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Lee Kantor

Digital Marketing Series Episode 8

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Jennifer OPry

 

Jennifer O’Pry / Streamline Consulting and Communications
Owner

Jen O’Pry is the owner of an Atlanta based social media marketing firm, Streamline Consulting and Communications. Her clients range from small local businesses to internationally based companies. She attended the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State and earned her Masters degree from Brenau University. Most recently, she was invited by Emory University staff to create and present an online social media module to their doctorate level medical students. She has also given a keynote speech to pediatric residents at Boston Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital regarding social media’s role in nonprofit organizations and hyperlocal approaches.

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Dr. Wayne Silverman / Emory Center for Ethics
Director of Development

Wayne Silverman serves as the Director of Development for the Emory Center for Ethics (CFE). He believes that building and cultivating relationships is the key to success in business and life. He has built a network of relationships that continually interconnects people, organizations and businesses.

Wayne pursues support from individuals, organizations and corporations to help the CFE achieve its mission and vision in the most creative and effective way possible. He provides support for programs in bioethics, neuroethics, ethics and the arts, corporate ethics, food and eating ethics, and more.

Originally from Chicago, he has lived and worked on two continents and in six states. He has served as an Earth and environmental Science teacher in high school and college, was a college administrator, nonprofit executive in Jewish communal organizations, and an international herbal medicine education organization. His most recent nonprofit position was as Executive Director of Hillels of Georgia which provide Jewish student engagement for 6,000 Jewish students across six campuses. During his time at Hillel, he grew annual support for the organization and worked with volunteers and staff to create the Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University, a model for new Hillel capital development.

Prior to Hillel, Wayne was the Chief Administrative Officer for the American Botanical Council in Austin, Texas. ABC is the leading international organization providing science-based research on the medicinal use of herbs.

He has always been an organic gardener, home chef and fermenter. His love of food led him and some college friends to create a specialty all-natural food company called Foodman, LLC. The company produces four flavors of a unique, award-winning matzo granola called Matzolah®, the Trail Mix of the Exodus. Matzolah has a national following and distribution.

Wayne received his Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science from Michigan State University, and a Master of Arts Degree in Science Education and Geology and PhD in Higher Education Administration both from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Yossi Ben-Haim
Resturant & Coffee Shop Consultant and Expert

LinkedIn

 

Rory White / Knox Bridge Dental Care
Office Manager

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Marci Dever / MarciSwim
Owner

Marci Dever has successfully been teaching children ages 18 months and older how to swim in 7 days since 2005. Using the 7 Day Swim method, Marci teaches kids a critical life skill that opens a world of fun in and around the water. So whether your goal is for your child to be safe at the neighborhood pool, to develop greater coordination and strength, or you see swim team in their future, Marci is there for you.

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Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Greg Lipman with Piastra

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Greg Lipman

 

Greg Lipman / Piastra
Chef and Owner

Originally from Boston, Chef Greg learned about food at a young age when he first learned the phrase, “Food is love”. His first culinary steps were what captured his passion when Grandmother Rose showed him how to make chocolate chip cookies, and he states that he is still perfecting the recipe. After training at New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, he worked in different restaurants in the Boston area.

Around age thirty, he trained with a classically trained French chef on a small yacht while sailing over a third of the way around the world. Shortly after the trip, Chef Greg moved to Atlanta and began working at Maxim Prime at the Glenn Hotel in downtown Atlanta. He then worked as the Chef at Alon’s Bakery and Market. After Alon’s, Chef Greg was Executive Chef at Dal Cuore in Johns Creek when he married his wife, Maggie. Just before opening Piastra, their first daughter was born and shortly after the opening, their second daughter came along.

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Cory Hewett and Evan Jarecki with Gimme Vending, Rodney Koop with The New Flat Rate and Brandon Vallorani with Vallorani Estates

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Brandon Vallorani Cory Hewett Evan Jareski and Rodney Koop

 

Cory Hewett / Gimme Vending
CEO and Co-Founder

While he isn’t your typical techie startup founder, Cory Hewett always had a vision, drive, and an ability to think outside the box.  His 10+ years of vending experience began back in high school after his parents told him if he wanted to drive, he’d have to buy his first car.  Not only did Cory grow his route to 26 machines, but he eventually hired a close friend to service the machines.

When the iPhone released, Cory was first in line (and is still Apple’s biggest fan).  This leap forward in technology sparked an idea in his mind: always be connected to my vending machines.

