An incubator designed to support startups with the necessary tools to launch and scale successfully. Launch Fayette is nurturing local startups by providing comprehensive education programs, guidance and mentorship, and a collaborative environment to transform ideas into exciting ventures.
Launch Fayette inspires entrepreneurs with the education and support they need to launch successful businesses. Our approach combines physical spaces and access to a wealth of resources, creating a talented community who contribute to Fayette's local economy.
David brings more than 24+ years of experience in technology transformation, strategy, and product development. He has founded three startups within the home services sector and served as an intrapreneur inside major organizations, where he launched high-impact ventures across Education, Insurance, Banking, and Retail. His track record includes leading go-to-market strategies for new products and programs—ranging from rental subscriptions and e-waste disposition programs to the international expansion of operations for three organizations —as well as guiding due diligence for two successful exits.
Through these experiences, David has developed a passion for customer discovery and go-to-market strategy. He thrives on helping founders analyze their market, validate assumptions, achieve product-market fit, and design scalable launch strategies that create lasting traction.
Amy has 30+ years of executive administrative experience in the public sector, spanning finance, marketing, planning, strategy, and IT. Her tenure at The Coca-Cola Company included supporting their top executives in marketing and financial operations. She’s also worked for Mercedes Benz and event planning. Currently pursuing an Event Management and Design certificate, Amy is a member of several organizations, a Licensed Realtor® in Georgia, notary, and was named 2019-2020 American Beauties Woman of the Year.
Cindy Webb obtained her Associates Accounting Degree from Brunel College, and has 32 years experience in the banking industry. She has managed loan departments across five Georgia counties. Cindy earned Employee of the year in 1996. She and was promoted to Assistant Vice President in 2008. Cindy was awarded American Institute of Banking number one certificate in Consumer Lending and she spearheaded the conversion team with a large bank in Georgia. She is involved with her church and teaches the 3-4 year old Sunday Nursery.
Nini Baiamonte is a multi-cultural and experienced Business Administration professional. Her diverse work experience includes the education field, customer service and sales, office administration, and human resources in multiple organizations. Nini graduated in 2008 from the University of Sucre, Colombia and later earned a specialization in Commercial Logistics at the University Jorge Tadeo Lozano in 2012. After a 10-year break from work to relocate from a foreign country and start a family, she graduated in 2024 from Southern Crescent Technical College as a Human Resource Specialist. Full of dreams and highly motivated, she is eager to serve the Fayette County startup community.
Ray is a Senior Executive with extensive experience in creating companies and management teams, establishing competitive positions in developing markets, managing organizational change, creating internal strategy and systems, and building models for ownership/management succession.
Ray’s specialties include business formation; strategy definition and implementation; planning; organizational development; and articulating, communicating, implementing and leveraging a vision for the success of an enterprise.
Valerie is a globally recognized expert on workplace happiness, inclusive leadership, and the advancement of women. She has empowered organizations worldwide to leverage happiness as a catalyst for performance, innovation, and retention.
As a sought-after keynote speaker, Valerie has delivered transformative talks for Fortune 500 companies, major industry conferences, and government agencies.
Valerie’s career spans Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and entrepreneurship. She has been a corporate securities lawyer, investment banker, and tech executive, as well as a screenwriter and director. She is also the bestselling author of Happiness as a Second Language and other influential books.
Steve is an industry leader with 40+ years in innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. He served as Executive Director of Georgia Centers of Innovation, aiding industries with technical expertise and contributing to Georgia’s selection as the #1 State for Business for 7 consecutive years. In the private sector, he’s worked for aerospace industry leaders, supported the development of notable aircraft including the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, and founded two companies. He is now Treasurer of AIAA and member of Board of Trustees, and has received high honors including the Red Dot Design Award.
Karen Rands, a nationally recognized capital strategist and champion of Compassionate Capitalism™. With over two decades of experience advising entrepreneurs and investors, Karen brings deep expertise in capital readiness, fundraising strategy, and investor engagement. Through her firm, Kugarand Capital Holdings, and as the founder of The Compassionate Capitalist Movement™, she has helped countless startups and small businesses scale, attract funding, and prepare for successful exits.
Karen formerly was the Managing Director for Network of Business Angels and Investors (NBA&I). She previously served as the Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Florida, where she also graduated with her Masters in Business Administration. Karen has lived in Atlanta for most of her adult life after graduating from Emory University with her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and English. Karen is the best-selling author of investor primer of Inside Secrets of Angel Investing: Step-by-Step Guide to Passive Wealth Creation through Private Equity Investing, with her second book: Inside Secrets to Crowdfund Investing- Follow Jane’s Journey. Learn How the Next Generation is Investing for Passion, Purpose, and Profit. Karen is host of the top-rated business podcast The Compassionate Capitalist™ Show, and co-hosts the new podcast Capital Conversations.
Jason Bass brings more than 20 years of experience in brand strategy, digital marketing, and creative leadership. As founder of Jason Hunter Design and Pixel Partner Digital, he helps businesses clarify their message, strengthen their online presence, and turn brand confusion into measurable growth.
Jason’s expertise spans from website strategy and conversion optimization to AI-driven content systems and storytelling. His work blends creative design with data-driven execution, helping organizations communicate with authenticity and scale sustainably.
