Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Archives - Page 2 of 10

Episode 2: Hispanic Heritage Héroes in Business

September 12, 2024 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Episode 2: Hispanic Heritage Héroes in Business

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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with inspiring stories of entrepreneurship, resilience, and the power of community.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we sat down with Alejandra Cardenas, Financial Director at Supermercados Talpa, and Albert Sorto, Vice President of Business Development and
Strategic Alliances at Rudhil Companies, to hear about the role their heritage has played in their careers. Tune in to hear these héroes in business share about their biggest role models, how
they’ve overcome barriers and challenges in their careers, and the importance of building relationships (especially through the breaking of bread).

In this Episode:

From dairy farmers to owning 11 stores
What it’s like to be the children of immigrant entrepreneurs
Even héroes have role models
Building relationships through breaking bread
Utilizing available resources & how to find them
Taking it beyond Hispanic Heritage Month

Resources & Links:

Alejandra Cardenas – LinkedIn
Albert Sorto – LinkedIn

The Gwinnett Chamber’s “Voice of Business” Podcast is presented by Gwinnett Magazine and produced in partnership with Business RadioX. Hosted by President & CEO Nick Masino, this show features engaging fireside chats with prominent business leaders, offering invaluable insights into leadership, small business growth, economic development, and inclusive best practices in business.

Episode 1: She Means Business

August 15, 2024 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Episode 1: She Means Business

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For most of us, balancing our career, personal lives, and passions isn’t always easy.

That’s why we sat down with Aysha Abdullatif, VP of Marketing at Spherion, and Kim Hartsock, Managing Partner at Warren Averett, to hear about how they seemingly do it all. Tune in to hear these influential women in business share how they’ve mastered the art of integration, their thoughts on mentor/mentee relationships, and advice for young professionals starting out in their career.

In this Episode:

Is work-life balance a real thing?
How to find those mentor/mentee relationships
Knowing your strengths & what you bring to the table
What it looks like to believe in yourself before anyone else
How a bad mistake makes for a good story
Embracing your true self in a world of expectations

Resources & Links:

Aysha Abdullatif – LinkedIn
Kim Hartsock – LinkedIn
The Wrap: A Warren Averett Podcast
Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce – Website

The Gwinnett Chamber’s “Voice of Business” Podcast, hosted by President & CEO Nick Masino, features engaging fireside chats with prominent business leaders, offering invaluable insights into leadership, small business growth, economic development, and inclusive best practices in business.

Gwinnett Chamber Announces 2023 Small Business Award Winners

December 1, 2023 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Gwinnett Chamber Announces 2023 Small Business Award Winners

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2023 Small Business Awards Winners pose with Gwinnett Chamber CEO Nick Masino: Danielle Hudson-Laughlin (SAGE Business Counsel), Kandi Todd (Bring The Crew), Joy Monroe (SPARC), Tim Minard (Eclipse Gaming Systems), Mark Farmer (Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center), Colleen Japuntich (NEMA), Shara Ryan (Team Ryan Automotive), Bin Liu (SimpleFloors), and Charbel Aoun (Georgia First Generation Foundation).

GWINNETT CHAMBER ANNOUNCES 2023 SMALL BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Small Business Awards on December 1st at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville. The program recognized ten winners among 100 finalists for exceptional business practices and entrepreneurial excellence.

“Ninety percent of our members have 50 employees or less making small business a vital industry to our organization and an important one to recognize and celebrate,” said Nick Masino, President & CEO, Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. “We are honored to have these amazing individuals innovating and leading our business community and would like to congratulate them on their incredible success this year.”

