Frank S. Buonanotte

Frank Buonanotte is an extremely accomplished business leader, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, speaker, advisor, and business coach with deep experience in developing corporate culture, scaling rapid growth, M&A transactions, building sales teams, customer service best practices, real estate acquisitions and development, and complex negotiations. He has been Founder, Chairman, and/or CEO at several highly successful companies within the commercial real estate, retail, and franchise industries and has won the Entrepreneurial Success Award from the Small Business Administration, the Georgia Business Ethics Award from Georgia State University and the American Society of Financial Advisors, and he was twice selected by Ernst & Young as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year. Additionally, he has served on eleven different Boards of Directors across various sectors.

As the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Party City Atlanta, Frank grew the company to operate 27 retail superstores and become the largest and most successful franchisee of Party City Corporation, twice chosen as Franchisee of the Year. The company was listed on the Inc 500 list of fastest growing companies in America and twice received Pace Setter Awards from The Atlanta Business Chronicle for rapid growth. Frank was responsible for two separate eight-figure exits on combined annual revenues of over $120MM.

He was also the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Shopping Center Group. Under his leadership, the company disrupted its industry and, with over 20 locations throughout the country, grew to become the largest independently owned retail real estate services company in the nation and the dominant retail real estate service provider in the southeast with over $1Billion in annual transaction volume. During his tenure the company received three separate awards for Best Real Estate Deal from The Atlanta Business Chronicle and Ernst & Young; and, Frank was named Man of the Year by his industry peers. He exited the firm at an eight-figure company valuation.

Frank is the Chairman and CEO of Barrett Rand Corporation which acts as a family office and is an active investor in small to mid-size companies and commercial real estate developments. Portfolio company investments include: minor league baseball team, mid-market investment bank, home furnishings retailer, and technology/SAAS companies. Real estate investments include: shopping centers, mixed-use developments, adaptive re-use, office buildings, self-storage facilities, free-standing restaurants, and multi-family apartments.

Additionally, he is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Lion Arc (a multi-unit My Salon Suite franchisee recognized by the franchisor for rapid execution of its store opening plan) and was Founder and Partner of Metro Real Estate Investment Advisors (where he generated 2x returns on equity for investors of its inaugural fund).

Frank is a member of YPO Gold (Southern 7 and Euro Chapters), and a member of CEO as well. He is a graduate of the YPO Presidents Program of Harvard Business School and the Directors College (for board governance) of The University of Georgia — Terry College of Business. Frank is known for being a highly strategic and articulate visionary.

In addition to his business achievements, Frank established 500 For Life, a non-profit organization that provided lifesaving equipment to fire departments that could not afford to purchase it on their own. He also served on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics of Georgia and actively supported Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Pace Academy, and National Public Radio. His philanthropy has been the subject of feature articles and news casts in media such as The Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, NBC News, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Frank lives in Atlanta, GA, and enjoys flying helicopters, scuba diving, sailing, fencing, reading, and golf. He is an avid traveler and has visited over 130 different countries including many "off the beaten path" destinations all over the world.

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