SBC Team Profiles
Staff:
Nell Perry began her service to the Small Business Center Network in October 1996 and has attained SBC Director Level 3 certification. She currently is serving as the Coordinator of the Small Business Center and provides assistance with all aspects of scheduling, training and counseling services. See my LinkedIn profile.
Ambassadors:
Ja’Net Adams is the owner of EMACK Consulting L.L.C. Ja’Net’s “Debt Sucks!” brand has grown into an international symbol for financial independence. She helps people with their finances so that they can start a small business or have more capital to invest in their existing business. She also helps businesses establish an online presence in order to grow their brand. See my LinkedIn profile.
Sabrina Gatewood is an agent licensed to sell insurance through Nationwide. Additionally, she is a Registered Representative of and offers securities products & services through Nationwide Securities, LLC. She offers a variety of products that can help you meet a number of insurance and financial needs, including, but not limited to college funding, retirement, managing costs for extended periods of care and lifetime income strategies. See my LinkedIn profile.
Raina Haque is the founder and lead attorney of Erdős Intellectual Property Law, the area’s pioneer law firm that serves the need of small businesses and startups. She served as counsel to major healthcare and research institutions, biotech and tech startups, and small businesses. She clerked in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of North Carolina where she analyzed business litigation and drafted precedent-setting legal opinions that became the law of the Federal Middle District of North Carolina. Prior to joining the legal profession, she was a business analyst and software engineer at a major Wall Street financial firm in New York City, New York. She was a research fellow at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences in the Neurotoxicology and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance labs. See my LinkedIn profile.
Jeff Neelon is president of ARCpoint Labs of Winston-Salem a toxicology lab that does tests for businesses, the judicial and individuals. He has experience in starting and running an investment management office. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he has worked with the marketing, planning and budgeting of a small business. He also has experience in fundraising for non-profits. See my LinkedIn profile.
Angela Wilder is an author, counselor, speaker, and community service & non-profit advocate. Her life experience combined with her psychology education puts her in a unique position to understand the challenges that her clients face. She understands and respects their need for absolute confidentiality. People seek her coaching because they know that when she “talks the talks” it is because she has “walked the walk.” See my LinkedIn profile.
Business Counselors/Mentors:
Specialties: Business Proposition, Presentation Skills, Independent Publishing, and Media Relations/Crisis Management
Carol Andrews is dedicated to sharing with other entrepreneurs and writers everything she wishes someone had told her when she started her first business or wrote her first book. In her words: I sow seeds so greatness in others can bloom.
As a television journalist by trade she prides herself on creating programs that create success through programs that are simple, understandable and therefore doable. Her programs are based on her trademarked EQR method which allows clients to Embrace, Question, and Retool in any and every situation. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Financial Management and Business Strategy
Roberts Bass had a 28-year career in corporate and investment banking. He also served 5 years as Chief Financial Officer of a diversified family business, and he has taught in the business schools of Winston Salem State University and High Point University. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Presentation Skills, Retail, and Team Development
Monti Beasley is currently a professor at UNC-Greensboro and ForsythTech Community College, with teaching competencies that include introduction to communication, small group communication, leadership communication, team building, and public speaking. Beasley graduated with a Masters in Communication Studies from UNC-Greensboro and has also owned and operated multiple retail businesses and worked in the non-profit sector. She is especially passionate about building self confidence in public speaking. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Retail Operations, Key Performance Indicators, Business Operating Financials
Adrienne Beauchamp has 10 years of experience in retail operations, more specifically in women’s fashion. Most recently Adrienne was the Director of Operations and Analytics for Monkee’s Franchising, LLC. She has successfully led the store opening process for 10+ women’s fashion boutique locations and provided post-opening support to help ensure ongoing business success. Most recently, Adrienne had the opportunity to oversee the management of a corporately owned location where in during the first year of ownership, staff was strengthened, inventory was replaced and marketing was ramped up, resulting in a YOY increase in sales of 76% and a profitable bottom line. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Sales and marketing – Generate leads, attract prospects,
get your first customer
Jim Blaylock is an independent sales consultant in the Triad. He helps small, medium and large companies grow their sales by finding new customers. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Serial Entrepreneur, Business Management, and Thought Leader
Rod Brown is a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded three companies over the past decade that were all bootstrapped, and grew from zero to seven figures. The software company OnceLogix landed on the Inc. 5000 list in 2016, 2017, 2018, and the Forbes Small Giants list in 2017. Brown is passionate about helping small business owners grow and sustain healthy businesses. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Strategy & Planning, Business Development, Sales, & eCommerce
Joy Dai is an entrepreneur, world traveler, lifetime learner, and strategic advisor with a passion in solving business problems. Joy has near 20 years of experience in consumer goods industry and three years in medical device industry. She has a successful track record of new business development, revenue growth, and business turnaround. Besides her sales leadership and execution expertise, she also has diverse experience in supply chain, business intelligence, and strategic planning. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties – Marketing Strategic Planning, Business Development Planning, Lead Generation, Retail Strategy & Execution
Rob DiBella is a Wake Forest MBA trained marketing and business development professional with a proven track record of success designing and leading business programs in both B2B (Ecolab) and B2C (Hanesbrands) environments for clients in a wide range of commercial categories and channels. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Startups, Marketing & Product Launch
Tiffany Dodson has the pleasure of working on some of the world’s best-known brands during her marketing career: Miller Lite, Krispy Kreme, and Liberty Tax Service. Additionally, Tiffany has deep roots in the franchise industry, ranging from senior roles at well-known international franchises, to receiving national recognition not only as a top performing franchisee but also as a master franchisee. See my LinkedIn profile.
