Pathos Communications and PathosMind Unveil Ten Thought Leaders Driving Change

Pathos Communications and PathosMind are proud to present a curated list of ten standout thought leaders who are making a meaningful impact across their industries. These innovators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries are shaping conversations, driving progress, and setting new standards for leadership in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. This feature highlights their insights, influence, and the ideas positioning them at the forefront of change.

Terri Peters

Terri Peters is the founder and Lead Tax Strategist of Tax Time Ledgers, a nationwide tax strategy and advisory firm serving clients across the United States. Based in Naples, Florida, she is an Enrolled Agent licensed to practice before the IRS and holds the designation of Main Street Certified Tax Advisor (MSCTA).

Terri’s work centers on helping taxpayers use the tax code proactively as a long-term financial tool rather than treating taxes as a once-a-year compliance task. She partners with individuals, families, investors, and business owners to identify, implement, and properly report tax strategies that reduce tax exposure, protect assets, and support the creation of long-term passive cash flow.

Her professional background includes experience with Deloitte & Touche in the Entrepreneur Division, along with roles as a controller, senior tax accountant, and part-time CFO. This foundation gives her both technical depth and practical insight into how tax decisions affect cash flow, investment flexibility, and long-term financial outcomes.

Terri completed advanced training through Mark J. Kohler’s Main Street Tax Strategies program and has co-taught multiple tax strategy subjects, contributing to professional education initiatives. She has also participated as a panelist at the Kohler Tax & Legal Conference.

A key area of Terri’s expertise involves integrating tax strategy with alternative investments such as oil and gas, precious metals, cryptocurrency, real estate, and promissory note investing, often through self-directed retirement accounts. She works with W-2 earners, self-employed professionals, investors, and business owners, delivering strategic clarity through a high-touch, education-driven advisory model.

Lee Werrell

Lee Werrell is the founder and Principal Consultant of Compliance Consultant UK, a specialist regulatory advisory firm dedicated to helping financial services businesses navigate UK regulation with clarity and confidence. With more than two decades of hands-on experience, he is widely regarded as one of the UK financial services sector’s most trusted compliance practitioners.

Lee built Compliance Consultant UK around a practical philosophy of “Making Compliance Work,” focusing on turning regulatory obligations into structured, commercially viable systems that support sustainable growth. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, and a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a distinction that reflects his rare ability to combine deep regulatory expertise with strong commercial insight. This blend enables firms to achieve and maintain FCA authorization while developing compliant, resilient business models.

Under Lee’s leadership, the consultancy supports FCA-regulated firms across mortgage broking, payment services, investment management, and claims management. Core services include FCA authorization, governance and AML reviews, Consumer Duty implementation, and regulatory risk management. His outcomes-focused approach emphasizes bespoke solutions aligned with each client’s specific risk profile and strategic goals.

Over the last 25 years, recognizing the evolving needs of the market, Lee has expanded the firm’s offerings to include digital compliance tools, making high-quality regulatory resources accessible to smaller firms. Today, Compliance Consultant UK operates with a team of seven qualified consultants, delivering complex projects while maintaining a personalized, hands-on service model. Lee remains actively engaged with regulatory developments and is known for sharing practical insights that help elevate compliance standards across the industry.

M. D. Ford

M. D. Ford is the founder of Whispering Horse Books, a children’s publishing brand inspired by her lifelong connection to horses, animals, and Western culture. Raised on a working horse farm, she learned early that horsemanship began long before riding. From feeding and grooming to leading and daily care, she was taught to understand every aspect of life with horses before ever climbing into the saddle. That foundation shaped both her discipline and her storytelling voice.

By the age of five, she was riding regularly, and by seven, she was competing in barrel racing. As her skills developed, she expanded into additional Western disciplines, including reining, showmanship, and trail. Her youth and teen years were spent traveling to competitions, earning more than 500 ribbons and 250 trophies while learning the perseverance and resilience required in rodeo and competitive riding. These experiences now inform the authenticity behind her creative work.

Beyond competition, she strengthened her equine expertise by earning certifications as a veterinary assistant and as an equine massage therapist and kinesiologist, giving her a deeper understanding of horse health, performance, and rehabilitation.

She channels the heart of the rodeo world into the Rocking Horse Rodeo Series, beginning with A Barrel Racer’s Dream, a storybook and activity book created to inspire young readers while celebrating determination, confidence, and compassion for animals. Through Whispering Horse Books, she aims to make reading engaging and meaningful for children ages four to eight, encouraging them to dream boldly and stay connected to the animals they love.

