ACG Atlanta: Pathways to Integration

Panelist David Clifton has been with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) since 2008 and currently serves as VP, M&A and Integration, in which role he has primary responsibility for ICE’s acquisitions, integrations and strategic investments.  Prior to his current role, David practiced as a lawyer at two global law firms, served in several in-house counsel roles at ICE and was the CEO of Bakkt, an ICE subsidiary focused on digital assets that is now a standalone public company listed on NYSE.  David has helped oversee the completion of more than $30 billion of acquisitions in multiple jurisdictions around the globe and the related integrations. 

David serves on the boards of directors of Bakkt and Mica, a startup payments business based in Austin, TX, as well as on the board of directors of ACG Atlanta. 

ICE is headquartered in Atlanta and is a global operator of exchanges and clearinghouses, a leading provider of financial data and analytics, and a large provider of mortgage technology to U.S. lenders. 

Panelist Linnea Geiss joined PDI in 2018 and brings over 20 years of global experience spanning operations, investing, strategy, and corporate development. As the Chief Operating Officer for PDI, Linnea leads a team of more than 1,500 global employees and oversees all product, engineering, and professional services operations, M&A, and marketing functions. She helps develop and execute organic & acquisition initiatives to drive growth and strategic positioning across global markets.

Prior to joining PDI, Linnea served as head of Strategy and Corporate Development for NCR Corporation, as a venture capitalist with Arcapita, and in a variety of global operating roles with Radiant Systems. Her global transaction & business experience spans 6 continents & over 30 countries, and she has structured a wide variety of transactions in both public & private markets.

She has served as an independent advisor to several private equity firms and management teams and is an active member of a variety of local & global non-profit civic & professional organizations. She is a widely-recognized thought leader on topics of startups, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, M&A, and corporate governance.

She currently serves as a Trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center, as a member of the corporate Board of Directors of Aptean, and on the International Board of Directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Panelist Ryan Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot, a private membership network that serves as a hub for collaboration, connections and experiences and is the Chief Community Officer of Greenwood, a digital banking services platform.

At the age of 24, with a mission to create a world where opportunity is the byproduct of community and collaboration, Ryan and his business partner raised capital to open their first Gathering Spot location in Atlanta. The club has since established itself nationally as a home for creatives, business professionals, and entrepreneurs, and regularly hosts notable and culturally impactful events. Responsible for the company’s overall management and strategic vision, Ryan has led the club’s physical expansion with
location openings in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, launch of membership communities in New York City, Detroit, Charlotte, Houston, and Chicago; as well as the digital expansion of the company’s platform TGS Connect.

In 2022, The Gathering Spot was acquired by Greenwood, Inc, creating the largest fintech and community platform for Blacks and minorities with a combined community of over 1 million people. The companies share a mission of closing the wealth gap for minorities through community building, entrepreneurship and education. This partnership represents a historic move as one of the few black-on-black M&A transactions at scale and was recognized as one of the most influential Deals of Year in 2022 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Ryan has been honored as the Small Business Person of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, was selected as one of the 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under Forty honorees and one of their 100 Most Powerful leaders, was named one of Goldman Sachs’ Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs in 2021 and named as one of Georgia’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders by Georgia Trend. The Mayor of Atlanta honored Ryan and his business partner with the prestigious Phoenix Award, the city’s highest honor. Atlanta Magazine has named him one of “Atlanta’s 500 most powerful leaders'' since 2018 and he has also been named one of the country’s most influential African-Americans in The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100.

Ryan has been featured in notable national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc, The New York Times, Revolt, Black Enterprise, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Huffington Post, and USA Today. He is a trusted speaker and regularly moderates conversations with thought leaders and notable individuals ranging from political figures like President Joe Biden and Senator Raphael Warnock, to business pioneers like Thasunda Duckett and Ben Chestnut, as well as leaders in the entertainment industry including Will Packer, Kelly Rowland, and Gabrielle Union. His work has led to several keynote presentations for various companies including Goldman Sachs, Delta, Google, Meta, Ford Motor Company, and Nike. He also led to keynote presentations at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities including Georgetown University Law Center, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University, and The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

A native of Atlanta, Ryan is currently an active participant in several Atlanta civic and community organizations. He proudly serves on the boards of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Usher's New Look, The Woodruff Arts Center, The Atlanta Business League, The Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce, Invest Atlanta’s Foundation, and previously served on the boards of Hands on Atlanta and Peace Preparatory Academy. He is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the 100 Black Men and Atlanta Rotary Club.

Ryan graduated from Georgetown University and Georgetown University Law Center where he proudly serves on the Board of Regents. He currently resides happily in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children.

Moderator Mohamed Massaquoi is the founder of VESSOL and a strategic advisor. Vessol helps organizations, leaders, and teams perform by enhancing organizational effectiveness and DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion). Prior to an accident the led to the founding of Vessol, Mohamed worked in finance at Morgan Stanley and as a professional athlete in the NFL. Mohamed was a 2009 second-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft and played professionally for 5 seasons. 

Mohamed earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Georgia. While at the University of Georgia, Mohamed was named the 2008 overall team captain, selected as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference and Academic All-SEC member. He is a member of the 2018 UGA 40 under 40 class. Mohamed served on the University of Georgia alumni board from 2017 - 2020. Mohamed is a graduate of the Harvard Business School after completing the Program for Leadership Development, which functions as their alternative executive MBA.