Fearless Fundraising for Your Small Business-Columbus
FIN FIT “Fearless Fundraising your Small Business”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is excited to announce FIN FIT (Financially Fit) “Fearless Fundraising for Your Small Business” event which will be held on Tuesday, June 16 from 8:30am-12:30pm at Cunningham Center at Columbus State, Blanchard B&C Halls, Columbus, Georgia.
We proud to partner with The Columbus Chamber of Commerce, UGA SBDC in Columbus, VBOC, Georgia VECTR Center (Veterans Education Career Transition Resource), & Georgia Department of Veterans Service for this free small business event. This event is free and open to all Georgians. Free continental breakfast and workbook is included with registration. This event is for educational purposes only; no products or services will be sold.
Our panelists will discuss how to fearlessly raise capital to finance your small business as well as discuss the details of the Invest Georgia Exemption (IGE). IGE can be a powerful tool for Georgians looking to raise capital and fund their new venture or just grow their already thriving business. Our hands on learning lab portion will cover the topics of developing your fundraising goals, preparing your fundraising package, what to consider before you say yes, and managing your investor relationships for continued success and sustainability.
8:30am
Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:10am
Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A
10:50am
Break/networking
11:00am
Learning LAB by Marguerite Pressley Davis, Growth-Stage CFO | Angel Investor, Founder, Finance Savvy CEO®
- Developing your fundraising Goals
- Preparing your fundraising package
- What to consider before you say yes
- You’ve raised! Managing your investor relationships for continued success and sustainability
12:30pm
Program Concludes
Panelists
Moderator, Award Winning Journalist
Donna Lowry is an award-winning journalist who combines a passion for storytelling and a desire to empower others with communication and critical thinking skills surrounding political, educational, and financial issues.
Through her firm, Donna Lowry Communications, she provides consulting, writing, and producing services for educational, media, professional, and business outlets.
Donna serves as host/producer for several programs, including Lawmakers on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Donna is an eight-time Emmy award winner, a three-time national Gabriel Award recipient, and has garnered honors from countless organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists, Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, Georgia Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE).
Her media peers inducted Donna into the prestigious NATAS Southeast Silver Circle to recognize her lasting contributions to the broadcast industry.
Donna has a master's in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Administration and Management from Chatham University.
Her professional affiliations include the Atlanta Press Club, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Southeastern Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS SE).
In her 15th year as a Girl Scout Leader, Donna has led girls ranging in age from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her community service affiliations also include Magnolia (GA) Chapter of Links, Inc., and Nu Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Donna and her husband, Army Major (Ret) Bennet W. Reid, Jr., are the parents of three daughters.
President & CEO, Growing Room Child Development Centers
Brittany Haines is the President and CEO of Growing Room Child Development Centers, a family-owned business founded in 1988 by her husband Brad’s parents. A Columbus, Georgia native, Brittany has been with Growing Room since 2001 and is deeply involved in the organization’s daily operations and long-term growth. Alongside her husband, Brad, she continues the family legacy of providing high-quality early childhood education and care throughout the Chattahoochee Valley.
Brittany is passionate about building strong educational foundations for children and believes meaningful partnerships between families and schools are essential to a child’s success. Under her leadership, Growing Room has become known not only for educational excellence, but also for fostering a welcoming family atmosphere for children, parents, and staff alike.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Columbus State University and her Certificate in Franchise Management from Georgetown University. Brittany is also a Certified Franchise Executive, a graduate of Leadership Columbus, and holds national administrator credentials as well as certifications as an early childhood outdoor play inspector and supervisor for outdoor environments.
A dedicated community leader, Brittany currently serves as Secretary of the Georgia Child Care Association Board of Directors and is Past President of the Junior League of Columbus. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Organization and has previously held leadership roles with the American Cancer Society and several community initiatives focused on education, advocacy, and philanthropy.
Brittany has been recognized as one of Columbus and the Valley’s 2017 Rising Stars, a 2020 Five Under Forty honoree, one of Georgia’s 2022 Titan 100, the recipient of the 2024 Clark-Vinson Award for Excellence in Child Care Leadership, and a 2025 Woman of Distinction honoree by the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia.
