Chipper Jones is an eight-time All-Star, 1999 National League MVP, and 2008 National League batting champion. He retired as one of the most accomplished third basemen in MLB history and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

A former US Presidential Advisor, Scott Jennings has become a fixture of CNN’s major event coverage as the network's senior conservative commentator. Known for his sharp analysis and candid commentary, Jennings brings a political lens that connects national policy to real-world business impact.

Troy Downing  (Representative for Montana's 2nd Congressional District) is CEO of AC Self Storage Solutions. He offers a rare blend of operational experience and legislative influence, providing a firsthand look at how decisions in Washington can impact storage owners nationally.

Jefferson Shreve (U.S. Representative for Indiana's 6th Congressional District) is the founder of Storage Express. He offers a rare blend of operational experience and legislative influence, providing a firsthand look at how decisions in Washington can impact storage owners nationally.

Joe Shoen, a business leader with 40 years of executive experience, is the president, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of the storage rental company U-Haul. His efforts managing U-Haul have been credited with the company's expansion in the self-moving business.

Aoife Roche – AI Queen™ helps businesses future-proof their marketing by showing how to win in the era of AI-powered search. She will showcase the latest AI marketing innovations, reveal how AI is changing the way customers find businesses, and share actionable strategies to increase visibility, generate leads, and stay ahead of the competition.

Tensley Almand believes that God led him to Atlanta Mission to help homeless men, women and children transform their lives through spiritual, personal, and professional development. Prior to Atlanta Mission, Tensley was a vocational minister for almost 20 years and the Lead Pastor of Decatur City Church in Atlanta.

Travis Morrow has been on a mission to modernize the self-storage industry since he started in 2004. He is the CEO of MSM and Storelocal, the latter focusing on supporting independent owner operators. Travis also serves as the President of National Self Storage and is a founding member of the Young Leaders Group.

With 20+ years of experience in real estate development and private equity, Brad Minsley brings a performance-focused approach rooted in automation, analytics, and operational efficiency. He emphasizes data-driven decisionmaking and scalable systems that support long-term value creation. 

Carlos Kaslow is a California attorney, publisher/editor of SSA's Self Storage Legal Review, and a founding partner of the Self Storage Legal Network. He is the SSA’s general counsel and a recognized authority on the law of self storage operations. 

David Decker is a 20+ year self-storage veteran (public and private) and an investor in great ideas, properties and people. He has held leadership positions with Open Door Capital, Prime Group Holdings, Guardian Storage, and Extra Space Storage.

Guy Middlebrooks is responsible for the operations of more than 1,500 stores with more than 2,700 teammates on his team. Prior to this role, he was the Senior Vice President of Third Party Management where he helped shape CubeSmart’s industry-leading management platform and develop countless partnerships.

Jennifer Barroqueiro has more than a decade of self-storage experience and a proven track record of scaling operations nationwide. She’s led the successful onboarding of more than 400 facilities, partnering closely with owners and operators to unlock performance and drive long-term value. 

Jenny Bortman has played a pivotal role in expanding UIP’s products and services, fueling growth through knowledge, dedication, and marketing. She believes that insurance can be fun and easy by offering people excellent protection, reasonable premiums, and peace of mind.

Jessica Johnson has 20 years of self-storage experience, where she’s developed a well-rounded skill set in marketing, operations and finance. Her background also includes driving growth and profitability, managing events, and conducting competitive market research. Jessica is a board member for the Self Storage Association of Michigan.  

Josh Boyd’s background includes the sale of cutting-edge medical devices for hospital operating rooms that advanced the quality of patient care. He’s seen what disruptive technologies can do to positively impact cost models and improve the customer experience, and has made that the foundation of StoreEase.

Korey Hanson is responsible for all aspects of SmartStop 3PM and more than 250 managed storage facilities. He started as an Area Manager, quickly promoted to Director of Operations and eventually President. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Self Storage Association.

Raheem Amer With a rich background that includes roles such as president of Mini Mall Storage Properties and senior positions at Devon Self Storage and Extra Space Storage, Raheem brings a wealth of knowledge in operations, acquisition, go-to-market strategy, and revenue management.