Cory ran with this idea and convinced his smart friend Evan to help him develop the technology.  They learned from hundreds of vending operators exactly what they were looking for before crafting Gimme into the award-winning technology it is today.

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Evan Jarecki / Gimme Vending
CTO and Co-Founder
Evan Jarecki was an electrical engineering intern working at Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, GA when he first met Cory, a like-minded entrepreneurial dreamer.  While working together, Evan learned all about Cory’s vending business and they tossed around ideas to start a business together one day. That day came right before graduating from Georgia Tech, when Cory pitched Evan the idea to connect every vending machine in America.  Evan agreed.

He serviced a machine daily at Georgia Tech for 6 months before spending another 6 months in the field alongside a vending service driver, to learn the nuts and bolts of the business.  Teaming his technology background together with Cory, Evan has helped turn Gimme into the award-winning technology it is today.
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Rodney Koop / The New Flat Rate
CEO and Founder

Rodney Koop – CEO and Founder of The New Flat Rate, is a motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur, and solutions based enthusiast. Over the last three decades, Koop has founded and sold HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing service companies. Koop is a Master Electrician holding 10 unrestricted electrical licenses and has helped to write and qualify exam questions for state board testing. During his career, Koop has contributed numerous articles and industry assessments to multiple publications and recently authored his first book. Koop is dedicated to challenging all audiences to utilize their brains in creative ways for growing their companies.

Working from a place of strength is Koop’s motto, where he believes success and advancement can be achieved with the right tools in our expertise. When he’s not advancing his company forward, Koop can be found on the trails riding one of his four-wheelers or traveling around the world with his wife Karen.

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Brandon Vallorani / Vallorani Estates
Founder

Brandon Vallorani is a practiced entrepreneur and accomplished CEO. He founded a five-time Inc. 5000 media conglomerate, author of the new bestselling book, The Wolves and the Mandolin: Celebrating Life’s Privileges In A Harsh World (ForbesBooks, March 20, 2017), and now has shifted his focus to Vallorani Estates, a brand of hand-curated luxury goods. Vallorani began his career in the non-profit sector, quickly rising through the ranks to become director of media, and then executive vice president. He simultaneously earned his Master of Business Administration, a testimony to his hard-working attitude and drive that would propel him through the rest of his career. He went on to boost revenue at another non-profit from a few hundred thousand dollars to several million per year in a period of only three years.

Vallorani graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in graphic design. He also holds of Master of Business Administration from Thomas More College. He lives in Atlanta, Ga., with his wife, seven children and two dogs. In his free time, he enjoys playing in casinos around the country and world.

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Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Jay Bandy with Goliath Consulting Group and Eric Leland with DTT

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Eric Leland and Jay Bandy

 

Jay Bandy / Goliath Consulting Group
President

As President of Goliath Consulting Group, Jay Bandy has built a broad foundation of expertise in the restaurant industry.

Jay’s record of achievement ranges from McDonald’s USA to RTM to BLIMPIE and now to full service restaurants. He has opened more than 300 restaurants; developed supply chain systems, strategic plans and restaurant operating systems; and trained area developers, franchisees and staff in all facets of the restaurant business. At each of his prior stops, Jay has been recognized for his contributions with several internal awards.

Through Goliath, Jay is now offering a full array of consulting and management services to the industry.

Jay’s broad-based background gives him the know-how to bridge the critical areas of strategic planning, operations, marketing, supply chain, and restaurant development. Restaurants are a complicated puzzle with many moving parts. Jay knows how to put the puzzle together and make it work.

At Goliath, Jay works with restaurant management to assess current conditions – both financial and brand-related. After developing an action plan, Jay directs all members of the Goliath team to deliver results that exceed client expectations. As an expert in understanding how the components of restaurant operating systems tie together, he will make sure that the team maximizes sales opportunities and profit and unit growth based on each client’s vision.

Over the years he’s developed expertise in communications, marketing and developing and rolling out new products. Jay has overseen operations at hundreds of restaurants, written training manuals and coordinated operations. Jay has done a lot of everything in each of his industry positions. He’s also a results-oriented people person, which gives him the skill to bring teams together to achieve their goals.

Before taking the step into consulting, Jay was the McDonald’s Atlanta region deployment manager and a member of the region leadership team. He was responsible for implementing new products and procedures in 755 restaurants throughout the Southeast. He was project manager for McDonald’s specialty coffee and drive-thru initiative — a $70 million project involving 650 restaurants.

