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KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Bryan Keller, Rotey, Joey Ruse and Elise Akin

Rotey Joey Ruse Elise Akin Bryan Keller
KSUEntrepreneurship

Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Bryan Keller

Bryan Keller

Bryan Keller is a senior at KSU, graduating in May with a business management degree and finance minor. Bryan’s passion is music, specifically guitar, and he enjoys utilizing that passion for worship. Because of this passion, Bryan decided to start a company called Keller Guitars, which sells acoustic/electric guitars with different bible verses burned or foil pressed onto the face of the piece. Bryan began the venture only 3 months ago, so it is very new, but will be launching its first line of acoustic guitars in March, 2017. This line will be called The Carpenter Series and will display Psalms 95 on the guitar.

 

Rotey

Rotey

Rotey was born in a relatively small town named Waterloo, Iowa, where he spent his early childhood. When Rotey was 9 years old, he moved south to the metro Atlanta area. It was shortly after the move, when Rotey’s parents split up, and his Father moved back north to Chicago, leaving his mother to provide for the two of them, and a young Rotey with plenty of time alone. It was during this isolation that his passion for hip hop was born. Rotey bought his first “rhyme book” in high school, and hasn’t looked back since. What started out as just a way to express himself, has since blossomed into a full-blown career as both an artist and producer, sweeping across college campuses in the southeast. Fueled by a relentless ambition, Rotey’s fast paced wordplay and emotionally packed memoirs, coupled with his charming charisma and sharp wit, ensure the young MC is not only here to stay, but to thrive.

 

Joey Ruse

Joey Ruse

Joey Ruse is a junior at Kennesaw State in the Entrepreneurship Program. He is the Vice President of Kennesaw State’s Enactus team, an organization dedicated to economic empowerment through sustainable, entrepreneurial action. He is also the Project Manager for Art’NspirED, a business which fulfills the Enactus principles by creating American markets for handmade goods from artisans in developing countries.  In addition to serving as the Vice President of External Affairs for the Epsilon Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Fraternity which is starting at Kennesaw State. Joey is the marketing intern at AquaGuard Foundation Solutions in Marietta, GA.

In his free time, Joey works on his first novel, The Freedom Initiative, consults aspiring college entrepreneurs, and tries to keep a consistent gym schedule.

 

Elise Akin

Elise Akin

Elise Akin is a senior at Kennesaw State University. Elise loves baking and the entire atmosphere of surfing, so she’s opening a half-bakery, half-longboarding shop called Bake and Skate. Elise has lived on every continent except Australia. Her heart aches for the women she’s lived with who create beautiful hand-crafted goods, but don’t get nearly as much as they deserve for their products. Elise has plans to incorporate her not-for-profit, Sew The World Knows, and will sell the products in her shop. Profits from sales will go back to their villages.

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Tony Marzullo

Tony Marzullo

KSUEntrepreneurship

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Tony Marzullo / Gas Motorcars, Inc.
Founder

Tony Marzullo Founded in 2011 by lifelong automotive enthusiast and Atlanta native Tony Marzullo, Gas Motorcars, Inc. is a family-owned and operated car dealership with headquarters located in Marietta, Ga. After spending several years in retail sales with AM General and Hummer, Marzullo decided in 2000 to open Global Auto Solutions, a full-service automotive concierge. Global’s mission was to help private individuals buy and sell vehicles. Acting as an independent broker allowed Marzullo to use his informed automotive knowledge in an objective fashion. Global never pressured a prospective buyer toward any specific product. Instead, Global’s mission was to find the right fit for the customer. This principled set of values, still maintained today, results in customers purchasing only what they need.

For over 12 years, Global Auto Solutions, and now Gas Motorcars, Inc., transformed the car purchase and sale into the business of helping people save time and save money. Gas Motorcars’ clients consist of professional athletes, business owners, executives of Fortune 500 companies, doctors, attorneys, accountants, school teachers, housewives, and anyone who recognizes that their time is valuable and that the task of finding the proper vehicle is one that is best delegated to Gas Motorcars. Gas Motorcars, Inc. is a fully licensed and bonded car dealer in the state of Georgia. Gas Motorcars goal is to sell vehicles of only the highest quality. We do not sell cars with mystery stories. We do not charge extra fees. We do not waste our clients’ time. We provide a comfortable experience, free of hassle, with an honest approach to buying and selling cars. We know what we sell: the majority of the vehicles listed for sale are on consignment from existing clients, friends, and family. What we do: Pre-owned vehicle sales Pre-owned vehicle consignment sales Vehicle purchasing assistance Vehicle reconditioning Vehicle repair Wheel and tire repair Automotive shipping (both domestic and international).

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Robyn Marzullo / Norcross Gun Club & RangeSandy Springs Gun Club & Range

Robin Marzullo

 

 

 

 

 

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Stan Friedman

Stan Friedman

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

 

Stan Friedman / FRM Solutions
President

StanFriedmanStan Friedman, CFE is President of FRMSolutions a “franchise-centric: technology company that enables franchisors to better manage relationships with prospective and existing franchisees.

Stan is a Board Member of the Southeast Franchise Forum and a founding board member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Diversity Institute, In 2011, the IFA honored Friedman with its Ronald E. Harrison Diversity Award, previously awarded only seven times in IFA’s 5o+ year history.

Stan is also co-founder and Advisory Board Chair of (PAFI) The Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative. PAFI is a collaborative that educates twilight year professional athletes to the potential of franchise ownership, as a follow-up to their athletic careers.

LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook

 

 

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Derrick Meek

GreenSeasonGroup

 

KSUEntrepreneurship

Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Derrick Meek / The GreenSeason Group
Founder

Derrick founded The GreenSeason Group because he wanted to do business differently.  His family, particularly his mother, influenced his old school way of doing business.  There’s no snake oil here – for Derrick, business is about honesty, helping others succeed and a passion for excellence.  Calling himself a landscape evangelist, Derrick believes there’s something magical about a beautiful landscape and being able to deliver beauty coupled with an awesome client experience is what it’s all about.

Growing up, Derrick’s entrepreneurial talents were always encouraged by his mother and father – something he’s very grateful for as, he laughs, “I never imagined mowing the neighbor’s grass in middle school to support his fishing habit would later develop into a calling”.

If he’s not spending time with his wonderful wife, or chasing his four boys around, he’s nose-deep in a book, or working on what seems like an ever growing honey-do list.  He’ll tell you his inspiration comes from his faith, his family, and a never ending desire to win.

LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook

 

Women in Technology (WIT) Special Edition

The work of Women in Technology has an incredible impact.

Since 1992, Women in Technology has had a mission dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in Georgia’s technology community. Through the WIT COMMUNITY, WIT Also educates and encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM.

Women in Technology

 

Sandy Welfare /  WIT 

Sandy D. Welfare is the Executive Director of Women In Technology (WIT). Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of Cool Girls Inc, an award-winning early intervention after-school program dedicated to the empowerment of girls (2009-2015).

Sandy’s career began in 1989 in Greenwich, Connecticut where she joined Rand Insurance as the Controller. Six years later, she accepted a position with Lucent Technologies, an international telecommunications leader, holding a number of positions including serving as Accounting and Treasury Manager in Singapore (1999-2000) and then as Senior Manager in Australia and New Zealand (2000-2002). Sandy returned to Atlanta in 2002 as Senior Manager of Global Financial Services.

In 2003, Sandy accepted a position as Director of Operations for Xchanging, a business processing outsourcing company. In 2006, her career took her to London, England as Managing Director for professional services, where she managed global business processing services for bank financial transactions, insurance and retail.

Sandy received her undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in New York, and a Master of Business Administration from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She serves on the board of several non-profits, including Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. Sandy resides in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, Cliff and son, Soloman.

Twitter     Twitter(Sandy)      LinkedIn

 

Derek Johnson / ThoughtWorks
Southeast Market Principal

Derek Johnson is the Regional Director for ThoughtWorks Inc., a global software consultancy. After years developing teams in India and Brazil, Derek now leads teams of designers, developers, and analysts to bring comprehensive solutions to the southeastern Unites States. With a focus on leveraging technology to build solutions for enterprises and communities, Derek and his team maintain ongoing support for Women Who Code, Technologists of Color, and Women in Technology, among others.

Derek is a graduate of Morehouse College, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Kennesaw State University. He has served with both Junior Achievement and the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. He maintains a keen focus on creating opportunities for young people looking to enter high tech careers and thrive as they navigate the corporate world.

LinkedIn   Twitter

 

Kyle Tothill / eHire
Partner & Managing Director

Kyle Tothill is a proven entrepreneur and growth enablement professional focused on helping organizations acquire select talent, build/manage successful recruiting programs and solve tough technical and marketing problems. Kyle is currently a co-founder and partner of three successful business services firms out of Atlanta; eHire, LLC, Make & Build and Collective Insights.

During Kyle’s career he has successfully started four professional services companies and one software firm, all requiring significant capital, creative organizational and start up development skills. Prior to his entrepreneurial career Kyle ran a regional sales organization for a Fortune 500 services firm in Atlanta, GA.

Kyle is an avid Golfer, sports enthusiast and overall general competitor.

LinkedIn   Twitter

 

Digital Marketing Series Episode 05

 

thomas-jobs-in-sports-img_7419

 

Karyn Mullins / JobsinSports.com
EVP and GM

 

Michele P. Dambach /  JobsinSports.com
Manager Digital Marketing

 

Thomas Harpointner (Co Host) / AIS Media

Thomas Harpointner is founder & CEO of AIS Media, Inc., an Atlanta-based, award-winning digital marketing firm. Thomas is a recognized subject matter expert on digital marketing strategy development and execution.

Thomas has served as a keynote speaker at trade organizations, conferences, and corporate events. He has appeared on Fox Business, Bloomberg Television, CNN Radio, CNBC, The Advertising Show, The Today Show and many other TV and radio programs. He’s been featured in publications such as Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, CFO, AJC, Fortune, and Wired.

At AIS Media, Thomas consults executives at leading companies on digital strategy. He’s led hundreds of digital marketing initiatives for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations such as AT&T, Synovus Financial, Emory Healthcare, Wake Forest Innovations, Pfizer, and Maui Jim Sunglasses. Under his leadership, AIS Media has been recognized with dozens of prestigious industry awards.

LinkedIn      Twitter

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring David Gould

david-gould

 

KSUEntrepreneurship

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

David Gould / Thermopro
President/CEO

David Gould has been a business owner and entrepreneur for 40 years.  Originally from Long Island, NY, David joined his family’s business, Gould Products, in 1977, selling plastic storage containers to the material handling industry. The family moved the business to Boynton Beach, FL in 1978, where sales began to grow rapidly through expanded distribution of our products.  In 1982, David’s brother Michael joined the business to spearhead sales and marketing.  To gain a stronger foothold in the marketplace, we decided to move the business to a more strategic, centralized location in Metro Atlanta in 1992.

Shortly thereafter, we expanded a budding product line of clear, wall hanging magazine and pamphlet racks sold to the office products industry.  The company soon focused on the office products line rather than the materials handling products, due to less completion and better profit margins.  In 1998, we moved our facility from Lawrenceville to Duluth, GA, where we began to manufacture what we sold through a process called plastic vacuum forming.  (We had previously contracted the manufacturing to other companies.) So by changing what we sold and by manufacturing our own products, we completely reinvented our business.  This proved fortuitous as office product sales grew for several years.

In 2005, we introduced a new product, the Prize Wheel, which was sold through promotional products dealers.  A year later, in 2005, we sold our office products to a company from Minneapolis who, to this day, still contracts us to manufacture the products for them.  Additionally, we began to contract other custom vacuum forming business from a variety of companies to supplement our proprietary promotional products.  In the same year, we renamed our parent company, “Thermopro”, promoted for contract manufacturing, with a DBA, “Games People Play” for our proprietary products.  For the past several years, we’ve enjoyed steady sales at good gross margins and very positive cash flow.

David has a BA in Biology from the State University of NY at Buffalo and an MS in Microbiology at Long Island University.

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Joe English

joe-english

KSUEntrepreneurship

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Joe English / Taylor English 
Partner

Joe English works in close partnership with his clients to provide practical and cost-effective business solutions to employment law issues. Mr. English has earned a reputation as a trusted counselor for his business clients, providing day-to-day advice on general employment-related matters, including risk management and preventative practices. When clients are faced with a legal claim arising from employment practices, Mr. English is an effective advocate for management, regularly defending employers in employment litigation and arbitration cases. Mr. English’s litigation practice has included restrictive covenant claims, complex class-action litigation, employee benefits lawsuits, wage and hour matters, and the spectrum of employment discrimination and retaliation claims. Mr. English has nearly 20 years of experience representing clients in claims that trigger an employer’s Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage, working with clients and insurance carriers to coordinate the defense of insured employment-related claims in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Mr. English enjoys working with early-stage companies, and helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses while developing best practices and legal safeguards in employment and related areas. At the same time, Mr. English is able to work with human resources professionals and in-house attorneys at more established employers, assisting them in remaining legally compliant despite an ever-changing landscape of laws and regulations at the federal, state and local levels.

Mr. English is a founding member of the Executive Advisory Council for the KSU Entrepreneurship Center, and a participating member with the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs.

LinkedIn   Twitter

Atlanta’s Most Trusted Advisors Features Halsey G. Knapp, Jr. and Jonathan Hawkins

krevolinandhorst

Atlanta’s Most Trusted Advisors interviews industry experts from in and around the Metro Atlanta Area. Our goal is to provide valuable information that all business owners and managers can use in their day-to-day work to help them succeed.

 

Halsey G. Knapp, Jr. / Krevolin & Horst, LLC
Partner

Halsey is described as an “aggressive and attentive litigator with good trial experience and a strong reputation for business break up cases (Chambers).” Halsey has been recognized by his peers as a top 100 Lawyer in Georgia since 2009 and as a Super Lawyer since 2004, which suitably fits the pre-eminent business litigation practice of Krevolin Horst.  Halsey received his undergraduate degree in 1977 from Cornell University before earning his law degree in 1980 from Emory University School of Law, where he received the Best Brief Award in the Law Day Competition and served as President of the Student Bar Association. His association with Emory continues to this day as a Master, Executive Committee Member and former President of the Lamar Inn of Court and a member of its Board of Law Advisors.

Halsey frequently speaks on jury selection, business litigation and alternate dispute resolution topics. He is also a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s Risk & Compliance Journal. Halsey Knapp regularly advises clients on crisis management and best practices with particular emphasis on business arrangements, limited liability entity operating agreements, graceful employment departures, and more antagonistic, high stakes, “bet the company” business divorces and litigation.

 

Jonathan Hawkins / Krevolin & Horst, LLC
Partner

Jonathan E. Hawkins is a partner at the law firm of Krevolin & Horst, LLC. Whether it be as trusted advisor, outside general counsel, or as a litigator, he provides guidance where legal issues, risk management, and business strategy intersect. Jonathan also serves as outside general, business, and ethics counsel to lawyers and law firms and assists them in risk management, law firm structuring, partnership agreements, employment agreements, of counsel agreements, lateral moves, separation agreements, law firm dissolutions, attorney fee disputes, employment issues, and ethics advice. Jonathan maintains a robust trial practice and represents clients in numerous business sectors in high-stakes complex commercial litigation. His cases typically involve significant and complex business fraud, tort, contract, and fiduciary duty claims. He also publishes a blog dedicated to discussing the business and law of lawyering at www.alawyershandbook.com.

 

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk (Host) / bbr Marketing
President

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk has been a member of the creative and marketing services community for over 20 years and does not appear to be leaving it anytime soon. As president of bbr marketing, she has relished the challenges of entrepreneurship as she worked to grow and nurture a new business. Since the firm’s inception in 2009, Bonnie has led the young company to become widely recognized and respected within the professional services marketing niche, with award-winning client websites and an outstanding history of business success having worked with clients in 23 states and 2 Canadian provinces.