Pro Business Channel

Catherine Downey, CATMEDIA

2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year

Founder and CEO Catherine Downey built her company around five core values: creativity, quality of products and services, exceptional customer service, innovation, and integrity. CATMEDIA has consistently applied these core values to meet the ever-changing needs of government and commercial clients in today’s fast-paced world. These principles are the foundation of our business, and of our project management approach. CATVIDEO became CATMEDIA in 2011 to better serve our client’s needs, and adapt to an ever-changing world of technologies.

MISSION

We employ creativity to solve problems that help our clients succeed through program and human resource management, in the fields of training and creative services.

HISTORY

In 1986, founder and CEO Catherine Downey created Downey and Warren Advertising after years of media production and broadcast television experience. CATMEDIA was founded in 1997 as CATVIDEO. Downey, a single mom, started the firm using her experience in television production and media and project management, and built a thriving business while also caring for her young family. Her years of hard work and sacrifice paid off, and, with grown children now, Downey has redoubled her efforts to expand her firm to meet the ever-changing needs of federal and commercial clients in today’s fast-paced world.

In 2011, Downey changed the company name to CATMEDIA to reflect its expanding services. CATMEDIA has been recognized as a leader among government services contractors. True innovators, the firm is patent-pending on several training and communications technologies. In addition, it has twice been named to the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

SERVICES

CATMEDIA specializes in Creative Services/Media Production, Program Management, Training, and Human Resource Management. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, we are process developers, communication strategists and information designers who combine creative thinking with appropriate technologies and professionals to create the tools and/or environment needed to successfully support our clients’ leadership, technologies, programs, and organizations.

http://CatMedia.com

Georgia Business Radio - NOWaccount $130M in transactions and Lamon Luther Custom Furniture Tiny House Giveaway

Lara Hodgson, President & CEO

NOW Corp

NOWaccount is the first payment solution for businesses that sell to other businesses and governments.

Guest BIO:

Lara serves as President & CEO of NOW Corp, a company she co-founded to free small businesses from the burden of funding trade credit and to enable small business growth. The concept for NOW Corps NOWaccount stems from the challenges Lara faced when growing her manufacturing business, Nourish. Lara experienced the challenge of managing cash flow in a growing business and having to fund the trade credit required to support growth. Not finding a solution that worked, she partnered with John Hayes and launched NOW Corp and NOWaccount, the first payment solution for B2B. NOWaccount enables businesses to get paid immediately in a way that is not a loan, feels like but costs less than taking a credit card for payment and is largely invisible to their customer. NOWaccount will change the way small businesses manage cash flow, has done over $130M in transactions and aims to turn a portion of the $1.2T of trade credit that small businesses hold into cash. NOWaccounts innovative structure is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Lara spent 5 years at Dewberry Capital Corporation, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate development and investment firm, where she served as the companys Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing development, sales & leasing, property management and marketing.

Lara was the Executive Vice President of Dunk, a performance footwear and apparel manufacturing/retail company built on the concept of mass customization and founded with Shaquille ONeal & Mike Piazza. She built the operations, IT and sales & marketing groups..

Lara is an internationally recognized speaker, leading seminars on creativity, innovation and access to capital. Internationally, Lara has worked in Koriyama, Japan with the U.S. Defense Departments EAGLE Japan Program and served as the Ambassador to Lebanon for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Lara received an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BS in Aerospace Engineering with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She was featured in USA Today as one of the top 20 students in the US and was the ODK National Leader of the Year. Lara was a scholarship member of the varsity Track & Field team at Georgia Tech.

Lara has served on several Boards including: Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Georgia Techs Scheller College of Business, the Georgia Tech College of Engineering, ACE Loans, Atlanta Heights Charter School, Flag Bank, Georgia Techs Alexander Tharpe Fund, and Society of International Business Fellows. Lara is a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2005 and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2004. Lara taught finance as an adjunct instructor in Georgia Techs MBA Program for 10 years. Lara was appointed by the Governor of Georgia to serve on the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) Board. Lara was recently honored by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association with the Total Person Alumnus Award and by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering as the Alumnus of the Year. She is a member of the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Hall of Fame, was a recipient of a Womenetics 2013 POW! Award honoring Purposeful Women and was named to the 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year.

