About - Paragon

Our North Star

Transform yourself as a leader so you can focus on what matters most in your life and work.

Our Leadership

Jeff Benton

As many of these stories go, I founded Paragon based on my journey. I’ve always been curious about human performance and the more profound connection to the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. I’ve also consistently cherished studying with true Masters of their trade, learning how they acquired and developed their gifts and skills.

My deep dive into the human experience escalated drastically after a family tragedy, the suicide of my mother, testing the boundaries of my resilience, purpose and well-being. I realized my external world looked ideal on paper, but the truth was that fear, anxiety, anger, and the imposter syndrome were all driving me.

My family tragedy finally had me in a place to make real change in my life. I committed to finding the path of my truth and a better way to exist in the world. This commitment prompted my transformational world tour, flying to retreats, workshops, and meditations. I studied with spiritual masters and brain scientists, learning ancient wisdom and cutting-edge technology. Throughout the process, I became obsessed with self-development and self-awareness.

A few years into my journey, I woke up one morning, realizing my path had evolved from being reactive to becoming proactive. Instead of focusing on eliminating the pain inside, I concentrated on how far I could push my human performance in all areas of life. Gratitude was a driving force each day.

Paragon allows me to combine my deepest passions of connecting people and supporting individuals in their journey of transformation, and to be a human lab exploring what is possible in this lifetime.

Brett Weinroth

For over three decades, I have been fortunate to advise, coach, represent, and build businesses with accomplished high performers across various fields. From world-class professional athletes and head coaches to visionary entrepreneurs, respected business leaders, educators, and global humanitarians, I’ve worked with individuals at the pinnacle of their craft. My career spans diverse industries – sports & entertainment, finance, technology, and luxury travel – where I contributed to meaningful growth and success for multiple organizations. As an entrepreneur and company co-founder, I have experienced the thrilling ride of building companies for the past dozen years in partnership with one of my closest and dearest friends of nearly 30 years.

My journey has been defined by pivotal moments of adversity and the resilience to overcome them, molding me into the person I am today. Despite outward success early in my career, I grappled with inner turmoil—experiencing tension, conflict, anxiety, and insecurities while struggling to find genuine fulfillment in pursuit of happiness. Confronted with recurring health obstacles and an inability to effectively manage stress, I found myself navigating a tumultuous path without a clear sense of direction or self-identity as my personal and professional responsibilities expanded.

Amidst this inner chaos, I found clarity and purpose through mindfulness and heightened self-awareness, reinforced through integration of the very tools and techniques that we teach our clients for cultivating self-regulation and achieving peak performance. My experience has been further enriched by the challenges and insights of parenting – particularly supporting a young adult child through the complexities of mental illness in recent years.

Driven by a passion for human behavior and a deep desire to create meaningful change in the world, my mission is to empower others to transform stress to coherence so they can evolve to their highest potential. Drawing from the experiences of my own triumphs and challenges, I am more inspired than ever by the meaningful work our company is engaged in today, guiding individuals and organizations towards a brighter and healthier future.

Welcome to Paragon – where our journey together is a testament to the resilient spirit of the human experience.

Our Trainers

Sandra Solano, M.D.,M.S.

Sandra Solano, M.D., M.S., was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and is a healthcare professional with 30 years of experience as a healthcare executive and consultant. Dr. Solano has successfully implemented large-scale transformational projects in both the private and public sectors, earning recognition as a successful disruptor and change agent.

Throughout her career, Dr. Solano has witnessed the detrimental effects of burnout, stress, and lack of emotional regulation on productivity, communication, and overall effectiveness in both workplace and family life. Through her experiences, she acquired evidence-based, trainable skills that enabled her to achieve a more optimal emotional, physical, and professional life. Dr. Solano now teaches these tools and skills to empower individuals, teams, and organizations, helping them enhance emotional self-regulation and stress management for optimal performance and a more joyful, fulfilling life.

As a certified HeartMath® master trainer, Dr. Solano has coached and trained executives and professionals from some of the largest healthcare systems in the United States, Fortune 500 companies, social service agencies, and community organizations.

