Biz Hero Solutions Lab: The People in the Room
A Collective of Experts, Builders, and Practitioners
There’s a common assumption about events like this.
That the value comes from a speaker.
A stage.
A single voice with answers.
That’s not what this is.
This Is a Room Built for Real Work
The Biz Hero Solutions Lab on June 8th, 2026 is powered by a network of subject matter experts—but more importantly, it’s built around people who have actually done the work.
Not theory.
Not surface-level advice.
Real experience, across business, nonprofit leadership, operations, growth, creativity, and human development.
These are people who have:
built organizations
navigated uncertainty
scaled ideas
supported others through complexity
And they’re showing up not to perform—but to engage.
Meet the Experts Supporting the Lab
💰 Veronica Edwards, CPA
Finances & Administration
Veronica brings over 20 years of experience helping businesses turn financial confusion into clarity.
She’s the kind of expert who doesn’t just “do the numbers”—she helps you understand what they actually mean, so you can make confident decisions. Through Balanced Virtually LLC and The Veronica Edwards Show, she’s helped countless entrepreneurs—especially small, minority, and women-owned businesses—build financial systems that are sustainable, not overwhelming.
If your challenge touches money, structure, or sustainability—this is the lens that will help you come June 8th.
🧭 Johanna Patrice Hagarty (JPH)
Business & Nonprofit Development
(FULL TRANSPARENCY: it’s a bit awkard writing your own bio in 3rd person but it is all true)…
With 15+ years of experience, over $500M in qualified leads generated, and millions in funding secured, Johanna’s work sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and growth because she believes that small businesses can heal communities, create connection, and galvanize meaningful change.
As the Founder of Biz Hero and the Mission Critical Method™, she helps organizations move from scattered effort to aligned, sustainable development—securing funding, building partnerships, and creating systems that actually support long-term impact.
Her role in the lab isn’t just to guide—it’s to help participants reconnect to what actually moves their mission forward.
⚙️ Kent Spillmann
Operations & Project Management
Kent is the person you want when ideas need to become reality.
With a background that blends organizational psychology, business, data analysis, and over two decades as a professional musician, he brings a rare ability to translate vision into execution.
As COO of Biz Hero, he helps teams build systems, partnerships, and workflows that are not just efficient—but aligned and sustainable.
If you’ve ever felt like “we have the idea, but don’t know how to implement it”—this is where that gap gets bridged.
🧠 Ali McGhee, PDH
Personal Development & Leadership
Ali’s work goes far beyond traditional leadership development—and her experience reflects that breadth.
With a background spanning marketing, communications, creative leadership, community development, media, and civic engagement, she brings a uniquely human lens to the way people and organizations grow. Her work has included everything from storytelling and cultural programming to public art advocacy and transformational education.
Through Enneagram-based practices, somatic work, and creative expression, she helps individuals and teams better understand how they show up—especially during seasons of pressure, transition, and growth.
As Director of The Enneagram School of Awakening, author of The Embodied Enneagram, and longtime host of Award Winning Radio Show Slumber Party on Asheville FM, Ali brings tools that support not just strategy—but self-awareness, resilience, and transformation.
Because sometimes the biggest barrier to growth isn’t external—it’s internal.
📈 Duane C. Adams
Strategy & Development
With over a decade at A-B Tech’s Small Business Center and more than 6,000 hours of counseling delivered, Duane has helped launch nearly 200 businesses.
He has a gift for taking complex, overwhelming challenges and turning them into clear, actionable steps.
Whether it’s business models, growth planning, or navigating uncertainty—he brings grounded, practical guidance that helps people move forward with confidence.
🚀 Rachel Affrich
Growth Strategy & Marketing Systems
Rachel specializes in helping founders scale without chaos.
With 14 years of experience and over $15M in growth supported, she focuses on diagnosing what’s actually holding a business back—and building the systems to fix it.
As Founder of Found Forward and Co-Founder at Hive Ambition, Rachel supports ambitious founders who are ready for their next level—but need clarity on how to get there.
🎨 Ashley Lieb
Creative Production & Partnerships
Ashley brings a perspective that many organizations overlook: the power of creativity as a growth strategy.
As the founder of HoneyCreekPottery, she has built a thriving business rooted in community, events, and experience-driven partnerships.
Her work blends art, wellness, and business—showing how creativity can be both expressive and scalable.
🎯 Alyssa Phillips
Branding & Creative Direction
Alyssa helps organizations align how they look, feel, and communicate with where they’re actually going.
As Founder of Amp’d Designs, she works with established businesses to elevate their brand identity across websites, visuals, and packaging—ensuring consistency, clarity, and impact.
Because growth often requires not just better strategy—but better expression.
And Then There’s the Rest of the Room
Here’s what matters just as much:
Every participant is bringing lived experience.
Challenges they’ve navigated.
Decisions they’ve made.
Things they’ve tried, tested, and learned.
That means the room itself becomes a resource.
Not just expert → participant.
But participant → participant.
Insight moves in every direction.
Why This Matters
Because the best solutions don’t come from one perspective.
They come from:
multiple lenses
honest conversation
and people willing to engage with what’s real
That’s what this space is designed for.
Beyond The Lab
The support doesn’t end when the Solutions Lab does.
Several of the subject matter experts participating in the lab will also be identifying select organizations for continued pro bono support following the event—helping turn ideas and breakthroughs into real implementation.
That support may include things like:
financial consulting and systems support
marketing and branding guidance
operational strategy and project management
leadership development and organizational alignment
fundraising, partnerships, and growth planning
and a new program Biz Hero is working on for those ready to continue the work
Participants who fully engage in the experience are also considered for Q3 2026 (July - September) Biz Hero’s Jumpstart Program—a signature initiative where Biz Hero invests $10,000–$20,000 in strategic services into a Western North Carolina organization (it’s home community) ready for its next phase of growth and impact.
Because the goal isn’t just inspiration for a day.
It’s creating momentum that continues after the room clears.
So If You’re Coming…
Come ready to:
share what you’re working on
listen to others
think differently
and engage fully
Because the value of this experience isn’t just who is facilitating it.
It’s who is in the room—and we’re thrilled by the caliber of founders, leaders, and visionaries already registering.
If you know this is the kind of room you’re meant to be in, we’d love to have you there.
👉 Be part of the Solutions Lab: bizherohq.com/solutions-lab
And as always, keep building boldly!
-Johanna Patrice Hagarty (JPH)
