IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IBM AND TD SYNNEX

November 17-18 2026 · Clearwater, florida · BY INVITATION · 25 SEATS

Turn uncertainty
into your
advantage

A two-day, complimentary Executive mastermind on AI, alignment, forecasting, and the plan you can defend when the board asks how AI is actually performing.

Dates

TWO DAY EVENT

Tuesday

Nov 17th 2026

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET

Wednesday

Nov 18, 2026

8:00 AM - 4:10 PM ET

Venue

TD SYNNEX Innovation Center 16202 Bay Vista Drive, Clearwater, Florida,

Room size

25 CEOs and CFOs

CPE CREDIT

Up to 14 Hours

THE PROBLEM

Your strategy changed. Did the plan?

Most finance leaders are not short on ambition. They are stretched across too many priorities to plan, forecast, or align well — and the fix isn't a better template. It's the discipline to say no to what doesn't serve the strategy, and a model that can answer a board question in the meeting rather than the week after it.

These are the numbers your peers are reporting right now:

82%

of FP&A teams still run on spreadsheets even with an EPM tool already in place.

AFP, 2025

21%

of fully deployed finance AI efforts show real, measurable value — against 87% who call AI critical.

Deloitte CFO Signals, Q2 2026

37%

of CFOs plan to increase C-suite collaboration on planning. The alignment gap is nobody's line item.

PwC Pulse Survey

108%

year-over-year growth in AI spend, with $300K+ in untracked shadow AI at the average company.

Zylo / FinOps Foundation, 2026

AI is now a line item on your P&L. Almost none of you can say what it returned.

WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH

Two Days. Six Things You Keep.

01

A strategy-to-plan diagnostic that shows exactly where your model, drivers, and dimensions are still built for last year's strategy, and how to close that gap

02

An initiative-and-capacity framework for deciding what actually earns a place in the plan, and the discipline to cut what doesn't, applied to your own budget in the room. (This includes AI initiatives.)

03

A live, look at IBM Planning Analytics handling scenario planning, cross-functional alignment, and AI-assisted forecasting

04

A 90-second, board-ready way to present your numbers and defend an assumption when the question comes from the board, not from a colleague

05

A completed 90-day roadmap

06

Real relationships with 20+ peer CEOs and CFOs, plus up to 14 hours of CPE credit, nearly half a CPA's annual requirement

Attendees at last year's mastermind discovering live scenarios in IBM Planning Analytics and working through their own AI initiatives.

Group Photo taken at 2025 Lodestar Solutions Mastermind in Tampa, FL

FIT ASSESSMENT

Who belongs in this room

This is built for you if:

  • You're a CEO, CFO, or senior finance leader with real authority over the plan.

  • Your forecast is accurate right up until something changes.

  • You've bought planning technology and your team still rebuilds it in Excel.

  • AI is now a budget line and nobody has told you what it returned.

  • You'll bring one live challenge and let the room work on it.

This is the wrong room if:

  • You're looking for a vendor demo and a swag bag.

  • You want to observe rather than participate — every session is worked, not watched.

  • You can only attend one of the two days. Day 2 builds directly on Day 1. So we need you to commit to both days.

  • You're sending a delegate who can't commit the organization to anything.

The content is worth your time. The people beside you are worth more.

This mastermind is built for CEOs and CFOs, the people who own the number and answer for it. Every application is reviewed by hand, and we accept 25. We decline more than we accept, not to be difficult, but because one mismatched seat changes what the other 24 people are willing to say out loud. Peer-level candor only happens between actual peers.

We reserve the right to decline any application.

We reserve the right to modify the content based on applicant feedback.

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

What Past Attendees Say

"Attending the mastermind was a turning point for me. The program didn't just sharpen my financial strategies, it gave me organization clarity that transformed the way I approach my business and personal goals. If you're considering joining, know this: you won't just walk away with tools and knowledge, you'll gain a network of peers who are invested in your success. Future participants should take part because the clarity, confidence, and community you'll gain are invaluable."

michael day, president of canyon strategies

"You can't do the CFO role alone. The people I have had an opportunity to connect with at this mastermind has been profound. To have a group of individuals that have a similar drive as you will go an extremely long way. If you have the opportunity to attend a mastermind, I absolutely would encourage any CFO or other financial professional to take advantage of that opportunity."

shauna gnorski, executive president and chief financial officer

"If you are a CFO, you need to be in this room. Not only was this powerful, it gave me clarity. What Heather and her team have set the stage for is us attendees to feel comfortable, to feel confident, and to feel protected enough to share whatever we need to help move the needle."

