Connect one-on-one with select Cultivate’27 speakers and industry experts for personalized conversations focused on your business challenges, ideas, and opportunities.
Coach’s Corner is a personalized education experience at Cultivate’27, designed to help attendees go beyond the classroom session and apply ideas directly to their own business.
Through short, one-on-one coaching conversations, attendees can connect directly with experienced horticulture professionals, business leaders, growers, retailers, marketers, and operational experts to discuss real challenges, opportunities, and goals.
Browse Coaches
Review the roster of coaches below and identify the expert who best fits your goals or challenges.
Reserve Your Coaching Session
Click the sign-up button to select an available appointment time and complete the intake form.
Meet One-on-One
Bring your questions, ideas, challenges, or examples from your business for a personalized coaching conversation during Cultivate’26.
Explore the coaches below and reserve time with the experts who best match your business goals, challenges, and interests.
Clint Albin helps garden centers and horticulture businesses modernize operations, improve customer engagement, and embrace emerging technologies in practical, approachable ways. With experience leading conversations around AI, digital innovation, retail strategy, and customer experience, Clint focuses on helping businesses balance traditional horticulture values with the evolving expectations of today’s consumers.
Known for his forward-thinking yet highly practical approach, Clint works with businesses to explore how technology, branding, and operational strategy can work together to strengthen sales, service, and long-term growth.
Operational questions, customer experience challenges, marketing ideas, AI questions, digital strategy concerns, or examples from your business for more personalized brainstorming and discussion.
Rachelle Antinetti helps horticulture and agriculture businesses build stronger leaders, develop resilient teams, and create long-term workforce strategies that support sustainable growth. With more than 20 years of experience spanning horticulture operations, organizational development, workforce training, and strategic planning, Rachelle brings both executive leadership insight and a coach-centered approach to business growth.
As founder of Amplivare and former Vice President of Operations at Dave Wilson Nursery, Rachelle has led large-scale operational initiatives while helping organizations strengthen communication, leadership confidence, and talent pipelines. Her practical and thoughtful coaching style helps businesses navigate leadership challenges, team development, and organizational change with greater clarity and confidence.
Leadership challenges, team development questions, communication concerns, organizational frustrations, or workforce-related goals for more personalized discussion and guidance.
Vicky Cate helps interiorscape and service-based horticulture businesses create stronger operational systems, improve team accountability, and build processes that support long-term growth and consistency. With extensive experience in plant service operations and organizational development, Vicky specializes in helping businesses turn everyday workflows and protocols into systems that improve performance, communication, and customer experience.
Known for her practical and solutions-focused approach, Vicky works with businesses to identify operational gaps, strengthen service standards, and create clearer expectations that help teams perform more consistently and efficiently.
Operational frustrations, workflow questions, service challenges, communication concerns, or examples from your business for more personalized troubleshooting and discussion.
Gerson “Gary” Cortes helps greenhouse and nursery businesses improve operational efficiency, labor performance, and production flow through practical Lean Flow strategies tailored to horticulture operations. As a Founding Partner at FlowVision, Gary has worked extensively with growers to identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, improve shipping and production systems, and create more efficient operations that support long-term profitability.
Known for translating complex operational challenges into clear, actionable solutions, Gary brings a highly practical, systems-focused approach to helping businesses strengthen productivity, consistency, and team performance.
Workflow challenges, production frustrations, operational questions, facility layouts, or examples from your business for more personalized troubleshooting and discussion.
Katie Dubow helps horticulture businesses stay ahead of emerging consumer trends and turn industry insights into stronger marketing, merchandising, and customer engagement strategies. As President of Garden Media Group and author of the annual Garden Trends Report, Katie is recognized throughout the green industry for identifying cultural shifts and helping businesses translate trends into meaningful customer experiences and business growth.
With expertise spanning branding, public relations, consumer behavior, and trend forecasting, Katie brings a highly practical and forward-thinking approach to helping businesses better understand their audiences and position themselves for the future.
Marketing questions, branding challenges, merchandising ideas, customer engagement concerns, social media examples, or future-planning questions for more personalized discussion and brainstorming.
Katie Elzer-Peters helps garden centers and horticulture businesses strengthen their digital presence, improve customer engagement, and turn websites and marketing tools into real business drivers. As founder of The Garden of Words, Katie specializes in helping businesses create clear, customer-focused digital strategies that improve communication, increase loyalty, and support long-term growth.
With expertise spanning website strategy, email marketing, customer journeys, retail experiences, merchandising, and event-based engagement, Katie brings a highly practical and actionable approach to helping businesses better connect with their audiences both online and in-store. She is especially passionate about helping businesses improve the effectiveness of their websites and digital communication tools through real-time feedback and strategy conversations.
Your laptop, website, email marketing examples, customer communication materials, event ideas, or marketing challenges for more personalized feedback, troubleshooting, and strategy discussion.
Rayne Gibson brings hands-on operational experience from every level of the nursery industry — from production and inventory management to logistics, labor planning, budgeting, purchasing, and overall business operations. Having helped build and improve nursery operations across the southern United States, Rayne specializes in helping growers identify inefficiencies, strengthen workflows, and create systems that support long-term growth.
