Meet the 2019 Honorees

The TiE Atlanta Top Entrepreneur Awards recognizes top entrepreneurs and small businesses in Metro Atlanta area. The awards evaluate a company’s growth, profitability, and sustainability through applied strategies for success, management style, innovation, and culture.

The awards allow TiE Atlanta to continue fostering entrepreneurs and recognize the dedication and ambition of Atlanta's entrepreneurs, business owners and privately held companies.

Ilana Alberico owns and manages a portfolio of companies that are all dedicated to personalized wellness. She is the co-founder of ISM SPA and Privai. Twice named to Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies, ISM SPA delivers wellness design, programming, and operations management specializing in the hospitality and residential industries. Privai, a botanically based, results-driven skincare line with industry-leading treatments and products brings accessible wellness through curated programming and products.

Sandeep Gauba serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of GoProcure. He is responsible for creating and driving the organization’s vision and strategy with a key focus to help its clients win in the global marketplace. Sandeep has over 15 years of experience in supply chain management with expertise in tail spend management, cost management, performance reporting, services procurement, workforce management and staffing. He is a strong leader in leveraging technology to deliver strategic gains and has consistently created transformational value for several Fortune 1000 and mid-market companies.

Gary Simat is CEO of Total Server Solutions. Total Server Solutions provides managed services, high performance infrastructure and custom solutions to individuals and businesses in a range of industries. Its customers range from financial institutions, to advertising platform operators, to hosting providers, to telecom companies. It is also trusted by educational institutions and government agencies to keep their data on-line and available.

Christy Johnson is CEO of AchieveIt, the Integrated Plan Management software solution organizations use to get their biggest, most important initiatives out of the boardroom and into reality. Prior to joining AchieveIt, Johnson served as Chief Operating Officer for Buckhead Investment Partners and BIP Capital, playing a key role in the rapid growth of both companies. She also served on the BIP Capital investment team, helping entrepreneurs and operators accelerate their businesses. Under her direction, AchieveIt has more than doubled in revenue and named to the Inc 5000 three years running.

Deb Rowe is the proud sole owner of Shenanigans Irish Pub and co-owner of Bourbon Street Grille. She has served on the Dahlonega Lumpkin County Chamber Board of Directors as well as the executive board.  She is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Lumpkin County and currently serves on the LLC Board. In 2018, Deb served as Grand Marshall for the Gold Rush Days Festival, received the ACE Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was also awarded the Georgia Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Community Volunteer Award of the Year.

Yaser Hameed is the CEO of Syrainfotek. Syrainfotek is one of the leading companies delivering superior Information Technology solutions and services. Its technologists focus on the current and future business needs of its clients. 
Brian Dally is the co-founder and CEO of GROUNDFLOOR, a real estate investing and lending platform that opens private capital markets to all. Under his leadership, GROUNDFLOOR became the first and only company qualified by the SEC to offer real estate debt investments via Regulation A that are available to non-accredited investors.  Previously, he led the launch of Republic Wireless to take on the big four cellphone carriers to international acclaim. Brian has a JD from Harvard Law School, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BA from the University of Virginia.
Trenton Spindler, Co-Founder and COO of GreenPrint, has been successfully building and operating companies in Atlanta for the past 7 years. GreenPrint is an environmental technology company providing patented sustainability solutions to businesses wanting to neutralize their carbon, plastic, water and energy footprints. Most recently, Trenton worked at Thumb Friendly, and helped oversee its successful exit in early 2014. With Pete Davis, his Co-Founder, Trenton worked to invent sustainability as a service and bring it to the transportation, payments, fleet, aviation, and packaging industries. He brings strategic insight, a knack for innovation, and creativity in both developing products and corporate strategy to GreenPrint. Alongside other industry accolades and awards, GreenPrint recently ranked #71 on the Inc. 5000 list.

Rajen Sheth is the CEO of Boardwalk Development Group, a private equity investment company focused on self-storage. Rajen has developed a strong and significant track record as a disciplined, hands-on owner and manager of commercial real estate assets over the past fifteen (15) years. He has served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Self Storage Association for three years.  He is a current Member of REIAC: Real Estate Investment Advisory Council.  Mr. Sheth is also a Member of the Board of Councilors for The Carter Center and a Charter Member of TiE Atlanta.

Johanna Thomas is the CEO and Founder of Strategic Security Solutions (S3). She has over 20 years of professional services experience in Identity Management, Security, and Governance Risk and Compliance. She is widely known for her advocacy for women owned businesses, women in technology, and is a leader in the Identity and GRC Industry. She has received numerous industry/leadership awards and serves on the board of advisors for multiple product, university, and entrepreneur organizations.

The TiE Top Entrepreneur Awards recognize Atlanta entrepreneurs whose companies have been in business from January 2015 and made a minimum revenue of $2 million and no more of $100 million. The awards are based on revenue growth, profitability, sustainability, leadership, culture and innovation.

The honorees will be ranked and recognized at the 2019 TiECON Atlanta, the annual entrepreneur conference hosted by TiE Atlanta, on Sept. 27 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Dunwoody.

Register for TiECON 2019: Built In Atlanta

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