the Summit

How to Be the Most Impactful Employer in an Employee’s Journey

Dan Berzansky is the founder and CEO of Premier Aquatic Services, which operates Premier Aquatics and Premier Health and Safety, and is Co-founder of Premier Swim Academy. Since 2011, Premier Aquatic Services has grown into a full-service swim school, lifeguard service, and health and safety education provider in the Western US. Premier employs over 200 year-round employees and ramps up to over 550 seasonal employees in over 100 locations throughout California and Arizona.

In addition to Premier, Dan has developed SaaS startup called OneTeam360, which is an employee engagement and incentivization tool created specifically for small to medium sized businesses employing part-time hourly employees. In all, Dan has over 20 years of management, coaching and teaching experience, as well as over 20 years of experience in large scale project management. In his free time, Dan is Vice President of Stop Drowning Now, a drowning prevention education program, the Co-Chair of the Orange County Drowning Prevention Task

Force, and is the Forum Chair for Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Orange County chapter. Dan is a graduate of Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business Management where he completed his MBA. Dan lives in Laguna Niguel, CA with his wife and three young children.

Bob Hubbard and his wife, Kathy, founded Hubbard Family Swim School & Hubbard Sports Camps in 1998, a work that they are grateful for every day, and which has led to many professional presentations. positions and recognitions – including the US Swim Schools Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bob’s grew up in NYC, served as an ocean lifeguard, matured into a cheerleader, shines as an auctioneer, and relishes his role as a music lover. His healthy passion is biking with a group of old guys that gets him out on most of the roads in Phoenix. Bob earned his undergraduate degree from Xavier University in psychology(1973) and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati (1976). He worked as a lawyer and as an executive in a variety of industries including homebuilding, life insurance and hotels.
Kathy and Bob are seasoned presenters of the Infant Toddler Workshops and the business and management aspects of the Learn To Swim business and are requested speakers throughout the USA and the world. They now have 4 swim schools, operate 3 summer sports camps with over 160 employees. Bob and Kathy love to travel, learn and share their enthusiasm for the swim school industry. They have 8 children and 23 grandchildren.

What Great Leaders Do Differently

Lynn is a decisive, analytical leader who guides with energy, high standards, compassion and creativity. An attorney by trade, Lynn followed a strong entrepreneurial calling and purchased Cal Elite Kids in Orange County, California.  Together with business partner Jett Cutler, they grew Cal Elite from a small gymnastics center with 8 employees to become one of the most successful children’s activity centers in the U.S. Today Cal Elite Kids serves 3,000 students and provides over 12,000 hours of lessons each week. After raising 4 children with husband, Mark Ledford, Lynn got to work!

In  2016 Lynn joined Jett in establishing Pro-Swim Academy, a swim school in Chicago, Illinois.  In 2017, Cal Elite partnered with The Blue Kid Center in Suzhou, China to bring Cal Elite’s preschool gymnastics brand to China. In 2018 Cal Elite expanded its dance brand by establishing the REVE Dance Conservatory.

In 2019 Cal Elite expanded its performance brand by collaborating with South County Performing Arts – creating a strong musical theater program at Cal Elite and also acquired the Fun & Fit Gymnastics Centers in Los Angeles. In April or 2020, Lynn and Jett opened their third swim facility, in Rancho Cucamonga, California.  The growth that Lynn is most excited about is the 2020 launch of Sweet Peas Gymnastics, a preschool gymnastics licensing program. There are currently over 40 licensees throughout the U.S. and growing.  Lynn is dedicated to helping others in the youth sports industry find business success that will allow them to follow their coaching and entrepreneurial dreams while finding balance and peace through the journey. 

Data Informed Retention Indicators

Barbara has an impressive and well-rounded 30-year record in software development within the learn-to-swim industry. She authored the Splash learn to swim program before partnering with iClassPro to become Product Manager. In 2017 Barbara self-funded industry research providing insight into the participation of 240,000 individual children in Australia and NZ. She has been fundamental in supporting swim school owners to utilize business analytics to support better decision making and is currently leading a North American research project in our industry. In addition to her software knowledge Barbara is a swimming parent from new-born through to the transition to college athlete. Barbara has been a swim club president, race secretary, and a national qualified technical official.

Developing Amazing Preschool Coaches

Sarah Fennell-Cooper is a child development specialist and expert in preschool coach training. And the self-appointed champion of your preschool gym program. She started Happy Gymnastics to help gym owners and directors create wildly profitable preschool programs, and Preschool Coaches League, the complete training system for coaching and managing young children.

As a former preschool director for programs both in the US and New Zealand, Sarah also has her elementary teaching degree and spent five years teaching Kindergarten in a Title I school, where she earned her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology.

Sarah LOVES to teach! She’s been a speaker at our industry’s biggest stages, including USA Gymnastics National congresses, Gymnastics Ontario Congress, GAT, Gymnastics British Columbia, Rec Gym Pro’s Virtual Summit.

5 Financial Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Do Better

Davies currently serves as the Vice President of Strategy & Growth for Emler Swim School and is responsible for its growth strategy.  Prior to Emler Davies was responsible for non-traditional acquisitions at 7-Eleven, which included International M&A, some venture investing, and future of retail acquisitions, to ensure 7-Eleven was properly positioned for the future.  Davies spent the first decade of his professional life as a Banker serving a variety of companies ranging from family-owned businesses to large, publicly traded companies, in a spectrum of industries.  He also spent time owning and operating his own businesses.

He is passionate about fitness, health, and his family.  When not working he spends time with his wife, their three dogs, extended family, and friends.  He serves as an advisor for a few non-profits that helps those who are struggling find their dignity and traction in life.