Susan Bierly is not just a business owner; she is a seasoned professional with a diverse range of expertise. With over 35 years of experience as a business owner, 40 years as a sales trainer and 37 years of networking experience, she has the knowledge and skills to help you succeed in your professional journey.

Bierly’s leadership style is inspirational, motivational and fun! Hearing things like “My business has doubled since working with you,” “You have changed my life” and “Thank you for all you do” is what keeps her passion and desire thriving – she firmly believes your success is her success.

Bierly is the president of IMC Water & Air and the owner of MasterMind Professional Development, LLC. She was also a founding member of The CORE Networking, LLC. Bierlyhas a strong passion for giving back through mentoring, training, volunteering and supporting the community.

One of Bierly most fulfilling achievements was mentoring a young high school girl. This personal connection to her work is what drives her. This young person has since overcome her struggles, graduated from high school with honors and is now pursuing her dreams at the University of Maryland. Bierly’s story is a testament to the power of mentorship and personal growth.

Bierly is from Louisville, Kentucky, and is one of eight children. She has been married for 39 years and lives in Poolesville, Maryland. She has two grown [awesome] children and two [adorable] grandsons.

As a civil engineer with the government, Jennifer McCloskey works on one of the largest construction projects in the world. She is also the owner of Girardi Associates, a corporate training and executive coaching company with the goal of elevating business professionals worldwide. McCloskey’s clients include Amazon and Lululemon. She is an author and has been the keynote speaker at several events, including seminars in India and South Africa, and is excited to share her networking tips with AcceleRISE.

Kabir Maiga is a recognized expert and thought leader in decentralized and self-sovereign identity technologies. With over 15 years of industry experience, he has built a reputation for his deep technical expertise, innovative thinking and ability to translate complex concepts into accessible insights.

Maiga, a seasoned entrepreneur, has been named a Forbes Next 1000 and has been awarded multiple CES Innovation Awards, the HITEC Innovation Award, an IoT World award, the Rising Star Entrepreneur award by NEF and the Top Entrepreneur distinction by Co-pace. He holds an MSE from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Maiga is the CEO of PassiveBolt, a company he spun off from Continental Automotive, leveraging their experience in designing and deploying access control hardware and software for over 120 million vehicles globally. Under his leadership, PassiveBolt has developed and launched the patented KeyShare technology, a first-of-its-kind self-sovereign identity platform designed to address the shortcomings of traditional centralized systems.

Maiga’s commitment to the security industry extends beyond PassiveBolt. He founded the NFID Foundation to provide the security industry with a verifiable data registry, enabling self-sovereign identity applications. Maiga has also authored a white paper discussing the applications of decentralized identity in the security industry.

Esteban Pastor – senior product manager at ZKTeco USA – plays a pivotal role in guiding cross-functional teams on a global scale. His responsibilities encompass the entire product development life cycle, from conceptualization to delivery, with a focus on strategically promoting cutting-edge access control hardware and software solutions. Pastor began his journey as a technical support engineer, and over the past eight years, he has continued to expand his knowledge and garnered recognition within the industry, receiving accolades such as the SIA RISE Scholarship and the Denis Hébert Identity Management Scholarship and being named among Security Systems News’ 2023 “40 Under 40.” Active in knowledge sharing and industry dialogue, Pastor is vice chair of the SIA RISE community and has participated in events and panels such as ISC East and West, GSX, Peak IDV Live, Intersec and more.

Angie Barnes has 30 years of experience in the security business in cash logistics and physical security. She has held positions in strategic sales for Brink’s Inc., in the cash logistics space, managing the company’s largest national customer portfolio. Over the last 18 years at NAVCO, Barnes has held positions in business development and as director of marketing, vice president of sales and now executive vice president of sales. Her focus has been on the development of the NAVCO sales team and delivering regional and national business opportunities for strategic growth in the United States. Barnes is also a monthly article contributor and member of the Forbes Business Development Council since 2020.

Amy Musanti is the director of sustainable building solutions for ASSA ABLOY in New Haven, Connecticut. She joined ASSA ABLOY in 2007 and has held a variety of positions across numerous divisions in customer service, marketing, sales and sustainability. Musanti helps to make the group’s products and processes more sustainable by supporting business opportunities for ASSA ABLOY solutions that contribute to energy efficiency and wellness in the commercial and institutional construction industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication with a minor in information technology from Monmouth University and a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac University, where she is an adjunct faculty in the School of Business.