Through Goliath, Jay continues to work with regional chains and franchisees but also has successfully consulted with multiple full-service restaurants in the Atlanta area.

Jay has a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Louisville and earned CFM certification from the International Food Service Executives Association. He’s also a graduate of McDonald’s Hamburger University.

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Eric Leland / DTT
Regional Sales – DTT Surveillance

Eric Leland is the Regional Account Executive for DTT Surveillance. He has over 10 years of restaurant experience in sales, marketing and promotion. He lives in Cumming GA with his wife, his two boys and his dog.

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Sean Reardon with Zenith and Moxie and Brad Shaw with Crazy Good Turns

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Brad Shaw and Sean Reardon

 

Sean Reardon / Zenith & Moxie
CEO

A nine-year Zenith veteran, Sean has moved across multiple facets of the business in his nearly two decades of experience. From account planning, media and strategy to data, insights and technology, Sean is able to connect the dots across disciplines in a way that brings flexibility to our agency and our clients. While he considers himself a “big thinker,” Sean is a firm believer that big ideas are only as good as the ability to execute upon them. He takes tremendous pride in not only generating ideas, but in translating ideas into actionable outcomes that impact the bottom line.

In his freshman year as CEO for Moxie, he has attained a level of unprecedented growth in its 16-year history, adding American Cancer Society, Delta, TaxSlayer, Atlanta Braves and TGI Fridays to the client roster. With even less time since taking the helm at Zenith, he has rendered immediate effect with the retention of 21st Century Fox as a client and injected a tangible spirit into the halls of the company that drives innovation, collaboration and outside-the-box thinking.

Prior to taking over the helms at Zenith, ROAR and Moxie, Sean spent time at Publicis & Hal Riney, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and AKQA.

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Brad Shaw / Crazy Good Turns
Co-Creator and Host

Brad Shaw is host and co-creator of Crazy Good Turns, a nonprofit podcast that tells stories about people who do amazing things for others. Shaw retired from The Home Depot in April, 2015, after more than 10 years as the company’s vice president and chief communications officer, reporting directly to three CEOs during his tenure there. Prior to joining Home Depot in 2004, Shaw served as chief communications officer at Gateway, Inc.

Shaw is actively involved in philanthropic efforts and has served on various non-profit boards including The Points of Light Foundation, Ken’s Krew, Kaboom and the Metro Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Brad and the former CEO of The Home Depot, Frank Blake, created Crazy Good Turns together when they realized that through the power of storytelling, they could help ignite change and inspire people to give back.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. in 1988.

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Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Skye Estroff with Taste of Atlanta & Robert Gayle with Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe

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Skye Estroff and Chef Rob

Taste of Atlanta
Food that Rocks

 

Skye Estroff / Taste of Atlanta / Food that Rocks
Marketing and Media Manager

Skye Estroff is the marketing and media manager for Atlanta’s largest food festival, Taste of Atlanta. Skye manages all TV, radio and print media relationships, as well as strategizing and planning all social media. She is an Atlanta native, a University of Georgia graduate and an expert in Atlanta’s best food.

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Food that Rocks: For one night only, more than 20 of Sandy Springs’ favorite restaurants will be rocking the big tent in Hammond Park, in the heart of Sandy Springs. This all-inclusive event will provide you with food, wine, beer and cocktail tastes from local mixologists, local musicians and will benefit Sandy Springs-based charities Second Helpings, Ian’s Friends Foundation and the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

 

Robert Gayle / Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe / Upscale Lounge
Executive Chef and Owner

Robert Gayle, the Executive Chef and owner at Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe, combines his Caribbean background with a Culinary Institute of America education, gathering flavors from around the world to refine a menu of island comfort fare. After spending his childhood in Jamaica West Indies, Chef Rob relocated to the United States and began to develop his culinary love at age 13 by working as a steward in Brooklyn.  Shortly after obtaining his culinary degree in 1993,  his skills and prestige steadily increased over time, allowing him to eventually assist with the openings of Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs’ New York and Atlanta venture, Justin’s Restaurant, in 1997. There he was able to deliver his culinary expertise for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Akon.

