Rich Casanova Archives - Page 16 of 17

Cathy Hankinson with IMPACT Success Systems, Mary Blackmon with FarmStarLiving, Myiah Hughes with GyrlTalk, Camille Cooper with Endevvr – Buckhead Business Radio

May 13, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Cathy Hankinson with IMPACT Success Systems, Mary Blackmon with FarmStarLiving, Myiah Hughes with GyrlTalk, Camille Cooper with Endevvr - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

Cathy Hankinson, Camille Cooper, Tres Crow (Host), Myiah Hughes, Mary Blackmon

Mary Blackmon/FarmStarLiving.com

Founded by Mary Blackmon, Farm Star Living is the new lifestyle brand that celebrates American farming and farmers with a goal to satisfy Americans eager to know who’s behind their food, where it’s grown, and how to support local farmers and farm-fresh food. Farm Star Living has also launched its free Farm Star Living app, which provides easy, quick access to hundreds of Farm-to-Table restaurants in major cities throughout the U.S. as well as hundreds of farms open to the public for exciting activities and fun. The web site also offers insight into the vibrant farm- to-table scene, including a farm-to-table finder, profiles on great restaurants, the symbiotic relationships between chefs & local farmers, seasonal produce with spotlighted recipes, and a look at what’s trending in the kitchen of chefs.

Mary is a 3rd generation farmer from Arkansas, who left her hometown to pursue college and a career in advertising sales and marketing in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. She worked for publishing houses and internet companies (Wired, Walt Disney Internet Group, Vivendi-Universal Internet Group). In NYC in 2002, she founded Spa-Addicts.com, the first national discount site for the spa & wellness industry. She grew it into a multi-million dollar business and a leader in the industry, and attracted hundreds of thousands of women as well as sponsors including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Kimberly Clark, Allergan, AMEX etc.

In 2008, however, she learned most of her family farm bordering Ark / LA would be sold. Not wanting to lose the family heritage and farmland her family before her had so cherished, Mary, along with the support of her brother Douglas, was adamant to preserve and keep the remaining farmland. She then began making changes in her life so that she could move from Los Angeles back South in order to keep, operate and run the farm. She bought back her grandparents house and renovated it, and discovered that “saving the family farm” had changed her life forever – and for the better. Today she admits that she is happier than ever & inspired, loving the farming business and now launching Farm Star Living, which she felt compelled to create for the good of farming and the people she has met along her new path. She hopes that Farm Star Living will provide farmers the respect, acknowledgment and support they so deserve and attract new farmers as well as support the current ones.

www.FarmStarLiving.com Twitter Facebook

Myiah Hughes/GyrlTalk App

Myiah Hughes is the Co-Founder of GyrlTalk App. GyrlTalk is a mobile social network created to serve as the primary communication suite for women and female driven groups and organizations. GyrlTalk enhances the social networking experience for a nice market, providing users a sleek and customizable interface that allows their conversations, expressions and soirees to meet seamlessly in the digital space. GyrlTalk automates keeping in touch with your girlfriends, offering a softer solution than putting her on your calendar. Additionally, GyrlTalk is committed to capturing the unique expressions of a diverse group of cultures and styles through its exclusive

in-app emoticon keyboard.

www.GyrlTalkApp.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Camille Cooper/Endevvr

Camille Cooper is the Chief of Staff for Endevvr, a summer business incubator for high school students which will be hosted on Georgia Tech’s campus this summer. She is currently finishing her last year at Kenan-Flagler, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill’s School of Business, where she is an active participant in Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity and Career Peers, the student arm of University Career Services. She has spent considerable time building and growing the entrepreneurial community at UNC, by leading teams to victory at local case competitions and redesigning first-year interaction with Career Services.

Camille’s exposure to the startup world began last summer when she joined the Endevvr leadership team at their pilot program in Boston, where she saw firsthand the kind of impact entrepreneurship can have on individual lives. Not only did she wear many hats herself (from Operations to Finance to everything in between), she also served as a coach and mentor to 30 students who were developing their own businesses over just a few short weeks. This year, Camille is taking on an even bigger leadership role, helping to build out a large part of the curriculum that teaches tactical, real-world skills like making resumes and writing for business.

In summary, Camille is on a personal and professional mission to make entrepreneurship education accessible to everyone – a mission she shares with the entire Endevvr team. As a young entrepreneur herself, she believes entrepreneurship is a skill and mindset that can be developed over time, and is eager to help cultivate those skills in high school students.

www.endevvr.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook Linkedin /Camille

Cathy Hankinson/IMPACT Success Systems

Cathy Hankinson has a passion for helping people. As a powerful results-driven leader, her expertise is in creating Make-over Strategies that result in a roadmap taking you from where you are now to where you want to be with your business, life and money. Cathy spent her career building a solid, expansive network of trusted experts. She brings together people and resources to create powerful results.

Having become a Make-Over expert in the areas of image, money, and other life and business skills, Cathy created the Make-over Matrix™. She is also the Inventor of IMPACT The Money Mastery Game™ – the board game where players can play their “way to wealth.” It is a game that anyone can understand, regardless of education or experience. It is full of success principles for business, life and finances that many of us wish we had known sooner. That game recently became the catalyst for an upcoming new TV reality series, Project Launchpad.

As Executive Producer and Host, Cathy created a show where small business owners across the U.S. are the stars. This series showcases the riveting journeys of real people working to make their dreams a reality, their business into a success as a team of business experts guides them along the way. Share the triumphs, and the disappointments, faced throughout the journey of a typical entrepreneur.

Cathy’s is on a Mission to educate people of all ages on foundational success principles for money, business and life. Her greatest passion is to educate, inspire and empower people to be able to have freedom, choices, peace of mind and happiness. As a catalyst in the transformation process, Cathy hopes to empower others to unleash their full potential and become a greater contribution to our world.

www.IMPACTsuccessSystems.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Linkedin (Cathy) www.ProjectLaunchpad.tv Facebook

Cassius Butts and David Perry with U.S. Small Business Administration SBA, Drew Tonsmeire with Kennesaw State University SBDC, Stephen Pararo with Pineapple House Interior Design, Pete Canalichio with Licensing Brands – Buckhead Business Radio

May 13, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Cassius Butts and David Perry with U.S. Small Business Administration SBA, Drew Tonsmeire with Kennesaw State University SBDC, Stephen Pararo with Pineapple House Interior Design, Pete Canalichio with Licensing Brands - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

David Perry, Cassius Butts, Pete Canalichio, Barry Flink, Stephen Pararo, Drew Tonsmeire, Rich Casanova (Show Host)

Cassius Butts/U.S. Small Business Administration

Cassius Butts was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011. He is responsible for delivery of SBA programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. During his appointment, Cassius Butts has managed oversight of two record-breaking years for SBA Lending in Region IV; nearly $8 billion in SBA-backed loans to small businesses within the aforementioned eight states.

