Past Speakers for January-December 2025

JAN 08	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

JAN 15	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

JAN 22	No Meeting
	No meeting - inclement weather

JAN 29	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

FEB 05	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

FEB 12	Mark Dees,
	President of North River, a Real Estate Investment firm
	Mark grew up in Atlanta and encountered God's great loving presence at age 14. Participating in high school football, baseball, and basketball, Mark's claim to fame was playing in a 109 to 0 football game. His baseball blooper was pitching injured - Mark set a record by hitting 7 batters with the ball in a single game. Mark's hobbies are wild edible plants, raising chickens, propaganda research, asset protection using Trusts, getting traffic tickets dismissed, belief engineering, divine healing and real estate investing. His favorite Bible verse is John 10:10. Mark is writing a book called “Living in the Wow World," which should be available next year.

FEB 19	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

FEB 26	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

MAR 05	Open Mic
	Testimonies by luncheon attendees

MAR 12	Ivan Alfaro,
	Founder and CEO of Common Walk
	Common Walk is Ivan's investment firm which he has operated and has transacted over 171 deals since 2007. He started with just one property at the age of 19 while working as a Web Designer. Ivan proceeded to buy multiple properties throughout his twenties and also worked his way up the Corporate Ladder, his last roles being a Senior Web Developer and Technical Manager. By the age of 27, he was able to leave his job due to a $180k equity cash out from just one of his properties. After leaving, he went on to invest in a variety of deals from single family fix-n-flips, land lots, to even warehouses, but finally settling on multi-family. As of today, his investment firm operates 22 rental units. Ivan is married and loves worshipping the Lord with his wife at church.

MAR 19	Jim Tarpley,
	IT Systems Architect, Precision Aviation Group (PAG)
	PAG provides parts and repair services for aircraft in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Jim grew up in Springport, a town in rural Michigan. He grew up with a love of sports and technology. His love of sports led to him playing football at the collegiate level. He began his walk with God while in college. During those years, he got into online gaming where he has made many friends, including meeting his wife Sarah. These friendships brought him to Georgia and a career in IT. He currently also serves with his church's student ministry and is always looking for opportunities to mentor young men. Jim is still an avid gamer and has competed in tournaments.

MAR 26	Brian Mock,
	President of Insured Benefit Plans, Inc.
	Insured Benefit Plans is an employee benefits insurance agency which has been serving small to medium sized businesses for over 50 years. Alternative Benefit Plans, Inc. is a Third Party Administrative Services company specializing in self-funded plans for employers with at least 100 employees, and Health Reimbursement Arrangement plans for employers of all sizes. Brian grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute of Technology. He enjoys triathlon, trail-running, cycling, and backpacking, and has run 40 marathons.