Starting Small Summit 2027
Moderated by Cameron Nagle, host of Starting Small
On his podcast, Nagle interviews CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs, discussing how their organizations and businesses were created from the ground up.
Speakers will be sharing insight on:
- The entrepreneurial journey
- Discovering your passion and purpose
- Building the right team
- Accelerating growth through delegation
- Owning your niche
- Innovation in a moving society
Speakers
Charlie Clifford, Founder of TUMI and ROAM
Charlie Clifford is the founder of TUMI and ROAM. He started TUMI in 1975 with a partner and $10,000, importing leather bags from Colombia after his years in the Peace Corps in Peru. He built his company into a premium travel brand sold in 75+ countries and acquired for about $18 billion. Today he is all-in on ROAM, the customizable, made-in-the-USA luggage brand he co-founded to start small all over again.
Hap Klopp, Founder of The North Face
Hap Klopp is the founder of The North Face, a company he took over in 1968 when it was two small stores and a 14-person team. Since then, it’s grown into a global outdoor brand with 1,000+ employees in 45 countries. He’s the author of Conquering the North Face and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at Hult.
Shahab Elmi, Co-Founder & CEO of Cymbiotika
Shahab co-founded Cymbiotika in 2019 to make supplements people could trust. It has since grown to $200 million in annual revenue, sold over 200 million packets, made Inc.’s fastest-growing companies list five years running and expanded into 1,900+ Target stores, followed by Ulta Beauty and Whole Foods. He was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023.
Durana Elmi, Co-Founder of Cymbiotika
Durana and her husband Shahab started Cymbiotika in 2019 because they wanted something better than what was on the shelf. As Chief Creative and Experiential Officer, she has helped grow it to over 200 million packets sold and 10,300+ stores, including Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart and Whole Foods.
Chuck Surack, Founder of Sweetwater
Chuck Surack started Sweetwater in 1979 as a recording studio in his VW bus and built it into one of the largest music retailers in the world, based in Fort Wayne, Ind. He first spoke at the Starting Small Summit in 2023. He returns in 2027 for a 20-minute session on selling a business, philanthropy and legacy.
Cameron Nagle, Starting Small
Cameron Nagle, a 2022 Bethel University graduate, is the founder and host of Starting Small, author of Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream. He launched Starting Small in January 2020 with the vision to share transparent startup stories to inspire and provide guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs that everyone starts small. Through a credible and fast-growing list of recognizable brands, Starting Small has scaled to host the annual Starting Small Summit, flying in founders of companies such as Reebok, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Kodiak Cakes and more. Starting Small has now covered the stories of 300+ industry-leading founders, who have amassed over $40 billion in annual revenue. Now, Cameron resides in Elkhart, Ind., working in marketing at Whirlpool and using Starting Small to make an impact on the entrepreneurship ecosystem here in the Michiana community.
