Movers and Shakers
Meet our Board of Directors, the people who keep NextStep exciting, respected, and moving forward.
The Founder
MEET Janne Kouri
In August 2006, Janne Kouri's life changed in a split second. An avid athlete, Janne was participating in a beach volleyball tournament. Between matches he decided to take dip in the ocean to cool off. Like so many times before, Janne ran into the water and dove through a wave. But, it was not like every other time - under the wave this time was a sand bar. Janne hit his head on that sand bar and fractured his C5 & C6 vertebrae. In an instant, he was paralyzed from the neck down. The next thing he remembers is being told by his doctors he has no hope for recovery and he will never walk again. But the real shock was when he was told that there was not a single progressive rehab center in the state of California. After two months in ICU, in order to get the rehab services, he so desperately needed for survival, he had to move 2000 miles away to Louisville, KY.
Janne, and his girlfriend Susan, traveled to Frazier Rehab in Louisville to participate in a cutting edge rehabilitation therapy for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury called "Locomotor Training." For twelve months Janne and Susan lived in Louisville, and under the watchful eye of his therapy team, saw great improvements in his muscle strength, movement, and general health. Unfortunately, his insurance coverage came to an end and it was time to move back home to California. Janne quickly discovered there was not a single community facility in California or in the US that offered locomotor training. He discovered that there is a complete lack of community fitness, health, and wellness resources available to the Six Million people with paralysis-related disabilities in America. Six Million people, that is the combined populations of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. He wondered what everyone else like him was doing. So, with the help of his family, friends, and the guiding influence of Dr. Susie Harkema - one of the neuroscientists who created Locomotor Training & enhanced Activity Based Therapy techniques, Janne and Susan decided to start NextStep.
Board of Directors
JANNE KOURI, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
President and Founder, NextStep
Janne Kouri, who sustained a spinal cord injury in 2006, is the Chairman of the Board, Founder and President of NextStep. Prior to NextStep, Mr. Kouri was the North American Director for Sulake Corporation, a global leader in digital entertainment and media. Mr. Kouri was responsible for Sulake’s overall business strategy and management of its property Habbo, a new type of youth brand, which is based on one of the world's fastest growing online communities and virtual worlds for teenagers.
Prior to Sulake, Kouri worked in venture capital and was co-founder of Orchimedia, a mobile gaming pioneer. In 1997, he earned a B.S.B.A from Georgetown University Business School. He also played football for Georgetown and was named the teams Most Valuable Player, an All-American, and was recipient of the 1996 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Award. He still holds the record for most sacs in a career (31.5). In February of 2018, Janne was inducted into the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame. Represented by the Guild Agency, Janne is an active speaker including: TEDx, Nexus Youth Summit, The Abilities Expo, Georgetown University, UCLA, USC, and Rutgers University. Janne recently gave the keynote speech at the Stony Brook University School of Health Technology and Management. Janne has appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’ “The Doctors,” CNN’s “Human Factor,” HLN’s “Morning Express,” the Discovery Channel, and more. Janne was also the recipient of Brunswick School’s 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award.
MARK SHUKEN
President of Pac-12 Networks
Mark Shuken is a widely respected media, sports, and entertainment leader with a track record of driving business results at both major established and emerging sports networks. As President of Pac-12 Networks, Shuken is responsible for leading the country’s first national television network to be wholly owned by institutions of higher education.
Shuken brings to Pac-12 Networks two decades of experience in growing revenue, distribution, and overall value for sports networks. His prior leadership roles include running sports networks for major media companies such as Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Liberty Media, and Fox Sports, including having worked directly with many Pac-12 universities.
Throughout his career, Shuken has developed a reputation as an engaging and driven leader with an entrepreneurial spirit befitting the president of a first of its kind sports network like Pac-12 Networks. He is experienced in developing and driving successful strategies in collaboration with key media stakeholders across all areas of the sports media industry, including content, production, programming, distribution and revenue generation.
At Time Warner Cable Sports Networks, Shuken led the creation of three regional sports networks for the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Dodgers, and the LA Galaxy from the ground up. He was also responsible for crafting the brand strategy and brand identity of the nation’s first Spanish-language RSN. Additionally, Shuken led the management of TWC’s seven proprietary local sports channels, including rights negotiations, development of core strategies, and coordination with TWC cable in subscriber acquisition and retention.
