UGA unveils 2015 Bulldog 100 rankings; Kabbage Inc. tops list

On February 7, the UGA Alumni Association recognized the 100 fastest-growing companies owned or operated by UGA alumni at the sixth annual Bulldog 100 Celebration.

The 2015 fastest-growing business was Kabbage Inc., an Atlanta-based firm co-founded by 1995 UGA graduate Marc Gorlin. Kabbage pioneered the first financial services data and technology platform to provide small businesses with financing. The company uses data, such as shipping history, business volume, and social media activity to extend short-term cash advances to small- and medium-sizes businesses online. Since Kabbage was founded in 2009, it has raised more than $100 million in venture capital. It offers more than $3 million in loans each day and employs more than 80 individuals and serves more than 20,000 customers. Gorlin is the first Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate to lead the fastest-growing business since the Bulldog 100 program began in 2010.

Left to right: Executive Director of Alumni Relations Meredith G. Johnson (BSFCS ’00), Marc Gorlin (ABJ ’95) and UGA Alumni Association President Tim Keadle (BBA ’78)

“Journalists are natural storytellers,” Gorlin said. “I credit Grady with a lot of my early abilities to communicate and tell stories. When you are starting a company—whether it’s an accounting firm, a pool-cleaning business, a digital agency or a financial services firm—you’re telling a story to your customers; you’re solving a problem for them. The more effectively you tell that story, the better you’re going to do.”

This year’s Bulldog 100 top ten was dominated by Georgia-based businesses:

1. Kabbage Inc., Atlanta
2. Onward Reserve, Atlanta
3. Kevin Aycock Homes, Atlanta
4. The Ansley Group, Atlanta
5. Agora, Athens
6. Palmer & Cay LLC, Atlanta
7. EvoShield, Athens
8. One Love Organics Inc., St. Simons Island
9. Social Empowerment Center, Lawrenceville
10. Networked Insights, Chicago

Visit www.alumni.uga.edu/b100 to view the complete ranked list.

Nominations for the 2016 Bulldog 100 are open until Monday, June 1.