Society of Entrepreneurs

Another amazing Entrepreneurs Roundtable Luncheon in the books! Thank you to Sridhar Sunkara for the captivating discussion today.

📍Member Spotlight: Dick Leike

Dick Leike is a prominent real estate entrepreneur known for co-founding Crye-Leike Real Estate Services in Memphis, Tennessee, in January 1977 alongside Harold Crye. Within three years, Crye-Leike became the largest real estate firm in Memphis. The company expanded its operations over the years, reaching significant milestones such as surpassing $1 billion in sales volume in 1993, $2 billion in 1998, and $3 billion in 1999. Today, Crye-Leike is one of the largest real estate firms in the United States, with operations in multiple states and a wide array of real estate services​.

Beyond his business achievements, Dick Leike is actively involved in community service. He has served on the boards of several organizations, including the Germantown Education Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Memphis Shelby County Industrial Development Board​. He is also dedicated to preserving historic properties, as evidenced by his purchase and preservation efforts of historic homes in Columbus, Mississippi​.

This Thursday is our Entrepreneurs Roundtable Luncheon, and there are still some spots available. Make sure to secure yours ahead of time if you would like to attend. It's going to be a good one!

https://ow.ly/mxVg50SqpJH

📍Member Spotlight: Edith Kelly-Green

Prior to founding the KGR Group, Edith Kelly-Green worked for almost 30 years at FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, where she served in many roles including Vice President and Chief Sourcing Officer. She also served as Vice President-Internal Audit of FedEx Corporation and reported directly to the Chairman and Founder, Frederick W. Smith. She was the first black woman to receive officer status. During her tenure, she received three Five Star Awards, the highest performance award at FedEx.

In 2005, Kelly-Green started The KGR Group. KGR’s primary investments are Lenny’s Grill & Subs (LGS) franchises and Wimpy’s Burger and Fries restaurants (WBF) located in the Greater Memphis Area. Edith made a $215 thousand loan to The KGR Group to acquire her first Lenny’s store in Oxford, MS, guaranteed a $300 thousand loan and then immediately invested $450 thousand of her own money to purchase three more franchises. The KGR Group expanded from one location in 2005 to a high of 13 Lenny’s Grill & Subs stores. Based on economic conditions, geographical dispersion and other opportunities, the LGS locations were reduced to five, a new concept, Wimpy’s Burgers and Fries was added (one location purchased and two new locations subsequently opened) and Runway 901 was opened to support the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority in the Delta dehubbing transition. The KGR Group still has the largest number of LGS locations in the 90 unit LGS system and serves on the LGS national Advisory Board (one of five franchisees elected by the LGS franchisee community. Organically and through acquisitions, revenues have increased from $500 thousand in that first location to $7 million annually. Additionally, LGS has provided first jobs or launch pads for hundreds of Memphis citizens, many who have completed college or become technicians. A goal is to ultimately create self-sufficient, tax paying and productive Memphis citizens.

At our upcoming luncheon with Sridhar Sunkara, you can expect to network and learn about how you can use AI in the workplace (and more). Interested? Register now!

https://ow.ly/kfGJ50SqoFK

Congratulations to local entrepreneurs Patrick and Deni Reilly for securing a second location for their Memphis restaurant, Cocozza American Italian!

Popular Italian restaurant is opening an East Memphis location Cocozza American Italian has announced a second location where people can “eat red sauce with their ‘familia.’”

Have you gotten your tickets yet for our upcoming Entrepreneur Roundtable Luncheon? You won't want to miss out! We encourage anyone to come, even if it's your first- this is a great opportunity for networking!

https://ow.ly/KKeX50SpC2J

🎆 Happy Fourth of July! 🎆

Today, we celebrate the freedom and independence that fuel our entrepreneurial spirit. Let's honor the innovation, hard work, and determination that make our dreams a reality.