Prior to joining SBA, Cassius was employed as one of three Chiefs of the Real Estate Owned Division within the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he began his federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2002. Previous to his civil-federal career, since 1992, Cassius has worked in leadership positions for Nations Bank, Fleet Bank and Bank of America (MBNA) as well as the City of Atlanta. In addition, as a small business owner and consultant, he co-founded CB Consulting Group, LLC, which primarily offered entrepreneurial, strategy and community engagement services.

As a strategist and advisor, Cassius has worked with many elected and appointed officials. He is the recipient of many honors and awards such as the U.S. House of Representative Proclamation recipient and was recently appointed to the National Partnership Council in March of 2013. Cassius is a 1994 graduate of Morehouse College, received his graduate degree from Clark Atlanta University’s School of Public Administration in 2002 and Certificate of Grant Writing from Emory University’s Life Learning Institute. He is a 2005 graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, and Leadership Atlanta (c/o 2012)- the nation’s oldest sustained community leadership program.

www.sba.gov Linkedin @SBAsoutheast @CassiusButts Facebook

David Perry/U.S. Small Business Administration

The US Small Business Administration is an independent federal agency whose administrator is appointed by the President and is a member of the President’s cabinet. The agency’s primary focus is to help small businesses start and grow.

There are 68 field offices around the country that administer SBA programs to the public. David Perry is Deputy District Director for the US Small Business Administration in Georgia. As such, he manages day to day office operations and in conjunction with the district director ensures the delivery of SBA lending, business development and technical assistance programs in the state. He was appointed to this position in October 2010. Prior to that appointment, David was communications director for the SBA in the Southeastern United States. From 1999 until 2002, he was manager of marketing and outreach for SBA in Georgia.

David joined SBA in 1998 to lead SBA’s efforts at the Atlanta One Stop Capital Shop, an economic development center operated in partnership between SBA and the Atlanta Empowerment Zone Corporation. From 1983 until 1998, he was a domestic policy advisor to US Congressman W.G. Hefner from North Carolina. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina.

www.sba.gov/ga Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Drew Tonsmeire/Kennesaw State University SBDC

Drew Tonsmeire serves as the Area Director with the Kennesaw State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Under his leadership, KSU SBDC was awarded the 2014 Regional SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

With more than eighteen years’ experience within the Georgia SBDC Network, his consulting expertise in strategic marketing, financial packaging, and overall business management has impacted thousands of business owners. His background includes service as President and CEO of a local Chamber of Commerce, as well as, experience in retail, manufacturing, and service environments. Committed to supporting entrepreneurship and small business, Drew is a member of the Board of Directors for the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. He is also actively involved with strategic planning, building relationships with community and business leaders, and stimulating entrepreneurship with Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State.

A certified instructor for Google, eBay University, and GrowSmart, Drew was recognized by the Georgia SBDC as the 2004 Consultant of the Year. He was also one of the recipients of the Project of the Year Award for 2011 for his team contributions in the Google training and consulting initiative. As a member of the planning committee for the national SBDC Association which annually, brings 1,500 SBDC professionals together for advanced training, Drew enjoys staying up- to- date on the latest in technology and strategic marketing and sharing his expertise with his team, colleagues and clients

www.georgiasbdc.org Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Stephen Pararo/Pineapple House Interior Design

Pineapple House Interior Design is an innovative residential and boutique hospitality interior design and architectural specification firm. The organization offers turnkey construction, renovation and decorating services and works nationally and internationally.

Since every project is a unique reflection of their client’s needs and desires, Pineapple House designers work in a variety of styles. Pineapple House has been featured on eleven television networks and in over 100 magazines. They have received over thirty “Design Excellence Awards” by the American Society of Interior Designers and most recently, owner Stephen Pararo was honored as the first runner up for the State of Georgia’s “2014 Small Business Person of the Year.”

www.PineappleHouse.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Pete Canalichio/Licensing Brands, Inc.

Best-in-class Fortune 100 business practices Drive for bottom-line success At my best facing tough challenges—business turnaround, rapid growth, competitive outmaneuvering, team rejuvenation. Senior Executive with “crisis-tested” leadership skills and a history of delivering both quick wins and strategic long-term growth for companies as large as Coca-Cola and as small as a global marketing agency that I propelled to $2 million annual revenue (nearly 200% growth in 3 years).

Prior to The Blake Project and Licensing Brands, served as General Manager of CardScan, a $20 million global technology business unit of Newell Rubbermaid; there Pete rejuvenated the culture and rapidly recaptured 15 points of market share. Previously Director of Global Licensing; earned corporate MVP award for more than doubling royalty revenues and wholesale sales in 2 years.

Extensive success in Olympic and worldwide sports sponsorship and marketing, for 5 years with Coca-Cola and 3 years with Tula Communications. Achieved record-setting Olympic revenues and recognition; negotiated and managed numerous sponsorship and licensing agreements with high-visibility athletes and professional sports organizations (MLB, NHL, NASCAR, World Cup). Early career in corporate finance with Coca-Cola and as a Naval aviator, honing leadership and decision-making skills in high-stakes, time-critical environments.

www.BrandLicensingExpert.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Barry Flink/Flex HR

Barry Flink has over 30 years of management experience in multiple industries. Concentrated in the hospitality, nonprofit and transportation markets, he has developed and implemented successful organizational change in a wide range of enterprises and organizations.

Barry has also served in a number of corporate executive positions. As Vice President, Human Resources for Well Fargo Armored Service Corporation, he reengineered the human resources department, and brought substantial cost savings to the Corporation. As Chief Personnel Officer of LEP Profit International, a global freight forwarder, Barry was a key player in the successful merger of the two companies. He served as Chief Operating Officer of Hoffman & Co. and has held senior management positions with Service America Corporation, the Greyhound/Dial Corporation, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inns Worldwide, and BellSouth Corporation.

