Coworking

When Valarie McConico’s husband asked her to help a friend with immigration challenges she figured it wouldn’t be too difficult. The curious neuroscientist set out to assist a group of workers in completing immigration documents. What she learned launched her on a passion driven journey culminating in a new career.

“I’m a reader. When I started looking for immigration consultant books I couldn’t find any, but I did come across what’s called an ‘immigration provider license,” Valarie said.

Valarie learned it was illegal to help immigrants in Georgia file applications without a license. The larger problem? The state lacked resources or training for people wanting to become licensed immigration consultants.

“Immigration instructions are as complicated as filing taxes,” explained McConico. “These documents are between fifteen and thirty pages and are extremely difficult. If I do something wrong the applicant could be rejected or even barred from the country,” she added.

Valarie’s frustration with the lack of resources coupled with mounting heated rhetoric surrounding the 2016 presidential election set her off on an irreversible course.

“I’m a parent. I’m a human. I’ve experienced discrimination. I couldn’t let it go. The passion kept building and growing. I said, ‘Valarie, you’re going to see this all the way through.’”

And, she did.

Valarie utilized her background in neuroscience to build a simple to understand curriculum for immigration consultants. In December, 2016, Valarie launched Smart Pathways, an immigration consultancy agency that strives to empower and educate individuals seeking to become an Immigration Assistance Provider. Smart Pathways training manuals not only coach professionals through the application process, but emphasize the social and emotional components of immigration as well.

“I want people to understand the psychology behind immigration,” stated McConico. “Sometimes immigrants don’t speak the language or must lose part of their culture in order to integrate. The political landscape can create another layer of fear. Even people with green cards don’t want to leave because their countries could be put on the ‘banned  list’ and they won’t be able to return,” she explained.

Smart Pathways currently operates statewide providing a range of services, including immigration consultancy training, tools to create independent immigration consultant businesses, and handbooks for assistance in filling out immigration documents.

Valarie says demand for her services is high.  According to the website, Smart Pathways plans to roll out additional immigration application courses to meet the demands of specialized consultants.

“I envision my business becoming a one-stop-shop service provider with multiple locations,” says Valarie.

It seems her vision may not be too far off into the future.

For more information visit: www.smarterpathway.com.

 

When Mike Mahan was asked if he’d be interested in becoming an IgniteHQ mentor he made an easy decision. His job as investment manager at Stanley Ventures calls for him to be completely immersed in metro Atlanta’s startup community.

“Being a mentor at IgniteHQ goes along with my mandate of being involved in the community and helping others,” said Mahan.

Mahan is an investment manager on Stanley Ventures’ corporate venture capital team where he runs multimillion dollar projects. According to Mahan, Stanley Ventures invested in sixteen companies in the past two years. Mahan helps the companies in his portfolio attract more investment.

“I curate commercial partnerships to grow both the top line of startups and Stanley Black & Decker,” explained Mahan. “It’s exciting to do what I can to make companies bigger, better and more valuable,” he added.

Mahan learned of IgniteHQ while reading about IgniteHQ’s funding initiative Curate for Us. He says he’s looking forward to helping members attract more dollars.

“I’m here to help companies assess the right amount of money to raise and the type of investors best for them. I can also assist with pitches, pitch decks and business planning,” said Mahan.

The East Cobb resident also touted IgniteHQ’s location and affiliation to KSU as added perks to being part of the team.

“IgniteHQ has a different type of environment than the incubators in Midtown and Buckhead. This is a great opportunity to showcase the talent in Marietta and at KSU,” he said.

IgniteHQ’s newest member 4tell Solutions is planting an indelible foot here in Marietta. The company’s CTO Neal Tisdale and CEO Bobby Staton joined IgniteHQ last month and are actively expanding.

4tell Solutions was founded in Portland, Maine and began as a field assessment company for architectural engineering firms and large real estate owners. After being bought by PE firm Rubicon Technology Partners three years ago, 4tell swiftly revamped into a software company focused on the implementation of its software used to assess facility conditions.