As President and CEO of DirecTV Sports Networks, Shuken led branding, content, cross-promotional, and acquisition strategies to increase asset value and subscriber acquisition. Before that, as President and CEO of Liberty Sports Group, he created and led a stand-alone division of regional sports networks for Liberty Media Corporation, where he significantly increased earnings, resulting in a more than 60 percent increase in net asset value when the division was sold.
Prior to that, at Fox Sports Net Northwest, Shuken was responsible for a significant increase in distribution, ratings, and brand presence, including through innovative programming strategies and partnership agreements with both professional and collegiate teams. For several years, he beat income targets by more than 30 percent annually.
Previously, Shuken also served as President of Rivals Networks, a leading digital network of over 600 sports websites, where he increased gross revenues by 400% and entered into distribution deals with major digital media companies.
A graduate of Santa Clara University, Shuken has also shared his expertise as an adjunct professor in communications at the University of Washington and Santa Clara University. Shuken additionally serves on the boards of two non-profit organizations: the Jim Mora Count on Me Foundation and NextStep Fitness.
Mark lives with his wife, Eliza and is the father of children Sarah, Scott and Steven, and stepchildren Tucker and Estelle.
KAREEM RAYMOND
Managing Director - Pension Strategies Group at Goldman Sachs
Kareem Raymond is a Vice President at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and works in the firm’s Investment Banking Division (IBD). Kareem helps to manage the firm’s Pension Strategies Group (PSG) where he works with corporate clients on managing and mitigating risks inherent in their corporate pension plans through strategic corporate de-risking transactions. PSG was initiated in the U.S. in early 2009 and Kareem has been in the group since its inception. Prior to working in PSG, Kareem worked in the Merchant Banking Division (MBD) where he focused on evaluating, executing and monitoring senior loan and mezzanine principal investments across a broad range of industries on behalf of Goldman Sachs Loan Partners and the Goldman Sachs Mezzanine Partners series of funds.Prior to joining MBD, Kareem worked in IBD in the Consumer – Retail Group where he advised clients on mergers, acquisitions and other corporate finance matters. Kareem originally joined the firm in 2003 as a Summer Associate. Kareem began his career at A.T. Kearney, Inc. where he was a management consultant in the firms Financial Institutions Group and advised leading corporate and not-for-profit entities on strategic, financial and operational issues. Kareem received an A.B. in Government from Harvard College and an M.B.A in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. While at Wharton, Kareem was a Goldman Sachs Fellow and was on the Dean’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee.
MIKE LOCKER
Head of Finance and Strategy, The Home Depot’s Home Services
Mike Locker is Head of Finance and Strategy for The Home Depot’s Home Services business where he is responsible for all finance, strategy and corporate development activities. Mike joined The Home Depot in 2015 as a Director in the Strategic Business Development Group. where he led multiple strategic projects, including the $1.6 billion acquisition of Interline Brands.
Prior to joining The Home Depot, Mike was Managing Director and Partner of TM Capital Corp, an investment banking firm providing merger and acquisition, capital raising and corporate advisory services for middle market companies. Previously, Mike was an investment banking associate in the Consumer Retail Group of Goldman, Sachs & Company and Senior Analyst at Raymond James & Associates. Mike began his career as an Associate in the Financial Assurance Division at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, a Masters in Accounting from the University of Florida and a Masters of Business Administration from Duke University.
Mike lives in Atlanta with his wife, Catherine, his three children Adelaide, Patrick and Harry.
RICHARD (DICK) HILLENBRAND
Tagger Media. Inspired. Heroes & Villains Entertainment. Hillenbrand Capital Partners. Leones Capital Advisors.
Richard (Dick) Hillenbrand is the founder of RDHII, an independent film and television production company based in Los Angeles, CA. Mr. Hillenbrand is responsible for raising capital, hiring talent, and overseeing RDHII's production operations. Prior to RDHII, Mr. Hillenbrand worked in film packaging at International Creative Management (ICM). In 1999, Mr. Hillenbrand co-founded GlobeDrifter, Inc., a web-based travel services company serving the European independent travel market. He served as GlobeDrifter's COO from 1999 until the company was sold in 2003. In 1997,
Mr. Hillenbrand graduated from the Georgetown University School of Arts and Sciences with a degree in English.
