During my tenure as a chemical engineer, I personally witnessed four major downsizing/restructuring efforts at three different companies.

As a result, I learned firsthand about the damaging implications of inefficiency, waste, and redundancy. It usually   had very little to do with the competency of individuals, as much as it did the overall company culture which had a direct impact on information sharing, operational improvement, and responsible growth.

As unpleasant as those experiences were, I gained a lot of knowledge about the importance of:

When I started Equilibria, I had one goal in mind – to pass along my knowledge acquired in Corporate America to Entrepreneurs. In order to do that successfully, I knew the importance of being able to apply manufacturing and engineering theory in a down-to-earth manner that would not confuse or intimidate business owners who do not share the same background.

And after working with so many business owners representing a cornucopia of industries, I started to notice certain commonalities and trends amongst these clients and their sources of frustration. This led me to create the proprietary Klonos™ operations management model to address these issues and provide the business infrastructure needed to sustain and grow smaller, emerging companies.

Because I have worked for both Fortune 500 and boutique, family-owned companies as well as started several companies, I am able to draw from a diverse array of experiences. This enables me to proactively educate clients about potential pitfalls while crafting solutions to maximize their operational efficiency.

I am very passionate about finding purpose in your life and using your business as an extension of your life’s purpose. One of my favorite quotes (and guiding compass) comes from Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven Life: “…without a clear purpose, you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources. You can be busy without a purpose. Never confuse activity with productivity. Familiarity breeds complacency.”

To Your Success,

Alicia Butler Pierre is the founder of Equilibria, Inc., a five-year-old operations management firm specializing in small business infrastructure located in Atlanta, GA.

Before founding Equilibria, Alicia actually worked as a process and environmental engineer creating processes to manage budgets, reach production goals, and remain in environmental compliance. Concerned about the “disconnection” between corporate decisions and technical practicality, she enrolled in an MBA program while working full time. Upon graduating, Alicia quit her day job and moved to Atlanta.

While networking to find a job in Atlanta, she instead decided to start her own business using her educational background, work experience and her natural skill of organization. The result was Equilibria (Alicia’s third business venture), a name chosen in homage to her days as a Chemical Engineer. Equilibria’s services blend science and business principles to create processes and systems that help companies operate more efficiently.

With Equilibria, Alicia now shares the high-level skills and processes that Fortune 100 corporations rely on to improve their bottom line. Her work experience includes chemical process, environmental and design engineering, project coordination and management, marketing research and analysis, along with business infrastructure, design, records management systems, and process documentation. View Portfolio.

In addition to working directly with clients, Alicia has been a sought after speaker, educating business owners in Atlanta about the importance of setting up business infrastructure and operating efficiently through presentations and television appearances:

• nominated in 2009 as one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Top 40 Under 40,”
• chosen as part of a select group of women for inclusion in the “Intelligentsia” section of the first Crave Atlanta book scheduled for release in December 2009,
• secured a position in the highly selective and competitive State of Georgia Governor’s Mentor Protégé Program
• selected for mentorship through Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute,
• received sponsorship from AT&T to participate in the Fast Trac Growth Venture program through the Kauffman Foundation,
• appeared on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, “A Woman’s Life” program in 2005
• developed small business and organization for children programs upon request by the Atlanta Fulton Public Library system,
• completed rigorous certification programs through the Georgia Women’s Business Council, Georgia Minority Supplier Diversity Council (GMSDC), DeKalb County’s Local Small Business Enterprise, and the Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise,
• provided customized subject-matter expert presentations, upon request, to: Bauder College, Georgia Tech, Mechanicsville Library, Kirkwood Library, New Mercies Christian Church, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, and several small business conferences/workshops throughout the metro Atlanta area,
• provided onsite demonstrations, upon request, to Office Depot and the GMSDC.

With her innovative business operations model, Klonos™, Alicia is generating buzz and catching the attention of many civic, social, and professional groups as well as Investors around Atlanta, many of whom have proposed to help Equilibria expand its own operational reach. 85% of Equilibria’s business is referral-based with 45% of those clients being repeat customers. See what Alicia’s clients and peers have to say about her work here and on LinkedIn.

Alicia believes that charity begins at home –much of her time away from work is spent in mentoring other budding entrepreneurs, engineering students, family members, and former colleagues and teaching them the basics of economics, accounting, and marketing. A native Louisianian, she has also done a lot of work for/with victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Baton Rouge as well as Atlanta. Alicia has even had several of her clients ask her to mentor their children and teach them about using their natural skills and talents to create socially-responsible businesses.

Alicia is often called on to participate in several non-profit and civic organizations to lend her expertise in their growth and development. Her most recent community project is with Visions Anew, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women going through divorce.

Alicia has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with minors in Technical Sales and Chemistry from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Alicia also holds a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) with concentrations in Marketing and Management from Tulane University, a top tier business school recognized for its state-of-the-art Finance and Entrepreneurship Programs, in New Orleans, LA where she graduated in the top 10% of her class. She is married to her husband, Chris, and together, they love spoiling their goddaughter, Maegan.