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Kennesaw State University

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Derrick Meek

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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

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring John Belman

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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

 

 

 

John Belman /  Vistage Atlanta Chair 

 

John Belman is CEO of Own Accord, LLC, a CEO coaching and advisory firm serving the great Atlanta area. John also serves as a CEO Group Chair with Vistage Worldwide, facilitating advisory groups of high-performing CEOs and business owners. John has broad leadership experience across a range of industries, companies (public, private, family-owned), and functional roles. Most recently he served as a CEO of a mid-market logistics company following 7 years at Target Corporation as a leader in transportation and finance. Prior to Target, John held senior business development and marketing roles in the media and technology industries. John has a BA from Washington University in St. Louis, was a graduate fellow in history at Columbia University, and holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
A veteran of the 75th Ranger Regiment, John participated in the 1993 Black Hawk Down mission in Mogadishu, Somalia.

LinkedIn

 

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Mark Fonseca

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Podcast: Download

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 and Ted Jenkin.

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Mark Fonseca / Executive Image Consultant & Professional Speaker

The best-dressed man always makes a powerful statement. Mark Fonseca should know; he’s one of them. The first thing one will notice when meeting Mark is that he is impeccably dressed, with an unpretentious elegance. His exquisite attire and flawless detail package a look that radiates confidence, success and quiet authority. Mark has mastered the art of dressing. As founder and owner of Fonseca Clothiers, it’s no wonder that he also dresses some of the country’s most dynamic, affluent men, guaranteeing that they will always look and feel their absolute best.

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank with Shawn Vernimo

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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 and Ted Jenkin.

 

 

shawn-headshotShawn Vernimo / Greystone Consulting Group
Owner
Shawn Vernimo is the expert in solving roofing problems and applying an investment approach to all roofing portfolios. An engineer by training and roofer by choice, Mr. Vernimo’s clients have included 3 of the top 5 property management firms and the largest pension fund in the United States. Additionally, he has consulted on numerous multimillion dollar projects including a $6.6 million roofing project in Dallas, Texas and $4 million project in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout his 27+ years of roof consulting and contracting experience, Mr. Vernimo has saved business owners and property managers alike hundreds of thousands of dollars by providing clients with his roofing expertise, insight into industry realities and investment approach solutions. Leading efforts to elevate roofing industry standards, Mr. Vernimo makes it easy for clients to make cost-effective decisions for all investments surrounding the roof.

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Ashley Daniele Carestia

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Podcast: Download

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 and Ted Jenkin.

 

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Ashley Carestia / Bark Fifth Avenue
Founder

Ashley Daniele Carestia is a Florida native and has been a successful fashion model since age four.  She is currently signed with CLICK models and has been making headlines and covers with her new business venture, Bark Fifth Avenue LLC, a luxury dog boutique in Buckhead Atlanta. With Ashley’s strong passion for fashion and dogs, she has created a world where upscale pet owners can treat their four-legged family members to only the best in fashion, travel, and accessories.

 

Walking runways and dressing pets are things that Ashley has done since childhood.   As a model turned CEO, she balances work, play, and family life in Buckhead with her husband, prominent litigator Michael Carestia. The two were married in 2015 in Bora Bora. Ashley has her degree in Nutrition & Exercise Science, which she decided to change after three years of pre-law.  She felt very “Legally Blonde” during her path toward her legal career, so she refocused her course of studies.

 

Today, she serves as Proprietor of Bark Fifth Avenue and continues her career as a fashion model. Ashley started Bark Fifth Avenue in 2013 as an online boutique and opened her first brick and mortar in October 2015. Since then she has been asked to sponsor many pet events including Star 94.1’s famous Woofstock where she was the sponsor of the VIP (Very Important Paws) area and the Atlanta Pet Expo where she took on the sponsorship and creation of their VIP area. Ashley has graced several covers of local area magazines and is now the fashion columnist for Atlanta Pet Life magazine where she writes about current trends in the pet fashion world. In addition to her various commitments and world travels, Ashley is involved socially and politically in Atlanta.  She supports many charitable and church organizations, including The Humane Society, GlobalX, and Angels Among Us. She currently serves as a mentor at Woodson Park Academy through her church at Northpoint Ministries (Buckhead Church).

