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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





High Velocity Radio

Month: January 2012

I-Business Network CEO Gary Feldman And Global Sales Director Lesley Dubin: How The Cloud Is Changing Business, Plus Les Adkins With Orange SMS: How To Cut Through The Noise Of Social Media

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We opened today’s show with I-Business Network CEO Gary Feldman and Global Sales Director Lesley Dubin describing exactly How The Cloud Is Changing Business . . .

Gary Feldman

A pioneer in the ASP market, Gary Feldman formed I-Business Network in 1999 as an outsourced application hosting service focusing on mid-market ERP systems.  Landed first ASP agreement with Sage Software (State of the Art), Advanced Software Development Company and SAP Americas (for SAP Business One).  Gary drove I-BN to innovate ERP deployment through the use of pre-configured databases with rapid deployment and predictable subscription fee pricing. Leads the constant upgrade of technology and services for Cloud/Application Service Provider (ASP) services.

One of the first ASP’s in space to provide virtualized services and cloud computing to midmarket and was recognized by Dell.  Successfully developed tools and techniques for automation of both technical and ERP provisioning for SAP Business One and Sage MAS Online to reduce total cost of ownership through cloud computing.   Former executive with Accenture, CPA and CIO for mid-market company.  Began career as a CPA specializing in audit and accounting information systems with BDO Seidman and founded consulting practice with regional CPA firm.

Lesley Dubin

Lesley Dubin is the Director of Global Sales and Marketing for I-Business Network responsible for new client acquisition.  Responsibilities include both direct ERP sales to small to mid-size business and cloud services through our channel of solution partners and extended business members. Formerly a District Sales Manager with Microsoft, Lesley was responsible for creation and rollout of programs for Microsoft Dynamics business partners representing NAV, GP, AX and Solomon.  Additional responsibilities included improving brand awareness, program development, training and certification and other similar programs designed to increase the productivity and efficiency of the ERP sales channel.

 

We wrapped the show with Orange SMS Consulting’s Les Adkins sharing  tips for how to cut through the noise of all the Social Media and Social Media Marketing that is out there right now — and describing what Social Strategy is, and why your business needs one.

Les Adkins is the founder and CEO of Orange SMS Consulting, an organization that helps companies and organizations integrate social media strategies that follow their corporate or organizational objectives using a methodology called POST-People, Objective, Strategy, Technology.

His organization provides several tools and services to their clients to create a unique Social Media Strategy for the individual organization.The mission of Orange SMS is to help integrate Social Media into an organization making it Productive, Relevant and Fun; Helping Businesses connect and build a relationship with their employees, customers, vendors and prospects; to affect change and promote brand awareness.

Prior to forming Orange SMS, Les Adkins spent 25 years in the sales industry selling and training teams and customers successfully in technology, business services, entertainment, marketing and advertising.  He has created revenue in excess of over 250 million for organizations, created additional revenue streams for organizations and has been a consistent leader in the industries he has worked with. In the last 7 years he has been working closely with Social Media Experts and developing Social Media Strategies integrating them into programs that are designed around relational onboarding, employee communication, customer relationships, learning, branding and improving the bottom line. All of the programs work on building trust with your audience to achieve your objectives.

Les Adkins has been called by his colleagues a thought leader in Social Networking, Social Learning and Social Media and “get’s it” in understanding how Social Networking is changing how companies do Business.  Les Adkins is an international consultant, speaker, author and trainer sharing his knowledge of how Social Media is changing the world in which we live.

Orange SMS and partners work with Fortune 100 companies such as NetApp their clients have included Oracle, MTV, Adobe, GE and many more.  He has an MBA with a Global Management emphasis and has been certified in HBDI (Herman Brain Dominance Instrument) Whole Brain Approach; a way to determine someone’s thinking process and understand your own to transform business and technology.

He is a Dale Carnegie Sales and Leadership graduate and also has several other certifications in sales, SPIN Selling, Consultative Selling, Guerilla Warfare and Elite Consulting through Total Inter Action in Australia.  You can read his blog (mysylbert.com/your-social-media-blog/)  Follow on Twitter @mysylbert or connect on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/lesadkins .

