Justin’s guest this week is Neil Gomes, the Chief Digital Officer and Senior Vice President for Technology Innovation and Consumer Experience at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System.
Women in Technology (WIT) Special Edition
The work of Women in Technology has an incredible impact.
Since 1992, Women in Technology has had a mission dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in Georgia’s technology community. Through the WIT COMMUNITY, WIT Also educates and encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM.
Kara Brown is Founder and CEO of SmithBrown Marketing and has spent more than a decade building a marketing skill set specific for the B2B software market. She has worked for startups and large firms, and her expertise ranges from PR to enterprise data management.
In 2006, Brown was one of the first employees of Echo Global Logistics [NYSE:ECHO]. A one-woman marketing department, she managed all brand, image, and marketing initiatives for the company. In 2009, Brown worked with sales and IT leadership to develop and launch www.myfreight.com, Echo’s self-serve LTL website. She was also responsible for driving traffic to this new revenue stream.
In late 2008, Brown to took on the role of Investor Relations. On October 9, 2009, Echo held a successful IPO and Brown was the company’s first Director of Investor Relations, at 26.
From there Brown was recruited by OHL (Ozburn-Hessey Logistics), at the time a $2B Nashville based global supply chain provider with clients like Apple, Starbucks, Samsung, Sony, and Remington.
PE firm Welsh Carson was preparing the company for an IPO exit and Brown was to lead IR when the time came. In the spring of 2011, Brown weathered a major communications crisis with almost no market exposure. In 2015, OHL was bought by GEODIS.
In 2012, Brown set up a consulting practice, SmithBrown Marketing where she was the outsourced CMO for six transportation and transportation technology companies. She executed all things marketing, including lead sourcing, scoring, marketing automation, CRM implementation and management, tradeshow execution, collateral development, PR, website development and management, search engine optimization, and social media engagement. She uses her skill set, expertise in logistics and relationships to execute well-designed marketing strategies for her clients, usually on a very limited budget.
In 2015, Brown took the risk on a trash startup in Atlanta, Rubicon Global. Brown built a five person marketing team from scratch, delivered an entirely new revenue stream with more than $100k in revenue, and built a new website with a 400% improved conversion rate.
Brown is now back to consulting in Atlanta after falling in love with the weather. She is an Ironman athlete and is wrapped up her MBA from Dominican University in the Spring, 2017. You can connect with Kara on LinkedIn and Twitter .
Sandy D. Welfare is the Executive Director of Women In Technology (WIT). Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of Cool Girls Inc, an award-winning early intervention after-school program dedicated to the empowerment of girls (2009-2015).
Sandy’s career began in 1989 in Greenwich, Connecticut where she joined Rand Insurance as the Controller. Six years later, she accepted a position with Lucent Technologies, an international telecommunications leader, holding a number of positions including serving as Accounting and Treasury Manager in Singapore (1999-2000) and then as Senior Manager in Australia and New Zealand (2000-2002). Sandy returned to Atlanta in 2002 as Senior Manager of Global Financial Services.
In 2003, Sandy accepted a position as Director of Operations for Xchanging, a business processing outsourcing company. In 2006, her career took her to London, England as Managing Director for professional services, where she managed global business processing services for bank financial transactions, insurance and retail.
Sandy received her undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in New York, and a Master of Business Administration from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She serves on the board of several non-profits, including Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. Sandy resides in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, Cliff and son, Soloman. Connect with WIT on Twitter, and follow Sandy on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Marketing SuperHeroes Series Featuring Avi Bhatnagar with WhiteHat Security
Avi Bhatnagar is the Director of Digital Marketing with WhiteHat Security. Avi is an entrepreneurial marketer who thinks both strategically and analytically to help in the continued success of digital marketing experience. He’s passionate about website experience and possesses the ability to drive traffic and increase conversions dramatically.
Marketing SuperHeroes Series Featuring Jeff Perkins with QASymphony
Jeff Perkins is Chief Marketing Officer of QASymphony, a leading global provider of QA testing software for agile development teams. Since he joined the company in 2015, Jeff has helped build the QASymphony brand and grow revenue over 200%.
Prior to QASymphony, Jeff spent 8 years in senior marketing and sales roles at PGi and AutoTrader.com. He started his career grinding it out in the NYC ad industry at Saatchi & Saatchi and Havas. His experiences range from traditional to digital, B2C to B2B, and agency-side to client-side.
Jeff received his BA from American University and MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He is a frequent contributor to several marketing publications and a speaker at many industry events. When he’s not working, you might find him riding his Peloton bike or attending a Bruce Springsteen concert (he’s been to 26 so far). He lives in Atlanta with his awesome wife and two adorable daughters (ages 6 and 9).
Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, and follow QA Symphony on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Mike Perez with Donetto
Executive Chef Michael Perez dreamed of traveling the world, but not necessarily as a cook – he wanted to be a flight attendant. While taking a hospitality class in high school, a guest chef from Johnson and Wales University-Miami spoke of his extensive travel abroad and inspired Perez to change course. After graduating, Perez applied to Johnson and Wales University-Miami’s culinary program and was able to enroll without the necessary prerequisites after sharing his passion with the culinary instructor. Perez set out to pursue his career in culinary world, and hasn’t looked back.
Following college, Perez moved to Hawaii and cooked aboard two Norwegian Cruise lines. After his cruise ship tenure ended in 2007, Perez returned to his hometown of Portland, OR, to stage under a French-trained chef at the Timberland Lodge. Perez’ next role was Sous Chef at Ten 01, which was named “Restaurant of the Year” under his direction. In 2008, Perez became Sous Chef at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro in Portland, which received the award for “Best Pasta Dish” by Willamette Week’s Annual Restaurant Guide.
Perez moved to California in 2010 to assume the role of Sous Chef under the Food Network’s acclaimed chef Scott Conant at his award-winning Beverly Hills restaurant Scarpetta. Perez also served on the opening team for Scarpetta inside The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. In TK year, Perez became Executive Chef at the Deep Creek Fishing Club in Ninilchik, Alaska where he successfully developed a new menu at the full-service luxury lodge.
After journeying to Charleston, SC in 2011 to further his career, Perez joined the Indigo Road family where he later became a part of the opening team for Indaco, the group’s Italian concept located in Charleston. In 2015, Perez relocated to Atlanta where he opened Colletta, Indigo Road’s second Italian outpost located in Alpharetta’s premier Avalon development. This summer, Indigo Road will open Donetto, a Tuscan-inspired restaurant on the Westside, where Perez will serve as the executive chef serving Tuscan fare, popular staples from the regions of Sienna, Umbria and Rome, an array of meat-centric dishes and a rotating pasta menu.
Perez says his favorite part about cooking is learning new things while teaching his staff and fellow chefs. When not in the kitchen, Perez appreciates a full day of snowboarding or fishing, exploring new restaurants with friends, and fulfilling his love for travel and exploring new cultures. Connect with Chef Michael on Twitter and LinkedIn, and Donetto on Twitter and Facebook.
Skye Estroff is the marketing and media manager for Atlanta’s largest food festival, Taste of Atlanta. Skye manages all TV, radio and print media relationships, as well as strategizing and planning all social media. She is an Atlanta native, a University of Georgia graduate and an expert in Atlanta’s best food. Connect with Skye and Taste of Atlanta on Twitter and Facebook.
The Springer Mountain Farms Southern Wing Showdown produced by Taste of Atlanta takes place Sunday, August 20th at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. For more information on the event, visit their website and Facebook.
John Haber and Paul D’Arrigo with Spend Management Experts
John Haber, Founder and CEO of Spend Management Experts, is a well-respected thought leader in the transportation industry. His expertise stems from serving in executive finance positions for the world’s largest carrier and almost a decade as a supply-chain consultant. In his current role he provides the vision and strategic oversight helping clients save an average of 20% or more in logistics spend. John has recently been recognized as a top three “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Metro Atlanta Chamber, collected top honors as the “TiE Top Entrepreneur of 2015”, and created one of the fastest growing companies in Atlanta receiving a “Pacesetter Award” from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
He is a frequent speaker at industry events including Parcel Forum and IRCE; John is often quoted and published in trade and national media such as The Wall Street Journal, Parcel and Reuters.
Paul D’Arrigo, VP of Information Technology at Spend Management Experts, has 15 years of experience in the logistics, fulfillment and eCommerce space. He has built eCommerce retailers and service providers from the ground up, spearheading the development of industry changing technologies. After a career starting at UPS Supply Chain Solutions as an Industrial Engineer, Paul co-founded a Pro-Audio online retailer rated in 2011 as the #2 Fastest Growing Retailer according to the Inc 5000. Using the technology and expertise developed from being a leader in the eCommerce industry Paul co-founded an eCommerce services company that closed rounds of funding, was featured in the Wall Street Journal, and continues to operate today.
Paul has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Connect with John and Paul through their website, and on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Guy Tessler with Conexx, Dexter Caffey with Caffey Investment Group, Erin Igleheart with Start:ME, Jennifer Price with Atlanta Beer Chick, Maurice Anderson with The Anderson Business Group and Brigitte Cutshall with Gemini Media
Guy Tessler joined Conexx in 2007 and was appointed President in 2015.
Previously, he served as general manager of Falcon West Security and Investigations in Los Angeles, and as program manager for the Israel Association of Community Centers where many of the skills he brings to his work with Conexx were formed and developed. In 2004 he moved to Atlanta with his wife, Ofra and their children Jonathan and Yael, where he joined Clickfox, Inc. and freelanced as a Hebrew – English translator and interpreter.
