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Johns Creek: Number One Best U.S. City to Live In, with Mayor John Bradberry and Brian Lynam, Boston Scientific

June 4, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Johns Creek: Number One Best U.S. City to Live In, with Mayor John Bradberry and Brian Lynam, Boston Scientific

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Johns Creek: Number One Best U.S. City to Live In, with Mayor John Bradberry and Brian Lynam, Boston Scientific (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 107)

Join GNFCC CEO Kali Boatright in this episode of the GNFCC 400 Insider podcast as she chats with Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry and Boston Scientific Senior Director Brian Lynam, discussing how Johns Creek earned the #1 ranking as the best place to live by US News & World Report out of 850 cities nationwide.

Learn about major developments transforming Johns Creek:

New boardwalk at Town Center creating a unique lakeside civic hub
Boston Scientific’s $100 million facility bringing 340 high-tech jobs
Medley mixed-use development opening October 2026
Johns Creek’s designation as Georgia’s first BioReady Community

Hear insights on economic development strategy, corporate community engagement, and what makes Johns Creek a premier destination for families and businesses in North Fulton’s thriving life sciences corridor.

The GNFCC 400 Insider is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from this Episode

Johns Creek Achieves National Recognition – Ranked #1 Best Place to Live by US News & World Report out of 850 US cities for exceptional value and quality of life.
Boston Scientific’s $100M Investment – New manufacturing facility creating 340 jobs in engineering, supply chain, and endoscopy equipment production.
Innovative Boardwalk Project – Unique lakeside amphitheater and 15-foot walkway around city hall creating a premier entertainment venue.
Medley Mixed-Use Development – Major retail and residential project opening October 29, 2026, completing Johns Creek’s town center vision.
Corporate Community Engagement – Boston Scientific actively participates in local chambers and community volunteer programs, setting an engagement model.
Life Sciences Hub Strategy – Positioning as Georgia’s first BioReady Community attracts major companies like Boehringer Ingelheim to North Fulton.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to the GNFCC 400 Insider podcast
00:49 Meet the Guests: Mayor John Bradberry and Brian Lynam
03:52 Johns Creek: A Top Place to Live
05:07 The New Boardwalk at Town Center
09:55 Boston Scientific’s Impact on Johns Creek
13:44 BioReady Designation and Future Developments
16:14 Introduction to Animal Life Sciences in Johns Creek
16:38 Community Engagement and Business Friendliness
17:17 Medley Development and Economic Impact
19:51 Excitement for the New Town Center
24:09 Boston Scientific’s Community Involvement
26:18 Future Vision for Johns Creek and North Fulton
30:51 Contact Information and Closing Remarks

Mayor John Bradberry, City of Johns Creek

John Bradberry and his wife, Christy, grew up in Sandy Springs. After college, they settled in the North Fulton area in what would later become Johns Creek. When Johns Creek was incorporated in 2006, John, like many other residents, felt that the new city offered its citizens the kind of protection and local control of policies and expenditures that would benefit the citizens directly.

When John married in 2003, they moved into their house in Johns Creek, where he served as the homeowners association (HOA) president of his neighborhood. Through that HOA role, John became increasingly aware of Johns Creek’s challenges and its newly formed government. He began attending City Council meetings and got involved in the Johns Creek Community Association. As a citizen, John started Preserve Johns Creek, a group dedicated to protecting its residential character and quality of life.

Before he was elected Mayor, John served four years as a City Council Member for Post 3. John was elected as Mayor in November 2021. His message for his campaign included three important priorities: Safety First, Building Greater Community, and Forward Together.

John is a graduate of the University of Georgia (UGA) with a BBA in Management Information Systems. He has a landscape design business as well as other business interests, mainly in real estate. John is a former United States Marine and a member of the Johns Creek Veterans Association. He has served on the board of One Johns Creek, a coalition dedicated to helping youth mental health and prevention of substance abuse. Christy attended Auburn University and is a pharmacist. Christy, John, and their daughter Gracie attend Northpoint Community Church.

Website

Brian Lynam, Boston Scientific

Brian Lynam is the Director of Operations and Site Lead at Boston Scientific in Atlanta, Georgia, where he oversees all aspects of site operations, manufacturing strategy, and continuous improvement initiatives. With more than 20 years of experience in the medical device and engineering sectors, Brian has held progressive leadership roles at Boston Scientific, including Senior Operations Manager and Senior Production Manager in both the United States and Ireland. His background includes significant expertise in engineering management, operational excellence, and cross-functional team leadership, contributing to Boston Scientific’s reputation for innovation and quality.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Technological University Dublin and has completed advanced management programs at MIT Sloan School of Management and St. Cloud State University. Prior to joining Boston Scientific, he held key engineering and production positions at Johnson & Johnson and AMEC. Originally from Athlone, Ireland, Brian is also active in the Atlanta business community and maintains strong ties to his hometown. His leadership continues to drive Boston Scientific’s growth and operational success in the region.

