About Our Board of Directors
Patrick Keiser
Patrick Keiser is the Founder and Executive Director of Heart on Main Street. He holds a B.S in Secondary Education from Texas Christian University and has completed a Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations program at Northwestern University. While at TCU, Patrick discovered a passion for building supportive communities and developing culture, and he has carried this into his professional life. Patrick served as an educator and coach in Fort Worth, TX for six years before making a transition to the corporate world, starting a role with the wholesale sales and marketing company OneCoast in 2016. At OneCoast, Patrick found his home working with an organization that services independent retailers around the country. He was able to combine his passions of learning and educating to help others better serve their communities. But Patrick believed he could be doing more independent retailers and Main Street communities. In 2021, he conceptualized the idea of bringing together the efforts of companies and organizations that relied on Main Street businesses to provide more tools, resources, and education to retailers across the country. With the belief that combining efforts of many, they would be able to accomplish more than they would individually, Heart on Main Street was born in 2022.
Crystal Valkatis
Crystal Vilkaitis is a world-class social media expert and powerful speaker who helps retailers shine online and bring their unique brilliance to the local and global masses. Fueling entrepreneurs with empowerment to evolve their visibility and results, Crystal’s on a mission to help Main Street businesses thrive. She founded Crystal Media in 2012, where she’s worked with thousands of retailers to increase traffic, sales, and profits using social media. She’s shared the stage with Martha Stewart, Gary Vaynerchuk, Bethenny Frankel, Jim Kwik and many more. To learn more visit www.crystalmediaco.com.
Jim Carlisle
Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP – Business, M&A Lawyer
Independent Business Owner – Health, Wellness and Multi-Sports Complexes
Jim engineers outcomes for business owners to ensure they achieve their objectives. As a corporate lawyer, he has more than 29 years of experience working with business owners in connection with growth initiatives, financing, generational transfers, third party sales and general business matters. He is a frequent speaker at events throughout the United States with respect to growth and exit planning, mergers and acquisitions and family business.
He provides clients with his focus, attention and passion. Jim offers his perspective, experience and judgment to help clients make the best decisions with respect to their most important issues.
He provides services to business owners in the following areas: growth & exit planning; mergers and acquisitions; general business; family business, and emerging business and technology.
Jim and his wife of 31 years, Erin, reside in Murrysville, PA with their two children Alexa and Aidan. In his free time, he is involved with many forms of group exercise including basketball, yoga, Crossfit, tennis, martial arts, volleyball, running, etc. He has completed a marathon and many half marathons. Jim coached numerous sports teams with his children – basketball, hockey, and soccer.
Thom Petrouski
Thom Petrouski joined Tag as Senior Vice President of Sales in 2019. Thom oversees the Independent Specialty Channel, Key Accounts and the Customer Service Team. Thom has over 25 years of experience in the Gift and Home Industry working directly with our valued independent retailers.
Thom began his career directly out of college with Colonial Candle of Cape Cod. It was there he developed his passion for the Independent Retailer Community. His first customer was a small rural Gift Shop and excitement a new catalog brought to his customer soon became the same excitement that drives him today when working with retailers!
Thom studied Environmental Science and received his B.S. from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He lives in Memphis, TN with his son Jax. When not working, Thom can be found in the kitchen exploring his other favorite passion, cooking!
Mary Liz Curtin is passionate about independent retail. Her knowledge of all aspects of the gift, craft and home industries gives her a unique point of view, encompassing the needs of retailers, vendors and sales representatives. She is also a heck of a retail shopper and loves to crawl malls, discover downtowns and walk through the Web to find ideas and inspirations for her presentations.
With over 35 years of hands-on experience in the gift and home industries, Mary Liz is an internationally acknowledged expert in independent retail and has advised numerous manufacturers on marketing, sales and management issues with her unique brand of Sales and Marketing Therapy.
Mary Liz is a humorous and engaging speaker, delighting audiences internationally at trade shows, sales meetings and conventions with her stories of how to build and market a brand, run a better business and maintain a mom-and-pop retail store without losing your sanity…or your marriage.
Mary Liz Curtin
Beth Rich
Beth Rich is the proud owner of Mix It Up, a home décor and gift store located in the heart of downtown Coeur d’Alene, ID.
She brought over 35 years of sales and marketing experience to the store when she purchased it in the fall of 2018. She loves being a business owner and an involved member of her Coeur d'Alene community. A strong focus on Customer Service and curating exceptional, unique gift and home decor inventory are the foundations of the success of the store.
Beth loves creating interesting story displays with the merchandise she carefully curates and she would love to have you stop in. She is usually in the store and loves seeing return customers who are now friends and meeting people stopping in for the first time.
Majda Rensberger
Majda Rensberger is the President of OneCoast, a leading sales and marketing company in the Gift and Home industry as well as President of Indie & Main, a B2B boutique Marketplace. Both companies are dedicated to servicing independent retailers and Main Street.
In her 18 years with OneCoast, Majda has spearheaded key initiatives that have propelled OneCoast in new directions. She played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of the integrated sales and marketing model, which has greatly enhanced the company's service, reach, and effectiveness. Additionally, recognizing the importance of an Omni channel approach to business, Majda led the expansion of the company’s multichannel channel sales approach including a successful integrated e-commerce business.
One of Majda's defining characteristics is her passion for culture and people-first principles. She firmly believes that focusing on the root, which is the well-being and satisfaction of employees and customers, will naturally yield positive results in all aspects of the business. This philosophy guides OneCoast’s North Star to ensure the company's sustained success.
Majda has been recognized as one of the industry's top 10 Gifted Women in the Gift and Home Industry, highlighting her achievements in progressively impacting the OneCoast business and the industry through her focus on culture, marketing, e-commerce, and evolution into a true Omni channel business model.
John Keiser
Mr. Keiser joined OneCoast in 2003 and has been the Chief Executive Officer of OneCoast since January 1, 2010. In this capacity he is responsible for the entire OneCoast company and Core Elements, it's IT/Marketing/Financial services provider. Prior to being named CEO, Mr Keiser served as Senior Vice President where his primary responsibility was the management of National Division ONE, the industry's first nationwide sales and marketing company. For a one year period, Mr. Keiser served in the role of Senior Vice President of Strategic Relationships for OneCoast. In this role, Mr. Keiser was responsible for developing strong supplier relationships with new and existing partners for OneCoast. Upon joining OneCoast, he was responsible for OneCoast's Midwest Sales Region for 2 1/2 years.
Mr. Keiser has over 30 years of industry experience, working for both American Greetings and Enesco prior to joining OneCoast in 2003.
Mr. Keiser has been active in the Gift and Home Trade Organization (GHTA) serving as the Vice President of the organization in 2012, The President of GHTA in 2013 and the Chairman of The Board of the organization in 2014.
Mr. Keiser and his wife Ginny live in Hinsdale, IL.