Our Team

Jeff Benton has more than 23 years of experience developing marketing, business growth and partnership programs for a diverse range of organizations—from professional sports teams and leagues to international networks of CEOs and business executives. Throughout his career, Benton has built relationships with corporate leaders with many of the world’s premier brands. Benton’s diverse background also includes running professional sporting events and overseeing programs that include professional athletes, coaches and entertainers. Benton is currently the President and Founder of Link Strategy Group, a Business Growth Firm that provides strategic marketing and business development services to a diverse group of clients. The firm is focused on working with companies that provide innovative solutions to the marketplace and that are characterized by their passionate leadership. Link Strategy Group utilizes its experience to help clients grow their revenue through a variety of methods. These include developing sales channels within Link’s extensive network, structuring co-marketing and strategic partnerships, establishing sponsorships, and executing strategic events ranging from CEO Roundtables to Conferences. The Link Strategy Group team has developed business growth programs directly for world-class organizations including AEG, YPO-WPO, Barclays, Inspirato, Jet Linx, SAP, Aon, NFL Players Association, Vistage, USTA, MLB.com Digital Academy, Xanterra, PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR. Prominent events and programs that the Link Strategy Group team has either developed or implemented strategic marketing and partnership programs for include the YPO Global Leadership Conferences in Toronto, Sydney, Miami, Denver, Singapore, Istanbul and Los Angeles, SAP Studios, Vistage CEO Conference, Super Bowl Week, US Open Tennis, PGA TOUR Championship Management and NFL CEO Roundtables. Prior to founding Link Strategy Group, Benton created the worldwide alliance and sponsorship program for Young Presidents’ Organization, a network of more than 21,000 global business leaders who are dedicated to lifelong leadership. One of his primary responsibilities included the cultivation of strategic partnerships that would increase YPO’s value as an integral part of its members’ professional and personal lives. As a result of his efforts, the organization now boasts a collection of partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands that offer unparalleled benefit programs and opportunities exclusively to YPO’s members. Before joining YPO, Benton served as director of business development and strategic alliances for Exclusive Resorts, the world’s largest destination club. In this role, Benton led the club’s sports and entertainment division and was responsible for developing relationships with leading management agencies and sports entities, including the NFL Players Association and the NBA Players Association, as well as individual athletes, coaches and entertainers. Earlier in his career, Benton was managing director of sales and corporate partnerships for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and US Open. He also previously served as national sales director for the PGA TOUR, where he established corporate sponsorship programs and developed the Premier Partnership program. Benton served in similar capacities, and oversaw sales, marketing and public relations for the Colorado Rapids, a Major League Soccer team, and for RHB Ventures, a prominent sports and entertainment management firm. Over the years, Benton has received numerous awards and recognition for his marketing, events and sponsorship programs. Benton received his bachelor's degree from Emory University in Atlanta but currently lives in Santa Monica. Benton has a strong interest in professional and personal leadership and is currently developing programs for CEOs, professional athletes and young adults that teach them how to reach their full potential.  He served as the Chairman on the Challenge Denver Board and also served on the Challenge Day and Denver Sports Commission Boards. Benton was also member of Colorado Succeeds Advisory Board and member of Entrepreneurs' Organization in the Colorado Chapter.

Brett Weinroth is Managing Director of Link Strategy Group and leads the firm’s Washington, DC practice. He brings more than 20 years of experience generating top-line revenue growth and building strategic marketing partnerships in a wide range of industries and is focused on building Link’s naming rights, sponsorship and sports consulting business. Throughout his career, Weinroth has represented some of Octagon’s most visible clients and properties, led the global corporate sponsorship portfolio for the Worldwide Senior Tennis Tour, played a significant sales leadership role in the growth of Exclusive Resorts, the world’s premier luxury destination club, and worked for his hometown Philadelphia Eagles. Weinroth has developed unique integrated sponsorship, marketing and licensing programs with numerous Fortune 500 companies. Most recently he led Link’s efforts on behalf of DC United (MLS) that resulted in an historic multi-year presenting partnership with national defense conglomerate, Leidos. Weinroth is an active board member and past gala chairman for the Jr. Tennis Champions Center, a non-profit character development and leadership-building program in College Park, MD, and he has served on numerous charitable committees including NFL Players, Youth AIDS, Inova Health Systems, National Jewish Health, DC Special Olympics and the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia. Weinroth has served as an adjunct professor in the Sports Industry Management masters program at Georgetown University, advisory board member for the American University men’s tennis program and strategic advisor to numerous entrepreneurial ventures and start-ups. Weinroth received his bachelor’s degree from the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, part of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he was the first student manager for head basketball coach John Calipari. He currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife Leah, a journalist, and their two children, Trey and Nina.