Danny Gelatt manages and operates a local insurance agency. He has over 17 years of experience in the industry, combined between claims and sales. He loves working with business owners, helping them understand the risks involved in operating a business and how to best protect the business. His true passion is being a connector… connecting business owners who have a need with an expert who can help them. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Business Plans, Retail, Food Services
Ruben Gonzales is the former Director of Development for the City of Winston-Salem where he was responsible for directing a series of programs instrumental in developing much of the new downtown business and arts district. Over the past 15 years Ruben helped over 100 businesses to open in the City. Ruben retired from the City and is now assisting new and expanding businesses offering consulting services in business planning for entrepreneurs, start-up business assistance, and funding opportunities. His current contracts include the N.C. Community College system, the Veterans Affairs- Veterans Business Out Reach Center and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council of Governments/SBA 504 Loan Program. You can reach Ruben at through his website www.businessplanforstartup.com and See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents, and Contracts Related to Inventions and Creations
Raina Haque is the founder and lead attorney of Erdős Intellectual Property Law, the area’s pioneer law firm that serves the need of small businesses and startups. She served as counsel to major healthcare and research institutions, biotech and tech startups, and small businesses. She clerked in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of North Carolina where she analyzed business litigation and drafted precedent-setting legal opinions that became the law of the Federal Middle District of North Carolina. Prior to joining the legal profession, she was a business analyst and software engineer at a major Wall Street financial firm in New York City, New York. She was a research fellow at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences in the Neurotoxicology and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance labs. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Branding, Content Marketing/Social Media, Creative & Handmade Business
Taryn Jerez is a creative business coach, blogger, and speaker with a heart centered on teaching and serving creative women who have a vision for their business and their life. She has extensive experience in everything from market research and brand awareness to product development and vendor relations. She’s a dedicated, motivated, and talented creative professional with experience working for Fortune 500 companies and diverse brands both big and small. She works to help you see the “why” behind what you’re doing and get you where you want to go. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Business Strategy, Business Pitch, & Succession Planning
Chris Kelly guides growth companies needing broad skill sets to grow to the next stage, combining corporate development, finance, product development, acquisition integration, and global operations expertise. A veteran of 60 acquisitions, venture investments and strategic transactions across drug development, materials sciences, biotechnology, business services, information technology, and more. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Accounting, Bookkeeping, QuickBooks, Tax, Financial Management and Budgeting
Anita Kiehl-Quarles is a CPA and is currently Managing Partner of A.Quarles CPA, PLLC, a local firm specializing in accounting, bookkeeping, outsourced payroll and tax services. Anita and her team service small to medium sized clients with all of their accounting needs. Anita has over 20 years’ experience in Public Accounting, Industry Controller and Chief Financial Officer positions. Anita received her Masters of Accounting degree, as well as, her Undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Specialties: Budgets, Business Modeling & Profit/Cash Flow Projections
Bob Lassiter is a recently retired Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. with a 30+ year financial career in branded apparel at HanesBrands and then in aviation maintenance repair & overhaul at Haeco Americas. He managed the financial planning & analysis process including annual budgets, interim projections, financial performance/KPI tracking, capital project justification and M&A due diligence. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Strategic Management, Marketing & Sales, General Accounting/Bookkeeping, Non Profit Development
Thad Lewallen is a full time Visiting Lecturer of Strategic Management at Wake Forest University. He was formerly VP of Marketing with Goody’s Pharmaceuticals and has small business startup expertise. He also has experience in non-profit Strategic Development & Fundraising. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Reference USA, Resources and data bases
Jody Lohman is a Reference Librarian at the Information Services Department of Forsyth County Public Library in Winston-Salem, NC. She received her Masters Degree in Library Science from State University of New York at Albany, and has worked as a librarian in colleges and public libraries in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and North Carolina. While Ms. Lohman specializes in Business, Nonprofit and Career information, she also provides general reference and research services on a daily basis. One of her greatest joys as a librarian is when someone is awed and amazed at discovering what is available for FREE from the public library! See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Startups, Marketing and Networking
Reginald D. McCaskill retired as the Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Weatherization Program. He is also the President and CEO of Maximum Enterprises Inc. which is a Business Consulting firm in the Triad. Reginald has founded a number of events and activities in the Triad one being the Triad Minority Business Expo which brings minority companies together from around the Triad area (www.triadminoritybusinessexpo.com) and the Triad Minority Business Connector which promotes Minority Businesses through a Directory. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Construction Industry and Construction Safety
Carolyn Milliron , CEO of Keystone Environmental, Health and Safety Services. Carolyn works with and for Commercial and Industrial Contractors in the Carolinas to assist companies in their efforts to keep their workforce safe, cut costs, save time and resources and gain more work. Carolyn takes a problem solver approach in looking at solutions to the challenges of operating a SUCCESSFUL construction firm. Carolyn has specific experience in working with MWBE and Emerging Contractors.
