Josephine Firat

Responsible for the growth of Nexus Futbol Academy, an independent school in the Greater Houston Area focused on academic and soccer achievement, development, and excellence. About to enter it's 3rd academic year, Nexus has a growth plan to reach full capacity at its current location in Pearland, TX, add more Nexus campuses, and build relationships with professional soccer clubs and NCAA colleges to provide multiple pathways for our student athletes.

Firat Education provides customized one-on-one educational and college counseling services to students of all ages in the Greater Houston area. What sets us apart is the fact that our services are modified to each individual student based on his or her needs and learning styles, which aligns with the ultimate goal of preparing for and attending the right university.

Founding board member and current President of 501c3 Nexus Academy Foundation, charged with raising funds to provide educational and athletic opportunities to underserved and deserving student athletes. Through the Nexus Academy Foundation, the non-profit arm of Nexus Futbol Academy, $140,000 has been provided in scholarships to students.

Josephine Firat is a multiple business owner in Houston, TX, but her love for entrepreneurship and small business ownership started with a single umbrella drawn on a napkin. UZO was Josephine’s first business, and her portfolio of businesses grew on the foundation of a great and luxurious umbrella. The UZO is a unique accessory that provides its consumers with artistic style, exclusiveness, and enthusiasm to a product previously used only for its function. The UZO is an asymmetrical umbrella designed for maximum coverage for the user. With the shaft being off-centered, the user is able to stand in the exact center of the canopy, allowing him or her to be completely covered. Josephine Firat co-founded UZO in 2007 and made it the luxury umbrella you see today with its Italian cherry wood handle, 100% polyester hydrophobic canopy, and fiberglass rods. The luxuriousness of the UZO was the reason it found its way onto the shelves at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Purchase the UZO at www.uzoumbrellas.com: • Keep the UZO for yourself • Protect your loved ones from the elements • Give the UZO as a gift in its beautiful, reusable gift box The UZO as a Company Promotional Item: • Hand-Paint your Logo on the canopy by Houston artist Hanh Tran • Embroider your Logo on the strap of the UZO • Etch your Logo on the Italian Cherry Wood Handle • Screen Print your Logo any size on the canopy fabric Sell the UZO at Your Store: • Add to your Accessories Collection • Pair the UZOs with your Apparel • Support the Gross Profit of your Category/Department Use the UZO in Your Business: • Walk your High-End Customers in & out in the Rain • Provide your Valet with an Efficient, High-End Umbrella for the Rain • Provide Hotel Guests with an UZO for borrow or purchase Become an UZO Domestic or International Sales Representative: • Territory to sell the UZO • Easily Pair the UZO with current brands and other accessories • Increase your sales and/or the sales of your showroom

Responsible for expanding Scale Smarter Partners (SSP), a global advisory firm providing education and advisory services to private and micro cap equity enterprises, and its tailored educational and advising program Surge & Grow to Texas. By coupling peer learning and one on one advising, we are uniquely able to leverage your strengths and talents while employing innovative solutions to your business. We’ve worked with thousands of businesses including Inc. 5000 firms, Goldman Sachs 10KSB Alumni, and other notable growth firms. Contact me to join our programs, webinars, and growth seminars as we help business leaders and their firms successfully scale. Our Clients average 18% revenue growth and 8% profit growth after attending our program. 90% of CEOs increase employee retention and attracted new talent to their firm after attending our program. www.scalesmarterpartners.com

As an invited member, I contribute articles to the Houston Business Journal website and participate alongside fellow members in Expert Panels. I connect and collaborate with a vetted network of local leaders in a members-only directory and a private forum on the group’s mobile app.

Base Alpha is a USA based educational toy company, who specialize in the design and creation of learning toys for toddlers and young children. The mission of Base Alpha is to develop a life-long love of learning by promoting early exposure of educational material in a fun, enjoyable way. Base Alpha was built on the foundation created by a simple product: Alpha Balls. Alpha Balls is a set of 26, six-inch, beach balls, each with the letter of the alphabet to encourage ABC learning while playing ball. The Alpha Balls set comes with one pump and one mesh bag to carry all 26 inflated balls.

I am an adjunct professor in the business department at Houston Community College. I teach Small Business Management, International Business, Marketing, Advertising, and Imports/Exports.

Serves as the Growth and Opportunities and Marketing and Selling Faculty in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative at Babson College, educating participating small businesses all over the United States to help them achieve their growth potentials.

Serves as the Lead Faculty in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative at Houston Community College-Northwest, coordinating, facilitating, and engaging in course development, faculty training, and community building in order to help participating Houston small businesses achieve their growth potentials.

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a year-long program that teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own REAL businesses. YEA! was developed at the University of Rochester in 2004 with the support of a grant from the Kauffman Foundation. Houston Community College is excited to be introducing YEA! to the Houston Community! YEA! guides high school students through the process of starting and running a legitimate business or social movement over the course of a full academic year. YEA! has graduated almost 600 students over the past 7 years, who have started almost 450 businesses and social movements! YEA! graduates started as students, and left the program as CEOs of their own companies! Over the course of the program, students: Brainstorm business ideas Write a business plan Interact with business professionals Pitch their business plan to potential “investors” (think Shark Tank meets the Apprentice meets American Idol) Obtain funding Legally register their businesses Participate in a Trade Show Actually launch their own businesses or social movements