Let's Talk Small Business

Georgia Power, A Southern Company    Cartrell Watts has a 25 year career with the Southern Company System. He began his career as a Distribution Engineer with Mississippi Power Company (MPC) in 1990. In 1994, he transferred to Georgia Power Company’s (GPC) Commercial & Industrial Sales Organization. Over the past twenty-one (21) years, he has served in various positions including field sales, key account sales, staff analyst, team lead, and first line supervisor. Today, he serves as a C & I Project Manager for the Corporate Marketing and Sales Support Organization supporting statewide end use sales. Cartrell earned an Electrical Engineering degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA.   He is an Engineer-In-Training (E.I.T); Certified Energy Manager (C.E.M.); and holds a Competent Communicator (CC) designation from Toastmasters International. Monica Pearson is a communicator who works successfully with customers, peers and leadership to produce impressive results in varied work climates. She demonstrates the rare combination of being able both to lead teams and to be a valuable participant of a team. She has become a respected member of the Energy Systems team of Georgia Power since she joined the group in 2000. She is originally from Huntsville, AL and earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. Currently, as an Energy Systems Engineer, Monica works with the Sales Team to provide technical support for sales efforts as well as energy efficiency opportunities for our large commercial and industrial customers. Specific areas of focus with external customers have been in lighting, HVAC systems / energy management systems, and compressed air leak surveys. She is actively involved in working the Energy Efficiency Organization Training team to help develop and provide training courses for the Sales organization in areas of lighting technology and commercial auditing. She provides hands on training on how to complete an audit as well as the analysis for many of our co-op and new employees. Monica’s experience also includes a one year developmental rotation with the Tactical Marketing team. In this role she created and managed sales campaigns while engaging various organizations internally as well as external resources. She served as an active contributor to the Customer Service and Sales Safety Program and the Facilitation Selection team. Her prior experiences working across industries enrich her contributions to process improvement, strategic planning and people issues. Monica’s professional development includes completing her MBA from Georgia State, acquiring her Certified Energy Management (CEM) certification, and along participating in several internal and external training courses. Vickie Irwin is a Supplier Development Project Manager supporting Georgia Power’s corporate business units. She holds a BBA degree in Accounting from Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, GA, and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Vickie is involved in all aspects of supplier diversity and is also Georgia Power’s representative and coordinator to GMSDC.    

David Simpkins / Southern Petroleum Resources  David Simpkins is President and CEO of Southern Petroleum Resources(SPR), LLC, a Certified Minority bulk fuel supplier that provides ULSD and Dyed diesel fuel, gasoline, lubricants, and fuel additives to the trucking, construction, City, State, Federal and convenience store industry. Also supplying aviation fuel & Av gas to airports and the Airline Industry.Currently licensed to do business in Georgia, Ohio, Florida, California, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama. We have added mobile fueling to our services. SPR are proud members of GMSDC, Minority Suppliers Council, SIGMA, Independent Fuel Markets Association, Atlanta Business League and NBAA, National Business Aviation Association.

Paul Williams / Greenspeed Energy Solutions  Mr. Williams is currently the President and CEO of Greenspeed Energy Solutions, LLC, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Greenspeed Energy designs and installs energy efficiency solutions for commercial and industrial buildings. Services include lighting and mechanical efficiency upgrades, energy audits, and solar PV. He is the former COO of Global Energy Group, and previously co-founded The Wheatstone Energy Group in 1992, where he served as President & CEO until 2006. Board memberships include GreenWave Partners, LLC, an energy efficient lighting manufacturer, and is a past member of the Board of Trustees for the Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for Georgia Green Power, Inc. and Georgia Green, LLC, and a former member of the Advisory Board of MCC Energy Advisors, an investment fund specializing in emerging energy services and technologies. Mr. Williams is a member of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), American Solar Energy Society (ASES), Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM); received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Auburn University and earned his Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.    

Jim Earley and Steve Morton / Georgia Power, A Southern Company    Jim Earley is an Energy Systems Team Manager with Georgia Power, A Southern Company. Jim is a Professional Engineer and graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. As a 30 year employee of Georgia Power he currently manages the Energy Systems team that performs commercial and industrial audits statewide. Steve Morton is a Commercial Energy Efficiency Program Manager for Georgia Power Company.  In this role, Steve has responsibility for implementation and oversight of energy efficiency measures for the Commercial market.  These measures include high efficiency lighting, HVAC, thermal envelope, and other electric equipment measures. Steve has 32 years of experience with Georgia Power Company.    

Tracy Copeland / AT&T Tracy Copeland is Senior Contract Manager with AT&T. Tracy has significant experience in the area of Supplier Diversity and has represented AT&T as Corporate Supplier Diversity Ambassador for the past 12 years. She has met with both Prime Suppliers and Minority Women Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises at various national and local trade shows to explain the corporate requirements, contracting process, and to introduce contracting opportunities within AT&T. In 2014 she was voted IT Buyer of the Year by the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. Tracy is a honor graduate of Hampton University with a degree in Political Science and received her Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Technology and Information Policy from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.    

Manish Madan / Systel Technology Services Systel Technology Services is an IT services company providing IT Services and Staffing solutions to some of the largest System Integrators and Fortune 1000 companies. With over 500 employees globally, Systel prides itself in long tenured relationships with its clients. IT Staffing continues to be the core foot in the door strategy for US clients, helping Systel to gradually move up the value chain to IT Services. Systel plans to invest and grow in the Media & Entertainment vertical, and the Healthcare vertical, with its Staffing, Services and Product & Platform investments. With disruption being the way of life today, Systel recognizes the need for evolution in its industries and is now also focused on building disruptive business models supported by technology driven platforms. In its staffing business Systel focuses on staying abreast with building a talent pool proactively that its customers would need in the near future. Systel also differentiates itself by focusing on client relations, and it has successfully adopted a philosophy of a few and deep rooted relations. In the IT Services space, Systel recently completed an e-Governance project implementation digitizing all government services through a common web-front for the citizens of a state. This has won them several accolades, and Systel is now proposing to rollout the same integrated e-Governance platforms in several countries in Asia and Africa. In the product & platform space Systel recently beta launched a digital content delivery platform for celebrities to build and manage their brands that can be monetized. Systel believes disruption is the only way to progress, and continues to find ways to disrupt the as-is in its space. Systel was recognized last year as the Supplier of the Year, at the prestigious Spirit of Alliance awards of GMSDC. Manish Madan, the CEO of Systel, also graduated out of the very coveted Georgia Mentor Protégé Program last year, and was recognized for his “Winning Spirit” during the program. Manish and Systel love Georgia and have made it home after moving here almost a decade ago. They are actively involved in the community, and support other MBEs and the MBE ecosystem. Ramesh Maturu / Pyramid Consulting, Inc.    As a co-founder and President of Pyramid Consulting, Inc., Ramesh Maturu is responsible for developing and strengthening Pyramid’s Solutions practice and global software development capabilities. He began his IT career in the document processing industry in 1986, solving problems for financial institutions across the globe. Over the years, he’s consulted with numerous technology systems integrator and product companies, developing an invaluable global business perspective. Ramesh received a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University in Hyderabad, India. He earned a master’s of science degree in automation and control engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. Pyramid Consulting provides rewarding career opportunities for Consultants and enables our Clients to become more agile and competitive through the innovative use of technology, people and process. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Pyramid supports our Client partners around the world, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union and India through a combination of local offices and global delivery. Our Staffing division places top technology professionals in contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire and SOW / Statement of Work based positions with industry leaders and innovative start-ups that are developing the next generation of technology solutions. Pyramid’s flexible cost-effective delivery models feature dedicated account teams, skill-based recruiters and proven systems and processes. Our Consultant care teams are unique in the industry and ensure a satisfactory assignment for both Consultant and Client. We are a top-tier staff augmentation provider in a wide range of MSP programs, and in VMS environments. Pyramid has been recognized as one of the Largest and Fastest Growing Staffing Firms as ranked by Staffing Industry Analysts. Our Solutions division specializes in getting companies past the bottlenecks. With knowledge and experience of the entire IT lifecycle, we help enterprises streamline core IT processes and augment their competitive advantage. Pyramid’s global delivery model harnesses productive tools, agile methodologies, iterative processes and expert frameworks to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions. Drawing on the talents and insights of our people in offices around the world, we combine unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across many industries and business processes, and fresh thinking to generate innovative solutions. Pyramid understands that the innovation and creativity required to develop the next generation of business solutions is driven by exposure to new ideas, dissimilar ways of thinking, and different approaches to problem solving that add to the bottom-line. As a certified MBE, Pyramid fosters and supports Supplier and Workforce Diversity and Inclusion programs. In 2014, Pyramid was recognized at the GMSDC Spirit of Alliance awards with the prestigious Supplier of the Year. The company remains committed to paying forward this recognition by mentoring and supporting the success of other MBEs and by supporting charitable organizations in the communities where they do business. Alisa Clark / Glory Professional Cleaning    

Jose Solis / La Chiquita Tortilla Manufacturer In the 1970’s, Marcelino and Juana Solis owned a Mexican restaurant in Atlanta. At the time, Atlanta was limited to only one tortilla factory-the product of which Marcelino and Juana found lacking. Due to this lack of quality, the couple decided to start making their own tortillas for their restaurant. They were pleasantly surprised by the high demand for authentic, quality tortilla and chips. This eventually lead to the couple becoming involved in the production of tortillas and chips as a business. Because of their extensive experience in managing restaurants, Marcelino and Juana have the unique perspective of understanding customer needs. This understanding has given the couple much success. Today, La Chiquita Tortilla Manufacturer sells over one million cases annually, and is distributed by all major food service distributors. Tony De Feria / TDeferiaMedia, Inc.  Tony De Feria is president of tdeferiamedia, inc. TDM, Inc. is brand management company that offers a wide array of creative and business management services. Tony is a bi-lingual media executive that offers hands-on and strategic expertise. He launched tdeferiamedia, inc. in 2007 after a successful career in the newspaper business. TDM, Inc, is made up of a diverse group of consultants with expertise in a variety of areas. The group serves as an outsourced entity capable of managing a variety of efforts, that grow market share and increase ROI by specializing, focusing and managing marketing, communications and business operations for numerous clients. Since 2007 the company have created strategic marketing plans, videos, websites and a variety of publications all while netting clients an average 35% return on investment.    

Ralph Moore / Ralph G. Moore & Associates Ralph G. Moore, CPA, is president of Ralph G. Moore & Associates (RGMA) and is recognized as one of the world’s foremost thought-leaders in the area of supplier diversity and minority business development. A former accountant at Arthur Andersen & Co., Mr. Moore was Vice President of Chicago Community Ventures, a Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Company (MESBIC) and Controller for Parker House Sausage Company before establishing RGMA in 1979. Mr. Moore has been the lead trainer for the National Minority Supplier Development Council for over 20 years. During that period Mr. Moore has conducted over 100 seminars for the National office as well as 22 of the Regional Councils which has resulted in RGMA having trained more supplier diversity professionals than any other firm worldwide. Companies and institutions such as Walmart, The Walt Disney Company, the University of Chicago, Major League Baseball and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors have engaged the services of RGMA. Mr. Moore is the author of the RGMA Five Levels of Supplier Diversity which has been embraced as the gold standard for benchmarking supplier diversity initiatives. His global assignments include conducting seminars in South Africa, France, United Kingdom and Canada. Mr. Moore is also a member of the Procter and Gamble and Macy’s Supplier Diversity Advisory Councils. Mr. Moore has received numerous awards and recognitions during his distinguished career including the Ron Brown Award from the Chicago Minority Business Development Council and the prestigious National Minority Supplier Development Council Leadership Award which is the organization’s highest honor awarded to a CEO of a minority business enterprise. In recognition of a lifetime of contributions to minority business development, Mr. Moore was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame at the University of Washington in April of this year. Karmetria Burton / Delta Air Lines Karmetria Dunham Burton is general manager, supplier diversity for Delta Air Lines. In this position she is responsible for developing a Supplier Diversity program while enhancing the processes to assist the company to achieve its vision of being an industry leader of making minority and women owned business (MWBEs) a natural and integral part of the way the company does business. Karmetria has worked in strategic sourcing at Xerox and AT&T. Before Delta, Karmetria was supplier diversity manager for IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group). Karmetria was the 2005 recipient of the Trailblazer Award presented by the Black Business Professionals and Entrepreneurs organization and is a Who’s Who of Black Atlanta in 2010. She is a contributing writer for MBE magazine that focuses on minority business development. Karmetria holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Southern University-Baton Rouge, La., and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska. Mrs. Burton has instructed business, procurement and diversity related courses at Kennesaw State University as well as Shorter College, Strayer University, Georgia State University and Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y.        

Sylvia Nealy David / Human & Technology Capital Advisors, LLC  James Warren / B&S Electric Supply Co., Inc.     Florena Oliver / GMSDC        

Dr. Robert Wright / SENTEL Corporation    With almost 50 years of experience in government, business, finance, politics and project management, Dr. Wright is one of the most highly-respected and well-regarded business leaders of his generation. He presently serves as Chairman and CEO of FE Holdings, Inc., a firm dedicated to the investment and growth of private and public sector companies. He is also the Chairman Emeritus of SENTEL Corporation, a government contracting company headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and serves as a current member of its Senior Advisory Board. Prior to his most recent leadership roles, Dr. Wright founded Dimensions International, Inc. (DI), a provider of technology solutions to the government and private sectors. DI conducted organizational and direct support maintenance on a variety of Army, Navy, and Marine Corps equipment, and also worked with the Department of the Army to develop new logistics innovation concepts, as well as policy and doctrine. In addition, DI provided depot-level repair and logistics support services for Navy/Marine Corps Aviation Support Equipment at selected CONUS sites. Dr. Wright later served as Chairman of Flight Explorer (FE), which he purchased from DI prior to the Honeywell acquisition. FE is a global flight tracking, information technology and communications solutions provider to the business, aviation and traveler community. He also maintained a vested interest in Sentel Corporation, another wholly-owned subsidiary of DI that was acquired before the Honeywell acquisition. Dr. Wright sold FE to Sabre Technologies in 2008, but remains Chairman Emeritus of Sentel Corporation. He later created FE Holdings, Inc., a private investment company, and continues to serve as Chairman and CEO. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Dr. Wright was appointed by President Reagan to the position of Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he managed the office of Minority Small Business/Capital Ownership Development (MSB/COD) to foster business ownership and to promote competitive viability of eligible socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. Dr. Wright also served three consecutive terms as a member of the Columbus, Georgia City Council. He was directly responsible for Council District 2, with a population of approximately 50,000 people. He developed and supported legislation related to housing, recreation, employment, industrial development, and street and highway improvements.    