Additionally, Barry is visiting professor of management at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and has served on the Board of Directors of both Georgia Tech’s College of Management and KSU’s Coles College of Business. He also is an Executive in Residence at KSU. A Society of Human Resources Management member since 1974. Barry is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (national business school honorary) He has served as a guest lecturer at 14 major universities in the United States and Canada and has published articles in several influential human resource journals. Barry was nominated in 2003 by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as Outstanding Business Person of the Year.

Barry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech with a double major in management and psychology and a minor in urban sociology. His MBA was earned in the state of Georgia’s first joint enrollment program, Georgia Tech and Georgia State. Currently he serves on several boards of directors, a mix of corporation and not-for-profit organizations. Barry is past Board Chair and continues to serve on the Board of the Edge Connection, a 501c3 organization in the micro-enterprise space. Barry and his wife, Vicki have one son, David and just celebrated their 40th anniversary.

www.flexhr.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Kurt Hilbert and Bob Williams with Hilbert Law Firm, Jamie Bendall with Bendall and Mednick (Inaugural Show)

May 13, 2014 by angishields

BRX National

Kurt Hilbert and Bob Williams with Hilbert Law Firm, Jamie Bendall with Bendall and Mednick (Inaugural Show)

00:00 /

Emily Rowell (Show Host), Jamie Bendall, Bob Williams, Kurt Hilbert

Kurt Hilbert/Hilbert Law Firm

Kurt R. Hilbert is the Managing Member and Founder of The Hilbert Law Firm, LLC. He is a seasoned litigator, repeatedly honored by his peers and legal community as a Georgia Rising Star, Super Lawyer. He has crafted a domestic and international practice that provides a wide array of services to clients ranging from banking institutions and large corporations, to investors, start-ups and individuals. Hilbert is also a Certified Civil Mediator.

Hilbert’s primary areas of expertise involve real estate, construction, banking, lending, employment, partnership liability, and corporate matters. Hilbert represents clients who are on the “right” side of the case and does not categorize himself as either plaintiff or defense counsel.

Hired as a Legal Expert in several real estate, lending, and title matters.
Defended and obtained dismissal of $50,000,000.00 bad faith claim against Allstate Insurance Company.
Negotiated $6,000,000.00 governmental purchase of a strip mall in Cobb County after contentious dispute over easement rights.
Represents banks in real estate and lending matters.
Handles numerous cases against builders and developers involving water and mold intrusion claims
Successfully litigated and obtained in excess of $7,000,000.00 worth of judgments and Settlements for clients relating to construction defects, environmental torts, erosion and sedimentation control violations, Clean Water Act, water intrusion and mold claims.
Successfully brought a lawsuit to declare the initial GA Fair Lending Act unconstitutional which resulted in the GA General Assembly amending the law.
Obtained the 1st class action certification in GA history under the GA Fair Lending Act involving fraud and RICO claims for over 1000 fraudulent residential mortgage loans amounting to over $150,000,000.00 in damages. Facilitated US Attorneys and FBI in investigation of criminal investigation relating to claims.
Obtained judgments in a construction fraud and banking fraud case in excess of $8,000,000.00.
Set precedent in the State of Georgia regarding the interpretation of arbitration provisions in construction contracts.
Successfully represented a private AKC championship breeder and obtained a high dollar confidential settlement against a multi-million dollar pet food manufacturer concerning toxic pet food.
Litigated in both State and Federal Courts and has been successful in numerous appeals.
Has extensive experience in insurance coverage disputes and declaratory judgment actions.
A featured keynote speaker at Title Standards Seminar for continuing legal education at the State Bar of Georgia.
Successfully participated in and/or completed over 100 barments, tax deed matters and/or quiet title actions concerning title to real property.
Completed in excess of 500 evictions and judicial foreclosure actions for banks and private investors.
Successfully mediated numerous cases as an advocate ranging from construction disputes to sexual harassments claims. Achieved designation as Certified Civil Mediator in the State of Georgia to also serve as a neutral.
Actively practices in superior courts located in Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, Polk, Paulding, Pickens, Evans, Macon-Bibb, Chatham, Rabun, Forsyth, Glynn and Green.

www.hilbertlaw.com LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Robert “Bob” Williams

Robert Williams began his career in New York on Wall Street. Applying this experience and business acumen, Williams now specializes in commercial real estate transactions. He is SBA certified and assists regional and national lenders in government guaranteed lending. He represents national title companies, and has issued more than $1 billion in policies. He routinely gives title opinions as an expert in litigation cases involving real estate.

EDUCATION: Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1992

State University of New York at Plattsburgh, B.S., 1982

BAR ADMISSIONS: Georgia, 1993 New York, 1993

INVOLVEMENT: State Bar of Georgia General Practice & Trial Section, State Bar of Georgia Real Property Law Section, State Bar of Georgia General Practice and Trial Law Section, State Bar of Georgia New York State Bar Association National Association of Development Companies (NADCO) Georgia Lender’s Quality Circle Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land, Founding Member, Board of Directors

SELECTED EXPERIENCE: Represented a Georgia community bank in a 3.4 million dollar purchase and finance of a hotel/franchise in Birmingham, Alabama. Represented and issued title insurance to a regional lender in a 2.6 million dollar purchase and finance for a government guaranteed loan on a hotel/franchise in Cordele, Georgia. Represented a national title insurance company in the issuance of a 1.4 million dollar owner policy and a 900k loan policy in connection with the purchase of a national restaurant franchise in White County, Georgia. Represented developers in metropolitan Atlanta in the purchase and financing of tracts of land and the resale of individual lots. Successful quiet title action for a tract of land in downtown Atlanta, which secured insurable title to the property valued at 7.2 million.

www.hilbertlaw.com LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Jamie Bendall

James (Jamie) Bendall Attorney Bendall & Mednick July 1996 – Present with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Schenectady, NY Bendall & Mednick is a full service personal injury firm, representing people injured by the carelessness of individuals or corporations. In addition to protecting the rights of the injured, he represents media personalities and consults on a variety of entertainment issues.

He is a small business owner, speaker, and active member of his community. Jamie has been a professional comedian since 1991. In addition to his personal and professional commitments, he serves on the Board of the Georgia Alliance for Children and the Alpharetta Youth Softball Association.

