Thursday, October 22 | 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Mohegan Pennsylvania
1280 PA-315 | Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
About
EDGE brings together small business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from across Northeast Pennsylvania for a practical and inspiring half-day conference designed to help local businesses thrive in today’s evolving marketplace. Built for the businesses that keep our communities moving forward, EDGE Summit delivers meaningful networking opportunities, expert insight, and real-world strategies that attendees can put into action immediately.
Conference sessions focus on key areas impacting today’s small businesses, including Business Development, Marketing, Technology & Innovation, and Workforce & Culture. Attendees will gain fresh perspectives, useful tools, and valuable connections to help strengthen operations, reach new customers, adapt to change, and build long-term success right here in Northeast PA.
Dr. Mehmet F. Bastug is the director of the master of science in Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity program and an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology at the University of Scranton.
Dr. Bastug previously taught at institutions in the United States and Canada and has published more than 30 research papers, including peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and has presented his research at academic conferences.
Dr. Bastug holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers University and a graduate certificate in cybersecurity from Harvard University. He is a certified ethical hacker, a CEH Hall of Fame inductee and a recipient of the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award.
Steve Brown is a campus pastor at LCBC Church, where he leads staff and more than 400 volunteers and helps shape the guest experience for the church.
Brown has served the church for more than a decade and has worked with several community organizations and schools. In addition, Brown also owns a coffee-roasting business and operates a mobile coffee trailer.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from Clarks Summit University and a Master of Divinity from Baptist Bible Seminary.
Emily Englert is a training associate at The CORE Academy, where she supports professional development and delivers educational programs for individuals, teams and organizations.
Englert has more than seven years of experience in client support, behavioral health and training facilitation.
Englert holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University and is pursuing master’s degrees in social work and criminal justice at Marywood University.
Elizabeth Keiper-Aguirre is the owner and executive director of WellKind School for Early Learners. She is also the founder of Life Purposely and host of the Life Purposely Podcast.
Keiper-Aguirre has more than 15 years of experience building and leading mission-driven organizations focused on helping people flourish.
Her expertise includes self-leadership, workplace culture, employee well-being, leadership development and organizational change.
Keiper-Aguirre earned a master’s degree in public administration from Norwich University and a bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified as a master life and health coach, functional nutrition counselor and Functional Nutrition Alliance practitioner.
Brian Reese is the chief information officer at Reese Networking and a professor of information technology and cybersecurity at Penn State University.
Reese has more than 19 years of experience in information technology, with expertise in cloud computing, computer virtualization and cybersecurity.
Reese also holds numerous industry certifications and specializes in cybersecurity, including protection against email- and network-based attacks. He earned a master’s degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations from Penn State.
Elizabeth Reichelt is an industrial engineer and the chief executive officer of Advanced Interface Solutions, where she helps businesses improve connectivity, reduce vendor sprawl and implement smart IT solutions.
Reichelt previously spent nearly seven years with Procter & Gamble, managing $100 million in manufacturing assets and generating more than $1 million in annual savings.
Reichelt earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and management engineering, magna cum laude, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Dave Sebestyen serves as a technology engineer and solutions consultant dedicated to helping organizations navigate complex digital transformations.
Combining broad technical breadth with practical execution, Sebestyen is a seasoned generalist with broad exposure across all domains of technology. He brings a holistic perspective to system architecture, infrastructure, and IT strategy. Nationwide, business leaders rely on his complimentary consultations to evaluate emerging tools and design future-ready systems. Recently, Dave put his deep optimization expertise to work by helping a key partner restructure and optimize a multi-million-dollar monthly cloud deployment.
Sebestyen has more than thirty years of experience working in the technology sector. He received a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and has a certificate of Professional Achievement in Data Communication Systems from Northeastern University.
Dr. Frank Sorokach is a leadership and management expert with both practical and academic experience. Dr. Sorokach is an Associate Professor of Business and Economics at Penn State University. His research is specifically focused on the application of new concepts and systems to improve efficiency. This includes the integration of not only technology, but also new management theory in the business environment.
With more than thirty years of applied management experience in varied disciplines, Sorokach’s general focus is on organizational improvement through the development of systems and personnel. In addition, he is also the lead author of the Microsoft Office 365: A Skills Approach 2024 Edition for McGraw Hill.
Dr. Sorokach is also an entrepreneur. He owns several businesses. He received his bachelor’s degree from Misericordia University, his master’s degree from Wilkes University and his doctorate from Drexel University.
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