Entrepreneurs’ Organization Nashville Surpasses 100 Membership Mark for First Time

March 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Officials with the Nashville chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) announced the addition of 14 new members to the group of Middle Tennessee business owners. This is the first time in the chapter’s history that membership has surpassed 100 members.

“EO provides a way for entrepreneurs to learn from each other and benefit from shared experiences. We look to our newer members to bring new perspectives on the challenges we all face,” said Debbie Gordon, president of EO Nashville and founder of S3 Asset Management and Snappy Auctions. “Our chapter has seen some great momentum lately — fueled by an increase in entrepreneurship in Nashville and increased resources supporting entrepreneurial businesses, and of course, by the determined work of our membership co-chairs Joe Freedman and Michael Burcham.”

The Nashville EO chapter has a total of 112 members. To join, an entrepreneur must be a founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a company with gross annual sales exceeding $1 million.

The 14 new members are:

Bob Bernstein, founder of Bongo Productions, LLC: Bernstein’s company is a multimillion dollar enterprise comprised of five cafes — Bongo Java, Fido, Grins Vegetarian & Kosher Café, Hot & Cold and Bongo East — and two wholesale businesses, Bongo Java Roasting Co. and Fido Bakery. A former journalist, Bernstein grew up in Chicago, received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and his master’s from Northwestern University.


Michael Brody-Waite, founder and COE of InQuicker: InQuicker is an online emergency room, urgent care and doctor’s office check-in system. Before starting InQuicker two years ago, Brody-Waite spent seven years with a Fortune 30 company. He graduated from the University of California Davis.

Ed Brown, co-founder of ioStudio: ioStudio is a full service marketing agency with over 200 employees and offices in Nashville and Washington D.C., offering Web design, digital marketing and advertising services. Committed to helping America’s soldiers, ioStudio works for The National Guard, Semper Fi Fund, MARSOC, SAIC, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, GX Magazine and Foundations Magazine.

Patrick Burke, owner Seed Hospitality and Zumi Sushi Japanese Kitchen: Burk has run the Hillsboro Village area sushi restaurant since 2009. He previously worked as a summer associate at Merrill Lynch and DLA Piper. He is a Vanderbilt University graduate.

Greg Greenwell, president of TotalPrint: A printing company specializing in managed print services and supplies, TotalPrint has become an industry leader. Greenwell also owns a veterinary clinic and a small real estate investment company. He holds a bachelor's degree from Bellarmine University and an master’s from the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Carl Haley, Jr., president and CEO, Grand Avenue: Grand Avenue provides ground transportation services for the Tennessee Titans and Vanderbilt University as well as clients in Middle Tennessee. Haley founded the company in 2009 and oversees business development, operations, reservations, marketing and fleet management. He is a graduate of George Mason University and a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Nicholas Holland, founder of CentreSource, Inc., Side hobby, LLC and Populr.me: Holland helped launch the annual Nashville StartUp Weekend as well as the city's first micro-fund, JumpStart Foundry. He has served on the board of the Better Business Bureau, the Nashville Technology Council and the Nashville chapter of the American Marketing Association. He is a graduate of Tulane University.

Elliott Holt, founder Medi-Copy Services: Holt founded Medi-Copy as a way to improve patient care by providing better health information exchange, more accountability and faster turnaround times on authorized disclosures of health information. In 2010, Medi-Copy was named one of the Top 10 Best Employers in Middle Tennessee.

Kimberly Hunter, owner, True Blue Salon: One of the most popular high-end salons, True Blue Salon has been mentioned in the pages of Elle and Marie Claire magazines as one of the best places in the country for color, cut and style. Hunter has been a Nashville business owner for more than 20 years.

Bob Jacobs, co-founder and managing partner, Equity Express Settlement Services: Jacobs founded the mortgage software company Equity Express Settlement Services in 2011 after becoming a partner in Equity Solutions USA. He is the former director of development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and a current board member of the Sports 4all Foundation, Thisbe and Noah Scott Foundation and Special Olympics of Tennessee.

Ben Mankin, founder, Mankin Media Systems: Mankin Media Systems provides audio/video design and installation of technical systems for some of the largest churches in the country. Mankin founded the company to provide design and leadership for organizations and churches pursuing technical and media ministries. He holds a bachelor's degree from Abilene Christian University.

Max Sadler, CEO, Advanced Network Solutions (ANS): ANS provides IT services and network design, implementation and documentation. The company has been named to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s Future 50 five times, the Nashville Business Journal's Best in the Business and Best Places to Work and twice listed in Inc.’s 500|5000 list fastest growing companies.

Jeremy Werthan, chairman, Werthan, LLC: The Werthan family has been associated with entrepreneurship and business in Nashville since the 1800s. Founded in 2002 as a local fabricator of high quality granite countertops, Werthan is now a high-volume national supplier of tile, natural stone, quartz and solid surface materials.

Danny Whetstone, founder, DWP Live: Whetstone has worked closely with both artists and entrepreneurs alike to create onstage excitement through large-scale production and design. Whetstone has worked with musical legends such as Sting, Bon Jovi and Keith Urban, as well as and corporate giants like Lockheed Martin, ESPN and MTV to design and build quality productions for concerts, sports and corporate events.


The Entrepreneurs' Organization is a dynamic, global network of more than 8,000 business owners in 40 countries. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. Membership in one of EO’s 120 chapters is by invitation only; the average member is 41 years old with annual revenues of $17.3 million.

For more information about EO Nashville, contact Sameera Lowe, executive director, at (615) 309-1755.