Charlynda Scales

CHARLYNDA SCALES: From Barbecue Sauce to Billion-Dollar Impact
The Decorated Veteran Who Turned Her Grandfather’s Recipe Into a National Brand and $5M Social Impact Empire
Charlynda Scales is a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran, serial entrepreneur, and impact strategist who proves that the biggest transformations often start with the smallest things—like a family barbecue sauce recipe. She turned her grandfather’s 1956 sauce into an award-winning national brand while building a $5 million social impact ecosystem that’s empowering hundreds of entrepreneurs. Her combat-tested frameworks for resilience, scalable impact, and turning crisis into catalyst have earned praise from Shark Tank’s Daymond John and features in Forbes, NPR, and CBS News.
HERE’S WHAT MAKES CHARLYNDA EXTRAORDINARY
Military Veteran Turned Serial Entrepreneur
✅ Decorated U.S. Air Force veteran with over 20 years of leadership experience✅ Served in Department of Defense, FAA, and nonprofit sector✅ Directly influenced over $5 BILLION in federal acquisition programs✅ Raised more than $5 million in philanthropic capital for inclusive entrepreneurship✅ Combat-tested resilience translated to business success
From Family Recipe to National Brand
✅ Founder & CEO of Mutt’s Sauce LLC – transformed grandfather’s 1956 BBQ sauce recipe into award-winning national brand✅ Turned adversity into enterprise – a college case study in entrepreneurship✅ Featured by Shark Tank’s Daymond John✅ Story showcases turning heritage into business success
Building a $5M Social Impact Ecosystem
✅ Executive Director of OH Taste Foundation✅ Created 6888 Kitchen Incubator supporting 150+ food entrepreneurs✅ Generated $336,000 in member revenue in 2024✅ Achieved 70% participant quality-of-life improvement rate✅ Empowers emerging founders through financial literacy and business-growth programs
Author & Thought Leader
📚 “Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline” – Her story of resilience and transformation
Education & Recognition
✅ Harvard Kennedy School graduate✅ Dartmouth/Tuck Executive Education graduate✅ TEDx speaker✅ Featured in: Forbes, NPR, QVC, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, Black Enterprise✅ Serves on boards: Dayton Children’s Hospital, Destination Dayton, Dayton Port Authority, Dayton Chamber of Commerce
HER MESSAGE: ROCK BOTTOM HAS A TRAMPOLINE
Charlynda teaches a powerful truth: your lowest moments can become your launching pad. Whether it’s military service, entrepreneurship, or building social impact, she shows leaders how to turn crisis into catalyst and adversity into advantage.
Her frameworks are combat-tested and business-proven:
• How to build resilience that scales from battlefield to boardroom
• Turning personal heritage into profitable enterprise
• Creating social impact that’s sustainable and measurable
• Leading with purpose while driving profit
• Building inclusive economies that lift everyone
Her story proves: Your background doesn’t limit you—it equips you. Your struggles don’t define you—they refine you.
HER PHILOSOPHY: PURPOSE-DRIVEN CAPITALISM
Charlynda bridges national defense, economic development, and purpose-driven capitalism. She doesn’t believe you have to choose between profit and impact—she’s built her entire career proving you can have both.
She empowers leaders to:
• Transform crisis into opportunity
• Build businesses that create social impact
• Scale entrepreneurship in underserved communities
• Lead with financial literacy and strategic growth
• Create legacy through service and enterprise
SPEAKING TOPICS
✅ Leadership & Resilience – Combat-tested frameworks for leading through adversity and building unshakeable resilience
✅ Entrepreneurship & Innovation – From family recipe to national brand: turning heritage into enterprise
✅ Mental Health & Wellness – Resilience strategies for high-performers and leaders under pressure
✅ Financial Literacy & Founder Economics – Building sustainable businesses and understanding capital
✅ Veteran & Defense Strategy – Translating military leadership into business success
✅ Social Impact & Inclusive Economy – Creating scalable impact and building inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems
✅ Legacy, Purpose & Faith – Leading with values and creating impact that outlasts you
✅ Women’s Empowerment – Breaking barriers and building businesses as a woman veteran entrepreneur
✅ Program Management & Government Execution – Managing large-scale federal programs and acquisitions
✅ Turning Crisis Into Catalyst – How adversity becomes your competitive advantage
IDEAL FOR
✅ Corporate leadership conferences and executive retreats✅ Women’s leadership summits and empowerment events✅ Veteran and military organizations✅ Entrepreneurship and small business conferences✅ Social impact and nonprofit leadership summits✅ Food industry and culinary entrepreneurship events✅ Financial literacy and economic development programs✅ Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives✅ Government and defense contractor conferences
WHY BOOK CHARLYNDA SCALES
Charlynda doesn’t deliver generic motivation—she brings combat-tested frameworks and real-world results. She’s influenced $5 billion in federal programs, built a national brand from a family recipe, and created a social impact ecosystem that’s transformed 150+ entrepreneurs’ lives.
Her audiences don’t just get inspired—they get a roadmap. From military bases to boardrooms, from startup incubators to corporate stages, Charlynda shows leaders how to turn their biggest challenges into their greatest opportunities.
Your audience will leave understanding:
✅ How to build resilience that translates across military, business, and life✅ Strategies for turning personal adversity into professional advantage✅ The framework for creating profitable businesses with social impact✅ How to scale entrepreneurship in underserved communities✅ Why rock bottom can become your trampoline—if you know how to bounce
Charlynda Scales proves that where you start doesn’t determine where you finish. A decorated veteran, award-winning entrepreneur, and impact strategist—she’s living proof that purpose and profit can coexist.
📅 CHARLYNDA BOOKS 3-6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE
As a sought-after speaker featured by Forbes, NPR, and praised by Daymond John, her calendar fills quickly for corporate events, veteran organizations, and entrepreneurship summits.
Fee Range: $10,000-$15,000
READY TO INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH RESILIENCE AND IMPACT?
📧 Email: contact@presbourgspeakers.com📞 US: +1-929-589-1440📞 EU/WhatsApp: +33.7.84.18.80.44
Contact us today to discuss your event and check Charlynda’s availability.