Monique Mills, MBA, PMP
Visionary Business Innovation Leader
Monique Mills received her undergraduate electrical engineering degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and her MBA, with a concentration in Management of Technology, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After many years of corporate industry experience, she took the plunge and stepped out on her own to create and lead the growth of her own technology company as well as a multidisciplinary management consulting company, TPM Focus. TPM Focus produces innovative business strategies that synchronize marketing, sales, technology, and finances for companies that are starting up or expanding.
Monique's earliest entrepreneurial experience began while simultaneously working in her engineering career. As a result of her love of real estate and desire to manage her personal investment transactions, she became a licensed Realtor and launched a real estate sales and consulting business to assist other investors in strategic planning and execution of their real estate ventures. Monique has over a decade of experience and expertise in buying, selling, leasing, and construction management of both residential and commercial properties. She is a Member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.
The real estate experience combined with constant curiosity and a love of using technology to solve problems, provided the genesis for her first technology company, ThePartyMatch Technology -– a software(SaaS) application designed to match underutilized commercial properties with those seeking to co-locate temporarily or more permanently. In addition, the technology included artificial intelligence components to provide real-time availability, cost information, customer service, and leasing details-– it was ahead of its time.
Monique was requested and honored to pitch ThePartyMatch in a private, invitation-only casting for ABC's Shark Tank, a reality television show for cutting edge entrepreneurs, as well as for Steve Case, an American innovator and Founder of AOL, during his Rise of Rest tour around the nation.
As a certified PMP (Project Management Professional) with many years of project management experience across several industries and as Principal of TPM Focus, Monique uses a strategic approach based upon PMI Project Management principles, Blue Ocean Strategies, Design Thinking, and Agile and Lean Startup Methodologies to develop innovative ideas into early-stage startup companies and help mature small businesses upgrade and expand their operations with cutting-edge strategies and technologies to remain competitive in the market.
Monique is an Advisory Board Member for Stem to Market, an initiative by the Association for Women in Science, that provides entrepreneurial education and support to STEM women with research or technology they want to commercialize.
Monique is a Research Faculty member of Georgia Institute of Technology, serving tech entrepreneurs at the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), the oldest technology incubator in Georgia. ATDC has an international reputation for fostering technological entrepreneurship by helping tech startups navigate the ambiguous journey of taking an idea from concept, to prototype, launch, and finally, to scale. Participating companies have created hundreds of jobs, millions of tax revenues, and raised over a billion dollars in outside funding from angel investors and venture capitalists.
Monique served as a Director for Founder Institute, the world's premier idea-stage accelerator based in Silicon Valley, to help establish an Atlanta chapter of their startup launch program. Monique currently serves as a mentor to several tech startup founders as well as for many small business owners in her role as a volunteer for SCORE, a 50 year-old non-profit association supported by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow, and achieve goals through education and mentoring. Monique received SCORE's Outstanding Mentor Award for 2017.
As a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for almost two decades, Monique has experienced many challenges and rewards along her journey. She is committed to helping and connecting with others who share the same love of STEM and may be considering pursuing or actively involved in a STEM field. Monique partners with many organizations to support the recruitment, retainment, and advancement of women in STEM-related educational tracks and career fields as well as organizations that incite and support the entrepreneurial spirit in others.
Monique is often an invited speaker on both topics and eagerly accepts opportunities to share her experiences and extend the message of encouragement to diverse audiences.
To email her a message or to request her to speak at your event, click here.
