October 10, 2026
Beyond the Bridge
Not another career day.
What if people could hear from people who didn't follow the obvious path?
Beyond The Bridge brings together entrepreneurs, professionals, creators, leaders, and people whose careers didn't happen in a straight line.
We're showing people that success doesn't have one blueprint.
Date
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time
9AM - 2PM (EST)
Location
Zoom
Who
Open to all interested in learning
Date
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time
9AM - 2PM (EST)
Location
Zoom
Who
Ages 12–25 & families
Speakers
Careers that didn't happen in a straight line.
The lineup is being built now. Every speaker shares the real route — including the detours.
Shawn Michael is an Identity Transformation Coach and founder of Success Blueprint Consulting. He hosts the Daily Power Boost podcast and is a contributing author of Men, Money and Mental Health. His own book, Identity-Driven Leadership, is forthcoming. Shawn works with high-achieving leaders who have succeeded at the wrong version of themselves, helping them rebuild from the identity level up. His methodology, R.E.A.L. Mastery™, is an architectural reconstruction of self-concept.
Justin Morley is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and community leader whose path to success has been anything but traditional. After experiencing homelessness and addiction, Justin rebuilt his life and went on to lead community initiatives, build businesses, and spend nearly two decades in leadership, operations, and organizational strategy. Today, he is the founder of Business Health Clinic, an initiative to help small-business owners identify what is holding their businesses back and build stronger, more sustainable organizations. His journey has been shaped by faith and this simple belief: The path of a purpose driven life is rarely a straight line and sometimes the roads that make the least sense while we're traveling them become clearer only as the journey unfolds.
Amanda Da Silva helps individuals navigate major life and career transitions with clarity, confidence, and strategy. Whether supporting clients through a job loss, career shift, separation, or post-grad transition, she guides them beyond surface-level coaching to do the essential inner work—addressing the underlying mindsets and behaviors that unlock high-value opportunities. A Certified Career Coach, Certified Resume Writer, and HR Operations Professional with an extensive instruction background, Amanda founded Right Step Solutions in January 2019. Since launching the career and workforce development firm, she has worked with thousands of individuals across coaching, professional branding, and training. Through targeted coaching programs, strategic branding, and workforce development workshops, Right Step Solutions equips clients to overcome obstacles and step confidently into their next chapter.
Josh Aronovitch has built a life around curiosity, reinvention, and taking the road that isn’t always obvious. A Harvard Law graduate, entrepreneur, educator, and certified yoga teacher, Josh founded the Aronovitch Coaching Experience in 2008 and has since helped more than 2,200 students navigate their own paths to growth and success. His journey has crossed education, entrepreneurship, public service, travel, and personal transformation—always guided by the question: “What becomes possible if we’re willing to follow where curiosity leads?”
Dr. Staci Moore known as TheOper8tor, is a Global Humanitarian Award Winner, AI Revenue Strategist, caregiver advocate, and founder of Royal Table Queens™. With more than 30 years of leadership, operations, and revenue experience, she helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs, community leaders, and organizations turn expertise into influence, relationships into opportunity, and systems into sustainable impact. Her work centers on human-centered leadership, responsible AI adoption, caregiver advocacy, economic empowerment, and legacy building. She is recognized for translating complex ideas into practical strategies that improve access, strengthen communities, and create pathways for people whose voices are too often overlooked. Dr. Moore holds advanced AI credentials in prompt writing, sales, problem solving, team leadership, negotiation, data analysis, and custom GPT development. She brings a rare blend of strategy, service, and lived experience to every conversation, while advancing solutions aligned with inclusion, dignity, innovation, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals across business, caregiving, and civic life.
Justin Schwartzman (aka Justoneus) is a creative visionary based in Corvallis, OR. As a lifelong musician, his journey has not been a straight path toward undeniable success, but his more recent contributions are beginning to make an impact- and there is a lot more room to grow. When he came up with the basic concept for Bounskee, it was not yet clear how much it could embody his values of community, inclusivity, and creativity- and in a way, it led him back to rediscovering himself. Now he has a renewed commitment to use his talents to make the world a better place- and inspire others to do so in their own unique ways.
Meredith Sobus For ten years, Meredith has been the brains behind campaigns, partnerships, and creative solutions for large organizations, entrepreneurs, and everything in between. Outside of work, Meredith is an active member of her community. She supports organizations that provide relief to those experiencing homelessness and offer mental health support to anyone in need.
Stephanie D. McKenzie is an award-winning marketer, TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and former college professor with over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience. As a brand strategist, fractional CMO, and empowerment coach, she helps entrepreneurs and leaders build stronger businesses, embrace their potential, and create success on their own terms. Through her work, Stephanie challenges conventional thinking and empowers others to pursue meaningful growth, both personally and professionally.
MEET THE FOUNDER & HOST: Sierra Grana
Sierra Grana knows firsthand that a meaningful life rarely follows one predictable path.
Her journey has moved through upper management, massage therapy, entrepreneurship, consulting, coaching, intuitive work, homeschooling & community building…each chapter adding skills & perspective she couldn’t always see the purpose of at the time.
Today, Sierra is a Community Architect, Leadership Strategist, Medium & founder of Soulcial Agency & A Bridge That Matters. She has spent more than 15 years leading people, building businesses, creating transformational spaces & helping others make life-changing decisions with greater clarity & confidence.
As a mother of three who chose alternative education for her own family, Sierra also understands how important it is for people, especially young people, to see more than one version of success.
She created Beyond the Bridge because careers are rarely built in a straight line, no experience is truly wasted & people deserve to know how many possibilities exist beyond the paths they’ve traditionally been shown.
Schedule
A day built for discovery.
9:00AM
Doors & Discovery Floor
Meet businesses, makers, trades, and organizations up close.
9:30AM - 12:00PM
careers, told honestly — detours included.
Our speakers share their story.
12:00PM-12:30pm
Lunch & Connect
Open time with speakers, mentors, and partners.
12:30PM-1:30pm
The panel
"How did you actually get here?" — Q & A with speakers
1:30pm - 2:00pm
Connection
Networking & chats.
Registration
Save your spot.
Registration opens soon. Add your email and we'll send tickets, speaker announcements, and schedule updates first.
Partners & Sponsors
become a partner
about ABtm
We're building the bridge we wish more people had.
A Bridge That Matters believes education and career development should include exposure, experimentation, mentorship, real-world skills, entrepreneurship, curiosity, and multiple definitions of success.
College is a great path for many people. So is a trade. So is starting a business. Our work isn't about replacing options — it's about widening them.
People shouldn't have fewer choices because they don't fit one traditional path. They should have more.
There's more than one way to build a life.
Let's help people discover theirs.
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