James M. Bailey Announced as Keynote Speaker for Augusta Metro Chamber's 116th Annual Meeting
Date postedMarch 3, 2025
Augusta, GA (March 3, 2025) – The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the keynote speaker for the 116th Annual Meeting will be James M. Bailey, President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE). James will join guests as we Rise & Thrive, Building Legacies that Last, for this can’t-miss event of the year.
Presented by Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate and Parker’s Kitchen, the dinner event will be held on Thursday, March 13th, at The Bell Auditorium, unveiling upcoming Chamber priorities and celebrating past accomplishments. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.
“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, sustains 4,125 jobs in the community, and has sparked an impressive $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.
An Atlanta native, three-time TED Talker, and die-hard Georgia Bulldog, Jay has been recognized with the 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.
Annual Meeting tickets are $100 for Chamber members, $125 for prospective members, and corporate tables are available at a discounted rate. Advanced registration is required at augustametrochamber.com, with a registration deadline of Friday, March 7th.
A special thank you to our generous Platinum Sponsors: Wellstar, Georgia Power, Ocozzio, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, and our media sponsors: News 12 26, The Augusta Chronicle, and WJBF NewsChannel 6.
About Augusta Metro Chamber:
Presented by Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate and Parker’s Kitchen, the dinner event will be held on Thursday, March 13th, at The Bell Auditorium, unveiling upcoming Chamber priorities and celebrating past accomplishments. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.
“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, sustains 4,125 jobs in the community, and has sparked an impressive $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.
An Atlanta native, three-time TED Talker, and die-hard Georgia Bulldog, Jay has been recognized with the 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.
Annual Meeting tickets are $100 for Chamber members, $125 for prospective members, and corporate tables are available at a discounted rate. Advanced registration is required at augustametrochamber.com, with a registration deadline of Friday, March 7th.
A special thank you to our generous Platinum Sponsors: Wellstar, Georgia Power, Ocozzio, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, and our media sponsors: News 12 26, The Augusta Chronicle, and WJBF NewsChannel 6.
About Augusta Metro Chamber:
The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce is the largest business membership organization in the CSRA. Dedicated to fostering economic growth, the Chamber is committed to supporting businesses and educational initiatives that strengthen the Augusta region. Membership is open to businesses interested in investing in the future of the community.
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Media Contact:
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Media Contact:
Brooke Willis, Communications Coordinator
brooke.willis@augustametrochamber.com
762-333-3199