Rayne’s practical, operations-focused approach helps growers and business owners troubleshoot real-world challenges and uncover opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, and profitability.
Photos, workflow challenges, production questions, or operational pain points from your business for more personalized troubleshooting and discussion.
Neal Glatt helps horticulture businesses strengthen leadership, improve organizational culture, and build systems that support sustainable growth and long-term success. With extensive experience working alongside green industry businesses, Neal is known for helping owners and leadership teams navigate operational challenges while creating stronger alignment between people, performance, and business strategy.
A highly practical and engaging advisor, Neal focuses on helping businesses improve communication, accountability, team development, and overall operational effectiveness. His approach combines strategic thinking with real-world implementation, helping businesses move from ideas to actionable progress.
Leadership challenges, organizational frustrations, communication concerns, operational questions, or team development goals for more personalized discussion and practical guidance.
John Kennedy helps horticulture businesses build stronger teams, more confident leaders, and workplace cultures that support long-term success while also helping businesses improve retail strategy, operational engagement, and organizational performance. With extensive experience in leadership development, workforce training, business strategy, and organizational communication, John is known for helping businesses turn everyday challenges into opportunities for growth and stronger performance.
A dynamic educator and facilitator, John brings an approachable, practical style to conversations around leadership, accountability, employee development, customer experience, and team communication. He is also passionate about helping businesses use concepts like the Great Game of Business to improve engagement, ownership, and team alignment through practical tools like mini games, scoreboards, and measurable goals.
Whether working with emerging leaders, experienced managers, retail teams, or growing businesses, John focuses on helping organizations create environments where people — and businesses — can thrive together.
Leadership challenges, communication frustrations, retail strategy questions, team development concerns, operational challenges, or workplace culture goals for more personalized discussion and practical guidance.
With more than 20 years of experience helping horticulture businesses grow, Ken Lane specializes in turning business data into better decisions. As a consultant, former Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior Business Analyst, Ken has helped companies of all sizes improve forecasting, strengthen profitability, increase revenue, and build long-term growth strategies.
Ken's career spans leadership roles with iconic gardening brands including Stark Bro's Nurseries, White Flower Farm, and Jackson & Perkins Roses, giving him deep expertise in direct-to-consumer marketing, eCommerce, customer insights, and financial planning. Today, he works with businesses across the industry to improve performance through strategic planning, forecasting, and profit-focused decision-making.
Whether you're looking to better understand your numbers, grow sales, improve margins, or create a stronger plan for the future, Ken brings a practical, data-driven perspective that can help move your business forward.
Financial questions, business plans, customer data, marketing challenges, growth goals, or questions about profitability and performance for a more personalized discussion.
Liz Lark Riley helps horticulture businesses strengthen workplace culture, improve employee engagement, and create team experiences that support long-term business success. Drawing from hands-on retail leadership experience, Liz understands how employee experience directly impacts customer experience, retention, and brand reputation.
Known for her approachable and people-centered leadership style, Liz focuses on helping businesses build stronger communication, develop engaged teams, and create workplaces where employees feel connected, valued, and motivated to succeed. Her practical perspective helps businesses turn culture into a meaningful operational advantage.
Team challenges, communication frustrations, employee engagement concerns, customer experience questions, or workplace culture goals for more personalized discussion and practical guidance.
Geneiva McNeale helps businesses strengthen workplace culture, improve leadership communication, and navigate the people and organizational challenges that impact long-term success. With experience supporting businesses through operational, organizational, and risk-related challenges, Geneiva brings a thoughtful and practical approach to helping teams communicate more effectively, build accountability, and create healthier workplace environments.
Known for her collaborative and solutions-focused style, Geneiva works with leaders and teams to identify hidden organizational risks, improve employee engagement, and strengthen internal systems that support stronger business performance and team stability.
Leadership challenges, communication frustrations, workplace concerns, organizational questions, or team development goals for more personalized discussion and practical guidance.
Meg Morrison helps professionals and teams build confidence, strengthen communication, and develop authentic leadership styles that create stronger workplace relationships and personal growth. Known for her energetic and approachable style, Meg focuses on helping individuals embrace what makes them unique while developing the communication and leadership skills needed to succeed in today’s workplace.
With experience in leadership development, team engagement, and professional growth, Meg brings a highly relatable and encouraging approach to conversations around confidence, workplace identity, communication, and connection.
Leadership questions, communication challenges, career development goals, workplace frustrations, or professional growth ideas for more personalized discussion and guidance.
Jeff O’Brien helps independent garden centers and horticulture businesses strengthen customer connection, improve competitive positioning, and create strategies that attract the next generation of consumers. Known for his engaging and highly practical approach, Jeff focuses on helping businesses understand shifting customer expectations while identifying opportunities to stand out in an increasingly competitive retail environment.
With expertise spanning retail strategy, customer behavior, branding, and business growth, Jeff helps businesses move beyond reactive thinking and build experiences, messaging, and operational strategies that create long-term customer loyalty and stronger market relevance.
