SPEAKERS

James Cronk | TechCon25 Emcee | CEO & Co-Founder, Golf Industry Guru

James Cronk is the CEO of Guru Collective, a company dedicated to helping golf clubs and hospitality organizations succeed through innovative training and technology solutions. Guru Collective’s platforms include Golf Industry Guru, an online training and education resource for owners, operators, and their teams; The Toolbox, a health and safety and risk management system trusted by more than 130 clubs; and eGolf Cart Waiver, a digital solution that reduces liability and streamlines operations for golf operators.

With more than 30 years of leadership experience as a golf professional, club manager, and consultant, James has managed award-winning facilities recognized for excellence in customer service and workplace culture. A sought-after keynote speaker, he has presented at leading industry conferences across North America, Europe, and Asia, where he shares insights on innovation, leadership, and creating memorable guest experiences.

Erica Espe | VP of Sales & Marketing | KemperSports

With over two decades of experience in the golf industry, Erica is adept at managing sales, marketing, and revenue strategies for golf clubs. Her career is marked by a proven ability to plan and execute comprehensive marketing campaigns, meticulously customized to address the specific needs and goals of each individual golf course.

Jake Gordon | Co-Founder and CEO | Noteefy

Jake is the Co-Founder and CEO of Noteefy, a revenue and demand management technology platform for golf course operators trusted by over 800 golf properties. Noteefy exists to drive incremental revenue, efficiency, and an enhanced customer experience. Prior to Noteefy, Jake spent his career at Accenture Ventures working with growing startups and helping them scale with Fortune 500 companies. Jake resides in Los Angeles, and outside of working with golf course operators, you can find him out on the course, hiking with his dog Lucky, and spending time with his family.

Kris Hart, PGA | Senior Director of Growth and Ventures, PGA of America

As the Senior Director of Growth and Ventures at the PGA of America, Kris runs all aspects of innovation within the PGA of America, both internally and externally, including the EP Golf Venture Fund, an investment partnership between Elysian Park and the PGA of America. Formerly, Kris was the Founder and CEO of Nextgengolf, which was acquired by the PGA of America in 2019. Kris became a PGA Member in March 2023, in the executive management track, and works hard to support PGA Members, golf founders, and the industry at large.

Jay Karen | Chief Executive Officer | NGCOA

Jay Karen is the CEO of National Golf Course Owners Association, where he leads the golf industry’s trade association and initiatives to support the success of the golf course business. In his role at NGCOA, he has chaired the board of the industry-wide advocacy coalition, We Are Golf, and served on the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition board, a joint initiative with the PGA of America, and the advisory board of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CBS Radio, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, the Golf Channel, Golf Digest and many others call upon Jay for his insights on the golf industry. Jay has also served as CEO of two associations in the lodging and hospitality industry, and he is a certified association executive by the American Society of Association Executives. Jay currently serves on the board of directors of the US Travel Association and ASAE. Jay is an Honorary Commander for the Joint Military Base in Charleston and a mentor in the College of Charleston’s MBA program.

Mark LeBlanc | Senior Engineer, Product Manager | FireFly Automatix

Mark LeBlanc is the lead engineer and product manager for Firefly Automatix’s AMP autonomous fairway mower platform. He has taken a lead role in the mechanical, electrical, software, and user experience design of the AMP, helping make advanced automation practical and approachable for everyday golf course workers. By combining deep engineering expertise with product strategy, Mark has helped shape the economic case for autonomous and electric mowers, showing how they deliver savings in labor, fuel, and long-term maintenance while supporting more sustainable course management.

Gareth Macklin | Founder & CEO | Obbi Golf

Gareth Macklin, Founder and CEO of Obbi, has played a pivotal role in managing a workforce of over 850 employees over the last 2 decades. Faced with a need for tailored software solutions, Gareth spearheaded the development of Obbi, a comprehensive platform designed to streamline business processes in compliance, operations, safety, and training, particularly tailored for clubs. Obbi, the culmination of Gareth’s entrepreneurial spirit and team of industry experts, empowers clubs to have enhanced productivity, reduced costs, and improved compliance and risk management for its users.

