Below you will meet the founding investors and managing director of CPIG.
Stewart Vernon
Stewart Vernon is the Founder and CEO of ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company, the nation’s largest swimming pool cleaning, repair, and renovation franchise system. In addition to being a pool and spa industry leader, Vernon has served on various local boards, including the Macon Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Macon Georgia Better Business Bureau, the Macon Rescue Mission, the Macon Economic Development Commission, and his former alma mater, Stratford Academy. He has recently been appointed as Mercer Entrepreneur in Residence for 2016 at the Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Vernon holds an advisory board position at the College of Charleston in the Entrepreneurship department, and regularly speaks at the College’s Business School. He also founded 478BibbFund, Inc., which provides micro grants to local aspiring entrepreneurs in the Macon, Georgia area.
Vernon also holds a Corporate Communications degree from the College of Charleston. He is married to Shannon Vernon, and they have two children: Stewart Jr, and Sloan.
Learn more at StewartVernon.com
Robert Betzel
Robert C Betzel is the CEO of Infinity Network Solutions, an technology firm founded in 2000 which is headquartered in Macon GA. His focuses are around IT services, software development and in business improvement through process and company culture. Rob is part of the group responsible for founding SparkMacon, Middle Georgia’s first MakerSpace. He also serves on several local and national boards for technology and the business community. Rob serves as an advisor to the schools of Informational Technology at Georgia College, Macon State College and Central Georgia Technical College, and regularly speaks to groups on current and emerging IT trends including Disaster Recovery Planning, Clouding Computing, Outsourced IT, Hardware, Software, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Rob also co-authored the book The Company Culture Challenge, and he uses his experiences leading a successful company focused on culture to provide insight and guidance to people and organizations who seek to improve their organizations.
J. Blake Sullivan
Blake Sullivan is a small businessman and entrepreneur. He holds a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Columbus State University and a Masters degree in Forestry from Duke University. Blake is an inventor and patent holder. He holds many active leadership roles in both local and national organizations. Blake and his wife Isabelle reside in Macon, Georgia.
Bob Easter
Bob Easter leads Central Piedmont Investment Group, an angel fund that completed its first chapter having invested over $500K in ventures throughout Georgia. As a result, this group has built a second, larger fund called CPIG II that has already invested in two Macon, GA ventures. As part of the angel investment community, Bob enjoys learning from and working with other groups across Georgia to share best practices. During his leisure time, Bob enjoys mentoring others while promoting the importance of leadership, candor and trust; plays tennis and golf; regularly exercises his 70 pound chocolate lab; and reads.
Other founding members include ten like-minded entrepreneurs who share the vision, experience and commitment needed to foster new and growing companies.