Jamie’s personal practice also includes the representation of media and entertainment personalities and consulting services for the same. Current and former clients include Nick Cellini (Mayhem in A.M. – 790TheZone), Matt Chernoff (CSS Sportsnight, NFL Network, Chuck & Chernoff – 680 The Fan), Chuck Oliver (Chuck & Chernoff – 680 The Fan), Jamie Massey (Clear Channel), Kristen Gates (94.9 The Bull), Tim Orff (Music Mornings – 92.9 Dave FM), Tripp West (Clear Channel), Shannon Holly (shannonholly.net), Tood Q. Chapman (Shaggy – The 2 Live Stews), Kevin Kiley (Kiley & Booms – Fox Sports Radio), Brandon “Home Team” Leak (680 The Fan), Sandra Golden (680 The Fan)

www.reallawyers.net Linkedin

Austin Thompson of Thompson Management Consulting, LLC Katharine Mobley WeCareCard.com John Loud of LoudSecurity.com and Malika Bowling of Atlanta-RestaurantBlog.com – Buckhead Business Radio

May 6, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Austin Thompson of Thompson Management Consulting, LLC Katharine Mobley WeCareCard.com John Loud of LoudSecurity.com and Malika Bowling of Atlanta-RestaurantBlog.com - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

Malika Bowling, John Loud, Katharine Mobley, Austin Thompson

Austin Thompson/Thompson Management Consulting, LLC

Austin Thompson is the founder and CEO of Thompson Management Consulting, LLC, and the Visionary and Chief Organizer behind the company’s First Annual Entrepreneurship and Small Business Summit, in celebration of National Small Business Week 2014. In addition to small business consulting, Austin was appointed in December 2013 by Mayor Judy Jordan-Johnson of Lawrenceville, GA to serve a 4- year term on the Downtown Architectural Review Board.

Also a published Author, Adjunct Professor of Business at Shorter University, and community leader. Austin is a graduate of Keller Graduate School of Management, receiving his MBA and a Master of Project Management degree with honors in 2005, and has plans to pursue Doctoral studies in International Business very soon. He enjoys reading, sporting events, mentoring and inspiring young children, and meeting people from around the world.

www.TMConsultingLLC.com www.nsbw2014.com

Katharine Mobley/WeCareCard.com

Spending 15+ years in the advertising and PR world, Katharine Mobley decided it was time for a change, and became the Chief Marketing Officer, of WeCareCard, a revolutionary crowdfunding technology powered with a prepaid debit card.

She is using her previous experiences of working with some of the world’s largest brands; Coca-Cola, DASANI, Bank of America to name a few, to share the WeCareCard story. This is an exciting time for startups and a MUCH faster pace than 1999 – of course we were on dial up back then! WeCareCard’s patent pending prepaid technology offers unique services to those participating in the rapidly growing crowdfunding market. WCC allows one cardholder to register a card in time of celebration or hardship, but allows multiple donors to donate through our secure platform.  WCC is entering into two industries that have exploded in the last couple years – prepaid and crowdfunding. The prepaid industry is expected to top $594B this year, and the crowdfunding industry is expecting $5.1B in revenue.

Currently we are looking for personal investors, not your typical ‘startup’, as our team is lead by, Phillip Qualls CEO, a 20+ year veteran and serial entrepreneur in the technology, payments and financial sectors. Previously, Phillip was a partner of Money Network Financial, which was acquired by First Data in 2007. He continued to serve as acting EVP/ GM of Money Network for First Data until 2009, deepening his expertise in the FinTech sector.

www.WeCareCard.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Malika Bowling/Atlanta-RestaurantBlog.com

Malika Bowling was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, but only lived there for a couple months before being adopted by two wonderful, loving people. Had they not adopted her, she would have surely perished from the terrible living conditions in the orphanage where she was.

While in the orphanage, Malika was malnourished and mistreated to the point that when her adoptive parents came to get her, those managing the orphanage told them, “this baby will mostly likely die; you should choose another.” Determination led them to take their chances with her, literally smuggling her on a plane back to the United States. It was an incredible journey and they beat incredible odds, but that’s another story….

With a background in Marketing (Kennesaw State University), Malika has worked in Market Research and Product Development for varied industries including Transportation, manufacturing, and Consumer Packaged Goods. After being laid off in 2008, she decided to go into business for herself. She is currently a consultant in Online Marketing and a Freelance writer, having published her first book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Atlanta and her latest book Food Blogging 101 will be available in about a month.

She works for various clients, creating, writing and managing Blogs, Email Newsletters, Social Media profiles, as well as helping companies with Blogger Outreach, and other Internet Marketing efforts. Malika loves trying new foods and is quite an adventurous eater. She consistently seeks out hidden gems, and writes about them on her blog, Atlanta Restaurant Blog. She has served as a judge at many culinary competitions like the Taste of Atlanta, The Atlanta Cocktail Competition and Tech Chef. Recognizing the need to clearly define the standards for Food Bloggers, she founded the Association of Food Bloggers. The goal of the AoFB is to qualify reputable Food Bloggers and serve as a resource for tips and information on all things blogging related.

www.Atlanta-RestaurantBlog.com www.AssociationofFoodBloggers.org Linkedin Twitter Facebook

John Loud/Loud Security

Locally owned, LOUD Security has been an Atlanta leading security and life safety company for over a decade. Recognized by numerous professional organizations, such as Honeywell and First Alert, for offering one of the best security systems in the business – including prices, products, service and professional system installation quality.

Over the years we have established a growing base of customers, increasing our numbers with sales and mergers, to include customers in fifteen states. Our local relationships have expanded with our memberships in the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, the Kennesaw and Acworth Business Associations and our participation in local events. You may have seen the LOUD Security panel van make a lap around the track at Turner Field. We also expanded our product line to include: access control, commercial fire, whole house audio, theater rooms, home automation, CCTV and central vacuum.

We are more than just a security company. Whatever your needs, LOUD Security has a custom solution. We’ve only come this far due to our loyal customers, and the tremendously talented and caring people that make up the LOUD Security staff. Together, they have contributed in such an important way by referring our services to their family and friends. Our goal is to make LOUD Security the first company you call for any of our family of services.

www.LoudSecurity.com Twitter

Amanda Farahany with Barrett and Farahany, LLP, Valentia Alleyne with Alleyne Law Firm, LLC Premiere Episode

May 6, 2014 by angishields

BRX National

Amanda Farahany with Barrett and Farahany, LLP, Valentia Alleyne with Alleyne Law Firm, LLC Premiere Episode

00:00 /

Emily Rowell (ALE Show Host), Valentia Alleyne, Amanda Farahany

Amanda Farahany/Barrett and Farahany, LLP

Amanda Farahany is the managing partner at the Atlanta law firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP, representing individuals in employment, libel, overtime, and sexual harassment litigation. Through her practice, she is dedicated to pursuing civil justice for employees, as well providing consultation and support to management employees. In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member of Emory Law School, teaching Advanced Trial Advocacy.