A.J. McGahee | East Coast Regional Manager, Direct Sales | Yamaha Golf Car

A.J. McGahee is the East Coast Regional Manager for Direct Sales with Yamaha Golf Car. A.J. spent the prior seven years with Yamaha as the YamaTrack Product Manager. YamaTrack is Yamaha’s complete golf course management solution, featuring GPS-enabled golf car fleet management. Prior to joining YGC, A.J. was the general manager at several private clubs around the metro Atlanta area, including Atlanta National Golf Club. He has used his GM experience to customize the YamaTrack experience for golf courses and resorts across North America. A.J. graduated from Cornell University in 2001 with a degree from the School of Hotel Administration.

Matt Miller | National Accounts Manager | Rain Bird Golf

Matt Miller is a National Accounts Manager for Rain Bird Golf, driving strategic partnerships and market growth across the U.S. and international markets. He works with leading golf course operators, owners, and developers to deliver innovative irrigation solutions that enhance performance, sustainability, and ROI. An active industry contributor, Matthew shares insights on golf course operations, technology, and investment strategies.

Bob Parsons | Founder & CEO | PXG

Bob Parsons, possibly best-known as the founder of GoDaddy, is widely recognized for his entrepreneurial and philanthropic efforts. Currently, Bob is the CEO and founder of YAM Worldwide, which is home to his entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of motorcycles, golf, real estate, finance, marketing, innovation and philanthropy.

Bob Parsons is a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He attended college at the University of Baltimore on the G.I. Bill and graduated magna cum laude. His alma mater presented him with an honorary doctorate in 2008 and named him Distinguished Entrepreneur in 2010.

In 1984 Parsons started his first business, Parsons Technology, in his basement after teaching himself how to write computer programs. When Parsons Technology was sold to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million, the company had nearly one thousand employees, $100 million in annual revenue and three million customers. Three years later, Parsons launched Jomax Technologies which would later become GoDaddy — the world’s largest domain name registrar. He sold a majority stake in 2011, in a deal that valued the company at $2.3 billion.

In 2012 Parsons founded YAM Worldwide under which he owns and operates more than a dozen companies, including PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf), Scottsdale National Golf Club, Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, GO AZ Motorcycles, and YAM Properties. Over the years, three of Parsons entrepreneurial ventures — Parsons Technology (#11, 1992), GoDaddy (#8, 2004) and now PXG (#123, 2019) — have been recognized by Inc Magazine as being among America’s fastest growing privately-held companies.

Parsons, with his wife Renee, PXG’s President of Apparel, started The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation in 2012 to reach marginalized populations and causes often underfunded by mainstream philanthropy. The Foundation provides transformational grants to nonprofit organizations successfully working in the areas of homelessness, medical care, LGBTQ youth, education and the needs of wounded veterans and military families. In his new book and New York Times Bestseller, FIRE IN THE HOLE!, Bob tells the story of how he went from having absolutely nothing to making more than $3 billion dollars. FIRE IN THE HOLE! is honest, hilarious, outrageous, raw, and full of valuable business and life lessons.

Del Ratcliffe | President, Ratcliffe Golf Services | President, Courserev.ai

Del is President of Ratcliffe Golf Services, Inc. and COO of Pinnacle Golf Properties. Del is the current president of the North Carolina Golf Course Owners Association and is a Class “A” member of the PGA of America as well as a member of the GCSAA. He is also the president of Courserev.ai, an AI-powered booking and course management platform for golf courses, offering 24/7 AI-voice and chat-based tee time reservations, automated waitlists, and integrated payment solutions, and more.

Del’s business ventures go beyond the scope of the golf industry, and include real estate brokerage, construction and even distilled spirits. He and his Pinnacle Golf Properties partner, David Taylor are involved in 19 different golf properties in various ways, from ownership to various management and financial services capacities. His various business ventures provide him with unique perspectives in areas such as marketing, pricing and using technology to help golf businesses operate more efficiently and profitably.

TJ Schier | Founder & CEO | SmashSwing Immersive

TJ Schier brings a wealth of firsthand experience from both the operator and ownership perspectives, dedicating his career to helping teams achieve peak performance with a clear focus on delivering exceptional guest service. He primarily works as a consultant and speaker within the competitive socializing, family entertainment, and franchise sectors.

In 2025, as CEO and Founder, TJ launched SmashSwing Immersive, a cutting-edge golf-entertainment technology platform. Prior to this venture, he served as Chief Operating Officer at BigShots Golf, a ClubCorp/Invited company. Under his leadership, BigShots became the second-largest player in the golf-entertainment venue market, expanding rapidly with six locations opened in less than 20 months before its successful acquisition by the industry’s largest competitor.

