AMERICA LOVES
STARTUPS
Juddges and Speakers
AMERICA LOVES
Kyle McCulloch is a finance and risk professional with over 15 years of experience in the financial services, geopolitical cyber risk, and SME spaces. He currently serves as the Director of North America for bizval, a valuation and exit readiness platform headquartered in London.
bizval is an independent business valuation platform that empowers SME owners and advisors with fast, actionable insights to drive growth, maximize value, and prepare for exit success—all delivered through a perfect balance of technology and human support.
bizval has conducted over $30 billion in transactional value with over 4,500 individual valuations across 6 continents.
Previously, Kyle worked for Next Peak and Grindrod Bank where his work focused on risk management and trading. Kyle grew up in South Africa and in his spare time, he will most likely be found at a pool swimming laps or helping up and coming swimmers advance to the next level. Kyle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of South Africa.
Austin Event, AMLS – Director at bizval, Experienced Business Development and Finance Professional
Elena Soboleva is an exited co-founder and former Chief Financial Officer of Honorlock, a leading provider of online testing integrity solutions.
Since its founding in 2014, Elena played a pivotal role in transforming Honorlock from an early-stage concept into a high-growth B2B edtech company. Under her financial leadership, the company secured funding from Defy.vc, Arsenal Growth Equity, and Owl Ventures, scaled its operations, and expanded its reach to universities and corporations worldwide.
Honorlock has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America, earning a place on prestigious lists such as Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, reflecting its significant revenue growth and industry leadership.
Elena’s expertise in financial strategy, operations, and business development was instrumental in Honorlock’s growth and market positioning. Following her successful exit, she transitioned to mentoring and advising startups in the U.S. and emerging markets across Eurasia, with a focus on empowering women entrepreneurs and bridging local talent with global opportunities.
Miami Event, AMLS – Exited EdTech Founder, Financial Leader, Startup Mentor, Advocate for Women Entrepreneurs
Arthur Shalagin is a sales and partnerships leader with extensive experience driving growth in SaaS, healthcare, and tech.
With a legal background and a track record of exceeding quotas, including $280K ARR in two quarters at Justworks, he has built strategic alliances with organizations like Oracle Netsuite and Y Combinator-backed startups. Arthur’s expertise lies in developing scalable solutions, navigating complex challenges, and empowering businesses to achieve sustainable success.
New York Event, AMLS – Former Lawyer, Sales at Zoom and JustWorks
Lindsey Fine helps startups transform founder-led sales into structured, scalable growth engines. With nearly 20 years of experience at industry giants like Salesforce, Meta, Dropbox, and Amazon, she has built and optimized sales strategies at every stage—from early growth to global scale.
As part of the sales teams pre-IPO at Facebook (now Meta) and Dropbox, Lindsey gained firsthand experience in high-growth environments, learning what it takes to drive predictable revenue and long-term success in rapidly scaling companies.
Drawing on a proven track record in founder-led and early-stage sales, Lindsey provides call coaching, ICP definition, deal strategy, and process scaling—giving founders the tools to sell with confidence, navigate complex deals, and build repeatable sales motions that grow with their business.
As a recognized thought leader for Sales Assembly and a keynote speaker, Lindsey has shared her expertise on sales strategy, founder-led selling, and go-to-market execution. She continues to contribute to the broader sales and startup community through mentorship, writing, and industry events.
For founders looking to transition from scrappy selling to sustainable sales growth, Lindsey brings the expertise, strategy, and hands-on coaching to make it happen.
Business Development and Sponsorships, AMLS – Fractional CRO For Startups, Sales at Dropbox, SalesForce
Victoria Yampolsky, CFA, is a serial entrepreneur and an experienced business and finance executive with extensive startup experience. She is the President and Founder of The Startup Station, a CFO advisory and finance education platform for startups and small businesses.
The Startup Station, a CFO advisory and finance education platform, empowers startup founders and business owners to use finance to drive their business forward and accelerate their fundraising process. We help entrepreneurs transform their vision into profitable and fundable businesses.
The Startup Station worked with more than 150 founders one-on-one across 15+ industries and helped them raise $50M+ in venture capital.
More than 1,000 founders have taken The Startup Station’s courses to learn the basics of accounting, valuation, financial modeling, and startup financing. Victoria also teaches at the Bank of America Institute of Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell University.
Previously, Victoria worked for Deutsche Bank Research and was a technology consultant with CapGemini’s Financial Services Division. Victoria holds a Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, in Computer Science, with a minor in Mathematics from Cornell University, and an MBA, with honors, from Columbia Business School.
Co-Founder, AMLS, Strategic CFO, Startup Advisor, Serial Entrepreneur, Author, Advocate for Fair Access to Capital
Irina Sychov is an expert in voice, pitching, and fundraising and the Founder of ANIMA Women, a community supporting women in business. A five-time startup founder, she has extensive experience with family offices in London and Miami. Irina gained recognition for her dynamic presence on the British show X Factor, impressing judges like Simon Cowell, which sharpened her skills in audience engagement and self-marketing—essential tools in the business world.
As a distinguished speaker at global forums such as WEB3 Expoverse and “SHE Talks,” Irina has mentored at the Techstars accelerator in Boston. With 15 years of experience hosting international events, including Business Awards and Startup Conferences across Dubai, Monaco, London, and the USA, she has a proven ability to engage diverse audiences.