Prior to beginning her practice, she clerked for the Honorable John H. Ruffin, Jr. at the Georgia Court of Appeals. Known as an attorney who only takes serious and important cases, Amanda has proven this by achieving the highest verdict in a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) case in the nation for her client and the largest libel verdict in Georgia. Amanda has also been recognized by her peers as a Super Lawyer – an award which acknowledges the top lawyers in Georgia as chosen by Georgia Super Lawyers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. She has been elected to the executive board of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Georgia Chapter and is on the Executive Board of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section.

A sought after speaker and commentator, Amanda has been featured as a legal thought leader in publications and news segments, including a two-night special on CBS Atlanta News on a Survival Guide for the First 24 Hours After Losing Your Job and most recently, on GPTV. Human resource professionals and employment defense attorneys seek out her experience to teach them how to overcome the common employer mistakes from a plaintiff’s perspective. An experienced trial lawyer, Amanda has been awarded status as a Fellow of the National College of Advocacy by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. This designation signifies commitment to effective representation of her clients and her dedication to achieving a high level of competence. Additionally, Amanda is a Fellow in the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia. Membership in the Fellows Program is an honor which recognizes lawyers whose public and private careers demonstrate outstanding legal abilities and a devotion to their communities. In addition to her law practice, Amanda currently serves as co-chair of the American Association of Justice Wage and Hour Litigation Group and on the Boards of the Atlanta Bar Association Labor and Employment Section and National Employment Lawyer’s Association – Georgia Chapter. Amanda has previously served as the president of the Atlanta Council for Younger Lawyers; president of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Georgia Chapter; member of the Executive Committee to the Atlanta Bar Association; member of the Advisory Council to the National Crime Victim Bar Association; and on the Boards of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Crime Victim Advocacy Council, State Bar of Georgia Younger Lawyers Division, and several domestic violence and women’s rights organizations.

Amanda has spoken and been published extensively on litigating cases for civil justice for crime victims, sexual assault and employment cases, including for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the American Association for Justice, the National Crime Victim Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia’s Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the National Employment Lawyers Association. In addition, Amanda has been an invited faculty member for the Emory School of Law Trial Advocacy Program. Recently, Amanda was one of a selected few employment lawyers asked to serve on the Eleventh Circuit Committee to revise the Pattern Jury Instructions on employment related issues.

www.JusticeAtWork.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Valentia P. Alleyne/Alleyne Law Firm, LLC

As the Managing Attorney of The Alleyne Law Firm, Ms. Alleyne focuses her practice on consumer bankruptcy, debt collections defense, and estate planning. Ms. Alleyne is devoted to providing dependable service and quality legal representation, while still being sensitive to the delicate nature of bankruptcy cases and estate planning matters. Her estate planning practice focuses on simple estate planning, such as drafting as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to working with high-net-worth individuals and families, creating ways to manage their assets, address gift and estate tax issues, and to translate their aspirations into a legally sound and sustainable plan. Ms. Alleyne’s bankruptcy practice helps business owners, individuals and families throughout the Atlanta metro area eliminate or restructure their debt. By virtue of federal bankruptcy laws under Chapter 7 debt elimination and Chapter 13 debt restructuring, The Alleyne Law Firm helps clients look forward to a successful financial future, free from the overwhelming burden of debt. Ms. Alleyne can also assist clients with a credit education program to ensure that they retain the sort of credit they need to resume their life plan. Giving back to the community is essential for an attorney, and Ms. Alleyne regularly volunteers her legal services to low-income clients through community organizations.

Ms. Alleyne received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, her M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix, her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she received special honors for her public interest work, and her LL.M. in Taxation from Northwestern University School of Law. While attending law school, she clerked with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Cook County State’s Attorney, and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and served as an editor of Loyola’s Public Interest Law Reporter.

Prior to practicing law and founding The Alleyne Law Firm, Ms. Alleyne lived in Japan and worked as a marketing and business development executive in the corporate sector for over 10 years. Ms. Alleyne is licensed to practice law in the state of Georgia and in the United States District Court, Northern District and Middle District of Georgia, Court of Appeals of Georgia, and the Supreme Court of Georgia. She is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, where she serves on the Board and is the host of the Cobb/Cumberland Neighborhood Networking Breakfast, Metro Atlanta Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

www.AlleyneLaw.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Allison Sitch, Julie Rollend and Erwin Schinneral of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jim Silverman with Vienna Beef Ltd., Jeff Sheehan of Sheehan Marketing – Buckhead Business Radio

April 29, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Allison Sitch, Julie Rollend and Erwin Schinneral of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jim Silverman with Vienna Beef Ltd., Jeff Sheehan of Sheehan Marketing - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

Erwin Schinneral, Jeff Sheehan, Jim Silverman, Julie Rollend, Allison Sitch

Allison Sitch / Vice President, Global Public Relations

Allison oversees the reputation, messaging, media relations and strategic positioning of one of the world’s most iconic and powerful brands. Guiding her team through a period of unprecedented growth and evolution.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is branching out on all fronts, with expansion across Asia and the Middle East, changing aesthetics of hotel design and dynamic initiatives in the realms of social media and communication trends. Entrusted with continuing to grow the elevated status of one of the most recognizable names in luxury today, English born Allison has spent 14 years with The Ritz- Carlton, with time spent based in Dubai, Hong Kong and now at the company headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD.

She has driven the brands presence across the social space which includes: Facebook at both brand and hotel level, Twitter, Pinterest, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, YouKu (China), Sina-Weibo (China), Tumblr and Instagram. Allison was previously the regional director of public relations, Middle East for The Ritz-Carlton.

With more than a decade on the ground and a deep knowledge and understanding of geographical and cultural sensitivities, she played a key part in the emergence of The Ritz-Carlton brand as a front-runner in those territories. Allison brings first-hand knowledge of positioning strategies, key message composition, consumer engagement techniques and the global affluent consumer when representing The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in new markets and countries in which there are 30 new hotels slated to open.

www.RitzCarlton.com Linkedin Twitter Twitter Facebook

Julie Rollend, Atlanta Area Communicaitons

www.RitzCarlton.com/buckhead Twitter Facebook

Erwin Schinneral, General Manager Buckhead

www.RitzCarlton.com/buckhead Linkedin

Jim Silverman/Vienna Beef Ltd.