Specialties: Web Design and Lead Generation
Ray Mitchell describes himself as “an ex-Fortune 500 guy who gave it up to become a small-business guy who helps other small-business guys in their quest to become Fortune 500 guys.” After more that 20 years in the financial services industry, he started two businesses and uses the lessons learned to help other business owners and non-profit organizations. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Startup nonprofits, Strategic mindset
Joy Nelson Thomas is the Founder and Executive Director of LEAD Girls of North Carolina – an organization helping empower the next generation of women. Joy has more than 10 years of business management experience in both the private and non-profit sectors. She is especially passionate about helping grassroots organizations become sustainable and grow. Joy says the secret is believing in what you are doing and staying laser focused on making sure your teams growth is strategic and well planned. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Small Business Lending, Business Plans, and Financial Projections
Fuller Parham works with small to medium sized businesses and real estate investors to provide financing and banking solutions for their growing businesses and real estate portfolios. He is a Commercial Banking Officer with First Reliance Bank in Winston Salem. Fuller has over 12 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry where he has also served as a commercial loan underwriter, portfolio manager and credit risk officer. Fuller earned his MBA from Wake Forest University with a concentration in Finance and earned a BS in Business Administration from Appalachian State University with a majors in Finance/Banking and Risk Management/Insurance. In addition to these degrees, Fuller has also completed the Credit Risk Certification from the Risk Management Association. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Business Management, Marketing, & Strategic Planning
Bob Summers is an innovative, profit-oriented and top-performance driven International Business Executive with outstanding experience in developing grants and funding for institutions and starting, managing and growing technology companies worldwide. Proven team builder who creates new business by establishing strategic partnerships and alliances by utilizing personal strategic planning and effective implementation techniques. Excellent communication and people skills. Highly proficient at recognizing new opportunities, extracting the essentials and determining the best course of action to reach long-term profitability. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Business Leadership, Customer Service and Sales
Richard Talbot is an accomplished international consultant with more than 30 years experience in training, coaching and public speaking. Richard is committed to developing leaders of excellence and integrity by facilitating the individual awareness and skill development necessary for effective leadership in today’s diverse world. His work is known for its specialized customization and transformational results for personal and professional leadership development. Richard is a former minister, business consultant and international facilitator and product sales specialist for an innovative $4 billion dollar computer software company. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Software Technology Development & Culture-Focused Management
Patrick Turner has 25 years of professional Software Technology Development experience. His first 15 years were spent at Fortune 100 Corporations running a range of projects across all areas of business. In the last 10 years, Patrick built and sold a software development services businesses based here in Winston-Salem. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Personal Style & Business Image; You’re your own BEST Advertisement
Marviette Usher is an empowering speaker and consultant; passionately inspiring, motivating, equipping and supporting men and women to discover who they are and transform from the inside out. Primarily focusing on equipping business owners to ensure their outward presentation really conveys how they want potential clients to perceive them and their business. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Startups, Business Management and Semi comfortable with non-profits
Dick Vann is the Senior Advisor/Owner of PostMark, Inc. in Winston Salem. Dick started PostMark in 1992 after over 20 years in the Information Technology departments of large companies (Procter & Gamble and R J Reynolds Tobacco). Dick has over 40 years of experience with all types of computers and data processing. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, & Communication Skills
Kristie Wallis is the president of Profoundly, a digital marketing and PR company focused on partnering with clients to grow their business. Kristie has more than 16 years of marketing experience with the common thread of getting clients’ message in front of key audiences — whether that’s through strategic websites, content marketing or public relations (or a combo of all three). Kristie has worked closely with a broad range of companies and organizations, from Bell, Davis & Pitt and biotech startups to E & J Gallo Winery and Donate Life North America. She’s passionate about the positive impact that businesses can make and helping nonprofits thrive. She currently serves as the vice chair of the Gateway Nature Preserve. See my LinkedIn profile.
Specialties: Startups, Non-profits, and Legal
Jeff Wolfe is an attorney in the Winston-Salem office of the Forrest Firm, P.C. His practice areas cover the entire lifecycle of businesses and non-profits, including formation, financing, day-to-day contracts, and exits. See my LinkedIn profile.
