Cornerstone Christian Academy was recently awarded a Top Workplaces 2024 honor by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Recipients of this annual award are chosen solely from employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures multiple culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution and connection.

In addition to their place on the 2024 list, Cornerstone was also ranked number one among small businesses and won a special award for company “Communication.”

“We were extremely humbled to hear that we were not only named on the list, but ranked first among small companies,” shared Colin Creel, headmaster at Cornerstone. “I am very thankful our staff has received this public validation of the amazing work that occurs here at Cornerstone. Our staff deserves all of the accolades they are receiving; Cornerstone is a very special place because of them.”

2024 marks the 14th year the AJC has recognized metro Atlanta businesses with the Top Workplaces award. And it’s the third time that Cornerstone has been named to the top spot in their category. This year’s recipients were selected from over 9,000 nominated companies and honored at an awards ceremony held at the Georgia Aquarium on August 14.

For more information about Cornerstone Christian Academy, visit cornerstonecougars.org.

To learn more about Top Workplaces, visit topworkplaces.com.

The Gwinnett County Public Library, through its foundation, awarded a total of $3,000 to two recent graduates of the New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator program.

The New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator (NSEI) provides business education for formerly incarcerated individuals through in-person classes, online coursework and a robust network of mentors and community partners. NSEI is specifically geared towards the reentry population, which, in Georgia, is disproportionately minority populations and people of color.

The program’s culmination occurs at Launchpad, an event where the budding entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to community business leaders. They are judged on several criteria, and the strongest pitches win.

Award Recipients

Johanna Ortiz, CEO and founder of America’s Choice Roofing was awarded the $2,000 Outstanding Business Pitch, First Place honor.

After working for a roofing company and becoming the top sales rep within a year, Johanna started noticing things she thought should be done differently. With a small amount of funding and a big passion, she started America’s Choice Roofing in December of 2023.

Johanna says her inspiration is her mother, who brought them to the United States when Johanna was very young. They arrived with nothing more than a suitcase and a blanket, but her mother worked incredibly hard to make sure they never went to bed hungry. Johanna says the best lesson her mother taught her is that if you put in the effort, nothing is impossible.

Juliette Sims-Owens, founder of CleverGirl Virtual Assistant Service was awarded the $1,000 Outstanding Business Pitch, Second Place honor.

Juliette worked in administrative support for more than 25 years, before deciding to start her own company. With a passion for organization and efficiency, she helps businesses streamline their operations and achieve their goals. CleverGirl Virtual Assistant Service offers project-based work solutions tailored to the unique needs of the gig economy.

As the demand for freelance and subcontract work continues to grow, so does the need for support for those providing it. CleverGirl provides scheduling and calendar management, precise data entry, transcription, crafted communication, website content oversight and email handling.

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) awarded a check for $500 to Paint Gwinnett Pink on July 25 at the PCBA Business After Hours Speaker event.

Paint Gwinnett Pink is an annual 5K walk/run event with one main mission: helping people in the community who are facing a breast cancer diagnosis by raising awareness and funding the best care possible for cancer warriors in the community.

The event is the largest breast cancer 5K in Gwinnett County. It is a celebration of survivorship, while raising awareness and funds for breast cancer programs at Northside Hospital Gwinnett. This years’ event is October 19, 2024 at Coolray Field.

“The PCBA is proud to donate a check for $500 to Paint Gwinnett Pink. Our Outreach Committee and Board are impressed with the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation and the Paint Gwinnett Pink Program dedicated to providing equipment and resources to fight breast cancer one person at a time,” said Lisa Proctor, PCBA President 

“Team PCBA is excited to participate in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness walk as we are more committed than ever to find ways to engage and bring our community together in a meaningful way,” she added.  

Funds for the PCBA Community Outreach program are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorship, and the organization’s annual charity event. Donations and scholarships are awarded at monthly events so members have the opportunity to learn more about these organizations. 

Over the past 12 years, the PCBA has awarded 19 scholarships and donated in excess of $156,500+ back into our community.

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