As VP of investor and public relations, she successfully raised $500K and guided Dialogue Key to its public offering in 2020. Irina served as a judge for the Startup World Cup at the Microsoft Theater in Boston in August 2024.
Co-Founder, AMLS Fundraising and Voice Expert, Startup World Cup Judge, 15+ Years of Expertise in Producing World-Class Events
Sanford Diday has twenty years of experience building growth companies in technology and business services, where he focuses on corporate and competitive strategy alongside organizational health and corporate governance.
Sanford is the Chief Strategy Officer of PowerUp Globally, a strategic and financial planning non-profit aimed at revenue-generating seed-level female-led ventures. Prior, he was Chief Strategy Officer and Board President with Theia Analytics Group (TAGTM), the world’s first applied analytics Compliance-as-a-Service financial risk-focused generative AI engine. Prior, he was Chief Strategy Officer at JrPixels, a growth engine for startups and middle-market growth companies, where he created hundreds of millions of dollars in brand value for companies like Tweak Software (Autodesk), UFC, Sonim, Chumba, ValueClick, Spike, Net Applications, Tridonic, Virgin, National Geographic, and Opkix. During his tenure, the company was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of “America’s Best Small Businesses.” Additionally, Mr. Diday was listed as one of the “World’s Best 250 Growth Hackers” by GL Research, named a “Startup Whisper” by Technic.ly Media, and listed as a “Growth Expert” in the book The Growth Secret.
Chief Strategy Officer, AMLS, 20+ Years Experience – Corp and Comp Strategy – BTB, BTC, BTG
Danila Palmieri is a seasoned business leader and global consultant with over 20 years of experience in human resources, operations, and corporate strategy across the mining & metallurgy, financial services, and manufacturing industries in Brazil, Latin America, and the United States.
Throughout her executive career, she has held key leadership roles at Grupo Votorantim, Serasa-Experian, and Braskem, specializing in mergers & acquisitions, organizational development, process optimization, leadership development, succession planning, corporate governance, internal audits, quality management, and environmental compliance.
In 2013, she founded Connect Solutions, a consultancy dedicated to helping Brazilian and international companies establish and thrive in the U.S. market, with a strong focus on human capital, governance, and operational excellence. Over the past decade, she has led strategic HR and operational initiatives for companies such as VTEX, TORFRESMA USA, Diatom US Inc., Texas Aircraft, PREMIERPET, Brain4Care, and CRM & Bonus while also advising for Netcom Americas, CSU Digital, Iron Studios, Milestones, and Hebron on international expansion, workforce strategy, and recruiting.
Beyond her consulting work, Danila has played a significant role in strengthening business relations between Brazil and the U.S. In Atlanta, she served as President and Board Member of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce for the Southeast U.S. and as a Board Member of the World Trade Center Atlanta, fostering economic growth and global partnerships. Today, she is on the Board of Career Spring, a non-profit supporting first-generation college students.
Atlanta Event, AMLS – Founder of Connect Solutions, 20 Years Experience in HR, Board Member/Advisor
David Chang is GM, Expert Network at Hunt Club and Founding Member at TBD Angels. As an entrepreneur, he has held operating roles at 6 internet/mobile startups that raised $150m and were acquired for $750m, and he has invested in 100 companies as an angel investor. He was previously the CEO of Gradifi (E*TRADE), EIR at Harvard Business School, and Director of the Babson Summer Venture Program.
David played product and marketing roles at 5 other Boston-based startups. He led PayPal Boston, co-founded the Start Tank innovation space, and held roles at Tripadvisor (IAC), m-Qube (Verisign), edocs (Siebel), SnapMyLife (Exclaim Mobility), and Goldman Sachs.
As a leader in the entrepreneurship community, he evangelizes startups, talent, and the Boston tech ecosystem. Awards include The Boston Globe’s Tech Power Players 50, Boston Business Journal’s Power 50: Most Influential Bostonians, BostInno’s 50 on Fire: Education Winner / Investment Winner / Tech Finalist, Finalist for NEVY Angel of the Year and Startup Boston Community Builder of the Year.
David holds a BS with Distinction in Computer Science from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Investor Relations and Ecosystem Development, AMLS, Angel Investor, 6x Entrepreneur
Leah Nurik is the founder of Gabriel Marketing (GMG), one of the most sought-after high-tech PR and marketing firms in North America. She is an award-winning communications strategist with over 20 years of experience in the high-tech industry. Under her leadership, GMG has successfully supported more than 300 clients across various industries—from venture-funded startups preparing to launch to established public companies seeking to accelerate adoption. Notably, over 25 of GMG’s clients have achieved successful exits through profitable acquisitions.
With a team of highly skilled and ethical professionals who thrive in a culture of agility, transparency, and innovation, GMG has earned more than 90 industry awards for excellence in its work.
Leah has been named to PR News’ prestigious “One to Watch” list and has been recognized multiple times by DC Inno as one of Washington D.C.’s “50 on Fire” leaders. She is also a recipient of the SmartCEO BRAVA Award, which honors her dynamic involvement in the D.C. tech community and her charitable contributions.
Leah holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. She has also studied at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Boston College, and the University of Granada and University of Deusto in Spain.
Marketing and PR, AMLS – An Award-Winning Communications Strategist, 20+ Years of Experience
