economic development Archives - Page 6 of 6

Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

October 20, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

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Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

I hosted Shannon Powell and Ben Hirokawa of Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin, respectively. Shannon Powell is the COO for Midtown Alliance and Ben Hirokawa is founder and President of Blue Goblin, a plastic foam recycling company.

Created in 1978, Midtown Alliance has been a significant force in the revitalization of Midtown Atlanta, a district that runs from ~Pine St. on the south end to the Peachtree Bridge over I-75 entering Buckhead on the north end, and east-west from I-75 to ~Piedmont Ave.

Midtown Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization and consists of a coalition of local business and community leaders. Each member is committed to establishing Midtown as a leading destination for commerce, culture, education and living.

Midtown Alliance is led by a 71-member board of the district’s leading private sector executives and their mission is to improve and sustain the quality of life for those who live, work and play in this thriving business and residential district. The Alliance fulfills is mission through a comprehensive approach to planning and development, including numerous initiatives to enhance public safety, improve the physical environment, and strengthen the urban amenities giving the area its distinctive character.

Guided by a visionary master plan – Blueprint Midtown – and in partnership with the Midtown Improvement District, Midtown has become a national model for urban excellence.

Ben Hirokawa has been a leader in three different start-ups, including a recent one in South Carolina focused on recycling a variety of household appliances. That enterprise developed technology that would allow them to dispense with the noxious coolant materials and associated fumes/gases safely, allowing them to reclaim the metals and plastics.

Founded in 2014, Blue Goblin is an innovative, environmentally-sound solution for disposal of plastic foams. These versatile foams – found in products ranging from commercial roofing and wall insulation, to refrigerated transport units, to mattresses and other furniture, to many types of packaging – pose significant challenges at end-of-life: they are bulky and difficult to transport and compact, and they can emit significant greenhouse gasses.

Both the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board have recognized emissions from PUR, XPS, and ISO foams

as significant environmental challenges, but currently virtually all of these foams are landfilled. Blue Goblin offers a solution:

• Mobile Service: Blue Goblin brings its processing unit directly to its customers, and begins the process of compacting and recycling these foams on-site, significantly reducing transportation and waste disposal costs

• Environmental Responsibility: Greenhouse gasses are captured and properly disposed

• Convenience and Customer Service: Blue Goblin works with each customer to define the scope of the job and maximize convenience and value

Special Guests:

Shannon Powell, COO, of Midtown Alliance

BA, Urban Studies/Affairs, College of Charlston
Master of City Planning, City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ben Hirokawa, President/founder of Blue Goblin

ME, Engineering Management, Dartmouth College-Thayer School of Engineering
Former President/CEO, Reclaim
Co-founder/Previous VP of New Business Development, MicroPore Plastics

Talking IT Strategy with Atlanta’s CIO Samir Saini

May 12, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Talking IT Strategy with Atlanta's CIO Samir Saini

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IT Strategy in Atlanta

This week I had the special treat of sitting down with a long-time acquaintance of mine, Samir Saini, Atlanta’s recently-appointed CIO (2014). He shared the story of his professional journey, beginning as an IT program manager with General Electric and his experience of successful completion of their 2 yr leadership training program.

He spent 10 years with this well-respected organization before accepting the opportunity to step into the role of VP, Corporate Strategy in IT for the MGM International Resorts in Las Vegas. They were in the middle of tackling the IT challenges that come with acquiring several established companies into an existing enterprise, in this case, several well-known hotels.

He was able to successfully lead them through the process of moving the hotels onto a common platform, allowing the company to begin to leverage their company’s size through its expanded buying power and maximize efficiencies in numerous other areas.

Samir returned to Atlanta several years ago, this time bringing his leadership and IT expertise to bear in the public sector, taking a role with Atlanta’s Housing Authority. Four years later he was appointed to be the new CIO for the City of Atlanta by Mayor Kasim Reed.

We talked about the challenges a municipality the size of Atlanta faces, balancing budgetary constraints against a myriad of government agencies, the world’s busiest airport, large population and infrastructure necessary to support them, along with a fast-growing business sector.

Samir discussed several of the tech solutions he and his team are working on and several that are already implemented to the benefit of Atlanta residents. Until we spoke I wasn’t aware that the city provides free Wi-Fi access in Piedmont Park, Grant Park, and numerous other hotspots (with more coming).

He shared the city’s plans to update the fiber optic network to allow for numerous tech upgrades such as synchronized traffic lights to alleviate gridlock, applications that allow drivers to easily locate available parking, and more. I also had the chance to ask him about the priorities he has laid out for the city going forward to address the enormous tech needs of our city to prepare us for the years to come that will make the city a better place to live as a resident and a solid choice for businesses looking for a place to plant their flag.

Special Guest:

Samir Saini, CIO, Commissioner, City of Atlanta

BS, Civil Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Previous Director, ERP, General Electric Energy Services
Former VP, Corporate Services, MGM International Resorts
Past SVP/CIO, Atlanta Housing Authority

Clarissa Nelson with Islanomics, Charlotte Baker with CB Training Services, and Darryl Baker with Baker Global Enterprises

October 1, 2014 by Mike

Silver Lining in the Cloud

Clarissa Nelson with Islanomics, Charlotte Baker with CB Training Services, and Darryl Baker with Baker Global Enterprises

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Clarissa Nelson, Charlotte Baker, Darryl Baker, Dominick Rainey — Clarissa Jennivee Nelson, Charlotte Baker, Darryl Baker, Dominick Rainey

Clarissa Nelson/Islanomics & EANI Consulting

Utizlizing the Fail-Safe Economic Development (FSED) strategy, Islanomics provides economic development services capable of creating activities that will generate practical comprehensive strategies for economic growth of island markets, resulting in major enhancements to positive job growth, local development, and foreign direct investments that will sustain an island economy.

EANI Consulting has provided economic development services in Europe, Africa, Canada and the United States. The success of FSED has been tested and proven over the years in island economies globally, including The Bahamas, rural communities and metropolitan areas within the United States.

Charlotte Baker/CB Training Services

CB Training Services provides effective quality training to individuals who need help coping with day-to-day challenges. Whether someone needs anger management help, anxiety reducing strategies or self esteem motivation, CB Training Services is dedicated to helping people succeed.

Darryl Baker/Baker Global Enterprises

Baker Global Enterprises shows families, individuals and small business owners how to change their life and leave legacies for generations to come. No matter what financial challenges you face – whether it’s debt, limited savings and investments, or lack of life insurance — they can be resolved successfully. By providing you with a better understanding of your financial situation and access to products and solutions that are appropriate for your specific goals, Baker Global Enterprises can help you achieve your dreams.