Fearless Fundraising for Your Small Business - Macon

Moderator
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. 

Vice President, Better Business Bureau, serving the Fall Line Corridor, Inc.

Jason Blankenship is the Vice President of the Better Business Bureau Serving the Fall Line Corridor, Inc.  Jason aids in overseeing of 77 counties across East Alabama, Southwest Georgia, Central Georgia, East Georgia, and Western South Carolina.  He began his BBB Career in May of 2015 as an educator for the Central Georgia BBB.  He quickly moved into the role of Director of Business Services, and then realizing more fires needed to be put out, he was blessed with his current role of Vice President of Development in Mid-2018.

Jason is an educator at heart and has a proactive passion to educate consumers before becoming victims.  This passion has led Jason too many schools, senior gatherings, military installations and professional groups.  Throughout these engagements, many opportunities have been presented to Jason, such as:   

• Being awarded G.B.E.A.’s (Georgia Business Educators Association), first ever Business Partner of the Year 2016. 
• Presenting to over 13,700 Students since January 2016. Topics including, Ethics, Conflict Resolution, Customer Service, Identity Theft and Financial Literacy. 
• Involved in presenting to over 23,000 Senior Citizens since January 2016. Topics including Identity Theft and Scam Education 
• Achieving Post Certification as an At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics (ACT) Specialist, via the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services. 
• Registered Neutral (Mediator) with Georgia’s Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. 
• Certification Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) with the National Financial Educators Council. 

Jason’s wife, Tiffany, has learned to tolerate his nonstop sarcasm, and constant longing to turkey hunt. Together they are raising 3 beautiful girls. You heard it right; he lives with 4 women. While he is abundantly blessed, he realizes that he is clearly outnumbered and wrong most of the time. At times, his only ally is his beloved Goldendoodle, “Scout.” 

Founder & CEO, Finance Savvy CEO™ and creator of Your Profit Playbook™

Marguerite, a former Wall Street financial analyst, business strategist, and top ranked business money expert, was named Atlanta’s 40 Under 40 by Atlanta Business Chronicle, co-authored “Girl Power Uncensored” with her chapter “From Wall Street To Helping Main Street”, is an accredited angel investor, host of the podcast “Finance Savvy CEO”, the creator of Your Profit Playbook® - the leading business financial planning training program for small business owners, and Founder & CEO of financesavvyceo.com.  Marguerite spent the early stages of her career as a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs, controlling an over $2 billion portfolio of private equity, alternative energy, and commercial real estate investments. She transitioned after business school at the NYU Stern School of Business into a successful career in Mergers & Acquisitions as a Manager at Deloitte Consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies through the full deal cycle from target screening, deal structuring, valuations, and due diligence, all the way through day 1 readiness and post-merger implementations. Marguerite continued to push the ceiling when she sought to make wedding planning less stressful and more fun for brides by creating Tulle la la, a global retail technology company that combines technology with a project management-based approach to wedding planning. In 2018, Tulle la la won the modern luxury diamond award for Best Wedding Technology. Marguerite had a successful exit from the company within 5 years, and today, Tulle la la continues to serve thousands of brides across the globe each year. Marguerite now focuses her attention on her EdTech FinTech platform, Finance Savvy CEO, created to help close the gender & racial wealth gap by focusing on profitable entrepreneurship. Finance Savvy CEO supports business owners on an ongoing basis, through programming and members-only access, to increase the financial health of their business and intentionally create long-term organic financial sustainability. Marguerite is passionate about building generational wealth through entrepreneurship and is always excited to help entrepreneurs navigate their pathway to profitability.