Born in Haifa, and raised in Jerusalem, Guy served in the IDF as a paratrooper, and later became a member of Kibbutz Misgav-Am in the upper Galilee. He holds a BA in Sociology and Management from the Israel Open University. Follow Conexx on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Dexter Caffey is CEO of Caffey Investment Group.
Erin Igleheart is Program Manager with Start:ME Accelerator Program, an intensive 14-week accelerator program that provides the most promising micro-entrepreneurs in metro Atlanta communities business training, mentorship support, and early-stage financing needed to develop their businesses. Connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.
Jennifer Price has been a lover of craft beer for more than 20 years and is a Certified Beer Server, the first of four levels of the Cicerone Program, an internationally recognized beer expert certification body. She is currently studying to master the second level of the Cicerone Program with hopes of reaching the third and fourth levels in the future.
As she chases her beer dreams, Jen works full time as a Project Manager in the Urban Planning industry. She has 16 years of experience leading and completing projects with multiple municipal clients within scope, on schedule and on budget. Her work in community planning and service as a lifelong volunteer has created a strong appreciation for community engagement and activation. She is a 2016 graduate of Start: ME, a micro-accelerator program sponsored by the Emory University Goizueta Business School and the East Lake Foundation.
Jen is author of “The Chick’s Guide to Beer: 7 Simple Rules for the Beer Novice.” Connect with Jen on Facebook.
Maurice Anderson is a Chief Strategist and Business Advisor at LeadME Global Leadership Development and a Mentor to the Start:ME Accelerator Program . Connect with Maurice on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Brigitte Cutshall is a Wellness Consultant, Speaker, and a Health Advocate (Certified Health Coach). She is a two-time breast cancer survivor and living with a primary brain tumor (benign). Brigitte strongly believes the values applied from her health coach training enabled her to overcome her own health issues. Brigitte’s goal is to inspire others to be a part of the solution – choose empowerment – and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Author of “Real Things: 6 Ways to Embrace Life.” Connect with her on Instagram @brigittecutshall, Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for her newsletter at www.brigittecutshall.com.
Biz Radio U Featuring Andy Crowe and Clint Crowe with Elite Event Rental
Andy Crowe is a project management author and entrepreneur. Andy’s son, Clint Crowe, runs Elite Event Rental, which they both founded. Together, they built Elite into one of the largest event rental companies in Atlanta, with plans to expand geographically.
Elite Event Rental is based in Cobb County, GA and services events around the greater Metro Atlanta area. Elite has supplied some of the largest festivals and parties in the southeast.
Emerging Enterprise Series Featuring Barry Etra with Keiretsu Forum
The Emerging Enterprise Series is brought to you by AppZoro and hosted by Sam Agarwal and Marianna Velozo
Barry Etra worked in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and General Management for manufacturing organizations in the Northeast. He came to Atlanta to be the COO of a plastics manufacturing plant, and then ran the Etra Advisory Group, helping companies and institutions find funding that they couldn’t get traditionally. In 2014 he founded the RAISE Forum in partnership with Emory; they help early-stage companies in the Southeast get senior funding from the Southeast, which helps keep companies here. He has a BA and an MBA from Columbia University. Connect with Barry on LinkedIn.
Keiretsu Forum was founded in 2000 by Randy Williams in the San Francisco Bay Area. With more than 2,500 investor members in 52 chapters on 3 continents, Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest by-invitation-only angel investor network. Keiretsu Forum membership is comprised of angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate/institutional investors and serial entrepreneurs who provide early-stage capital in the range of $250,000 – $2 million to high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions. For more information, visit www.KeiretsuForum.com. To learn more about the Keiretsu Forum South-East Region visit www.KeiretsuForum-SouthEast.com. You can also follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Sam Agarwal is an Innovative Applications Developer. Sam is the founder and CEO of AppZoro Technologies, Inc. – an experienced team of full-stack mobile app developers and web designers. He holds a BS in Computer Science and is working on his Master’s at Georgia Tech. Sam is an Advisor of Mobile App Technology for the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the U.S. leading co-working space entities located in Atlanta, Georgia.
From concept to market-ready digital product, AppZoro is your single-source for everything from complex programming and database development to payment integrations and front-end design. With AppZoro’s in-house team of Agile Coders and Inventive Designers, you’ll get consistent high-quality work at a startup-friendly price.
Sam is also an experienced businessman. In addition to the work he does with AppZoro, he is Vice President of Sara Hospitality – an international, family-owned furniture manufacturer based in India, serving the US hospitality industry. He has been materially involved since he was 18 and is responsible for procurement, marketing, sales, customer service and finance for the business. In this role, he has learned the key elements of “grind” to build a successful startup.
Through Atlanta Tech Village, and as a private consultant, Sam helps business owners develop sound digital strategies that leverage both current and emerging technologies to increase revenues, streamline productivity, attract investors, and nurture customer relationships. Learn more about Sam and AppZoro on their website, and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
