Byron Rodgers is a service-centered Executive Protection Agent, Video Blogger, Published Author, and Veteran on a steadfast mission to improve the quality of the world by making good people more dangerous. Over the span of a decade, he has gained extensive private security experience, conducting private security operations for each available VIP demographic industry-wide in over 60 countries.

During his time in the military, he served in the United States Marine Corps infantry with two deployments to Iraq as a Squad Leader for four years. Right afterward, he became an Executive Protection Agent (bodyguard). He was fortunate enough to experience a seamless transition from the military back into the civilian life he was once well-acquainted with. Ultimately, this transition inspired him to author the book, “Finding Meaning After the Military”, and he’s currently working on a few more titles within the personal growth and executive protection categories.

Today, he proudly serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Bravo Research Group, a boutique private security company out of Southern California. He is the founder of Protector Nation, a training company for first responders, private security professionals, and civilians designed to help good people become more dangerous. Through his life events, Protector Symposiums have trained many protectors from all walks of life both domestically and internationally. He owns and operates his own executive protection school and training organization called The League of Executive Protection Specialists, where he helps private security professionals take their careers to the next level. He is also the one-stop-shop security consultant for many high-net-worth individuals, their families, and various corporate initiatives.

After completing his AA in business management, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in the Science of Psychology from the University of Phoenix and finally, he acquired his master’s degree in the art of Psychology with a minor in Forensic Psychology from North Central University. He has also received Strategic Interventionist training at the Tony Robbins Training Center. He lives by the values of wisdom, discipline, purpose, freedom, and excellence and his prayer is that his interaction with you and the rest of the world is in total alignment with those principles as often as possible.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Duran Morley is a distinguished leader among motorcycle enthusiasts and a seasoned entrepreneur, holding the esteemed positions of Founder and CEO at The Van Mart, a prestigious e-commerce store specializing in Van Accessories, as well as Vanspeed, a leading manufacturer of Secondary vehicle body alterations tailored for cargo van conversions in recreational and mobile business applications. His entrepreneurial journey began at a tender age, where he astoundingly initiated three businesses before turning 18, showcasing his remarkable acumen.

Fueled by an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit and a deep passion for the great outdoors, Duran Morley embarked on his fourth business venture, envisioning the potential and transformative lifestyle vans can offer to adventure-seeking customers. This led to the creation of Van Mart, an online store offering a wide range of van accessories, and Vanspeed, a specialized custom-built van shop. Through Van Mart and Vanspeed, Duran Morley not only inspires others to embrace the spirit of adventure but also assists businesses in promoting their brands to a wide audience.

Duran Morley's journey in the motorcycle industry began at a young age, immersing himself wholeheartedly in mastering the intricacies of building and designing motorcycles. His dedication was evident as he acquired his motorcycle license even before his vehicle license, a testament to his unmatched commitment to his craft.

In 2017, under the guidance of his mentor Roland, Duran Morley achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the youngest builder ever invited by renowned motorcycle photographer Michael Lightner to participate in the Motorcycle as Art - Old Iron - Young Guns exhibition at the prestigious Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This achievement garnered significant media exposure, including a notable 4-page feature in esteemed publications such as American Iron Magazine, Hot Bike Magazine, Roadkill Magazine, and Hot Rod Magazine.

Duran Morley's unwavering commitment to hard work has been pivotal in shaping him into the accomplished entrepreneur he is today. Guided by the philosophy that "Life is an adventure or nothing at all," he remains resolute in his mission to help customers bring their visions and dreams to life as they embark on their own transformative "Adventure Life" journey.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Raghu Bala is Founder of UnifyGPT.ai, an AI startup, based in Orange County, California. UnifyGPT produces AI and Autonomous Agents for Enterprises. He is an experienced technology entrepreneur and is an alumnus of Yahoo, Infospace, Automotive.com, PwC, and has had 4 successful startup exits. He is a Board Advisor to OpenFabric.ai – a Layer 1 Protocol for Artificial Intelligence.

Mr. Bala possesses an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), an MS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BA/BS in Math and Computer Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is the Head Managing Instructor for MIT courses in AI, Decentralized Finance, and Blockchain on the 2U platform. He is also an Adjunct Professor at VIT (India), and an ex-Adjunct Lecturer at Columbia University, and a Deeptech Mentor at IIT Madras(India).

He is a published author of books on technical topics and is a frequent contributor online for the last two decades. His latest books include - co-author of “Handbook on Blockchain” for Springer-Verlag publications (2022), and a Contributing Editor of “Step into the Metaverse” from John Wiley Press.

Mr Bala has spoken at several major conferences worldwide including IEEE Smartcomp – Blockchain Panel (Helsinki), Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, Global Foreign Direct Investment Conference in Sydney (Australia) and Huzhou (China), Blockchain Malaysia, IoT India Congress, Google IO, and several more. He is also served as a Board member of AIM - The global industry association that connects, standardizes and advances automatic identification technologies.

His current areas of focus include Product Development, Engineering and Strategy in the startups related to Autonomous Bots, Generative AI, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and the Metaverse. His industrial domain knowledge spans Automotive, Retail, Supply Chain & Logistics, Healthcare, Insurance, Mobile & Wireless, and more.

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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.