Our Team
Marc Dorfman, MBA
Managing Director
Marc takes a unique approach to helping individuals and organizations communicate more effectively. In his prior role as a film producer, Marc helped filmmakers tell great stories and market them to global audiences. In his current role as a Persuasive Communications Expert, he helps businesses inform, influence, and sell.
Marc has worked with small / medium / Fortune 500 companies, professional organizations, and public institutions including:
American Express
American Management Association
Apple
AT&T
Blank Rome LLP
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Capital One
Center for Disease Control
Chelsea Piers Sports Complex
Chick-Fil-A
Cisco Systems
Citibank
Coca-Cola
Delta Airlines
ExxonMobil
Federal Reserve Bank
Georgia Power
Gibson Overseas
Home Depot
Jack Welch Management Institute
Kiewit Construction
Microsoft
New York Bar Association
Pfizer
Piedmont Hospital
Ryder Transportation
State of Israel
Technology Association of Georgia
United Parcel Service
Univision
Marc holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA in Behavioral Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. He has taught classes in Persuasive Business Communications in the MBA programs at Columbia University, Georgetown University, Georgia Institute of Technology, New York University, and Pepperdine University. Marc is an airplane pilot, hang-glider pilot, and competitive sailor.
James Evangelista, JD
Advisor, Law
James has 20+ years of experience with cases involving complex financial fraud, commercial litigation, and class action litigation. He advises and represents both plaintiffs and defendants in federal, state, and international courts.
James is admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits; the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the District of New Jersey; and the State Bars of Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Colorado and the District of Columbia. James earned his BA and JD from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Marc Firestone
Advisor, Retail
Marc’s passion for marketing began at Firestone Associates, the creative agency that launched The Pet Rock, which achieved great success in 1978. Since then, Marc has launched / licensed a succession of brand winners including The Far Side comic strip, Day Runner business planners, and a large portfolio of Walt Disney gift items.
In 1992, Marc started Firestone Consulting Group, a sales & marketing agency that services a variety of blue-chip companies including Infinity Broadcasting, Clear Channel Communications, Rolling Stone Magazine, Authentic Licensing, and Baby Genius. Marc holds a BA in Marketing from San Diego State University.
Patrick Waters, JD
Advisor, Operations
Patrick Waters is a Managing Director at Himmelsbach Holdings, a specialty polymer technology company focused on patented clean fuel solutions. Prior to that, he was Deputy General Counsel at Novatel Wireless, a Nasdaq listed wireless data modem provider. Mr. Waters was previously a Corporate Associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and at Riordan & McKinzie (now part of Morgan Lewis). Prior to that, he was a Case Manager at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Patrick holds a BA from Columbia University, an MAR from Yale University, and a JD from Northwestern University, where he was Research Assistant to Prof. David Ruder, a former Chairman of the SEC under President George H.W. Bush.
The art of communication is the language of leadership.