Small business owners these days often do not have much residual time to invest in the procurement of knowledge about the current Affordable Healthcare Act, and its impact on their business. In this LTSB we speak to Dr. Lenore T. Coleman about the new reform, how it will impact small businesses, and the importance that employee health plays on employer productivity and cost. Meet Dr. Lenore T. Coleman. Dr. Coleman is the purveyor Healing Our Village, and the advocate of two important precepts in her service line: 1) The management of chronic disease through programming and wellness leaders, and, 2) The importance of data procurement for minority populations in clinical trials. Dr. Coleman does not just cater to the Georgia market, she has 2 other locations in DC, and LA. As a small business owner herself, Dr. Coleman understands the importance of employee health, the idea, she says, is to engage employees in a health program that, ultimately, not only lowers the overall cost of health for the employer, but increases employee productivity. Dr. Coleman is engaged with several institutions on furthering this initiatives throughout her 3 locations (Atlanta, DC, and LA), the most notable in Georgia being Morehouse, which is one of the largest physician’s groups in the state. Although Dr. Coleman has only been in Atlanta for 3 years, her practice has been around for 15 years altogether. That, coupled with her doctorate, also makes her a veritable well of knowledge for what the Affordable Healthcare Act really means for small businesses. Atlanta, considered the national hub of Medical IT, she suggests, would benefit greatly from the new Medicaid act. “Medicaid,” she says, “increases the number of clinics and expands the number of people who can enroll in the program,” which opens up the number of jobs for people in the IT medical field. Today, with telehealth, technological advancements, and the constant influx of innovation in the field, the expanded opportunities are endless. Ultimately, this LTSB brims with education and information on the benefits of how to raise the bar for employees and their health, and provides vital clarification on the hot topic of healthcare reform for small businesses. Dr. Lenore T. Coleman / Healing Our Village Lenore T. Coleman, Pharm.D., CDE, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1979. She completed an ASHP approved residency in Ambulatory Care at the USC School of Pharmacy in 1980. Since that time, in every practice setting, Dr. Coleman has developed innovative programs to address medication adherence and barriers to health for minority populations. Dr. Coleman has been a practicing pharmacist for over 30 years. She has worked as a clinical pharmacist in the acute care, ambulatory care and community pharmacy setting Within each of those practice settings, Dr. Coleman has focused on the care and management of people with diabetes and heart disease with a special focus on African Americans and Latinos. Dr. Coleman holds the title of Adjunct Professor, Xavier College of Pharmacy and is the past Director of Diabetes Research for the Health Disparities Center of Excellence. She is also a Research Fellow, Center of Excellence, Howard University School of Pharmacy. In 2001, Dr. Coleman founded Total Lifestyle Change, Inc. (TLC) and is currently the Executive Director and CEO. TLC a non-profit service organization (501 3 c ) and has most recently gotten the IRS designation as a pubic charity. Dedicated to eliminating health care disparities in ethnic populations www.tlc-global.org TLC has two primary programs that are provided in the US and abroad. Project FAITH is a church based program that provides wellness screening and educational workshop.   Operation DETECT is a Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program that is provided to Community-Based Organizations. Dr. Coleman is currently the President and Founder of Healing Our Village of Maryland, Inc. (HOV) www.healingourvillage.com). HOV provides minority recruitment for clinical research trials as well as a medication therapy management and health education programming in physician offices, urban hospitals and community health clinics. In March 1996, Dr. Coleman became a Fellow of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists which represents sustained excellence in a practice area for more than 10 years. Dr. Coleman has 15 publications and provides professional training in the United States, Nigeria, Trinidad, USVI and Jamaica.    

How will opportunities in Georgia be affected by the changing landscape of healthcare? This question concerns practically every small business across the country. In this edition, we are joined by the Director of Supplier Diversity from one of the top medical institutions in the nation—Mr. Todd Gray, of Grady— and by an MBE that is capitalizing on a burgeoning field in healthcare/pharma— Alita Anderson, MD of Eubio Medical, a medical communications firm. The opportunities, according to Grady, are great. In the next two years alone, Grady plans on creating 132 jobs, and Gray expects the minority inclusion on that to be 30%– an exceptional number for any organization. Grady plans on doing this through several initiatives, including a GMSDC partnership and through expanding the list of services and products that it will pull from (marketing, IT, untraditional suppliers, GOPs, etc.). His dialogue teems with advice such as: Remember Healthcare is NOT fee-driven, but all about quality outcome Think about strategic partnerships before setting your sights on a large bid 2nd tier does not mean 2nd class And consider how supplier rationalization factors in On the other side of the field of medical/healthcare, meet Alita Anderson, MD. Alita found a need and turned it into an opportunity for her small business, Eubio Medical. In the growing field of healthcare, there are so many moving parts that the need for a clear voice is essential, and an overarching, clear vision is imperative. That’s where Alita comes in. Her firm, comprised of a virtual “A-Team” of professionals in scientific backgrounds, come in and facilitate a conversation with stakeholders about the product or service to reveal what is important about the data and she then comes up with “credible and compelling” communication surrounding that item or service. Once she gleans and crystalizes that information, she provides training to the professionals that need it, so that everyone in the system is up to speed on the critical facts. Overall, through the lens of a supplier diversity professional from a large organization, and an entrepreneur who created a successful firm out of the need she saw as an opportunity, we learn that there are real, and concrete opportunities on the horizon in healthcare—we just have to go out and look for them. Todd Gray / Grady Health System Alita Anderson, MD / Eubio Medical Communications  Alita Anderson, MD is Principal of Eubio Medical Communications, a team of physicians, scientists, writers and designers that inspires clients to communicate medical and scientific information both credibly and compellingly. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale University School of Medicine Alita combines her passion for science, her love of the written word and her desire to positively impact other’s lives in her leadership of Eubio.      

