Our Guests for the January 15th/16th edition of PlayMakers Talk Show:

Abid Abedi, CEO, iCode

Richard Bell, CEO, The BOSS ( Bargain Outlet Super Store)

Join us Friday afternoon at 3:00 and Saturday morning at 9:00 on 770 KAAM (KAAMRadio.com)

Right click to download | Subscribe to the PlayMakers Talk Show Podcast

Abid Abedi, CEO, iCode

As the founder and chairman of a staffing agency, Abid Abedi saw a need to help fill the gap for STEAM careers through a holistic learning program. He partnered with some key individuals and created iCode; an educational incubator with classes in the evenings and weekends teaching children in grades 1-12 computer programming and robotics.

Abid is a serial entrepreneur with more than fifteen startups in technology, wireless services, IT consulting, staffing services, real estate development and education in the U.S., Europe and Asia. His companies include Managed Staffing, Scarlet Wireless, Rosewood Academy, Nectir, Inc., Plano Parkway Investments and most recently, iCode.

iCode is an after school and weekend program that offers holistic STEM education to students in 1^st through 12^th grade immersing them in high-tech surroundings as they learn computer-programming skills in addition to learning concepts in the field of robotics and computer science.

iCodeInc.com

Phone: (469) 608-7023

Host, Steve A Klein, Abid Abedi

Richard Bell, CEO, The BOSS ( Bargain Outlet Super Store)

The BOSS, or Bargain Outlet Super Store, was founded by Richard Bell, in 2008, in the garage of his two-bedroom home and has developed into a 30,000-square-foot super store and showroom.

Headquartered in Dallas, The BOSS is a home improvement outlet super store that sells to the pros but is also open to the public. In fact, The BOSS is the only pro supplier in Dallas-Fort Worth that offers contractor discounts to the public.

The BOSS buys directly from the manufacturer and passes the deep discounts to their customer. They source materials from around the world made to tight specifications, ensuring consistent quality. The BOSS offers a huge supply of flooring and home improvement supplies such as cabinets, counter tops, faucets, vanities, toilets, door hardware, and moldings.

ShopTheBOSS.com

Phone: (972) 255-9900

Host, Steve A Klein, Richard Bell

Our Guests for the January 8th/9th edition of PlayMakers Talk Show:

Tim Taft, CEO, Fiesta Restaurant Group

Jim Sturm, CEO, Brierley + Partners

Join us every Friday afternoon at 3:00 and Saturday afternoon at 2:00 on 770 KAAM (KAAMRadio.com)

Right click to download | Subscribe to the PlayMakers Talk Show Podcast

Tim Taft, CEO, Fiesta Restaurant Group

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. President and CEO Tim Taft joined the company in August 2011 to spin it off from Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., forming a separate, publicly traded company, Fiesta Restaurant Group, to operate the Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical brands. Both brands have thrived under his leadership, celebrating record gains as one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the nation. In 2014, Fiesta is poised to launch its third brand, Cabana Grill, created by Taco Cabana, in Atlanta.

Tim is a restaurant and hospitality veteran with more than 35 years’ experience as a successful operator, marketer, brand builder and franchisor within the industry. Prior to joining Fiesta, Tim was president/CEO of SSI-Grandy’s LLC, and before that served in the same capacity at Pizza Inn Inc., where he was also a director from 2005-2007.

During his 10-year tenure at Whataburger, where he served as president and COO from 2000–2005 and in previous other senior management positions from 1994-2000, Whataburger achieved 44 quarters in a row of same store sales increases. It was also named a Texas Treasure by the Texas Legislature and Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Again” concept.

FRGI.com

PolloTropical.com         TacoCabana.com

 Host, Steve A Klein, Tim Taft

Jim Sturm, CEO, Brierley + Partners

Jim Sturm joined Brierley+Partners in 2007, is now President and CEO, and leads the globally recognized company in loyalty and CRM marketing.

Brierley+Partners is a pioneer in Relationship Management®– advancing loyalty and CRM for more than 25 years. The company has designed and implemented some of the world’s most successful loyalty and CRM programs for clients such as GameStop, Hard Rock, Hertz, Bridgestone and 7-Eleven.

Jim’s reputation for creating industry-differentiating lifetime loyalty programs for his clients has driven double-digit growth at Brierley. All services focus on a single mission: Making clients’ customer relationships dramatically more profitable.

Brierley.com

Phone: (214) 760-8700

Host, Steve A Klein, Jim Sturm