Building a Lean Team: How to Hire, Fire, and Manage

Learn how to grow your team beyond the founders in the most efficient way possible. Hear about hiring strategies that worked, and some that failed spectacularly. Learn how to handle under-performers and keep your team firing on all cylinders.

RSVPs are open!

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Dan Berger (https://twitter.com/danberger), Chairman and CEO at Social Tables (https://twitter.com/socialtables) will discuss:

• Startup hiring best practices

• Growing from 5 to 25 in 12 months

• How to make your hiring process as predictable as possible

• Career development at a startup

As Founder, Chairman and CEO of Social Tables, a DC-based, hospitality technology company, Dan has been described as a “relentless and focused entrepreneur” and recognized 40 Under 40 in the meetings industry by Collaborate Magazine and Connect Meetings.

Dan started developing websites in his teens and through college for organizations including MTV Networks, Glaxosmithkline and the United States Tennis Association. After graduating from Hunter College in 2004, he became a Special Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives where he was described as "bright, energetic and hard-working" by the Congressman he served.

Parallel to this role, Dan ran a national advocacy group where he organized 30 special events a year. He got his MBA from Georgetown in 2010, did a short stint as a management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, and started Social Tables in mid-2011.

Today, Social Tables is growing at a rate of 20 per cent month-over-month. Its customers include third-party managed hotel brands from Alaska to Florida, national nonprofits such as Children's Hospital and The Recording Academy, corporate event planning teams such as Forbes, The San Francisco Giants, and BET, advancement teams at world-renowned academic institutions such as Columbia and Georgetown, museums such as The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and The Whitney Museum, and some of the country's top catering companies.

Ryland Greenhouse (https://twitter.com/RSteerHouse), Director of Operations at American Parkour (http://americanparkour.com/), will talk about:

• Perception of culture behavior

• "Temperature Checks"

• Maintaining culture through growth

• Managing culture vs. employees

Ryland Greenhouse is a 7-year veteran of B2B sales, creating unique events and growing businesses from the ground up. Starting with a sales career at Corporate Executive Board, he took his saavy sales skills and knack for creating a 'grand ol' time' to the small start-up Urban Escapes. Acquired by LivingSocial in 2010, he became the Director of Adventures for the Washington, DC area and spent the last 3 years producing one-of-a-kind experiences including the 5k Dance Party and BeerFest. He is now the Director of Operations at American Parkour, a DC-based parkour company, and has grown the business 500% since August 2013. He's a culture guru, start-up fanatic, glow-in-the-dark geek and avid bicyclist. You can find him vaulting over obstacles during the day and cruising around the city on his LED outfitted bicycle at night.

Susan Strayer LaMotte (https://twitter.com/SusanLaMotte), Founder of Exaqueo (https://twitter.com/exaqueo), will:

• Share our model for evaluating and choosing early startup hires

• Talk about how to hire to culture and define a culture if you haven't already done so

• Share some typical early mistakes founders and leaders make when hiring and managing talent

Susan Strayer LaMotte, is the founder of exaqueo, a workforce consultancy. exaqueo builds cultures, employer brands and talent and recruiting strategies for startup and high-growth companies. exaqueo is her second startup. She's had HR and consulting roles in-house for brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Home Depot, CEB and Marriott International and has consulted for startups and high-growth companies like KnowledgeTree, Umba, TriNet, Carnival Cruise Lines and Xilinx. She has an MBA from Vanderbilt University, an MA in HRD from The George Washington University and a BA in Communications from Virginia Tech. Most importantly, she regularly obsesses over new music, travel, bourbon, football and cooking.

Anthony Shop (https://twitter.com/afshop), Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver (https://twitter.com/SocialDriver), will discuss:

• Understanding what motivates your team to succeed

• Defining guiding principles to align your team with your goals

• Creating culture "rituals" that become legendary

Anthony Shop co-founded Social Driver, a digital agency that delivers creative solutions at the intersection of marketing and technology. Social Driver's client base includes Honda North America and Salesforce.com. Under Anthony's leadership as Chief Strategy Officer, Social Driver was named the 7th fastest growing agency in the United States by The Agency 100 and one of DC's Coolest Companies by InTheCapital.

The members of the National Press Club recently elected Anthony to the Board of Governors. He founded the "Get It Online" digital media series for the Club, which is the world's leading professional organization for journalists and communications professionals.

The BBC, Washington Business Journal and other leading media sources have called upon Anthony for his expert opinions on the fast-changing world of digital media.

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After the event, join us for drinks and discussion at the Park Hyatt.