 

Ashley lives by the motto that “Everything happens for a reason” and the philosophy that “Money will never make you happy. Love your friends, love your family, and love the things that make you happy. Have morals and values. Hold strong to the things you believe in.  If puppies, glitter, and rainbows make you truly happy, then chase those as they are more attainable.  Most importantly, love yourself and never let anyone ever make you feel bad about yourself.” Ashley’s determination to succeed as well as her sense of humor and spirituality allow her to live life to the fullest.

 

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Bark Fifth Avenue

(404) 803-1771

ashley@barkfifthave.com

info@barkfifthave.com

690 Miami Circle NE

STE: 625

Atlanta, GA 30324

www.barkfifthave.com

 

Also on today’s program, Ali Farnum, student at KSU majoring in Business management and with a minor in  entrepreneurship.

KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

Posted on

Podcast: Download

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 and Ted Jenkin.

 

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Zach Zelner / Penny Delivers

In 2012, Zach dropped out of his freshman year at Florida State University and launched a cookie delivery startup out of his apartment with $124 in capital. In the years following, Zach independently bootstrapped company growth to 3 retail locations across Florida and over 100 employees making 30,000+ deliveries/month. 
His background in delivery was the inspiration to launch Penny, a 1¢ restaurant delivery startup and full-service delivery outsourcing system. Since June 2015, Penny has exploded into a team of 185 drivers and $8MM in revenue. When Penny expanded to Atlanta in 2016, Zach and his team relocated from Florida and set up HQ in Midtown where they currently operate.

Twitter

KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

Posted on

Podcast: Download

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.

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Shaquille Wiggins 

Shaquille is a network marketing professional and pioneer of movements that set thousands of people all over the nation on a path of financial freedom. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Shaquille is the fifth of seven children. The benefit of having older siblings was the ability to watch them make mistakes and learn from them. Knowing that going to school and working a job didn’t necessary equal success through observation Shaquille knew something more was needed. Still considering Shaquille got a job at Chipotle and was attending Georgia Gwinnett College full time. Looking for opportunity Shaquille found network marketing. The idea of being a business owner and not working for money excited him until the focus switched from personal financial freedom to the task of liberating those around him.

 

#2 distributor in the south east region for Wake Up Now, Inc

Founding member and owner of Novae

Executive producer of movies (Couples Therapy, TBA)

 

 

 

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

Posted on

Podcast: Download

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 and Ted Jenkin.

 

 

 

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Ted Jenkin, Jeff Woolverton, Alexandra Woolverton and Lee Heisman

 

 

 

 

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Alexandra Woolverton  / www.GetSparkedATL.com

Alexandra attended the University of Florida’s Pre-Veterinary program and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science.  After much thought she decided that she found herself getting too emotionally attached to sick animals and going straight into the workforce after graduation would better suit her.  And through her career choices she fell in love with entrepreneurship.  Always a dream big kind of girl, her first job out of college was in Marketing and Sales for a little start-up by her sister’s best friend, Sara Blakely.  She saw Blakely take Spanx from the back of her apartment to a booming billion dollar pantyhose empire.  That was Alexandra’s first glimpse that big vision and hard work go hand in hand.  Her next endeavor was with a local Atlanta Sports Radio Station started and run by Andrew Saltzman and Stephen “Steak” Shapiro.  Two men in their thirties that had a dream and a vision to own their own radio station.  There she was an Account Manager who created and sold sports marketing campaigns.  During her time there she met and married Jeff Woolverton, an on-air personality at the station.  After they began a family with the arrival of their first born, Alexandra realized that it might be time to be a flexible working mom and go into business for herself.  She came across a newer Direct Sales company, Stella & Dot, where she launched and built her new career as a Stylist who set up pop-a-shop trunk shows in people’s homes selling fashion accessories.  At Stella & Dot she was a Senior Director and Founding Leader who led a team of over 500 other stylists across the country, was Top in Sales for North America and Top in Recruitment.  During this journey of home parties, working full time hours she found she had put her health on the back burner.  She was exhausted, found herself just trying to get through the day and her weight was the same as the day she walked in the door carrying her second baby home form the hospital three years prior.   Her husband, Jeff, had been drinking AdvoCare’s Spark for over a decade but she had never really looked into the products or company for herself but needed a lifestyle shift so she gave it a go.  In her first 24 days she lost 8 pounds and unlocked energy for the first time in a long while.  Over the next 3 months she lost a total of 35 pounds and took her body fat from 34% to 9.9%.  People began to notice more pep in her step and the healthy changes taking place.  As they began to ask, she began to share and a business was born.  AdvoCare is world-class nutrition that provides distributors solutions in two key areas: health and finances.  Alexandra and Jeff are looking forward to helping Atlantans and beyond feel and look their best through AdvoCare’s food first program and elite nutritional supplements and building teams of others who in conjunction with taking care of themselves and others want to fight for the same freedoms that American’s deserve: financial and time freedom for families.  www.GetSparkedATL.com

