Our Team
Scott Shickler
Mr. Shickler is the founder and CEO. The Wall Street Journal has described him as both a serial and parallel entrepreneur with the experience of starting and growing several ventures in diverse industries. From multi-million dollar software companies to a national education corporation, Shickler's talents abound in setting the vision, assembling a team of experts, and guiding the venture towards success. Shickler is gifted in mergers & acquisitions as well as strategic financing. The genesis for Nirvana's core mission of Youth Empowerment directly stems from Shickler's International recognition as one of the leading experts in youth entrepreneurship. Shickler is the author of seven books on the subject of youth empowerment and his work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal and on CNN, ABC & NBC News as well as a host of other media venues. Shickler's education companies have generated millions and have served hundreds of thousands of young people and teachers in over 30 states and multiple countries. Shickler has a BS in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Fordham University.
Mitchell Schlimer
Mitchell Schlimer is a serial entrepreneur who has started four different companies during the last 30 years, and is Chairman & CEO of the Let's Talk Business Network and host of "Let's Talk Business" and "Let's Talk Business Live" events. Mitch has been called "the voice of entrepreneurship" and has been featured in the New York Times, WSJ, CNN, Entrepreneur Magazine, Success Magazine and countless other media during the last three decades. Mitch brings his extensive experience, unique skills including photography, knowledge, contacts and even wisdom to Nirvana, especially in the areas of management, marketing, advertising, restaurant operations and expansion. Some of this comes from founding and operating a video service franchise and retail operation in Malls, plus owning Impac International and Impac Productions, which specialized in franchise consulting, marketing and video productions for over 10 years. Impac serviced such clients as Subway, Blockbuster Video, Dunkin Donuts and numerous other leaders in the franchising world. Mitch was the Producer and Host of "Franchising Today" which was a well respected TV program on Lifetime, plus wrote and directed the best selling video-"Franchise Explosion". As a result of Mitch's national radio show called "Let's Talk Business", Mitch has interviewed for over 10 years business authors, leaders and famous entrepreneurs from around the world such as Sir Richard Branson, Lillian Vernon, Jim Collins, Earl Graves, Fred Deluca, Ben & Jerry, Steve Forbes and 400 others. Mitch was voted one of the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America in 1999, and today he continues on his mission to make a significant difference in the lives of entrepreneurs and CEO's, especially future entrepreneurs which currently are our youth.
Jeff Waller
Mr. Waller, Nirvana COO, is a premier business tactician and financial manager. He has overseen all operational and financial aspects of Nirvana since it conception in 2002. Partnering with Scott Shickler, since 2002, Jeff acted as COO of Global Education Technologies and helped grow that organization by over 100% since 2002. Prior to Global Education Technologies, Mr. Waller was a leading financial and operational executive with Accenture Consulting and IXL Enterprises. During that time, he worked with over 20 companies (including Chase Bank, Compaq Computer, Merrill Lynch, and Amoco) in the development of new business concepts, capitalization strategies, organizational models, as well as, financial and operational plans. Mr. Waller holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology.
Master Chef, Tony Seta
There are only 63 Master Chefs in the United States and Nirvana is thrilled to have #13 on our team. Tony Seta is a certified Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation and has 30+ years experience in menu and kitchen development with many national brands in the food industry. As Principal of Master Chef Seta, LLC, Seta's clients include Perdue Farms, Sonic, Olive Garden and Applebee's restaurants as well as many Q.S.R., Family and Casual Dining Restaurant groups. Prior industry positions held by Seta were Sr. Vice President, Research and Development for Shoney's restaurants in Nashville, Vice President of Menu and Product Development for Triarc Restaurant Group (Arby's) and Vice President, Research and Development for Perkins Family Restaurants in Memphis. Tony created the Market Fresh Gourmet Sandwiches for Arby's - which now accounts for a significant portion of their lunch sales. While at Jerrico, Tony was responsible for the development and implementation of Fazoli's Italian Fast Food concept and kitchen. In addition to graduating with high honors from The Culinary Institute of America he also returned years later to become a key instructor for the next generation of culinary experts.
