Meet the Speakers

  • Avery Carl is an Amazon bestselling author of Short Term Rental, Long Term Wealth and Smarter Short-Term Rentals, host of The Short Term Show (1M+ downloads), and CEO of The Short Term Shop, a short-term rental agency for three consecutive years, featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Forbes. Starting on a $37K salary, she built a 250+ door portfolio in five years and teaches investors financial independence through vacation rentals.
    She hosts The Short Term Show, (with over 1 million downloads) which ranks in the Top 200 Education Podcasts and Top 100 Self-Improvement Podcasts in the US and has an online community of nearly 65k users. 

  • John R. Bradford, III, is an accomplished entrepreneur and CEO, bringing extensive experience from both property management and government. He is the founder of two successful ventures: Park Avenue Properties and PetScreening. Notably, PetScreening has achieved national recognition for four consecutive years as one of the fastest-growing privately held U.S. companies. In his government service, John served two terms as a town commissioner and four terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives. His legislative roles included serving as Freshman Majority Whip and Senior Chairman of the House Finance Committee.

  • If your short-term rental business vanishes when Airbnb changes its algorithm, you don't own a business… you're renting one. I'm Humphrey Bowles, CEO of Truvi and the founder who coined 'digital sharecropping' to describe how platforms convert entrepreneurs into dependent workers. After a decade building vacation rental companies, I've experienced both the promise of platform-enabled entrepreneurship and the reality of algorithmic dependency. I've seen operators lose status after 25 years because they optimised for guest satisfaction instead of transaction volume. My mission... helping hospitality entrepreneurs reclaim their business identity and build platform-independent revenue streams.

  • Cathleen Cataldo is the Founder of Discovered In Travels, a boutique, family-run short-term rental management and consulting company based in the Poconos. With over ten years of experience in trend forecasting and corporate retail sales within the fashion and beauty industries, Cathleen brings a data-driven, brand-forward approach to short-term rental investing. Discovered In Travels partners with investors at every stage by coaching new owners and co-hosts, consulting self-managing investors on systems and optimization, and providing full-service property management. She transforms properties into experience-driven, future-proof assets that attract premium guests and deliver strong, long-term returns.

  • Devlon started Pro Fire Safety in 2015 after a 15 year career in the automotive industry. At Pro Fire Safety the mission is to educate families about the devastating effects of home fires and other home safety issues. Devlon has been honing his skills for almost 10 years and has become a fire safety expert. He is also a member of the NFPA

  • Vincent Jacobbi is an Account Executive for Host Financial specializing in investment property loans for STRs.

    Like many businesses, Host Financial started as a solution to a growing problem. As many owners and investors are jumping into the short term vacation rental market, obtaining traditional financing for these kinds of investment properties can be difficult. This is the space where Host Financial was born. We understand the short term rental market and specialize in serving investors within this niche.

  • Cindy Carr Knecht is the Broker/Owner of Carr Realty of the Poconos, a family-run real estate company with more than 60 years of experience serving buyers and sellers throughout the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

    Today, Cindy proudly carries on that legacy as Broker/Owner, helping buyers, sellers, and renters navigate their real estate journeys with confidence and care. She is deeply grateful to work in a community she loves and is committed to service, strong relationships, and thoughtful growth.

    Cindy actively volunteers with the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS®, the Pocono Chamber of Commerce, and Poconos VRO, collaborating on initiatives that support local businesses, responsible short-term rentals, and community-focused policies. Above all, she remains dedicated to preserving the values and reputation her family has built in the Poconos for generations.

  • Colby has been with SERVPRO Team Fabiani for 11 years, specializing in helping property owners protect and restore their investments. He works closely with short-term rental owners to prepare for and recover from water, fire, mold, and storm damage. His focus is on minimizing downtime, reducing risk, and keeping properties guest-ready when the unexpected occurs.

  • Derek Jones is the VP of Sales and Partnerships at Hospitable. Derek’s journey with Hospitable began in 2021 as a customer. After adopting Hospitable, he scaled his property management portfolio from 2 properties to more than 20, while maintaining a W-2 job. Derek is now working on ways to bring Hospitable’s powerful automation tools to more short and mid-term rental hosts.

