Today we’d like to introduce you to Katina Cunningham.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I hail from a small community of Conecuh County, Alabama called Belleville. I attended my primary schooling in Conecuh County Alabama School Systems.
I Interned with Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation Planning Department which was located in Brewton, Alabama which is now present day Georgia Pacific LLC. where I was a student intern support to the Planning Assistant and planned innovative ways to research, gather, analyze, create, manipulate, and query pertinent factory data the Summer of 1992. With several organizations and career roles through the years that always found its way to technology, education, the community service, entrepreneurship, and now leadership development via many lines of business.
I credit T-Mobile USA IT Ops with creating space and trusting my ability to morph into pretty much any role under IT Ops and its connected business components.
I credit Cobb Chamber’s Leadership Cobb – Leadership Development Program with the impeccable eye for vision, legacy, and for a dynamic, transformation, and courage to believe in the vision of others, being a catalyst and gateway for the entrepreneur and leader in me.
I credit my father, mother, and children who were most instrumental in my foundation which assists as checkpoints for the personal and professional Katina.
Overall, I credit my total life to my faith in GOD to do the impossible which is evident from a leap of faith and as I tell my story, I always think of the courage it took to leave everything that I knew at 18 years of age with twenty dollars and a dream.
Has it been a smooth road?
Life has been no crystal stair at all.
My mother was shot by her boyfriend with a shotgun, my senior year and I’ve always believed due to the surgeon’s inability to remove bullets because it could result in death, the bullet fragments ultimately produced lead poisoning leading to cancer and ultimately death in 1998.
A seven years break occurred due to lack of funding to continue putting myself through college and returning to redo my Computer Science Curriculum – Software Engineering and finishing in 2002. (Commenced in 1991).
I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009 and had a brain aneurysm in 2010. The tumor was removed and benign but still a very hard recovery. I was determined to overcome. I didn’t overcome quickly. I lost every material possession. Imagine that and had been a single mother many years and through this time. I didn’t soon recover my health nor possessions quickly. I have endured lack of quality of life. I’ve experienced loss or should I say gain of knowledge and wisdom of those who were authentically for me.
I am today a manifestation of and celebration of legacy, a seed materialized, a change catalyst, a representation of resilience. This is a confirmation that we can endure. We are a resilient people. I represent what is possible. I represent that miracles happen daily. The result and consequence of faith, due diligence, believing in something bigger than self, and what we decide right now can produce resilience and go forward on a different level and dimension. All of the things, people, events in my life served purpose. Loss and adversity has been my greatest institution of learning. Regardless of much adversity and setback, the sky is not the limit. Dare to believe that visions do manifest. Believe. Stand. Action that something. Transcend legacy barriers; be bold enough to vacate the mediocre. No one desires adversity, however, there is a gem embedded. This has dictated my journey. My children endured many storms but, we have endured. We are productive thriving people on our way back.
My second love (my dad) died during my recovery from brain tumor removal.
The loss of my eldest sister and her two girls, who were young who I held almost as my own and who were detriments to my family.
Being almost 50 now, past years cultivated me completely out of the comfort zone. This is only a few representations of challenges that cultivated the strength, courage, and tenacity for where I am today.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
C3 Innovations LLC. – Technology Consulting was officially incorporated in September of 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. I am the CEO & Founder.
C3 Innovations LLC. – Technology Consulting is Technology Center of Excellence (TCOE) which specializes in tech planning & strategy, issue resolution, business technology, technology education, and business system alignment via IT Ops. Technology is everywhere.
Our target market: Small to medium companies who are private sector and public sector companies which include entrepreneur startups and existing businesses.
We specialize in assisting new businesses to properly foundation their business systems and helping existing business improve and enhance their IT Service Management processes and governance. We are devout in the science of technology support.
We partner in the tech school arena assisting to prepare curriculums that will ready our business system successors to be able to receive the baton for Innovation Team, Thought Works, and Leadership.
C3 Innovation LLC. is a manifestation of a different sort. Set apart. A movement. It is the confirmation of a seed. This venture is more than grassroots. It did not start in the Secretary of State’s office. A transcendence of more than something surface level. A confirmation that visions have value. A celebration of a seed materialized. The result of something bigger than self, faith, due diligence and time, what a seed.
I am proud to have time. Ten years ago, this day could have easily been nonexistent for me. Without time, in this realm, what is possible. Every single day that I am granted another breath, I have access and grace to choose faith or fear in all that I’m purposed for. I do not take courage and faith for granted. Prayers answered from June 2009 which could have marked the end for me but NOT SO! There is more that is left of me. My children, my granddaughter, the change that I desire to see is left of me to give my personal, professional, my community and the world.
I believe my identity and purpose in God sets me apart from others, however, because of our creator, we are a collective unit operating under the calling set specifically for us hopefully purposing to live our highest self.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Our city is an exceptional place for a business like ours as it is the Greater Atlanta area where dreams can absolutely come true. This area invites innovation and grassroots. It is a place where one can count on their niche and is a hub for greatness.
Technology has evolved in ways that as I recollect in the 80’s were completely nonexistent. When I first touched a computer, there still very much existed the use of the old manual typewriters. A gem it is to have watched the technology evolution. This is my industry.
Innovation will survive and thrive like it does in the Greater Atlanta locale. There is so much to Innovation and technology is the driver. The technology industry will remain promising. Technology will continue to offer tremendous opportunities. In an ever-changing instant gratification society it is advisable to continue to add knowledge and research the needed priorities in the tech industry, business systems needs and challenges, and arm yourself with whatever is trending and associated to your specific role.
Technology experienced a growth spurt a few years back that somehow set the stage for the next couple of years. I believe the future of Tech will remain bright. There will be a shift in work patterns. The dynamics of IT delivery globally and the nature of job specifics and what is sourced based on job specialty will change. I believe candidates will need to become more versatile in more than one role under this umbrella. The future will be very good to those don’t mind technical re-spilling and enhancing functionality skills with short learning cycles.
I recommend that anyone looking to make a career specialty in IT Operations/Consulting or become an entrepreneur commit to due diligence and make a go of it. Become a life-long learner. Give themelves to it and don’t let up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kcham-2001.wixsite.com/c3innovations
- Phone: 7703428339
- Email: C3Innovationsga@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Katina Cunningham
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