AFFILIATES

The Rivera Business Development Group
Dinette Rivera, President
Tami Levy, Vice President

The Rivera Business Development Group has MORE THAN 40 years of experience in business consulting, business development training, marketing, strategic planning, business plan writing, and management strategies. Well-respected in its field of expertise, it has successfully helped hundreds of small businesses grow, generate increased revenue, and live up to their true potential.

Services are offered in five different languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Hebrew.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Marvin Waldman
Director
The Psynance Consortium, The Verge Business Group, LLC

Marvin founded a boutique accounting firm that specialized in the structuring of growth vehicles for investors, corporations, and creative artists in 1968. The firm has represented a noted publishing company, a noted cartoon character, a foremost art director, a multi-million dollar HVAC Company, a multi-million dollar Lumber yard, a multi-million dollar Kitchen design firm, an international Not-for-profit organization, and a foremost computer technology firm. Services have included: tax planning, tax examinations, corporate structuring & restructuring, portfolio management, investment management, work in development of personal corporations, mergers & acquisitions, and contract negotiations.

Other experience includes: being an in-house advisor to the Graphic Artist Guild of NYC, lecturing throughout the nation on finance, taught restaurant structure to a high school, and being a member of SCORE. Through his experiences, he has direct personal contacts with the following organizations: one of the largest Private Banks in the World, one of the largest Mortgage Brokerage Organizations in the World, some of the largest Wall Street Firms, and money centers who deal in financing banks would not touch.

Current projects include: providing the total financing for various entities, the privatization of mass transportation in the USA as it pertains to rail, mortgage/other forms of paper financing for a new brokerage firm, and aiding in the building of Christian Churches.

Robert Roettger
Executive VP, CFO & COO
Reliable Churchill (MD), Washington Wholesale (DC)

Bob is a 32 year veteran in the beverage industry, having worked for the Coca Cola Company and the Charmer Sunbelt Group, which is the third largest distributor of wines, spirits, and malt beverages in the U.S. Over his career, he has been involved in all areas of the business including sales, marketing, distribution, warehouse, finance and administration. Currently, Bob oversees all non sales areas of the $500+ million business in both markets. With an operating budget of $80 million and annual capital expenditures of $3 million, Bob has responsibility for about 325 associates.

Key functional skills and experience include sales and marketing planning, programming, pricing, and purchasing. In finance they include budgeting, cash management, as it relates to inventory and receivables, compensation plans, business acquisition & mergers and building & equipment leasing. Other relevant experience has entailed negotiating collective bargaining agreements and legislative involvement to include participation in local industry groups and testifying before the state legislature on beverage related legislation.

Bob is a past board member of the Licensed Beverage Distributors of Maryland. His educational background consists of a B.S. in Mass Communications, an MBA with a Marketing Concentration and a Certificate from the College of Financial Planning for completion of its Certified Financial Planner course.

Julie Panaro
Juris Doctor
Richards, Layton & Finger (DE), Panaro Construction, Inc.

Julie Panaro has practiced commercial real estate law in Delaware with Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. since graduating from Widener University School of Law in 2001. Prior to being awarded her J.D., Ms. Panaro worked as a paralegal in the commercial real estate group at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. Ms. Panaro focuses on representing lenders, borrowers, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and developers in all matters of commercial real estate transaction.

Ms. Panaro is the co-founder and President of the Delaware chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), is a member of the Commercial Industrial Realty Council, and is a member of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Section of the Delaware State Bar Association. Ms. Panaro is currently Vice-Chair of the Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committee of the Special Investors and Investment Structure Group of the American Bar Association. Preceding this appointment, Ms. Panaro was named a Fellow with the American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section for 2005 - 2007.

Ms. Panaro has several publications and provides the Delaware section of the Real Estate Quarterly Reporter for the American Bar Association. Ms. Panaro has been a speaker for the National Business Institute and the American Bar Association on various occasions.

Jim Copes
Entrepreneur
Tone & Condition, Inc., Smartexfitness.com, Advertisinghealthy.com

Graduated 1996, The Williamson Trade School of Mechanics
American Fitness Professionals & Associates Certified Personal Trainer
Aerobics and Fitness Association of America Mat Science Instructor
AFAA Member - Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
IDEA Member - International Fitness Professionals Organization

Jim can be considered a serial entrepreneur, getting his first start back in 1997. To date, he is responsible for founding/co-founding three companies, one of which is considered to be the fastest growing digital advertising company in the Delaware region. He has built a solid reputation in the Delaware community, through his "Get Fit" camps for children, as well as his various sponsored expos.