Rikki Klaus, producer for CNN, emceed the awards program sharing each winner’s compelling story of ingenuity, creativity, and success. Winners were announced in real time as follows:

Community Contributor Award – SPARC (Single Parents Alliance & Resource Center)
Culture Creator Award – Eclipse Gaming Systems
Emerging Entrepreneur Award – Charbel Aoun (Georgia First Generation Foundation)
Launch Award – Sugarloaf Wellness Center
Minority-Owned/Woman-Owned Business Award – Danielle Hudson-Laughlin (SAGE Business Counsel)
Small Business Award (0-5 Employees) – Bring The Crew
Small Business Award (6-24 Employees) – Team Ryan Automotive
Small Business Award (25+ Employees) – NEMA, Inc.
Support System Award – Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center
Founder Award – Bin Liu (SimpleFloors)

Former EO Atlanta President Ethan King delivered this year’s keynote address. King shared his insight and experience as an entrepreneur which led him to become a bestselling author of Wealth Beyond Money, TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and co-founder of his business, Zeus’ Closet.

To learn more, please visit GwinnettChamber.org/Small-Business-Awards.

Mike Sammond interviews keynote address speaker Ethan King, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and co-founder of Zeus’ Closet.

2023 Gwinnett Chamber Multi-Chamber Mixer at After Hours

November 5, 2023 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

2023 Gwinnett Chamber Multi-Chamber Mixer at After Hours

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Business RadioX at the Gwinnett Chambers’ Multi-Chamber Mixer at After Hours.

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce celebrated the community’s global business scene with the annual Multi-Chamber Mixer at After Hours on November 1, 2023. Nearly 400 attendees from different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and organizations came together to recognize the vibrant and diverse business community in Metro Atlanta’s fastest-growing county.

The event allowed attendees to interact with the Gwinnett Chamber’s bi-lateral business partner organizations, sample international cuisine from some of the region’s most authentic restaurants, and network for business growth among peers and business executives.

Bi-lateral chamber partners introduced themselves from the stage and representatives from the organizations were interviewed on Business RadioX.

Michael Chen – Executive Director/Belgian American Chamber of the South (0:25 – 4:30)
Jian Ni – President/Chinese Business Association of Atlanta (4:30 – 8:33)
Katherine Lafourcade – Executive Director/French-American Chamber of Commerce Atlanta-Southeast (8:33 – 12:53)
David Yang – Executive Board of Directors/Atlanta Chinese Entrepreneurs Club (12:53 – 17:15)
Veronica Maldonado-Torres – President and CEO/Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (17:15 – 22:53)
Derek Wilson – President/Greater Eastside Chamber of Commerce (22:53 – 25:30)
Imran Niazi – Founding Member/Georgia Pakistan Business Council (25:30 – 29:47)
Hiroyuki Akiyama – Director General for Community Engagement/Japanese Chamber of Commerce (29:47 – 33:13)
Grace Multani – President/Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (33:13 – 36:23)
Magda Odendaal – Vice President/South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (36:23 – 39:48)
Bill Diehl – Chairman/Southwest Chamber of Commerce (39:48 – 45:10)
Lissa Miller – Board Chair/U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region (45:10 – 49:50)
Maria Lam – Board of Directors/Georgia Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (49:10 – 55:32)
Alejandro Coss – President and CEO/Latin American Chamber of Commerce (55:32 – 1:03:42)
Nick Masino – CEO/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (1:03:42-1:08:30)

Event sponsors included Eagle Rock Distributing, Gas South District, Georgia Power, Taillefer Commercial Group, Peach BPO, University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus, Business RadioX, and Global Atlanta.

To learn more about the partnerships between the bilateral chamber organizations, view the Gwinnett Chamber’s news page online at GwinnettChamber.org for feature stories highlighting the formal agreements developed with each organization.

Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Nick Masino

August 18, 2023 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Nick Masino

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“Regions Business Radio” covers financial topics such as banking and lending, mortgages, wealth management and more. The program also allows listeners to get to know some of the top executives from Regions Bank.

Hosted by J.D. Mealor, Senior Vice President and North Georgia Market Executive, all episodes of “Regions Business Radio” are available for download on Apple iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

On this episode, J.D. discusses business in Gwinnett County with Nick Masino, the President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Nick Masino/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocate and innovative resource for businesses to connect and thrive.

Established in 1947 as a rural chamber of commerce serving farmers and banks, the Gwinnett Chamber grew and changed alongside Gwinnett County. Today, they serve more than 2,200 members throughout metro Atlanta by delivering programs that strengthen and connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally.