Dr. Solano migrated to Ohio to pursue postgraduate studies in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. She began her career at The Ohio State University Hospitals, first as a researcher and later as the Director of Clinical Quality at The Ohio State University Medical Center. Subsequently, she worked with the Ohio Department of Health as the Director of Health Statistics and State Registrar, and with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Human Services as Director of Research, Assistant Director of Medicaid, and Health Policy Advisor for the Governor’s office. Before opening her own practice, she served as a Principal for McGuire & Associates, providing technical assistance and evaluation services for obesity and mental health prevention programs in rural Appalachian areas.

Currently, Dr. Solano operates her own practice in New Albany, Ohio. She also serves as the Chief Medical Officer of The Fyera Foundation, contributing to consultation with organizations such as the United Nations, the C20/G20, and the California Assembly to address the mental health crisis.

Erin Toppenberg

Erin Toppenberg is driven by a mission to inspire deeper connections through the heart. Her work spans multiple charities and organizations, all of which share a common goal: to expand consciousness and compassion across the world. As a mother of two daughters, Erin’s commitment to empowering women and children globally is fueled by her personal passion.

As the co-founder of The Waterbearers, a women-led nonprofit providing clean water to communities in need worldwide, Erin is dedicated to creating sustainable impact. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the All You Need is Love Foundation, supporting education and development for underprivileged children. Erin has been a delegate at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and Children, collaborating with Pathways to Peace to advocate for global change.

In addition to her philanthropic work, Erin is a certified HeartMath® trainer. She leads individuals and teams through the practice of heart coherence, helping them unlock the power of the heart’s intelligence. Her training empowers people to manage stress, improve resilience, and foster connection, knowing that a coherent, heart-centered team can achieve boundless potential.

Paul Klein

My passion lies in personal- and leadership development with the objective to optimize performance. Optimal performance and conscious decision-making, both individually and collectively is the roadmap to the transformation of corporate culture.

As a HeartMath® Certified Trainer, I use the tools and resources of the HeartMath® Institute to support my clients in their personal-, leadership- and cultural development. These tools dramatically help individuals and leaders to gain more poise and clarity in the face of change, challenge, overwhelm and adversity.

I’m certified and registered with Barrett Values Centre®, a global consulting firm providing powerful diagnostic instruments to support the growth and development of organizations, leaders, societies and schools through the proprietary Cultural Transformation Tools® program. I believe that if you can measure it, you can develop it.

Currently, I work as a Paragon Master Coach & Trainer for Paragon Performance Evolution. Prior to my work as a Paragon Master Coach &Trainer, I was the Director of Human Resources at a science and technology company in California. In little over a year, I initiated and led projects to improve company culture, managed the HR department, hired over 50 employees, implemented an employee handbook, set up employee benefits, and built employer branding on career sites.

Prior to my work at this Bio Lab, I founded a company based in the Netherlands called “Life at Superposition”, an internationally-operating company which facilitates conscious evolution of corporate culture. For Life at SuperPosition, I work internationally as a consultant and field facilitator, with primary expertise in organizational development, cultural transformation, and leadership development.

I’m the founder of FinanZen, a Netherlands-based financial services company delivering personal value to its clients. I have over two decades worth of experience in financial services, and have provided valuable guidance to numerous companies and individuals over the course of my career.

Areas of expertise: Cultural transformation, Team building, Personal- and Leadership development, Financial advising, Conscious Awareness.

Catherine Burdett

Empowers others to see themselves outside of their current reality, ground them in the present, and move them into conscious action.

Prior to becoming a professional coach, Catherine spent over 20 years in the workplace having held senior roles in management and leadership. An accomplished facilitator and leadership coach since 2009, she is highly knowledgeable in the fields of emotional intelligence, resilience, and mindfulness as pathways to transformational, sustainable change and impact. As a trusted partner to leaders and organizations around the globe, she enjoys working with diverse populations in profit, non-profit and government entities at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

Her coaching philosophy is steeped in a holistic perspective, allowing clients to see and experience themselves differently to achieve the desired results. She is an advocate of an aligned human system, creating clarity and coherence at the level of the mind and body to access higher cognitive function, emotional balance, and presence amid the stress and overwhelm that characterizes the world in which we live and work. Her direct experience over the years with the myriad of challenges that life brings including death, divorce, significant personal health challenges, and surgeries brought her face to face with the reality that only she could create a better reality for herself. Curious about the nature of the mind/body connection she started exploring everything and anything that might help reduce the discomfort of ruminating thoughts, deep-seated fear, and anxiety and support the healing of her mind/body and how she ultimately showed up in the world. She appeared on the outside as having it all together when inside a daily battle was being fought.

