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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 09

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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

 

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Jason Sobczak, Chris Sims, Derek Smith, Phil Kuban, John Phillips

 

 

 

Derek Smith / Financial Advisor

LinkedIn

 

 

 

Phil Kuban / FranNet of Atlanta
Advisor

I began my career as a marketing executive at 3M Company. In this role, I was exposed to independent  entrepreneurs and gained a real sense of their work-life balance, something that I had never been  exposed to even as a corporate executive.  This led me to explore ways of starting my own business  while recognizing that I was not an entrepreneur in the true sense.  I had a young family to support and  taking a high risk was not viable.  I began my career in franchising in 1982 with VR Business Brokers.  I  soon realized that buying an independent small business was far more often, “the American nightmare”  for people than “the American dream”.  In 1985, I shifted my brokering practice to franchise area  development.  For more than 30 years, I have been helping people (almost a thousand of them) realize their dream of  business ownership. Since 1999, I have been affiliated with the FranNet organization, the world’s original,  premier network of franchise consultants. My proven track record in numerous franchise systems has  been a key factor in my success as a FranNet consultant. Additionally, I have personal experience  owning and operating retail and professional services businesses. I’ve been personally involved with  master franchise development and have been able to use that experience in my consultations with first-  time prospective franchise owners.  I always suggest a client begin “with the end in mind”. I believe that  the right franchise opportunity with the right exit strategy is the key to building equity wealth. My extensive  experience is an asset for anyone looking for assistance with investing in a new or existing franchise  opportunity.  I am a principal owner and board member of FranNet, LLC, an international franchise company. I spend  part of my time contributing to growth strategies for FranNet LLC, building the value of the company. My  daughter Leslie and I recently celebrated our 16 th  year as owners of FranNet of Georgia.

Twitter     Facebook     LinkedIn

 

Jason Sobczak / Crossfit East Cobb
Owner

Grew up in Orlando, FL. Served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1991 to 1994
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Florida, 1997. Long Range Surveillance Team Leader, H CO 121st Infantry, Long Range Surveillance, GA Army National Guard 2001-2005 Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom Licensed Georgia Residential Mortgage Loan Officer since 2003. Co Owner and Coach of CrossFit East Cobb since 2009.

Facebook      Instagram

 

 

Chris Sims / Crossfit East Cobb
Owner

Director – Fitness Fueling Awareness (501c3 dedicated to providing relief for Cystic Fibrosis). Married to my beautiful wife Jessica Sims, Daughter – Naomi 6yo, attends Mt Bethel and will attend Dickerson and Walton. Son – Sam 5yo, will follow sis starting Kindergarten next year at Mount Bethel. Moved to East Cobb in 1985. Mt. Bethel, Dickerson and Walton Graduate 1999. Favorite Teachers – Mrs Krosner and Mrs. Jedlica BA Social Science, Current MBA student at Thomas Edison State College. US Army Green Beret. US Army Ranger, 6 Combat deployments between Iraq (2003, 2015), Afghanistan (2009, 2010, 2012/13) and Colombia, South America (2007). Just hit 16 years service in the military.

Facebook      Instagram

 

 

 

John Philips LTC, U.S. Army Retired / Boots To Loafers
Author, Speaker, Leader / Vice Chairman VETLANTA

John has had a distinguished career in both military and civilian service. John is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army where he served in the Field Artillery as well as a Financial Comptroller.  With more than 20 years of service, he served  in Corps Artillery, Division Artillery, Army Headquarters and Forces Command, the largest command and the generating force provider for combatant commanders – at home and abroad. He has served in Europe, throughout the Middle East and the United States. Among his awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Assault Badge.

John is the Author of Boots to Loafers, Finding Your New True North which outlines a proven process of transitioning out of the military and into the private sector.  He is also a contributing author to Paddling Guide to the Sunshine State and An American Crisis, Veteran Unemployment, Stand by Them/How You can Help/Solution.  He has been featured on The Mike Huckabee Show, the Dennis Miller Show as well as a number of radio appearances across the country.

John is a finance executive at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In his spare time, John spends his time travelling with his wife, Sailing in the British Virgin Islands, remote wilderness trips in the western United States, and helping our nation’s military and veterans make the transition into society and finding a job in the private sector.