Scott Zucker specializes in business and commercial litigation with an emphasis on dispute resolution in construction, real estate, employment, and landlord-tenant law. He represents companies on contract claims, loss and damages, premises liability, tenant dispossessory, and more.

Steve Mirabito is the Founder and President of StoragePRO Management, a third-party management company providing storage solutions for owners nationwide. He has been involved in the self-storage industry since 1986 and is often retained as an expert regarding development and operations.

Dr. Ahmet Kuyumcu founded Prorize to build AI-based revenue management solutions to help companies manage their prices effectively and achieve sustained revenue growth. Prorize’s AI platform serves more than 100 clients in over 25 countries.

Dr. Warren Lieberman has spent 30+ years helping companies improve pricing and revenue management practices. He is an internationally recognized expert who combines operations research-based modeling skills with pricing and revenue optimization programs.

Jeff Ryan is the Head of Artificial Intelligence at Tenant Inc. Jeff brings experience from previous roles at H6 Inc, Sky Path Internet, and Scoutfit LLC and has a robust skill set that includes leadership, e-commerce, website development, team building, marketing, and more.

Noah Starr is the CEO of TractIQ, the definitive market intelligence platform for self-storage and the official data provider for the Self-Storage Almanac, trusted by industry insiders nationwide. Before founding TractIQ, Noah acquired 12 storage properties totaling 650K SF across five states.

Poppy Behrens has over 25 of experience in the publishing field, with a focus on the self-storage sector. She joined MiniCo, Inc. in 2000 as the publisher of Mini-Storage Messenger which is now Modern Storage Media, publisher of Messenger, Self-Storage Canada, Self-Storage Almanac, and more. She also serves on the board of the Arizona Self-Storage Association.

Tyler Harper is co-founder of Homegrown Storage, a fast-growing self-storage owner and operator, and co-founder of Patchwork Labs, which builds AI voice and workflow automation for self-storage operators. Patchwork was developed inside Homegrown to run its own portfolio and now powers more than 600 facilities nationwide.

Tyson Huebner joined Yardi in 2023 after a 12-year tenure on the research team at Heitman. In his previous role, Tyson contributed to the investment strategy, underwriting, and management of over $10 billion in self-storage and student housing assets, collaborating with a diverse range of leading companies.

Wayde Elliott transitioned into self-storage following a successful 20-year dental practice after recognizing the time-freedom potential in real estate through one of his patients and their portfolio. He launched his own journey with remarkable returns, with the profit from his first facility exceeding 20 years of dental-practice earnings. 

Ryan Chapman is CEO and co-founder of Lumio, a company developing AI agents for the self-storage industry. Before founding Lumio, Chapman spent eight years at Apple, most recently leading work on agent systems for Siri and Contextual Intelligence. At Lumio, Chapman is focused on bringing advanced AI technology into practical, real-world applications. His goal is to develop systems that go beyond demonstrations to perform meaningful tasks, improve customer experiences, and help self-storage teams work more efficiently..

At BETCO, Carl Smith works to strengthen customer relationships, drive new-account growth, and ensure best-in-class customer engagement. He also plays a key role in advancing the company’s presence in the rapidly growing flex-space segment. Carl previously served as the regional sales manager at Janus International. 

Charles Plunkett is the CEO and Founder of San Antonio, Texas-based Capco Steel, Inc. and Capco General Contracting. Established in 1985, CAPCO (an acronym for Charles A. Plunkett) is a prominent commercial construction firm specializing in self-storage, retail, and warehousing facilities across 32 states.

Chris Sonne is the Executive Director specializing in self-storage for Cushman & Wakefield, a position he'd previously held from 2006-2015 before working in self-storage valuations for CBRE and Newmark. He is a frequent contributor to MSM.

David Meinecke's career began managing large commercial developments for a California architecture and engineering firm where he assisted in building $80M in assests. Today at Jordan Architects he manages the design and production of projects throughout the United States.

Since joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2017, Devin Beasley has successfully closed nearly $1B in storage transactions. His business model is centered around facility acquisition, disposition, and transaction management, focusing on national and regional users of storage. 