Chef Rob’s mental Rolodex includes recipes for top-selling entrees and Caribbean Cuisine such as braised beef oxtails, ackee and saltfish, jerk chicken, curried goat, dry-rubbed spare ribs, and his signature spicy jerk seasoning. In addition to opening his Atlanta-based restaurant in 2006, the Chef Rob brand continues to grow with its wide selection of signature sauces, intimate cooking classes, and event catering options. He was recently featured on Atlanta Eats, April 2017, and continues to bless media outlets with his extraordinary delights.

After many years of success as an esteemed restaurateur, Chef Rob’s Upscale Lounge brings an exciting, zesty addition to Sandy Springs’ eccentric nightlife scene. The lounge presents tastemakers and professionals throughout the city with a unique experience. Guests will be treated to assorted tapas, cocktails, top-shelf choices, hookah, signature wine selections and the option of various VIP Packages. The couture ambiance seasoned with contemporary furnishings will provide host to an assortment of exclusive events, private mixers and social activities attended by industry influencers.

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Culinary Atlanta Series Featuring Joe Kelly with TalentServed and Aaron Avers with Establishment

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Joe Kelly and Chef Aaron Avers

 

Joe Kelly / TalentServed
Vice President of Recruiting

Joe Kelly is a professional recruiter bringing six years experience of restaurant management recruiting. Prior to obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, Joe worked for several seasons with his family’s fishing fleet in the Bering Sea. As a result, Joe has one of the best work ethics in the business.

Joe’s tenacity has made him successful at doing the heavy lifting necessary to match the right person with our client’s demanding requirements. Joe lives in the metropolitan Atlanta area and helps many of the city’s top restaurateurs and emerging concepts to find strong leaders. He also works with several regional and national organizations, where he helps to source top talent at many levels.

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Aaron Avers / Establishment
Chef

Chef Aaron Avers is a culinary “Master of Meat” with 20+ years of experience ranging from gourmet fine dining to private catering. As a native of Columbus, Ohio, Chef Aaron started his career at McDonalds, slinging burgers at the age of 15. Smarter than R. Kroc, his passion transformed into a partnership with the City of Columbus to provide nutrition and cooking education to elementary school children. His drive to provide real food to the masses grew stronger when he received his first grant to have live chickens in coops he built at the school.

From Columbus, Chef Aaron ventured to D.C. to expand his culinary style and technique. After learning from several great minds in the area, he decided culinary school would give him an opportunity to truly fine tune to his art. He and his wife relocated to Charleston, South Carolina where he earned his degree in Culinary Arts from the Art Institute of Charleston.

Chef Aaron is Executive Chef and Partner at Establishment. Additionally, he is Executive Chef, Owner and Meat Master of Braizing Saddles & Chef-in-a-Box.

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Skye Estroff with Taste of Atlanta and John Smith with Rize Artisan Pizza

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Skye Estroff and John Smith
Taste of Atlanta Food that Rocks

 

Skye Estroff / Taste of Atlanta / Food that Rocks
Marketing and Media Manager

Skye Estroff is the marketing and media manager for Atlanta’s largest food festival, Taste of Atlanta. Skye manages all TV, radio and print media relationships, as well as strategizing and planning all social media. She is an Atlanta native, a University of Georgia graduate and an expert in Atlanta’s best food.

Twitter   Facebook

Food that Rocks: For one night only, more than 20 of Sandy Springs’ favorite restaurants will be rocking the big tent in Hammond Park, in the heart of Sandy Springs. This all-inclusive event will provide you with food, wine, beer and cocktail tastes from local mixologists, local musicians and will benefit Sandy Springs-based charities Second Helpings, Ian’s Friends Foundation and the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

 

John Smith / Rize Artisan Pizza
Founder and CEO

The idea for the Rize concept was born from John Smith’s passion for pizza and a desire to build a great company. Smith was used to moving frequently during a nomadic childhood. “My father was in the Air Force, and I lived overseas as a kid and in 15 different states as an adult,” he says. “Everywhere I’ve moved, I would look for a great pizza place. Although it was frustrating to have to find a new favorite every few years, it made me realize there was an opportunity nationally to create the Rize concept.”

This desire to find a little slice of home no matter where he traveled stuck with Smith as he went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Temple University, catapulting him into an extraordinary professional progression.