John holds a BS in Finance from University of Central Florida and an MBA from Syracuse University. He lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia with his wife, the former Melissa K. Smith and their Australian Shepherd, Bear.

Boots To Loafers The Book      VETLANTA     Twitter    LinkedIn     Facebook 

 

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Andy Wickman and Andrew Hurst with Warrior Outdoors Inc.

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Andy Wickman and Andrew Hurst

 

www.WarriorOutdoors.org

Andy Wickman is one of the founding members of Warrior Outdoors. He has owned and operated several business’, including a transmission shop, a full motorcycle shop and a dating service. Andy has always had a service heart. He has worked with Habitat for Humanity, the Lions Club and is very accomplished in the Masonic fraternity.

 

 

Andrew Hurst- 12 year army veteran, served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, father, husband, and avid outdoorsman when at all possible. He got into helping other veterans with the VFW and found that Warrior Outdoors would allow him the ability to help even more by taking the State Director position.

 

 

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Spotlight Episode: Vet Radio Radio brought to you by SafeAmerica Foundation

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Mary Lou Pagano

Mary Lou Pagano

 

Len Pagano / Safe America Foundation
CEO & Founder

Len Pagano is a social entrepreneur who has spent over 30 years developing communication programs that address key issues across North America. As President, CEO and founder of Safe America, Mr. Pagano launched the 501(c) 3 organization with a $1 million grant from the Travelers Insurance Foundation.

In its early days, Safe America focused on highway safety issues with Operation Baby Buckle, a child protection program that has distributed over 150,000 infant/child car seats to disadvantaged families across the United States.

Mr. Pagano then organized a ‘Safe Team Coalition’ that was recognized by General Motors (GM) for its work. Innovative safety education programs followed which addressed emerging issues. These included initiatives in teen driver education, water safety, cyber-safety, homeland security, youth safety and disaster readiness.

Through Len’s leadership, the Safe America Foundation has developed educational and practical safety and preparedness programs for businesses and communities. These include safety product distribution, national youth programming, international travel security, and advocating that non-profit organizations screen volunteers (to avoid predatory activities by adults).  His accomplishments include raising over $30 million for injury prevention initiatives and engaging organizations including Porsche North America, the Woodruff, Motorola and UPS Foundations along with the National PTA, Allstate, Wal-Mart, Chevrolet, Verizon, State Farm, NBC/Comcast, USA TODAY, Sprint, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a variety of public safety and government agencies at state and national levels.

 

 

 

Veterans Connect Radio Episode 08

Posted on

Podcast: Download

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

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Roger Roley, Forrest Woodland, Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson , John Phillips and Lloyd Knight

 

 

Forrest Woodland/JDog Lawrenceville
Owner/Operator

 

 

Roger Roley CSM (Retired) / Four Block
Atlanta Program Director

Roger joined the Army where he served for 24 years; during his tenure Roger had several positions of Leadership and responsibility and was awarded the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and numerous other awards. Roger achieved the highest non-commissioned rank of Command Sergeants Major.

After retiring from the Army Roger joined Ferrellgas as a District Manager where he took a District ranked at #123 to #1. In 2 years Roger grew the District’s customer base 78%, doubled top line earnings, received the Donald Trump Award for the highest margins over projections while reducing expenses by 18% under projections.

Roger joined Cintas in 2001 as an Advance Management Candidate; during the next 11 years Roger held the positions of; Market Manager where he developed the top Location in the Corporation for internal growth, Top Sales Manager of 22 Location generating $160,000 in weekly volume over a 3 year period, as a Director of Facility Services (Group Level) Roger developed over $200,000 in weekly volume in new business services; Roger’s last position was as Atlanta’s Market Manager for the Deep Clean Division where he developed the top Location in the Corporation for 2 straight years.

Roger joined Osprey Biotechnics Inc. in January 2012 as Vice President of Business Development Growing sales 30% ($1.4M) creating the company’s first growth year in 3 years.

In August 2013 Roger joined Corporate Leads Inc., as Senior Partner. Corporate Leads Inc. is a Veterans placement organization with an outstanding record with both Veterans and corporations.

Roger joined Building Global Leaders Team in December 2014 as Vice President of Operations and Partner. Building Global Leaders (BGL) mission is to develop future business leaders utilizing business training, leadership training and mentorship.

