Kickoff Keynote

John Lewis is a founder of his law firm, dedicates his focus to assisting clients in building their business value, including M&A, succession planning and corporate governance. John's passion comes from his childhood involvement in his father's trucking business, including being thrust into running the business and selling it when his father suddenly died when John was 29.

George Pilafas is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Continuim Equity Partners. George has spent his entire career investing in and advising industrial businesses. Previously, George was a Vice President at PNC Mezzanine Capital and was an investment banker at Stephens in New York. As a Pittsburgh native, George is focused on investing in the Region and building world class businesses.

As the CEO of Level Agency, Patrick Patterson has led the performance marketing agency to success with annual revenue growth of 30% or more and a 4X increase in profit margin. Prior to joining Level, Patterson managed a budget of over $30 million on the client side and implemented lean methodology at a technology startup. Under Patterson's leadership, Level Agency aims to be the go-to agency for clients seeking measurable results through platform excellence, compelling creative, client partnership, and continuous innovation.