John’s career experience began with companies such as General Electric, IBM and McKinsey & Co. After heading up another private equity-backed retail venture, Smith went on to be a senior principal for Diamond Cluster International and executive vice president of marketing and sales at HealthAxis Corporation.  He then became the director of corporate strategy and store operations for Target Corporation. After four years with Target, he joined Collective Brands, Inc., the $4 billion parent company for Payless Shoesource, Striderite, Saucony and Sperry Topsider brands, where he progressed rapidly from heading corporate strategy to leading the global store development and procurement organization with over 5,000 locations across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.  He eventually was tasked to run all retail operations for one of the key divisions, leading the turnaround of a critical $250 million retail business that encompassed 400 stores across multiple brands, e-commerce and 2,200 team members. Smith’s next leadership role would take him into the hospitality industry, beginning a six-year career at Caesars Entertainment Corporation as regional president.

Smith’s skill set lies in his ability to relate to everyone at every level of the organization.  When joining Caesars, Smith decided to work in every aspect of the business and beside his team so he could hear their frustrations firsthand.  He then set out to address those frustrations. This is precisely how he was able to turn Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, which was the second largest Caesars casino outside of Vegas, improving profitability in a declining market while achieving the highest customer service scores in the company’s 30-year history.

Now, he finds inspiration for the culture he hopes to build at Rize by reflecting on these past career experiences. As the entrepreneurial spark that started the concept, Smith has always been the one to ask “why not?” Although he is leading the effort to build the brand and company from soup to nuts, his vision for Rize begins with his perspective on how to build a great service-based company.  To his mind, it starts with the culture and how team members should be treated. “Hospitality comes from the heart,” he says. “We are selective in who we extend an offer to join the Rize Nation to ensure each team member sincerely cares for and wants to serve others. That sincerity gives our staff a different energy and spirit than someone who is simply going through the motions of preparing or delivering food.”

John currently lives in the Sandy Springs area of Atlanta with his wife and four children, and dedicates his spare time to the Muhammad Ali Center and the Boys and Girls Club of America. As a past devoted board member for both organizations, Smith infuses Ali’s humility and desire to serve others into his business acumen at Rize and sees local involvement as a way to give back to the community.

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Adam Rabinowitz with Maven, Author David Nour and Nick Friedrich with Instacart

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Nick Friedrich David Nour Adam Rabinowitz

 

Adam Rabinowitz / Maven
Maven City General Manager – Atlanta

Adam is a fifth generation Atlantan, who closely monitors the time difference between his biking commute and his driving commute to work (he typically saves at least a minute riding his bike). After living in Atlanta for most of his life, Adam is aware of the city’s heavy car culture and he doesn’t expect to change that with Maven. However, he is also very aware of the city’s renaissance over the last decade and the progress that may allow residents to rely a bit less on personally owned vehicles. That’s where he thinks Maven can fill a great need.

Adam manages GM’s Maven brand in Atlanta, which includes the public car sharing offering: Maven City and Lyft Express Drive, which provides prospective Lyft drivers with GM vehicles allowing them to earn extra income through the ridesharing service.

While his responsibilities change every day, Adam’s tasks range from establishing new Maven locations to negotiating with city officials to analyzing what vehicle mix will best meet his customers’ needs. He oversees a small team, all of whom manage all facets of the on-the-ground operations no matter what time of day or night.

Adam fully embraces the sharing economy. He uses an internet-based grocery delivery service, stays at shared residential properties when traveling and uses ridesharing apps like Lyft. He’s purposefully positioned Maven’s Atlanta offices in Industrious, a co-working space in Atlanta that fosters community and collaboration in the rejuvenated Ponce City Market development.

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David Nour / CO-CREATE: How Your Business Will Profit from Innovative and Strategic Collaboration
Relationship Economics Expert and Autho

David Nour has spent the past two decades being a student of business relationships. In the process, he has developed Relationship Economics® – the art and science of becoming more intentional and strategic in the relationships one chooses to invest in. In a global economy that is becoming increasingly disconnected, The Nour Group, Inc. has worked with clients such as Hilton, ThyssenKrupp, Disney, KPMG and over 100 other marquee organizations in driving profitable growth through unique return on their strategic relationships.

Nour has pioneered the phenomenon that relationships are the greatest off balance sheet asset any organization possesses, large and small, public and private. He is the author of ten books translated in eight languages, including the best selling Relationship Economics – Revised (Wiley), ConnectAbility (McGraw-Hill), The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital (Praeger), Return on Impact (Jossey-Bass), and the forthcoming CO-CREATE: (St. Martin’s Press), an essential guide showing C-level leaders how to optimize relationships, create market gravity, and greatly increase revenue.

