Kareem Cook and Claude Tellis acquired Naturade back in 2012. However, it wasn’t always an easy journey for these two. These two entrepreneurs have banned junk food from Los Angeles schools, overcome adversity, and have family histories of diabetes and cancer. Their experiences growing up have inspired them to start living healthy lifestyles and share them with their community, through their businesses.
Michael Everts is the President and Co-Founder of SharedSpace. He began his career in the audio-visual industry where he designed and built collaboration spaces for large corporations across the southeast. In July 2016 he partnered with Daniel Levison to create SharedSpace, a high-tech workspace focused on serving local communities in the Atlanta suburbs. Since opening, SharedSpace has doubled the size of their first location, opened a second location in Atlanta, and is currently opening third location in Augusta, Georgia. Michael’s focus is working with solopreneurs, freelancers, and business owners to grow their personal and professional brands and build a thriving SharedSpace community. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.
Brad Williams is fluent in Spanish and decided to explore the world and make use of his bilingualism after graduating from Auburn University by teaching English in Chile. After returning to the States, he taught for Teach For America in Denver, Colorado for two years. Now back home in Atlanta, Brad runs the newly opened SharedSpace Cobb and is ready to bring coworking to all. Connect with Brad on LinkedIn.
Connect with SharedSpace on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Russ Crosson is Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Officer of Ronald Blue Trust and Executive Vice Chairman of the board of directors for Thrivent Trust Company, the parent company of Ronald Blue Trust. Russ was hired in 1980 as the second employee of Ronald Blue & Co. (the predecessor company to Ronald Blue Trust). Russ has worked extensively in all areas of financial planning, specializing in comprehensive financial, estate, and philanthropic planning, as well as generational family wealth management and transfer. Russ serves as chief advocate for the heart and soul of the organization and works to ensure the mission of the company is carried out with integrity in every area of the organization with a focus on making sure the company’s mission is passed down and inculcated into future generations. As Executive Vice Chairman for Thrivent Trust Company’s board of directors, Russ works with other board members to provide governance and direction for the company. Prior to his current position, Russ served as President & CEO of Ronald Blue & Co (2002 – 2017). From 1999 – 2002, Russ served as Executive Director of the National Christian Foundation (NCF). Russ is the author of several books including Your Life… Well Spent, The Truth About Money Lies, and What Makes a Leader Great. He has also been a featured speaker in many venues including Promise Keepers, Issachar Summit, and America’s Best Hope. He and his wife, Julie, have led seminars around the country on the subjects of money, marriage, and communication. Russ graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Education. He currently serves on the board of directors for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Russ and his wife, Julie, live in Roswell, Georgia and are active in the teaching and mentoring of young married couples. They are the parents of three adult sons — all of whom are married — and have two grandsons and three granddaughters.
Connect with Russ on LinkedIn. Follow Ronald Blue Trust on LinkedIn.
Doug Pisik is a business program management expert and executive consultant who has moved to the business of creating art. Doug has worked for notable companies such as Home Depot, IBM, General Electric, the New York Stock Exchange, First National Bank of Chicago and Carnival Corporation. During his professional career he was program manager for $100M projects, helped corporations combine disjointed IT departments and implemented changes in the way companies run their Project Management Offices. Along the way, Doug has simultaneously developed new woodworking techniques and created art pieces that have received numerous awards, museum showings and earned him the title of “Master Woodworker” from the Woodworking Guild of Georgia. He enjoys this dual-life but has recently shifted his attention full time to creating art while providing executive consulting part time. Doug’s art includes sculpture, turnings, abstract wall art and unique boxes with complex designs for which he is primarily known. Doug has a Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and lives in the Atlanta area with his wife, Ginger.
Nathan Rowe brings over 15 years practical experience in information technology and enterprise software strategy and product management with a focus on security, networking, and wireless technologies. He has led strategy and product management teams for wireless intrusion prevention, network management, mobile shopper engagement initiatives, and intelligence led public safety at AirDefense and Motorola Solutions.
Nathan maintains a customer centric mindset to understanding needs and point points. He has extensive background working with commercial and government organizations to help define and implement security and network support strategies. He has participated in wireless security research and led wireless security and vulnerability assessment training classes. Nathan received a BS from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Computer Engineering.
