Save the Date for the Augusta Metro Chamber’s 116th Annual Meeting on March 13th!

We will unveil upcoming chamber priorities, along with last year’s accomplishments, with Keynote Speaker, James M. Bailey, President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.

James M. Bailey “Jay” – President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs

“Jay” M. Bailey serves as the President and CEO of the H.J. Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), where he leads the world’s largest entrepreneurial hub dedicated to growing, scaling, and developing Black businesses. In just five years, under Jay’s visionary leadership, RICE supports more than 600 entrepreneurs full time, sustaining 4,125 jobs in the community, and sparking a staggering $557 million of new economic impact in the Metro Atlanta area. Jay and his team have transformed RICE into an economic empowerment and innovation powerhouse. Jay is an Atlanta native, three-time TED Talker, and die-hard Georgia Bulldog. He has been recognized with the prestigious National Point of Light Award, named one of Atlanta’s “Most Admired CEOs” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, ranked on Atlanta Magazine’s “POWER 100” list of the most dynamic leaders in the city, and honored by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential” leaders in the State. His leadership and commitment to the community have been recognized by three U.S. Presidents. In 2012, he was one of eight Americans honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change: Following in the Footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Currently residing in East Atlanta, Jay shares his life’s journey with his wife, Dateline NBC correspondent Blayne Alexander, and their cherished daughters, Sage and Skylar.

Click here for Event Registration – Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce