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Excerpt from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Full story can be found here.

Cobb County has become a hot ticket for companies thinking about expanding or relocating. In January 2018, the county had 23 firms in its “active project pipeline.” Today it has 62.

One of the major reasons for this new-found interest is an organization known as the Cobb Workforce Partnership.

Spearheaded by the Cobb Chamber, the partnership was launched in 2015 and brings together school systems, universities, government agencies and the corporate sector. Among those involved are Kennesaw State University (KSU), Chattahoochee Technical College, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Tech, Life University, Cobb WorkSource, Cobb County and Marietta City schools, and more than 30 Cobb businesses. All are dedicated to identifying and addressing workforce needs and establishing an efficient way to supply companies with job-ready talent, said Sharon Mason, president and CEO of the Cobb Chamber.

The county grew 27,000 jobs over the past five years, she said, and indications are the rate of growth will increase. Cobb’s workforce education initiative “has made a tremendous difference for the companies we are recruiting since our proactive approach brings together all the elements necessary to make sure businesses have the right kind of talent,” Mason added.

One of the key components of the initiative is IgniteHQ, an independent nonprofit started in 2016 through a partnership with KSU and in collaboration with the Cobb Chamber. The organization supports start-up companies and entrenpreneurs by connecting them to funding sources, mentorships and work space.

“Being an entrepreneur and running a business is different than having a job…because you have all the jobs,” said Mark Hubbard, CEO of IgniteHQ. That fact “requires some kind of support structure or connective tissue between the resources that exist in the larger ecosystem.”

In 2018, IgniteHQ launched two new innovation labs at its headquarters, one focused on social innovation and impact investing, and the other on blockchain and other cryptocurrencies.  

Pamela Whitten, president of KSU, said the university’s students are major beneficiaries of IgniteHQ and use its services for networking, workshops and locating potential investors.

“Many are also working their way through school and have a work ethic, attitude and energy unique to a college population,” she said, adding that IgniteHQ’s partnership with the Cobb Chamber helps KSU students access local business support along with college.

Original post from Atlanta Business Chronicle. Read full story here.

IgniteHQ mentor Roger Mahler is not only guiding members with strategy development, he is leading a pack of passionate comrades down the path to an interactive Marietta Square.

Mahler, a 25 year software veteran, enjoys discovering how to best utilize technology to grow business. As an IgniteHQ mentor, Mahler helps fresh entrepreneurs develop successful strategies incorporating technology. He’s translated his skills to many industries including medicine, banking, transportation and security.

In addition to mentoring, Mahler is utilizing his years of experience to manifest a vision of the ultimate smart city. Mahler is the founder of the “Smart Connected Communities Project,” a group of developers, stakeholders and believers uniting to build the optimal smart city starting with Marietta Square.

“Marietta Square is its own living, breathing ecosystem. There are places to walk, eat and connect with other like-minded entrepreneur and enthusiasts. It has its own unique look and persona,” explained Mahler.

The Smart Connected Communities Project boasts over 100 members and is housed at IgniteHQ. Mahler says he launched the group to enable people to build and realize their ideas. One day he hopes to create a Smart City Center of Excellence at IgniteHQ.

“Building a smart city is about solving problems that drive innovation,” explained Mahler. “We need to focus on integration, “Almost everything we need to create the Smart City of the future exists today”. We don’t know yet what a smart city looks like, but we know it’s going to be huge,” said Mahler.

A smart city is typically defined as a municipality that uses information and communication technologies to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare. But this is only half the solution, a smart city is not truly smart until it does something personally for the individual and this will be driven by countless thousands of small developers solving community-based problems and knitting them together to create a compelling user experience.

At this time, according to Mahler, big corporations are securing all the government contracts and driving the development of smart cities, but small developers work on everyday issues affecting citizens.

“There’s a phenomenal opportunity here at IgniteHQ to build our Smart City Center of Excellence,” said Maher. “The city of Marietta, Cobb County and Kennesaw State University all support IgniteHQ and IgniteHQ is very open to the idea,” he added.

Click HERE For more information on the Smart Connected Communities Project.

Some people may call Melinda Mayton a sharp entrepreneur. Industry professionals may say she is a problem solver.  Her beneficiaries probably think she is simply an angel from heaven. We think Ms. Mayton is a combination of all of the above – a compassionate, intelligent and driven woman who brings emotional support and healing to families of sick children through her non-profit Blue Skies Ministries.

Mayton began her career as a nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) caring for children with cancer. As a nurse she became intimately aware of the trials and turmoil experienced by families with sick children.

“Having a sick child is an emotional ordeal and traumatic for the entire family,” said Mayton. “Treatment can take years. By the end of treatment families are often a complete mess,” she added.

Observing her patients and their families had a profound impact on Mayton. She felt called to act, but didn’t know what to do. She says her faith led her to “dive in” and follow her vision.

In 2010, Mayton, along with a group of dedicated men and women, founded Blue Skies Ministries, a non-profit that offers weeklong beach retreats to “lift families above the clouds of childhood cancer.” Blue Sky Ministries’ mission is to bring the hope of Christ to families living through pediatric cancer.

The all expense paid retreats bring families close together in an environment where sick children can laugh and play, siblings can feel cherished and have uninterrupted quality family time and parents can heal and find support from others.

“Our retreats truly make a difference in the lives of our families,” said Mayton.

Blue Skies Ministries operates ten mission trips and hosts 120 families from all over the United States every year. The organization has six part time staff members and dozens of volunteers.

Mayton says she is excited to grow her organization at IgniteHQ.

“I’m looking forward to getting help from IgniteHQ’s mentors. The environment here is exactly what I was looking for,” said Mayton.

For more information on Blue Skies Ministries visit: https://www.blueskiesministries.org.

The holidays are behind. The kids are in school. Vacation is OVER. Now that we’re all back at the office you might find yourself asking “what next?”

For entrepreneurs and business owners the beginning of a new year can be daunting. This is the time to reflect, reevaluate and revise. Will you grow your team? Will you obtain and retain more customers? How can you improve your digital footprint? How can you become better focused and more productive?

These questions and more ought to be swirling around your head, but don’t get overwhelmed! IgniteHQ’s medley of resources are available to help push, support and grow your business.  

Goal Setting and Development

Our list of seasoned mentors are here to help you kickstart the new year with a bang. From financial planning to product development, IgniteHQ’s mentors bring years of experience to the table and thoughtfully guide you and your business into a successful direction.

Funding

Do you need more investment in order to grow? IgniteHQ offers capital through it’s funding initiative CurateForUs as well as other accelerator programs.

Innovate and Scale with like minded individuals

IgniteHQ’s innovation labs are a superb resource for entrepreneurs playing in a specific field. Find talent, improve ideas and get paired with enterprises willing to invest through these curated groups.

Finally, take advantage of IgniteHQ’s partnerships with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and Kennesaw State University. Not sure how to partner? Any of our mentors or staff members can help advise and connect you.

At IgniteHQ we want nothing more than to see our members grow and thrive. Take advantage of these significant resources and hit the ground running!