AJS SPEAKERS & SOHO PROS
WHAT IS A SOHO PRO?
A SoHo Pro is an expert in their field; an AJS partner who provides information and actionable content based on their extensive knowledge, experience, and passion for all facets of the jewelry industry; an advocate for and friend to the industry who shares the desire for the jewelry industry as a whole to continue to grow and thrive.
MEET THE SOHO PROS!
Attend the upcoming day of pre-show education on Friday, March 10, 2023 and meet the SoHo Pros in person! Once you register and receive your individual show registration confirmation email, you will be able to register for all offerings including the opportunity to have complimentary lunch with the SoHo Pro's.
This is the perfect opportunity to meet industry experts with the answers to your questions. The SoHo Show is the most important show of the year, offering expert advice, and top-notch education paired with two days of shopping the show floor with our exciting list of exhibitors.
Aleah Arundale
Owner and your Diamond Gal, Olympian Diamonds, Founder of Jewelers Helping Jewelers
Some might consider selling diamonds a skill or even an art form. For Aleah, it’s more like a natural instinct. Aleah Arundale is a 3rd generation GIA Graduate Gemologist, and a 5th generation jeweler turned loose diamond wholesaler. Selling diamonds on the road taught her endless jewelry-selling tips, which she shares in a 12,000-member strong (and extremely loved) weekly newsletter. She is a regular contributor to every major jewelry magazine. Aleah’s creativity and generosity are only matched by her legendary dedication to helping retail jewelers. Her motto is: “Let’s help each other shine,” and her endless love of retail jewelers led her to create the largest group of retail jewelers in America: a Facebook group called “Jewelers Helping Jewelers.” JHJ connects 15,000 jewelers in real-time, 24/7.
Rebekah Anderson
Owner, Earth Pebbles
Rebekah Anderson is a professional graduate gemologist with more than 30 years of experience in the jewelry industry. She is a former instructor for the Gemological Institute of America.
As an independent and accredited jewelry appraiser, Rebekah works with clients in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Wake Forrest, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding Triangle area. Additionally, Rebekah works with clients worldwide, buying and selling vintage and estate jewelry. She is a resource for the retail jeweler as a trunk show provider for estate and vintage jewelry events.
Tiffany Bayley
Founder and CEO, THRIVE Consulting
Tiffany has over three decades of experience in retail sales, marketing and coaching, she has become a sought-after speaker in our industry and others. You can often find her featured in industry publications like, JCK Magazine and Southern Jewelry News. Last year she completed her first book, THRIVE with Facebook Live! that quickly became an industry sensation. Tiffany has since founded a consulting company where she connects with retailers to elevate their virtual presence. When she’s not busy designing jewelry in one of her retail locations, speaking, coaching or writing, it’s probably a Wednesday, when she hosts her own virtual shopping show that is streamed weekly to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube called Shop with Tiffany LIVE! with thousands of followers.
Guy Borenstein, F.G.A., E.G.G.
Senior Gemologist, Stuller, Inc.
Guy Borenstein, FGA EGG, is Stuller's Senior Gemologist leading the company's comprehensive diamond screening and gemological testing operations at the company's global facilities. Besides directing a fully-equipped, high-volume gemological laboratory operations, Borenstein's other responsibilities include developing screening protocols for all diamonds and gemstones and conducting training of associates at all company facilities involved in the processes. He continuously researches for evolving new technology-based screening and identification solutions and adopts the best practices into the company's internal workflow processes. Before joining Stuller in May 2021, Borenstein served for 15 years in various gemological capacities, including Chief Gemologist in two gemological laboratories, VP Gemological Services in the gem color analysis startup Gemewizard, FGA Gemmology Diploma tutor at Gem-A (Gemmological Association of Great Britain), and consultant to numerous institutes and companies worldwide. Borenstein also published numerous scientific articles in leading journals, including GIA's Gems and Gemology and Gem-A's Journal of Gemmology, covering new discoveries in the field of gemology.
Andrea Hill
Founder and CEO, Strategy Werx, Hill Management Group, LLC
Andrea Hill owns Hill Management Group LLC (HMG), providing strategic consulting, professional development, business development, branding, and marketing services to small and mid-sized businesses. With over 35 years of professional experience as the CEO and/or president of start-up through mid-sized companies in the luxury, apparel, consumer goods, and direct marketing industries, Andrea has demonstrated serial success in leading companies through rapid and profitable growth.In 2007 she started HMG as a management consultancy, doing business as the brand StrategyWerx. It quickly became clear that her clients could not find digital marketing agencies prepared to support the strategies they were developing, so in 2008 she launched WerxMarketing to fill the need for a marketing agency deeply knowledgeable in marketing theory and practice and facile in the rapidly emerging and changing digital landscape. Since then, HMG has launched two more brands, MentorWerx and ProsperWerx, both dedicated to helping small business owners grow profitably and competitively.
