Right person, right time: New Business Success Center chair Nancy Whatley ready to change the game

Nancy Wright Whatley knows all about the challenges of starting a small business. As the owner and operator of VantagePoint Staffing Solutions, she successfully scored major contracts with the likes of Georgia Power, Southern Company, Turner Broadcasting, Chick-fil-A and Cox Communications before selling the company in 2010.

And as the vice president of entrepreneurial development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Whatley helped generate new business development opportunities for small businesses by providing programming that helped accelerate growth and enable valuable connections. 

This kind of keen insight into the mind of today’s entrepreneur was exactly what Kennesaw State University and the Cobb Chamber were looking for in the new leader who would spearhead the Georgia Business Success Center. In partnership with KSU, the Center is designed to provide entrepreneurs space to innovate and access distinct programming, counseling services and collaborative opportunities.

Whatley, who was named executive director in March, will be tasked with helping support and promote entrepreneurship and business growth throughout metro Atlanta and the state. Reporting directly to KSU President Daniel S. Papp, her duties include strategic planning, business development, entrepreneur identification, budget management, fundraising and facility oversight. 

“Small businesses are truly the backbone of our economy,” Whatley said. “The warm and welcoming environment in this region makes it an ideal place for small businesses to start and grow. By growing our innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping companies connect to talent, capital and customers, we help the region thrive.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 86 percent of all firms in metro Atlanta employ fewer than 20 employees, making it one of the top 10 metro regions in the country in that area. In addition, a report from the Kauffman Foundation shows that most jobs in the next five years will come from companies that don’t exist today.

Her first order of business is to develop a strategic plan that will provide a road map for how best to accomplish the goals and mission of the Center as a business incubator, accelerator and education project.

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs are creating the jobs that will drive our economy forward, which is why we will accelerate growth throughout the state,” Whatley said.

As president and CEO of the Cobb Chamber, David Connell has had a first-hand look at what the Center’s capabilities can have on the region. Connell expects the Center, an outgrowth of the Chamber’s Competitive EDGE program, to thrive under Whatley’s leadership. 

“As a successful entrepreneur, Nancy is the perfect fit to lead the Center,” Connell said. “When implementation begins later this year, she will be leading programs and offering resources designed to fit the needs of a very important segment of our economy — entrepreneurs and small business owners."