Jim Silverman, born and raised in Philadelphia has now lived in Cobb and Cherokee counties since 1988 and is proud to be a resident of the Atlanta area. He took a voluntary transfer to the Metro area when he was working with the franchise expansion of the Bain’s Deli chain.

Jim has been in the food business for 35 years and currently resides in Canton with his wife Brenda and their dogs Katie Jo and Jessie.

Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Show Co-Host: Jeff Sheehan/Sheehan Marketing Strategies

Jeff is a marketing consultant and job search mentor, as well as the volunteer director of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church Career Ministry in Atlanta.

Jeff ranks in the top 1% of people on LinkedIn & over 260,000 followers on Twitter.

He has been recognized as the #1 Marketer In The World To Follow On Twitter #2 in Social Media and #1 in Sales. Ranked number 6,481 out of 554,000,000 users on Twitter, Jeff is ranked number 23rd in Atlanta right after The Weather Channel, ahead of both Diet Coke and the music group Collective South. He co-authored the book: “HIRED! Paths to Employment in the Social Media Era.”

www.SheehanMarketingStrategies.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Frank Green / Windham Pridgen with ExecuSource, Layli Eskandari with LE Immigration, Randall Kessler with KS Family Law, Amber Saunders with FailCon-Atlanta, John Melonakos with Arrayfire, Michael Crandal with Crandal Hospitality – Buckhead Business Radio

April 22, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Frank Green / Windham Pridgen with ExecuSource, Layli Eskandari with LE Immigration, Randall Kessler with KS Family Law, Amber Saunders with FailCon-Atlanta, John Melonakos with Arrayfire, Michael Crandal with Crandal Hospitality - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

Frank Green/ExecuSource

Results driven professional with a broad and diverse background in the recruiting industry. Experience from sales, recruiting, managing major accounts, client development/management. Adept at attracting, developing and retaining internal staff. Committed to building long lasting relationships with candidates, clients and internal partners. Specializing in Direct Hire and Contract placement of Accounting & Finance, IT, Human Resources and Healthcare Technology Professionals Industries: Manufacturing, Private Equity Firms, Investment Firms, Technology, Real Estate, Biotech/Life Sciences, Healthcare, Professional Services (Consulting, CPA and Law Firms). Consultative approach in working with clients in order to assess areas of improvement and make recommendations. Specialties: Management, Presentations, Negotiations, Placement, Operations, Strategy.

ExecuSource has been a recruiting and staffing leader in Atlanta for over 15 years. Developed to set a new standard in search, career placement and flexible staffing, we deliver coordinated recruiting solutions with unparalleled service, a commitment to success and a passion for innovation, creativity and continuous improvement. Our niche brands provide direct hire, executive search, temporary staffing, contract consulting and temp/contract-to-hire solutions to emerging growth companies and the Fortune 500 across market sectors. Specialties: Direct hire and upper level contract placement of accounting, finance, IT, HR, HIT and sales professionals.

www.execusource.com Linkedin Twitter

Windham Pridgen/ExecuSource

Among Windham’s previous positions includes On Site Client Relationship Manager at Coca-Cola Refreshments MDI Group. Coca-Cola Refreshments is the sales and operational elements of The Coca-Cola Company’s North American businesses.

Currently the Managing Director of IT at ExecuSource, a professional IT consulting and staffing services firm. With a commitment to pursuing quality resources that will help our clients achieve their goals and objectives, ExecuSource proves it every day putting client needs first. We believe that business is earned. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person in an effort to earn your business. We want to gain a thorough understanding of your company and its hiring needs – for both the short term as well as strategically for the future. Stop searching…Come to the Source.

www.execusource.com Linkedin Twitter

Layli Eskandari/

LE Immigration

Layli Eskandari Deal is a founding partner of the Atlanta law firm Levine & Eskandari, LLC. Ms. Eskandari Deal focuses her practice exclusively on the area of immigration and nationality law. She advises companies on global immigration issues and general immigration policies, provides representation regarding employment visas and permanent residency for professionals, assists in uniting families through family-based visa and permanent residency processes, and represents individuals in general citizenship matters. Ms. Eskandari Deal is the past chair of the Georgia-Alabama Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has been named to the Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers.

www.leimmigration.com Linkedin Facebook

Randall Kessler/

KS Family Law

Randall M. Kessler is the founding partner of Kessler & Solomiany, which was founded in 1991 and known as KS Family Law. Considered one of the most respected domestic relations firms in the country, it is known for representing high-profile clients, particularly athletes, celebrities, and entertainers. Some of Kessler’s many accomplishments include having served as Chair of the Family Law Section, American Bar Association (2011-12), Chair of the Family Law Section, State Bar of Georgia Bar (2011-12) and Chair of the Family Law Section, Atlanta Bar Association (1996-97).

In his role as a professor of domestic relations, Kessler teaches at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta and was an instructor of trial techniques at Emory Law School and also a guest lecturer at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. As a Continuing Legal Education presenter, he has presented at 500+ legal education programs across the U.S. and internationally.

Kessler has also authored and edited the Georgia Library of Family Law Forms and the Family Law Review, the official magazine of the State Bar of Georgia Family Law Section. He frequently appears in the national media as a legal expert on the topic of divorce commenting on high-profile divorces, including Anderson Cooper360, The Today Show, Nancy Grace, ESPN and CNN. Kessler has been quoted in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, People magazine, The New York Times and Sports Illustrated. He is repeatedly honored as a Top 100 lawyer in Georgia in Atlanta magazine and by Super Lawyers, a rating service for outstanding lawyers.

www.ksfamilylaw.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Amber Saunders/

FailCon-Atlanta

Amber Saunders is the Executive Producer of FailCon Atlanta. She is an attorney and entrepreneur whose passion is to provide entrepreneurs with the tools they need to successfully start, fund, and scale their businesses. The goal of FailCon Atlanta is to begin a cultural shift that allows entrepreneurs to embrace their failure as a learning opportunity that can propel them toward success.

www.atlanta.thefailcon.com Twitter Facebook

John Melonakos/Arrayfire

John Melonakos is CEO & Co-founder of ArrayFire in Atlanta. He started ArrayFire while a PhD student at Georgia Tech in 2007. ArrayFire makes software to help scientists, engineers, and financial analysts run their code faster. Clients include Google, Lockheed Martin, Exxon, Adobe, Stanford, 454 Life Sciences, Bank of America, and thousands of other technical institutions. In addition to ArrayFire, John has new startups underway aimed at providing computing and visualization software and hardware solutions.

