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GMSDC Financial Summit – Access to Capital

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Archie Jones / NOWaccount Network Corporation LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Archie Jones is a leader in the corporate M&A world with a strong combination of financial and strategic skills. His expertise executing complex transactions around globe including mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures provides a unique perspective on managing growth and expansion. Archie is well-known for turning strategy into action. He is highly effective working inside the organization developing and refining strategies and then setting priorities. He is equally effective and experienced navigating the capital markets, competitive landscape and global ecosystem to identify and assemble the right combination of capital, partners and assets to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. He is a well-rounded leader with previous Board experience.

Rodney Sampson / Opportunity Hub LinkedIn Facebook Twitter

Rodney Sampson is a serial entrepreneur (4 startups/2 exits), angel investor and author of four books, including Kingonomics: Twelve Innovative Currencies For Transforming Your Business & Life, Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sampson is also an Advisor to high growth startups such as Digit, growth stage companies such as Mark Burnett Productions, angel investment and venture funds such as Kay Koplovitz’s Springboard Fund and Semble’s WeFund; and Heads of State in Namibia, Gabon and Uganda throughout the world. Sampson is passionate about reducing our nation’s poverty and wealth gap by advancing the cause of innovation, coding, entrepreneurship, investment and capital formation as a way of life for all communities. To advance this definitive cause, Sampson created Opportunity Ecosystem (OE). Opportunity Ecosystem includes Kingonomics and opportunity.UP/unleashing private equity, the nation’s leading conference and learning platform learning for minorities and under-served communities to learn, navigate and master the innovation, entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem. Each year, Sampson’s conferences attract over 1,800 existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, 500 teenagers and 100 accredited investors and mentors.  Opportunity Ecosystem also includes Opportunity Hub (OHUB), a multi-campus coworking space, entrepreneurship school, pre-accelerator and incubator headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. OHUB is home to Opportunity Ventures, a new seed and early stage fund focused on making investments in early stage consumer products, technology, supply chain innovation and social impact companies that impact culture and beyond. Sampson, an Atlanta native, is married and has six children.

 

 

 

Sonja Williams with Shock Theory

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Continuing our spotlight on exceptional women entrepreneurs for our Women’s Month series, we were just joined by Sonja Williams from Shock Theory on March 17th, 2015, who had more than a few words of advice on how to stay digitally relevant in our ever-changing digital ecosystem. More than breaking molds on a personal level, her company, Shock Theory, is breaking molds on an enterprise level, as well. Necessitated out of the rising need for a coherent ecosystem to house emergent and dependent technology and services in-house, the evolution of Shock Theory almost seems like the inevitable solution to the one-off boutiques that limit your marketing vision to the services they can implement in-house. Shock Theory covers everything from experiential event marketing with complimenting technologies such as apps, presentations, and in-house video production studio and crew to create the digital piece that best fits your marketing or experiential needs. Today, Sonja Williams is looking to break the mold in other arenas. For more information on her new Micro University and Entrepreneur’s Ivy League online courses, follow her new hashtag campaign: #whateverittakes.

Here are the top 3 take-aways for our listeners:

1) Always design to mobile.

2) Stay authentic as a brand.

3) Less is more in rhetorical content – but visual content is king.

Tune in to find out more about social media best practices, and how best to optimize your web portal in the new era of DIY websites!

Sonja Williams / Shock Theory google+ Twitter Facebook

Sonja N. Williams is a serial TECpreneur, digital product architect and Chief Executive Officer of ShockTheory, a technology-­‐driven marketing agency that develops social engagement transactional-­‐based technology, produces live events such as conferences, conventions and tradeshows and digital content for on-­‐demand training platforms, live shows, products and services. The company has developed projects for Amtrak, Ford, American Family Insurance, Burger King, Verizon, The National Recording Academy and more.

Williams grew her company by delivering result-­‐oriented, technology-­‐focused projects that has yielded numerous awards including Entrepreneur of the Year by FraserNET and The Atlanta Business League’s Non-­‐Traditional Enterprise of the Year. With over 15 years of experience, Williams’ personal focus is on launching total-­‐market digital platforms with strategic efforts to disrupt the small business sector by helping underserved microenterprises and entrepreneurs to launch sustainable companies through digital consumer engagement.

 

 

Celebrating Womens History Month

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On today’s broadcast, we featured a dynamic panel of 3 all-star woman business leaders that covered the issues surrounding being a double minority threat in the current corporate market. Mary Parker can dedicate an entire wall in her office to the number of awards and accolades she has garnered for both her work in the community and her entrepreneurial work. Mary is the President and CEO of ALL(n)1, a multi-million dollar international enterprise, the President of ABD Contracting, and the Immediate Past Chair of the Atlanta Business League, as well as a board member to a handful of other prestigious councils. Indigo Triplett– Founder and CEO– and Tammy Davis– Director of Operations– from Careers in Transition also joined us. Their company has been recognized as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for the last 3 years in INC magazine, and has assisted everything from Fortune 500 companies to the Federal Government itself. Indigo Triplett, the Founder at Careers In Transition, is also a renowned speaker on the subject of career advancement and leadership. Tammy Davis has 15 years of success in HR and operations, as well intimate knowledge of Federal and Defense relations. Join us in exploring the executive suite of minority business women in Atlanta business, past, present, and future!