Cindy Chandler
Director of Education, Atlanta Jewelry Show
Cindy has an extensive background in buying, sales, retail management, gemology, and jewelry design, Cindy Chandler knows the worlds of fine jewelry and retail inside out. After earning her Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America, she became an instructor at GIA. Cindy then worked as group manager, regional training manager, and human resource management roles at Macy’s. That experience sparked a lifelong passion for mentoring and educating retail jewelers. This led her to the American Gem Society, where she served as Deputy Executive Director and added association management to her skill set. As Associate Show Director for the SMART Jewelry Show/SmartWork Media, Cindy continued to empower retailers with her knowledge, experience, and love of the business. Currently, Cindy is working on projects that benefit from her knowledge in retail and association management, sales, gemology, marketing, public relations, and customer service. Contact her if you have a project or job that would benefit from her experience and creativity.
Terry Chandler
President and CEO, Diamond Council of America
Terry’s forty-year retail jewelry career began as a trainee for what was then a small family-owned chain of four jewelry stores Michelson Jewelers. He was a store manager, supervisor, Senior Vice President, and partner, in the chain that grew to twelve stores. Terry has been involved in every aspect of the retail jewelry industry including training, operations, development, management and, now, distance education and association management.
He accepted the full-time role of President/CEO of the Diamond Council in February of 2001. During his tenure, the Diamond Council has grown from seventy members representing approximately twelve hundred stores to one of the industry’s leading education and training resources, now with over 300 members representing over four thousand retail jewelry stores in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In 2017 Terry, along with the DCA Board of Directors and the Board of Jewelers of America, completed a three-year effort that would lead to DCA becoming an affiliate of Jewelers of America and relocating the DCA offices to New York City.
Terry is a 1994 inductee into Alpha Beta Kappa, the National Honor Society of the Diamond Council of America. Terry received the American Gem Societies prestigious Triple Zero Award in 2018 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 24 Karat Club of Southern California in 2019.
He accepted the full-time role of President/CEO of the Diamond Council in February of 2001. During his tenure, the Diamond Council has grown from seventy members representing approximately twelve hundred stores to one of the industry’s leading education and training resources, now with over 300 members representing over four thousand retail jewelry stores in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In 2017 Terry, along with the DCA Board of Directors and the Board of Jewelers of America, completed a three-year effort that would lead to DCA becoming an affiliate of Jewelers of America and relocating the DCA offices to New York City.
Terry is a 1994 inductee into Alpha Beta Kappa, the National Honor Society of the Diamond Council of America. Terry received the American Gem Societies prestigious Triple Zero Award in 2018 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 24 Karat Club of Southern California in 2019.
Joel McFadden
Designer & Owner, Joel McFadden Designs
Custom guru Joel McFadden is the owner of Joel McFadden Designs in Chapel Hill, NC. He developed a pricing system for repairs that he will share in his session. He has operated a custom shop for over 30 years and was selected as MJSA's first Mentor Jeweler. His knowledge of the custom jewelry business allowed him to be the first director of the Council of Custom Jewelers.
Lee Wiser McIntosh
Content Strategist, The Jewel Vox
Join me at the pre-show conference to learn how to use content and context to transform your customers into expert buyers. Lee Wiser McIntosh's path to her home in jewelry was at once circuitous and intentional. Her obsession with beauty, sensitive imagery, and words has guided her career. Armed with a degree in Finance and Art, her left brain/right brain thrived in the film business as a writer, producer and director’s agent and she's ready to put that mindset to work for you. Experienced Content Strategist with a demonstrated history of working in the jewelry industry and luxury sectors. Skilled in Copywriting, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Jewelry Design, and Content Development. Strong media and communication skills and graduate of GIA. The Jewel Vox provides comprehensive content strategies for creative entrepreneurs and the contemporary jewelry professional. Every word, every email, every post is intentional. Designed to build relationships with your customers and convert your digital assets to sales. Your email campaigns, e-commerce website, and blog speak for you......loud and clear.A calm voice, creative analysis, and unconventional observations that will transform your business. I focus on creating value that complements your current situation, staff and marketing budget. I use words and pictures to create engaging content through blogs, email campaigns, and brand imagery. Marketing by a creative, for creatives.
Grant Mobley
Jewelry & Watch Editor, Only Natural Diamonds
Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds and the NaturalDiamond Council and writer and contributor of diamond and diamond industry-focused content. He comes with 15 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores as well as jewelry sourcing and manufacturing in China and Thailand, and prior to the NDC, leading sales for Pluczenik, a world-leading diamondsightholder. He is a GIA graduate and a sought-after diamond and jewelry expert that has been featured in multiple publications such as The New York Times, Brides, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Buzzfeed. He has also appeared as a diamond expert on Fox, NBC, CBS, and more, including red carpet coverage for the SAG Awards and The Oscars on E! and People Magazine. His Instagram, which gives a daily dose of the world’s most incredible jewelry, is followed by more than 110 thousand people.
