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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





Lance Weatherby with nCrowd, Lisa Decker with Divorce Money Matters, Bob Littell with Netweaving and Bob Van Orden with Clearleap

Lance Weatherby/nCrowd

Lance Weatherby is the COO of nCrowd, Inc. Previously Lance was a Startup Catalyst with the Advanced Technology Development Center, a startup accelerator at Georgia Tech. Lance has experience with both early stage and high growth startups. He has held executive business development, marketing and general management positions at CipherTrust, EarthLink, and MindSpring. He can be found online at Force of Good, a popular blog covering Atlanta startup and technology news.

nCrowd provides online customer acquisition for local merchants. With over 2 million consumer members across America, nCrowd expands online reach and improves retention for local merchants by leveraging its proprietary Automated Internet Marketing engine. nCrowd has demonstrated its ability to play the role of consolidator in the growing online local marketing industry. Based in Atlanta, nCrowd is funded by Noro-Moseley Partners, BLH Venture Partners, and Linch Capital.

Lisa Decker/Divorce Money Matters

Lisa C. Decker, Strategic Divorce Advisor™ is a woman who has overcome the overwhelming in her own life and as a result, she really understands what her clients are going through and how to best serve them.

As a discreet problem-solver she helps clients move from confusion to clarity in their divorce guiding them — step-by-step — from contemplation through completion while helping them save their money and their sanity in the process.

As the Founder and CEO of Divorce Financial Insight, LLC d/b/a Divorce Money Matters, her passion and intense desire to help guide and inspire others has led her to create innovative ways to help people through the challenges of divorce in a better, not bitter way, while steering them to a superior outcome in the end.

Bob Littell/Netweaving

A significant number of Business Executives, Owners, Professionals, Coaches, Consultants and Advisors, as well as Community Leaders, who have already experienced the power of a concept known as “NetWeaving”, have joined forces to celebrate the 4th Annual “NetWeaving – Pay It Forward Week” in Atlanta and now expanded to all of Georgia  – April 15-19, and especially Thursday, April 18 which is now being celebrated around the world as “International Pay It Forward Day”.

The key action step of NetWeaving involves ’hosting’ meetings to introduce two people who the NetWeaver believes would benefit knowing each other with their needs and interests in mind.  Then instead of looking to have the favor returned, the NetWeaver host asks each to simply  ‘pay it forward’ and agree to  host a subsequent meeting introducing two others.

Bob Van Orden/Clearleap

Bob Van Orden is Vice President, Corporate and Business Development, for Clearleap, an innovative leader providing new choices in technology and technology services to Video Content Providers, Video Service Providers, and other companies in the multiscreen video space.

Clearleap is the emerging leader in digital video logistics for multiscreen TV. Clearleap offers a best in class, data center driven software and services platform with fully featured workflow management, media processing, and distribution solution, plus authentication and services management to enable and accelerate the delivery of IP multiscreen services.

Bob secures partnerships and new customer deals that strategically position Clearleap as a technology and business leader in this space. Partnerships include technology / technology services solutions, cable and television networks, advertising companies,  service providers, device and apps innovators, as well as potential investment opportunities.


 

 

Gary Wheeler with The Virtual HR Director, Michelle Matthews with Matthews Consulting Group, Graham Taylor with VoiceNation, and Cristina Lara and Sofia Lazaro with AIESEC

Gary Wheeler/The Virtual HR Director, LLC 

Gary is the founder and owner of The Virtual HR Director, LLC. The Virtual HR Director delivers strategic and tactical HR solutions at affordable rates for small and midsize organizations.

Gary is a 24-year veteran of United Parcel Service (UPS) where he held various assignments in Operations, Industrial Engineering and Human Resources.

Gary received a B.S in Human Resources and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and several HR certifications.

Gary has served as a director on the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), WorldatWork Compensation, the SHRM-Atlanta, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank Boards.

Michelle Matthews/Matthews Consulting Group 

Michelle Matthews is a trusted advisor with more than 25 years of experience in organizational development, change management and consulting. Michelle’s guidance has enabled non-profit organizations, such as Families First, the Task Force for Global Health, and Communities in Schools of Atlanta; educational institutions, such as Spelman College and Atlanta Public Schools; and numerous Fortune 500 companies, such as Delta Air Lines, Kimberly Clark and Georgia Pacific to implement strategic change and improve individual, team and organizational performance.

Before founding Matthews Consulting Group more than a decade ago, Michelle was a senior manager for IBM, KPMG Consulting and Accenture. In these positions, Michelle effectively led teams through engagements requiring strategic planning, group facilitation, organizational change management, executive coaching and business process redesign.

Michelle is a member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), and the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Strategic Planning. She is also a board member for the Quality Care for Children. Michelle graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College, with an economics degree.

Graham Taylor/VoiceNation 

Graham Taylor is Vice President of VoiceNation, America’s telecommunications leader in virtual PBX, voicemail, and innovative live answering solutions. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, VoiceNation provides live answering services and call center solutions utilizing the latest in proprietary technology to deliver high quality call answering services at the lowest cost to their customers. In this way, VoiceNation enables businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace with 24-hour availability that adapts to any situation.

Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately held company that serves more than 40,000 customers including FEMA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Dell, AIG and the U.S. Coast Guard. The company also provides qualified non-profit, tax-exempt charities with access to voicemail, faxmail and other specialized communication services at reduced cost through their Care2Call outreach program.

Cristina Lara and Sofia Lazaro/AIESEC

The AIESEC Georgia Tech Chapter is an entirely student-run, non-profit organization with university chapters around the world. AIESEC provides meaningful paid internships in 103 countries in business, economics, international affairs, and engineering disciplines, as well as language teaching and developmental work. AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run exchange organization. The overall aim is to promote international and cultural understanding through the student work exchange program and to develop leadership for the future generation.

 

Atlanta Business Radio Goes Inside Turner Field

Ryan Magnon/Chick-Fil-A

Ryan Magnon is a Senior Manager of Hospitality and Service Design at Chick-fil-A Corporate.  He has expertise in the following improvement and business excellence practices over the past 15 years. Hospitality Industry: Customer and Client Experience, Quality Management Implementation, Service Excellence Training, Leadership Best Practices, Employee Selection and Onboarding, Customer and Employee Engagement, Business Metrics Analysis, Survey Feedback Design and Implementation, Process Improvement Team Facilitation and Excecution, Problem Resolution and Service Recovery Certification, and Strategic Planning.

As a US Air Force Officer: Operational, Logistics, and Health Care Quality Improvement Initiatives including Six Sigma projects and manpower optimization.

With E-Business Internet and Technology Companies: Supply Chain Technology Implementation, Supply Chain Process Improvement Consulting, Inventory Management, E-Procurement Major Account Management.

Matt Lynch/Atlanta Braves

Matt Lynch is the Director of Guest Services for the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Matt is a high performing operations-management executive with 10+ years of expertise in building/optimizing organizational process, measurement systems, programs and support systems to maximize business results in the hospitality and broadcast industry.

Matt has established success in the Guest Experience sector with 5+ years of experience designing the guest experience for a professional sports team including the oversight of all selection, training and empowerment processes for all staff. He also has extensive experience in the coaching of senior leaders on the processes and systems behind high performing organizations including a focus on strategic planning, customer focus, people and leadership development and results.

Mary Blackmon/USA Farm Stars

USA Farm Stars CEO and founder Mary Blackmon is a 3rd generation farmer from Arkansas. She has lived in New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta and pursued a successful career in publishing and advertising, working for Wired, Walt Disney Internet Group and Vivendi-Universal Internet Group. She founded the first national discount site for the spa & wellness industry, Spa-Addicts.com in 2002.

In 2008, she learned her family farm that bordered Arkansas and Louisiana would be sold. Adamant to preserve her family heritage and the farmland that her family had cherished, Mary moved from Los Angeles back to the south in order to sustain and operate the farm. She 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 USA FARM STARS, which she felt compelled to create for the good of farming and the people she has met along her new path.