Topics/Questions:

The challenges of a startup versus a scaleup

How a small business should use the right capital at the right time for the right use or the business becomes a hobby

Work-Life Balance

Why more businesses grow out of business than go out of business

Web Site and Social Media:

www.NowCorp.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-corp-

https://www.facebook.com/NOWaccountNetwork/

https://twitter.com/NOWaccount

Brian Preston, Founder

Lamon Luther

Custom furniture...

Lara Hodgson, President & CEO

NOW Corp

NOWaccount is the first payment solution for businesses that sell to other businesses and governments.

Guest BIO:

Lara serves as President & CEO of NOW Corp, a company she co-founded to free small businesses from the burden of funding trade credit and to enable small business growth. The concept for NOW Corps NOWaccount stems from the challenges Lara faced when growing her manufacturing business, Nourish. Lara experienced the challenge of managing cash flow in a growing business and having to fund the trade credit required to support growth. Not finding a solution that worked, she partnered with John Hayes and launched NOW Corp and NOWaccount, the first payment solution for B2B. NOWaccount enables businesses to get paid immediately in a way that is not a loan, feels like but costs less than taking a credit card for payment and is largely invisible to their customer. NOWaccount will change the way small businesses manage cash flow, has done over $130M in transactions and aims to turn a portion of the $1.2T of trade credit that small businesses hold into cash. NOWaccounts innovative structure is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Lara spent 5 years at Dewberry Capital Corporation, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate development and investment firm, where she served as the companys Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing development, sales & leasing, property management and marketing.

Lara was the Executive Vice President of Dunk, a performance footwear and apparel manufacturing/retail company built on the concept of mass customization and founded with Shaquille ONeal & Mike Piazza. She built the operations, IT and sales & marketing groups..

Lara is an internationally recognized speaker, leading seminars on creativity, innovation and access to capital. Internationally, Lara has worked in Koriyama, Japan with the U.S. Defense Departments EAGLE Japan Program and served as the Ambassador to Lebanon for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Lara received an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BS in Aerospace Engineering with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She was featured in USA Today as one of the top 20 students in the US and was the ODK National Leader of the Year. Lara was a scholarship member of the varsity Track & Field team at Georgia Tech.

Lara has served on several Boards including: Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Georgia Techs Scheller College of Business, the Georgia Tech College of Engineering, ACE Loans, Atlanta Heights Charter School, Flag Bank, Georgia Techs Alexander Tharpe Fund, and Society of International Business Fellows. Lara is a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2005 and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2004. Lara taught finance as an adjunct instructor in Georgia Techs MBA Program for 10 years. Lara was appointed by the Governor of Georgia to serve on the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) Board. Lara was recently honored by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association with the Total Person Alumnus Award and by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering as the Alumnus of the Year. She is a member of the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Hall of Fame, was a recipient of a Womenetics 2013 POW! Award honoring Purposeful Women and was named to the 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year.

Topics/Questions:

The challenges of a startup versus a scaleup

How a small business should use the right capital at the right time for the right use or the business becomes a hobby

Work-Life Balance

Why more businesses grow out of business than go out of business

Web Site and Social Media:

www.NowCorp.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-corp-

https://www.facebook.com/NOWaccountNetwork/

https://twitter.com/NOWaccount

Brian Preston, Founder

Lamon Luther

Custom furniture builder employing homeless individuals in Atlanta.

Topics/Questions:

What is Lamon Luther?

Why were you...

Douglas, Deputy Administrator

U.S. Small Businesses Administration

Guest BIO:

Deputy Administrator Kramer was confirmed by the Senate to this position last June. Prior to that he held a variety of positions in President Obama’s administration, including four years in leadership roles at the White House.

As Deputy Administrator, he is responsible for managing the agency and ensuring the efficient operation of its programs. He works to make sure the Agency fulfills its promise to support U.S. Small Businesses.

Topics/Questions:

We understand you are here in Atlanta as a Host City National Small Business Week. This is fantastic, for Atlanta and the Southeast Region.

We understand there is more to come for this week, can you tell us a little more about this week’s events? Will the public be able to watch and participate in all of these events?

We talk about the steady growth in the small business community frequently and the support from the SBA is excellent for all entrepreneurs. Georgia must be honored to be a host stop of the National Events.

We appreciate it. What are the topics of the breakout sessions?

We are always amazed to learn about all of the programs and services that are available for the right price to entrepreneurs. Where else in the world can you go and find free business consultants provided by the Government. When people think of the SBA they immediately think access to capital right? Can you talk a little bit about SBAOne and tell us how that affects the end users/entrepreneurs across America?

Web Site and Social Media:

www.sba.gov

www.sba.gov/nsbw

@SBAGov

SBAGov- FB

Cassius F. Butts, Region IV

U.S. Small Business Administration

Guest BIO:

Cassius F. Butts was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011. He is responsible for the delivery of SBA programs in Region IV comprised of the eight Southeastern states. During his appointment, Cassius has managed oversight of five record breaking years for SBA lending in Region IV. Nearly $20 billion in SBA-backed loans were awarded to small businesses within Region IV. Under Cassius’s leadership, we have witnessed historic lending, record-breaking government contracting dollars awarded and the highest number of entrepreneurs trained and counseled in SBA history.

Cassius is a serial 15-year entrepreneur and college professor and was previously employed with the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Since 1992, Cassius has worked in leadership positions for Bank of America, Fleet Bank, and the City of Atlanta. As a small business owner, he co-founded CB Consulting Group, LLC.

In 2013, he was appointed to the National Partnership Council and he is an active Policy Board Member for the Atlanta Federal Executive Board. Cassius is a graduate of Edgewater High School in Orlando, Atlanta’s Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University’s School of Public Administration, and he obtained his Certificate of Grant Writing from Emory University’s Life Learning Institute. Cassius is also a 2012 graduate of Leadership Atlanta.

Topics/Questions:

1) Cassius, how are things looking in the region? You always have great information to share

2) what were some of your take-aways from the opening of the national celebration that took place today in Atlanta?

3) How do you see the small business climate in the Southeast? Should people look here to start a small business?

Web Site and Social Media:

@CassiusButts

@SBASoutheast

SBAGov

www.sba.gov

Terri L. Denison, Georgia District Director

U.S. Small Businesses Administration

Guest BIO:

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

Terri began her SBA career in 1987 as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Agency’s Washington, D. C. District and...

Bess Yount, Head of SMB Community Engagement

Facebook

Bess Yount, Head of Facebook's SMB Community Engagement team. Bess is responsible for growing awareness of just how social media can help small businesses reach their goals. In fact, Bess has traveled the country on behalf of Facebook to engage with small business owners and help them learn about ways to grow their respective businesses. Whether your listeners are just starting a business or ready to take the next step, they’ll be fascinated to hear from one of the top social media business experts in the nation.

In honor of National Small Business Week, Facebook is demonstrating its commitment to empowering small businesses and helping them achieve success. Interview with one of the top social media experts in the country from Facebook, who is working to help small businesses in honor of National Small Business Week.

Covering a number of timely topics, such as, including a newly minted technology coalition of major technology/social media companies that are working with the United States Small Business Administration to help entrepreneurs become successful. You’ll also learn what Instagram is doing to engage the small business community and how Facebook is providing a new way to help connect small business owners with community leaders, small business experts and like-minded businesses. Find out how your listeners can learn more about the community and online resources they need to grow their business.

Topics:

Talking Best Practices for Growing Small Business

AN INSIDE LOOK AT WHAT THE WORLD’S #1 SOCIAL MEDIA SITE IS DOING TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES GROW

LEARN HOW FACEBOOK IS DOUBLING DOWN ON ITS COMMITMENT TO DRIVING SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT FACEBOOK SMALL BUSINESS:

Amazingly simple tips and tricks for helping businesses achieve success and growth

One of the nation’s top small business experts explains how social media is changing the way Americans work…and play

Why mobile is more important than ever for small businesses.

For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/business

Georgia Business Radio hosted by:

Rich Casanova

Interviewing industry leaders throughout Georgia each week live from the Pro Business Channel studios in Atlanta.

