Honeysuckle Gelato Archives - Business RadioX ®

Atlanta Business Radio

Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Skye Estroff with Taste of Atlanta, Jackson Smith and Wes Jones with Honeysuckle Gelato and Naomi Green with The Giving Kitchen

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Skye Estroff / Taste of Atlanta
Marketing and Media Manager

Skye Estroff is the marketing and media manager for Atlanta’s largest food festival, Taste of Atlanta. Skye manages all TV, radio and print media relationships, as well as strategizing and planning all social media. She is an Atlanta native, a University of Georgia graduate and an expert in Atlanta’s best food.

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Wes Jones and Jackson Smith / Honeysuckle Gelato
Co-Founder

Founded in 2011 by Jackson Smith, Wes Jones, and Khatera Ballard, Honeysuckle Gelato is a craft gelato manufacturer headquartered in Atlanta. Today, the company has 18 employees and its products can be found in retail locations across the Southeast. Additionally, Honeysuckle Gelato is served in restaurants throughout Atlanta and the company recently opened its first retail location in Ponce City Market. Since launching the Honeysuckle Gelato, the three founders have created more than 250 flavor combinations, their top seller being Sea-Salted Caramel.

Honeysuckle Gelato combines the rich and smooth texture of gelato with the decadent flavors and desserts of the South. All of the company’s gelatos and sorbets are made from scratch in Atlanta and use the finest and freshest local ingredients.

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Naomi Green / The Giving Kitchen
Director of Partnerships

As a life-long Atlanta native, Naomi Green is thrilled to join The Giving Kitchen team as Director of Partnerships and Strategic Events. Naomi brings extensive experience and knowledge of the restaurant industry which she’s gained over the past fifteen years. She has engaged in all dimensions of the restaurant business, rising from a server and bartender to senior management and event planning. Most recently, she was the Director of Events & Marketing at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, where she signficantly contributed to the restaurant’s expansion initiatives. Previously, she was Event & Marketing Manager at the Palm Restaurant in Atlanta. Naomi also worked as a Corporate Trainer around the country and then as Banquet Sales Manager for Maggiano’s Little Italy in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville.

Naomi has seen first hand the devastating impact of unanticipated hardship on Atlanta’s restaurant community. These experiences have motivated her to take on a leadership role in many industry related fundraisers, including launching Charlotte’s Web, The Pinky and the Team Hidi annual benefit events. Additionally, with the International Women’s House, Naomi works to serve immigrant and refugee women and their children who have been victim of domestic violence. She was also the chief organizer of the Palm’s sponsorship of the PGA’s TOUR Championship fundraiser, supporting the athletic engagement in golfing for children from low income families. Throughout these endeavors, Naomi has combined her pratical career experience with the skills obtained through her her studies at Boston University’s College of Communication and Journalism.

Naomi is excited to be able to blend her love for the restaurant community with her commitment to improving the lives of Georgians. She grew up in East Atlanta Village and Little 5 Points, attended the Atlanta Public Schools, and has remained a beloved fan of all things Atlanta. She currently resides near Decatur, and when she’s not out exploring some of Atlanta’s finest culinary hotspots and hidden dives, Naomi enjoys group running, spending time with her friends and family, and playing soccer regularly.

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Atlanta Business Radio

KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

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The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

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Wes Jones

Wes Jones / Honeysuckle Gelato

Founder & CEO

Wes Jones is an alumnus of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson Graduate School of Business. After receiving his undergraduate degree in business administration, Wes began teaching in New Orleans, La., as part of the Teach For America program. Following his time as a teacher, Wes worked in commercial real estate with CB Richard Ellis’s corporate services division while earning his MBA.

In 2011, Wes co-founded Honeysuckle Gelato in Atlanta, Ga. As CEO of Honeysuckle Gelato, Wes manages the company’s day-to-day operations with a focus on marketing, strategic planning, business development and overall growth.

Honeysuckle Gelato is a manufacturer and wholesaler of gelato and sorbet. As a wholesaler, Honeysuckle Gelato supplies caterers, restaurants, specialty food stores, big box retailers and select Delta Air Lines flights. In 2015, Honeysuckle Gelato opened its first retail location at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ga.

In addition to an impressive customer list, Honeysuckle Gelato boasts a number of product and business awards, including DailyCandy’s national “Start Small, Go Big” contest, and was runner-up for Garden & Gun magazine’s “Made in the South” food award.

Wes serves on the United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia Board of Directors and, along with his brother, Bryan, is co-chair for the Culbreth Cup Golf Tournament. The tournament is hosted in memory of their grandparents, Roy and Floy Culbreth, and raises awareness and funds for UCP of Georgia.

Wes and his wife, Caitlin, were married in October 2013, and reside in Atlanta, Ga. Caitlin is very active in the community and is director of communications at Pace Academy.

Chris Hanks/ KSU EC

(Co – Host)

Christopher C. Hanks is the founder and executive director of the KSUEntrepreneurship Center. Prior to this, Hanks was the founder and director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia. He has owned multiple businesses, including music, e-commerce, publishing, and export ventures. He is also the co-author of a best-selling book on low risk entrepreneurship.

Hanks leads the International Entrepreneurship Institute and is certified in business valuation, providing expert witness testimony. Before teaching at UGA, Hanks taught entrepreneurship at Georgia State University and assisted in leading the Russell Center for Entrepreneurship. He earned a BBA from University of Georgia and an MBA from San Jose State University. Before launching his first business, Hanks held corporate risk management positions in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries.

Ted Jenkin/Oxygen Financial

(Co – Host)

Ted Jenkin has spent the past 22 years giving personal financial advice to thousands of people across the United States. After graduating from Boston College in 1991, Ted spent more than 16 years working for American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise Financial. He was one of the youngest people in the history of the company to reach both Field Vice President and Group Vice President level. He managed more than 800 financial advisors throughout 8 states in his last position with the company. He won the premier performer award, leader of the year award, and had the number one office in the country for more than two years in a row. In 2008, Ted founded oXYGen Financial to help revolutionize the financial services industry by creating a new company that focused on serving the X and Y Generation. oXYGen Financial now has more than 1,700 clients throughout 25 states across the country. Ted has been featured in over 25 magazines and newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The Huffington Post. He has six advanced designations from the College for Financial Planning (CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, AWMA®, AAMS®, CMFC®) and is an on air radio personality featured on the popular drive time Atlanta radio show The Rock 100.5 Morning Show on Rock 100.5 FM. Ted lives in Milton, GA with his wife Genna and three kids Olivia, Lyla, and Louden.