How inspiresgenius Works

Bill Brown is a seasoned technology executive and founder/CEO of a product development and consulting company serving Fortune 500 clients. An IBM Distinguished Engineer Emeritus with 35 years at the company, he served as CTO and Architecture Leader at IBM Consulting's Application Engineering Practice, managing a 200-plus-member team. Bill specializes in cloud-native development, AI technologies, enterprise architecture, and application modernization. He has led major transformations for Citigroup, Boeing, Walmart, and Lloyds of London, driving migrations to Google GCP, Azure, and AWS. A Master Inventor with over 90 patents, Bill is a member of the North Carolina Executive Roundtable (NCER).

Mark Tully is a workforce development professional who consults with enterprises and educational institutions using modern neuroscience. He built a progressive commercial career at a Fortune 100 company, achieving senior international leadership roles in operations, marketing and turnaround projects. Mark has spent two decades consulting with enterprises to transform human capital through neuroscience-based approaches, from the front line to the boardroom. His expertise combines science and technology to execute scalable data-driven programs that achieve tangible results in employee retention, performance management, and talent pipelines. Mark pioneered a new talent ecosystem, using applied neuroscience to eliminate silos and connect people to opportunity.

Bob Reuss has extensive experience in corporate management, deal-making, and finance, helping structure and finance numerous acquisitions and startups as an executive, advisor, and investor. He served as financial officer during successful IPOs at International Dairy Queen and Standard Fabrics, then founded Reuss, Thiss and Company for turnaround management. He later held president and senior vice president roles in various industries, specializing in middle-market deals and M&A. In Raleigh's Research Triangle, Bob has worked with companies including North American Video, Arius Pharmaceuticals, and Vaco. He serves on multiple boards and is active in NCER, The Research Triangle Energy Consortium, and Raleigh Economic Discussion Forum.

Jim Cobb is founder and CEO of The Bloodhound Group, a consulting firm providing neuroscience-based qualitative insights, market research, and brand strategy. With over 35 years of branding experience, including as COO and CEO of Howard, Merrell & Partners advertising agency, he launched The Bloodhound Group in 2017. Jim has developed strategies for more than 50 brands across industries including BB&T Bank, Kimberly-Clark, Bausch + Lomb, STIHL, and Welch's. He's an early investor in The Baseball Factory and has extensive baseball coaching experience. Jim serves on the North Carolina Executive Roundtable, Barton College's Board of Advisors, and as adjunct professor at NC State's Poole Graduate School.

Gary Burnette is a technology executive with over 30 years of experience building high-performance teams and delivering innovative solutions. He spent 15 years at IBM in senior roles including Vice President and Data Officer, Enterprise Data Governance leader, and Divisional CIO. Currently Vice President for Kyndryl Consult in Raleigh, NC, he partners with C-suite leaders to develop technology strategies and data solutions. His expertise spans HR, product development, marketing, sales, and M&A, with a proven track record of managing large budgets effectively. Gary serves as Board Chair of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and supports two other nonprofits focused on indigenous American communities.