"Life gives entrepreneurs an extra dose of lemons."

—Thomas Minieri

VISIONARY CEO & FOUNDER

Thomas Minieri is the author of the cult-classic Lemonade Maker and the creator of Lemonade Maker® Strategies—a modern strategic community helping entrepreneurs thrive in an era defined by technology, disruption, and accelerated change.

A self-made entrepreneur, behavioral strategy thinker, and digital marketing architect, Thomas has spent more than two decades building companies at the intersection of innovation, psychology, and business growth. He has founded multiple 7- and 8-figure ventures across franchising, digital strategy, real estate, event production, and innovation consulting—all bootstrapped, with no outside capital and no debt. His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and other leading outlets.

Known for his fearless creativity, culture-driven leadership, and tech-forward approach, Thomas has helped thousands of founders bring clarity to chaos and break the status quo to build something unforgettable.

Entrepreneurial Track Record

• Bootstrapped Planet Ballroom® from a $30 startup to $12M+ in revenue in under a decade — no funding, no investors, no partners, no debt.
• Founded three companies that surpassed seven-figure annual revenue; one surpassed eight figures.
• Achieved a seven-figure exit after scaling Planet Ballroom into a nationally recognized brand.
• Built and mentored teams across multiple states, employing 50+ professionals at peak operations.

Franchising & Expansion

• Launched and grew a franchise system to 23 territories across NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, and TX.
• Personally mentored 23 franchisees, guiding operations, leadership, marketing, and scaling.
• Engineered one of the industry’s earliest automated franchise training ecosystems, reducing operational onboarding time and increasing consistency across markets.

Sales, Marketing & Technology Innovation

• Architected a revolutionary sales and marketing system enabling 10,000+ transactions per year, executed by non-sales staff, with average sale values of $250–$1,200.
• Developed the pioneering Ballroom Boost™ mobile app (2011) — offering features more than 10 years ahead of industry norms, enhancing customer experience, sales, and multi-unit operations.

Real Estate Development & Investment

• Commercial real estate investor who more than doubled an initial $1.4M investment in under seven years.
• Acquired, renovated, and revitalized notable historic commercial properties in Charlotte and Atlanta.

Leadership, Media & Production

• Executive Producer and Host of dozens of black-tie galas, stage productions, and large-scale events hosted at venues including The Ritz-Carlton and The Ballantyne.
• Creator and producer of multiple business media platforms, including Lemonade Maker® Live YouTube Show (40K+ subscribers), The Mad Hatter Chronicles™ Podcast, and a multi-book entrepreneurial series.

Civic Leadership & Recognition

• Chairman of Operation Sight, a Charleston-based nonprofit delivering vision-restoring surgeries to those in need.
• Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) Member-Elect (2015–2025), an invitation-only group for high-growth founders under 40 who have achieved seven-figure scale.