Scott Mitchell, is a Certified Meditation Teacher with a B.S. in Psychology and studied Addiction Counseling at Mercer University. He is a serial entrepreneur with two businesses in Macon, Georgia: The Bohemian Den and Sweet Eleanor's Divine Desserts. He was the first LGBT Certified Business Enterprise in Macon, GA. He was the 2022 Macon-Bibb Chamber of Commerce Small Business Leader of the Year and was awarded the OUT Georgia Business Alliance 2022 Small Business of the Year. He is a 2021 and 2022 OUT Georgia Business Alliance Business Leader of the Year and Small Business of the Year finalist, the recipient of the 2020 Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Award, the Mentor's Project 2018 Board Member of the Year, and NewTown Macon's 2016 Downtown Ambassador Award. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Macon and won the 2018 inaugural NewTown Macon Entreprenuer’s Academy pitch competition. He serves on the boards of Main Street Macon, the Mentor's Project of Macon-Bibb, United Way of Central Georgia Homeless Initiative, and the Macon Film Festival. He is the current Chair of Marketing for Main Street Macon and serves on the Events Committee. During his time at Main Street, he has written several grants that have changed the landscape of downtown including the Macon Sculpture Walk, the Downtown Macon Music Park and SHINE. He is the Founder and current President of Macon Pride, and serves as the youth director for the Macon LGBTQIA+ Youth Group. In 2018, he helped draft the Macon-Bibb Comprehensive Civil Rights legislation and in 2021 hosted Understanding Comprehensive Civil Rights, a two day educational event to examine what protections against discrimination are needed for Macon-Bibb residents because of their race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or military status. He is in lay leadership at Centenary UMC where he just finished his term as the Chair of Ministries and is a lay delegate to the South Georgia Annual Conference. He is an Ambassador for OUTGeorgia and serves on the OUTGeorgia LGBT Entreprenuer’s Council. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and furbabies, volunteering, cooking, traveling, watching Broadway shows, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.
Fringe Dwellings
Scott Mitchell
Scott reflects on the journey of being accepted as a gay individual in a world that often marginalizes LGBTQ+ voices. He highlights the importance of finding loving and supportive communities, especially those that are typically overlooked or excluded by mainstream society. Scott shares personal experiences of finding belonging in unusual places and shows us all how we can better love those that are "othered" in society.
In this talk, Cole explores how individuals can maintain their faith in a seemingly silent God, particularly in times of suffering and distress. Cole delves into the complex relationship between trauma and spirituality. Cole suggests that, rather than losing belief, individuals can engage in practices that foster a deeper presence to both themselves and the world around them, even in the absence of clear signs of God’s presence.
Dr. Szyf delves into the fascinating science of epigenetics and its profound implications for understanding intergenerational trauma. Epigenetics refers to how environmental factors—such as stress, trauma, and life experiences—can influence gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. This talk explains how trauma experienced by one generation can leave biological marks on the genes, which may then be passed down to subsequent generations.
Rev. Sharpe explores the challenge of overcoming the pressure to please others and the inner conflict that arises when the desire to gain approval occasionally wins. He acknowledges that the need for external validation is a natural part of the human experience, but it emphasizes the importance of not allowing that desire to dictate one’s life decisions or self-worth.
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