To nominate or submit a guest request visit:

http://www.meetme.so/GeorgiaBusinessRadio

Ram Gopalakrishnan CEO​

Bricz-Supply Chain Services Provider

Guest BIO:

Ram is a results-oriented supply chain leader and has helped Fortune 500 companies with supply chain strategy and technology decisions for the last 10 years. He played leadership roles at Manhattan Associates to implement multiple large scale warehouse management systems projects. Subsequently, he played the role of a chief architect of supply chain systems at Petco and currently runs the Bricz organization. Under his leadership, Bricz has grown to be the preferred boutique consulting firm for supply chain systems implementations. Ram lives in Atlanta and loves traveling and playing any sport with a racket.

Topics/Questions:

1.Tell me about your background and what you do?

2.Atlanta is rapidly becoming the supply chain hub- Can you share more insight on supply chain and how Bricz fits in the scheme of things?

3.It appears there are quite a number of options for supply chain service providers. Why Bricz?

4.Tell me more about your team?

5.What are some services Bricz provides for clients?

6.Describe some common supply chain issues companies’ face that can impede their success and how Bricz can help?

7.What are key areas companies should focus on to improve their supply chain in today's competitive market?

8.System Options for Fulfillment-WMS, WMC, WES. What do they mean to a customer?

Extra Questions if time allows

9.Can you share your details about your methodology for complex supply chain implementations?

10.For people interested in working for Bricz, what do you look for in a candidate?

Web Site and Social Media:

http://www.bricz.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricz

https://twitter.com/bricznews

https://www.facebook.com/bricznews/

https://plus.google.com/+Bricz/about

David Wiley, Agency Manager​

HealthMarkets

(Health, Life, Medicare, Long Term Care Insurance)

Guest BIO:

Native Atlantan, 17 plus years meeting the needs of clients. Graduate of UGA and an active member of several community and ancestral organizations. Actively involved in educating clients to The Affordable Care Act and in helping Medicare beneficiaries maximize their benefits.

Topics/Questions:

Understanding "ObamaCare".

How to fully protect one's family.

Trends in Group Health Insurance.

Importance of using an agent.

Web Site and Social Media:

www.HealthMarkets.com/dwiley

Christian Ross - COO & Founder​

Valore Real Estate Partners, LLC - Real Estate Developer

Guest BIO:

Christian is the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Valore Real Estate Partners, LLC. Christian founded Valore to be disruptive in the commercial real estate industry - the tenant and the landlord working together to put more money and control in the tenant's pocket. A licenced attorney in both Georgia and Florida, Christian currently manages all client procurement, legal review, property acquisitions, asset and financial management, and investor relations for Valore.

Topics/Questions:

(1) New company Valore - what it is and how it is a game-changer.

(2) Who we are helping and who we work with.

(3) other industries where we are also present.

Web Site and Social Media:

www.valorerep.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/valore-real-estate-partners-llc?trk=top_nav_home

www.twitter.com/valorerep

https://www.facebook.com/ValoreREP/

https://plus.google.com/116365029104732033317/about?gmbpt=true&_ga=1.22884091.1986305763.1457703402

Georgia Business Radio hosted by:

Rich Casanova

Interviewing industry leaders throughout Georgia each week live from the Pro Business Channel studios in Atlanta.

To view guest photos from this show, visit:

www.ProBusinessPictures.com

To nominate or submit a guest request visit:

http://www.meetme.so/GeorgiaBusinessRadio

Keith Wilmot, President and CEO

Leadercast

Guest BIO:

Keith Wilmot is the President and CEO of Leadercast. Leadercast is an organization that exists to build Leaders Worth Following. Keith is the biggest raving fan of a group of crazies that honestly believe they can positively change the culture of leadership in the world. He has the privilege to cheer, pray, coach, support, and lead these amazing people. He is married to an amazing woman, Jennifer, who has been with him since high school. They have four children (Noah, Hannah, Nathan, and Ava) - they are such blessings and keep him running for sure.

Topics/Questions:

Leadercast is having the largest one-day leadership gathering in the world on May 6 at the Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth, Ga. This event is called Leadercast Live. The following questions regarding the event would be great!

1) How did the idea of Leadercast originate?

2) What does it mean to be a Leader Worth Following?

3) Tell us about Leadercast Live on May 6.

4) What is the theme of Leadercast Live 2016?

5) What do you hope attendees and participants leave with on May 6?

