Atlanta’s #1 Small Business Experts
Jim Shumake – Keeping Atlanta Festivals Alive
Jim Shumake / Principal Owner of Atlanta Creative Events & Executive Director of The Street Food Coalition
Jim Shumake spent years in the restaurant industry before deciding to open a food truck. Once he did, the process led him to a new, unexpected career path.
“As we were struggling the first year, there were event organizers that we’d pay to help us find events,” Shumake said. “I was going to these events that were … not great. I started to think, well, I can do this better. So, I started to organize small food truck events that got larger and larger over time.”
Jay Kuhlman – How to Grow and Connect with Your Customer Base
Jay Kuhlman / President of Listen360 & Qiigo
As President of Listen360 and Qiigo, Jay Kuhlman leads business operations that support over 40,000 locations worldwide and some of the largest franchise and multi-unit brands in the nation.
Before joining EverCommerce’s growing network of leading brands, Jay spent 12 years as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Assima PLC, also serving on the company’s Board of Directors. He led the day-to-day operations, including integrating its software and services business, marketing, and technical operations. During his tenure, Jay revitalized Assima’s go-to-market strategies, producing its fastest-growing and most extensive business unit. read more…
Melanie McGriff – Speech Therapy & Overcoming Communication Barriers
Melanie McGriff / Owner of Kid’s Creek Therapy
Melanie McGriff, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is owner, executive director, and practicing speech therapist at Kid’s Creek Therapy. Since 1992, she has worked with many children in a variety of settings including the school system, home health, and private clinics specializing in pediatrics. She previously served on the board of lead speech language pathologists SLPs) in Atlanta for public schools. Melanie enjoys teaching and mentoring new therapists, and previously taught introductory courses in speech pathology at the University of West Georgia read more…
Kristi Janman – Bringing Joy Through the Power of Cake
Kristi Janman / Owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes
Kristi comes from a long career in the global hospitality industry doing strategic finance before starting her business and opening her first Nothing Bundt Cakes in Kennesaw. She is a native Georgian, graduated from Georgia State University and is licensed CPA. She is an active member of the Cobb Chamber, served on the board for the Honorary Commanders Program and is on the Board for the Smyrna Area Council. read more…
Rick Meekins – Take Your Business to the Next Level
Rick Meekins / Owner of Aepiphanni Business Consulting
Over the past 30 years I’ve started a number of companies and consulted for many more across a number of industries. I have a passion for working with small businesses with the goal of helping owners and entrepreneurs develop effective infrastructures and strategies that will enable and support business growth. I enjoy working with individuals whose work is focused on bringing their unique gifts, abilities, ideas, passions and inventions to the marketplace. I have never been satisfied with the idea of helping to maintain the status quo; I always strive to help them find ways to stand out. read more…
Dave Chambless – How to Navigate the Closing Table
Dave Chambless / President of Abraxas Business Services
Dave Chambless is the president of Abraxas Business Services, Inc. (www.abraxas.biz).Abraxas provides integrated services to first-time sellers (and buyers) of businesses with revenues of $5- to $30-million, with a focus on businesses in the manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, technology, and services industries. The firm differentiates itself by the experiences and skills of the Abraxas team, by the methodologies it has built to drive the process of selling a business, and by the quality of advice its professionals provide their clients. read more…
Michael Kohler – Expanding Your Business in the Midst of a Pandemic
Michael Kohler / CEO & Co-Founder of SEDA Laser Hair Removal
Michael Kohler is CEO & Co-Founder of SEDA Laser Hair Removal. Prior to this, Michael had over 20 years experience in the highly-competitive technology sales & services industry. He started his career as a sales rep, which eventually led him into management for a global technology company, where he quickly learned he had a passion for developing sales professionals into high-level performers. read more…
Joshua Allen, Philip Bervig, & Phillip Susi – Growing Your Money Your Way
Joshua Allen / Partner & Director at TCP Asset Management
As a Founding Partner and Director of TCP Asset Management, Josh is charged with leading a team of wealth advisors in practice management, business development, & innovative planning solutions. These solutions have provided our clients with the resources and flexibility needed to deliver a personalized financial planning experience that is fluid and dynamic. Josh and his team have developed and refined a process that is comprehensive in nature and ties together: investment management, risk management, retirement income planning, estate planning, business and family legacy planning, and philanthropy. This exclusive process allows them to put together all the pieces of the financial puzzle for their clients as their lives unfold and be engaged when their needs evolve. read more…
Jeff Uphues & Bill Thomson – The Best Way to Secure Your Company Data
Jeff Uphues / CEO of DC BLOX
Jeff leads DC BLOX as a proven C-Level executive with deep expertise in hybrid cloud services, data center infrastructure and operations of communication networks. He is responsible for setting and leading the company’s strategy in building and operating a fabric of edge connected, cloud enabled data centers and driving the growth and profitability of best-in-class infrastructure for digital services. read more…
Brad Stevens – Leading the Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Atlanta and How it Impacted His Business
Brad Stevens / President of the EO Atlanta Chapter & CEO of Outsource Access
Brad Stevens is 7-year EO Member and 2020/21 President for the EO Atlanta Chapter. He is a lifetime entrepreneur and CEO of Outsource Access, an offshore virtual services firm that he built to over 100 staff in less than a year. He walks-the-walk with expertise on scaling, automation, outsourcing and high-performance virtual teams. read more…
Kriston Sellier – How to Create Your Brand & Bolster Your Website
Kriston Sellier / Owner of id8 Branding Agency
Kriston Sellier has owned id8, an award-winning branding agency, for 20 years. She has helped companies big, small, local and global to find their brand voice and to succeed in a crowded and competitive market. Kriston searches for ways to grow and challenge herself and her team. This tenacity has brought success time and time again to id8, including a spot in the 2020 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year | Cobb Chamber, the Top 25 Best Small Businesses in Working Mother magazine, and numerous awards from Graphic Design USA and AGDA. read more…