Girl Scouts Of Greater Atlanta CEO Marilyn Midyette, Tulix Systems’ Louis Lewow, And Derek van Dam With Swipe For Change

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Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development organization, partnering with and inspiring girls through educational, cooperative, and philanthropic experiences to provide the necessary foundation for the next generation of woman leaders and active citizenship within their immediate communities and beyond.

On March 12, 2012, Girl Scouts will celebrate 100 years as the largest girl-serving organization in the nation, and will honor their rich legacy of developing girl and young women leaders.  This celebration provides a unique opportunity to both reflect on the tremendous opportunities provided to all girls by Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, and to rally around support for the next century of Girl Scout leaders.

The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.  Girls who are inspired to make a difference in their world, and who have the necessary life skills—become the next generation of successful business leaders, collaborators and community builders.

Marilyn W. Midyette is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc.  As Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Midyette’s responsibilities include oversight of the council’s strategic planning process, finance and operations management, marketing and communications, fund development, membership growth, volunteer support and development, program delivery, and compliance.

Prior to joining Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta in October 2008, Mrs. Midyette was the Regional Vice President of the Business Services Group at Sprint Communications. She was responsible for strategic leadership, P&L for the consultative sales organization, and personnel management in the areas of marketing, product management, engineering, pre and post-sales support, finance, legal, customer service, HR, real estate, network operations and service management.

Mrs. Midyette is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She is also a member of the 2010-2011 Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2011.  In addition, she is a recipient of 2010 Womentics POW! Awards, which honors purposeful women and received a Proclamation from the Atlanta City Council in recognition of her strong leadership, integrity, business acumen and abilities.

In 2011, The College of William and Mary Alumni Association awarded Marilyn the Alumni Medallion which is the highest award the association can bestow on a graduate. Recipients are recognized for their outstanding professional accomplishments, leadership and dedication to their community and commitment to their alma mater.

Mrs. Midyette serves as a member of the Regional Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association ofAtlanta, the College of William and Mary Fund Development Board, and is Secretary of the Mt. Paran Northside Citizens Association.  She and her husband Payne have two sons; Payne IV who is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Reade who is a United States Air Force Academy cadet in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

As an Application Service Provider (ASP) and Internet pioneer, TULIX has been delivering applications and hosting services since 1994. TULIX is expanding its worldwide presence to satisfy a growing demand from businesses seeking proven solutions that ensure they can reap the benefits of new Internet technologies while minimizing the risks.

Located in Atlanta at 55 Marietta Street, the company’s worldwide headquarters includes a private, secure network operations center, call center and data center. TULIX assists its clients in maximizing business performance, increasing return on infrastructure investment and meeting business needs through responsiveness and real world experience.

 

Swipe for Change is a social enterprise focused on creating sustainable models in fundraising. Swipe for Change is a fundraising engine designed to create recurring and sustainable donation streams for nonprofit causes by leveraging payment processing solutions.

Merchants that process with Swipe for Change are able to redirect a large portion of their processing fees to a nonprofit close to their heart. As customers shop at their locations with the debit or credit cards, donations are generated without any cost to the consumer or merchant.

It is a triple win scenario, as the business gets to support a cause and gains a competitive advantage without affecting the bottom line. Consumers feel good about making a difference simply by choosing where they shop and are not limited to cause branded products.  Nonprofit causes see a recurring donation from businesses that grows over time and  helps their fundraising efforts and stabilizes their programs.

Derek van Dam hosts the popular Make a Difference Radio show on the Business RadioX TM network airing live each Wednesday 10am Eastern – sharing the amazing stories and exceptional people they meet as Swipe For Change continues our mission to “Making a Difference Everyday”.

 

 

MLK “Serving Your Community Special” Dominique Love: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Plus Ann Jacobs-Long And Zenobia Godschalk: Women In Technology Girls Get IT Program

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Today we honored the great Martin Luther King and all those who seek to serve with this Special Episode dedicated to lifting others up and serving your community.

Dominique Love is the CEO and founder of two Atlanta businesses:  Corporate Community Outsourcing (CCO) and the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.   CCO is a philanthropic consulting agency that helps corporations and nonprofits maximize their community impact.  Since creating CCO in 2003, Love and her team have helped dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including American Express Publishing, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, sanofi-aventis, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and WellPoint, build strategic community investment programs.

