Georgia Mentor Protege Connection Archives

SIMON SAYS, LET’S TALK BUSINESS: Jennifer Bailey with Walden Businesses, Veronica Maldonado-Torres with Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection, David Buchsbaum with Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions and Travis Giles with McMahan’s Clothing

August 18, 2017 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

SIMON SAYS, LET'S TALK BUSINESS: Jennifer Bailey with Walden Businesses, Veronica Maldonado-Torres with Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection, David Buchsbaum with Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions and Travis Giles with McMahan’s Clothing

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Travis Giles, David Buchsbaum, Jennifer Bailey, Veronica Maldonado-Torres, Al Simon

Jennifer Bailey/Walden Businesses

Based in Atlanta and serving the southeastern U.S., Walden Businesses specializes in mergers and acquisitions. Their target market is privately-held manufacturing, distribution, technology and select service companies. Walden Businesses is a results-oriented intermediary dedicated to serving owners and buyers of small to medium sized companies with values up to $100 million. Their mission is to provide clients with the best representation possible and assist in attaining their business objective; allowing their clients to exit on their own terms and ultimately recognize their personal goals and dreams.

Walden sells businesses. It’s that simple. Their firm’s reputation for completing transactions with high quality companies sets them apart. Many of Walden’s clients are pre-qualified and referred by accountants and attorneys who are aware of Walden’s impeccable credentials. For over 25 years, ethics, discretion and attention to detail remain the cornerstones of Walden’s success, earning them the reputation they enjoy today.

Veronica Maldonado- Torres/Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection

MPC provides opportunities for Georgia small businesses to benefit from a partnership with a corporate mentor for a period of one year. Emerging firms can build relationships, explore new technologies, learn about best practices, and benefit from the wisdom of corporate executives who are committed to the long-term health and overall growth of small businesses in Georgia.

The mentor corporations are companies that are headquartered in Georgia or have a significant presence in the state. These mentor firms are leaders in their respective industries and are committed to small business development and supplier diversity. They represent a broad spectrum of industry categories, including transportation, education, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, consulting services and information technology.

David Buchsbaum/Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions

Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions is your local source for high quality custom closet and storage systems. With over 30 years of cabinet and furniture making experience, they have the expertise you can trust. They provide custom designed and manufactured storage systems for closets, pantries, laundry rooms, garages, home offices – anywhere you have a need to get and stay organized.

Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions offer free in-home consultations and interactive 3-D computer modeling so you can truly visualize your new custom closet or built-in cabinetry with no surprises! They manufacture their own parts, allowing them to truly customize each project. You will find they are highly focused on quality and customer service. Their closet systems provide style, function and value, increasing the value of your home while helping eliminate clutter and mess.

Call today for your free consultation! Or tour their showroom at 2364 John Glenn Drive in Chamblee, GA.

Travis Giles/McMahan’s Clothing

McMahan’s helps step up the image of Gwinnett County men one suit at a time. Maker of bespoke suits, jackets and shirts, McMahan’s Clothing is the culmination of both formal education and 20 years of serving within the retail, buying, and manufacturing sectors of the industry. That experience has allowed McMahan’s to simply be “The Best Value in the Custom Industry”,while providing world-class service and style expertise.

“In order to best understand our client’s needs, we prefer to have one-on-one appointments with them, free of distraction.”

MENTORING TOMORROW’S BUSINESS LEADERS: Veronica Maldonado-Torres with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

April 22, 2015 by Mike

On the Money

MENTORING TOMORROW'S BUSINESS LEADERS: Veronica Maldonado-Torres with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

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If you had the opportunity to learn proven best practices from one of America’s top corporations, would you take it? On this episode of “On the Money”, host Joe Moss of Embassy National Bank interviews Veronica Maldonado-Torres about mentoring and the Georgia Mentor Protege Connection.

Veronica Maldonado-Torres/Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

The Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection (MPC) is a business development program administered by the Georgia Education Foundation (GEF) in partnership with the Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Emerging firms who are accepted into the program have an opportunity to make tremendous strides in areas such as business acumen, methods and procedures, competitiveness and capability.

In addition, MPC enables Georgia small businesses to benefit from a partnership with a corporate mentor for a period of one year. Emerging firms can build relationships, explore new technologies, learn about best practices, and benefit from the wisdom of corporate executives who are committed to the long-term health and overall growth of small businesses in Georgia. The goal of the program is to help small businesses to be successful over the long haul by helping them to develop capacity, enhance their skill sets, and become more competitive. Research has shown that access to the right kind of coaching and mentoring significantly increases the success rate in small business, while both the mentor and the protégé benefit tremendously from their interaction.

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“On the Money” focuses on topics and issues allowing small businesses to better navigate the financial services minefield, with analysis and opinions from today’s industry experts on banking and loans. “On the Money” also introduces you to some of the top small business leaders in the Atlanta market.

Hosted by Joe Moss, the president of Embassy National Bank, “On the Money” airs live every Wednesday at 3:00 PM EST from the Business RadioX studio in Gwinnett.

Veronica Maldonado with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection, Renae Keitt with ARK Temporary Staffing and Aise Cannon with Georgia Campus PCOM

June 19, 2014 by Mike

Gwinnett Business Radio

Veronica Maldonado with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection, Renae Keitt with ARK Temporary Staffing and Aise Cannon with Georgia Campus PCOM

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Brandon Keever, Aise Cannon, Renae Keitt, Veronica Maldonado, Mike Sammond

Veronica Maldonado/Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

Renae Keitt/ARK Temporary Staffing

ARK Temporary Staffing is a leading provider of staffing services providing reliable, quality temporary and permanent personnel for business and government agencies since 2004. With over fifty years of combined staffing experience, the company has the resources to provide each customer with world-class attention and superior customer service.