  • As a strong believer in the people of the short-term rental community, David cofounded Rent Responsibly in 2020 to harness the entrepreneurial spirit and solution-oriented energy of short-term rental operators. Rent Responsibly is the only company focused exclusively on the needs of the 1 million owners, hosts and managers in the US. Rent Responsibly provides free education, free advocacy resources and professional management services to STR associations.

  • Brenda Figueroa is a psychologist by trade and entrepreneur by heart. She is a seasoned short-term rental host, new-host mentor, and founder of Pocono Excellence, a women-led short-term rental community. Brenda blends strategy, hospitality, and intentional leadership to help hosts build a guest centered experience.

  • Michael has 10+ years of experience in the short-term rental industry and specializes in helping investors buy and sell short-term rentals in the Poconos, PA. He's grown his own portfolio of STRs in the Poconos and uses his experience to help his clients exceed expectations. 

  • Shehryar Khan is a serial entrepreneur, technologist, and longtime Airbnb Superhost with over a decade of hands-on hosting experience. He previously led award-winning mobile and digital teams at Übermind and Deloitte Digital, helping build some of the world’s most widely used apps. Over the past several years, his focus has shifted to applying AI and automation to real-world industry problems—especially in travel and hospitality. As founder of the Guest Manual platform, Shehryar now helps hosts use digital tools and AI to deliver smarter, more personalized guest experiences.

  • Mark Lumpkin is a short-term rental design, renovation, and performance expert with over a decade of hands-on experience in real estate investing and construction. As Sales Director at STR Cribs, Mark has helped renovate and set up more than 500 high-performing short-term rental properties across the U.S., focusing on the details that actually drive bookings, revenue, and five-star reviews. His expertise spans renovation planning, amenity ROI, guest experience design, and market-specific performance strategy. Mark is also a co-host of the STR Investing Podcast and a frequent speaker at industry events nationwide, where he teaches investors how to build durable, profitable short-term rentals that stand out in increasingly competitive markets.

  • Laura has been working in hospitality since she was legally allowed to work. From working as wedding planner in the Catskills to an Ag Tech startup in Brooklyn, gathering people around food has always been at the core. With CookinGenie she leads the charge in developing partnerships to create new diners and demystifying hiring a private chef. The value of short-term rental partnerships is the perfect storm of what it’s all about. Get away, get together, & enjoy! 

  • Andrew is the CEO & co-Founder of Stay Booked, a premier, full-service manager of large vacation rental homes in the Poconos and Ocean City, MD. Andrew is also the co-founder of NYC Hosts & Investors, a short-term rental networking and education group with over 450 members in the greater-NYC area. Most importantly, he is a husband and dad to two amazing kids.

  • Monique DeLorenzo is a Senior Solutions Consultant at PriceLabs, the revenue management platform trusted by thousands of vacation rental and hospitality professionals worldwide. After starting her career in sales and launching her own short-term rental in 2018, Monique found her sweet spot at the intersection of data, strategy, and hospitality. Since joining PriceLabs in 2022, she’s worked with property managers and hoteliers across the globe—helping them turn pricing and minimum stay strategies into powerful revenue drivers.

  • Mark Shay is a Realtor® specializing in investment-focused real estate throughout the Pocono Mountains. Mark leads one of the most successful real estate teams in the Poconos, helping buyers and sellers navigate vacation homes, short-term rentals, and income-producing properties with confidence. Known for his data-driven approach, Mark provides agent-grade market analysis, clear pricing strategy, and hands-on guidance. His innovations include the STR Scorecards, tools designed to evaluate short-term rental performance, risk, and upside. Mark works closely with investors, second-home buyers, and homeowners to execute successful transactions from start to finish.

  • Julie Marks is the Founder and Executive Director of the Vermont Short-Term Rental Alliance (VTSTRA), a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy organization representing Vermont’s vacation rental community. As a self-managing short-term rental host, Julie began advocating for homeowners’ right to rent in 2019 when restrictive regulations threatened her livelihood. Since founding VTSTRA in 2021, she has become a nationally recognized leader in grassroots organizing for the vacation rental industry. Julie served on the VRMA Government Affairs Committee from 2022–2024 and was the founding Board President of the Right to Rent Collaborative in 2025. She holds degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Health.

  • Eric is a partner with the mid-sized law firm Timoney Knox, LLP and serves as chair of its Litigation Group.  He has been practicing litigation, with a focus on real estate litigation, since 1998.  Eric attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and Dickinson Law School in Carlisle, PA.  He became President of the Montgomery Bar Association in 2017.  Eric's practice takes him to counties throughout the Commonwealth and all of its regions.  His real estate litigation practice includes Short-Term Rental rights, property restrictions, easements, adverse possession, quiet title and partition, and related disputes.  Eric also practices in the area of commercial litigation and business disputes.  He has been recognized by Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® since 2005. Eric was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley just minutes from the Appalachian Trail and loves a good hike in the Mountains of Pennsylvania.     

  • Xander Weidenbaum is a cornerstone of the regional real estate market as owner of Redstone Run Realty and partner in a suite of vertically integrated firms. He focuses on high-level STR strategy, repositioning distressed assets, and commercial investments. A Pocono Mountains native, Xander lives in Stroudsburg with his wife, Deisi, and their three young children. He finds his greatest joy in seeing others succeed – empowering his teams, family, and clients to achieve their goals.

  • Jeremiah Noll is the host of the podcast "STR Problems, Strong Solutions," where he shares practical solutions with callers because he believes collaboration beats competition and that everyone can win together. He is the founder and broker of Galvanized Management and Investment Real Estate of the Poconos, delivering integrated property management and investor focused real estate services across the region. His team of 23 manages over 150 doors across short, mid, and long term rentals. A former math teacher, Jeremiah applies data driven strategies to help clients win.

  • Simon Seroussi is a hospitality innovator, serving as the co-founder of SuiteOp and Sosuite.

    At Sosuite, Simon spearheaded the creation of a community-centric hospitality model that has transformed the way modern travelers experience Philadelphia. Offering hundreds of meticulously designed apartments in the city's most dynamic neighborhoods, Sosuite crafts personalized, talk-worthy experiences whether for one-night stays or month-long bookings.

    Drawing from his experience at Sosuite, Simon co-founded SuiteOp, a cutting-edge B2B SaaS platform tailored for large-scale vacation rental operators and hoteliers. As an integrated platform, it simplifies complex operations and personalizes guest experiences at scale through its interconnected modules, such as SuiteVerify, SuitePortal, SuiteConnect, SuiteKeeper, and SuiteAnalytics.

  • Nate Silver is the co-founder of Wander Home, a luxury short-term rental and hospitality management company specializing in high-end vacation homes and boutique lodging experiences. Based in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, Nate brings a hands-on, owner-operator mindset to every project, with deep experience in property operations, renovation oversight, and guest-focused design. His work spans luxury vacation rentals, emerging boutique hotel concepts, and hospitality-driven real estate investments, with a focus on creating memorable stays and strong long-term returns.

  • Emilia Sperandeo leads Sales at Wander, one of the world’s fastest-growing hospitality platforms. Since joining in 2024, she has been instrumental in scaling the company from 76 to over 1,000 properties—a 14x year-over-year expansion—with international launches across Spain, Canada, and the Caribbean. In just 40 months, Wander has generated more than $36M in bookings, with Emilia driving much of that momentum.

    Before Wander, Emilia spent nearly a decade at Angi and HomeAdvisor, where she scaled revenue from $12M to $100M+ and built strategic partnerships with global brands including Samsung and Microsoft. She is known for building high-performing teams and long-term customer relationships.

  • Juana Toribio is the owner and operator of Villa Juana Poconos, a luxury short-term rental known for its elevated guest experience and strong revenue performance. With a background in finance and tax leadership, Juana brings a strategic, data-driven approach to short-term rental ownership, combining branding, operations, pricing strategy, and guest experience optimization. She is also a co-founder of Pocono Excellence, a mentorship community supporting short-term rental owners through education, collaboration, and advocacy, with a focus on empowering women and minority hosts in the Poconos market.

  • Rohit is a seasoned technology executive with a passion for building high performing teams and experience in both engineering and finance. He brings extensive experience from his roles at Uber, J.P. Morgan, and Trucker Tools, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiencies. His expertise in scaling operations guides AirDNA into its next phase of growth, reinforcing its mission to deliver best-in-class data and insights for STR investors and hosts.