Founder and publisher of The 100 Companies and The Atlanta 100, Chris previously founded PR firm SPR Atlanta in 2002, before selling it in November 2017. Prior to that, he worked at six Southeastern daily newspapers, serving as creative director, promotions director, reporter and editor – winning awards for his reporting and print advertisement design. He established his own chain of Atlanta neighborhood newspapers in 1994, selling them to real estate developer Tom Cousins in 2002.
A fifth-generation Atlantan, Chris is a graduate of Westminster and the University of Virginia and the creator of Moments on SaportaReport.comwhere he was a founding member. He serves on various community boards and advisory committees when he’s not riding his bike, attending music festivals, traveling the country meeting potential PR firm members or visiting with children, his granddaughter, family and friends.
As editor-in-chief of The Travel 100, Jan Schroder develops and produces content for The Travel 100 monthly eNewsletter, which features stories and videos on destinations near and far. She is an award-winning writer and editor, and the author of several books.
She has several years of editorial and social media experience at magazines and newspapers and was formerly managing editor at Travelgirl magazine. Her corporate work includes the writing and editing of columns, eNewsletters, magazines, blogs and books for a variety of clients.
Her travel writing also appears in Fodor’s Travel, Orbitz, ShermansTravel, Global Traveler and other national magazines as well as on her Girl on the Go site. Jan appears on nationally syndicated radio shows as a travel expert. She is a native of Atlanta, a graduate of Westminster and the University of Virginia and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.
Paul Knowlton is a patent attorney and mediator who has practiced intellectual property law in Atlanta for over 20 years. He is currently the founder and attorney-counselor at Ubercounsel, holds an appointment with the Center for Theology & Public Life at Mercer University, and consults on well-being. He is also the co-author of “Partnership Economics” (Wipf & Stock, 2021), an upcoming book directed to economic ethics.
Paul is an engineering graduate of Temple University, earned his J.D. from Georgia State University, and more recently earned his M.Div. from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. Paul spent his early years on the move before settling in Atlanta. In addition to spending time with family and friends, writing, and traveling with his beloved wife, Paul spends a lot of time on two wheels (bicycle, and motorcycle as a ranked IBA Extreme Rider).
Margaret Willard
As Operations Manager, Margaret oversees the final editing, scheduling and production of the 100 newsletters. She is also the primary contact for client onboarding and assists with business development.
A North Carolina native and graduate of the University of Georgia, Margaret has more than 10 years of experience in public relations, marketing and strategic communications. She started her professional career with Schroder PR in Atlanta, and went on to work for upscale lifestyle and restaurant agencies before transitioning to music and entertainment publicity. Margaret calls Nashville, TN home and is a proud dog mom to a four-year-old husky named Kobe