Customer engagement challenges, marketing questions, retail frustrations, branding concerns, or examples from your business for more personalized brainstorming and discussion.
Becky Paxton helps horticulture businesses and professionals turn ideas into compelling stories, experiences, and strategies that connect with audiences and drive engagement. With a background spanning public gardens, fundraising, communications, design, and content creation, Becky brings a creative yet highly strategic approach to marketing, audience development, and professional visibility.
As an Account Executive at Garden Media Group, Becky specializes in helping businesses identify emerging trends, build meaningful customer connections, and transform creative concepts into actionable marketing strategies. Her work blends storytelling, design thinking, and practical communication tools to help businesses — and individuals — stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Marketing ideas, social media pages, branding questions, campaign concepts, event ideas, or examples from your business for more personalized brainstorming and feedback.
Timothy Quebedeaux helps garden centers better understand the numbers behind their business so they can make smarter operational decisions, improve profitability, and build stronger long-term financial performance. Through Retail KPI Consulting, Timothy works with independent garden centers to identify opportunities for increased margin, stronger inventory performance, labor efficiency, and healthier overall business operations.
Known for making financial data approachable and actionable, Timothy helps retailers move beyond simply tracking numbers to actually using them to improve decision-making, team performance, and profitability. His practical, real-world approach helps businesses uncover hidden opportunities and identify where profit may be slipping away.
Financial questions, inventory concerns, operational frustrations, reports, KPIs, or examples from your business for more personalized discussion and problem-solving.
Ankit Singh brings a practical, grower-focused approach to greenhouse production and operational problem-solving. With experience helping growers navigate real-world production challenges, Ankit specializes in helping businesses improve crop performance, troubleshoot issues, and identify practical solutions that can be implemented immediately.
Whether you’re struggling with greenhouse efficiency, crop quality, environmental conditions, or day-to-day production challenges, Ankit offers actionable guidance rooted in technical expertise and real-world growing experience.
Photos, production questions, or examples from your operation for more personalized troubleshooting and discussion.
Rob Sproule helps horticulture businesses combine innovative thinking with practical business strategy to strengthen customer engagement, modernize operations, and drive growth. As both an independent garden center owner and marketing professional, Rob brings a unique blend of hands-on retail experience and forward-thinking marketing expertise to conversations around business growth, branding, and emerging technology.
Known for his approachable and highly practical style, Rob specializes in helping businesses identify realistic ways to use AI, marketing systems, and customer experience strategies to improve efficiency, strengthen communication, and create more engaging retail environments.
Marketing questions, operational challenges, AI ideas, customer experience concerns, branding questions, or examples from your business for more personalized brainstorming and discussion.
Emma Swainston helps family-owned horticulture businesses navigate one of the most important — and often most difficult — parts of long-term success: planning for the future. Drawing from both personal experience growing up in agriculture and professional expertise advising family businesses, Emma works with owners and families to strengthen communication, clarify goals, and prepare for successful business transitions.
Whether planning for retirement, preparing the next generation for leadership, or navigating family dynamics within the business, Emma brings a thoughtful, practical approach to helping businesses create lasting stability and continuity.
Questions, transition concerns, organizational challenges, or family business scenarios for more personalized discussion and guidance.
John Terhesh brings nearly two decades of horticulture leadership experience spanning production, nursery management, retail operations, and strategic business planning. As Nursery Vice President at Breezy Hill Nursery, John oversees both nursery and retail divisions while helping lead operational strategy, team development, and long-term business growth initiatives.
Known for combining practical operational insight with forward-thinking leadership, John helps horticulture businesses navigate growth, improve systems, and explore how emerging technologies like AI can support smarter, more efficient operations.
Questions, operational challenges, workflows, or examples from your business for more personalized discussion and problem-solving.
Dr. Samantha Willden is an Assistant Professor of Entomology at Cornell AgriTech specializing in insect management and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her work focuses on helping greenhouse and indoor growers develop practical, science-based pest management strategies that improve long-term production outcomes.
Dr. Willden’s research explores how greenhouse structures, environmental systems, biological controls, and production practices influence pest pressure and management success. Her approach combines cutting-edge research with practical solutions growers can apply directly within their operations.
Photos, pest challenges, greenhouse layout questions, or examples from your operation for more personalized troubleshooting and discussion.
David Williams is a fourth-generation garden center owner and retail strategist with more than 40 years of experience leading successful garden retail operations. As former owner of Williams Nursery in New Jersey, David helped transform the business into a destination garden center known for innovative merchandising, strong customer engagement, and trend-forward retail experiences.
A former President of the Garden Centers of America (GCA) and active leader within the International Garden Centre Association, David brings deep expertise in strategic planning, retail layout optimization, sourcing, visual merchandising, and emerging retail technology. His practical, creative approach helps garden retailers turn ideas into customer experiences that drive engagement and sales.
Photos of your displays, signage, store layout, marketing materials, or customer engagement challenges for more personalized feedback and discussion.
Coach’s Corner is designed to help you move from ideas to action with guidance tailored specifically to your business.
