Affinity Projects » BOARD MEMBERS

Shane Wahner

President & Founder of Affinity Projects

Shane Wahner was born in Boca Raton, Florida in 1979. Shane grew up in poverty and at times was homeless. He often wondered when he would find his next meal. Even as a young adult he felt like life was against him and was nearly ready to give up hope when he met Berny Dohrman, an expert in income acceleration training and other financial achievements. Mr. Dohrmn mentored and inspired Shane in successful business practice and development.

This attention and inspiration led Shane down a path of opportunity that brought him education in Computer Science and Business Marketing. This path also led him to the privilege of teaching young special needs children in swimming for over a decade.

Despite Shane’s troubled youth, he always had a passion for helping people, animals, anyone or anything in need. Shane does not just believe in giving free hand-outs, but believes in inspiring one to reach their fullest potential. “You can give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you feed him for a life time”-(Famous Chinese Proverb)

Shane’s thoughts, views and passions in life have made him the wonderful single father of three boys that he is today. Even while facing the struggles of raising an Autistic son by himself. He continues to manage to instill compassion, integrity and helpfulness in Aiden, Gabriel, and Gavin through feeding the homeless and other crucial projects. He proudly can say he has three beautiful soldiers in his corner who love participating and helping with Affinity Projects.

Affinity Projects is one of many successes in Shane’s life. Shane is also Co-Founder of Soko International where they specialize in marketing, credit repair, health fairs and transportation through jets and limos. Shane Wahner is a proud yet humble successful Entrepreneur. His skills and experience in all of his endeavors truly will make him an integral part of Affinity Projects

Chris Cota

Vice President & Co- Founder of Affinity Projects

Chris Cota is a skilled SEO and Marketing / Social Media Mxstermnd. Chris Cota is a self taught web developer who deviated from the cookie cutter site designs found on the web. The result, Chris developed his own brand of website design. Pushing technology to its limits, Chris excels in designing sites that are both aesthetically pleasing and easily navigated. Today, Chris assists companies, of various niches, achieve success through growth online.

CHRIS COTA’S BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

Mr. Cota has become a serial entrepreneur and has co founded many companies and organizations.

Owner of Atlanta Computer Dude . Co Founder of Soko International, Soko Marketing, Sokojets, Soko limos, Sq Limos, Soko Health, Soko Leads, Soko Credit Repair.

Chris Cota Works with 100’s of Corporations and SMB’s worldwide.

Specialties: *Government Secret Clearance.*

Stephanie Smith

Director of Affinity Projects

Stephanie Smith is the mother of 4 beautiful children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Her first passion is being a mother and her second is helping others. Stephanie has an extensive background working with children in the preschool environment as a Montessori Teacher and founder of Garden of Discovery Montessori School in Grayson, Georgia. She has attended numerous workshops on the topics of Autism and Down syndrome and has had the pleasure of working with special needs children as well. She coached children with Down syndrome in the Special Olympics of 1996 and has volunteered at the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter for over a decade. Stephanie also has an interest in helping the elderly and was involved in the formation of Affinity Adult Day in Grayson, Georgia.

Stephanie attended Reinhardt University majoring in Business Marketing and received her Montessori Teaching Certificate from Association Montessori International in Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently attending Pennsylvania State University majoring in Psychology.

Stephanie was born and raised in Georgia. Stephanie’s birth mother was unable to properly care for her and after being in foster care for several months, she was placed in the loving arms of her adoptive parents just six days before her first birthday. With the great love of her adoptive parents and Stephanie’s great resiliency she possesses a loving and enthusiastic drive for life that is absolutely contagious.

This perseverance has assisted Stephanie in many of her accomplishments and skills. Superb management and communication skills have enabled her to succeed in planning and organizing silent auctions for various organizations as well as planning her own events within her multiple entrepreneurial endeavors.

Stephanie has a true “Affinity” for helping others–especially children and seniors in need. She will be a significant asset to our board of directors for Affinity projects.

Advisory Board

Kevin Khao Cates

Executive Vice President – Production and Artist Development

With over 30 million records combined sold, Grammy Nominated Super Producer, Kevin “Khao” Cates has brought the world mega hits such as T.I.’s “Why You Wanna” and R. Kelly’s “Double Up.” Khao, an Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, has been able to revolutionize the sound of Hip Hop music by producing arithmetic sounds and rhythmic melodies that cross various genres of music.

Khao’s accomplishments and endeavors span beyond the music industry. In November of 2008, Khao teamed up with Dr. Steele to put together the Million March to Vote in Atlanta. The march and rally were the culmination of the Million March 2 Vote Campaign, a non-partisan nationwide effort that called on civic minded organizations to encourage their members and constituents to vote. The campaign targeted people that in the past may have never voted or been unaware of the steps to take to register to vote. Khao formed a non-profit organization called Bridge DA Gap. Bridge DA Gap is a movement. It’s a youth development program that uses an innovative approach to reach students and teach life skills applicable in today’s socially challenged environment. It combines hip hop music, education and mentoring to change the lives of the youth. Currently Bridge DA Gap is in 4 States and will soon be Nationwide. Khao has also managed to successfully place Bridge DA Gap in the Island of the Bahamas.

Mike Whitehead

President of BETA Group,LLC

From: Atlanta, Georgia
Currently Lives: Lake Spivey, Georgia

For more than 42 years, Mike Whitehead held a variety of sales and marketing positions for the Coca-Cola Company including managing a laundry list of key customer accounts such as Kroger, Wal-Mart, Eckerd Drugs and Big B Drugs. Whitehead also managed major sports teams accounts and entertainment venues such as The Atlanta Braves, The Atlanta Falcons, The Atlanta Hawks, Six Flags Over Georgia, The Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena along with The University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University among many others. He retired from Coca-Cola on June 6, 2014 and currently is the Owner and President of BETA Group, LLC which is a consulting firm working with such clients as MELT Sports & Entertainment Agency as well working with LakePoint Sports located north of Atlanta helping them with sponsorships and contract management. Mike also does contract work with SOKO Marketing working with Fountain of Youth MD which does corporate HealthFairs and Screening for employees. He also works with Cooper Global Transportation helping to broaden their client base. Mike is married to his wife Gina of 15 years. They have four children between them along with six grandchildren.

David Bullock

Author: Barack Obama’s Social Media Lessons For Business (Obama Blueprint)

David Bollock has won two national awards for developing the best online website platform in the country for political campaigns. Founder of two companies ‐ a tech startup providing proprietary social network software to political, nonprofit and private sector clients; and a consulting company that manages the life‐cycle of fundraising operations nationwide.

Camilla Johnson Moore

President/CEO, Moore & Associates

Author: Black Conservativism & Its Quest For Relevancy

Camilla Moore is the founding President/CEO of Moore & Associates a firm that specializes in advising politicians on political campaign strategies. Moore a political scientist, has over twenty‐ five + years (25) years of political experience serving as a policy advisor, political surrogate, commentator, analyst, and campaign advisor to national, state, and local campaigns. She is a prolific thought leader and author, regularly expressing her views on political issues in public speeches, television appearances, and top publications.

An expert in American politics, she has conducted extensive research on American voting patterns of various ethnic groups, political ideology, and political participation. Her recent book, Black Conservativism and Its Quest for Relevancy (released August 13, 2015), discusses her thoughts about the history and struggles of conservative blacks in U.S. politics. She gives people an inside view of the lonely struggle of Black Conservatives in America and the impact of the conservative message on Black voter turnout. Moore is a member of the Republican National Committee’s African‐American Advisory Council.

Brian Etheridge

An Alabama native who moved to the city of Atlanta, Ga. at the age of seventeen where he studied Electronics Engineering at DeVry University. Later he moved to Middle Tennessee where he studied Mass Communications at Middle Tennessee State University. It was during this time in Tennessee that he occupied his time with sharpening his talents for cinematography and photography. Later, through numerous cinematography and photography ventures which includes those involving: Rolls-Royce Motorcars, Lamborghini Automobile, The Jack Daniel’s Whiskey brand, documentary involvements, reality T.V. filming and more he became known for capturing moments that touch the hearts of those who have come to know his productions. “It’s an honor to work with Affinity Projects, giving people a hand that is sometimes needed by us all as we travel the many roads of our destinies in life. Being there and seeing people tell their stories on the other side of my viewfinder as well as in real life, seeing the conditions, feeling the rain, cold, heat and etc. that exists as we traverse and converse with various people is a REAL eye-opener! I personally think it’s a good thing to help each other where we are able, how we are able and when we are able. Life sometimes calls for you to be stand up and be great, there is no more rewarding feeling than to feel the hearts of those in need. Affinity Projects, keep doing good!”

Robert Syslo

Robert Syslo Jr, 27 Year old Director of Production for Grant Cardone TV and Cardone Training Technologies. For the last 15 years Robert has spent his life committed to selling branding, stories and effective ways for people to spread their message, become more relatable and make a difference for the better through video production. For the past 2.5 years Robert has worked with Grant Cardone New York Times Best Selling Author, helping to create a message that helps and teaches individuals the tools and training they need for sales and business. Helping to produce 10 shows a week, overseeing multiple shows on the online Digital Business Network Grant Cardone TV, Robert has devoted his time to creating outstanding and impactful content that tells a story, educates, informs and calls people to take action. Having lived and worked in New York City, New Mexico, Los Angeles, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and now Miami, Robert Syslo seeks to tell people’s story of their business and personality through video production.

Gary Shmerling

Marketing Experience ‐ President and partner in StomperNet, a cutting edge e‐learning portal and membership program designed to teach web site owners how to make more money from their sites, using SEO, SEM, web analytics, social media marketing, mobile marketing and advertising, reputation management and other general business content. Generated over $18 million in revenue and achieved a top ten Alexa site ranking in just two weeks, by sending content rich free Internet videos through a powerful affiliate network and executing an orchestrated information marketing product launch. Built company using the university model, with subject matter experts who provided audio, video, software and other subscription content for members, as “StomperNet faculty.” Also provided deep resource base for members, including life coaching, an active online forum, live events and course work.

CEO of a pay per view Entertainment Company ‐Marketing included paid TV and radio spots, billboards, print, PR campaigns and Internet marketing. Secured distribution of live programming through cable and satellite systems nationwide and in Mexico. Mentored employees and partners and held interests in numerous Internet marketing, content publishing and social media companies.

Education/Law ‐ BA in Political Science with Honors, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. JD from the University of Georgia School of Law. At UNC, Chairman of the Carolina Forum, one of the premier university speakers programs in the country. As a lawyer, rated AV Pre‐Eminent by Martindale Hubbell peer review group, highest available peer ranking for both legal ability and ethics. Founding and managing partner in Buckhead law firm, departed in late 90’s to focus on running and building companies.