Popular Speaking Topics
- The Entrepreneurial Journey
- Preparing Your Startup for Investment
- Building a Tech Company From An Idea
- Digital Marketing for Business
- The Importance of Social Media for Business
- Engineer to Entrepreneur
- Building a Professional Network
- Differences Between Corporate Culture and Startup Culture
- Women in STEM Careers
- Emerging as Leader
- Attitudes and Actions for Success
- Benefits of Being PMP Certified
- Product Development for Innovative Ideas
- Technology & Project Management in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- The Entrepreneurial Journey
- Preparing Your Startup for Investment
- Building a Tech Company From An Idea
- Digital Marketing for Business
- The Importance of Social Media for Business
- Engineer to Entrepreneur
- Building a Professional Network
- Differences Between Corporate Culture and Startup Culture
- Women in STEM Careers
- Emerging as Leader
- Attitudes and Actions for Success
- Benefits of Being PMP Certified
- Product Development for Innovative Ideas
- Technology & Project Management in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Monique Mills, MBA,PMP
Speaking Engagements for STEM, Business, and Leadership Topics
EVENTS AT UNIVERSITIES:
- Panel Speaker
Topic: Management of Technology Capstone Project
Georgia Institute of Technology
- Panel Speaker
Topic: Innovation Networks - Startup Incubators and Resources
Georgia Institute of Technology (LINK)
- Speaker for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute
Topic: Using Your Past Challenges to Motivate Your Future
Georgia State University
- Business RadioX Interview
Topic: Innovative Retail Technologies
Georgia Institute of Technology (LINK)
- Women LEAD Speaker
Topic: Entrepreneurship, Careers, and Leadership
Georgia State University (LINK)
- Speaker for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute
Topic: True Life: I'm an Entrepreneur
Georgia State University
- Judge for Business Plan Competition
Georgia State University (LINK)
- Speaker for Tech Majors
Topic: Using Project Management Strategies in New Business Ventures
Georgia Gwinnett College
WOMEN IN STEM / WOMEN IN BUSINESS EVENTS:
- Published Article: "Failure, Feelings, and Innovation " - Association for Women in Science (LINK)
- Women In Technology (WIT) Campus Events at various Colleges and Universities in Atlanta (LINK)
- Building Your Tech MVP Strategically - Atlanta Technology Angels / LaunchPad2X
- Working Motherhood Podcast with Dr. Portia Jackson (AUDIO)
- Women Entrepreneurs - Interview on The Dana Barrett Show, biz 1190AM WAFS Atlanta (AUDIO)
- Female Founders Roundtable - Founder Institute
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS:
- Steve Case, Co-Founder of AOL, Rise of the Rest Tour - Business Pitch (LINK)
- NBC's Shark Tank, Private, Invitation-Only Casting (LINK)
- House of Genius Panelist
Topic: Pivot or Proceed with Business Venture
- Invest Atlanta
Judge for the IoT.ATL Living Labs AgTech Challenge (LINK)
- Profitability Revolution Paradigm Internet Broadcasting Channel - Guest Interviewee
Business Topic: Monetizing Under-utilized Commercial Real Estate
- The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center
Workshop Presenter on: Startup Funding
- Founder Institute
Workshop Presenter on: Product Development for Tech Startups
- Founder Institute
Workshop Presenter on: From Engineer to Entrepreneur
- UPS
Workshop Presenter on: Product Roadmap & Designing an MVP
WEBINARS:
- Sales Pitches and Presentations
- Co-Founders and Business Partners in New Ventures
- Business Planning Using the Business Model Canvas
- Creating a Pitch Deck for Investors
- Sales Pitches and Presentations
- Digital Marketing for Your Business
- The Lean Startup
- Design Thinking
- Funding Your Startup
- Steps to Starting a Business from an Idea
- Using Project Management Skills in Entrepreneurship
- Becoming Certified in Project Management (for Aspiring PMP's)
- Sales Pitches and Presentations
- Co-Founders and Business Partners in New Ventures
- Business Planning Using the Business Model Canvas
- Creating a Pitch Deck for Investors
- Sales Pitches and Presentations
- Digital Marketing for Your Business
- The Lean Startup
- Design Thinking
- Funding Your Startup
- Steps to Starting a Business from an Idea
- Using Project Management Skills in Entrepreneurship
- Becoming Certified in Project Management (for Aspiring PMP's)