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Birthing of Giants

Upcoming Cohorts

Find the next cohort near you.

Cohort Launch Date Region Cohort Leader(s)
September 9, 2026 Scottsdale, AZ CJ DuBé
October 15, 2026 Austin, TX Mathias Ihlenfeld
October 30, 2026 Northern New Jersey Marc Dispensa and Eric Thorsen
February 2027 Minnesota, MN Cohort #2 Dan Mallin and Scott Litman

Cohort Leaders

CJ DuBé

Scottsdale, AZ

With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, CJ DuBé is a seasoned business advisor and leader of the Birthing of Giants Arizona Regional Cohort. After co-founding and successfully exiting the contract placement firm Oberon, CJ dedicated her career to helping business owners and executive teams scale. Having guided over 110 companies, this award-winning speaker and mentor helps leadership teams clarify their goals, improve execution, and achieve sustainable organizational growth.

Mathias Ihlenfeld

Austin, TX

As Founder of woom bikes USA, Mathias Ihlenfeld built one of North America's fastest-growing kids' bike brands, earning multiple Inc. 5000 recognitions, including 742% three-year growth in 2020. He later led the global $100MM business as CEO, securing investment, expanding internationally, and cementing woom as a leader in premium children's bicycles. A Birthing of Giants graduate, certified life coach, and former Vistage member, Mathias is passionate about conscious leadership, growth mindset, and helping entrepreneurs scale with integrity. Today, he mentors and invests in early- and growth-stage companies, providing both strategic insight and heart-led guidance.

Marc Dispensa

Northern New Jersey

Marc Dispensa is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, a revered business coach, and a strategic visionary. Since 2020, Marc has collaborated with over 100 companies, driving remarkable improvements in their strategic direction, execution, and overall outcomes.

Eric Thorsen

Northern New Jersey

With over 30 years at the intersection of business and technology, Eric is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive coach, and one of the leaders of the Birthing of Giants New Jersey Regional Cohort. The founder of a software consulting firm whose data analytics platform powered live U.S. election coverage for two decades, Eric also taught C++ at NYU and has advised numerous successful startups. Today, he leads The Clarion Collective AI, drawing on his deep background as a founder, investor, and board member to help executive teams drive growth and harness AI as a powerful competitive edge.

Dan Mallin

Minnesota, MN

Dan is a serial entrepreneur, Certified EOS Implementer, and one of the Birthing of Giants Regional Cohort Leaders in Minnesota. As the Founder & CEO of Lucy and Founder of the Minnesota Cup, he has successfully built and exited five technology companies while earning six U.S. patents in AI. Today, Dan leverages strategic leadership, AI innovation, and the EOS framework to help business owners maximize growth and escape the daily grind.

Scott Litman

Minnesota, MN

Over a 20-year career, Scott has founded, scaled, and exited five companies—including Magnet 360 and Lucy—while securing six U.S. patents in AI and advising over a quarter of the Fortune 500 on digital transformation. Recognized as an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year and Titan of Technology, Scott also founded the Minnesota Cup, the nation's largest statewide business plan competition. Today, he continues to drive entrepreneurial success as an active board member, advisor, and mentor to high-growth ventures, and is a leader of the Birthing of Giants Regional Cohort in Minnesota.

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