Her faith and family are at the center of everything she does. Brittany is a member of Cascade Hills Church and is passionate about investing in both her community and her family. She and Brad have three children, Maddie, Will, and Josh, two daughters-in-law, Hannah and Hope, and one granddaughter, Ella Grace. She treasures time spent with her family and believes the same love, support, and strong values that build a thriving home are also essential in building strong businesses and communities.
Growth-Stage CFO | Angel Investor
Founder, Finance Savvy CEO®
Marguerite Pressley Davis is a Growth-Stage CFO, capital strategist, angel investor, and Founder of Finance Savvy CEO®, where she advises founders and CEOs on capital readiness, financial strategy, profitability, and scaling businesses for sustainable growth.
With a background spanning Goldman Sachs, Deloitte M&A, venture capital, and entrepreneurship, featured in Forbes, Barron’s, Yahoo! Finance, and Business Insider, Marguerite brings a practical and strategic perspective to how businesses prepare for growth, deploy capital effectively, and strengthen financial foundations before and after funding.
Through her work with founders and growth-stage companies, she helps business leaders better understand the evolving expectations around capital, operational discipline, and enterprise value creation, equipping them to make stronger decisions as they scale.
Marguerite is passionate about increasing access to capital and helping founders build stronger, more financially resilient companies.
Vice President, Business Development Officer, Colony Bank
Experienced Business Development Officer who focuses on government guaranteed (SBA & USDA) lending. Greg is a generalist but specialize in acquisition loans. Hotels and franchise development are two spaces that he spends much of his time. While acquisitions are Greg’s specialty, he works on start-ups and construction loans as well.
Director, Program Manager, Georgia Veterans Business Outreach Center (GA VBOC), Georgia VECTR Center
Reginald "Reggie" Thompson (Retired USA SGM), hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, is the Director/Program Manager for the Georgia Veterans Business Outreach Center (GA VBOC), which is strategically located at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center in Warner Robins, Georgia. His unwavering dedication to the military community is evident in his role. After a distinguished 32-year career in the United States Army, specializing in Logistics, Reggie retired as a proud Paratrooper and former member of the 82nd Airborne Division, where his service was exemplary.
Reggie is married to Kristie Lynn Thompson, a fellow veteran and United States Air Force retiree. Together, they are successful veteran entrepreneurs in Warner Robins, having founded "Moo Moo Lawn Care Service, LLC," an SBA-certified Veteran-Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, and Woman-Owned Small Business (VOSB, SDVOSB, WOSB). Their business has not only provided quality lawn care services but also served as a model for other veteran-owned businesses.
As a key member of the Georgia VBOC, Reggie is part of a dedicated four-person team that travels to nine military installations across Georgia to deliver U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Boots to Business (B2B) workshops and participate in Community Outreach events. These workshops, which have a profound impact on the military community, also extend to National Guard and Reserve installations, Military Spouses Pathway to Business (MSP2B) programs, Georgia Technical Colleges, and the Georgia State Men's and Women's Detention Centers offering B2B Reboot workshops.
The workshops, designed to be inclusive, provide free one- and two-day sessions on entrepreneurship, open to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. Additionally, for those who cannot access military bases or prefer remote learning, the Georgia VBOC team regularly offers online and virtual B2B and B2B-Reboot workshops, ensuring widespread access to SBA entrepreneurial resources and partnerships.
Area Director for the UGA SBDC in Columbus
Phil Wise is the Area Director for the UGA SBDC in Columbus. He brings over 35 years of executive leadership experience and extensive experience in the areas of strategic growth, revenue enhancement and cost containment, customer service excellence, mergers/acquisitions, and greenfield management. Prior to joining the SBDC, Phil served as COO of a car wash company and was part of the management team that launched the express wash concept. He also served as president and CFO of a respected regional restaurant group. Phil has a BBA in Finance from University of Georgia and an MBA from Columbus State University.