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Erika lights up when she sees people step into the next best version of themselves. She’s energized by all things business, random acts of kindness, and people who pay it forward. Equally candid and compassionate with a strong, genuine curiosity, Erika has been referred to as a “modern day renaissance woman” because of her pioneering spirit and eclectic interests.

Erika joined the Aileron community in 2019 to surround herself with like-minded leaders who share a passion for calling people, businesses, and organizations to be the best versions of themselves. Prior to Aileron, Erika spent 23 years in the automotive aftermarket and participated in four post-acquisition integrations at the executive level. Through those experiences, Erika learned why most leaders fall short, give up, or burn out. She went on to start her own coaching business in 2015.

You can find Erika in her home with her husband and kids, entertaining family and friends, and finding any excuse to gather a group for a shared meal. Carrying on her mother’s tradition, there is always a seat at her family’s table.

As a Business Advisor, Dave helps Aileron community members answer the big-picture question: What’s next? He brings to Aileron decades of experience helping large corporations like Honda and BF Goodrich answer that question through leadership positions in engineering, packaging, procurement, and international relations.

Dave is known for his relatable coaching style; he’s quick to lean on his business experience – and its many ups and downs – to empathize with his clients. He’s situationally motivational, easily meeting people where they’re at emotionally to support them when and how they need it. And he’s tenacious; he’s known for being the person who will take on the hardest problems and face them with unrelenting energy and resolve.

When he’s not supporting business leaders as they plan for the future, Dave enjoys playing volleyball, competing in triathlons, and rating golf courses for Golf Digest.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Self-reflection and self-development; professionally I’ve done a lot, but on a personal level, there’s always room to improve and do better.”

What are the values that drive you?

“I value being helpful, courteous, and kind. I find that a little act of kindness can make a big difference, even if you don’t know it.”

Why Aileron?

“I chose Aileron because I wanted to make a big impact helping several organizations rather than being a leader at a single one. That’s what drives me – making an impact on people’s lives.”

As an Aileron Leadership Coach, Jenny helps leaders understand how their actions influence their teams, and how they can use that influence as a tool for catalyzing growth and positive change. Jenny has a rich history in people development; she previously worked in human resources, and after experiencing the most energy when helping people reach their potential, she moved into HR consulting and eventually leadership coaching.

Jenny learned early on the importance of listening in both her personal and professional lives and relies heavily on active listening during coaching sessions. Her ability to listen enhances two other strengths she brings to her role: rapidly building connections with others (she has a StrengthsFinders theme of Woo) and being present. In a crowded room surrounded with distraction, she’s naturally inclined to hone in on one person to get to know them more deeply.

Jenny is an iPEC Certified Coach and holds additional certifications in Everything DISC, Myers Briggs, Leadership Challenge, and Conversational Intelligence. When she’s not working toward her next professional certification, she’s spending time with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs in their home in Indianapolis, Indiana, or hiking in a local park.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Moving too quickly to action. I love ideation, and I love implementation, and in between those two points are discovery, exploration, questioning, and vetting. I tend to live in the ideas and the action, and what I’m working on is being better about doing the in-between phases.”

What are the values that drive you?

“My primary value is growth – both my own growth and helping others grow. Three others that are important to me are creativity, fun, and love. I believe there’s a creative way to do even the most mundane tasks, and I try to bring levity and humor to most situations and show care to the people I interact with.”

Why Aileron?

“I am married to an entrepreneur, I’m the daughter of an entrepreneur, and I’ve led a small business myself. I believe that small businesses are the silent engine of our economy. The fact that Aileron is focused on affordably supporting those people to develop leaders is very aligned with my own values.”

As an Aileron Business Advisor and Facilitator, Tony Collins works with business owners and their teams to help them get more of what they want out of their businesses. Prior to Aileron, Tony started and led multiple small to medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries for more than 25 years.

Tony is a curious-minded individual who is passionate about helping business owners find ways to do more with less effort. He is often called upon by business leaders for advice and input on how and where to grow themselves and their businesses. And he thrives on learning from his clients about not only what makes their businesses tick, but what they know that he doesn’t.

When Tony isn’t helping and empowering business owners, you can find him at home in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife, Janet. In his free time, he is reconnecting to his artistic side as a budding watercolor artist.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Asking better questions. Someone once told me, “The quality of your life is related to the questions you ask yourself.” It’s not only the questions I ask myself, but how can I ask questions to others as well that helps them see new possibilities and approaches that they otherwise might not have seen.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Curiosity - I am always striving to be a continuous learner, and at Aileron that is something that comes easy. I am always learning something new from anyone and everyone I interact with. The humble and hungry clients I work with all feed my curious mind.”