Aise Cannon/Georgia Campus PCOM

The GA Campus PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) is dedicated to providing high quality, comprehensive programs, each distinguished by a leading-edge curriculum and experienced, expert faculty. Guided by osteopathic medical tradition, concept and practice, they deliver a uniquely holistic education, as each program considers all areas of disciplines. They are constantly seeking ways to enhance their curricula, ensuring that each program remains current and relevant. It is a commitment to excellence that prepares their students well to meet the needs of a rapidly changing healthcare environment. The college offers not only a doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine but in Pharmacy, as well as a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Rebecca Paden with Thermalife and Veronica Maldonado with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

May 16, 2014 by Mike

Business Leaders of Today

Dr. Rebecca Paden with Thermalife and Veronica Maldonado with Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

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Tess Turrin, Dr. Rebecca Paden, Veronica Maldonado, Angel Nowlin

Dr. Rebecca Paden/Thermalife

Thermalife utilizes the best in special infrared-sensitive cameras to record temperatures of heat patterns in the body. Their procedures are non-invasive, no contact, no radiation, pain-free FDA approved scans.

Veronica Maldonado/Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

Veronia Maldonado is a dynamic and versatile Latina community business leader whose voice, passion and purpose are focused on building up the human spirit, creating synergy amongst communities, and fighting for the “inalienable right” for all to progress and excel in any environment.

She is an expert in fostering strategic alliances, creating win-win negotiations and implementing effective marketing strategies that increase any brand value throughout the pipeline. She is ready to meet and exceed any challenge set before her, a quality most demonstrated as director of the Georgia Mentor Protege Connection, which is a mentor protege program—the first of its kind in the nation.

The product of hard work, determination and perseverance as well as an entrepreneurial family tree that spans generations in the U.S. & Latin America, Ms. Maldonado is uniquely qualified to lead the MPC program and thereby to help provide a path to sustainability, progression, and economic growth for small business owners in Georgia.

Spotlight on Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

November 12, 2013 by angishields

Burr Forman's Results Matter Radio

Spotlight on Georgia Mentor Protege Connection

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As the first state-sponsored mentor-protégé program in the U.S., the Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection (MPC) currently administered under the Georgia Education Foundation in partnership with the State of Georgia and the Georgia Technology Innovation Institute gives emerging firms one year of exclusive mentorship with the nation’s leading corporations. MPC alum and CEO Sidd Ahmed of VDart, Inc. and his 2012-2013 corporate mentor, Karmetria Burton of Delta Air Lines, share their firsthand experiences with the prestigious capacity building program, as well as the value it brings to the Georgia small business community.

Veronica Maldonado/Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection (MPC)

Veronica Maldonado is the program director of the nation’s first mentor protégé program: the Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection (MPC). Through the MPC, Georgia small businesses are matched with the nation’s leading Fortune 500 corporations for one year of exclusive mentorship. The program is based on one premise: that while emerging firms build relationships, explore new technologies, and learn best practices to take their business to the next level, corporations help lead a path to sustainability, progress and economic growth for the Georgia business community.

Ms. Maldonado is uniquely qualified to lead the MPC program. She is a dynamic Latina community business leader, and on all counts is an expert in fostering strategic alliances, creating win-win negotiations and implementing effective marketing strategies to increase brand value throughout the pipeline. Further applying her expertise, Ms. Maldonado also works as the director of strategic alliance and partnerships for the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), where she barters relationships between GMSDC and other minority/small business development associations, chambers and organizations in Georgia.

Karmetria Dunham Burton/Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Touted as one of the Top 25 Women Impacting Diversity by DiversityPlus Magazine over the past two years, Karmetria Burton is igniting an inspirational fire among women AND men in the corporate world. The Houston, Texas native currently serves as General Manager of Strategic Programs with Delta Air Lines.

In her challenging professional role, Karmetria functions as an advocate for minority and women-owned businesses, ensuring they are afforded competitive opportunities to service the international airliner. Her ultimate goal is to develop a quality best-in-class supplier diversity program that continues Delta’s legacy as an industry leader.

Syed Ahmed/VDart, Inc.

Syed (“Sidd”) Ahmed is the President & CEO of VDart, Inc., a leading information technology staffing firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA. In little more than five years, it has transformed from a brand new firm to a major player on the IT services landscape. Touting nearly 440 employees, with offices in Atlanta, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK and India, VDart provides IT staffing solutions to clients all over the globe.

Founded in 2007, VDart is laser focused on the core objective of finding the right IT professional with the perfect mix of skills and experiences to meet the client’s business objectives. As a result of that commitment and Sidd’s leadership, VDart has received numerous awards and honors recognizing its rapid growth and high achievement including being a Inc 500’s fastest growing privately held firms in U.S. for the past two years, earning ACG Fast 40’s 9th fastest growing company in Atlanta in 2013, and claiming rank on the Pacesetter Awards list for being the fastest growing privately held company in Atlanta for the past two years. Without question, VDart, is doing great things and is a shining example of how a certified MBE can leverage its resources to achieve exponential growth.