Sharing tools and techniques learned as a Master Trainer with the HeartMath® Institute, as a workplace mindfulness facilitator, and long-time meditator, she is a proud team member and coherence coach with Paragon Performance Evolution. She is both honored and privileged to share conversations with clients as they move in the direction of creating the lives they desire. Aligning more fully to their personal values, daring to put themselves first from a self-care perspective as they create new habits of thought, feeling, and action. "The growth and liberation that is available to each of us is our natural birthright and beyond rewarding.”

Kevin Cherep

Kevin Cherep is a dedicated leader and Navy Veteran with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, focusing on global health, poverty relief, education, and social services. His career reflects a commitment to creating meaningful impact and empowering others to excel.

Throughout his leadership journey, Kevin has held key roles, including Chief Development Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. Most recently, he served as CEO of Chicago Youth Centers for seven years, where he led initiatives to support youth development and strengthen communities. His leadership style emphasizes personal growth, cultural transformation, and practical coaching to help individuals and teams perform at their best.

As a Master Trainer at Performance Evolution, Kevin works to enhance leadership and team collaboration. He helps develop programs focused on managing stress, improving communication, and fostering team alignment. His work is grounded in practical tools and strategies that help individuals and organizations navigate challenges and achieve lasting results.

Kevin’s belief in the connection between well-being and performance drives his approach. He supports leaders and teams in building resilience, making intentional decisions, and creating positive environments where people can thrive. Through his work with Paragon, Kevin continues to guide others toward achieving their full potential with clarity and purpose.

Sonya Mujeeb

Sonya Mujeeb is a high-performance and international Integrative Health Coach specializing in neuroplasticity and trauma-informed wellness. With degrees in Liberal Arts, Communication, and Psychology, she brings over a decade of experience in holistic health, mindfulness, and brain rewiring for chronic conditions, helping clients cultivate self-trust, build awareness, and break limiting patterns.

Passionate about stress management and peak performance, Sonya’s transformational coaching framework empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to build resilience and align with the wisdom of their heart to create a purposeful, fulfilling life. As a certified HeartMath® trainer with specialized expertise in trauma and positive neuroplasticity, she offers a compassionate, science-backed approach to well-being and optimal performance.

Sonya partners with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and major universities, delivering coaching and leadership training that enhances workplace culture, fosters resilience, and supports high-performing teams in achieving sustainable success.

Lauren Fisher

Lauren Fisher is a certified health coach and trainer with Paragon, dedicated to helping individuals achieve a balanced and sustainable approach to wellness. Through Lauren Fisher Health Coaching, she empowers clients to become mindful in all areas of their lives—focusing not just on food and exercise, but also on sleep, stress management, and joy. Her coaching philosophy encourages clients to become the CEOs of their own health, learning self-care and meditation practices to discover the best version of themselves.

Before transitioning into health coaching, Lauren spent most of her career in Corporate America, working in publishing at Condé Nast and other top media brands, including SHAPE and ELLE. This background gives her unique insight into the demands of high-performing professionals, and she now coaches many busy executives on how to prioritize happiness, health, and wholeness in their daily lives.

Lauren holds a BS in Broadcast Journalism from Ithaca College and certifications from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Nutritious Life Community. She is also on the board of FEAST, a national nonprofit focused on health equity and nutrition access, and teaches a 16-week health and nutrition curriculum to underserved communities in Los Angeles.

A devout meditator and avid athlete, Lauren integrates her personal wellness practices into her coaching, including strength training five times a week as part of her own health journey. As a trainer and partner with Paragon, she brings her expertise in holistic health, stress resilience, and performance coaching to teams and organizations, guiding them toward greater well-being, energy, and balance.