“We work with shovel-ready clients to assess the gaps in their needs and readiness and provide data driven solutions,” Tisdale explained.

Upon discovering IgniteHQ, Tisdale immediately thought it was a phenomenal place to expand.

“IgniteHQ is in a fantastic location and it checks all the boxes of our needs,” stated Tisdale. “We love the fact that we can grow here and launch within hours of a decision.”

A self proclaimed “nerd herder,” Tisdale is excited to expand his staff. 4tell Solutions is currently hiring several software engineers (aka “nerds”). The team of 3 plans to expand to 6 to 8 people by January.

“An added benefit is the fact that IgniteHQ is close to Kennesaw State University (KSU) where we are recruiting our engineering team,” said Tisdale.

4tell Solutions’ impressive client list is too large to name. The roster is comprised of universities, city and state governments and large corporations including University of Alabama , The state of New Mexico, NBC Universal, and The Salvation Army.

“We’re working on several big projects at the moment including a $4 million contract with the National Parks Service,” Tisdale excitedly divulged.

According to 4tell’s website, its software has been used for over 100,000 buildings and over $150 billion in asset value.

Learn more about 4tell Solutions HERE.

 

 

Over the past decade, the buzzwords “social impact” have permeated the vernacular in business development worldwide. No longer reserved for a handful of product giants like TOMS and The Body Shop, the notion of dedicating resources to social causes has become a focus of large corporations, startups and individual entrepreneurs. Why the distinct sea change? Consumers and employees demand it.

Benefiting the community, or even the earth itself, has become a priority to consumers. Social impact is not only a key issue for purpose driven companies, it is now a key to success for companies operating in every sector from breweries, to clothing companies and to service based businesses. Statistics show  socially responsible companies have more satisfied consumers.

The buck doesn’t stop with consumers. Employees are an integral part of the health of a company and employees are more devoted and productive when working for socially active employers.

It’s no wonder companies across the board are learning to marry purpose with profit in order to succeed. Metro Atlanta companies, large and small, are leading the way. The Service Fort, a company providing environmentally friendly janitorial and maintenance services, partners with nonprofit First Step Staffing to hire homeless, transitioning veterans and individuals with a troubled past. The Service Fort has made the list of INC 5000’s fastest growing companies four years in a row. They were also named Cobb Chamber’s 2018 Small Business of the Year.

Service Fort founder Jeremy Fort says he always had a passion for helping others. His decision to help the homeless as part of his business models stems from a project he did his senior year in high school where he found, in most cases, “people just needed to be given the right opportunity.”

“When I had the opportunity to work with First Step Staffing to help with what I knew was going to be a challenging labor project at the new SunTrust Park, it all came full circle for me. I was able to approach Greg Block with First Step after meeting him years earlier and learning the great work they were doing in the community,” said Fort.

“It’s been an invaluable partnership and I’m thankful everyday for the people that come to work and have a brighter future in store,” Fort added.

While, entrepreneurs and multinational corporations are looking for creative and substantive ways to impact social change and derive financial gain, investors are playing an integral role. According to the Global Impact Investment Network 2018 Annual Impact Investor Survey, the worldwide Social Innovation and Impact Investment markets are growing robustly with the majority of investments made in the United States and Canada.  According to some estimates, the impact investment market is valued at $9 trillion in the U.S. alone.

IgniteHQ’s newly launched Social Innovation Lab aims to bring together investors along with all the key players in the field to fuel successful socially responsible ventures.

“The Social Innovation Lab will vertically consolidate resources for startups, investors, professionals, students, coders, researchers, product and tech development shops and corporations coming together to collaborate in the realm of social responsibility using IgniteHQ as the platform for engagement,” explained Mark Hubbard, IgniteHQ’s President and CEO.

To learn more about IgniteHQ’s Social Innovation Lab visit: https://www.curatefor.us/social

Rhonda Y Jones of Ask Y Analytics stumbled upon the realm of marketing analytics as a business management student at Georgia Tech.

