Govantez Lowndes is the area director for the UGA Small Business Development Center at Clayton State University.

With a twenty-year senior leadership and management career at IBM and extensive experience as a management consultant, Govantez brings a wealth of expertise in sales, marketing, product development, pricing, financing, operations, and customer engagement to SBDC clients. His experience and work span numerous industries, including finance, technology, logistics, healthcare, professional services, consumer goods, and consumer products, with hundreds of marketing-leading firms and entrepreneurial ventures.

Govantez has developed and implemented customer/stakeholder-focused consulting approaches and resources throughout his career, enabling businesses to act on what matters to create sustainable customer value and growth.

In addition to his consulting work, Govantez has successfully owned, launched, managed, and sold small businesses in technology, digital media, hospitality, and professional services.

Govantez has served on advisory boards for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Athletic Association Alexander Tharpe Fund. He was a TEDxAtlanta organizer for eight years and continues to actively volunteer in mentoring, education, arts, and community development initiatives across Atlanta.