Offbeat Media Group, an Atlanta-based digital influence and media company headed by a trio of Terry College graduates and a Grady College alum, took home top honors in the Bulldog 100 ranking of the fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni.
The company is run by Shep Ogden (BBA ’18), CEO and co-founder; Bailey Grady (BBA ’19), COO and co-founder; Christopher Travers (BBA ’17), CCO and co-founder; and Kevin Planovsky (ABJ ’05), advisor. The company builds and brokers media content for a digital generation and boasts a client list including TikTok, McDonald’s, Twitch, Netflix and Warner Music Group.
“We are the product of what young entrepreneurs can do here at UGA,” Ogden said at the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration in the West End Zone of Sanford Stadium on Feb. 5. “I expect we’ll see many more companies like ours started by students that are in school right now because of the resources being dedicated by the university. Our UGA mentors and programs like the New Media Institute and Innovation District have been incredibly helpful.”
Ogden continued, “If there’s something I can ask everyone to do, it’s to continue to help student entrepreneurs. That’s the reason we’re standing here today, because of the help we were given at UGA.”
This year, 53 businesses on the Bulldog 100 list included graduates from the Terry College, including five in the top 10.
Following Offbeat Media at No. 1, the top 10 featured:
- 2. Rheos Nautical Eyewear, Jake Berton (BBA ’08) and Rebecca Berton (ABJ ’11, AB ’11)
- 3. Roadie, Marc Gorlin (ABJ ’95)
- 4. Bitcoin Depot, Brandon Mintz (BBA ’16)
- 5. BIOLYTE, Jesslyn Rollins (AB ’15, AB ’15)
- 6. YouthServ360 Inc. dba 7 Pillars Career Academy, Christina Guillen (AB ’04, AB ’04), Hilary Carruthers (AB ’04, BSW ’04, MSW ’06, DRPH ’21) and Jazmin Briggs (AB ’05)
- 7. Edwards & Hawkins LLC, Cameron Hawkins (JD ’08)
- 8. Golden Isles Pharmacy, Matt Donato (PHARMD ’14)
- 9. LeaseQuery, George Azih (BBA ’03) and Chris Ramsey (BS ’05)
- 10. inBrain, Jason Schubert (BBA ’17) and William Schubert (BBA ’19, BBA ’19)
“The 2022 Bulldog 100 recognizes outstanding alumni achievements, broadens those business leaders’ networks and celebrates a spirit of innovation at UGA,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “These alumni are leading the way in business, building better communities, and are committed to their ideas, their innovations and their employees. We are proud to celebrate their successes.”
The UGA Alumni Association presented the fifth annual Michael J. Bryan Award to 1973 Terry College graduate Rodger Breda, founder of Breda Pest Management. His company, founded in 1975, appeared on the first Bulldog 100 list in 2010 and seven times since, including this year’s list. Bryan (BBA ’89), the co-founder and managing partner of Vino Venue and Atlanta Wine School in Dunwoody, passed away in 2017 after a long battle with cancer. The award recognizes a returning Bulldog 100 honoree whose business has not only sustained growth but demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to UGA that was Bryan’s hallmark.
Bulldog 100 companies were ranked, regardless of size, by evaluating their three-year compounded annual growth rates. The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors verifies the information submitted by each company and determines the ranked list. On average, companies in the 2022 Bulldog 100 grew by 44 percent each year from 2019-21.
UGA received 367 nominations for the 2022 Bulldog 100. Each organization must have been in business since 2018, experienced revenues over $100,000 for the calendar year 2019, and be owned or operated by a former UGA student who owns at least half of the company or is the CEO, president, or managing partner.
For more information about the Michael J. Bryan Scholarship or to view the complete list of 2022 Bulldog 100 businesses, visit alumni.uga.edu/b100.
Nominations for the 2023 Bulldog 100 are open until July 31.