Sky Lee and Brianna Smith/Georgia State University

Sky Lee and Brianna Smith are students at Georgia State University – J. Mack Robinson School of Business.

The School of Hospitality at GSU and the students organize The Annual National Hospitality Championship event. This event will take place at the GWCC on April 12th 8:30am-1:30pm. All fees collected for the event will go towards a scholarship fund.

There are two parts in the event. One is a team/moral building competition where different companies’ employees compete doing various relay games in order to get the trophy and bragging rights. These team building challenges have been immensely popular over the years with repeat participants like World of Coca Cola and The Hyatt.

The second part of the event is a vendor competition where different restaurants in the Atlanta area compete in “A Southern Paradise” competition which includes Battle of the Biscuits, BBQ sauce off, Country Cupcake Challenge and many more!

 

 

Randy Hain with Bell Oaks Executive Search, Attorney Konny Light and Ben Mancuso with Money Mailer

Randy Hain/Bell Oaks Executive Search

As the Managing Partner and a shareholder of Bell Oaks Executive Search, Mr. Hain has an established track record of leading successful searches and building teams in a broad diversity of industries and functional specializations. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Bell Oaks, Mr. Hain has played the lead role in hiring, training and developing of one of the most successful Search Consultant teams in Atlanta.

Mr. Hain’s clients range from venture backed technology companies to established, multi-billion dollar corporations. With a strong specialization in helping his clients fill critical needs at all levels of their organizations, Mr. Hain’s recruitment consulting focus includes searches for C-Level leadership, Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers and specialized individual contributors.

Mr. Hain has developed a stellar reputation in the Atlanta executive recruitment industry for integrity, thought leadership, successful execution, innovative talent strategy and passion for what he calls his “true calling”.

Mr. Hain is a board member of Growing Leaders, an international non-profit focused on developing leadership and character in young people and an advisory board member for the Catholic Charities Atlanta Leadership Class. He is also a co-founder of the Atlanta Catholic Business Conference and the Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine.

He is the author of The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work for Liguori Publications which was published in 2011 and voted the Best Catholic Book of 2011 in the About.com Reader’s Choice Awards. His new book, Along the Way: Lessons for an Authentic Journey of Faith, was released in November 2012.

His third book, Something More:The Professional’s Pursuit of a Meaningful Life, was released February 23rd, 2013 and is now available on Amazon.

Konny Light, J.D.

Konny Light, J.D. has extensive business experience, expanding four continents. She was General Counsel and Acting COO for a group of US public bio-tech companies, developed joint ventures in Asia for a international construction firm, and was VP for Strategic Development for a European financial services firm. Her expertise in problem solving ensures both a healthier work environment and an enhanced bottom line.

* Business/Revenue Development: Developed financial software company’s business model from one revenue stream to three+.

* Global Legal/Commercial: Structured and drafted international joint venture, merger and acquisition agreements. Negotiated and drafted licensing and distribution agreements in countries worldwide. Drafted NATO telecommunications contracts.

* Compliance: Developed, Implemented and structured Audit system for compliance issues (AML, privacy, U.S. Patriot Act, SEC, FDA, FCPA, BaFin, FINRA, BSA, SOX, Frank Dodd Act, computer and anti-trust laws) in US. and Europe for both public and private companies.

* Strategist: Developed, with division presidents, more strategies in three days than their billion dollar supply chain company had accomplished in three years.

* Negotiator/Mediator: Negotiated the acquisition of a leading aviation software company for 98% less cash than budgeted. Negotiated licensing/distribution worldwide.

Specialties: Commercial transactions, strategic analysis/assessment/planning, strategic alliances–planning, development, negotiation and contract drafting (distribution, licensing, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures), all aspects of business in an international context, compliance/regulatory oversight and joyful collaboration with others.

Konny can be reached at (404) 704-0964.

Ben Mancuso/Money Mailer

Ben Mancuso is the owner of Money Mailer of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. After a 33 year career with IBM in financial and business operations, Ben decided to leave the corporate world and start his own business at the age of 58. Today he works tirelessly to help area businesses deliver savings to their customers every day.