The CCO team has also worked with notable nonprofit organizations, including Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Hands On Atlanta, Grady Health System, Jewish Family & Career Services, Southeastern Council on Foundations, Quality Care for Children and United Way, to help them achieve fundraising success and stronger, more engaged board members.

In 2010, Love and her business partner, Elizabeth Feichter, turned their passion for food, drink and Southern culture into the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.  Presented by FOOD & WINE magazine, the Atlanta Festival is the first culinary weekend in the nation focused exclusively on the Southern region.

This four-day event, which debuted in May 2011, is designed by the region’s leading culinary talents and offers guests the opportunity to participation in learning experiences – classes, tasting seminars and panel discussions – tasting experiences, dinners and special events.  The 2012 Festival will take place May 10 – 13, 2012 in Midtown, Atlanta.

 

Ann Jacobs-Long, Director, and Zenobia Godschalk, PR and Communications manager, talked about the Women In Technology’s Girls Get IT program, which collaborates with the Georgia business community to inspire girls in middle and high school to choose careers in science, technology, engineering and math.  Why? Because the statistics are alarming: America lags behind other nations in the number of students majoring in science and engineering at colleges and universities, according to the National Science Foundation.  Additionally, women make up just 9 percent of those receiving engineering degrees – and with your help, we’re changing that statistic.

Zenobia Godschalk is the CEO of ZAG Communications, a technology PR firm working with some of the hottest technology companies in the country. A transplant from Silicon Valley, Zenobia and her team enjoy working as an integrated part of a company’s marketing team to get the story out on today’s mostinnovative, exciting technologies.

Ann Jacobs-Long is a Group Vice President at SunTrust Bank, specializing in PMO leadership, enterprise project management and governance.  A long-time resident of Atlanta, Ann is in her second year as Director of the Girls Get IT Program within the Women In Technology organization.

2011 Spirit Of Endeavor Award Winners: OFS, ViziTech USA, Secure Xperts

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Today we interviewed 2011 Spirit Of Endeavor Award Winners: Dr. Yi Sun with OFS, Stewart Rodeheaver with Vizitech USA, and Darnell Washington with Secure Xperts.

Dr. Yi Sun, lead engineer for Enterprise Local Area Network Lab for OFS, received the TAG-Ed Workforce Readiness Award in recognition of her mentoring work this summer, best preparing her student for a future career in the technology field.

Robert Lingle, Jr., Ph.D. who serves as OFS Director, Fiber Design and Systems Research joined the conversation as well, sharing his perspective on everything from the future of fiber, to preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s world.

OFS’ corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T (NYSE: T) and Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent, NYSE: ALU). Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion dollar global leader in optical communications.

Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, U.S., OFS is a global provider with facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia; Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Denmark, Germany and Russia.

 

Brigadier General (Ret) Stewart Rodeheaver is President of ViziTech USA.

ViziTech USA bested the Cool Technology category, and Mr. Rodeheaver won the Technology Entrepreneur Award.

The core focus of Vizitech USA’s technology is in training/education, but also provides for several key applications for operational needs.  By experiencing subject matter in an enhanced 3D environment, trainees and operators will absorb information faster, increase their comprehension, and retain matter more effectively, thereby reducing class time and cost, and reducing operational “lag” time.

Products can be tailored and produced to address specific needs, and can be delivered either by a platform instructor and 3D image combination, by recored 3D “stand alone” lessons, or as distance learning through remote, interactive 3D holo-conferencing.

 

Mr. Darnell Washington, President/CEO of SecureXperts is a developer of secure technology solutions that mitigate advanced persistent cyber security threats from foreign and domestic sources that have become a continual problem faced by the government and military for the protection of key critical infrastructure, executive protection, and counter-surveillance activities.

He was the recipient for the Technology Innovation Award for his patented video surveillance solution which makes use of digital certificates and encryption to protect live and archived video streams from interception from unauthorized sources, and can be deployed in law enforcement, public safety, and military applications over the public internet.

The video cameras and archiving systems are cryptographically secure using a security technique known as public key infrastructure (PKI), which is only accessible by authorized individuals with strong auditing and permission revocation capability. His technology solution has a global impact and revolutionizes the way surveillance cameras can be deployed cost effectively and efficiently utilized.

 

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy.

The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.