Jeff Dallenbach is the founder and managing partner of DALLENBACH•COLE ARCHITECTURE based in San Antonio, Tx. The company has become a nationwide design leader in the Self Storage industry while maintaining a foothold in both Governmental and Commercial development.

Neil Feaser is a licensed architect with 25+ years experience leading projects from concept through completion. He works closely with clients, consultants, and in-house teams to deliver thoughtful, high-performing spaces that meet business goals and enhance both new construction and complex renovations.

RK Kliebenstein is one of the most recognized personal brands in the self-storage industry and the president of consultancy firm Self-Storage, LLC. He has served as head of acquisitions for The Amsdell Companies, Extra Space, Metro Storage, Stor All, and U-Store-It (now CubeSmart). 

Cody Payne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Flex Parks USA, a national brokerage, advisory, and platform exclusively focused on small-bay flex industrial real estate. With more than 20 years of experience and 1,000+ closed commercial real estate transactions, Cody is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities in the small-bay flex and multi-tenant industrial sector across the United States.

Mitchell Feldman is a veteran real estate attorney, entrepreneur, and developer with 25+ years of experience specializing in the development of institutional-quality self-storage facilities across the United States and Puerto Rico. Over the course of his
career, Feldman has been responsible for the ground-up development of over 3 million square feet of completed projects.

Melissa Anderson is the Director of FLX Blueprint, bringing more than 25 years of commercial construction and development experience spanning cost management, sales leadership, operational strategy and business development. She leads FLX Blueprint’s growth, education and strategic partnerships.

Steve Hajewski has been in self-storage development and sales for 20+ years. At Trachte Building Systems he has been a Product Developer, Marketing Manager, and now Regional Sales Manager. He leads Trachte's "Building Blocks of Self-Storage" program, educating new self developers in US & Canada. Steve also owns and operates three facilities in WI (742 units): Columbus Self Storage & Self Storage of Wisconsin Dells.

Steve Hajewski is an experienced sales and marketing professional with a demonstrated history of working in the self storage construction industry.

Tarik Williams is the President of TLW Construction where he is responsible for overall company management. Tarik graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Construction Management at Arizona State University.

Whitney Jurjevich served in the Marine Corps, transitioned into law enforcement, and ultimately built a successful real estate investment and development company with Ameripark Covered Storage,

Adam Sauer directs all property management and operations across the Stein Investment Group's residential, commercial, and industrial portfolio. He focuses on the adaptive reuse of shuttered "big-box" retail spaces, transforming them into self-storage and retail centers. The firm operates the Space Shop Self Storage brand and AJAX Construction.

Anne Mino is a seasoned self-storage owner and investor. With deep expertise in commercial lending and specialized knowledge of the industry, Anne delivers strategic, customized financing solutions. Her dual perspective and client-focused approach make her a trusted partner in helping storage businesses grow.

Brian Liles is an energy savings expert with over 22 years of experience leading projects for major ESCOs and national lighting companies, with a portfolio exceeding $200M across sectors like solar, lighting, VFD, and HVAC systems.

Cliff Hite has led Space Shop Self Storage as president since 2016, bringing over a decade of experience in the self-storage industry. He is a business development leader with 10+ years of experience driving growth in the commercial construction and self-storage industries.

Dave King is the Managing Director of Self-Storage for Wentworth Property Company, LLC. focusing on all things related to self-storage. He has over 17 years experience in the self- storage industry.

Eric Snyder is a Co-Founding Principal of Talonvest Capital and has been involved in arranging over $6 billion of commercial real estate debt & equity capitalizations since 1993.

Federico Rolz has led Mr. [B] Self Storage since 2011, which owns and operates 18 facilities across Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Guatemala. He’s also cofounder and past president of the Self-Storage Association of Guatemala, and has been a speaker and moderator at industry events in Asia, Europe and the U.S. 

Co-founder of Lindsey Self Storage Group with his brother Alan, John Lindsey is a self-storage expert, broker, author, and industry leader. Since 2012, he has dedicated his career to unlocking value in self-storage through strategic deals, market insight, and bold thinking.

