Ideas Festival Emory

I'm Chair of Stuckey's, the roadside chain of stores founded by my grandfather in Eastman, GA in 1937. We're best known for our Southern hospitality, pecan snacks & candies (including our world-famous pecan log rolls), and kitschy souvenirs. My grandfather sold our company, and Stuckey's was out of our family hands for decades. I had the unexpected opportunity to buy the company four years ago and have been working to revive this nostalgic brand. Today, we have about 40 licensed stores and a pecan snack and candy company in Wrens, GA. We sell Stuckey's pecan snacks and candies to retailers nationwide. Prior to acquiring Stuckey's, I practiced law, served in the Georgia General Assembly (representing the Emory area), and was Director of Sustainability for the City of Atlanta. I enjoy talking about entrepreneurship, brand revitalization, female owned businesses, manufacturing, agriculture (pecans), and economic development / tourism / road trips.