 

Jeff  Woolverton / www.GetSparkedATL.com

Jeff attended Florida State University and since childhood has had a passion for all things sports.  In 1996 he moved to Atlanta during the Olympics and enjoyed interning in sports broadcasting.  He found a home at Sports Radio 790 The Zone as a producer for their popular Mayhem in the AM morning show and within a few years had an on-air show of his own during the mid-day slot.  He spent over a decade there and enjoyed opportunities such as being the Sideline reporter for the Georgia Tech Football team.  But his love of sports is also paralleled with his love of coaching youth sports.  Jeff has volunteered for over 15 years as a baseball and basketball coach at Northside Youth Organization also known as NYO out of Chastain Park.  In 2014, Jeff left the corporate world to start his own business: Woolverton Sports Academy.  Through camps, clinics and private lessons Jeff has taken his passion and made a career out of it.  Through his affiliation with AdvoCare he is able to help his youth athletes as well as his players who have gone onto play at the collegiate level by helping them get the best nutrition in their body through food choices and safe supplementation.    www.GetSparkedATL.com

 

 

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Jeff Woolverton, Alexandra Woolverton and Lee Heisman

 

 

 

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Lee Heisman

 

Lee R. Heisman / Savant Comprehensive Technologies
(Co-Host)

Lee R. Heisman is the owner and CEO of Savant Comprehensive Technologies, My School Pool and Ask a Privacy Officer. Prior to this, Lee was the founder and CEO of H and W Printing and Brainstorm Design Works, a full advertising agency and commercial printing firm located in Atlanta, GA. He has a Master Degree from Rutgers University and is on the Advisory Board of the KSU Entrepreneurial Center. Lee has sold 2 of his previously businesses over the years through mergers and acquisition. Before launching his Entrepreneurial Career, Lee was a Licensed Physical Therapist in New Jersey for over 3 years

 

 

 

 

 

Ted Jenkin/Oxygen Financial
(Co – Host)

Ted Jenkin has spent the past 22 years giving personal financial advice to thousands of people across the United States. After graduating from Boston College in 1991, Ted spent more than 16 years working for American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise Financial. He was one of the youngest people in the history of the company to reach both Field Vice President and Group Vice President level. He managed more than 800 financial advisors throughout 8 states in his last position with the company. He won the premier performer award, leader of the year award, and had the number one office in the country for more than two years in a row. In 2008, Ted founded oXYGen Financial to help revolutionize the financial services industry by creating a new company that focused on serving the X and Y Generation. oXYGen Financial now has more than 1,700 clients throughout 25 states across the country. Ted has been featured in over 25 magazines and newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The Huffington Post. He has six advanced designations from the College for Financial Planning (CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, AWMA®, AAMS®, CMFC®) and is an on air radio personality featured on the popular drive time Atlanta radio show The Rock 100.5 Morning Show on Rock 100.5 FM. Ted lives in Milton, GA with his wife Genna and three kids Olivia, Lyla, and Louden.

 

KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

Posted on

Podcast: Download

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 and Ted Jenkin.

 

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Wesley McCormick, Lee Heisman, Judd Igler and Chris Hanks

 

 

 

Savant

 

 

 

Judd Igler - Headshot

 

Judd Igler / Savant
Co-Founder

Judd Igler has been working in the computer technology field for 17 years. He attended college at Southern Tech where he studied Computer Science. From there he started his computer career at one of the largest closing attorneys in the state of Georgia where he was quickly moved to the position of Network Administrator. From there, he began working with multiple companies’ networks at a business called Digital Agent. He furthered his knowledge with experiences working on many different network configurations and support structures. Judd also began studying, and later became certified, to work on enterprise class firewalls and security systems.

After working in the support field for many years, he saw where many IT support providers were dropping the ball performing troubleshooting and network repair. He did not like the way the support systems were setup to gouge clients at high hourly rates for problems that always seemed to reoccur. In 2006, he partnered with Lee Heisman to start Savant, a managed services company. He started the company with the intention of bringing a new proactive approach to network support at an affordable monthly rate.

Recently, Judd has been focused on consulting his current clients on how to best secure their networks. Co-founding Ask A Privacy Officer (AAPO) was a natural progression. With AAPO, Judd brings the technical security part to the table from his experience of working with many different companies to secure their networks based on their industries standards.

 

 

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Wesley McCormick, Lee Heisman, Judd Igler and Chris Hanks

 

 

 

lee Heisman

Lee Heisman

 

Lee R. Heisman / Savant Comprehensive Technologies
(Co-Host)

Lee R. Heisman is the owner and CEO of Savant Comprehensive Technologies, My School Pool and Ask a Privacy Officer. Prior to this, Lee was the founder and CEO of H and W Printing and Brainstorm Design Works, a full advertising agency and commercial printing firm located in Atlanta, GA. He has a Master Degree from Rutgers University and is on the Advisory Board of the KSU Entrepreneurial Center. Lee has sold 2 of his previously businesses over the years through mergers and acquisition. Before launching his Entrepreneurial Career, Lee was a Licensed Physical Therapist in New Jersey for over 3 years

 

 

 

 

Chris Hanks/ KSU EC
(Co – Host)

Christopher C. Hanks is the founder and executive director of the KSUEntrepreneurship Center. Prior to this, Hanks was the founder and director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia. He has owned multiple businesses, including music, e-commerce, publishing, and export ventures. He is also the co-author of a best-selling book on low risk entrepreneurship.

Hanks leads the International Entrepreneurship Institute and is certified in business valuation, providing expert witness testimony. Before teaching at UGA, Hanks taught entrepreneurship at Georgia State University and assisted in leading the Russell Center for Entrepreneurship. He earned a BBA from University of Georgia and an MBA from San Jose State University. Before launching his first business, Hanks held corporate risk management positions in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries.

 

 

Ted Jenkin/Oxygen Financial
(Co – Host)

Ted Jenkin has spent the past 22 years giving personal financial advice to thousands of people across the United States. After graduating from Boston College in 1991, Ted spent more than 16 years working for American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise Financial. He was one of the youngest people in the history of the company to reach both Field Vice President and Group Vice President level. He managed more than 800 financial advisors throughout 8 states in his last position with the company. He won the premier performer award, leader of the year award, and had the number one office in the country for more than two years in a row. In 2008, Ted founded oXYGen Financial to help revolutionize the financial services industry by creating a new company that focused on serving the X and Y Generation. oXYGen Financial now has more than 1,700 clients throughout 25 states across the country. Ted has been featured in over 25 magazines and newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The Huffington Post. He has six advanced designations from the College for Financial Planning (CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, AWMA®, AAMS®, CMFC®) and is an on air radio personality featured on the popular drive time Atlanta radio show The Rock 100.5 Morning Show on Rock 100.5 FM. Ted lives in Milton, GA with his wife Genna and three kids Olivia, Lyla, and Louden.