“I was studying finance, but I found it really boring,” tells Jones. ‘I loved crunching numbers and I loved my marketing classes.”

After an internship at Westinghouse where she surveyed clients, Rhonda realized marketing analytics was the perfect fit for her. After achieving her MBA in Marketing, from City University of Seattle, she began a career in market research & analytics. She soon began analyzing the success of websites and marketing campaigns.

Jones’ resume boasts high level analyst positions at marketing agencies as well as fruitful years contracting for big name clients such as Spanx, CNN, UPS, Home Depot, Turner Sports (March Madness Live, NBA, NCAA) and Verizon Wireless.

In 2015, Jones’ passion for understanding the behavior and preferences for online customers drove her to launch her own marketing analytics firm, Ask Y Digital Analytics.

Ask Y Digital Analytics utilizes Jones’ original methodology of getting clients to dive deeper into their marketing data by asking ‘Why?”

“A lot of companies get stuck on ‘what happened,’” explains Jones. ”We train our clients to ask better business questions. It takes a combination of data analytics and market research to actually answer these questions,” Jones added.

Jones says she transforms marketing data into relatable stories her clients can easily digest. She presents results in a storybook format where findings heavy in data analytics are readily presented to executives with more creative minds.

“The way we present our results helps clients understand their data as characters that can be directly impacted by the actions my clients take,” said Jones.

Ask Y Digital Analytics services small, mid-sized and large companies. Clients hail from various industries such as ecommerce, marketing, baked goods, and graphic design.

Jones says she truly enjoys working out of IgniteHQ where she utilizes the facilities to meet with clients and vendors.

“I like having a place to go in Marietta,” said Jones. “IgniteHQ is a friendly and stress-free environment and the space really gives me a polished look.”

For more information on Ask Y Digital Analytics, visit http://www.askyanalytics.com/.

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/

Feeling distracted this time of year? Ready to hang the “Gone Fishin” sign and check out for a bit? Summer months are tough for all of us to stay focused, but many of us don’t have the leisure of vacationing all season.

We asked a few of our veteran mentors how they keep their head in the game when they’d rather be boating or watching baseball.

We hope the following tips help you stay fresh in the heat.

From Tricia Whitlock. Brand Marketing

Give yourself actual time off on vacations. If you work through them you don’t give yourself mental space to think bigger and come back swinging post-trip. Next, mix work and play, while strengthening relationships. Have a work meeting at the dog park or Braves game!  If you still lack motivation, try scaring the hell out of yourself by looking at all of the deliverables/events/to-dos you have for the Fall.

Finally, book fun winter travel plans and set goals on what you want to accomplish before you go. Better start now!

From Kevin LeClair, Entrepreneurship and Technology

I live by a book called The Energy Bus. The 10 Rules for the Ride of Your Life really helps me stay focused when I have so many other things going on. For me, #1 and #4 have been very impactful.

From Rumana Sultana. Marketing

Even when I’m busy on vacation or hosting guests, I like to check in every day for at least 30 mins to an hour (if possible). But I like to limit myself to that because if not, it can suck you in. This won’t work for everyone, but if you are someone who gets overwhelmed easily, checking in when you are busy with other things can help when you get back to your work.  You won’t have to see 300 messages in your inbox or 15 new tasks in Asana. Keeping in the know, even if it’s a bit, helps me stay motivated and know what to expect.

From Karen Jones, Public Relations

Taking real time off is imperative to mental health and productivity. In this age, it’s nearly impossible for most of us to completely unplug, but unplugging is proven to strengthen the mind. Reward yourself each day by carving out an hour for a hike, bike ride or time at the pool. Get outside in the mornings and evenings when it’s not too hot. Over the summer, the majority of people take a vacation or two. Take a vacation and be present. Leave work behind for a week. When you return you’ll feel fresh, invigorated and ready to tackle that “to-do” list.