Why Aileron?

“The main reason I chose to work at Aileron is we were after the same thing - helping businesses get better. Aileron introduced me to a professional management system, but what got me interested was the kind of companies they attract and their culture. Everyone I work with is humble and just as curious as I am. I am really fortunate at the latter part of my career to have found this group of people to work with.”

As Lead Leadership Coach, Lois oversees Aileron’s leadership coaching system, sourcing top talent, onboarding and training coaches, and evolving the processes that support our coaches as they deliver services to our community. She also works within the system as a Coach and Facilitator, helping Aileron clients think more positively about themselves, others, and their circumstance, and empowering them to move forward confidently.

A 21-year entrepreneurial veteran and owner of three businesses, Lois is both experienced and optimistic; she’s been told more than once that the world around her could be falling apart, and she’d still manage to find a silver lining. She’s adept at making the intangible comprehensible, leveraging metaphors and scenarios that bring big-picture ideas to life. And she has a gift for asking questions that catalyze “aha” moments and major insights, which serves her well when she’s working with both individuals and teams.

Lois is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, holds an Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification – a prestigious program hosted by Daniel Goleman – and is one of 113 international winners of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards. When she’s not working on one of her three businesses, Lois spends time with her family and dines out with her husband; the two enjoy their weekend tradition of traveling through the area for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Coaching – I’m always reading more about it and working on new certifications. On a broader scale, I’m always working to get better at understanding people, which helps me be a better coach.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Confidentiality, positivity, radical candor, and personal accountability.”

Why Aileron?

“Aileron has changed my life and my husband's life. Before Aileron, my husband was ready to quit our business and go back to working for someone else. When we were introduced to Aileron and professional management, we immediately felt relief; we weren’t alone, we had support, and we had energy to keep going. Now our relationship is better, our work is better, and our lives are better.”

As a past business owner, Joni understands the risks, rewards, and challenges that ownership and professional management bring.  She had the opportunity at Iams as a Brand Manager to live in a professionally managed organization where she saw first hand how strategy, strong leadership and culture can fuel a company to do great things.

After Iams, Joni co-founded a technology services company and became an Aileron client herself, taking the Course for Presidents, establishing an outside Board of Directors and utilizing strategic planning.  The company grew from 2 to 100 employees in five years, was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Cincinnati Entrepreneur of the Year award, and was named by the Cincinnati Business Courier as one of the 25 fastest growing companies in the region.  After selling this business, she and her husband just couldn’t stop and bought a second business in decorative packaging that they operated for seven years before successfully selling.

In her role as President, Joni oversees Aileron’s strategic direction, culture and operational activities. Her leadership and energy inspire and motivate the Aileron team and the community as we strive to raise the quality of life, one private business at a time.

Joni was honored with the “Forty Under Forty” award and received her bachelor’s degree in business from Miami University (the real one, in Ohio).  She obtained her MBA from Xavier University.  As college sweethearts, Joni and her husband Jim have been married for 27 years; they have three great children, a golden retriever and a small mutt who thinks he’s a cross between a mastiff and a pit bull.  Family time is a crucial priority for Joni and they enjoy skiing, tubing, running, fishing, sports, eating Chipotle (don’t ask Joni to cook – she can’t), family events and vacations.

As a member of Aileron’s Board of Trustees, Oyauma provides strategic guidance and asks challenging questions to help our leadership team sustainably scale while staying on the cutting edge. He has a background in leading organizations through cultural and operational transformation, and is currently the CEO of Maryhaven, a Columbus-based recovery center providing services for individuals struggling with drug, alcohol, and gambling addictions.

Oyauma is a natural bridge-builder; he enjoys connecting the dots in his work – finding links between problems, solutions, and opportunities – as well as connecting like-minded individuals to build relationships. His love of connecting people also shows up in his team orientation and strongly held belief that winning happens collaboratively.

Oyauma stays busy when not at the office; he’s an avid runner and has run every day since January 1, 2020. He has ~70 marathons and ultra-marathons under his belt with no intention of slowing down. He also enjoys giving his feet a rest to spend time with his three children or dig into a book; two reads he recommends to anyone in business are What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and Little Red Book of Selling.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“I’m always trying to get better at truly learning to relax. I am a self-proclaimed workaholic, and I tend to pour myself into whatever I do. I have to be reminded to take vacation – which is important as a leader. The shadow of a leader should be to ensure it’s okay to take time off. I need to be better about cascading that.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Honesty, integrity, and having a strong work ethic. I also value being of service to others. I like to live by ‘good:’ do good, be good, deliver good, and know that what I’m doing has made a difference in someone else's life.”