6) Why did you choose Atlanta to be the epicenter for Leadercast?

7) What do you see for the future of Leadercast?

8) How do you see leadership roles and opportunities changing for individuals in the next five or ten years?

DISCOUNT TICKETS!!

Go to: http://events.leadercast.com/live

ENTER PROMO CODE: PROBUSINESS

Web Site and Social Media:

Leadercast Website: http://www.leadercast.com

Leadercast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadercast

Leadercast Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leadercast

Leadercast Instagram: http://instagram.com/leadercast

Leadercast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadercast

Leadercast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/leadercast/videos

DISCOUNT TICKETS AT: http://probusinesschannelusa.com/events

ENTER PROMO CODE: PROBUSINESS

The New Currency Show

Amazon Best Selling Author Tom McMurrain, along with show host Rich Casanova.

Tom is a 'Disruptionista,' meaning he thrives on business models that disrupt companies, industries and countries.

Speaking to audiences around the world he is known for his ability help people clearly understand what digital currency is and how people can make it part of their lifestyle.

As it relates to digital currency Tom coined the term The 7th Disruption where he creates an unequivocal argument for Bitcoin disrupting the trillion dollar behemoth known as the banking and finance industry.

He lives and breathes the 'Coin Lifestyle' and has a mission to help millions of people adopt to the future of internet currency.

Web site: www.coinlifestyle.org

Twitter: http://bit.ly/coinlifestyletwt

Facebook: http://bit.ly/coinlifestylefb

Youtube: http://bit.ly/coinlifestyleytbe

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 561-571-2646

On this Episode:

http://www.coindesk.com/insurance-company-john-hancock-begins-multiple-blockchain-proof-concepts/

http://cointelegraph.com/news/overstock-after-byrne-will-it-remain-bitcoin-friendly

http://cointelegraph.com/news/a-coin-of-independence-scotlands-own-cryptocurrency-vs-british-pound

Temple Melville, Scotcoin’s majority holder, discusses the future of a cryptocurrency designed for the Scottish people. In late 2015, a major pub in Glasgow started accepting Scotcoinpayments for pints.

ScotcoinCT r: 220, a cryptocurrency created by Derek Nisbet, meant to serve as a currency for Scotland as an alternative to the British Pound, rose into prominence before Scotland’s referendum for independence from the United Kingdom. Rather than fading away after the “no” vote, ScotcoinCT r: 221 has continued to rise in the cryptocurrency charts since.

CoinTelegraph spoke to Temple Melville, majority holder of Scotcoin, about the past, present, and future of the regional cryptocurrency.

CoinTelegraph: What prompted the creation of Scotcoin?

Temple Melville: The history is that a man called Derek Nisbet, in the run up to the Scottish Referendum in 2014, saw the need for a Scottish currency, as distinct from a UK or English currency, and created Scotcoin as a Country based crypto currency. Of course, crypto knows no borders, and there has been lots of take up outside Scotland. Subsequently, he moved the coin to Counterparty, where it remains to this day

CT: What target user was originally in mind?

TM: Originally the idea was that, rather like Iceland, everyone within the country would get an amount free and be able to use them. Iceland's experiment lost it's way because there were/are practically speaking hardly any places to actually use their coin. This is something we are determined to avoid, and have a heavy programme aimed at bringing users and takers of Scotcoin on board. For example, we have an ongoing roll out with pubs, clubs and restaurants as well as some fast food outlets. There will be a range of shops and sporting venues that will take Scotcoin, and we are looking in time for the Scotcoin economy to be in the $50-100 million area annually. So anyone who would like to help make it grow is very welcome to talk to us!

CT: How was the initial response?

TM: Very positive. The Scots are very passionate about their country and have shown enormous belief and forward thinking in relation to Scotcoin

CT: How much of Scotcoin's hopes were tied to the independence referendum?

TM: Initially, I don't think it was quite as simple as that. There was always going to have to be a mainstream fiat currency, and people have said that one of the reasons the Referendum was lost was because the currency that Scotland would use after Independence was never explained. Scotcoin might have filled a small part of that requirement, a bit like the WIR system in Switzerland, but it was not intended to be a substitute for fiat currencies

Now we have the chance to use Scotcoin for the good of the whole...