Michael Callahan
Managing Director at Man Group
Michael Callahan is a Managing Director of Man Group, a global leader in alternative asset management. Since joining Man in 2011, Mr. Callahan has been involved in new business development and product management, as well as servicing existing client relationships. Prior to joining Man Investments, Mr. Callahan was a Vice President at Blackstone Alternative Asset Management, Blackstone’s Hedge Fund Solutions Group. Before Blackstone, Michael was a Principal at Great Horn Capital, a convertible arbitrage hedge fund. Prior to that, he worked at Morgan Stanley and Prudential Securities in institutional research, sales and trading.
Mr. Callahan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1998. He is an active member of both the Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Commonwealth Club. He currently serves on the board of NextStep Fitness and Fabretto Children’s Foundation.
Tim Plunkett
Founder and Managing Partner, Plunkett Attorneys at Law
Tim Plunkett is the Founder and Managing Partner of Plunkett PLLC. After spending more than a decade in various firms, from a small firm up to the largest in the world, Tim decided to build a company in his own vision. This vision not only reflects the technological, economic, and emotional realities impacting the legal industry, but also considers trends that are shaping the future of professional services. Plunkett PLLC operates under a structure that provides for premium service delivery, individualized attention, and fair pricing for our clients.
Tim has more than 20 years of professional experience in various industries, including investment banking, technology, government, and law. For the last decade, Tim has focused his practice on Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs across several industry verticals. Tim’s work includes acting as a registered lobbyist on behalf of clients, counseling on procurement and government contracting, political law and compliance, data privacy and security, infrastructure and transportation development, and representation of clients before various government entities—and sometimes representing the government function itself. Tim’s work is based out of White Plains, NY, but it routinely includes work in New York City, Albany, NY, Washington D.C., and many other states.
Adam Craun
Founder and Partner at Memento Mori Winery in Napa
Born in Bethesda, Maryland in 1974, Adam is Founder and Partner at Memento Mori Winery (www.mmwine.com) in Napa, CA. He started the brand with two close friends in 2008. The name Memento Mori (“Remember you will die”) is here interpreted in a celebratory vein “Remember to live.” Memento Mori is now of the most sought after Cabernet Sauvignon wine producers in the world. Adam is now responsible for Sales and Marketing of the brand. Adam had previously held management careers in Technology and Construction before is winery project blossomed. He studied Fine Arts at Boston University, where he was also on a full-tuition scholarship as as Division I swimmer. A life-long health and fitness advocate, he still competes in open-water swimming endurance events and has completed Ironman Triathlons. Adam credits his grandfather, Dr. Charles Gordon Zubrod, who introduced the use of chemotherapy for patients with cancer, as his mentor for being involved with charity work; having worked and contributed to over 70 charities in his lifetime. Adam lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Kristin and their one-year old twins.
Aaron Gross
Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Aron Streit Inc.
Aaron W. Gross has been Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Aron Streit Inc., a specialty food manufacturer and distributor, since May of 2004. Mr. Gross is responsible for sales and marketing as well as sits on the three-man management team with oversees all aspects of the company. Mr. Gross has sat on the Board of Directors of Aron Streit Inc. since 2005. Mr. Gross has also been on the management team and Board of directors of Sundance Foods Inc., a specialty foods co-packer, since spring of 2006. Prior to working at Aron Streit Inc., Mr. Gross was a senior account manager at Diversified Financial Concepts, a comprehensive financial services firm, from July 1997 to May 2004. In 1997, Mr. Gross graduated from the Georgetown University School of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Economics where he also was a letterman on the football team for three years.
DAVID BRINKLEY
Managing Director at Headwaters MB
David is a Managing Director at Headwaters. David is widely recognized for his industry expertise, which encompasses intelligence and national security activities and applied advanced technologies. In addition, David holds unique security credentials that enable him to advise on the most sensitive government transactions. David also serves as a subject matter expert to the Office of the Secretary of Defense on matters pertaining to the financial health of the US defense industrial base and on Pentagon-sponsored technology investments.