Enjoy the festivities and stay inspired! 🇺🇸✨

In honor of Jack Soden being inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame this week's member spotlight is dedicated to him!

"Jack Soden is the CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. Jack grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

After graduation, he went to work in the investment banking industry. While working as Executive Director of a money management firm, he met a client, Priscilla Presley. Upon her request, he came to Memphis and helped develop a business plan for opening Graceland.

Today the company has more than four hundred employees, and Elvis Presley's Graceland has become one of the nation’s premier tourist attractions with annual visitors in excess of 600,000, bringing an estimated $200 million per year to the Memphis economy.

The organization has grown into a worldwide entertainment, licensing, merchandising and music publishing enterprise. The company also controls The Guest House at Graceland, a 4 star, 450 room resort hotel.

Jack serves on the boards of The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, The TN Tourism Committee, The ALSAC Leadership Council for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Memphis College of Communication and Fine Arts, and the National Advisory Board for the National Civil Rights Museum. He is a member of The Society of Entrepreneurs, and has served as chairman and a board member."

Congratulations to Insights Group Member, Denise Higdon for all of her exciting work with her company, Work Site Care Clinic! They recently had their ribbon cutting- we can't wait to see what is in store for them!

Occupational health care firm keeps growing after two decades working with big employers - Memphis Business Journal WorkSite CARE Clinic offers occupational health care — employees are sent there to assess if they are fit for a job. They work with firms like Mahaffey Event & Tent Rentals, Ajax Distributing, and Kroger. Now, the company is adding to its services.

Please help us in congratulating member, Jack Soden, as he is being inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame!

"A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Soden was working in money management when he met Priscilla Presley in the early 1980s and helped the Presley family develop a plan for opening Graceland. Forty years later, Graceland has become one of the nation’s premier tourist attractions with more than 600,000 visitors annually. Under Soden’s leadership the company has grown to more than 400 employees, bringing an estimated $200 million per year to the Memphis economy — while Elvis Presley Enterprises has steadily grown into a entertainment, licensing, merchandising and music publishing juggernaut."

Full article: https://ow.ly/z52650Spzqa

Our friends at Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are currently hiring a Communications Manager and a part‐time Instructional Coordinator.

Interested or know someone who might be? Head to their page for more information!

Interested in hearing Sridhar Sunkara of EBiz Solutions talk about deploying generative AI for business excellence?

Reserve your spot now for our Entrepreneurs Luncheon where he is the guest speaker!

https://ow.ly/9eln50Sha34

Happy birthday to Kaye's Pints & Scoops as they celebrated their 2nd anniversary this month!

📍Member Spotlight: Daphne T. Large

Daphne Large, founding CEO of Data Facts Background Screening got her start in the Consumer Reporting industry at the young age of 16 at Equifax Services while still attending Briarcrest High School. She stayed with Equifax while attending the University of Memphis and rose to the position of Assistant Regional Manager. She recognized a competitive advantage and started Data Facts in 1989 at the age of 27. She saw an opportunity to start a company that was both employee and customer focused. Today, she serves as CEO and majority shareholder in Data Facts, owning 75% of the company.

Data Facts is a consumer and business reporting company, dedicated to providing information that employers and lenders can trust and rely on to make sound hiring and lending decisions. The guiding philosophy at Data Facts is People, Customers, Data Facts. Mrs. Large believes that if you take great care of your people, they will take great care of your customers, who in turn will take great care of your company. They do and it works.

Data Facts has grown from 4 employees to 125 with hundreds of additional independent contractors supporting their firm. Data Facts serves customers in all 50 states and is one of only 10% of background screening firms nationally to have achieved accreditation from the Professional Background Screeners Association.

Data Facts has been named a top Women owned Business for many years by the Memphis Business Journal and Mrs. Large was recognized by the MBQ Magazine as CEO of the year in their tier. Data Facts has also been named a Top Work Place over several years.

Mrs. Large’s professional affiliations include serving as the President and Board Member of the National Consumer Reporting Association and founding member of the Professional Background Screener’s Association. Daphne serves the Memphis community in many capacities. She is Chair of the Chairmen’s Circle, the highest level of investors of the Greater Memphis Chamber, serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Greater Memphis Chamber, is a past Board Chair of New Memphis and currently remains on the Board and Executive Committee. She is on the Board of the Society of Entrepreneurs, served on the University of Memphis LEAD Board, served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Make A Wish Mid South and served 7 years on the Board of Trustees for St. George’s Independent School as Vice Chair and Secretary and has served in many other civic endeavors.

Mrs. Large’s avocations and hobbies include frequently contributing to Entrepreneurial and Leadership programming, national and international travel, business and pleasure reading, biking and spending time with her family in Germantown and at their home in Clearwater Beach, FL.

Mrs. Large attributes her success to the entire Data Facts team, Julie Wink, her business partner since 2005 and the continuous support of her husband Alan and children, Trevor and Heather. A native Memphian, she is passionate about Memphis and its future, and believes to whom much has been given, much is expected. Mrs. Large and her team are committed to having a positive impact everywhere they can. She is an ardent William Churchill admirer and believes in his words of “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”

What you can expect at our upcoming luncheon with guest speaker Sridhar Sunkara:

💡Explore the transformative potential of Generative AI in modern business practices across marketing, operations, and customer support, etc.

💡Learn about practical AI applications, strategies for seamless AI integration, and the ethical considerations involved.

💡Gain insights into leveraging AI for competitive advantage, improved productivity, and superior customer engagement in your business operations.

Memphis Business Owners: Check out this recent article from We Are Memphis on how to strategically market your business on social media!

How to market business on social media? Learn some tips Social media can help your business thrive, so take advantage of these Memphis social media marketing tips and tricks. Find out more.

cityCURRENT is looking for volunteers to assist in distributing socks and shoes to over 600 kids in Middle Tennessee at Delta Dental of Tennessee Kids Dental Day.

📅 Date: Friday, July 19
🕒 Time: 9 AM - 3 PM shifts available
📍 Location: First Horizon Park
📌 RSVP Here:

cityCURRENT | cityCURRENT Volunteer Opportunity: Shoe Distribution at Kids Dental Day In partnership with the Nashville Sounds, Samaritan’s Feet, Interfaith Dental, Meharry and other local organizations, Delta Dental of Tennessee presents Kids Dental Day on July 19th to give kids ac…

Congratulations to member Randy Stepherson and Happy Birthday to his business Superlo Foods - Stepherson's! They are celebrating 80 years in Memphis!

Calkins: Superlo is celebrating its 80th anniversary! But why do Memphians love it so? Superlo is celebrating its 80th anniversary this summer. In recognition of this moment, we attempted to discover why Memphians are so crazy about this grocery store. The answer? It isn’t just the fried chicken.

Our upcoming guest speaker for our Entrepreneurs Roundtable Luncheon, Sridhar Sunkara, did a TEDx in Memphis, "Leading toward Growth in the Digital Age."

We are looking forward to hearing him discuss more about AI and how to integrate it into your business on July 18th. Don't miss out!

Leading toward Growth in the Digital Age Today fast-paced technology transformations are disrupting our work, homes, cars, how we shop, how we communicate, and more, but disruptions are not new to humans. We have seen many disruptions over 100s of years from the 1770s industrial revolution, 1840’s railways, 1880’s steel technology, 192...

📍Member Spotlight: L.D. Beard

"“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of any successful socio-economic system.” It’s this outlook that has taken L.D. Beard to great lengths and for which he was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 1997.

L.D. is a founder of Biotechnology, Inc., which is now known as Medtronic Sofamor Danek, a company dedicated to groundbreaking research, development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of medical devices primarily for the treatment of spinal and certain neurological disorders.

