Chris Pantani is the Director of Motorsports at Cooper Tires. He has over 29 years in the tire industry and has worked globally for two major manufacturers during his career. Cooper Tires is an American company that dates back to 1914 in Akron, Ohio. Ira J. Cooper developed the Cooper Creed that focused on providing their customers with “Good merchandise, fair play, and a square deal.” Cooper’s Global Technical Center in Findlay is a worldwide center of excellence for tire science and technology. Cooper Tires also has a testing facility near San Antonio, Texas, where safety is their number one priority. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris and past Cars Yeah guest Johnny Unser while at SEMA where they shared the many quality features of Cooper Tires.

Josh Gifford is the President of Creative Mobile Interiors where he has been since 2006. At CMI they design and build custom, one-of-a-kind vehicle conversions of all types and sizes. Their reputation for high-quality craftsmanship, close attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to customer service makes them unique in the marketplace. They work on motorhomes, executive vans, tailgating vehicles, RVs, mobile offices, family vans, trailers, and much more. Josh is a graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design and he’s been an automotive enthusiast since birth. Josh’s motto is, “If it ain’t got wheels it don’t matter.”

I met Josh at SEMA this year where he was showing an incredible creation that he and his team built, a 1972 Chevrolet C10/C30 truck and camper that took 11 months and over 2,200 hours to complete

Greg Stanley is an extreme automotive enthusiast who enjoys reaching out to non-car folks through his educational and inspirational podcast called Learn From Others. Greg’s goal is to educate the next generation by sharing career experiences of successful professionals and to ignite interest in the automotive hobby. Greg does this by asking his guest about their first car, their dream car and he then picks a Cool Company Car for them based on their job responsibilities. Past Cool Company Cars range from a McLaren F1 for an F-16 Pilot, to a 1909 Baker Electric for a Registered Nurse, to a 1992 Nissan Skyline for a National Sales Manager of an energy beverage company.  Greg is also an author, illustrator and his day job is selling Bazooka Candy Brands in the Convenience Channel.

Pontus Fontaeus is the Executive Design Director of GAC Advanced Design Center in Los Angeles, California. GAC is one of China’s largest automakers producing FCA vehicles, Toyotas, Hondas, Mitsubishis, and Peugeots under license for the Chinese market. He is an internationally recognized Swedish Car Designer who graduated from Art Center College of Design in Switzerland in 1993. Pontus has lived and worked in eight countries before his current role at GAC. He has nearly 30 years of design experience within the areas of automotive transportation product and graphic design, advertising, illustration, architecture projects, and with the VW Design Studio in Berlin. He served as the Interior Chief for Ferrari and worked at Volvo Car Corporation, Kia Motors Europe, General Motors, Renault, and Volkswagen. Pontus is spearheading the launch of a GAC vehicle for the American market in 2019.

Paige Bouma is the Vice President of Cycle Trader, an online marketplace designed to connect motorcycle buyers and sellers. Paige has played an integral role in strengthening the Cycle Trader brand while sharing her enthusiasm for motorcycles through speaking engagements, marketing campaigns, and several other media outlets. With over 12 years of industry experience, Paige offers a wealth of knowledge and insight into the world of motorcycles and power sports. Paige also spends her weekends as the pit crew for her two young sons and husband who all race motocross. 

Noah Alexander is the owner of Classic Car Studio and the star of Discovery /Velocity Channel’s hit television show Speed is the New Black. His business specializes in building and restoring high-performance machines that combine classic lines with modern technology. Speed is the New Black showcases the technical aspects of car building where he and his talented team of master craftsmen perform their magic. Some of the automotive builds he’s created include a 1990 Porsche 964, a ’57 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1962 Chrysler 300, and vintage trucks. An entrepreneur at heart, Noah’s eye for design and mind for innovation doesn’t stop at custom cars. He is also the Founder of Goebel & Co Furniture, one of America’s premier artisan furniture brands and his designs are sold worldwide. 

Jeff Perlman is a Media Relations Specialist and has spent over 25 years pitching journalists for a wide variety of clients in the automotive industry. Jeff has worked with brands including Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, “Voice of the Customer” J.D. Power, and luxury lifestyle authority, Robb Report, to niche entrepreneurial businesses. He’s worked extensively with media in virtually every sector of the automotive world, from the collector car hobby to dealer industry trades to mainstream automotive business and consumer enthusiast outlets. Schooled as a journalist, Jeff leveraged his training by establishing longstanding relationships with reporters, editors, broadcaster, bloggers, and influencers. 

Mariella Mengozzi is the Director of the National Automobile Museum, known at MAUTO, in Turin, Italy. It was established in 1932 on the left bank of the River Po and it is a journey through the history of the automobile. There are over 200 vehicles, 80 different marques all housed in a spectacular and unique building designed by architect, Cino Zucchi. Mariella was born in Forlì, Emilia Romania and earned a law degree and her MBA in Bologna, Italy. She has worked for worldwide brands including Walt Disney, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and others. Her goals with MAUTO are to increase its reach and international visibility and to work with passion building trust and long-term relationships.

Matt Hankin is the Head of Marketing and Communications at Rhino-Rack Australia where they create the world’s most useful roof racks for work and play. Rhino-Rack designs and builds durable and easy-to-use roof racks, luggage boxes, bike carriers, kayak carriers, load securing accessories, and much more. Matt has been a marketer for over 29 years having worked for many multinational and local Australian businesses in both the wholesale and retail environments. He’s been with Rhino-Rack for about three years supporting their local and global markets with a focus on Australia and the United States, where they have their U.S. Operations in Denver, Colorado.

Doug Herbert is a nationally recognized top fuel drag racing champion. He is the first driver to run over 300 MPH during NHRA eliminations, and his career-best speed tops 330 MPH. But in 2008 Doug put his racing career aside when he lost his two young sons, Jon and James, in a tragic car crash. After experiencing this tremendous loss and grief, Doug decided to create a driving program that teaches advanced safe driving techniques and founded B.R.A.K.E.S., (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) which is a non-profit 501 C3 Teen Pro-Active Defensive Driving Program. For over 10 years, Doug and B.R.A.K.E.S. have been traveling to various US cities to help prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and their parents.