Dr. Indigo Triplett / Careers in Transition LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Dr. Indigo launched Careers In Transition as an independent consultant in 1995, which quickly parlayed into a successful venture resulting in the company becoming incorporated in 1997. Initially, the company provided career transitional assistance during a period when many companies needed to downsize, but ultimately changed its focus to performance management. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, her company was recognized as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies by INC. Magazine. Stateside to abroad–from Tucker, Georgia to Shanghai, China–she delivers a message and philosophy that is insightful; thus, resonating with people at every tier of their career or within an organization. As the author of Playing by the Unwritten Rules I: Moving from the Middle to the Top and Playing by the Unwritten Rules II: From a Job Defense to a Career Offense, she is a leading authority on career and performance management. Noted for “making the implicit explicit” and injecting humor into her subject matter, she is called upon by nationally recognized magazines, newspapers, television and radio outlets. She recently Founded Indigo Insights a nonprofit that is changing the conversation from mental illness to mental wellness.

Mary Parker / ALL(n)1 Security Services

Mary Parker, President & CEO of ALL(n)1 Security Services, Inc. has more than 30 years of experience in the security industry. ALL(n)1 Security is the country’s nationally certified African-American female owned full service security firm in the United States. These services include Security Personnel, Security Technology, Background Checks and Traffic Control Management.

In 2001, Mary Parker founded ALL(n)1 Security in the kitchen of her home, with one employee, herself. Today, ALL(n)1 consists of a staff of more than 200 employees. From a small home office in Atlanta, Georgia, ALL(n)1 has evolved into a multi-million dollar enterprise with offices in Alabama, Mississippi, and Africa. ALL(n)1 serves markets in the Southeastern, Eastern, Midwestern, Southwestern, and Western Regions. Her company has even worked side-by-side with the Secret Service to protect the First Lady and the President when each delivered commencement speeches in Atlanta. Mary Parker is also the President of ABD Contracting, LLC, a five‐year old female and minority‐owned full service concrete and asphalt paving company located in Atlanta, Georgia. ABD Contracting, offers a full range of milling, construction, installation, coating, striping, restoration and maintenance services. ABD has the resources and experience that meet or exceed federal specifications. The company operates as a general sub‐contractor in the States of Alabama and Georgia.

She is the Immediate Past Chair of the Atlanta Business League and is one of its 100 Women of Vision. Mary has participated in ABL’s Student Business Shadow Program since its inception. Through this program, she seeks to identify participants to award a scholarship from the Mary Parker Foundation Annual Back to school event.

She has been featured in Black Enterprise, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Woman Magazine, Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Tribune Magazine, to name a few. She is the recipient of the 2014, KLEANCollar Spirit of Excellence in Entrepreneurship, 2013 Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta 2013 Salute to Mothers Business Award, 2012 Trumpet Awards Business, 2012 National Women Business Enterprise STAR Award, 2012 Enterprising Women Award, and 2010 National Minority Supplier Development Council – CLASS II Award.

Mary Parker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and a Master’s Degree in Security Management from Stafford University. In Addition, she is a graduate of the Tuck Executive Leadership Program at Dartmouth, The Georgia Governor’s Mentor Protégé Program, Atlanta Economic Alliance Academy, Small Business Development Center, and Leadership Atlanta.

She is a sought after speaker for Criminal Justice students throughout the United States. She mentors youth, many women, new business owners, and aspiring security professionals. She believes that God chose her to go through many challenges and obstacles before allowing her to succeed. Her motivation is faith, commitment to change, and the responsibility to give back.

Mary Parker is the founder of the Mary Parker Foundation non-profit organization that is committed to uplifting humanity. The foundation aims to foster those imperative and principal fundamentals that are essential to lifelong learning. Signature programs include education, entrepreneurship and re-entry. Each program has been strategically designed to ensure all participants are placed on an assured and measurable pathway to success. A curriculum and program guide has been developed that empowers, enriches and motivates each participant, positioning them to attain key results. We are committed to “Raising Other Generations”. Mary Parker truly understands that to whom much is given, much is required.

Mary Parker is an ordained Minister. She is the mother of one daughter, Chana and 3 adorable granddaughters, Amber, Essence, and Jada.

 

 

Joseph Hudson with Hudson Strategic Group

One of GMSDC’s original founders, Mr. Joe Hudson, joined us for a hallmark day at our studios in Atlantic Station. We could not have been privileged with a more appropriate guest on the morning of our Annual Meeting at The Coca-Cola Company headquarters. In this interview, Mr. Hudson recants the history of Georgia minority, the tribulations and the obstacles to market experienced. We engage in a healthy discussion of the needed resources for Georgia minorities from the perspective of a key player in the history and in the materialization of the MBE vision for supplier diversity in Georgia. Tune in!

 

Joseph Hudson / Hudson Strategic Group Facebook

“My focus is to work with small black businesses. God has prepared me to help people and I want to help my community. My experience is unique and it has evolved in ways most people don’t have a chance to experience” he explains. “Black businesses organizations, and the entire Black community get short changed for a variety of reasons. Some of that has to do with the views of black business- which are generally negative. Those views are also an extension of opinions many have about black people. The only way to change those negative opinions is through an education involving changing from a social discussion to an economic one.

Joe has recently written a book entitled: CITIworks and The 5% Solution Strategy. This book provides a strategy and method to involve Black businesses in the revitalization of inner city communities. It is a result of his over 40 years of community involvement experience. He is former head of the Interracial council for Business Development, founder and former President of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, former President and current Vice Chair for Public Policy of the Atlanta Business League. Additionally, he is a nationally recognized expert on corporate Supplier Diversity development and former columnist on Small Business.