The Pulse | CityBox Index Executive Roundtable Gulf Coast Leaders Gather in Pace for Meaningful Conversation and Connection
Gulf Coast executives, founders, and business leaders gathered for the August 19, 2026, CityBox Index Executive Roundtable in Pace, Florida. The gathering was co-hosted by Alisha and Steven Cadenhead & Dixie, their adorable furry mascot and moderated by Maryan Aiken, Founder and CEO of CityBox Index.
CITYBOX INDEX EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE
Gulf Coast Leaders Gather in Pace for Meaningful Conversation and Connection
August 19, 2026
Pace, Florida
The CityBox Index Executive Roundtable brought together an accomplished group of executives, founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from across the Gulf Coast for an evening centered on leadership, collaboration, and meaningful professional connection.
Held on August 19, 2026, in Pace, Florida, the private gathering was graciously co-hosted by Alisha and Steven Cadenhead, co-founders of Gulf Coast Merchant Services and Cadenhead Legacy Group.
The roundtable was moderated by Maryan Aiken, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CityBox Index, CityBox Magazine, and CityBox Media Holdings.
Creating Space for Meaningful Executive Conversation
The CityBox Index Executive Roundtable is a curated leadership experience designed to bring accomplished professionals together in an intimate setting where thoughtful conversation can unfold naturally.
Rather than following the format of a traditional networking event, the roundtable creates space for leaders to exchange perspectives, share experiences, build relationship capital, and discover opportunities for future collaboration.
The August 19 gathering reflected the diversity of the Gulf Coast business community, with leadership represented across healthcare, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, technology, architecture, financial technology, marketing, media, publishing, beauty, wellness, sales, business development, and professional services.
Leaders Around the Table
Alisha Cadenhead
Co-Host and Co-Founder
Gulf Coast Merchant Services and Cadenhead Legacy Group
Industry: Financial Technology and Professional Services
Location: Pace, Florida
Alisha Cadenhead graciously co-hosted the gathering alongside Steven Cadenhead, helping create a warm and welcoming environment where Gulf Coast leaders could connect, exchange ideas, and develop meaningful professional relationships.
Through Gulf Coast Merchant Services and Cadenhead Legacy Group, Alisha contributes to a family-led business platform supporting entrepreneurs, organizations, and communities through financial technology, payment solutions, professional services, and relationship-centered leadership.
Ashley Black
Director of Initiative Leadership
PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pensacola
Industry: Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Ashley Black represented the operational and community-focused side of healthcare leadership, bringing insight from her work supporting strategic initiatives at PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pensacola.
Dave Nelson
Partner and Business Development Manager
Cyclone 365
Industry: Cybersecurity and Managed Information Technology
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Dave Nelson brought the perspective of a cybersecurity and business-development leader committed to helping organizations protect their operations, strengthen their technology systems, and prepare for emerging digital risks.
Houston George
Founder
Houston Solutions
Industry: Marketing and Technology
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Houston George contributed an entrepreneurial perspective at the intersection of marketing, technology, business development, and customer engagement.
Jeff Stanford
Sales and Business Development
Gulf Coast Merchant Services
Industry: Financial Technology, Sales and Business Development
Location: Pace, Florida
Jeff Stanford represented the client-development and relationship-building side of Gulf Coast Merchant Services. Through his work in sales and business development, he helps connect businesses with payment-processing technology, point-of-sale solutions, and professional support designed to strengthen their operations.
His participation added an important perspective on customer relationships, strategic growth, and the role trusted business-development professionals play in connecting organizations with the resources they need to succeed.
Jennifer Troyer
Founder, Owner and Family Nurse Practitioner
Emerald Waters Hormone & Weight Loss Clinic
Industry: Healthcare and Longevity
Location: Pace, Florida
Jennifer Troyer represented personalized healthcare, hormone health, medical weight management, and preventive wellness. Her work reflects the growing importance of individualized care within the healthcare and longevity sector.
Maryan Aiken
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
CityBox Index, CityBox Magazine and CityBox Media Holdings
Industry: Media, Publishing and Leadership Intelligence
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
As moderator, Maryan Aiken guided the conversation around leadership, visibility, relationship capital, and the importance of creating trusted environments where leaders from different industries can connect.
Through CityBox Index, she is building a structured leadership ecosystem designed to discover accomplished professionals, document their leadership journeys, and create meaningful connections across cities and industries.
Randal Hamilton
Chief Executive Officer
PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pensacola
Industry: Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Randal Hamilton brought the perspective of an executive responsible for organizational leadership, patient-centered rehabilitation services, healthcare operations, and community impact.
Sherri Babylon
Founder, BluVi
Co-Founder, Moirai Systems
Industry: Artificial Intelligence, Decision Intelligence and Technology
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Sherri Babylon contributed expertise in artificial intelligence, technology strategy, cybersecurity, automation, and decision intelligence. Her work helps organizations approach emerging technology with greater clarity, discipline, and purpose.
Steven Cadenhead
Co-Host and Co-Founder
Gulf Coast Merchant Services and Cadenhead Legacy Group
Industry: Financial Technology and Professional Services
Location: Pace, Florida
Steven Cadenhead co-hosted the evening alongside Alisha Cadenhead, welcoming the participating leaders into a professional environment designed for open conversation and meaningful engagement.
Together, Alisha and Steven have built businesses focused on helping organizations navigate payment technology, point-of-sale solutions, financial services, and other essential professional needs.
Why This Roundtable Matters
The value of the CityBox Index Executive Roundtable is found in the diversity of the leaders seated around the table.
A hospital executive may approach organizational growth differently from an architect. A cybersecurity leader may recognize risks that a healthcare entrepreneur or financial technology founder has not yet considered. An artificial intelligence strategist may identify opportunities capable of transforming marketing, operations, customer service, or organizational decision-making.
Sales and business-development professionals also contribute an essential perspective by understanding customer needs, identifying opportunities, and creating trusted connections between businesses and the solutions that can support their growth.
When leaders from different industries exchange ideas in a trusted setting, new perspectives emerge, relationships deepen, and opportunities for collaboration become possible.
This is the purpose of the CityBox Index Executive Roundtable: to connect accomplished professionals through thoughtful conversation and build the relationship capital that strengthens businesses, industries, and communities.
Hospitality That Made the Evening Memorable
CityBox Index extends its heartfelt appreciation to Alisha and Steven Cadenhead for graciously opening their Pace location and co-hosting the August 19 Executive Roundtable.
Their warmth, generosity, and commitment to bringing Gulf Coast leaders together created a welcoming environment where ideas could be exchanged, professional relationships could be strengthened, and new possibilities could be explored.
A special thank-you also goes to Sip & Savory in downtown Pensacola for providing the luscious charcuterie spread enjoyed by everyone throughout the evening. Its beautiful presentation and delicious selection added an elevated touch to the gathering and complemented the warm hospitality of the hosts.
No acknowledgment of the evening would be complete without recognizing Dixie, the adorable furry mascot of Gulf Coast Merchant Services. Dixie brought an extra measure of charm, warmth, and personality to the gathering while making everyone feel even more at home.
CityBox Index also recognizes each participating leader for contributing their time, insight, experience, and perspective to the conversation.
The evening demonstrated what becomes possible when leaders move beyond introductions and engage in meaningful dialogue grounded in trust, curiosity, and a shared commitment to growth.
Discover. Document. Connect.
CityBox Index
Where Leadership Becomes Legacy.
CityBox Index Executive Roundtable participants gathered in Pace, Florida, hosted by Alisha and Steven Cadenhead of Gulf Coast Merchant Services and Cadenhead Legacy Group