In addition to his agency leadership, Jason serves as CTO of TheCitizen.com, co-leads 1 Million Cups Atlanta South, and co-chairs StartUp Fayette. He also founded The Nexus, a creative community for entrepreneurs and innovators.
Through his EIR role, Jason helps founders build marketing clarity, leverage modern tools effectively, and craft brands that connect and convert.
Caroline Creel brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, environmental education, and organizational development. With a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership and management and professional nonprofit credentials, she helps mission-driven organizations transform meaningful ideas into sustainable community impact.
Her expertise spans program development, nonprofit operations, strategic partnerships, volunteer engagement, and community outreach. Caroline combines purpose-driven leadership with practical execution, helping organizations strengthen their infrastructure, expand their reach, and remain focused on the people and communities they serve.
Caroline is the founder and Chief Visionary of Faithful Endeavors and serves as Assistant Executive Director of Fayette Forward. She previously held leadership roles with the Southern Conservation Trust, including Director of Operations and Director of Education, and received the Fayette Chamber’s 2023 Young Gamechanger Award. She also helps lead the Chamber’s Non-Profit Network, supporting collaboration and professional development across Fayette County’s nonprofit community.
Through her EIR role, Caroline helps founders clarify their mission, develop effective programs, build strong community partnerships, and create organizations capable of delivering lasting impact..
Ray Helton brings decades of experience in systems thinking, societal innovation, and the development of big, transformational ideas. As guiding principal of Open4Definition, he challenges conventional assumptions and helps leaders reframe complex problems to uncover entirely new possibilities.
Ray’s expertise spans human-centered innovation, organizational strategy, behavioral change, healthcare transformation, and artificial intelligence. His work focuses on connecting ideas across disciplines, identifying the deeper forces shaping a problem, and developing solutions capable of creating meaningful, long-term change.
Ray is the co-founder of Open4Definition, a societal investment organization dedicated to advancing ideas that improve human well-being. He is also the author of HealthCARING: A Reset for Health and Healthcare, which presents a new framework for rethinking how individuals, providers, and communities approach health and care.
Through his EIR role, Ray helps founders think beyond incremental improvements, examine problems from fresh perspectives, and shape bold ideas into transformational ventures with the potential to change industries, communities, and lives.
Tricia Stearns brings more than 30 years of experience in real estate, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and community building. As a longtime Georgia associate broker, freelance writer, and local business owner, she understands how trust, relationships, and a compelling story can transform an idea into a lasting enterprise.
Her expertise spans brand storytelling, written communications, relationship-based selling, community engagement, and real estate. Tricia helps entrepreneurs uncover the human story behind their businesses, communicate it authentically, and create meaningful connections with customers and the broader community.
Tricia is a co-owner of The Citizen, Fayette County’s locally focused digital newspaper. Her writing has appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and numerous other publications. She also founded and managed the Peachtree City Farmers Market, led the Peachtree City Community Garden during its first seven years, and successfully guided a multimillion-dollar real estate practice through the 2008–2010 market downturn. (Tricia Stearns, LinkedIn, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Through her EIR role, Tricia helps founders discover and articulate the stories that make their businesses distinctive, strengthen their communication, build authentic relationships, and turn community connections into sustainable opportunities for growth.
Wayne McDonell brings decades of experience in entrepreneurship, venture capital, financial markets, and business monetization. From launching technology ventures in Silicon Valley to advising startup leaders and investing in more than 100 patented technologies, Wayne understands what it takes to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.
His expertise spans business-model development, pricing, revenue strategy, market analysis, investor readiness, and financial risk management. Wayne helps entrepreneurs connect their products to clear customer value, identify sustainable revenue opportunities, and make data-informed decisions that support long-term growth.
Wayne is a strategic investment advisor who manages charitable endowment funds and the founder of TRADARS, an AI-powered market analytics platform. He is also an award-winning financial educator and the bestselling author of The FX Bootcamp Guide to Strategic and Tactical Forex Trading. His educational videos and webinars have reached investors and market professionals around the world. (LinkedIn, MoneyShow, Launch Fayette)
Through his EIR role in Marketing and Monetization, Wayne helps founders sharpen their value propositions, develop practical revenue models, understand the financial drivers of their businesses, and build ventures positioned to attract customers, generate revenue, and scale sustainably.
Steve Richey is a sales executive, entrepreneur, and mentor with more than 20 years of experience in B2B sales.
A former Chief Revenue Officer of a $100M+ organization, Steve has built and led high-performing sales teams across multiple industries and has interviewed, hired, trained, and promoted hundreds of sales professionals. He is the founder of Rev-Bridge, where he helps companies improve sales hiring and coaching, and the author of *Now Hiring Salespeople*. Steve brings founders practical expertise in sales strategy, talent development, leadership, and revenue growth.
Bryan Preston is an experienced executive, business strategist, and owner of Gaelic Business Solutions.
Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership experience across operations, talent management, marketing, product development, technology, and organizational culture, Bryan helps small and mid-sized businesses overcome growth barriers and operate more effectively. His practical approach helps business owners clarify their vision, strengthen their teams, build repeatable processes, and bring order to operational complexity—creating businesses that can grow beyond their founders
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Business incubator inspiring Fayette County’s students and entrepreneurs to learn and launch innovative ideas, from startup to success.
No person will be excluded from participation in Launch Fayette on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information in any of its educational programs, employment practices, or other services and activities.