Adam Garone is one of the most successful social entrepreneurs of recent times. He co-founded and led the Movember Foundation from its humble beginnings in 2003 in Melbourne Australia to become a global phenomenon, that changed (literally and figuratively) the face of men’s health.  Movember disrupted the charity sector by putting the fun in fundraising, by creating a cult brand that inspired a global movement focused on men’s health.  From nothing, to a global charity that has raised over $900 million, funding 1,200 men’s health programs in 21 countries Adam built Movember into one of the most innovative and impactful social enterprises created this millennium.

Behind the scenes, under Adam’s leadership, Movember changed the way cancer research is done by requiring and facilitating collaboration not just at a national level but at a global level, something never achieved in the cancer sector.

Adam started his career with nine years of service as an officer in the Australian Army, where he was selected and served with the Commando Regiment in the special forces.  His military experience combined with the challenges of leading Movember through start up, rapid growth, and global expansion gives Adam a unique perspective on the essential skills it takes to build an extraordinary organization and a global movement including the importance of leadership, culture, team work and change management.

Toward the end of Adam’s military career he completed a Master’s of Marketing at Melbourne Business School which helped him transition into the civilian workforce where he managed and marketed emerging web and mobile technologies.  It was this experience where Adam developed a passion for the smart application of digital technology to create highly profitable business models which became the fundamental thinking behind the development of Movember’s technology platform.

In 2016 Movember was awarded Cult Brand of the year, in 2013 Adam was awarded the GQ Australia Man of the Year, in 2009 the Melbourne Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award, and in 2008 Enrst & Young Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Steve Levin is Managing Director of Link Conferences. With more than 20 years of experience in conference development, business management, marketing and business development, Steve specializes in identifying emerging trends, driving event strategy and working with global thought leaders and visionaries. Steve has created and managed global conferences for organizations including Microsoft, YPO, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cisco, AMD, Yara, Time, Fortune and others. Prior to LSG, Steve served as Director of the YPO EDGE, leading content strategy for the world’s largest gathering of chief executives that brings together more than 2,600 leaders from more than 90 countries. Before YPO, Steve led strategy and content development for Microsoft’s two premier CIO events – the Global Accounts Summit and Global CIO Summit. He also led Microsoft’s Imagine Cup, a global technology competition where university students used technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems. Prior to Microsoft, Steve was Senior Vice President at The Van Heyst Group where he led client relations, program development, sponsorship and business development for numerous clients and conferences including: World Congress on IT, African Green Revolution Conference, America’s Healthcare at Risk Summit, Federal CTO Summit, Fortune Brainstorm, Time & ABC News Summit on Obesity, AMD Global Vision Conference, and others. Steve has successfully launched more than ten products, six companies and numerous conference and product brands. Adept at developing and leveraging relationships with key executives and partners to accomplish mutual goals, he has expertise in working with thought leadership and high growth companies. Steve lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife, two daughters and golden retriever and enjoys running, hiking, skiing, and stand-up paddleboarding when he can find flat water.

Chris has an extensive background in sports, entertainment and commerce within the US, European and Latin American markets; helping global brands to maximize their IP rights and create new revenue streams. He has worked with iconic personalities such as Pelé, Neymar Jr. Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Nelson Mandela and many leading brands. Chris was part of the management team that helped conclude the historic intellectual property transaction to acquire, manage and preserve the legacy of the legendary Pelé, co-founding Legends 10 in 2011. Chris ran the day-to-day commercial operations of the company for 5 years, helping to develop a long-term strategic plan that the company executed to enhance and build the Pelé brand. Involved in all the contractual negotiations and commercial relationships for Pelé and the business organization with global companies such as VW, Banco Santander, P&G, Emirates Airline, Coca-Cola, Hublot , Stada, Subway and others; long term licensing and partnership contracts with Cacique/Café Pelé, Montegrappa, Halcyon Galleries; and commercial appearances globally in Africa, Asia (China, Japan and India), Europe, Latin & Central America, Middle East and SE Asia and Australia. For the past two year Chris has run a natural food supplement distribution business in Brazil that has built retail, wholesale, private label and direct to consumer points of sales on behalf of  major German and Japanese manufacturing  companies. Chris previously spent over eight years as the COO and President of the Ripken Baseball Group – building the business platform for one of the USA’s legendary baseball stars Cal Ripken, Jr. Under his leadership the company expanded operations across the USA. Including professional team ownership; a property development & services company; plus the US’s leading youth baseball instructional camps and tournament destinations. Additionally, Chris helped establish and then served on the board of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation a 501©3 dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth that impacts the lives of more than 50.000 at risk youths annually. With more than 25 years of executive management, marketing and business development skills internationally, Chris is originally from the UK and has lived and worked from the US for more than 20 years.