About GNFCC and The GNFCC 400 Insider

Kali Boatright, President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) — **Kali Boatright, President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce**

The GNFCC 400 Insider is sponsored by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC), and the host of the show is Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC.

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth, and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.

GNFCC promotes the interests of their members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play, and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.

Diane Rucker, University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL)

May 7, 2021 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Radio

Diane Rucker, University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL)

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Diane Rucker, University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Episode 5)

Diane Rucker, Executive Director of University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL), joined host John Ray to discuss her career journey, what she’s learned about startup ecosystems along the way, the health of the Twin Cities startup ecosystem, how UEL serves its startup clients, and much more. If you’re involved in the Twin Cities startup community, this episode is a “must listen.” Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is produced virtually by the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX®.

University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL)

The original vision for University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) came from Dr. Robert (Bob) Elde, who served as the dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences. He noted that a growing number of early-stage bioscience companies were struggling to commercialize research. There simply wasn’t a space in the Twin Cities with affordable and available lab facilities where they could develop the technology for a new business.

UEL was established as a nonprofit, public-private partnership in 2004. A former distribution center for Target proved to be an ideal home for the incubator, conveniently located off I-94 and MN-280 near both Minneapolis and St. Paul. The renovation created 21 new wet labs surrounding the main atrium, conference space, and office space for startups and growing companies.

Since its start, UEL has hosted many companies who needed space and support. The resident companies at UEL are innovative, research-based, technologically sophisticated, and entrepreneurial – precisely the kind of businesses that will help Minnesota’s bioscience cluster to grow.

University Enterprise Laboratories does not receive direct support from the University of Minnesota. It was organized as a separate legal entity.

Company website | LinkedIn

Diane Rucker, Executive Director, University Enterprise Labs (UEL)

**Diane Rucker, Executive Director, UEL**

Diane Rucker is the Executive Director of University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL), a business incubator for early-stage ventures in biotechnology, medical health, and life sciences. Diane is an active part of the growing Twin Cities entrepreneurial ecosystem, serving as a mentor for gener8tor, CleanTech Open, Technovation MN, and Twin Cities Startup Week.

She has an Executive MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and served as a mentor and judge for the MIT 100K competition. She also has an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her recent experience includes a collaboration with MIT’s Trust Center for Entrepreneurship and broad-based business and ecosystem experience around the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She also served as the VP of Client Services for Carrot Health, a startup in healthcare analytics, and held leadership roles with Seagate and General Motors.

In her current role, Diane works closely with startup and growth companies, helping them to build and scale a business. Diane serves on several boards, including Towerside Innovation District, the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board, the gBETA Advisory Board for gener8tor, and the MIT Sloan Alumni Board.

She and her husband, Derek, live in Apple Valley, Minnesota, with their three (awesome) daughters.

Questions and Topics in this Interview

What is University Enterprise Labs (UEL)?
What types of startups do you support?
How has the startup ecosystem changed in the Twin Cities over the last 5-10 years?
What exactly is a startup ecosystem, and why does it matter?
How did you get started as an entrepreneur, and what triggered your interest?
What else do you do – what is important to you?
What’s unique or interesting about the Minneapolis-St.Paul business climate that makes it a good place for startups?
What’s next for UEL?

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX® . You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Peter Baron with Carabiner Communications, Denise Powell with DP Global Media and David Feldman with 3 Owl

December 2, 2019 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Peter Baron with Carabiner Communications, Denise Powell with DP Global Media and David Feldman with 3 Owl

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As Founder and Principal at Carabiner Communications, Peter Baron drives business development and also serves as a senior-level consultant,offering advice to clients in such areas as product positioning, leadgeneration and nurturing, digital marketing, and more.

Peter has the skills to recognize new trends and opportunities, helping companies to plan strategies accordingly. His client experience spans telecommunications, networking,healthcare technology, mobile computing, and a range of software solutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and PR from the University of Utah.

Follow Carabiner on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Denise Powell is an author, photographer, videographer,whose love for the written word and for capturing people and places on camera, have been passions of hers since childhood.

Her company, DP Global Media, Inc. is the creator and primary sponsor of International Unity Day 2019.

A graduate of Florida A&M University, with an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Denise is the author of Welcome to the A: A Smart ATLien’s Guide to Life in Metro-Atlanta.

