This episode is brought to you in part by our Co-Sponsor Trevelino/Keller
Larry Williams is President and CEO of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and has served in this role since October 2016. As part of Mr. Williams’ responsibilities, he leads the NTSC (National Technology Security Coalition) and TAG Education Collaborative benefiting youth in STEM and technology development.
A recognized leader in economic development, Mr. Williams brings more than 20 years of experience in international trade, finance, public and industrial policy and marketing. Throughout his career he has guided organizations connecting local and global initiatives and most recently, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Beacon Council Inc (one of 36 accredited economic development organizations in the nation). Williams’ effort at the Beacon Council led Miami-Dade County to greater competitiveness.
Prior to joining the Beacon Group, Williams shaped the vision for the Atlanta tech industry as Vice President of Technology Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Mr. Williams has held similar roles including serving on Washington State Governor’s Global Competitiveness Council, leading Washington State’s Tourism Commission and Director of Operations of International Trade for the North Carolina Department of Commerce to name a few. In these roles, Mr. Williams honed his strategic and operational expertise and led economic development emphasizing innovation, international trade and sustainable policy.
Resilient and battle tested, Williams has advised and worked alongside 5 US Governors and dozens of foreign officials. Mr. Williams stays actively connected to the community serving on a range of boards, including Lt Governor Geoff Duncan’s Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Atlanta CIO Advisory; TECNA, the Economic Development Board, City of Brookhaven, the Buckhead Club; FinTech Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Venture of Atlanta. For many of these Mr. Williams is a founding member and establishing vision, purpose and governance for good.
Williams graduated from the Darlington School (Rome, Georgia) and holds degrees from North Carolina State University.
Andrew B. Morris is an expert in the technologies and trends shaping the future of financial services, payments and commerce, and serves as Founder of The Fintech Agenda. He serves on multiple boards and is an advisor to several industry organizations, including the Technology Association of Georgia’s Fintech Society, Georgia Fintech Academy, Financial Health Network, HOPE Global Forums, and the Atlanta chapters of The BayPay Forum and the MIT Enterprise Forum.
For nearly 5 years, from April 2014 until February 2019, Andrew was Chief Content Officer for the Money20/20 conferences, the leading global events covering innovations in payments, commerce and financial services. He was instrumental in building the Money20/20 brand, leading content development and all agenda planning for Money20/20’s flagship event in the U.S. which subsequently grew from 2,000+ attendees in its inaugural year to 11,000+ attendees in 2018 (including more than 1,000 CEOs, from over 3,000 companies and 75 countries). He also helped launch global editions in Singapore, Amsterdam and Hangzhou, China.
Prior to Money20/20, Andrew founded and led Morris Advisors Inc., an independent consultancy that advised retailers, financial institutions and other industry stakeholders on payments and commerce strategy. He also co-founded and led the mobile commerce consulting practice at inCode, a division of Ericsson Inc.
Prior to his consulting career, as VP of Internet Program Development for Prudential Bank and Trust, Andrew spearheaded the development of Prudential Financial’s first online banking platform and led several strategic initiatives to open new channels for the bank’s products.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Transylvania University and a Master of Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of Kentucky. He is based in Johns Creek, Georgia.
About Your Host
Joey Kline is a Vice President at JLL, specializing in office brokerage and tenant representation. As an Atlanta native, he has a deep passion for promoting the economic growth and continued competitiveness of communities in and around Atlanta, as well as the Southeast as a whole. He has completed transactions in every major submarket of metro Atlanta, and works primarily with start-ups, advertising/marketing agencies, and publicly-traded companies. With a healthy mix of tenacious drive and analytical insights, Joey is a skilled negotiator who advises clients on a myriad of complex real estate matters.
With a strategy and business development background, Joey is first and foremost a pragmatic advisor to his clients. Most recently, he was the Director of Business Development for American Fueling Systems, an Atlanta-based alternative energy company. While at JLL, he has become a member of the Million Dollar Club, and has built a reputation as an expert on the intersection of transit-accessibility and urban real estate. With intimate involvement in site selection and planning/zoning concerns, Joey approaches real estate from the perspective of the end user, and thus possesses a unique lens through which to serve his clients.
Joey holds a Master of Business Administration from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a founder, board member, and the treasurer of Advance Atlanta, and also sits on the Selection Committee for the Association for Corporate Growth’s Fast 40 event. In addition, he is a member of CoreNet and the Urban Land Institute. Finally, he is part of LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2019.
Connect with Joey on LinkedIn.