At the Gwinnett Chamber, there is strength in numbers. Since they represent more than 2,200 companies, they can offer significant member discounts and present a unified voice in matters of public policy that affect the business community. In addition, the Chamber provides opportunities for like-minded business people to connect with one another and expand their business network and increase the exposure of their business. They also offer opportunities to learn about issues and best practices related to running a successful business. Their economic development team, Partnership Gwinnett, is a public-private initiative dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County. Since 2007, Partnership Gwinnett has worked with its local partners to attract and retain jobs, cultivate capital investment, support educational institutions, foster workforce development, and contribute to the exceptional quality of life found in Gwinnett and the Atlanta region.

About Regions:

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $145 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest, and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,400 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

CLICK HERE to watch the video of this episode.

This information is general in nature and is provided for educational purposes only. Regions makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented and Regions does not accept liability for any direct or indirect loss stemming from the application of any material. Information provided and statements made by employees of Regions should not be relied on or interpreted as accounting, financial planning, investment, legal or tax advice. Regions encourages you to consult an appropriate professional concerning your specific situation and irs.gov for current tax rules.

2022 Gwinnett Chamber Multi-Chamber Mixer

November 9, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

2022 Gwinnett Chamber Multi-Chamber Mixer

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Gwinnett Chamber Doubles Attendance to Annual Global Business Event
Multi-Chamber Mixer hosts more than 400 business professionals, Celebrates diversity and culture

Gwinnett County, GA – The Gwinnett Chamber recently worked in partnership with thirteen other strategic business organizations to host the second annual Multi-Chamber Mixer at the Gas South District in Duluth. The event celebrated the community’s cultural diversity and its global connections with multiple business organizations.

“The Gwinnett Chamber has strategically worked with our global partners to formalize agreements that foster relationships, build business, and create opportunities to strengthen the local economy,” said Nick Masino, President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. “This event is a culmination of that work and an opportunity to celebrate our diversity and collective success as one business community.”

Strategic partners of the Gwinnett Chamber included the Atlanta Chinese Entrepreneurs Club, Chinese Business Association of Atlanta, French American Chamber, Georgia Hispanic Chamber, Georgia Indo-American Chamber, Georgia Pakistan Business Council, German American Chamber, Global Atlanta, Italy America Chamber of Commerce Southeast – Georgia Chapter, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Atlanta Georgia, Latin American Chamber, and the Liberian Community Association of Georgia.

The event also featured a wide range of authentic global cuisine from 16 Gwinnett-based restauranters including Cosmo’s Pizza+Social, Fumi Hibachi and Sushi, Jack & King Ready Meals, Latin Fresh, Lobster Banh Mi, Mochinut – Duluth, Nothing Bundt Cakes – Snellville, Pat’s Poutine, Queen Nola’s, Catering & Concessions, LLC, Roma Italiano Ristorante, Scrumdiddlyumptious, Shayona Cafe, Swainson Catering, Tucker’s Catering, Versace Dominican Restaurant, and Yifan Kitchen.

“We would like to thank our partners, restaurants, and sponsors – including leading sponsors Georgia Power, Northeast Georgia Health System, and RudHil Companies – for supporting such a successful event this year,” added Masino. “Looking ahead to 2023, the Gwinnett Chamber is excited about the growing opportunities to champion global business in our region.”

The Gwinnett Chamber hosts more than 300 events each year that serve its 2,000-plus member organizations and countless professionals who represent them. To learn more about the Chamber’s upcoming events, visit GwinnettChamber.org/Events.