Rand Cabus
Mr. Cabus, Nirvana CMO, is a marketing, communications and creative design veteran. Over the past decade he has helped many companies grow their business through creative direction of their marketing and communications activities. Mr. Cabus also creates programs for the food and beverage industry, including: branding, menus, promotions, loyalty campaigns, frequency programs and POP. Some of these organizations include: McKesson, Emory University, Fickle Pickle, Mad Cactus: West Coast Burritos, Giant Studios, Paramount Pictures, Viacom, GTE, THQ, NBC Vivendi, and The University of Tennessee. He studied Architecture, Advertising, Graphic Design and Marketing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Malcolm Stogo
Mr. Stogo is considered the Ice Cream King of the United States. He has written numerous books including "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts: A Commercial Guide to Production and Marketing" and consulted with industry giants like Haagen-Dazs. Stogo is the creator of Nirvana's proprietary ice cream base, which is a unique marriage of Italian Gelato and Premium American Ice Cream.
Restaurant Consulting Group, Inc.
Nirvana has partnered with one of the Southeast's premier restaurant development companies. Restaurant Consulting Group (RCG) has experience at all stages of development from site selection, layout, design, permitting, construction, plumbing, electrical, furniture & fixture acquisition and installation, as well as all finishings. RCG has designed and constructed over 50 restaurants in the Atlanta area including Mellow Mushroom, Longhorn Steakhouse, J. Christophers, The Fish Bowl, Pampas, Village Tavern, The Blue Stone Restaurant and Nirvana Cafe & Grille in Roswell to list a few.
Melissa Libby & Associates - Public Relations.
Melissa Libby & Associates has over 16 years experience promoting upscale and casual restaurants throughout the country. Libby has opened more than 50 restaurants and served hospitality and retail clients through publicity, event planning and implementation, marketing, strategic planning and crisis communications. Libby is on a multi-year contract with Nirvana and has already generated an incredible amount of positive media attention that has quickly enabled Nirvana to build its brand and increase traffic.
David Pavesic
Mr. Pavesic is a professor of hospitality at Georgia State University as well as a seasoned author & consultant on restaurant menu planning and operations. Pavesic organized the layout and menu design at Nirvana.
Andy Badgett
Mr. Badgett is the owner and chef of the Fickle Pickle and he previously operated Asher - one of Atlanta's treasured restaurants. Badgett provides his local expertise and test kitchen so Nirvana can focus on the finer details of creating fresh, healthy and delicious cuisine.
Grady Regas
Mr. Regas is one of the most respected individuals in the hospitality field. He is most widely known for Grady's American Grill and of the Regas Restaurant fame but his impeccable touch for guest satisfaction and attention to detail has provided Nirvana with a competitive advantage.
Vince Amberly - Attorney at Law
Mr. Amberly is a trademark specialist located in Washington D.C. Careful planning and due diligence has been invested in securing the trademark rights for Nirvana. Additionally, Amberly provides legal assistance in maintaining the strength of the Nirvana brand through legally protecting our rights in the market place.
Justin Mason
After cultivating a decade of culinary expertise and management skills at restaurants along the East Coast, Executive Chef Justin Mason delivers his creative twist on American cuisine at Nirvana Cafe & Grille. Proficient at developing creative menus for casual restaurants, Mason has an artistic edge for bringing hearty, comfort food to the head of the class. As a member of the corporate management team at Nirvana Cafe & Grille, Mason is responsible for menu development at both restaurants. In addition, he heads up back-of-the-house operations and handles hiring and training the kitchen staff. As the executive chef, Mason also acts as the instructor for culinary classes offered at Nirvana, such as the Creative Cooking Class series and Ladies Night Out gatherings. These hands-on classes are an integral part of Nirvana's passion for combining healthy, gourmet food with empowering experiences. Mason came to the Atlanta area after serving as sous chef at Finkerman's in Montpelier, Vermont where he was responsible for managing all restaurant employees and developing menus and daily specials for all meal periods. Prior to this, Mason worked at a four star fine dining establishment called Vidalia in Washington, D.C., assisting with the restaurant's re-opening after renovations, and at the five diamond, Boca Raton Beach Club & Resort in Florida where he gained experience in several resort outlets.