In continuing to support our veteran Roger joined Four Block in November 2015 as the Atlanta Program Director: Four Block Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that prepares transitioning veterans for careers in corporate America. We teach a semester long, university accredited course that assists student-veterans with obtaining competitive internships and full-time positions.

Twitter      Facebook

 

 

Lloyd Knight / VETLANTA
Co-Founder

Lloyd Knight is Director, Government, Aerospace & Project Cargo Operations at UPS.  He oversees multiple freight forwarding programs supporting a wide range of clients including the Department of Defense, defense contractors, humanitarian and aerospace customers. He develops operational strategies to meet business objectives and ensures UPS remains compliant with government regulations.  Lloyd has been employed at UPS since 2007 and in addition to his current assignment has served in several different roles including Government Tender Manager, Global Government Operations Manager and a special assignment with corporate HR focusing on veteran hiring initiatives.

Lloyd retired from the Air Force in 2007 after 20 years of service.  During this time, Lloyd logged over 3,000 flight hours as a Loadmaster on several operational and flight test aircraft including the C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, and C-23 Sherpa.  He also served assignments as a Tanker Airlift Control Lift Element (TALCE) Loadmaster, HQ Air Mobility Command Functional Manager and First Sergeant.

Lloyd founded the UPS Veterans Business Resource Group in Atlanta and co-founded and the Chairman of VETLANTA, an industry collaboration of Veteran friendly/ affiliated organizations in the Atlanta region.  VETLANTA mission is to make Atlanta a top destination for veterans. He is an active volunteer for multiple veteran non-profits including American Corporate Partners and Hire Heroes USA.

Lloyd has associate degrees in Aircrew Operations and Human Resources Management from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor Degree in Transportation & Logistics Management from American Military University and a Master’s Degree in Logistics & Transportation Management from American Military University.

He has been married to Suzan for 28 years and has two sons (James & Brandon).  Brandon is a college sophomore and James is a soon to be transitioning solider assigned to the 82nd Airborne.

Facebook     LinkedIn

 

 

 

John Philips LTC, U.S. Army Retired / Boots To Loafers
Author, Speaker, Leader / Vice Chairman VETLANTA

John has had a distinguished career in both military and civilian service. John is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army where he served in the Field Artillery as well as a Financial Comptroller.  With more than 20 years of service, he served  in Corps Artillery, Division Artillery, Army Headquarters and Forces Command, the largest command and the generating force provider for combatant commanders – at home and abroad. He has served in Europe, throughout the Middle East and the United States. Among his awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Assault Badge.

John is the Author of Boots to Loafers, Finding Your New True North which outlines a proven process of transitioning out of the military and into the private sector.  He is also a contributing author to Paddling Guide to the Sunshine State and An American Crisis, Veteran Unemployment, Stand by Them/How You can Help/Solution.  He has been featured on The Mike Huckabee Show, the Dennis Miller Show as well as a number of radio appearances across the country.

John is a finance executive at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In his spare time, John spends his time travelling with his wife, Sailing in the British Virgin Islands, remote wilderness trips in the western United States, and helping our nation’s military and veterans make the transition into society and finding a job in the private sector.

John holds a BS in Finance from University of Central Florida and an MBA from Syracuse University. He lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia with his wife, the former Melissa K. Smith and their Australian Shepherd, Bear.

Boots To Loafers The Book      VETLANTA     Twitter    LinkedIn     Facebook 

 

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 06

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Bill Williams, Grant McGarry, Ryan Redhawk, Brandon Skolnick, Eddie Williams

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. 

#VeteransConnectRadio
@VetConnectRadio

 

 

 

 

EddieWilliamsEddie Williams / E&M Consulting
Founder & Managing Partners

Eddie is a West Point graduate, U.S. Army Veteran, and former Airborne Ranger, and Green Beret.  After leaving the military, he has held positions of increased responsibility in Sales, Marketing and Management. Eddie also holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University’s Executive MBA program.

Eddie also serves in the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF), a voluntary military organization that assists the Georgia Army and Air National Guard during state emergency situations, such as; search & rescue, hurricane evacuation, joint operations, and medical emergencies. He has been the Headquarters Recruiting Officer, Public Affairs Officer, Commander of Operations Company, Executive Officer and Commander of 911th Support Battalion. He currently serves as the Commander of the 76th Support Brigade at the Clay National Guard Center, Marietta, GA, and holds the rank of Colonel.