George Prout
President independent Division, Craft Lab Grown Diamonds
For the past thirty years, George has served as Senior Manager at some of the largest Jewelry Suppliers in America. His affiliations with Town & Country, GDM, and Ashi during the 80’s, 90’s, and the first decade of this century came during periods where each respective company became the largest supplier of diamond jewelry to Independents. During the past 13 years as Chief Marketing Officer at Gems One Corporation, George has brought a unique consumer-centric perspective, in which trend analysis and consumer buying patterns have become central elements in creating one of the largest Omnichannel marketing platforms in the jewelry industry. In his capacity as a columnist for Southern Jewelry News, George has written over 60 articles on how fundamental marketing concepts can be applied in the jewelry retailing environment. He has also served as a Keynote speaker at state jewelry conventions throughout America, and has lectured extensively on retail store management techniques at the Edge Retail Academy. George is currently writing a book on the Neurophysiology of Advertising, and actively pursues offshore sailing and fly fishing as hobbies (when his life as a workaholic allows him to do so).
Louis Scholz
Owner, St. John and Meyers
Louis has been in the jewelry industry for almost 40 years, with his primary focus being on antique and period jewelry and cufflink manufacturing. He is a member of the American Gem Society (AGS), the Manufacturing Jewelers (MJSA) the Diamond Council of America (DCA), and the 24K Club, Southeastern Guild. His company, Brixton & Gill, was the first British manufacturing firm admitted to the American Gemological Society.
Before starting his own wholesale antique jewelry company, Louis worked as a jewelry repair person, as an assayer in a gold refinery, and as a partner in an antique store in Baltimore, Maryland. In the mid-1980s, Louis discovered his true penchant—the search, acquisition, and conservation of antique and period jewelry.
Before starting his own wholesale antique jewelry company, Louis worked as a jewelry repair person, as an assayer in a gold refinery, and as a partner in an antique store in Baltimore, Maryland. In the mid-1980s, Louis discovered his true penchant—the search, acquisition, and conservation of antique and period jewelry.
Jennifer Shaheen
Founder & President, Technology Therapy Group
Expertly guiding business owners through the intersection of marketing and technology for the past 15 years, Jennifer Shaheen has a unique expertise that combines technical prowess, entrepreneurial insight, and marketing acumen. Her marketing strategy, brand development, and small business operations skills have been engaged in the retail, manufacturing, hospitality, health care, and travel industries. A thought leader and visionary, Jennifer seeks continually to translate today’s digital mysteries into understandable, accessible, actionable information. In addition to teaching at Social Media Marketing University and contributing technology articles to Bank of America’s Community Forum, Jennifer has appeared repeatedly on MSNBC’s Your Money with JJ Ramberg, to discuss entrepreneurial and business management issues.
Specialties: Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Email Marketing, Lead Nurturing
Matthew Tratner
General Manager and Vice President, Sarine Technologies North America
Matthew Tratner’s almost two decades of experience in the jewelry industry spans manufacturing, e-commerce, project development, retail sales, publishing, and marketing. He has been heading Sarine’s North American subsidiary since January 2022. Tratner’s past positions include Director, Global Business Development at GIA, Director of Membership & Sales for Jewelers of America, and Publisher of National Jeweler. Tratner started his career at a family jewelry manufacturer on New York City’s 47th street where he split his days between the office and the road selling to retail jewelers. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Empire State College and an Accredited Jewelry Professional Diploma (AJP) from GIA.
Ian Van Slyke
Apple Certified Pro and Founder, Mac-Learn
Ian opened Mac Learn for business in February 2014 after working with Apple technology for over 20 years, including working for Apple as a trainer for a few years. Ian aims to provide a dependable and affordable service for those who prefer to receive support and training at their home, business, schools, or organization. He aims to help you resolve technical issues rapidly and at reasonable rates. Additionally, he also tries to make training educational, fun and entertaining as often as possible. Ian has been using Apple computers since 1994, initially for graphic design programs and later for use with different music production and web design software as well. In the last fifteen years, Ian has spent a lot of time using and learning various programs related to business, music, design, photography, and other subjects. From 2008 to 2012, Ian worked at the Apple Store at Lenox Square as a trainer, teaching people how to use their Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Working for Apple, where he learned a great deal about the many ways people like to use their Apple products, and he can now use that knowledge in an environment that is not as crowded or busy as a typical Apple store.