Atlanta’s Growth: Navigating the changing landscape to ensure Atlanta continues to provide opportunities for career and business development

Panel Moderator

As Regional Business Development Director for Cherry Bekaert, Georgi is responsible for originating and developing the Firm’s relationships with middle market business owners, strategic partners and private equity investors in the Southeast.

Georgi has more than 15 years of business development and marketing experience working with professional service firms to assist in their overall growth strategy around new business initiatives. Prior to joining Cherry Bekaert, Georgi led business development for Atlanta-based M&A advisory firm, VRA Partners. Georgi created and executed the go-to-market strategy for VRA Partners which focused on relationships with business owners and investors in the technology, healthcare and industrial sectors. She also held similar business development roles with Morgan Stanley
Wealth and Focus Investment Bank. Georgi’s career started in investment banking as an analyst with KPMG’s Corporate Finance group and in equity research with The Robinson Humphrey Company.

Panelist Bobby Condon is the General Manager for Southeastern region for WeWork, currently
overseeing six markets: Atlanta, Charlotte, Kansas City, Miami, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham.
Prior to his role as General Manager, he served as WeWork's Director of Operations in New
York, directly managing operations for more than 35 locations in the Tri-State area. Bobby
previously served as WeWork's Business Operations Manager in New York, owning strategic
projects and the financial processes and reporting for the region. Before WeWork, he worked in
the financial services sector and held several positions at Bridgewater Associates and PwC.
Bobby earned a degree in International Political Science from the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C. and currently resides in Atlanta with his family

Panelist

Bryan Hobbs is a Transit System Project Planner for the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, where he manages long-range expansion projects in the existing and proposed MARTA service areas. Before joining MARTA in 2017, he worked in various roles for Jacobs Engineering Group, Norfolk Southern Corporation and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

He is a Civil Engineer with ten years of experience in engineering and project management. He has worked on multiple projects that have included multiple modes of transportation, including highway, freight rail, and transit. His projects have included elements of, bridge design/rehabilitation, track maintenance, track design, transit planning, retaining wall design, embankment stabilization, storm/sewer design, railroad operation optimization, roadway design, and intelligent transportation system design/evaluations.

He has been responsible for supervision, management, coordination, inspection, documenting, layouts, drafting, review, and implementation of plans and specifications. Bryan also has experience with permitting and extensive knowledge of AREMA, FRA, FTA, FHWA and ADA regulations. Over this ten-year period, Bryan’s work has focused on improving the everyday lives of people through the movement of goods and people through infrastructure investments. 

Bryan is also an aspiring entrepreneur where he is the founder of Veriteach. A technology company focused on the betterment of education through the use of modern technology. 

Bryan received his Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Alabama with a minor in Computer Applications and Technology.

Panelist

Sara Saxner is a manager on the Economic Development team at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. She leads regional and strategic partnership efforts and supports efforts in project management, global commerce, and industry development for the 29 counties in the region. She works in close collaboration with state, local, academic, utility and private sector partners to support existing metro Atlanta businesses considering an expansion or out-of-market companies evaluating the area for a new operation. She helps grow a connected global network for MAC and the Atlanta region to grow jobs, the regional economy, and the international footprint through telling the Atlanta story globally, growing foreign direct investment and exporting opportunities for companies, and expanding targeted ecosystems.

Sara previously worked in Tallahassee, Florida during graduate school and after graduation in economic development through helping local businesses across various sectors and cultivating the budding innovation ecosystem in Florida’s capital city.

Sara graduated from Florida State University with a degree from the College of Social Sciences and a Leadership Studies certificate. She earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Florida State and studied cross-sector partnership for improving communities. Sara has completed multiple certificate programs for economic development and leadership in Georgia and Florida and considers herself a lifelong learner. She is still involved with Florida State University through the Young Alumni Council and Women for FSU.

Sara lives in Inman Park, is heavily involved with Civic Dinners, a civic engagement technology platform, the Alliance for Freedom, Restoration, and Justice’s Business Council, the Junior League of Atlanta, and works at a spin studio on the westside of Atlanta.

Panelist

As a Georgia Power business recruitment director, Mr. Stallworth is responsible for facilitating the location, expansion, or start-up of businesses wishing to invest in Georgia. Charles assists companies in identifying potential buildings or sites throughout the state; he also provides market evaluation, construction information, engineering assistance, and serves as a liaison between the businesses and
governmental agencies in the site selection process.

Charles started his career with Georgia Power in 1986 as a lab technician at one of the company’s power plants. He transferred into the environmental affairs department in 1991, where his responsibilities included regulatory policy implementation and coordinating environmental risk assessments associated with new power plant siting efforts. Charles joined the economic development team in 2002.

Charles graduated from the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and has earned a Masters in Business Administration from Georgia State University. He is a past board member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and currently serves on the boards of the Korea Southeast United States Chamber of Commerce and the Japan-America Society of Georgia,
as well as the advisory boards of Georgia Automotive Manufacturers Association and Quick Start, Georgia’s award-winning workforce development program.

Charles is married and has two children. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and golf.