About the Gwinnett Chamber

The Gwinnett Chamber serves as the voice for businesses, facilitating quality job growth opportunities while enhancing the community’s vitality and quality of life. The Chamber offers the metro Atlanta business community a wealth of growth opportunities by collaborating with regional partners to drive economic and community development initiatives throughout Georgia. Through its fundamental objectives to help create quality jobs and wealth, strengthen the community, and grow business, the Chamber serves more than 2,000+ member companies in metro Atlanta while delivering innovative programs to connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally. www.gwinnettchamber.org

2022 Gwinnett Chamber Moxie Award Winners

September 1, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

2022 Gwinnett Chamber Moxie Award Winners

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2022 Moxie Award Winners: Carol Burrell, Lisa Anders, Melissa Meeker, Jennifer Fennell, Jasmine Billings, Hilda Abbott, and Jennifer Hibbard

The Gwinnett Chamber announced seven winners and recognized more than one hundred finalists at the 2022 Moxie Awards, presented by Northside Hospital. Established to honor women professionals, the Moxie Awards program welcomed its largest crowd in program history with nearly six hundred attendees.

“The Moxie Awards seek to highlight innovative and driven women leaders who are making an impact in their places of work, their communities, and their families,” said Nick Masino, President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. “Gwinnett is fortunate to have such exceptional female leaders in our community and we congratulate the winners and finalists recognized and celebrated, here, today.”

Now in its fifth year, the Moxie Awards program hosts business leaders from across the metro Atlanta region. Seven winners were selected from 100 finalists, all within key categories that focused on everything from employers who champion women in business to individuals who have exceled as leaders, innovators, up-and-comers, and community engagers. This year’s winners included:

Enlightened Employer Award – RudHil Companies (Hilda Abbott, Founder & CEO)
Greater Good Award – Carol Burrell, President & CEO, Northeast Georgia Health Systems
Influence Award – Melissa Meeker, CEO, The Water Tower
On the Rise Award – Jasmine Billings, Community Development Manager, City of Lawrenceville
Outstanding Organization Award – Explore Gwinnett Tourism & Film (Lisa Anders, Executive Director)
Pay It Forward Award – Jennifer Hibbard, CEO, View Point Health
Moxie Award – Jennifer Fennell, District Manager, Jackson EMC

The event included an insightful keynote address on the five traits that great leaders will exhibit in the future, delivered by renowned public speaker, executive coach, and CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group, Sarah Hathorn. Hathorn invited attendees to contact her directly for insights on her address and donated three executive coaching sessions to winners drawn from a basket at the end of the program.

The Moxie Awards is produced by the Gwinnett Chamber with the support of several community partners including Northside Hospital, Bank of America, Walton Gas, ATL Search Group, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Gas South, Jackson EMC, Northeast Georgia Health System, Primerica, Suwanee Towne Florist, Andersen Tate and Carr, Arlington Capital, CAB Incorporated, Duke Realty, E2E Resources, GBC, Georgia Power, Hathorn Consulting Group, Integrity Staffing Solutions, Mighty 8^th Media, Mitsubishi Electric Classic, StarPixs PhotoBooth, Awtrey Media Group, Business RadioX, New York Life, Level Seven, Luckie, MST, and Rock Paper Scissors.

For more information on the Moxie Awards or upcoming events at the Gwinnett Chamber, please visit GwinnettChamber.org/Events.

About the Gwinnett Chamber
The Gwinnett Chamber serves as the voice for businesses, facilitating quality job growth opportunities while enhancing the community’s vitality and quality of life. The Chamber offers the metro Atlanta business community a wealth of growth opportunity by collaborating with regional partners to drive economic and community development initiatives throughout Georgia. Through its fundamental objectives to help create quality jobs and wealth, strengthen the community, and grow business, the Chamber serves more than 2,000+ member companies in metro Atlanta while delivering innovative programs to connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally. www.gwinnettchamber.org.

PREVIEW: 2022 Moxie Awards Keynote Speaker Sarah Hathorn, CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group

August 17, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

PREVIEW: 2022 Moxie Awards Keynote Speaker Sarah Hathorn, CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group

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The Gwinnett Chamber’s annual Moxie Awards recognize women who are making it happen. The awards luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at the Gas South District in Duluth, GA. This two-part program will begin with keynote speaker Sarah Hathorn and will conclude with the presentation of the Moxie Awards.

