Barry Etra runs two forums in Atlanta that match up early-stage companies and investors. The first is the RAISE Forum, which connects early-stage companies in the SE with active SE investors to fund local companies at higher levels to help keep them in the SE. The second is the Atlanta chapter of the Keiretsu Forum, the largest and most active angel investment group in the world, which is poised to become the SE’s most active Angel investment group within 2 years. He also does some business development for Kickr Design, the premier prototyping and design group on the East Coast, and is on the board of Blue Wellington, a group dedicated to improving the life sciences in the SE.

He has over 40 years of business experience, having worked in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and General Management. He has been a factory worker, salesperson, sales manager, customer service manager, VP of sales and marketing, and Chief Operating Officer; in charge of sales teams, customer service groups, design departments, graphics departments, IT groups, production control, manufacturing, die rooms, purchasing and warehousing. He has a BA and an MBA from Columbia University.

Barry has been married for 35 years; he and wife Janice Wolf have twin daughters, Joanna and Dana, aged 34. He enjoys all sports (particularly tennis and cycling), photography, and rock and folk music. Barry and Janice live in Atlanta.

Leura is an interior designer turned entrepreneur. Afterworking for years as the senior designer, she set out todemocratize the industry by establishing a better way forclients and designers to work together digitally. Laurel &Wolf was born in late 2014 and helped thousands ofpeople bring their design dreams to life. Leura raised$30M from top venture capital firms such as Benchmarkand CRV. Leura was named Forbes 30 Under 30 for Retail &eCommerce and was also awarded Goldman SachsBuilders + Innovators 100 “Most IntriguingEntrepreneurs."

Charles Goetz joined Goizueta Business School, Emory University, in the fall of 2001. Prior to his foray into academia, he had over fifteen years of experience in developing, implementing and growing entrepreneurial ventures. Goetz has been responsible for starting and building nine (9) new ventures to date, employing more than 1,000 employees and delivering returns to investors in many cases far exceeding initial investment expectations. These companies operated in six unique industries including: banking, healthcare, radio broadcasting, sports, fast food and radio broadcasting. He has been awarded two patents and numerous copyrights. Goetz is still actively involved in investing in new businesses and sits on a number of both private business and not-for-profit boards, including a non-profit he help cofound in Africa called AHIA (Advancing Healthcare Innovation in Africa).

Professor Goetz teaches both Business and PhD Science Students. He also leads corporate executive workshops for some of the leading companies in the world. His courses and workshops include: Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Applied Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Innovation, and Marketing on $3.95, Stempreneurship and Power Selling.

Goetz has written three books. They are: The Great Entrepreneurial Divide – The Winning Tactics of Successful Entrepreneurs and Why Everyone Else Fails! Fifth Edition and So You Want to Start a Business? - 8 Steps to Take Before Making the Leap. His third book is his first novel, a political thriller. It is titled Angels of Conspiracy.

In addition, Goetz is responsible for the development of “Marketnomics,” a mathematical model based on calculus that quantifies perceived customer value by product features resulting in product offerings with substantially greater value propositions at lower costs and higher demand.

Goetz is regularly interviewed by both local and national media; on small business, entrepreneurship and business development topics. Example interviewers include: New York Times, CNN, Fox News and NPR.

Achievements and Honors:
• Distinguished Lecturer Award Recipient - 2006, 2008, 2011
• Most Inspiring Educator Award, Emory Executive MBA Program - 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
• Donald R. Keough Award for Excellence in Faculty – 2015
• Distinguished Speaker Series – Singapore Management University - 2016
• The Crystal Apple Award Emory University – Excellence in Undergraduate Education - 2016
• Poets & Quants – National Top MBA Teaching Faculty – 2016, 2017
• 2018 CNBC Disruptor – Top 50 Innovators Award in U.S.
• Co-founder – AHIA – non-profit in Africa

Matt Golden is an experienced entrepreneur with 20 years of information technology and program management experience. He is co-founder and CEO of MapHabit, a digital health company focused on the neuroscience of habit to help individuals needing cognitive support and caregivers accomplish activities and improve independent function. MapHabit utilizes procedural memory, which is controlled by a region of the brain often spared during disease progression, to bolster independence, coordinate care and enhance quality of life for families impacted by intellectual & developmental disabilities and Alzheimer’s Disease.