Why Aileron?

“I’m no stranger to business owners who find themselves trying to strengthen or add to their toolkit. I have personally gone through Course for Presidents and coaching. It got me thinking about how to provide something to help people be better in whatever line of work it is they pursue. To me, Aileron represents that.”

Wes Gipe works with business owners and their teams as a trusted facilitator, business advisor and coach. Known for his enthusiasm and high-energy approach, Wes’s willingness to boldly approach tough issues and go the extra mile have gained him loyal clients who look to him for help with strategic planning, leadership and culture development, and conflict resolution.

Wes started his journey as an Aileron client in 2008. After applying Aileron’s Professional Management principles to build a self-managing company, he now spends much of his time helping other organizations—big and small—build a strategy that endures. Through this work, he has logged over 9,000 coaching hours with more than 500 individuals throughout North America and Europe. His work has been featured in Forbes as well as other national media outlets. Wes resides in Miami County, OH with his wife and three rambunctious boys.

As Aileron’s Chief Operating Officer, Chuck is responsible for pushing the organization’s products and business model forward through concepting, testing, and implementing new solutions. Previous to Aileron, he founded and sold two businesses, an experience that arms him with an empathy for and understanding of the community Aileron serves.

Chuck has a keen eye for identifying problems and an unrelenting passion for pioneering ideas, and spends much of his time at work experimenting. He’s naturally humble, which fuels his experimentation by freeing him from fear that his ideas will fail. And Chuck is hyper-focused on the future; every day he asks himself: “How do we prepare our clients for the future to ensure they’re thriving ten years from now?”

Chuck will tell you there’s no other way he’d rather spend the weekend than with his wife, son, and daughter. In the summer, you can find them soaking in the sun at Indian Lake, where Chuck occasionally sneaks away to enjoy his favorite hobby: bass fishing.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“My contribution to Aileron – I’m constantly asking myself: How can we touch more people, create more change, and improve the quality of life for the people that we touch?”

What are the values that drive you?

“I value innovation and experimentation. If I was somewhere I couldn’t do those things, that would be tough for me. I also value responsibility, which can be at odds with innovation – sometimes you have to be less responsible to innovate.”

Why Aileron?

“People ask me this a lot, because I sold my business to come here. But I did that because I can impact more people here than I could running my own business.”

Clay’s success story began in 1970 when he became the seventh employee of The Iams Company. By 1982 the owner, animal nutritionist, Paul Iams was ready to retire. He convinced Clay, and his wife, Mary, to raise enough capital to buy his company. As new owners, the Mathiles faced a myriad of small business challenges, but thanks to dedicated employees, loyal customers, and Clay’s innovative leadership, Iams became a world leader in dog and cat nutrition in less than a decade. In 1999, the Mathile family sold Iams to international conglomerate Procter & Gamble for $2.3 billion. Today, Clay attributes his commitment to professional management principles as a key reason for the phenomenal growth of Iams.

Dedicated to inspiring others to be lifelong learners, Clay is the author of two books: Run Your Business, Don’t Let it Run You, and his autobiography, Dream No Little Dreams. Clay remains active in several business ventures. To manage and grow the family’s wealth, Clay and Mary established CYMI Holdings, a Family Office based in Dayton. Clay maintains that his most-important roles are as husband, father of five, and grandfather of 15. Life as a family man has led to yet another dream and vision for the future: “A Family United Forever.”

Tim serves as Co-Chair and President of the Mathile Family Foundation Board of Trustees. In addition to these positions, he has started or assisted in the start-up of multiple ventures and now holds equity positions in several other entities.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio Northern University in 1987 and an MBA from Xavier University in 1991, Tim purchased Franklin Brazing & Metal Treating, which provides brazing and annealing services to the automotive, appliance, lawn and garden, and power-generation industries. In 2008, he founded Coblynau Partners, a private equity company whose mission is to assist business owners in pursuing their dreams. He has retired from both endeavors.