Veterans Economic Communities Initiative (VECI)

 

 

Son of A Soldier

 

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BillWilliamsBill Williams / Axxiom Franchise Consultants

Bill knows what it’s like to want to control your destiny by owning a business. He began his career in the United States Army where he served as an officer in Vietnam. For more than 30 years, he was an executive with technology companies, responsible for training, support, operations and IT. After experiencing “his final corporate reorganization,” he became an adjunct career consultant with Right Management Associates, the firm who provided his outsourcing services.

It was there that he discovered his passion to help others discover their full potential. “As a consultant, I helped them get past the anger and shock of being fired and see this as one of the greatest opportunities of their lives,” he says. “Often, they chose to ‘hire themselves’ and start their own businesses.”

Bill also had aspirations to be his own boss. He wanted to run a business that capitalized on his military and corporate experiences to help others realize their dreams. Research showed that the structure and track record of franchise businesses increased an owner’s success rate. As part of Axxiom Franchise Advisors and the International Franchise Professionals Group, Bill can help you discover the best franchises for your unique skills and desires. Seasoned and wise. Of the highest integrity. Respected and trusted. Caring. An excellent listener with your best interests at heart. That’s how Bill’s colleagues describe him. He speaks and writes on career issues. As a member of the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, he helps former military professionals transition into new careers.  

 

 

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GrantMcGarryGrant McGarry / Live The Ranger Creed, LLC
Founder

Grant is a former US Army Ranger, author of A Night in the Pech Valley and a combat veteran with five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in the War on Terrorism. Upon graduation in 2006 from the University of Alabama with a degree in finance, Grant McGarry reported to Fort Benning with an enlistment contract “for the hardest thing the Army has to offer.” Following his graduation from the Ranger Indoctrination Program Grant was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah Georgia. Following the completion of his enlistment in 2011, he was a civilian security contractor at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Upon his return to the U.S., Grant was hired by The Coca-Cola Company and served as the Atlanta chapter president of the military veteran’s business resource group. After leaving Coca-Cola Grant started his own business, Live the Ranger Creed, LLC. and co-founded The Darby Project (501-C-3). Grant McGarry is continuing his education at Emory University in the Goizueta Business School Weekend Executive MBA program and his happily married to his wife Karin.

Twitter        Twitter(Grant)      Facebook     LinkedIn

 

ANightInThePechValley

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 05

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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. 

#VeteransConnectRadio
@VetConnectRadio

 

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Len Pagano / Safe America Foundation
CEO & Founder

Len Pagano is a social entrepreneur who has spent over 30 years developing communication programs that address key issues across North America. As President, CEO and founder of Safe America, Mr. Pagano launched the 501(c) 3 organization with a $1 million grant from the Travelers Insurance Foundation.

In its early days, Safe America focused on highway safety issues with Operation Baby Buckle, a child protection program that has distributed over 150,000 infant/child car seats to disadvantaged families across the United States.

Mr. Pagano then organized a ‘Safe Team Coalition’ that was recognized by General Motors (GM) for its work. Innovative safety education programs followed which addressed emerging issues. These included initiatives in teen driver education, water safety, cyber-safety, homeland security, youth safety and disaster readiness.

Through Len’s leadership, the Safe America Foundation has developed educational and practical safety and preparedness programs for businesses and communities. These include safety product distribution, national youth programming, international travel security, and advocating that non-profit organizations screen volunteers (to avoid predatory activities by adults).  His accomplishments include raising over $30 million for injury prevention initiatives and engaging organizations including Porsche North America, the Woodruff, Motorola and UPS Foundations along with the National PTA, Allstate, Wal-Mart, Chevrolet, Verizon, State Farm, NBC/Comcast, USA TODAY, Sprint, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a variety of public safety and government agencies at state and national levels.

 

 

 

Tem Frierson / First Data Salutes
VP, Veteran Business Solutions

 

 

 

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 04

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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. 

#VeteransConnectRadio

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Tanya D. Bryant, John Phillips, Ryan Redhawk, Garrett Cathcart, Brandon Skolnick

 

 

Tanya D Bryant / Just Lovely Lipstick LLC
Personal Branding Expression Artist

Tanya Bryant is a retired twenty-one-year veteran who has been in two war campaigns. While the fatigues and combat boots are as close as the closet door, Tanya’s entrepreneurship journey led her right into the beauty industry. Today Tanya is the owner of Imagine Makeup Artistry, LLC and founder of Just Lovely® Lipstick, she markets herself as the Personal Branding Expression Artist. She helps business women to enhance their personal brand image so they can express who they are in their industry by using the power of color so they look and feel confident when presenting their business.

Facebook     Twitter     LinkedIn

 

 

 

Garrett Cathcart / Team Red White and Blue
Southeast Regional Director

Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to people in their community through physical and social activity. Join!

Facebook      Twitter(Team RWB ATL)     Twitter(Team RWB)

 

 

 

 

John Philips LTC, U.S. Army Retired / Boots To Loafers
Author, Speaker, Leader / Vice Chairman VETLANTA

John has had a distinguished career in both military and civilian service. John is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army where he served in the Field Artillery as well as a Financial Comptroller.  With more than 20 years of service, he served  in Corps Artillery, Division Artillery, Army Headquarters and Forces Command, the largest command and the generating force provider for combatant commanders – at home and abroad. He has served in Europe, throughout the Middle East and the United States. Among his awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Assault Badge.

John is the Author of Boots to Loafers, Finding Your New True North which outlines a proven process of transitioning out of the military and into the private sector.  He is also a contributing author to Paddling Guide to the Sunshine State and An American Crisis, Veteran Unemployment, Stand by Them/How You can Help/Solution.  He has been featured on The Mike Huckabee Show, the Dennis Miller Show as well as a number of radio appearances across the country.  

John is a finance executive at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In his spare time, John spends his time travelling with his wife, Sailing in the British Virgin Islands, remote wilderness trips in the western United States, and helping our nation’s military and veterans make the transition into society and finding a job in the private sector.  

John holds a BS in Finance from University of Central Florida and an MBA from Syracuse University. He lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia with his wife, the former Melissa K. Smith and their Australian Shepherd, Bear.

Boots To Loafers The Book      VETLANTA     Twitter    LinkedIn     Facebook 

 

 

 

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 3

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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. 

#VeteransConnectRadio

 

Brandon Skolnick, Everett Steele and Ryan Redhawk

Brandon Skolnick, Everett Steele and Ryan Redhawk

 

 

Everrett Steele / Steele Technology Partners
Chief Operating Officer
As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kanga Technology, Everett led the company through raising millions in funding, building an award winning mobile and web application, and being named “Atlanta’s Best Startup” by General Assembly. Everett’s global vision for Kanga helped grow the small operation into a well-known brand that has been covered in The Motley Fool, TechCrunch, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, and countless others. The company was a Finalist at TechCrunch Disrupt and was selected to the prestigious “Signature” program of the Advanced Technology Development Center in 2014.

Everett was named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “40 Under 40” in 2015, graduated from LEAD Atlanta in 2014, and is an active participant and board member of several non-profits. Everett is a Veteran of the United States Army, where he earned awards for his participation in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. Everett is a proud native Atlantan, a graduate of the University of Georgia, and a diehard Atlanta sports fan. When he isn’t at the office, Everett enjoys spending time exploring the city, dining out, and writing music.

Twitter      LinkedIn

 

 

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Veterans Connect Radio is made possible in part by MarketMate

Veterans Connect Radio Episode 2

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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. 

#VeteransConnectRadio

 

 

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L to R Joe Sroka, Lloyd Knight, Ryan Redhawk, Brandon Skolnick and Brannon Gray

 

 

Lloyd Knight / VETLANTA
Co-Founder

Lloyd Knight is Director, Government, Aerospace & Project Cargo Operations at UPS.  He oversees multiple freight forwarding programs supporting a wide range of clients including the Department of Defense, defense contractors, humanitarian and aerospace customers. He develops operational strategies to meet business objectives and ensures UPS remains compliant with government regulations.  Lloyd has been employed at UPS since 2007 and in addition to his current assignment has served in several different roles including Government Tender Manager, Global Government Operations Manager and a special assignment with corporate HR focusing on veteran hiring initiatives.