Through his leadership, Sofamor Danek has become the primary resource that spinal and cranial surgeons depend on for solutions to clinical and practice solutions. He has served as President, Chairman, and CEO of the company and served on its board until the sale of the company to Medtronic in 1999.

L.D. Beard’s efforts have also long been directed to other civic and business interests, such as the board of Risk Assessment Systems, Inc., the Memphis Rotary Club, Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America, and the Board of Trustees of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation."

Tickets are now avai;able for our July Entrepreneurs Roundtable Luncheon! We welcome anyone to come and network, enjoy lunch, and hear from guest speaker, Sridhar Sunkara.

https://ow.ly/OZ1N50SfHkV

We love a good story about thriving entrepreneurship in Memphis! Have you been to Mili's Flowers And Gifts yet?

SBA Emerging Entrepreneur: Miriam Cordero, Mili's Flowers and Gifts - Memphis Business Journal The story of Mili's Flowers & Gifts begins with a truck — a Volkswagen, to be exact.

This coming Thursday, Epicenter Memphis is hosting a "How to Network” happy hour !

"This event is designed to give founders essential networking tools to forge meaningful connections. Enjoy a casual, supportive atmosphere while enhancing your networking skills and expanding your professional circle. Register: https://lu.ma/medtech24 "

Thank you to everyone who came out for our luncheon yesterday! We are already looking forward to the next where we will be welcoming Sridhar Sunkara, CEO of EBiz Solutions.

https://ow.ly/Mxgb50S9Tg7

A few members of our Insights group broke away network with other Memphis professionals at the Greater Memphis Chamber Small Business Council summer mixer this afternoon. What a great turnout from our business community and fabulous company as usual!

A few members of our Insights group broke away network with other Memphis professionals at the Small Business Council summer mixer this afternoon. What a great turnout from our business community and fabulous company as usual!

Thank you to everyone who came out today to our luncheon with Epicenter Memphis to hear from Kayla and Isaac of SweetBio! To say the audience was engaged with their charisma and innovative approach would be an understatement.

📍Member Spotlight: Robert C. Khayat

It’s considered unusual to apply entrepreneurial principals to an academic environment, yet that’s what sets University of Mississippi Chancellor Robert C. Khayat apart from his peers. At the helm of a university system spread over four campuses that collectively contain 15 colleges and 17,000 students, Khayat has focused on raising funds to ensure the long-term success of the institution.

With annual decreases in state funding, Khayat created a capital campaign raising $529.9 million in private support. He also increased the student population and tuition, and increased annual research funding from $17 million to $100 million.

A crowning achievement of his tenure came when university secured a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious honor society. Chapters are awarded based on a large number of meticulous requirements both academic and financial.

Under his leadership, the Sally McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College, Croft Institute for International Studies, Lott Leadership Institute, Galtney Center for Academic Computing, Ford Center for the Performing Arts, and the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation have been created. The university was also awarded the Grand Award for the Best Maintained College Campus in the Country by a national landscaping society.

Khayat began his relationship with Ole Miss in 1956 as an undergraduate and star athlete in two sports: baseball and football. In 1960 Khayat graduated and became a pro football player for the Washington Redskins. In 1961 he played in the NFL Pro Bowl, enrolled at Ole Miss Law School and remained with the Redskins until his graduation in 1963.

After several years in private practice he joined the law school faculty at Ole Miss, taking a leave of absence in 1980-81 to earn a Master’s of Law at Yale University. Returning to the law school faculty, Khayat was offered a registrar’s position, then associate dean of the law school and, in 1984, vice chancellor of the university. In 1989 Khayat was named the first president of the NCAA Foundation. In 1992 he returned to Ole Miss as a law professor.

On July 1, 1995, Khayat was named the university’s 15th chancellor. The average tenure for a university president is five years.

We are looking forward to our luncheon this Thursday with SweetBio! Will we be seeing you there?