Tim is the Board Chair of the Mathile Institute for Human Nutrition. He has extensive experience in family governance and has been active on both for-profit and non-profit boards. He actively serves as a Trustee on the board of Aileron, the Mathile Family Foundation and the Franciscan Media Advisory Board. Previously, he has been a Trustee/Director for the Mathile Family Office, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Cincinnati Zoo Foundation, Cincinnati Art Museum, Summit Country Day School, Life Success Seminars, St. Anne’s Convent Development Board, and ONU Engineering Advisory Board. He is also an alumnus of Leadership Cincinnati – Class XXV.

Tim is the proud father of two incredible daughters. He enjoys traveling with his family, attending his daughters’ activities, and learning about anything new. His lifetime ambition is to do the most with the blessings and gifts God has bestowed upon him.

As an Aileron Business Advisor, Chris engages with business owners and leaders to help them set their strategies, grow their companies, and change their lives both personally and professionally. Chris began his relationship with Aileron in Course for Presidents, and after a career in various operational and executive leadership roles, he joined the team to help fulfill our mission of improving lives across America.

Chris believes a meaningful life – and meaningful work – begins and ends with people; he’s naturally driven to build deep and lasting relationships. He’s adept at listening and observing people and organizations to suss out the core issues preventing growth. And he’s a dedicated lifelong learner; currently Chris is learning how to play the piano.

Chris loves to travel with his wife and best friend, Theresa. They enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren, and getting away for a sunny, beachside vacation. When he’s at home, you can find Chris at the gym, singing with his church choir, or with his nose in a book.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“I’m always working on my own personal development in the areas of human connection, business knowledge, leadership practices, and spirituality. I work hard to practice active listening and suspending judgement.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Family values – caring for others and helping them no matter where they are now or where they want to be.”

Why Aileron?

“Aileron’s mission perfectly aligns with my personal values – helping other people get better. Here we do it with business organizations and leaders, but it’s still an execution of my personal mission.”

As Research and Development Manager, Krista Powell helps bring Aileron’s strategy to life by designing and developing Aileron’s products and services, ensuring they empower business leaders to grow in professional management. She also works directly with Aileron community members as a Leadership Coach, leveraging her deep understanding of organizational change and her background in professional management implementation across a variety of cultures and roles.

Krista is naturally transparent; when she doesn’t know the answer, she isn’t afraid to say so – and she’s invigorated by finding it. She seeks to understand others’ points of view, and leans into curiosity over judgement. And she sees the opportunity in everything; Krista is easily excited about new ideas, and can envision the potential of an idea even in its infancy.

Krista is a third-generation entrepreneur; her father and grandparents were both small business owners, and today Krista runs a branding and design agency, Christopher and Mae, with her husband Jon. When not working on the business, she’s knee-deep in a DIY project or spending time with her three children, adventuring to nearby museums, parks, and attractions.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Everything. I love learning and I see an opportunity for improvement in every aspect of my life. I’m also really passionate, so it’s easy for me to put my whole self into everything I do.”

What are the values that drive you?

“I have a high sense of both independence and interdependence; I love collaborating with a team, and at the same time I love autonomy. I am creative, so I enjoy designing and developing the experiences that we offer at Aileron. And I also have a high sense of responsibility – I’m driven to make an impact in what we do.”

Why Aileron?

“I have seen the impact that a well-run company can have on individuals’ lives, their families, and their communities – and I’ve also experienced companies that were not well-run, and the impact it had. I really believe professional management is making people’s lives and communities better.”

As a Business Advisor, Facilitator, and Leadership Coach, Tony executes Aileron’s mission of improving the quality of life in America by teaching business leaders the advantages of incorporating clarity and simplicity into their businesses and lives. An entrepreneur himself, Tony gets is fulfilled by empowering people to practice professional management as a personal and business growth tool.

Tony loves simplicity and believes the most effective things happen when people have clarity and understanding. He’s an avid and enthusiastic planner; Tony believes having a plan prepares people for focused execution and allows people to make adjustments along the way. (He also maintains that planning a vacation is almost as enjoyable as going on one.) And he’s a storyteller and humor advocate; Tony believes people learn best when they’re having a good time, sharing personal experiences, and creating connections over shared stories.

When he’s not helping business leaders reach their goals, you can find Tony woodworking, spending time with his kids and grandkids, or biking around the world; he and his wife have biked for 30 days from Zürich, Switzerland to Budapest, Hungary.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Spirituality – understanding why I exist, what my purpose is, and how I can live it. Answering the question: what am I here for?”

What are the values that drive you?

“Spirituality, personal growth, and relationships. Spirituality is about living my purpose in life. Personal growth is about continually growing and learning, and taking advantage of opportunities. Relationships is about nurturing relationships with my wife, my family, and other people.”