Kevan Ali

Kevan Ali is the founder of the North Jersey Film Industry Conference (NJFIC) and a filmmaker and creative entrepreneur whose work bridges storytelling, business development, and cultural impact. With early exposure to the film and entertainment industry, he built his professional foundation through mentorship, hands-on production experience, and longstanding relationships with Hollywood creatives in Los Angeles.

Today, Kevan is an industry-vetted creative and has built a high-tier network spanning film, television, music, and media, combining artistic vision with real-world execution. He has spent years developing original screenplays and long-form concepts centered on character-driven storytelling and cinematic world-building. This foundation informs his work as a director, where he creates ambitious projects designed to function as standalone productions and proof-of-concept frameworks for larger narratives.

He reentered directing, gaining early momentum at Alpha Fitness, which evolved into the short Emerald Ties, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. His upcoming experimental short film Subversion demonstrates production efficiency, achieving an estimated $250,000 production value on a $10,000 budget through strategic local partnerships. Kevan is now focused on directing feature films and television series.

In addition to his creative work, Kevan serves as Chief Creative Ambassador for the Sparta, New Jersey Film Commission, collaborating with regional leaders to position the area as a film-ready destination. Through NJFIC, he connects Hollywood professionals with New Jersey’s growing production ecosystem, continuing to build momentum within the entertainment industry.

Sujay Kar

Sujay Kar is the co-founder of GIFTSAI, an AI-powered social commerce platform launched in October 2025 to modernize the global gifting industry. A seasoned data and analytics executive, Sujay brings nearly two decades of leadership experience across e-commerce, retail, and technology, where he has delivered more than $300 million in measurable business value by translating advanced data science into scalable customer solutions.

Prior to founding GIFTSAI, Sujay held senior leadership roles at organizations including GE Capital and Experian, as well as direct-to-consumer brands such as Dollar Shave Club, Fabletics, and Curology. Throughout his career, he specialized in artificial intelligence, personalization engines, customer analytics, and digital transformation initiatives that accelerated growth and strengthened customer engagement.

At GIFTSAI, Sujay is driven by a mission to elevate human connection through thoughtful, perfectly matched gifting experiences. By applying enterprise-grade AI and automation, the platform removes friction from gift-giving and transforms it into a meaningful relationship-building tool. GIFTSAI leverages machine learning models that analyze behavioral signals, preference data, and contextual insights to generate highly personalized recommendations for individuals and businesses. The platform also supports enterprise gifting programs with analytics dashboards, automated occasion tracking, and relationship management tools.

Sujay has built a curated ecosystem of premium and artisan brands to ensure quality, authenticity, and emotional resonance across every gifting experience. Through GIFTSAI, he continues to combine technology, human-centered design, and data intelligence to redefine how people and organizations connect in the digital economy.

Steve Cyboran

Steve Cyboran is co-founder and CEO of Humaculture, Inc. and a recognized innovator at the intersection of analytics, human behavior, and organizational performance. With more than 30 years of experience as a consulting actuary and former national practice leader in healthy culture, absence management, and disability strategy, Steve brings rare depth and credibility to modern leadership and workforce design.

He is an architect and advocate of the Humaculture® Topological Model, a groundbreaking framework that reshapes how executives, entrepreneurs, and organizational leaders build resilient, high-performing enterprises across private business, nonprofit organizations, and the public sector. Inspired by sustainable horticulture, the model views the Environment as the broader terrain, the Organization as cultivated “soil” composed of Structures, Assets, and Processes, and People as the drivers of Created Value.

At the core of this philosophy is a systems-first approach that prioritizes strengthening organizational processes rather than forcing individual outcomes. The non-hierarchical Dynamic Matrix connects three Domains and nine Expressions into an integrated system that supports adaptability, accountability, and long-term growth.

Humaculture® also emphasizes equality of opportunity and merit-based talent development, positioning well-being as a foundational contributor to performance. Through practical tools such as HARS™ (Health, Absence, Resilience Support), Steve delivers measurable impact by reducing disability costs, lowering absenteeism, and unlocking sustainable human potential.

Today, Steve is widely regarded as a forward-thinking thought leader, helping merit-focused organizations pursue lasting value creation, resilience, and long-term return on investment.

Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer is the founder of NJ Local Marketing, LLC, a performance-driven digital marketing agency focused on helping home service businesses across New Jersey achieve sustainable local visibility and growth. His entrepreneurial journey began in the early 2000s while working as a Level 2 IT support consultant at Telcordia, formerly Bell Labs, where he first discovered the power of website development and search engine optimization. What started as a simple website project for a local golf league quickly evolved into a passion for ranking businesses at the top of Google search results.

