Dave Brandner founded Path 2A Dream in 2005, drawing from his broad array of event planning and sales experience. Dave has worked on large-scale events including the Nokia Sugar Bowl and the National Hockey League All-Star Game. In addition, he has been involved with the planning, promotion and execution of two charity basketball games, on behalf of National Basketball Association All-Stars Scottie Pippen, Ray Allen and Vin Baker. He has also worked with the National Basketball Association's Milwaukee Bucks Public Relations Department. Dave spent a summer promoting the 1995 Rhode Island Scholar Athlete Games, a summer camp designed to provide inspiration to Rhode Island's best and brightest high school students, many of whom are now enjoying career and life fulfillment.

Dave's mission in life is to provoke and open the minds of teens. His goal is to create an educational experience that focuses on an awareness of self, and translates this knowledge into decision-making that results in choosing a path in life that is most consistent with one's core being. His feeling is that the sooner in life one knows what they want, and has a roadmap on how to get what they want - the more likely they are to eventually live the life they wanted!  Dave graduated from Marquette University with a Major in Public Relations and a Minor in Marketing.

Pat Smith is a veteran educator with 35 years experience at the secondary level as a teacher, counselor, and administrator. The consistent theme of her work in each of these areas has been to help young people to grow in understanding of themselves and others; to discover the world with its endless possibilities; to help teens to identify and develop their interests, abilities and dreams; and finally, to access the opportunities available to them despite handicaps of income, geography, family situation, or learning disability.

Pat was part of the inaugural class to be certified as a National Career Counselor and is certified by the state of Wisconsin as a school counselor, school principal, director of instruction, and teacher of French and English. She has earned master degree equivalents in school counseling, school administration and French. In addition, over fifty high schools in Wisconsin requested a career education curriculum she authored. As a result, she is uniquely qualified to develop thought provoking content that guides teens toward taking the first steps toward achieving their dreams.

Pat has modeled to the young her passion for following one's dreams. She has traveled to over twenty countries as disparate as Russia, Turkey, and Israel and has lived and studied in France and Spain . Her greatest fear is to live an unlived life. It has been her great pleasure and passion to be able to encourage thousands of students to define and reach their goals, as she has her own, to ensure that they live their lives to their fullest potential.

Carolyn Neff joined Path 2A Dream in September of 2005, as its Director of Marketing. Carolyn brings 15 years of experience as an actress, spokesmodel, event planner, marketing director and emcee. She has appeared in VIBE, COSMOPOLITAN, NEW YORK and MADEMOISELLE magazines and done television endorsements for COCA-COLA and AVENA SKIN CARE. In addition, she has appeared in several films – High Ambitions and Macbeth in Manhattan – and was a regular on ABC's popular Soap, All My Children.

Carolyn has had to earn every bit of her success, as she comes from a single-parent household that didn't have a whole lot beyond making ends meet. Carolyn had to defy the odds, as she was repeatedly told she was “too short” to become a model. Her persistence in life has paid off, largely from her, “Why Not Me?” attitude instead of the more common and pessimistic attitude - “Why Me?” Had she listened to the various talent scouts who told her she was “too short,” she wouldn't have gone on to have built the portfolio that includes the above successes. Carolyn is a great example of someone who has made great sacrifices, taken calculated risks and in so doing has certainly found her Path to a Dream.

Carolyn currently lives in Los Angeles and continues to model, audition and endeavor toward her next project in entertainment. In the mean time, Path 2A Dream is thrilled to have her and her many talents on our team.

Michael McKinney, joined Path 2A Dream in April of 2006, as it’s Urban Marketing Director. Michael grew up in the inner-city of Fort Worth, and earned a scholarship to Texas A&M, where he was an All-American in Track and Field. Michael graduated from Texas A&M in 1999, and since that time has been involved with working with at-risk youth at Job Corps and the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center.