On June 23rd we were joined by Mr. Kevin Mobley of the Ian Thomas Group. With the focus of Cyber Security this month in the Chamber of Commerce, the GMSDC wanted to highlight the real threats and benefits involved in securing organizational data. A veteran in the security space, we could not have chosen a better candidate than Mr. Kevin Mobley to speak on the evolution of cyber security throughout the years, and best practices for companies of any size. Knowledge about your company’s cyber and software security, Mobley says, is not something CEO’s have the luxury of being absolved from knowing these days. CEO’s need to be aware of just how important it is to keep their systems secure, how to keep them secure, as well as where the real dangers lie. Mr. Mobley talks to us about his fascinating real-life experiences with major organizations, banks, federal agencies, and small businesses alike. Through an extensive tenure in development and IT, he has seen the results of bad security- from stock prices falling, loss of confidence, to stakeholder pull-out, the cautionary stories are varied, and plenty, he warns. A huge proponent of being pro-active and building checks and balances into your systems to secure your accounts, whether that be your personal email accounts, your software, or your hardware, the take away from this segment is clear: identifying the weaknesses in your system should be every company’s imperative. Kevin Mobley / The Ian Thomas Group, LLC  Kevin Mobley is a Six Sigma Black Belt with over twenty years of experience creating software systems for Fortune 1000 companies in the entertainment, financial services, government, retail and travel sectors. Kevin Mobley is the Chief Executive Officer of The Ian Thomas Group, LLC (ITg). ITG provides strategic and tactical software performance engineering and deployment services to organizations deploying complex software systems — solving the types of complex performance problems that have recently plagued Healthcare.gov. The services of The Ian Thomas Group are being leveraged by Bank of America, Capital One and AT&T during the replacement and management of their enterprise software. Engineering teams led by Mr. Mobley have managed the performance engineering of complex multi?tier systems of more than 100 customer implementations. Mr. Mobley’s teams have rewritten the core components of software architectures with increases in performance of several by more than 1300%. Mr. Mobley has a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from George Mason University and Masters of Science in Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech.      

On June 16th Cyber Security edition of Let’s Talk Small Business we are joined by the dynamic Mr. Charles Weems. Mr. Weems, an engineer by trade and business owner of Weems Design Studio, a full-service IT company, comes to us with some insightful personal stories on his encounters with cyber security and the underbelly of the data security world. In this sweeping look at IT security we cover everything from the identity theft black market, to hacker protocol, to the perils of emergent tech.       Mr. Weems stresses two main proponents for small businesses: 1) Work with a network administrator 2) Have a tiered process for any important data transfers Click on the audio above to hear why! Charles Weems / Weems Design Studio, Inc.    

In this edition of Let’s Talk Small Business we speak with Manish Madan. His successful minority business enterprise, Systel, a certified MBE for 3 years, joins us to dialogue about IT in the highly competitive Georgia market. Being a GMSDC member for 3 years, Madan testifies, has been an immense help in growing and providing guidance for his business. The Mentor Protégé Connection, a program Madan is also part of, is another program that provides invaluable tutelage and tools for small businesses to scale their capacity and form partnerships in Georgia. Staying relevant is another focus for Systel. Madan’s many projects all revolve around this precept. Amongst those, a B2B network for minority businesses is in the pipeline, a digital content platform for celebrities, and creating the next “Uber for Staffing” is all part of the exciting line of innovative solutions he currently is working on. You have to stay abreast of the market’s needs, and anticipate, anticipate, anticipate! Some take-aways from this segment are: Understanding the “Internet of Things” Disruption is a step in evolution—embrace it Focus on 3 main tenets in your business (e.g. employee satisfaction, customer focus, and innovation) Ultimately, Manish’s story is not only a segment that sheds light on how a small business can set itself apart from the fray in a saturated market and field, but is a personal testament to how a small business can leverage in-state programming, and the support of one of the best minority council’s in the nation. Manish Madan / Systel Technology Services Systel Technology Services is an IT services company providing IT Services and Staffing solutions to some of the largest System Integrators and Fortune 1000 companies. With over 500 employees globally, Systel prides itself in long tenured relationships with its clients. IT Staffing continues to be the core foot in the door strategy for US clients, helping Systel to gradually move up the value chain to IT Services. Systel plans to invest and grow in the Media & Entertainment vertical, and the Healthcare vertical, with its Staffing, Services and Product & Platform investments. With disruption being the way of life today, Systel recognizes the need for evolution in its industries and is now also focused on building disruptive business models supported by technology driven platforms. In its staffing business Systel focuses on staying abreast with building a talent pool proactively that its customers would need in the near future. Systel also differentiates itself by focusing on client relations, and it has successfully adopted a philosophy of a few and deep rooted relations. In the IT Services space, Systel recently completed an e-Governance project implementation digitizing all government services through a common web-front for the citizens of a state. This has won them several accolades, and Systel is now proposing to rollout the same integrated e-Governance platforms in several countries in Asia and Africa. In the product & platform space Systel recently beta launched a digital content delivery platform for celebrities to build and manage their brands that can be monetized. Systel believes disruption is the only way to progress, and continues to find ways to disrupt the as-is in its space. Systel was recognized last year as the Supplier of the Year, at the prestigious Spirit of Alliance awards of GMSDC. Manish Madan, the CEO of Systel, also graduated out of the very coveted Georgia Mentor Protégé Program last year, and was recognized for his “Winning Spirit” during the program. Manish and Systel love Georgia and have made it home after moving here almost a decade ago. They are actively involved in the community, and support other MBEs and the MBE ecosystem.    