Tom’s hands-on experience building and scaling his own pet sitting and dog walking company into a regional market leader further sharpened his expertise in local SEO and customer acquisition. He later brought this technical skill set to Verizon Wireless, where he served as a technical SEO consultant and resolved more than 110,000 optimization issues in just six months.

In 2018, Tom launched NJ Local Marketing, LLC with a mission to bring transparency, fairness, and proven results to small business marketing. His agency specializes in on-site and off-site SEO, GEO, AEO, and Google Business Profile optimization, supported by monthly multimedia distribution across high-authority media platforms. By focusing on ethical practices and measurable outcomes, Tom continues to help New Jersey service businesses strengthen their digital presence, attract qualified leads, and build long-term market credibility.

Brian McDermott

Brian McDermott is the CEO of Frontera Furniture Company, where he is leading the brand’s next chapter of growth alongside Founder and Chairman Harvin Moore. Together, they are repositioning Frontera to capture a larger share of the premium outdoor living and hospitality furnishings market by blending proprietary product innovation, most notably, The World’s Finest Rockers Collection, with a curated portfolio of respected third-party brands such as Kingsley Bate, Barlow Tyrie, and Ledge Loungers. Under Brian’s leadership, Frontera is focused on delivering resort-level comfort, design-forward environments, and lifestyle-driven experiences that extend beyond furniture to create spaces built for connection, relaxation, and lasting memories across residential and hospitality customers alike.

Brian brings a proven record of scaling organizations and building category-leading brands across retail, e-commerce, consumer goods, and nonprofit enterprises. His career includes transforming underperforming businesses, restoring profitability at Right Start, expanding Leslie’s Poolmart into a national market leader, orchestrating a successful exit at BusyBody, and launching high-growth digital platforms at PartsAmerica.com. Most recently, he also led the expansion of a mission-driven nonprofit organization, strengthening financial stability while broadening community impact.

Known as a vision-forward strategist and operational builder, Brian specializes in aligning teams, product strategy, and customer experience around long-term growth objectives. At Frontera, his focus is on accelerating brand momentum, expanding market reach, and building a platform positioned for sustained leadership in the outdoor lifestyle category.

Dr. Janice Gobert

Dr. Janice Gobert, Ph.D., is the CEO and Co-Founder of Inq-ITS and a globally recognized leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and learning sciences. She is also a Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, bringing more than 25 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating advanced STEM learning and assessment technologies.

As the visionary behind Inq-ITS, Dr. Janice led the creation of a powerful virtual science learning and assessment platform that leverages proprietary AI algorithms to evaluate student competencies, deliver adaptive scaffolding, and provide educators with real-time performance insights and actionable instructional guidance. She is the lead inventor on Inq-ITS’ three core AI assessment algorithms, positioning the platform as a breakthrough solution for personalized, data-driven science education. In addition to her work with Inq-ITS, she holds multiple patents in educational technology, including innovations in eye-tracking systems that are designed to improve learning.

Dr. Janice’s expertise in artificial intelligence and education has earned international recognition. In 2024, she received an Innovation Award from the University of Toronto for her work on Inq-ITS. She has also contributed to high-level policy and research discussions, serving on expert panels for the OECD’s AI and future of skills initiatives, advising the U.S. White House Office of Science and Technology, and providing testimony to the UK Parliament on AI-driven student assessment practices.

Through Inq-ITS, Dr. Janice continues to lead the transformation of science education by combining rigorous cognitive science research with scalable, real-world classroom technology.

Ashley Shock Harris

Mark Harris and Ashley Shock Harris are the founders of Ollin, a purpose-driven family wellness brand created from personal experience, scientific expertise, and a deep commitment to helping children thrive. Their entrepreneurial journey began after their daughter, Emory, overcame an aggressive battle with brain cancer. During her recovery, Emory’s medical team emphasized the importance of gut health and proper nutrition, yet traditional solutions failed to meet her needs due to food aversions, digestive challenges, and nutrient deficiencies.

Drawing on Mark’s scientific background and years of experience developing nutritional supplements, the couple created a gentle, nutrient-dense formula specifically designed to support Emory’s recovery. What began as a solution for their own family quickly demonstrated broader impact, helping other children and families improve their overall wellness.

Recognizing the growing demand for science-backed, transparent, and easy-to-use family supplements, Ashley transitioned from her career in trades administration to build the Ollin brand full-time. Together, Mark and Ashley have shaped Ollin into a mission-led company focused on delivering high-quality products that prioritize simplicity, effectiveness, and trust.

Today, Ollin stands as a reflection of their shared values and vision, blending innovation, compassion, and real-world experience. Through their leadership, the brand continues to expand its reach, offering families accessible wellness solutions while raising awareness and support for children facing chronic illness and long-term health challenges.