Prior to joining Headwaters, David founded Castellum Capital Advisors, a boutique investment bank providing advisory services to middle market firms engaged in the national security sector. Castellum Capital served as exclusive financial advisor on several high profile transactions, including large scale corporate divestitures and niche intelligence acquisitions. Prior to founding Castellum Capital, David served as Managing Director of Aronson Capital Partners, where he managed the firm’s buy and sell-side investment banking engagements. While at Aronson Capital, David completed transactions featuring prominent government services and technology firms active in international security, intelligence, and defense, with publicly-traded firms based both in the US and internationally, and with leading private equity sponsors.
David holds a BS from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and an MBA in finance from Columbia University. Mr. Brinkley also serves on the Board of Directors of NextStep Fitness, a California based non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and wellness of individuals living with paralysis.
Chris Colman
Director of Finance at Airware
Chris Colman is the Director of Finance at Airware. Airware provides end-to-end solutions that enable enterprises to digitize their business and turn aerial data into actionable business intelligence.Prior to Airware, Chris Colman was the VP of Finance for Wedge Networks, Inc., a provider of cloud-based security for some of the world’s largest networks. As VP of Finance, Mr. Colman was responsible for the company's financial planning and project analysis functions. Prior to joining Wedge Networks in 2015, Mr. Colman was the Director of FP&A for Cyan Networks for four years before its acquisition by Ciena Networks. Before working at Cyan, Mr. Colman held various finance positions at Reliance Globalcom Services, Inc., Peerlogic, Inc. and Morgan Stanley. Mr. Colman holds a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University.
Adam Callinan
Founder BottleKeeper, Founding Partner Beachwood Ventures
Adam Callinan is a founder at BottleKeeper, the fast-paced and sarcasm-infused solution to the warm beer and broken bottle epidemics that have plagued the world for centuries. Callinan is also a founding partner at Beachwood Ventures, a Los Angeles-based early-stage and non-traditional investment firm at the intersection of technology and entertainment. As an entrepreneur, Callinan has spent over a decade building small businesses in and around technology, medical devices and consumer products. Callinan lives in Manhattan Beach with his exceptionally lovely wife Katie.
MARK BLOOM
Trial Attorney - Championing Rights for Our Communities
Mark Bloom is the founder of Bloom Injury Law. He has more than a decade of experience litigating high-stakes cases in the trial courts, federal courts, and courts of appeal. Mark worked at several prominent plaintiff law firms where he proved himself as an aggressive trial attorney by securing multiple multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. Early in his career, Mark represented some of the largest corporations in the world. He has now brought the knowledge and experience he has gained to the representation of individuals and small businesses seeking full and fair justice in the courts.
Mark primarily focuses on bringing his litigation experience and skill to bear on complex and highly contested liability issues. Mark is licensed to practice in both state and federal court in California. Mark is also adjunct professor in Sports Law at Loyola Marymount University. He is a Certified Contract Advisor with the National Football League Players Association and has championed injury settlements totaling upwards of eight figures for over 40 professional football players. Mark earned his law degree in two years from California Western School of Law, serving as a member of the Law Review/International Law Journal. An alumnus of University of Texas at Austin, Mark graduated with honors in two and a half years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government.
A native of New Orleans, Mark now resides in El Segundo, CA with his wife and son. Mark is a former national, as well as world racquetball champion and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He enjoys playing sports- tops on the list are tennis, squash and pickleball. Mark is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Hebrew.
Maggie Beerley Toner
Maggie is a Nurse Practitioner who received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 and her Masters of Science in Nursing from UCLA in 2010. She has worked in a variety of health care settings including; the Neurosurgical ICU at NYU Langone Medical Center, the Department of Urology Clinical Research at NYU, and the UCLA Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Team. She has recently been on hiatus from nursing while enjoying her time as a stay-at-home mom to her two young children. Maggie’s interest in supporting the paralysis community began in 2009 when her father suffered at T-8, T-9 SCI severing his spinal cord. Watching her father, as well as other patients at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital struggle and adapt to living with paralysis gave her and her family insight into all that is required to maintain a quality of life with a SCI. After her father's passing in 2016, the Beerley family created "Moose's Fund" to support patients at Magee with supplies and care not covered by insurance upon discharge. She is a volunteer member of the Good+ Foundation which pairs goods and services to improve the lives of those in poverty. She is also a certified lactation educator working to become an IBCLC to support women with breastfeeding. Maggie and her husband Justin have been supporting NextStep since 2016 in honor of Moose and everyone living with SCI. They understand and believe in the importance of building and maintaining strength during recovery.