The McWhorter Circle is an annual giving society of leaders and visionaries committed to advancing our mission. These leaders help promote economic development through entrepreneurial job growth and revenue, while also playing a vital role in changing individual lives of each entrepreneur served.
R. Clayton McWhorter, the EC’s founding chair, helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and leaders throughout his life.
His four guiding principles are his legacy to those he mentored:
Be Prepared
Find a Mentor and Be a Mentor
Act Like an Owner
Give Back
Platinum Level Members: ($10,000+ contribution)
Gold Level Members: ($5,000+ contribution)
We are grateful to our McWhorter Circle co-chairs for their support and leadership.
Judith Bright, originally from Washington, DC, graduated with a BSN from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She worked as an RN at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for 3 years but ultimately decided to switch careers and pursue a freelance career in TV and Film Production with Warner Bros. and Disney. Ultimately she landed a dream job with legendary Music Producer Quincy Jones where she became the President of his music publishing company, working with him for 12 years.
Following the birth of her third son, Judith decided it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream of designing jewelry. She and her family moved to Florence, Italy for a year where she took jewelry making classes. Upon returning to the States, Judith and her family relocated to Nashville where she founded Judith Bright Jewelry in 2005. What was Initially a home-based business, blossomed into to three retail locations and an e-commerce store, shipping hand-made jewelry produced by Nashville artisans nationwide, with 30 full and part-time employees. She describes it as, “Jewelry made by women, for women, one piece at a time.”
She has served on board of the Nashville Entrepreneur’s Organization of Nashville as the Social Chair and Community Chair and has participated in the membership, learning, and strategic partnerships committee. She served as the programming chair of the the (NAWBO) National Association of Women Business Owners board. She currently serves on the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Dean’s Advisory Board. She is a founding member of Soho House Nashville and is a member of Leadership Nashville’s Best Class Ever, 2023.
During the pandemic, Judith circled back to her nursing roots and studied to become an End-of-Life Doula, certified by the Conscious Dying Institute. She does her doula work at Alive Hospice each week. She enjoys spending time with her three adult sons, William (26), James (23), and Henry (21). She loves to hike and travel internationally and particularly loves adventure travel. She successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2018 and is headed to Antarctica in November. She is passionate about hot yoga and has just become certified RYT 200 yoga instructor.
Andy Faught is the co-founder of Continuum Planning Partners (CPP). CPP was created in 2015 to serve clients with complex situations with their financial planning. Prior to CPP, Andy was affiliated with Capital Financial Group, where he started their financial planning department in 2007. He also served as the Regional Director of Financial Planning for Lincoln Financial Group/Sagemark Consulting from 2001 through 2007. Andy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lipscomb University in Nashville with majors in Finance, Economics and Accounting. He has also achieved the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designations.
On a personal note, Andy and his wife Jennifer live in Nashville, with their two dogs, where he enjoys golfing, traveling, and the restaurant scene. He is on the board of the Martha O’Bryan Center, an organization that helps families break the line between poverty and potential. As part of the service to the Martha O’Bryan Center, Andy chairs the committees that support East End Preparatory School and Explore, which are charter schools in East Nashville.
When you join online, we will email you a receipt. Please keep this as your official record to claim this donation as a tax deduction.
Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Attention: Donna Mattick
41 Peabody Street
Nashville, TN 37210
We will mail a receipt to you.