Connect with Denise on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

David Feldman is the founder and creative director of 3 Owl, a brand, web, and content agency that creates nimble identities, elegant technologies, and beautiful tools that equip clients for success.

An accomplished guitarist and music-lover with an entrepreneurial mindset, he graduated from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School with a unique dual degree in business and music. He has since dedicated himself to supporting and growing Atlanta’s booming creative community.

“Atlanta has an exceptionally collaborative and imaginative culture,” he says. “I love this community, and I love how Atlantans come together as partners in our city’s unfinished creation.”

From 2008-2012, David was the business development and marketing director of Alliance Biomedical Research (now VitaLink), a clinical research firm founded by his father, Gregory J. Feldman, M.D. He rebranded ABR and helped grow the company into one of the world’s largest privately owned networks of clinical research sites.

David founded 3 Owl in 2015 with a team that includes some of Atlanta’s brightest creative professionals. The award-winning agency has helped build the brands and digital experiences of major Atlanta-based organizations including Mellow Mushroom, Mizuno USA, Emory University, and Center Stage Atlanta. Now a team of eight, the agency has already won many prestigious awards for brand identity, graphic design, and website design.

3 Owl is also the branding and design partner for ATL Collective, a nonprofit David co-founded to enrich Atlanta’s music community. The organization brings musicians together to perform live covers of classic albums at venues all over Atlanta. He is now the vice president of the organization’s board.

David is a frequent guest lecturer at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, The New School (Atlanta) — of which he was a founding faculty member — and General Assembly.

He lives with his wife Alisa and their two Labradoodles in a Cabbagetown loft.

Connect with David on LinkedIn and follow 3 Owl on Facebook and Instagram.

Questions and Topics in This Interview

What kinds of companies Carabiner Communications serves
What businesses can do to get ahead with their marketing and branding
The importance to your company of volunteerism and giving back
Advice to consider when working with a marketing firm
Where did the idea for International Unity come from?
Will International Unity be an annual event?
What does 3 Owl provide for it’s clients?
What makes 3 Owl stand out from other creative agencies?
Atlanta as a creative business hub
What is ATL Collective?

Leadership, Biotech & Driving Innovation for the Southeast!

July 28, 2013 by angishields

Global Leader Radio

Leadership, Biotech & Driving Innovation for the Southeast!

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Should Atlanta establish itself as the driver of innovation and connection for the Southeast? In this edition of Global Leader Radio!™, Dr. Stacy Shuker joined Alvin C. Miles to discuss the burgeoning life sciences industry and the leadership needed to expand the focus of biotech from local to regional.

Here are seven takeaways from our discussion:

When it’s broken, leaders fix it!
Never let them see you get angry.
Get comfortable with the fact that sometimes you won’t be right!
Mentoring doesn’t always have to be formal to be effective.
Listen more and talk less!
Alone time is important.
Achieving success doesn’t have to be “cut-throat.”

Listen in as Stacy explains how the industry has progressed and what’s needed to help realize its potential. Add her insights, tips and resources to your leadership toolkit. Leadership IS a conversation!

Dr. Stacy Williams Shuker/ President, Down South Innovation

Dr. Shuker has been a part of Atlanta’s innovation community since 2006. She started as a scientific advisor in an intellectual property law firm and as a volunteer in Georgia’s innovation non-profit organizations.

In 2008 she moved to the Georgia Department of Economic Development as the Director of the Center of Innovation for Life Sciences. It was there that she pioneered the use of social media in economic development after her marketing budget was cut by $85,000 during the Great Recession. It was from this social media base that she created a virtual community of life science innovators from across the Southeast that she still uses today. Downsouthinnovation.org provides regular updates on news and events from across the Southeast to its 1000 registered members.

As Director of Partnership Development for Georgia Bio, she initiated an industry outreach program, which resulted in several multi-billion dollar companies visiting Georgia’s research universities. Her partnership development firm, Down South Innovation, now connects clients with academic and corporate decision makers of the life science community in the Southeast.

She has chaired and served on several committees of Georgia Bio, Southeast BIO, Southeast Medical Device Association, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta. She is also a strong supporter of StartupLounge.com – an Atlanta based organization that pairs emerging companies with qualified investors. Dr. Shuker devotes her professional volunteer efforts to making the Southeastern region a thriving ecosystem for innovation and commercialization.

Dr. Shuker completed her undergraduate chemistry degree at the University of Georgia and went on to get her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon.

Contact Stacy: (770) 725-7777, saw7777@gmail.com

Which Book Has Most Impacted Your Leadership Ability?

Stacy: