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

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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

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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 & Range/ Sandy Springs Gun Club & Range

Robin Marzullo

 

 

 

 

 

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Stan Friedman

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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.

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring David Gould

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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

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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.

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Rob Brawner with Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Will Egwu and Jeremy Fox with LawnTap, Skye Estroff with Taste of Atlanta, and Jason Sheetz with Under the Cork Tree

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Rob Brawner / Atlanta Beltline Partnership
Executive Director

Rob Brawner is the Executive Director for the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. Leveraging the Partnership’s staff and consultants, and working closely with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders, Rob leads the Partnership in its broad-based, collaborative focus on ensuring the promise of stronger communities and equitable, sustainable benefit to the 45 Atlanta BeltLine neighborhoods and beyond. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of the Partnership’s strategic plan, as well as capital and operational fundraising – and stewardship of the private and philanthropic funds that support of the construction of the project. He has lived in a BeltLine neighborhood for more than 15 years and has served the Partnership in a leadership capacity since its inception in 2006, rising to Executive Director in July 2016.

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Will Egwu / LawnTap
Founder and CEO

Wilkinson Egwu is the Founder and CEO of LawnTap, where he is responsible for the growth and management of the company. Previously, he was an advisor to OpenAirplane.com, a startup that allows you to find, book, fly, and pay for aircraft rental online or with a mobile device. Prior to that Wilkinson was the COO of ShowClix, an online events ticketing company which grosses well over $50 million in sales to date. A visionary and entrepreneur at heart.

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Jeremy Fox / LawnTap
CoFounder and CTO

Jeremy loves mobile development and his guitar. The only cool nerd with tattoos all over. Enjoys staying up to date on cutting edge technology and has nightmares of Will calling him at 3am.

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Skye Estroff / Taste of Atlanta
Marketing and Media Manager

Taste of AtlantaSkye was born with a propensity for the culinary arts, food and every relatable topic. Her close-knit family always has food as the focus of gatherings. Every tradition they keep circulates around recipes that have been passed down for generations or new experimental dishes.

Skye is a fourth generation University of Georgia graduate who majored in Dietetics and minored in Human Development and Family Science. She considers herself a culinary expert after taking a variety of incredible classes ranging from culinary labs, Food Science and Nutrition Education to Organic Chemistry and Microbiology to Intimate Relationships and Issues in The Family.

Skye wants to share her extensive food knowledge through TV. Her first appearance on WTOC-Savannah in 2010 she was quoted, “I just really like eating”. From there, she aspired to make TV an integral part of her career in food. She sharpened her skills in college by performing food demonstrations at the local senior center. Then, she transitioned to a role with Atlanta’s local food TV show, Atlanta Eats. Skye worked for 2 ½ years with the company as the Marketing Manager. She planned all digital content, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat), wrote articles and managed contributors. Skye also restaurant- scouted for the show and worked in sales. After a few months with Atlanta Eats, Skye began co-hosting weekly restaurant segments on Atlanta Plugged In (CBS). She has been featured as a “food expert” to recommend restaurants for Public Affairs (Peachtree TV) and hosted regional TV show, Dish Worth The Drive, when they explored the Athens, GA food scene (aired in 48 southeastern markets). Now Skye is Marketing and Media Manager for Taste of Atlanta, Atlanta’s largest food festival.

Whether promoting restaurants, healthy eating, travel or her southern roots, Skye strives to show people the delicacies of life and brings positivity and entertainment on screen.

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Jason Sheetz / Under the Cork Tree / Hammocks Trading Company
Owner

Jason Sheetz is an Atlanta native, growing up right here in Sandy Springs.  His love for the area and its neighborhood charm is what drew him back here to open Hammocks Trading Company and Under The Cork Tree.

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Jason began his management career with Chequers       Seafood Grill at age 23.  Shortly after, he accepted a position managing for the Liberty House Restaurant Group.  Working at Atlanta’s highly acclaimed fine dining establishments, Blue Ridge Grill and Bones,  Jason gained invaluable knowledge and experience.  At 26, Jason took an opportunity to work for Master Chef Tom Catherall, (owner of Here to Serve Restaurants) at Goldfish Restaurant. Catherall moved  Jason into the General Manager position quickly.  In 2008 Jason became the General Manager at Twist,  and then the Area Director for Here to Serve Restaurants in 2010.

While working for Here to Serve, Jason met and immediately befriended Chef William Sigley. They  shared  a vision: To open a local establishments where guests could sit back and relax while enjoying  exceptional  service and dine on dishes prepared flawlessly with the freshest ingredients. From this idea,  Hammocks Trading  Company and Under The Cork Tree were born.

Jason and his wife, Lake, reside in Kennesaw with their two children, Colton and Piper.  They all share a love for travel and adventure.  Spelunking, hiking and camping are family favorite activities.

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Ric Zampatti

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ric-zampatti

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

 

Ric Zampatti / The Barter Company
President and CEO

Ric ZampattiExceptional Success

Ric is a career Georgia business owner and entrepreneur and has been a leader in the barter industry for more than 20 years. In 1996, Ric started The Barter Company in Kennesaw, GA.  Since that time, Ric has grown the company into the leading force in the barter industry throughout the Southeast with offices in Georgia and Florida. Ric currently serves as the CEO of The Barter Company, one of the premier business-to-business trade exchanges in the country serving more than 2,500 clients.

Background

Ric is a seasoned entrepreneur working with businesses that provide services in media buying, new business development, and growth. His passion is helping start-ups and small businesses grow and prosper through barter as well as sound fiscal management and common sense cash flow strategies. Ric is a four-time past president and board member on and off for the past 20 years for the National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE). He is a member of the International Reciprocal Trade Association, The Brain Trust (a CEO Think Tank), and Optimist International.

The Barter Company provides businesses with an alternative currency network by using barter dollars instead of cash to handle transactions. The Barter Company actively manages the network with highly skilled trade coordinators making the barter experience simple and smooth. In 2016, The Barter Company was selected as one of the “Top 25” Small Businesses of the Year by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

When he’s not at The Barter Company, Ric is in the sky. He is an instrument-rated pilot with over 1,000 hours of flying time.

Ric attended Ohio University with a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management.

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Toby Bloomberg with Diva Foodies, Theresa Lina Stevens with Lina Group, Inc. and Terri Denison with U.S. Small Business Administration

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US Small Business Administration

 

Toby Bloomberg / Diva Foodies
Co-Founder

Toby Bloomberg is the co-founder of Diva Foodies which serves the culinary industry including food entrepreneurs, chefs and cookbook authors by growing business through digital and social media strategies. Diva Foodies hosts the popular Tweet Chat #FoodTVChat, the only Twitter chat bringing TV Chefs and audience together in digital conversations. DivaFoodies.com is a digital destination that offers interviews with chefs and others in the food world along with the occasional obligatory food review post.

Toby is no stranger to the world of social media. With the launch of her award winning blog Diva Marketing, in 2004, she is considered one of the pioneers of blogging and social marketing. She is recognized for her expertise in combining digital media with traditional marketing values (strategy, consumer insights/research, and segmentation) while maintaining conversation authenticity. Her last ‘corporate gig’ was heading social media for a national media company where she supported a portfolio of over 70 newspaper, TV and radio properties in using social media as a catalyst to build stronger brand-to-audience relationships.

Toby is a Yankee from Boston living in the South learning to appreciate grits!

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Theresa Lina Stevens / Lina Group, Inc.
President

Theresa Lina Stevens is the founder and president of Lina Group, Inc., a strategic marketing consulting firm that specializes in market dominance strategy, working primarily with technology companies on differentiation, positioning, market selection, marketing strategy and product marketing. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, she is also involved with Stanford University in the Department of Management Science & Engineering and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.

She has served as Chief Marketing Officer for two Internet-related startups and began her career at Accenture. After several years there as a management consultant, Theresa helped found the firm’s Communications Industry Group. She served as its Director of Worldwide Marketing and helped lay the foundation for what has become a multi-billion dollar business.

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Terri Denison / U.S. Small Business Administration
District Director

Terri Denison is the Georgia District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role since May 2002, she is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the SBA’s financial, counseling/training and business development programs for small businesses throughout Georgia.

Terri began her SBA career in 1987 as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Agency’s Washington, D. C. District and Headquarter Offices. Other positions included working with the Agency’s Minority Enterprise Development and One Stop Capital Shop programs and Office of Field Operations. In 1994, she served as the SBA representative on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community Interagency Task Force. In the fall of 2000, she was one of seven individuals nationwide selected to participate in the SBA’s District Director Candidate Development Program. Assignments included Acting Deputy District Director of the SBA’s Los Angeles District Office and Acting District Director of the Wisconsin District Office.

As Georgia District Director, Terri has been recognized by the Atlanta Business League, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Microenterprise Network, Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Who’s Who in Black Atlanta.

A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Terri holds a B.A. Degree in American Government from Cornell University and an M.A. Degree in Urban Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. Personal interests include ballroom dancing and travel.

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Parish Kohanim

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parish-kohanim

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

 

Parish Kohanim / Parish Kohanim Photography
Photographer

 

parish-kohanimParish Kohanim has been intimately involved with professional photography for over 25 years. Parish, who is a renowned commercial photographer, is now devoting his efforts towards his first love, fine art photography. Parish’s passion for the subtle beauty of life is apparent in his photographs. He has focused on many exquisite subjects, and is able to bring them out of the frame and into the live imagination of the viewer.

After working in San Francisco and New York, he decided to open his professional photography studio in Atlanta. He has been very successful in his commercial endeavors for many years in Atlanta. Advertising agencies, design firms, and Fortune 500 companies have been his primary clients, some of which include IBM, AT&T, Coca-Cola, DeBeers Diamonds, Hanes, Fossil, and Kimberly Clark. His work has repeatedly appeared on pages of such publications as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Forbes, Time and Newsweek.

Veterans Connect Radio Episode 020

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 020

Mike Hilliard and Dan Charron

Veterans Connect Radio

A spotlight episode of Atlanta Business Radio and powered by Business RadioX. Co-Hosted by Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson and Brandon Skolnick with Gathering Of Angels. Featuring veteran entrepreneurs, support organizations, outreach groups and more in the Atlanta area continuing to serve our families, our communities and our country. 

#VetsConnect
@VetConnectRadio

 

Dan Charron / First Data Salutes
Executive Vice President, Head of Global Business Solutions

Dan Charron serves as Executive Vice President, Head of Global Business Solutions, with operations in North America, EMEA, APAC and LatAm. It provides First Data’s 6 million clients across the world with the products, services and solutions they need to grow their business. Dan is responsible for First Data’s client and partner relationships worldwide and will target strategic expansion of the firm’s footprint, both in terms of geographic reach and the depth and breadth of solution offerings for clients all around the globe.

Prior to his arrival at First Data, Dan spent 14 years at Chase Paymentech, the global payment processing business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. He joined that company in 2000, taking on roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in his appointment as president in 2013. Prior to Paymentech, Dan was a managing partner at US Web-CKS, a global internet consultancy, and served in multiple executive roles at Total System Services (TSYS), a credit card processor, merchant acquirer and bank credit card issuer.

As an industry leader, Dan serves on the Board of Directors of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), an international trade association that influences, monitors and helps shape the payments industry. He also has served as Chairman of the Board of Merchantlink, a company that offers cloud-based payment gateway and data security solutions to hotels, restaurants and retailers.

Dan is one of 5 kids; his father spent his career in the Air Force, and Dan grew up around the world as a military brat. Dan and all his siblings served in the military; 3 Air Force, 2 Army. Dan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and served in the Gulf War Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield as a combat engineer. After his military service, Dan received a master’s degree in business administration from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.

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Mike Hilliard / Georgia Aquarium

Michael Hilliard joined the Army in the summer of 2004. He graduated basic training and Infantry school at Ft. Benning, Ga later that fall. He was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky with 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. This is where he would deploy to Iraq in 2005. On a dark spring morning April, 7th 2006 he prepared to go on a mission to interrupt Improvised Explosive Device cells in South Baghdad. After his Platoon discovered a cache of bomb making material they detained the owner and headed to the next objective. Shortly after walking through an open fence Michael hit the ground. When he awoke he was informed that he just received a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. Due to the outstanding leadership and training of his platoon. He was medvac to Baghdad E.R. in around 17 minutes. He was later flown to Walter Reed Army Medical hospital where underwent rehabilitation. Michael joined his unit when they returned where he reenlisted and prepared for his next deployment to Afghanistan. After his deployment, the Army found that he was no longer fit for duty and medically retired him in 2013. While in the Army Michael discovered SCUBA diving and fell in love with it as soon as his head submerged he knew that he needed to share it. Michael now lives in the greater Atlanta area with his wife and two children working as a Senior Divemaster with the Georgia Aquarium introducing his love of the water to the Veterans every Wednesday.

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