Owner & Operator of The Bohemian Den and Sweet Eleanor's Divine

Scott Mitchell moved to Macon in 2012 and for the first time in his life, he found a home. He owns and operates The Bohemian Den and Sweet Eleanor's Divine Desserts in Downtown Macon. He is a Certified Meditation Teacher with a B.S. in Psychology and studied Addiction Counseling at Mercer University. He is deeply passionate about his adopted home, Macon and has made significant contributions to the community and has been recognized for his achievements. He holds the distinction of being the first LGBT Certified Business Enterprise in Macon, GA. In addition, he has been honored as the Macon-Bibb Chamber of Commerce Small Business Leader of the Year and was awarded the OUT Georgia Business Alliance 2022 Small Business of the Year. Scott's dedication and leadership have also earned him multiple nominations for OUT Georgia Business Alliance Business Leader of the Year and Small Business of the Year. His commitment to the arts is evident through his receipt of the 2020 Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Award. 

His involvement in various organizations and initiatives is extensive. He serves on the boards of Main Street Macon, the Mentor's Project of Macon-Bibb, and the Macon Film Festival. Currently, he holds the position of Chair of Marketing for Main Street Macon and is an active member of the Events Committee. Scott's contributions to downtown Macon have been transformative, thanks to the grants he has secured for projects such as the Macon Sculpture Walk, the Downtown Macon Music Park, SHINE, and ClassicsattheBibb. As the Founder and current President of Macon Pride, he has played a pivotal role in advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community and serves as the youth director for the Macon LGBTQIA+ Youth Group. His commitment to civil rights is evident through his involvement in drafting the Macon-Bibb Comprehensive Civil Rights legislation in 2018 and hosting the educational event, Understanding Comprehensive Civil Rights, in 2021. He is actively involved in his church, Centenary UMC, where he has served as the Chair of Ministries and is a lay delegate to the South Georgia Annual Conference.

President & CEO, NewTown Macon

 Josh Rogers is a leader who builds community by speaking plainly, taking responsibility, and acting with conviction.  Rogers helps describe and illustrate the vision for the future that is already shared by optimistic citizens and works to align resources and people to turn that vision into a reality we can enjoy now.  His best skill is using market economics to meet philanthropic needs. 

After working for the City of Macon, Rogers was named Executive Director of Historic Macon Foundation before turning 30.  He ascended to his current role leading the nonprofit NewTown Macon in 2014, where he works to revitalize downtown Macon and expand the river trail system.  Rogers formed Central Georgia’s first and only Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), launched downtown’s first self-taxing district (BID), built the world’s largest pop-up bike lane network, founded the Magnolia Soap Box Derby and initiated Macon’s Intercity Conference.  During his tenure, he has increased storefront occupancy from 56% to 84%, added 360 loft housing units, doubled property values, and driven over $350 million of public and private investment into downtown Macon while also quadrupling NewTown’s assets to over $40 million.   Most importantly, no Maconites were left behind, as more women and people of color own and operate buildings and businesses in downtown Macon today than ten years ago.

Downtown Macon’s success has been recognized by Frommer’s 2023 “Best Places to Visit” to the New York Times “52 Places to Go in 2023,” among many others, but Josh, his wife Meaghan, and his kids Jack and Ellie know it as the best place to call home.

Senior Business Consultant, UGA Small Business Development Center

Peter Williams is a Senior Business Consultant in the Macon Center of the UGA Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and consults with small business owners in Middle Georgia.  He was chosen the State Star for Georgia in 2020 by America’s SBDC.

Over 180 entrepreneurs have successfully started new businesses in Middle Georgia with his assistance and his clients have raised over $100 million in growth capital.

Prior to joining the SBDC in 2013, he founded a successful merger & acquisition advisory firm, was CFO of a venture capital-backed internet startup, and was principal of a $50 million private equity fund.

South Georgia Regional Director, ACE – Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Tommie Beth Willis, South Georgia Director of ACE – Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, was born and raised in Colquitt County and resides in Moultrie, GA. Prior to joining ACE, she served as President/CEO of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce from 2016-2023. In addition to her work in community development, Willis has 30+ years of marketing experience and 20 years of business management experience. Tommie Beth serves on the Boys & Girls Club Moultrie-Colquitt County Board of Directors, Southern Regional Technical College Marketing Program Advisory Committee, and represents Colquitt County on the Southwest Georgia Workforce Development Board