Follow Evident on Facebook and Twitter. Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn.
Chris Gonzalez co-founded Gnack, a leading platform for micro influencers. Chris is one of the first movers to successfully bootstrap and first to really take “Micro Influencer Marketing” to market working with brands like Nestle, Neutrogena, and more. Chris now serves as Chief Marketing Officer for NeoReach, a enterprise influencer marketing provider.
Connect with NeoReach on Twitter. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.
Make Waves LLC provides life and corporate coaching, leadership development training and teambuilding and HR consulting. Principal Denise Peek, an ICF-certified coach, has over 25 years experience in teaching, training and coaching, and since 1998 has provided HR consulting to small business owners. Denise uses a five-step coaching process to help her clients overcome external and internal barriers to live the life they want. She provides leadership development training in the areas of communication, performance management and coaching and works with individual teams to help them communicate and collaborate better. With a background in secondary education, she then worked in the corporate environment for 14 years in training, talent management and coaching. In 2011, she left her corporate position to grow her business and help other companies excel in workforce management.
Connect with Make Waves, LLC on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Justin Hackney is a prior service combat veteran (Mosul, Iraq), MBA Candidate at UGA, Founder of Dragoons Media, Board member of World Trade Center of Atlanta, and Board member of TAG Workplace Learning Society.
A versatile real estate expert, Greg Kurzner is one of Atlanta’s most productive realtors, having consistently ranked as the Atlanta Realtor Association’s #1 agent by unit sales for three of the past four years. Greg received national recognition in 2013, ranking as the nation’s 11th most-productive agent after selling a remarkable 842 homes.
As CEO, Founder, and qualifying broker of Atlantic Properties, Inc., Greg guides an organization that includes real estate brokerage, sales, residential leasing and property management. Greg is also a licensed general contractor and runs another company, Property Pro Services that delivers repair, renovation and remodeling services to investors, the real estate community and homeowners.
Greg graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Financial Management and received his Masters of Business Administration degree from Cornell University’s prestigious S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management.
David Lightfritz is the Chief Operating Officer for Atlantic Properties Inc., which includes Atlantic Property Management. He has been in the real estate business for approximately 15 years.
David is originally from N.E. Ohio and graduated from the University of Akron with a B.S in Finance and a B.A. in Pre-Law.
In 1999, he relocated to the Atlanta area with his wife, Sherry and daughter, Lauren. David and his family currently reside in Forsyth County. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his daughter on the golf course and working out.
Connect with Greg and David on LinkedIn, and follow Atlantic Properties on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
This episode of Culinary Atlanta is brought to you by Hand-Picked ATL.
Hand-Picked ATL is the best of what to do and where to go in Atlanta. It’s their humble belief that by surrounding ourselves with the authentic, the unique and the curious, our lives are more awesome. Hand-Picked celebrates the independent makers by seeking out their inspired goods and crafted experiences, providing meaningful ways for their users to connect for themselves.
Connect with Hand-Picked on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Seven Chan and Ken Yu are owners of Poke Burri and Lifting Noodles Ramen. Both have proven to be award-winning concepts with cult-like followings in the city. The pair met and opened their first shop a year and a half ago combining Sevens business and marketing acumen with Ken’s food and restaurant background. The two plan to franchise and grow each concept in the next year and have new locations slotted to open this year and into 2019.
Connect with Steven and Ken on Instagram and Facebook.
Mallory McKenzie is the assistant director of alumni programming at Georgia State University where she oversees high-level signature events for the Alumni Association. Mallory’s path at Georgia State began in the Honors College where she served as the assistant director of external relations, focusing on student, alumni and parent engagement. Previously, Mallory worked at The University of Alabama and Vanderbilt University in Admissions and Student – Alumni Engagement roles. Mallory earned a B.S. in Sociology from Vanderbilt, an M.A. in College Student Development from Appalachian State University and is currently pursuing her MBA from Georgia State.
Christina Million is the Associate VP in the Office of Alumni Relations and the Executive Director of the Alumni Association at Georgia State University.
Follow the GSU Alumni Association on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Connect with Christina and connect with Mallory on LinkedIn.