This interview with Geoff Kho is a case study in a company that thrives in a niche market through meticulous execution, thoughtful approach and, as Mr. Kho says, “Work[ing] on your company, not in your company.” This interview touches on market innovation, product differentiation and staying true to your company’s end-goal. Innovation is something that Mr. Kho has lots of experience in as well, which is made evident throughout the interview with comments that both encourage and advise. “Stick close to your knitting,” and, “Don’t innovate too far beyond what you know in 1 giant step.” Innovation, he warns, must also make sense for a company. Product differentiation, Mr. Kho proffers, is yet another imperative to any successful company. Starbucks, he claims, is a prime example. How did Starbucks differentiate itself in a throng of coffee shops? “It created a Piazza.” It branded itself as a true boutique coffee shop that offered those amenities (such as wi-fi) that went hand-in-hand with coffee, and they brought all of these complimentary elements together under one roof. This, amongst several other things, brought a level of convenience, differentiation, and, of course, success that set it apart from every other coffee shop out there. An advocate for small businesses, Kho identifies what he sees are the challenges and solutions for small businesses moving forward. Namely: Challenges being: human capital, money, tyranny of customization, and competition. Solutions: education, connections, and access to capital. Kho is an advocate of small business education, and the proprietor of an innovative chemical manufacturing company that started in 1988, which has since grown by leaps and bounds. An inspirational interview with an MBE who has made more than chemistry a science—but has made success one, as well. Geoff Kho / Supreme Resources, Inc.    

On this Let’s Talk Small Business we discuss the upcoming 2015 GMSDC Business Opportunity Expo with Florena Oliver, Vice President of Operations at GMSDC. With 7 years at the organization, Ms. Oliver has first-hand knowledge about how to get the most out of a GMSDC event. Being that the Business Opportunity Expo is one of the oldest and longest running event in the Southeast, it is a prestigious and affluent event to kick-start your networking initiatives for the year. Not sure you have what it takes to network with Corporate America? Listen in on what it takes to start building those relationships, and capacity by leveraging the Business Opportunity Expo in 2015. Florena Oliver / GMSDC                      

Join us in a conversation with a certified MBE of 28 years. Ms. Livia Whisenhunt is great GMSDC case study on the advantages of being a member. On this episode of Let’s Talk Small Business, Ms. Livia Whisenhunt talks to us about what it means to invest in your future pipeline and the real impact of grabbing an executive’s attention with an elevator speech. A timely conversation to have in light of our Business Opportunity Expo coming up on May 4th-5th, where an elevator speech is truly a key induction into future opportunities. For corporates- maximizing your investment with suppliers is explored, and the advantage of getting to know your suppliers. “Don’t think you won’t learn from your potential customers- they may teach you.” A great conversation for MBE’s and Corporates alike. Livia Whisenhunt / PS Energy Group                    

Archie Jones / NOWaccount Network Corporation    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    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.      

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    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.