Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has thousands of chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Each year, BNI generates millions of referrals resulting in billions of U.S. dollars worth of business for its members. Dr. Misner's Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He has written over 20 books, including many Amazon and New York Times Bestsellers. He is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur.com and has taught business management and social capital courses at several universities throughout the United States. Called the Father of Modern Networking by CNN and the Networking Guru by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. He has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York. Times, as well as numerous TV and radio shows including CNN, CNBC, and the BBC in London. Dr. Misner has been named Humanitarian of the Year by the Red Cross and was awarded the John C. Maxwell Award for Leadership. He is married and lives with his wife Elisabeth in Austin, Texas. In his spare time!!! he is also an amateur magician and a black belt in karate. Stewart Emery co-authored the international bestseller Success Built to Last. He has a lifetime of experience as an entrepreneur, executive coach and leader, and is considered a thought leader of the Human Potential Movement. Rick is a life-long entrepreneur who started his first business, a bicycle repair shop, after the death of his father when he was just 13 years old. Since that time he has founded more than 20 companies. Rick is the seventh of nine children raised by a mo