Garrett Schlosser is a Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Link Strategy Group.  Prior to joining the LSG team, Garrett spent 5 years at SoulCycle, one of the most successful brands in the sports and fitness arena.  He served as a Manager of Operations on teams that opened studios in New York City and Palo Alto and later transitioned into the role of instructor. His contributions helping grow the SoulCycle brand in new markets continued in Washington, DC where from 2014 to 2017 he enjoyed using fitness as a way to impact people’s lives and consistently remained the region’s top instructor. Garrett’s interest in the power of sport to positively impact people’s lives has extended beyond his professional life and he has volunteered and served in a number of roles, including serving as an administrative fellow with Athletes for Social Change, an organization that brings collegiate athletes into community service through providing powerful instruction to secondary students in the Washington, DC schools.  Garrett was a collegiate soccer play, having captained the team his sophomore year.  His skills were also translated to the football field where he served as a kicker for his undergraduate institution.  He also serves as an appointed Director at Whisnant Strategies, a Washington, DC philanthropic advisory firm. Garrett grew up in Nashville, TN where he was both an accomplished student and athlete.  He completed his undergraduate studies at Sewanee: The University of the South where he majored in Economics and minored in Religion.  He also has a Master’s in Sports Management from Georgetown University.  He now enjoys exploring the fine foods of Washington, DC and continues his interest in sports as a marathon runner and cyclist.

Sue Oberliesen is Project Manager with Link Strategy Group, focusing on business development, research and key client initiatives.  Sue has played an integral role in designing partnership strategy with multiple LSG clients, and manages processes that support ongoing business development and client reporting.  Sue’s background in executive search brings a unique and valuable approach to LSG’s client project management.  Sue is a lifelong learner, and motivated by challenging herself to continually grow personally and professionally. Prior to LSG, Sue was on the leadership team of a boutique executive search firm, managing operations and client process.  Sue has also held positions in Human Resources, Marketing, and started her career with an award-winning design firm focused on architecture and urban planning. Sue received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a Masters in Landscape Architecture/Urban Design from University of Virginia.  Sue currently resides in Denver with her husband, two teenagers, (and her show dog “Princess Contessa”).  She enjoys spending time exploring the outdoors and hiking and skiing with her family.

Robyne Sarah Corcoran is Project Manager, Strategic Partnerships at Link Strategy Group. Robyne has a deep and varied intensive background. Her work as an architect and designer was showcased at the MOMA in NYC and was exhibited for 6 months at the Museum of Modern Art and Architecture in Rome. Robyne was one of the youngest, women architects to have built work in Rome, Italy. She also has work in the 2010 Olympic Village, NYC, and in China. Robyne has managed and directed international teams to bring all these projects to life. She has organized conferences and talked with NYC Commissioners, City Officials and the Director of the Architecture Institute of NYC in New York and around the US. Additionally Robyne has taught yoga for the past 9 years.

Jonathan's consulting work shines in the areas of innovation, leadership development and change management. For more than 20 years, he has specialized in culture change, designing adult development programs, and the subject area of integrative health and wellbeing. Jonathan has been featured as an expert on the topics of holistic health, cross-cultural healing and heightened states of consciousness in films, print, television, and radio. He is the author of the international best-sellers "Return to the Sacred," and “Inspiration Deficit Disorder,” among other publications. Previously the Spiritual Program Director for the famed Canyon Ranch Resorts and the founding CEO for TAO Inspired Living, Mexico. Jonathan is also a coach and counsel for leading CEOs and award winning celebrities. His unique perspective has been sought after by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, the Yoga Journal, Larry King Live, the Martha Stewart Radio Show, and BetterTV to name only a few. Jonathan’s consulting work and innovation facilitation has been sought after by some the world’s most notable companies including Pepsico, Kraft, Nissan, Honda, the U.S.Navy, the U.S. Forest Service, the CEO Group, YPO Chapters, Miraval Resort, Baxter Pharmaceuticals, Canadian Correctional Systems, the Financial Planning Association and many more. Jonathan has also been a university lecturer and adjunct instructor at five universities, including the University of Arizona, where he was a regular guest instructor with the Andrew Weil Program for Integrative Medicine. With more than 2000 hours of presentations to his credit, Jonathan’s warm, insightful, adaptable and engaging talent for speaking and working with large audiences remains an important part of his work today. Jonathan’s PhD in comparative religion focused on systems of meaning and cross-cultural education. This and a life of extensive travels to study and live among more than 40 different cultural traditions around the world, enable Jonathan to bring uncommon, unique and inspiring perspectives to all that he does. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Jonathan is married, the father of two, serving as the Executive Director of the Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality in Denver, and as a Senior Consultant for Paragon Performance Evolution.