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Nick Friedrich / Instacart
General Manager

Nick has been with Instacart since May 2015 and is working with the company to grow and launch new territories. He resides in Atlanta and covers the Southeast region and the New York market for Instacart.

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Georgia Department of Economic Development Small Business Rock Stars

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Small Business Rockstars

 

Mary Ellen McClanahan / Georgia Department of Economic Development
Director, Entrepreneur & Small Business Project Manager, Global Commerce

As Director of Entrepreneur & Small Business Development for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Mary Ellen helps find solutions and effective ways to build an enabling environment and support small business through mentoring, professional development, strategic planning, processes and resource awareness.  She connects with Georgia’s business and community associations so that thousands of businesses, local leaders and practitioners are aware of resources and opportunities.  She also directs any sized businesses to the specific resources they need.

Mary Ellen is an Existing Industry Project Manager within the Metro Atlanta region.  She calls on growing companies, making them aware of state resources and incentives, and provides assistance with their growth plans and decision-making process.  Mary Ellen also works closely with the local economic developers with their economic development efforts.

During her 19 years with the department, she helped develop and grow its regional economic development program, the “Entrepreneur Friendly” Initiative, and acted as legislative liaison.  Prior to that, Mary Ellen was the economic developer and president of two rural South Georgia chambers of commerce in Dodge and Sumter Counties.

Originally from Erie, PA, and in Georgia since 1973, Mary Ellen serves on the boards of GEDA (Georgia Economic Developers Association), GACCE (GA Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives), Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection, and the DeKalb Workforce Investment Board.

She is a 1997 graduate of Institute for Organization Management and Leadership Georgia, and a 2000 graduate of EDI (Economic Development Institute).

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Carrie Burns / Atlanta Movie Tours
Founder /CEO and Chief Movie Buff

The film industry is booming in Georgia, with over 700 movies and 20 television shows filmed here since 1972. Atlanta has been fortunate to play a key role in many, including Ant-Man, Driving Miss Daisy, The Vampire Diaries, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Ride Along, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2 and The Walking Dead. Since 2012, Atlanta Movie Tours has been providing a whole new way to see the city for visitors and locals alike. Atlanta Movie Tours tour guides are experienced actors who have worked on set, giving you fascinating behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

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Mallory Sofferin / Sweet Grass Dairy
Communications Coordinator

Sweet Grass Dairy currently manufactures six different artisan cow’s milk cheeses. Sweet Grass Dairy also has a small cheese shop and a full service restaurant in historic downtown Thomasville. Sweet Grass Dairy is dedicated to producing high quality, flavorful cow’s milk cheeses that are a true expression of their unique terroir.  They purchase milk from the family’s dairy farm located 30 miles from the cheese plant. The Little family is dedicated to farming sustainably in a New Zealand rotational grazing method, and to upholding the highest level of humane animal husbandry.

Sweet Grass Dairy is located in the only area of the United States where cattle can graze 365 days a year due to mild winters and unlimited water from the Floridian aquifer. Sweet Grass Dairy does not even have a barn to house their cows. The company’s goal as cheese makers is to make cheeses in an old world style to let the true flavors of the grass based milk shine through to the final product. Sweet Grass Dairy is trying to change the American perspective on food, and is dedicated to educating the American public on the importance of knowing how our foodstuffs are grown, raised or made.

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Brandon Pelissero / Ecolink
Chief Value Officer

Ecolink is a 25-year industrial chemical manufacturer and distributor with an environmental mission of less and safer chemicals for workers and their communities. Ecolink is among the earliest pioneers in formulating with citrus terpene oil (citrus fruit skins) as alternatives to toxic and hazardous chemicals which are being banned, or phased out, due to environmental (ozone depleting potential, SMOG) and health & safety reasons (carcinogenicity).

100% of Ecolink’s branded solutions were developed in collaboration with customers. Often times the customer will determine the packaging and labeling, even naming the product in some instances. Ecolink leverages digital marketing in very big ways (Ex: 10 clicks have converted into more than $10M of lifetime revenue). Ecolink is committed to educating the next generation. Starting in 1999, Ecolink funded environmental education with leading national programs and currently invests in high schools, businesses and marketing programs throughout Georgia. Ecolink ships the same/next day. This is very uncommon for the industrial chemical industry, especially for under $500 or 55 gallons. Ecolink recently (10/3/16) celebrated its 25th anniversary and is very pleased to report minimal losses. Ecolink is thankful for doing good while delivering good.

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