Kristen Link is currently SVP of Business Banking Integrated Experience Product for U.S. Bank. In this role, she focuses on bringing together the bank’s banking, software, and payments products into one seamless experience for its small businesses. Over the last 20 plus years her scope and charter have grown, from selling banking products to leading consumer credit to building the digital solutions clients need.

For over four decades, Chip Higgins has dedicated his career to empowering small business owners to transform vision into reality. Starting in the management training program at First American National Bank in Nashville in 1984, Chip’s commitment to small business owners led him to executive leadership of small business activities at First American, First Tennessee, and Pinnacle Financial Partners. Chip’s business banking strategies consistently earned each institution national “best brand” recognition by Greenwich Associates. Yet, his true focus has always been serving entrepreneurs directly, recognizing the vital role they play in shaping communities and driving economic progress. That focus ultimately led him away from the banking industry. In April 2024, Chip published The Bizzics Way: Powering Your Small Business to Maximum Momentum under the Forbes imprint. The book built on the profound idea that momentum isn’t just a business buzzword—it’s a universal law that shapes lasting success at every level. The Bizzics Way earned Amazon Bestseller status on presale and ultimately earned #1 Bestseller distinctions in five different Amazon classifications, including Small Business and Self-Employment. Through his Bizzics coaching practice, founded in 2019 and now further enriched by his book, Chip demystifies business and leadership for entrepreneurs, offering both practical tools and encouragement for the journey. In 2025, Chip launched Bizzics On Demand, an AI-assisted thinking partner and coach for small business owners with ultimate scalability and accessibility, 24/7. The agent is trained fully in the context of the text of The Bizzics Way and follows a consistent process of issue identification, ideation, and a practical path forward for every business owner to “take the next best step” in building and sustaining business momentum. What fuels Chip’s work is his conviction that every business owner deserves access to resources, coaching, and a champion in their corner. He shows that with the right guidance and the power of momentum, even the boldest entrepreneurial dreams can make the world a better place—one energized step at a time. Chip holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Middle Tennessee Council, Scouting America.

Maggie is a Senior Vice President and the Regional Bank Small Business and SBA Director for Huntington National Bank, a $200 Billion Dollar Regional Bank based out of Columbus, Ohio. With a background in financial underwriting, commercial closing due diligence, and SBA Program Eligibility, Maggie has built a career specializing in business solutions and is very active as a small business advocate in the communities that Huntington serves. Maggie is currently overseeing the National SBA Franchise and Small Business Teams, with a focus on making and servicing loans from $1,000 – $25 Million in size, throughout the entire small business life cycle beginning at start-up and continuing through $50 Million in revenue size. Working with start-ups on business plans, helping small businesses expand into commercial companies, finding aging owners a generational solution for the sale of their business, and even helping those customers who fall on hard times, small business solutions are her passion. As a member of NAGGL and several other small business associations, Maggie works closely with private and public segment leaders nationwide to communicate Huntington’s mission for small business. She is the business representative on the bank’s ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) Board, focusing on Huntington’s impact on our customers, colleagues, and community. Maggie is also a member of Huntington’s National Community Advisory Council, where she works with community leaders across the Midwest to drive bank policies, procedures, and philanthropy to better support the ever-changing neighborhoods where we are based. Maggie is proud to be the Chair of Huntington’s Political Action Committee (HBI-PAC) enabling meaningful, transparent, and publicly accountable political participation. Maggie earned her BSBA degree from Ohio Dominican University and is a graduate of the CBA Executive School of Banking at Furman University, SC. She was a 40 Under 40 2019 Award winner in Columbus, Ohio, where she resides in with her family. Maggie is on the Board of Directors for ECDI, the nation’s most active small business CDFI. She is currently serving as the President of the Development Board at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is also proud to be celebrating her 14th year as a rider and fundraiser for Pelotonia, a grassroots bike tour in the fight to end cancer.

Mary Ellen Egan is a journalist with more than 25 years of experience in business and investigative journalism. She has been a staff writer and editor at Forbes, The American Lawyer, First Amendment Watch and American Banker. She has freelanced for Bloomberg, Bloomberg Law, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Thomson Reuters. She is currently an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.

Andrew directs the firm’s macro outlook, tactical trades, and cross-asset research, translating data into actionable strategy. He hosts “Two the Point,” a weekly two-minute macro video. Before joining WSFS, Andrew was a Portfolio Strategist at SEI Investments, and an Economist at Moody’s Analytics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Andrew earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Michigan State University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation and was recognized as a 2024 WealthManagement.com “Rising Star.”

Candice Caruso serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Business Banking Officer at WSFS Bank, growing the Bank’s Small Business and SBA Relationships. She leads the division with over 20 years of experience in financial services, including 16 years dedicated to business funding. Since joining WSFS in 2018 as Director of Government Guaranteed Lending, Candice has been instrumental in expanding access to capital for small businesses through innovative SBA and relationship-based lending solutions. Her leadership has helped position WSFS as a go-to partner for business owners seeking personalized, high-impact financial guidance. Candice’s career spans fintech innovation, franchise financing, and tailored funding solutions for both consumers and small businesses. She is a recognized voice in the industry, having been featured on Bloomberg Radio, CNBC’s Closing Bell, The Wall Street Journal, Franchising World, and Fox 29. In 2021, she was honored with the American Banker Next award as part of the Most Powerful Women in Banking.

Danielle Bateman Gironda is Chief Marketing Officer at Midwest BankCentre, where she leads the bank’s marketing, branding, and customer engagement strategies. With over 20years of experience spanning investment banking, private wealth management, casino operations, grocery retail, and community banking, the common thread throughout her career is guiding organizations through transition points, helping them scale for sustainable growth. Danielle’s data-driven and strategic approach has been instrumental in expanding the bank’s market presence and brand strength. Since joining MBC, she has built the marketing function from the ground up, assembling a high-performing team and implementing innovative strategies that drive both top- and bottom-line growth. She has successfully positioned the bank as a differentiated leader in a highly commoditized industry, spearheading initiatives that accelerate new customer acquisition, strengthen retention, and enhance brand equity. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BSBA, magna cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis. Danielle has been recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business by the St. Louis Business Journal, a Top 100 Marketing Executive by the Path to Purchase Institute and a Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer.