GROW DISRUPT ANNOUNCES SPEAKER LINEUP FOR FORGE 2027

San Antonio's Premier Small Business Conference Marks 10-Year Anniversary with Industry-Leading Lineup

Grow Disrupt today announced the speaker lineup for Forge 2027, the only two-day small business conference built for ADHD entrepreneurs, celebrating its 10th anniversary. The event brings together entrepreneurs, executives, and small business owners for sessions designed to deliver immediate, actionable results.

"Forge has always been about one thing: leaving with real tools you can use Monday morning," said Stephanie Scheller, founder of Grow Disrupt. "Our 10th anniversary lineup reflects a decade of learning what small business owners actually need — and finding the speakers who can deliver it."

FORGE 2027 SPEAKERS

Melina Palmer | Applied Behavioral Economist, CEO of The Brainy Business
Talk: "Designing for Decisions: Using Behavioral Science to Shape What People Choose"
A globally celebrated behavioral economist, 3x bestselling author, and Inc. Magazine columnist, Palmer has advised businesses across 170+ countries on how the human brain makes decisions. Her work with the Human Behavior Lab at Texas A&M has shaped how companies think about customer choice.

Bruce Scheer | Business Strategist and 2x Bestselling Author
Talk: "Forge Your Unique Market Position"
Scheer's positioning work has powered product launches, unlocked new markets, and contributed to one of the most dramatic stock surges of the pandemic era. He has worked with Microsoft, Adobe, Google, IBM, SAP, and Tableau, and his work has been recognized by CEB/Gartner, ITSMA, and HP for B2B campaign and sales excellence. A former president of the National Speakers Association Northwest, he brings enterprise-level strategy to small business owners ready to stand out.

Cate Hollowitsch | Former CMO, Business Strategist
Talk: "Burning Away Structural Weaknesses to Strengthen Your Business"
Drawing on her experience as Chief Marketing Officer of Coda Bow, Hollowitsch guides business owners through the uncomfortable process of identifying what is quietly holding their business back — and what to do about it.

Bryan Yates | Former Disney Producer and Business Storytelling Expert
Talk: "How Storytellers See What You Don't: Unmasking the Narratives Running Your Business"
Yates brings a producer's eye to the stories small business owners tell themselves and their customers. His background at Disney informs a framework for seeing — and rewriting — the narratives that quietly shape business outcomes.

Hilary Blair | Former Actress and Executive Communication Consultant
Talk: "Using Friction to Forge Strength"
Blair brings her background as a professional actress to executive communication coaching, helping business leaders use resistance and discomfort as tools for building presence and conviction. Her sessions are known for being equal parts challenging and transformative.

ABOUT FORGE 2027

Forge is the 2027 theme for Grow Disrupt's annual two-day small business conference, the Grow Retreat, in San Antonio, Texas. For ten years, The Grow Retreat has brought together entrepreneurs and small business owners for high-impact sessions focused on strategy, growth, and execution.

Early registration opens on September 28th at TheGrowRetreat.com.

Grow Disrupt is a San Antonio-based small business education company founded by Stephanie Scheller. Through live events, online programs, and the Grow Disrupt community, the company helps small business owners build systems, sharpen strategy, and grow with intention. Grow Disrupt is also the home of the ADHD i-OS community, one of the country's most active support communities for entrepreneurs with ADHD.