John blogs daily at www.NotOnlyLuck.com John has a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech and has published many papers in the areas of medical image processing, computer vision, and accelerated computing.

www.notonlyluck.com Linkedin Twitter

Michael Crandal/

Crandal Hospitality

25+ years of successfully building and maintaining exemplarily management teams by identifying talent, mentoring — and monitoring accountability for terrific results with a style of leadership based upon positive support and empowerment, rather than fear or micro-management. A compelling speaking style before large audiences. Ability to communicate, lead, and gain confidence from reporting at regular Board of Director meetings, annual shareholders / membership meetings, presenting staff training / leadership / business ethics seminars – to offering the keynote address at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management MBA Conference.

Engaging, upbeat and sincere personality in interacting on a personal level throughout every day with every person encountered, while consistently bringing sound business savvy & financial acumen to the table. Expertise in creating, presenting, gaining ultimate approval — and then monitoring unwavering adherence to both Operating and Capital budgets. An experienced strategic planner who has developed and successfully implemented meaningful 5+ year Capital Reserve Plans and ongoing Cash Management Programs.

BY THE WAY: Just in case you were wondering, the letters after Michael Crandal, CNG stand for: Certified Nice Guy. Self-certified, by the way. But, a nice guy nonetheless. He and his wife, Kim, have recently moved to the Buckhead area of Atlanta, GA.

I PRESENT CUSTOM DESIGNED LEADERSHIP / ETHICS / MOTIVATIONAL WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND KEYNOTE SPEECHES. I’ve proudly completed my book, LIFE’S 10-POINT MUST SYSTEM (available NOW on amazon.com) — I continue to author management / leadership magazine articles — accept speaking engagements, and present custom designed Leadership / Ethics workshops to clients around the country. My wife has recently accepted the position of Town Club Manager with the Cherokee Town & Country Club in Atlanta, GA and we have moved from our home in Palm Desert, CA.

I now consider meaningful relationships (Atlanta based) where my proven Executive Committee level leadership expertise is best utilized. I EFFECTIVELY ENHANCE MANAGEMENT TEAM PRODUCTIVITY & ENTHUSIASM THAT PROVES CONTAGIOUS THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION RIGHT DOWN TO THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER OF SERVICES.

www.CrandalHospitality.com Linkedin

Kate Chura / Pete Canalichio with Southeastern Horticultural Society, Mary Blackmon w/FarmStarLiving, AnnMarie Laramee / Denise Detamore with Kids4Coding.com – Buckhead Business Radio

April 15, 2014 by angishields

Buckhead Business Radio

Kate Chura / Pete Canalichio with Southeastern Horticultural Society, Mary Blackmon w/FarmStarLiving, AnnMarie Laramee / Denise Detamore with Kids4Coding.com - Buckhead Business Radio

00:00 /

Denise Detamore, AnnMarie Laramee, Mary Blackmon, Pete Canalichio and Kate Chura

Kate Chura and Pete Canalichio/Southeastern Horticultural Society

The Southeastern Horticultural Society (SHS) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to promoting the knowledge, art and enjoyment of horticulture throughout the Southeastern United States. SHS provides year-round educational programs, event and access to plant resources through the following key areas: The Southeastern Flower Show: Presenting the annual premier gardening and horticultural event in the Southeast that promotes conservation and awareness of the natural environment through education, horticultural excellence and artistic expression. Educational forums, lectures and programs: Offering a series of educational activities that span the vast spectrum of plant and horticulture information and appeal to individuals and groups at all ages and levels or interest. Engaging in outreach to bring horticulture expertise to the southeast: Working with schools, educational organizations, institutions and organizations to create science and horticulture curriculum and educational programs Designing and leading horticulture training programs. Design and implement youth mentoring programs to teach teens and young adults about environmental issues and expose them to “green” careers while creating and maintaining healthy green living environments. A Resource Center for Horticulture Providing a network for individuals, organizations, corporations, businesses and educators involved in professional horticulture we will serve as a clearing house for plant and horticulture information.

Southeastern Horticultural Society Twitter Facebook

Mary Blackmon/FarmStarLiving.com

Founded by Mary Blackmon, Farm Star Living www.farmstarliving.com is the new lifestyle brand that celebrates American farming and farmers with a goal to satisfy Americans eager to know who’s behind their food, where it’s grown, and how to support local farmers and farm-fresh food. Farm Star Living has also launched its free Farm Star Living app, which provides easy, quick access to hundreds of Farm-to-Table restaurants in major cities throughout the U.S. as well as hundreds of farms open to the public for exciting activities and fun. The website, www.farmstarliving.com, also offers insight into the vibrant farm- to-table scene, including a farm-to-table finder, profiles on great restaurants, the symbiotic relationships between chefs & local farmers, seasonal produce with spotlighted recipes, and a look at what’s trending in the kitchen of chefs. Mary is a 3rd generation farmer from Arkansas, who left her hometown to pursue college and a career in advertising sales and marketing in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. She worked for publishing houses and internet companies (Wired, Walt Disney Internet Group, Vivendi-Universal Internet Group). In NYC in 2002, she founded Spa-Addicts.com, the first national discount site for the spa & wellness industry. She grew it into a multi-million dollar business and a leader in the industry, and attracted hundreds of thousands of women as well as sponsors including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Kimberly Clark, Allergan, American Express, et al. In 2008, however, she learned most of her family farm bordering Ark / LA would be sold. Not wanting to lose the family heritage and farmland her family before her had so cherished, Mary, along with the support of her brother Douglas, was adamant to preserve and keep the remaining farmland. She then began making changes in her life so that she could move from Los Angeles back South in order to keep, operate and run the farm. She bought back her grandparents house and renovated it, and discovered that “saving the family farm” had changed her life forever – and for the better. Today she admits that she is happier than ever & inspired, loving the farming business and now launching Farm Star Living, which she felt compelled to create for the good of farming and the people she has met along her new path. She hopes that Farm Star Living will provide farmers the respect, acknowledgment and support they so deserve and attract new farmers as well as support the current ones.

www.FarmStarLiving.com Twitter Facebook

AnnMarie Laramee and Denise Detamore/Kids4Coding.com

Kids 4 Coding & Advantage Learning Cooperative is a one-of-a-kind learning center with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M). We offer classes in computer programming, game design, 3-D video animation, robotics and more. Our classes are designed for grades 2-12 and we offer summer camps, after-school programs and Saturday sessions. We believe computer science is a critical component of innovation! Our goal is to motivate and inspire our future generation to be ready for the opportunities that lie ahead.