Sarah Hathorn/CEO, Hathorn Consulting Group

Sarah Hathorn, CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group, is the go-to expert in working with leaders and companies to create successful corporate DNA. Over the past 30 years, she has developed her own unique “Creating Successful Corporate DNA™” approach. Sarah focuses on ensuring that organizations have the right DNA permeating their leadership deck, workplace culture, business strategy, talent pipeline, and departmental teams. She optimizes teams and individuals to reach their highest potential and boost their productivity and level of engagement. The conscientious alignment of those strands of essential value helps to measurably improve and accelerate multiple levels of company productivity, performance, and profitability.

As a former senior-level executive in a Fortune 100 company, Sarah has an uncommon depth and breadth of experience. Her vantage point of understanding – and adaptation to the real-world challenges of competitive business – gives her full-spectrum knowledge and insight. Working with individuals, teams, or throughout the entire organization, she provides a targeted focus on maximizing Corporate DNA. Sarah has worked as a consultant in over 40 different industries and collaborates with large and medium-sized organizations. She helps to measurably and quickly increase performance, productivity, and profitability while creating sustainably successful corporate DNA. Many of her former protégés now occupy the highest positions within Fortune 500 companies, and her client list is a virtual “Who’s Who” of elite companies and top executives.

Sarah is also an internationally sought-after thought leader and has worked with leaders in over 39 countries. Her leadership tips, insights, and advice have been published by the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, and Forbes.com as well as many other major publications and media outlets. She has been involved in numerous philanthropic organizations and is a graduate of the Leadership Gwinnett class of 2009.

2020 Moxie Award Winners – Top row: Melanie Conner, Joy Mitchell, Amanda Sutt, Gale Higginbotham Bottom row: Linnea Miller, Dr. Jann Joseph, Claire Gordon

Gwinnett Chamber 74th Annual Dinner Award Winners

April 14, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Gwinnett Chamber 74th Annual Dinner Award Winners

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The Gwinnett Chamber announced the honorees for its 74th Annual Dinner to be held Friday, April 22, at the Gas South Convention Center. The annual event, presented by Northside Hospital, celebrates Gwinnett’s community servants, corporate citizens, and compassionate organizations.

Five of the award winners recently visited the Gwinnett Business RadioX studio to discuss what the prestigious honor means to them.

The 2021 Citizen of the Year Award honors individuals whose services have had the greatest impact on the overall quality of life for Gwinnett County in recent years.

Winner: Sidney H. Theus, Chief Executive Officer of American Painting and Renovations

Public Service Awards are given to individuals who, over the years, have gone above and beyond in their service to the community and its residents.

Winner: Jay Dennard, Chief Operating Officer, Northside Hospital Duluth

Public Service Awards are given to individuals who, over the years, have gone above and beyond in their service to the community and its residents.

Winner: Jonathan Holmes, Managing Partner, Mighty 8th Media

Public Service Awards are given to individuals who, over the years, have gone above and beyond in their service to the community and its residents.

Winner: Representative Sam Park, Georgia State House District 101

The D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award is given in honor of Scott Hudgens, a respected developer and philanthropist who unselfishly gave of his time and talents to ensure that many others, especially those with limited means, would benefit from his treasure.

Winner: Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett (Jamie Hamilton, Executive Director)

In addition to the above winners, Dr. Jann L. Joseph, President, Georgia Gwinnett College, will be recognized as a Public Service Award Winner. The R. Wayne Shackelford Legacy Award, honoring the memory and legacy of an individual who has made a difference in the history and progress of Gwinnett County, will be awarded posthumously to James J. Maran, former President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber; L. Jim Steele, former Chief Operating Officer of Gwinnett County Public Schools; and Kelvin J. “Kelly” Kelkenberg, former Councilman for the City of Duluth.

The James J. Maran International Award, recognizing an international company that has chosen to locate in Gwinnett, taking advantage of Gwinnett’s pro-business mindset, and become an active member of the Chamber and the local community, will be awarded to Hettich America.

For more information on this annual program including how to register, please visit GwinnettAnnualDinner.com.