Twyla Garrett, Chief executive officer

"I can't recommend attending this mastermind enough. If you're interested in expanding your growth as an entrepreneur in business and even personally, I would highly recommend coming out and making sure you attend Lodestar Solutions' masterminds. It is going to deliver 10x the value of what you are coming for."

Chris Orlando, President of VOC Associates

TAMPA and Central FloridA CFOs, CEOS & Finance Leaders

A working technology center, not a hotel ballroom

The TD SYNNEX Innovation Center in Clearwater is built to demonstrate enterprise technology under real conditions — which is why we're holding this here, co-hosted with IBM, instead of describing scenario planning on a slide.

Every framework across the two days is paired with a live demo in IBM Planning Analytics. When someone in the room asks what happens if the assumption moves, we move it.

TD SYNNEX Innovation Center · Clearwater, FL

WHY THIS ROOM FILLS

  • Capped at 25 CEOs and senior finance leaders, by invitation only.

  • Co-hosted with IBM at a TD SYNNEX facility.

  • Every session is worked in small groups — five to six tables of four or five.

  • Peer coaching, not panel discussion. You will be asked to contribute.

  • Prior cohorts rate relevance to their real challenges as good to excellent.

Facilitated by Heather Cole

Heather Cole is the founder and CEO of Lodestar Solutions, an IBM analytics consultancy that has spent 25+ years helping finance organizations move from reporting what happened to deciding what to do next and now, where AI belongs in that decision and where it doesn't. Heather is one of only 32 IBM Worldwide Lifetime Champions. She is the host of the Financial Executives International podcast and a best selling author.

She has facilitated this mastermind format with CEOs and CFOs for years, and combines it here with the technical depth to build a scenario live, answer the follow-up question, and keep the room out of the weeds while doing it.

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Certified Executive Coach, IBM Lifetime Champion

CPE Credits

14 CPE in two days

Both days are group-live instruction. Registration, breaks, meals, and social time are excluded from credit.

Total Credits Available

Up to 14 CPE Credits

Delivery Method

Group Live

Field of Study

Finance & Business Management & Organization

Prerequisites

None

Compliance Note: The Lodestar Mastermind is designed and structured to qualify for continuing education credits under NASBA standards. Exact credit allocations are determined based on verified attendance logs per 50-minute session hour. Certificates of completion will be distributed electronically within 30 days following the event conclusion.

NASBA Sponsor ID: 167915

CLARITY & LOGISTICS

Before you apply

Is this a sales pitch for IBM Planning Analytics?

No. The frameworks are the content, and they work regardless of what you run on. Planning Analytics is how we demonstrate them live rather than in the abstract, because a scenario you watch get built lands differently than one described on a slide. Nobody will be pulled aside for a quote.

Do I need to be an IBM customer to attend?

Absolutely not. This is a private mastermind environment focused entirely on peer-to-peer strategy and problem-solving.

Who else will be in the room?

Twenty-five CEOs, CFOs, and senior finance leaders, screened for seniority and fit.

What does it cost?

Attendance is complimentary. IBM and Lodestar cover the program, the venue, and your materials for both days. You are responsible for your own travel and lodging.

Can I bring my co-founder or leadership team?

Yes. Some of the strongest outcomes come from leaders who work through this alongside the people they make decisions with. Just let us know who you are bringing on your application so we can hold their seat. Seating is capped at 25, so the sooner we know, the better.

Can I attend just one day?

This is a full two-day commitment. The agenda is sequential, the peer group work depends on the same people being in the room both days, and 25 seats means we prioritize applicants who can be there start to finish. If your calendar will not allow it, we would rather connect you with our on-demand sessions now and save your seat for a future cohort.

Are there any restrictions on who can attend?

Yes. This event is co-hosted with IBM and follows IBM's business conduct guidelines for hospitality. Those guidelines exclude employees of government-owned entities from events of this type. It is not a reflection of fit, it is a compliance requirement we take seriously on both sides.

Will we talk about AI?

Yes. Not AI hype. We'll work through how to evaluate whether an AI AI investment in forecasting or planning is actually paying off, and how to keep the model aligned to the strategy it's supposed to serve.

APPLICATION

Twenty-five seats. Two days. One plan you can defend.

Tell us who you are and what you're working on. We review every request personally and respond within two business days — this is a small room, and fit matters.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
OCTOBER 31st · or when the 25th seat is confirmed

Best number to reach you during the event. Building access is secure, and this helps our team get you in smoothly if anything comes up.