Lloyd retired from the Air Force in 2007 after 20 years of service.  During this time, Lloyd logged over 3,000 flight hours as a Loadmaster on several operational and flight test aircraft including the C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, and C-23 Sherpa.  He also served assignments as a Tanker Airlift Control Lift Element (TALCE) Loadmaster, HQ Air Mobility Command Functional Manager and First Sergeant.  

Lloyd founded the UPS Veterans Business Resource Group in Atlanta and co-founded and the Chairman of VETLANTA, an industry collaboration of Veteran friendly/ affiliated organizations in the Atlanta region.  VETLANTA mission is to make Atlanta a top destination for veterans. He is an active volunteer for multiple veteran non-profits including American Corporate Partners and Hire Heroes USA.     

Lloyd has associate degrees in Aircrew Operations and Human Resources Management from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor Degree in Transportation & Logistics Management from American Military University and a Master’s Degree in Logistics & Transportation Management from American Military University.  

He has been married to Suzan for 28 years and has two sons (James & Brandon).  Brandon is a college sophomore and James is a soon to be transitioning solider assigned to the 82nd Airborne.

Facebook     LinkedIn

 

 

 

Joe Sroka / NovaPoint Capital LLC
Chief Investment Officer

Joe has 20 years’ experience in the investment management industry. Prior to founding NovaPoint, he was a portfolio manager at Spectrum Advisory Services and GMT Capital in Atlanta and Epoch Investment Partners in New York. He has also worked as an equity research analyst at Merrill Lynch and ABN Amro. Before beginning his investment career, Joe was an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army. Joe holds a BS from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a MBA from the University of Chicago. He is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT).

LinkedIn     LinkedIn(NovaPoint)      Facebook     Twitter

 

 

 

Brannon Gray / Victory Lane Vinyl
Founder
30yrs old, Born and raised in Panama City, Fl. Been in Ga 7yrs
Served 3yrs as a 68w Combat Medic in the Florida Army National Guard
Went to Pakistan in 2008 Operation Inspired Gambit.

 

 

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Veterans Connect Radio is made possible in part by MarketMate

Spotlight Episode Featuring Veteran Entrepreneurs; Veterans Connect Radio

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Veterans Connect Radio

 

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

#VeteranPreneur

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Left to Right; Ryan Redhawk, Brandon Skolnick, Edgard Sanchez and Samir Patel

 

 

 

 

 

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Ryan Redhawk and Brandon Skolnick

 

 

 

 

 

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Edgard Sanchez and Samir Patel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Samir Patel/Mobilization Capital

Samir Patel is an Atlanta native. He graduated from West Point (2008) and served in numerous leadership positions with the US Army to include platoon leader, commander, chief of operations and a procurement/contracting official.  He has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  He’s part of an investment group and his current focus is on building  Mobilization Capital. This company solves some of the most challenging cash-flow issues facing government contractors.
spatel@MobilizationCapital.com | 404-723-8410

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Edgard Sanchez/C’est Tout Bon 2 Eat

Edgard Abraham Sanchez (45) – Born and raised in New Orleans, LA. The youngest of 4. Learning my way around the kitchen started at an early age with my mother  cooking up meals from my mom and dad’s native land, Nicaragua. I Started working at Mandinas Restaurant in New Orleans at age 15 and picked up some Cajun and Creole cooking till I enlisted the United States Marine Corps at 18. Caught in a drawdown, I was forced out of the Marines after four years and I reluctantly crossed over into the U.S. Army where i continued to be an infantryman. At my 12 year mark my body had taken all that it could after sustaining injuries from a mine-strike in Bosnia. A med board convened and I was instructed to reclassify or get out. I reclassified into supply and logistics and finally retired after an illustrious 22 year career. Upon retirement in 2011 I drove through Atlanta (to see my high school crush) enroute to a GS job I had accepted in Tallahassee, FL. In 2012 I moved to Atlanta after commuting to Atlanta every other week. 2013 married Angel, my high school crush, started working in a warehouse as the inventory assistant to who is now my partner, Milton Mouzon. In 2014 graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Culinary Apprenticeship Program and The Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities held at Cornell University. Started C’est Tout Bon 2 Eat in November 2014.
I have 2 daughters from a previous marriage Brittany (23) and Hailey (20).

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