Lou Barnholdt has 25 years of industry experience, including 22 in operations. She specializes in feasibility studies, consulting and sales strategies. Lou represents her company at industry events and contributes to publications, which have established her as a thought leader in the storage sector.

Luke Elliott is a Vice Chairman at Cushman & Wakefield, one of the world's largest commercial real estate services firms. He has over 23 years of experience in providing advisory and transactional expertise to clients across various sectors and markets.

Mats Steijner is an established self-storage entrepreneur and operations expert best known for co-founding both 24Storage and Green Storage in Sweden. He has helped pioneer a fully automated, keyless, and contactless self-storage model in the Nordic region. 

Warren Dazzio serves as EVP of CSSI, where he embodies ethics and integrity in all aspects of his work. With a background in ministry and degrees in theology and business, he founded a successful healthcare company and has extensive expertise in sales, business development, and tax law.

Neal Gussis has 37 years of diversified commercial real estate and finance experience. He has a background in commercial loan finance and brokerage, asset management and disposition, due diligence, asset valuation, mortgage-backed securities bond distribution, and accounting.

Peter Smyth cofounded two self-storage companies: Local Locker, which operates 60 facilities across major U.S. metros, and White Label Storage, which provides third-party management services to more than 200 facilities in 39 states. Peter now manages facility transitions, works with owners, recruits staff, and ensures optimal portfolio performance.

Shawn Hill specializes in arranging debt and equity financing for new and existing commercial real estate projects nationwide. Property types include multifamily, retail, office, industrial, self storage, manufactured housing, lodging, health care, and specialty uses.

Aaron Farney is Director of STOW Self Storage, a premium self-storage brand opening in Bali, Indonesia, and founder of Unwired Logic, a self-storage technology consultancy with teams in Tokyo and Bali. He's worked in self-storage since 2002, starting as an operator and developer in Japan, where he lived for nearly 30 years.  

AJ Osborne is the Founder/CEO of Cedar Creek Capital and Self Storage Income. With over 2 decades of experience investing in self-storage, AJ has grown of a portfolio of self-storage assets of over 1 million net rentable square feet and become a leader in the self-storage industry.

Cameron Barsanti owns and operates a $80M+ portfolio with 20 self-storage facilities across 10 states, including Guam. He teaches the exact playbook he has been using to over 50 investors through his company StorageLife.

Anne Ballard is the former president of Universal Storage Group and a frequent speaker at state, national and international conferences. She is the author of "The Hat Lady Speaks, Marketing and Managing Self Storage" and numerous articles for industry magazines over the last 30 years.

Sue Haviland has more than 35 years of self-storage leadership experience. She's also a consultant specializing in all aspects of the industry including third-party and remote management, operational improvement, training, audits, and due diligence.

Christina Powell has led top-performing sales organizations and is a hands-on closer at heart. She is energized by creating unstoppable pipelines, forging authentic relationships, and strategically transforming prospects into loyal, high-value partners and clients.

With 20+ years experience, Melissa Huff  has overseen a 35-property portfolio and helped develop a third-party management company. She is co-founder of Lighthouse Storage Solutions and has served on the TN, AL and LA SSAs. She co-hosts podcasts with Tommy Nguyen and husband Josh.

As part of the Universal Storage Group leadership team, Sarah Beth DeFazio works closely with clients, identifying storage solutions through management contracts and feasibility studies. She's always ready to provide expert guidance to consulting clients.

Stacie Maxwell has 26+ years of self-storage expertise, including two decades of executive leadership experience at an industry Top Operator. She now serves in leadership at On The Move as VP of Growth and Innovation and promoting the Agency’s SecureLease tenant protection ecosystem. Stacie is a sought-after speaker, respected writer, trusted advisor, and board member of the Self Storage Association’s Women’s Council.

Holly Fiorello is the founder of Growth Guide Marketing, a strategic marketing practice serving the self-storage industry. With nearly 15 years of experience spanning self-storage technology, marketing services, business development, and field marketing leadership, Holly helps businesses connect marketing strategy to meaningful growth.