Jim Roman, Business Development Expert
Jim Roman is the President and CEO, and an inspiring speaker, trainer and business consultant. Since the early 1990s, Jim has been guiding business owners, entrepreneurs and organizational teams toward success by exploring why they do what they do, and discovering what really drives them.
What makes Jim’s approach different from others is his focus on driving business growth while at the same time preserving the important balance in people’s lives. He believes that including time for family, friends and enjoyable interests enriches and empowers individuals, making them better at everything they do.
Jim Roman’s Record of Success
As a Director with Business Networking International, Jim introduced BNI into Central Virginia, and in less than six years he built it to more than 1,600 members, earning him a coveted place in the BNI Hall of Fame—the first area director to gain that award—and recognition as one of Richmond’s “Top 40 Professionals Under 40” by Inside Business.
From here, Jim opened Business Owners Institute™, working with small business owners and entrepreneur to grow them through the stages of business ownership while finding that life/work balance. One of his specialties was taking companies from “Micro to Millions.”
Jim then turned his attention to working with leaders within organizations including Chick-fil-A™, New York Life, Mass Mutual, and many associations, franchise and businesses to do the same, leading to what today is Jim’s well-respected and sought-out philosophy, techniques and motivational attitude.
Jim volunteers with organizations such as the Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI) and MicroMentor. He also served as a coach within the Executive MBA program at the VCU School of Business, and for StartUp Weekend, powered by the Kauffman Foundation.
He is originally from Northeast Pennsylvania and lives in the Greater Richmond, Virginia Area. Jim is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Kathy Roman, Director of Dreams
Kathy Roman is dedicated to helping business professionals discover what truly motivates them, and inspires people to rise above their current circumstances to achieve exceptional results—whatever their goals.
With 14 years’ experience as an insurance agent and seven years as a business mentor, Kathy is no stranger to the ups and downs of owning and running a business. She believes that determining factor in winning or losing at the game of entrepreneurship is having a deep understanding of why you are in business. It is your rudder and stabilizer as you grow, and should be integrated into your values and daily practices.
Kathy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications, and holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration as well. These were earned over an 11-year period while she worked full time.
Christopher R. Jones, Business Leadership Consultant
Christopher Jones is an accomplished leadership and productivity expert who helps leaders bring out the best in their people. Through workshops, training programs, coaching and consulting, he is successful in helping leaders grow, and professionals to help fill leadership gaps left behind in their former roles as they traverse their career paths. He is an experienced public speaker and has presented at a number of national conferences.
Christopher has provided strategic planning, executive coaching, and consulting services for leaders of small-to-medium-sized business, large corporate firms, and non-profit organizations. For more than 25 years he has held leadership development positions at Fortune 500 companies including Reed Elsevier’s LexisNexis, MeadWestvaco and the University of Dayton’s Center for Leadership and Executive Development. In addition, he has provided the training program for the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, and led non-profit capital campaign operations for a new library and a community economic development war chest. He co-founded a mastermind group in 2011 that continues today.
Originally from southwest Ohio, Christopher and his family moved to central Virginia in 2006.
Kay Congdon, MA, MHRM, PHR, People and Performance Specialist
Kay Congdon is president of Marked by Excellence, with more than two decades of leadership and mentoring experience, including service on numerous boards. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Strategic Human Resources Management, all from the University of Richmond. She also holds her Professional Human Resources certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute, and is an active member of her local chapter of the Soceity of Human Resource Management, and co-chaired their 2012 Strategic Leadership Conference project.
Kay serves on the board of directors for Safe Harbor, an organization that saves lives by providing education, advocacy, counseling and shelter to break the cycle of domestic violence. She is a recent past Chair of its Personnel/Operations committee. She also sits in leadership positions on several community boards and the board of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Richmond Chapter, where she serves as the Chair of the Mentorship committee, and is instrumental in developing a mentorship relationship with Girl Scouts Commonwealth of Virginia, helping to identify and develop the next generation of women business leaders.
A native Floridian, Kay has lived in Richmond for more than 35 years. She has a passion and proven track record for empowering people to understand their passion and purpose, paving the way to be the best they can.
Michael C. Marshall
Michael is a Senior Partner of TLCC, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in helping leaders implement strategic change that achieves extraordinary results. We utilize a combination of transformational leadership coaching and collaborative processes that engage the organization to create sustainable solutions delivering 20-30% improvement in business performance.
Michael is also President of Transformational Leadership Solutions. In this capacity, he is a Learning and Development Architect who provides a systemic approach to people development, within your business, that links individual ability and contributions to performance and business success.
His primary goal is to equip people, teams, and organizations with the skills and tools they need to excel in their endeavors. He strives to ignite and mobilize the potential that resides in people that brings about solutions and results which your business needs.
Chip Tompkins, Micro to Millions Workgroup Facilitator
Having been a successful printing company owner for 18 years, it is his passion to help younger business owners learn to work on their business, not in their business and to have the business fund the achievement of their life’s dreams.Having a BA from Washington and Lee and a MBA from UNC Chapel Hill, Chip is able to apply his education to real word experience, which makes him an invaluable resource to our Micro to Million Workgroup clients.
Chip has served on the Board of the Retail Merchants Association for five years and founded MAP(Market Ashland Partnership), an association of businesses in Ashland, VA;devoted to sharing marketing and business to business collaboration to foster growth of all business in Ashland.
Chip's intrests include church, family, golf, walking, gardening and cooking
Work History:
- Taught Mathematics and coached Varsity Lacrosse and Varsity Soccer at Gilman School in Baltimore, MD and at Collegiate School in Richmond.
- Served as Director of Finishing and Director of Pre-press at Cadmus Communications 1983 – 1997.
- Bought Craftsmen Printing in 1998, changed name to We Think In Ink and served as owner and CEO through 2016. Sold it to the employees.
- Currently a facilitator with Business Owner’s Institute serving as a facilitator of Micro to Millions Workgroups
