Tom Golisano—entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader, and former owner of the Buffalo Sabres NHL team—is the founder and chairman of the Board of Paychex, Inc., headquartered in Rochester, New York, with more than 15,500 employees and 100 office locations nationwide. Still active in business and philanthropy, he currently mentors the entrepreneurs who run the businesses in which he has invested, and he also oversees his family’s charitable foundation. To date he has donated over $250 million to a wide range of charitable causes, including educational institutions, children’s hospitals, and especially organizations working with people who have developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Mike Wicks is an award-winning author, collaborator, and senior writer at Kevin Anderson & Associates. He has managed several multimillion-dollar government programs, rebranded towns and regions, written economic development and tourism strategies, and created sponsorship programs for major not-for-profits. Wicks is also a well-regarded trainer, facilitator, and speaker whose clients have included national banks and multinational insurance corporations. Wicks has written and collaborated on over twenty books, e-books, and training manuals. Fire from the Sky: A Diary Over Japan won a silver medal for best military memoir of 2005, awarded by the Military Writers Society of America. He’s a foodie, so when he’s not writing he can be found in his kitchen preparing a gourmet meal.
