab's Pro Pool Division, Rick oversees strategic initiatives, team development, and market expansion efforts to deliver innovative pool & spa care solutions. His dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction has established him as a trusted partner within the professional pool & spa industry

Jamie Novak is the Director of Pro Brands Marketing at BioLab, a division of KIK Consumer Products. With over 19 years of experience in the pool industry, Jamie has held multiple positions in sales & marketing for major manufacturers including Zodiac Pool Systems and AquaStar Pool Products.  Prior to the pool industry, Jamie worked for Newell Rubbermaid in the DC metro area.  She holds an MBA with concentrations in Marketing and Leading Organizations from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.  A storyteller by nature, Jamie is passionate about branding and the customer experience.

As Director of Education, Alicia pursues her passion for education and lead education and training initiatives for the Biolab Pro Dealer division and is based out of Lawrenceville, Georgia.   She is responsible for developing a training curriculum to meet the needs of the Pro Dealer Division and to develop the strategy and resources to drive the future success of the division. 

Scot Hunsaker purchased an engineering firm operating as a sole proprietorship from his father. That firm, Cousilman-Hunsaker, has designed aquatic facilities all over the world. During his tenure as CEO and owner, he grew Counsilman-Hunsaker’s revenue by a factor of 10, quadrupled the number of employees, opened 4 new offices in the US, and went from being licensed to operate in 10 states to operating in all 50 plus 3 Canadian provinces. He sold Counsilman-Hunsaker to employees for cash in 2012. He has spoken on the topic of ownership transition across the US and internationally. In 2013, Scot formed Ardent Consulting whose mission is to help CEO’s and Business owners prepare to transition their businesses.

Lanette Belton joined the LocaliQ team two years ago bringing nearly two decades of experience in marketing and sales management.  She dove headfirst into supporting the BioGuard co-op program.  Now with two seasons under her belt, Lanette is excited to continue to work with BioGuard’s wonderful dealer network to help you own your success and make 2025 the best season yet!

Tracey Melanson has been with LocaliQ in the digital marketing space for over 17 years.  She has been working with multi-location businesses for over 9 of those years, with a specialized focus in Home Services business categories.  She has had the great pleasure of working with BioGuard for many years and thoroughly enjoys executing and evolving the co-op program with the success of all participating dealers as the key focus!