Archives for August 2018

IgniteHQ, the startup ecosystem nonprofit, has announced the launch of two new Labs – one dedicated to Social Innovation and Impact Investing and another focused on the region’s participation in the global development of new Blockchain and Cryptoeconomic solutions. The Labs will be accessible both at their headquarters just off the Square in Marietta near Kennesaw State University as well as through their formal partnerships with other innovation centers and coworking facilities statewide.

IgniteHQ plans to offer paid Fellowships to select entrepreneurs as well as providing access to specially designed curriculum and programming. The Labs will also partner with larger enterprises to explore and test new products, at-scale solutions, and business models.

The worldwide Social Innovation and Impact Investment markets have exploded in the past decade. By some estimates, as much as $9 trillion has been invested utilizing Impact and ESG metrics while entrepreneurs and multinational corporations alike look for creative and substantive ways to bake purpose into their daily activities and their core business strategies.

Blockchain/Cryptoeconomics sits at the cutting edge of the technology world with an expectation that the solutions made possible will fundamentally disrupt entire industries in the coming years. Constant media coverage of everything from Bitcoin to ICOs to large supply chain implementations by Fortune 100 companies has the public and the business world excited and often confused.

“The industries that these Labs represent are comprised of stakeholders that exceptionally diverse yet intensely specialized. Impact Investors differ in many important ways from other Venture or Angel Investors, and deal structures sometimes look nothing like a normal funding round. Similarly, participants in the Blockchain/Crypto world have interests and philosophies that are particular to that market,” explained Hubbard.

“IgniteHQ already has strong relationships with pioneers and leaders in both Social Impact and Blockchain/Crypto, and we want to leverage those resources to serve the entrepreneurs, innovators, and enterprises of the State of Georgia,” noted Alfredo Narez, President of m1six and IgniteHQ Advisor in Residence.

Visit https://CurateFor.Us/labs to learn more or to apply for participation.

MAS Leadership Communications is an executive communications firm guiding C-suite leadership in both external and internal messaging. Through their coined mantra “Message, Medium and Measurement,” the three gentlemen behind MAS Leadership Communications flawlessly guide their clients through everything from press interviews to employee relations. The team is a tour de force in the executive communications world.

Charles McNair (M), Ken Askew (A) and Steve Soltis (S) have known each other for two decades as contemporaries and friends. With resumes boasting a pulitzer prize nomination, a speech writing position at the White House and jobs at the forefront of communications for companies such as Coca-Cola, Pfizer, McDonald’s, Dow/DuPont and UPS, the trio has always had a deep seeded respect for one another’s talent.

“I always knew I wanted to do business with Ken and Charles,” said Steve Soltis, IgniteHQ’s newest tenant.

In 2017, Soltis left a decade long position at Coke where he headed external and internal communications for then CEO Muhtar Kent. He immediately seized the opportunity to manifest his dream of working with McNair and Askew.

MAS Leadership Communications launched last year. According to Soltis, he and his partners have been busy servicing a roster of clients, but the new firm has yet to market publically.

“We’re all perfectionists,” said Soltis. “We want to do all the work we can handle. Fortunately, we’ve been very effective with back channel marketing,” he added.

Although the three men work cooperatively, they reside in separate cities across the western hemisphere. McNair lives in Bogota, Colombia. Askew works from San Francisco and Soltis, a resident of West Cobb, pulls his weight from metro Atlanta.

Soltis couldn’t be more excited about finding IgniteHQ. Just twelve minutes from his house, Soltis touts IgniteHQ’s location and amenities as a major draw for him.

“I love working at IgniteHQ,” commended Soltis. “I think the faculty here is amazing. The support services are amazing. I nourish off the energy of all these young people doing neat things,” he said.

Soltis says he knows more and more people want to work closer to home with better affordabiity and access.

“I walk out the door and get to be part of the resurgence happening in downtown Marietta. It’s really cool here and IgniteHQ is a big reason why it’s cool!” exclaimed Soltis.

Paula Fowler takes care of business. All of it.

This Cobb resident has been advising companies large and small for two decades. As a very successful business management consultant, Fowler has found herself on the inaugural teams of startups as well as at the helm of well established companies. Her work has taken her into the fields of technology, manufacturing and even real estate, but there is one common thread among all her endeavors- passion for helping entrepreneurs.

“When starting out there’s a lot to think about,” says Fowler. “Is this really a great idea? Can you generate revenue? Can you cover your expenses?  What are the Federal, State and local regulations that may impact the business?” she added.

Fowler helps entrepreneurs answer these questions and much more. Overall, she identifies and implements strategies to increase value.

“I’m a mile wide and a foot deep. I help companies put together an operations budget and a financial model. I even help with recruiting, sales and marketing,” said Fowler.

In addition to her impressive professional portfolio, Paula has made it a mission to give back to the community. She is an active member of a half dozen organizations and serves on the boards of Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) CFO Society and CoreNet Global Atlanta Chapter. She advises and mentors others including at her alma mater’s main technology incubator, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech.

Paula was introduced to IgniteHQ through the Cobb Chamber. She says she is excited to help the members of IgniteHQ’s as well.

“IgniteHQ provides entrepreneurs with a rich environment of other business owners and experienced mentors who have ‘been there, done that’, which accelerates the learning curve,” she said.

To learn more about Paula Fowler visit: https://linkedin.com/in/paulafowler/