Why Aileron?

“It provides me an opportunity to live my values and purpose. I get personal growth here, I get to develop a lot of relationships, and I get to give back. That’s what I like about Aileron.”

As a Leadership Coach, Mark works with Aileron members to bring their goals to the surface, asking the right questions and facilitating a process that empowers them to bring their desired outcomes to light. Mark brings to his work a background in merging communications and customer service to create exceptional, loyalty-building customer experiences from start to finish.

Mark is an empath; he is quick to suspend judgement and lets his natural ability to try on someone else’s shoes create a healthy and supportive coaching environment. He uses a bird’s-eye approach, leveraging his sales, communications, marketing, and consulting experiences to understand the challenges his clients face. And he sees coaching not as a space to give advice, but as an opportunity to help others bring their own answers to the surface.

When Mark isn’t helping business leaders grow, he’s producing his own short film, spending time with his wife Allison, or exploring parks near their home in beautiful southwest Michigan.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“Being present and in the moment.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Empathy, honesty, relationships, and outcomes.”

Why Aileron?

“Because of my background in marketing and branding, I have a sixth sense for understanding an organization’s values when I visit their website. When I visited Aileron online, I got the sense that this was a group that balances people’s holistic needs with the business’s needs, and I value that approach.”

As a Business Advisor and Facilitator at Aileron, Anne Thompson uses her expertise in organizational, leadership, and culture development to help businesses achieve their vision and purpose. Anne’s diverse experience in working with small privately held businesses, large public corporations, educational institutions, and nonprofits – and growing a business herself – enables her to quickly understand the context and culture of organizations, ask important questions to uncover key levers for change, and assist business leaders in identifying and implementing strategies, structures, and behaviors to create positive, sustainable change in all kinds of organizations.

Anne is endlessly curious; she uses the power of question to help people make sense of situations and uncover insights. She’s passionate about partnership, and driven to empower her clients to turn their hopes and dreams into realities. She has deep expertise in emotional and social intelligence, and sees the integration of the head and the heart as critical to developing the self, and in turn developing others. 

In her free time, you can find Anne, her husband, and their son jet setting around the world to experience different cultures and cuisines, or enjoying a beer and OSU football game while stateside.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“I’m always striving to operate from a mindset of being ‘good enough.’ It’s counter-culture to feel that what I do doesn’t equate to the value I have as a person. To get there, I’m continually connecting to the intention of my heart and my desire to serve. That helps to minimize the ‘I’m not good enough’ narrative.” 

What are the values that drive you?

“I’m driven by mastery and serving clients through evidence-based, practiced strategies. I thrive on collaboration and work to build reciprocal, respectful relationships. And I practice empathy. I embrace people where they’re at while also challenging them to stretch just a bit further outside of their comfort zone to help them see greater possibilities.”

Why Aileron?

“At Aileron, we consistently put into practice with each other what we offer to our clients. Aileron is its own learning lab for all the concepts we’re asking our business leaders to embrace. I love that about this organization.”

Eric is a Business Advisor who, as a former business owner, deeply understands the unique challenges that come with entrepreneurial leadership; that perspective guides him as he coaches his clients towards their full potential. Prior to Aileron, Eric owned his company, All Service Glass, for 20 years before transitioning ownership to his daughter.

Aileron’s conscious leadership principles align organically with Eric’s: He counts the gift of self-awareness among his unique strengths. Combined with empathy and natural curiosity, he’s passionate about understanding how a member’s business works so that they can take it into the future.

Outside of work, Eric loves to spend time with wife, children, and grandchildren at their family lake house. He finds joy in giving back and enjoys serving his church as well as his local community.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at? 

“Active listening. Staying curious in the moment is always a struggle for me, but I know it’s important for my growth.”

What are the values that drive you? 

“I think high-functioning relationships that last beyond transactional value can be meaningful and impactful. Having a thought partner can challenge you, lead you, caution you away from something. I’m also driven by the power of community. Being a small business owner can be a lonely process or lonely existence—at times you delegate to yourself and there isn’t anyone else you feel like you can talk to. Aileron offers a place, a process, and people to get rid of that loneliness and be part of a larger community that impacts the world.”

Why Aileron? 

“This is a unique place where folks can come together from all different business backgrounds to share the joy of creation and business. It’s a place where you can grow, be challenged, and be supported all at the same time. I think it’s so critical, to our overall culture as a country and as a people, to provide incentives that benefit our society and its participants.”