Over the past 20 years, TJ has become a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, engaging operators, franchise owners, general managers, and industry professionals at national events and conferences. He has also developed comprehensive guest service and employee/manager training programs for a wide range of restaurant and entertainment brands—including Dave & Buster’s, Urban Air, Jersey Mike’s, Fogo de Chão, The Palm, Buffalo Wild Wings, McAlister’s Deli, and Sodexo—as well as for prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Dartmouth, and Columbia University.

Bodo Sieber | CEO & Co-founder |Tagmarshal

Bodo Sieber has a passion for data analytics and design-thinking lead software applications that empower teams and operations to achieve business success.

Before focusing on golf, the German national and former rugby player was a successful start-up founder and solutions architect for software systems focusing on business intelligence, GIS and process optimization for international logistics and cellphone network operators with extensive international experience spanning over a decade across Ireland, Germany, South Africa and the US.

With Tagmarshal, Bodo and his team have been bringing extensive data and geomatics experience into golf operations for four years. The company’s focus is on creating the best possible way to manage the on-course experience and flow of golf for improved player satisfaction and increased profitability. The concept behind what is now a ‘golf course intelligence’ data platform, perhaps unsurprisingly started on a 15th hole that had three playing groups backed up, at the end of a long, frustrating round of golf.

Having collected almost 1 billion data-points, by tracking over 7 million rounds of golf, Tagmarshal add value to 8 of the top 10 US Public courses, a number of US and international top 100 private clubs with rapid adoption in the mid tier of the market.

Jill Walsh | Head of Strategic Partnerships, Renewals, and Sales North | Toptracer

​Jill Walsh serves as Head of Strategic Partnerships, Renewals, and Sales North for Toptracer and is responsible for maintaining the Topgolf Callaway Brand core principle of customer experience.

Joining Toptracer in 2018 as Toptracer’s first ever Account Manager, Walsh single-handedly established benchmarks that defined account management structures while simultaneously supporting and managing customer goals prior to, during and after range installs.

During her tenure with Toptracer, Walsh has defined the Toptracer Account Management ethos and benchmarks for customer relationship management and engagement activities. Exceeding Toptracer expectations by maintaining over 90% renewal and customer satisfaction ratings, Walsh was the recipient of the “Top Dolf Award” for upholding Topgolf’s core values, going above and beyond when she surprised a range owner after heavy rains to help pluck range balls out of the mud.

Prior to joining Toptracer, Walsh worked in the broadcast industry as a videographer, sports reporter, and sports anchor. Additionally, Walsh worked for the Pat Tillman Foundation and Milwaukee Bucks.

A proud military spouse, Walsh grew up on a farm in a small town 45 miles south of Green Bay and currently resides in Chicago. In her spare time, she loves to improve her golf game and train for her next half-marathon.

Michael Williams | Executive Director, Cyrano Communications | Contributor, Golf Business

Michael has had success in industries ranging from High Tech companies to foreign exchange banking. But his life has been defined by his abilities in the media and communications, for his experience in world affairs and his passion for the game of golf.

Michael has established himself as a leading voice for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. His “Open Letter to the Golf Industry from a Black Man Who Loves the Game” became a template that inspired the leadership of the game to implement long-needed change. In addition, Michael’s article for ESPN about his handling of a PGA Tour professional who admitted to dressing up in blackface garnered praise from around the world and was recently recognized as one of the best articles of 2020 by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Michael is also known as one of the political world’s most astute commentators as the moderator of “Issues in the News”, the flagship political and current events program for Voice of America. A sought-after speaker and communications expert, Michael has counseled some of the most influential individuals and organizations in the world on topics including crisis management, corporate re-branding and diversity/inclusivity issues.

In 2005, Michael launched his first radio show on FOX News Radio, “Sticks and Stones”. Since that launch, Michael has established a reputation as a savvy broadcaster and as an incisive interviewer and writer. An avid golfer himself, Michael has covered the game of golf and the golf lifestyle including courses, restaurants, business, travel and sports marketing for publications all over the world.

In his first year as host of The 19th Hole Golf Radio Show on CBS Radio in Washington, D.C., Michael led the show to becoming the top-rated golf show in the 7th largest market in the United States and was named the recipient of the 2014 Middle Atlantic PGA Earle Hellen Award for the Outstanding Media Person of the Year. The 19th Hole with Michael Williams is now a podcast with 40 thousand listeners per week on GolfWRX.com.

Michael is a member of the United States Golf Association, the Golf Writers Association of America and the National Association of Black Journalists.