www.Kids4Coding.com Twitter Facebook

Angela Sandritter with Cygnus Strategy, Kat Phillips with kat scratch films, Larry White and Michael Moore with The Ritz Group

April 8, 2014 by angishields

Deal Makers Radio

Angela Sandritter with Cygnus Strategy, Kat Phillips with kat scratch films, Larry White and Michael Moore with The Ritz Group

00:00 /

Tres Crow (Host), Kat Phillips, Larry White, Angela Sandritter, Michael Moore

Angela Sandritter/Cygnus Strategy

Ms. Sandritter is a motivated, organized executive — a self-starter with 15+ years of telecommunications or high-tech industry experience. She drives towards and successfully achieves a high rate of revenue growth and customer satisfaction. With a background in IT, she is able to understand technology and assign business value and positioning to technical concepts. Ms. Sandritter is a spokesperson on technology and industry trends in IT and also briefs industry analysts and members of the press. Her strengths lie in developing go-to-market strategies, market analysis, business strategy, new product development and product launches. Her past roles include product marketing, business development, product management, technical training, channel development, applications engineering, and technical support. Ms. Sandritter holds a Masters in Business Administration and has achieved the CCNP and CCNA certifications. She participates actively in regional economic development organizations and steering committees. Partner Cygnus Strategy Group, LLC. May 2013 – Present General business consulting firm tailored toward individual business needs. Cygnus Strategy Group, LLC uses a multi-discipline approach to affect positive change in the companies it works with. Using the Cygnus Method as a framework for diagnosis and treatment, Cygnus calls upon its core competencies in Organizational Development, Branding/Marketing, and Change Management to create real and lasting improvements for its clients.

Product Marketing, Business Communications Solutions Digium Global Marketing and Product Management. Oversee product marketing efforts and personnel in developing and executing company’s global go-to-market strategies and product marketing launches. Train sales team, industry analysts, press, channel partners, and customers on product and messaging. Develop technical product training programs. Manage training efforts to deliver online and instructor-led training courses for company’s business phone systems Introduce hi-tech products to VoIP and telephony markets; address product strategy and competitive and ROI analysis.

• Generate leads through on-line content, organic search, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

• Spokesperson for industry, technology, technology trends, ROI and ROI analysis.

• Regularly contribute writings on technology to industry publications.

Global Marketing, ADTRAN ADTRAN, Inc., 12 years Developed strategic marketing plans for Enterprise and Carrier Networks Divisions through market research, competitive analysis, pricing, customer engagement, and business planning. Worked consistently with Product Management, Engineering, and Sales Channel to provide product messaging to Channel and customers. Developed materials and messaging for product launches at trade shows, press releases, customer presentations, application briefs, product family brochures, datasheets, and case studies.

www.CygnusStrategy.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Kat Phillips/kat scratch films

Kathilynn Phillips, currently residing in Atlanta, is a filmmaker whose works have screened to thousands in the U.S., Europe and Asian Pacific. Her latest completed feature film, “Chasing the White Dragon”, has won several awards and received international distribution. Ms. Phillips has also been the recipient of multiple awards for writing, producing and directing film, including those from Academy Award qualifying film festivals, and was a Semifinalist for the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars). Utilizing her expertise in foreign and domestic production incentives and distribution, her next film, “Feral”, is a PG-13 modern take on the iconic “creature feature”. As humorous as it is scary, the Producers are currently attaching top domestic and international acting and directing talent per the desires of distributors who will offer presales on the project. Anticipated release date is Fall 2015.

www.katscratchfilms.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Michael Moore/The Ritz Group

Michael E Moore is a farm kid from Alabama, an Eagle Scout, a military officer during an unpopular war, a recovering banker and entrepreneur. Michael received his BS degree in accounting and finance from Auburn University in 1972 and served his country as a U.S. Army officer. He relocated back to the South (Atlanta) with his wife Karen in 1975 to work for the Citizens & Southern National Bank. Michael has been involved with business since the age of 8 as a farm kid running a produce stand and more recently he’s helped to found and fund new and grow companies for the benefit of our economy. Michael has a passion to help people develop their skills and connect with the right opportunities to derive a high value from their experiences.

Mr. Moore shares beliefs that to succeed you must invest with those close by and use the skills on the team to set and accomplish objectives (goals). Michael brings over forty years of diverse experience in leadership, banking, manufacturing, retailing and business start ups to the table. He also can burn up, tear up or just about destroy old paradigms of thinking as that relate to execution of an idea while keeping the team moving forward. Michael has been involved with professional growth as a personal and business coach for his entire career. Michael currently is involved as an ambassador for the Ritz Group a board member of the Atlanta Micro Fund and the College Park Entrepreneur Fund.

www.RitzGroup.org Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Larry White/The Ritz Group

Larry White is the Founder and CEO of Retail Electronic Visions a software development company providing social media communities for Retail, Capital, Emergency Management, Yachting and Sports vertical industries. Retail Electronic Visions is the holding company for brands doing business as the Ritz Group, (www.ritzgroup.org) TheAisles (www.theAisles.net) and eLink 911 (www.elink911.com)

In 2012 Retail Electronic Visions purchased the 26 year old Ritz Group and added the Capital Community, a Reg D private equity solicitation community, for entrepreneurs, Investors and service providers. In addition, the Capital Expo was launched as the industry’s first video virtual e-trade show for companies raising equity funds under the Invest Georgia Exemption Act (IGE)

The Ritz Group meets monthly at the City Club to network and added Shark Attack where 3 companies (Bait) pitch for 15 minutes to 3 Industry ICONS (Sharks). Shark Attack is professionally hosted by Bob Rathbun, Fox Sports South broadcaster for the Hawks. 8 exhibitors are featured at the Networking Event.

In addition to providing members with electronic Incubation and physical networking, the Ritz Group provides members with a free and fee-based services to improve the “investor-readiness” of early and later stage companies through debt, crowdfunding and equity funding process.

New 2014 programs will include online delivery of Equity-U courses, Ritz Group Radio to showcase our members, Angel Meet-Ups to serve our Angels, plus the launch of Blue Chips – a new collaborative approach to fund Georgia’s “best” disruptive Technology, Consumer Goods, Medical, Food and Beverage and Entertainment early-stage ventures.