Introducing Our New Masterclass Series

Knopman Marks has been training students to perform under pressure for decades. Essentials to Thrive leverages that expertise and extends it from performance on exams to performance in careers and in life.

Essentials to Thrive is a free, 8-week live-streaming masterclass series that premieres this Wednesday, offering tools and strategies to stay motivated and productive no matter what is happening around us. Knopman Marks is offering this series free of charge for the next 8 weeks to help our students and our partners not only survive the COVID-19 pandemic together but make the most of this time.

“We designed this series to inspire, and we all need inspiration, now more than ever,” says Liza Streiff, Knopman Marks CEO. “We’re excited to introduce our students to proven strategies that will help them achieve excellence—on their exams and in their careers.”

Register to Unlock

• Access to the Knopman Marks Training Center
• Reminders and direct links to the live-streamed masterclasses
• Post-stream access to recordings of all masterclasses
• Links to the best performance resources on the web
• Worksheets and other materials

Peak Performance Under Pressure

The speakers who will lead the Essentials to Thrive masterclasses are a wide-ranging group of highly accomplished leaders in their fields, from a CEO and a neuroscientist, to a hedge fund founder and the creator of a platform empowering women who are returning to work.

“We know that right now our community is facing overwhelm, anxiety, and pressure from all sides on a daily basis,” says Streiff, who leads the first masterclass of the series. “We want to bring them a healthy dose of optimism along with instruction that encourages them to believe in their abilities, offers actionable steps, and inspires them to succeed. We’re in this together.”

Essentials to Thrive Curriculum

1. Motivation Essentials – Get free, fueled, and focused to unleash your genius
   Speaker: Liza Streiff, CEO of Knopman Marks Financial Training

   A visionary in the financial education and training industry, Liza believes business growth must be tech-forward but human first. Her leadership style is rooted in the relationship between success and joy, and she has reshaped every aspect of the firm to embody this since joining Knopman Marks nearly 14 years ago. Liza believes the firm’s mission is about more than training people for exams. It’s about helping them learn how to grow through adversity, launch their careers, and go on to pursue their dreams. She is passionate about inspiring everyone, especially young women, to find fulfillment in the financial industry.

2. Digital Wellbeing Essentials – Cultivate presence and focus in the age of distraction
   Speaker: Giancarlo Pitocco, Founder & CEO of Purposeful Digital Wellbeing

   Giancarlo is an ex-Facebook/Instagram employee who studies tech’s impact on how we think, feel, work, and communicate. Now, he’s on a mission to help teams reclaim their time, attention, productivity, and wellbeing from the grips of distractive technology. His company offers powerful workshops, training, and consulting programs that have been sought out by organizations like The World Economic Forum, NYC Department of Education, Spotify, and Common Sense Media, and featured in Harvard Business Review and TEDxNYU.

3. Mindset Essentials – Propel yourself to the highest level with a leadership mindset
   Speaker: Rich Bello, Founder of Arootah, The Center for Inspired Action, and Co-Founder of Blue Ridge Capital

   Rich is a certified Life Coach and Business Consultant, who has a deep-rooted passion for both personal and professional development. Arootah’s mission is to understand what drives individuals and teams to maximize their performance and then to deliver customized strategies via various modalities. As a co-founder of Blue Ridge Capital, Rich worked to build one of the premier businesses in the Hedge Fund industry. Rich serves as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, a role he has held for over 23 years. Prior to Blue Ridge Capital, Rich held senior positions at Morgan Stanley, Tiger Management, and Ernst & Young. He graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

4. Neuroscience Essentials – Understand how your brain works to perform at your best
   Speaker: Dr. Michael Mannino, Director of Programs at the Institute for Data Science and Computing at the University of Miami

   Michael holds a PhD in neuroscience and complex systems, having researched networks of the human brain involved in perception, learning and memory, attention, and embodied cognition. He also has a master’s in philosophy and critical thinking, specializing in philosophy of mind, critical thinking and ethics, and logic. He has been a professor of philosophy and critical thinking for 10 years. Michael is also a peak performance coach with the Flow Research Collective.

5. Confidence Essentials – Create unshakable self-confidence to meet any challenge head-on
   Speaker: Rita Kakati-Shah, Founder and CEO of Uma

   Rita is an award-winning gender, diversity, inclusion and career strategist, speaker, and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. She is the founder and CEO of Uma, a platform that empowers women and minorities returning to the workforce, in addition to training companies on diversity, inclusion, and retention strategies. Rita began her career at Goldman Sachs, and was awarded the Excellence in Citizenship and Diversity Award.

6. Career Essentials – Build your professional persona as if it were a world-famous brand
   Speaker: Leyland Streiff, General Manager of Heat & Deloitte Digital

   After a long career leading famous brands for famous ad agencies, Leyland joined Deloitte to bridge the worlds of creativity and consulting, and build a new type of agency that delivers more effective, growth-driving solutions for brands that go far beyond advertising. Over his career, he has led both US-centric and global businesses for agencies like Ogilvy and DDB, and created heavily awarded work for clients across a variety of verticals, including: American Express, Tiffany & Co, BlackRock & iShares, M&Ms, Dove Chocolate, and John Hancock, to name just a few.

7. Success Essentials – Let go of the myth of work-life balance; create an integrated and fulfilling life
   Speaker: Bernadette McBurnie, Success Coach, Founder of Women’s Academy

   Bernadette enthusiastically ignites professionals and entrepreneurs to take charge and elevate success in all areas of their lives. As an international speaker, success coach, and entrepreneur, Bernadette challenges us to visualize our ideal lives, make conscious choices toward the goal, and eliminate distractions that pull us off course. Bernadette served as an international corporate IT Executive with global corporations including L’Oreal, BNP, and Paris Indosuez Banks for 19 years. She has also operated an International Health Network from her home for 19 years, and was “Chief Home Officer” for 8 years, while she took a career break to be a stay-at-home mom.

8. Happiness Essentials – Dive into the practices and techniques proven to increase your bliss
   Speaker: Dave Meshkov, Managing Director, Head of Course Design at Knopman Marks Financial Training

   Dave is passionate about making exam training not only successful but enjoyable. A trained ski and yoga instructor, Dave understands how to leverage the mind-and-body connection to boost happiness and lessen stress. At Knopman Marks, Dave engineers course improvements, finds new ways to present complex subjects, and develops online course offerings. A dynamic and sought-after instructor, Dave ensures that students receive a comprehensive and delightful training experience.