Out of a record-breaking 400-plus applications, 91 companies will present and be showcased with 60 percent of those selected coming from outside Georgia

ATLANTA (September 22, 2021) — Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s most prestigious venture capital conferences, continues to select a large and diverse lineup of innovators from the Southeast’s hottest tech markets with the announcement of this year’s presenting and showcase companies. Ninety-one companies will be featured at the annual conference on October 20-21 to be held both in person and virtually. To view the list of selected companies, go here.  

For 14 years, Venture Atlanta has been selecting the most promising tech companies and bringing in top investment firms from across the nation to hear them pitch. The annual conference has helped launch more than 500 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date. The conference boasts a roster of highly successful alumni, including Kabbage, which was acquired by American Express, Roadie, which is pending acquisition by UPS, and Salesloft and Flock Safety, both with recent valuations of over $1 billion. 

“We again set a new record with over 400 applicants for Venture Atlanta Momentum 2021—it’s our most competitive year ever and reflects yet another raising of the bar in terms of presenter innovation and quality,” said Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman. “We required even higher scores than in years past for those companies selected to present and be showcased. Our competitive application and selection process is the reason Venture Atlanta is one of the best conferences of its kind in the country.”  

Venture Atlanta Attracts Even Greater Diversity in Founders and Geographies

Those selected to present and be showcased also represent Venture Atlanta’s most diverse group to date, with over 50 percent of companies being led by underrepresented founders. 

“Helping innovative and disruptive companies gain better access to capital and connections is more important than ever, and that’s exactly what Venture Atlanta has always done and continues to do,” said Paul Rothstein, chair of the Venture Atlanta Recruiting and Selection Committee and partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, a Platinum Level conference sponsor. “We’re proud of the companies that will present and be showcased this year, including the diversity they represent.” 

Venture Atlanta also continues to extend its reach geographically, drawing an increasing number of founders, entrepreneurs, and investors from outside Atlanta.  

“Over 60 percent of companies selected this year to present or be showcased come from outside of Georgia, reflecting the growing awareness and pull of Venture Atlanta throughout the Southeast’s technology ecosystem,” said Rich Fraim, general partner of Knoll Ventures, a Silver Level conference sponsor. Fraim also sits on Venture Atlanta’s board of directors and leads its Companies Committee. “We remain focused on our primary goal of helping founders in the Southeast access sources of capital from across the country, as well as giving investors the ability to see a curated selection of some of the most exciting emerging companies in the region. Each year, we get bigger and better and 2021 is no exception.”     

Companies outside of Georgia that will present or be showcased are based in some of the strongest tech innovation hubs in the Southeast, including Tampa and Miami, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas, Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., Richmond, Va., Birmingham, Ala., and Washington, D.C.

Venture Atlanta continues to partner with other organizations to help support and grow the Southeast’s startup ecosystem, and to ensure that inclusivity extends to underrepresented founders. Venture Atlanta has worked with Zane Venture Fund and Launchpad2X on diversity projects and helped to start a dialog among underrepresented founders and social entrepreneurs through the “Creating Momentum” virtual panel discussion series powered by Goodie Nation, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Georgia Power. It also continues to partner with NEXT Venture Pitch in Greenville, S.C.

Create Your Own Experience at Venture Atlanta Momentum 2021 

This year’s Venture Atlanta will be held in person with a limited number of tickets available and will also be offered online for those who wish to tune in virtually. For those attending in person, Venture Atlanta is back with its always-great sessions, company presentations, networking opportunities, and outdoor dinner events. 

Building off last year’s successful virtual model, Venture Atlanta’s online experience offers a high-production-quality option that mirrors the benefits of the live conference. Virtual attendees can connect with others at the conference, set up one-on-one meetings, stroll the virtual show floor, watch pitches in real-time, and use features like live chat and audience polling. Each ticket purchased provides attendees with on-demand access to all Venture Atlanta pitches and content for a full year.   

Invesco is this year’s premier sponsor, with Mailchimp and Stax as presenting sponsors. For a complete list of sponsors, go here. 

Venture Atlanta will conclude with Atlanta Startup Battle, in which the top five ASB companies will pitch on stage against one another to win a $100,000 investment. Don’t miss this event which will happen right after Venture Atlanta concludes on October 21. Venture Atlanta ticket holders can view the pitch-off in person or virtually. 

Registration Now Open

To register for the 14th annual Venture Atlanta, go here. 

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 500 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). 

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit our blog.

For years, Ventura Atlanta has been a proud partner of Launchpad2X — an organization created for the sole purpose of developing and showcasing women entrepreneurs. Launchpad2X, which has worked tirelessly for the last nine years to close the funding gap for female founders, has made notable strides with its Core Flight Program. Graduates have seen 200% growth year-over-year, and 25% of those participants have exceeded the $1M revenue mark. What’s more, 94% are still in business after three years, far exceeding the national average.  

As a part of the partnership, Venture Atlanta & Launchpad2X hold an annual pitch showcase for female-led companies with the winner earning an automatic spot to pitch at that year’s Venture Atlanta conference. See past winners here: 

For this year’s showcase, we did things a little differently. LP2X curated 25 companies over the past five months for their series of First Friday Pitches which was built to inspire female founders to “show up” and get ready themselves for investor pitches. The top candidates were selected for the showcase held virtually on June 16th in front of 75+ viewers. The event was judged by industry experts Kelly Gay of OnBoard, Kim Seals of The JumpFund, and Chad Harris of Panoramic Ventures. The lineup of pitch companies was nothing short of stellar — so stellar, in fact, that not one but four winners were chosen. 

Launchpad2X + Venture Atlanta Annual Showcase - 2021 Lineup

After the pitch showcase, we sat down with the four winning founders to learn more about why they started their respective businesses, how they’re navigating the startup world, and what they’re looking forward to most at Venture Atlanta 2021. 

 

It takes a lot of guts and grit to make it as an entrepreneur. What was the turning point that took your business from just a dream to a full-blown reality? 

 

Jennifer Sparks, Vacmobile: “When we assembled our team of subject matter experts that took on titles with Vacmobile and started performing their roles using their Vacmobile email! I could see that they believed as passionately as I do about Vacmobile’s mission and their collective desire to see this product commercialized was a big turning point. We are so blessed with an outstanding leadership team.”

 

Charlotte Molette Barge, ExStreamity: “My co-founder Dennis and I had the perfect complement of skills needed to build our initial prototype. That, combined with borderline obsessive-compulsive personalities, drove us to work obscene hours to bring the product to market. We fed off each other’s energy and desires to learn anything and everything needed to make the product a success. Together, we were a force to be reckoned with. The turning point came when we launched the first streaming network for one of our content creators and the subscriptions started coming in. It was true validation that the market was there and Exstreamity had a bright future.”

 

What were some challenges that you’ve had to overcome in your journey thus far?

 

Sarah Rodehorst, Onwards HR: “We knew we didn’t quite fit the mold of what people envision when they think about technology. Women comprise only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and women-owned startups are practically nonexistent. As women in a male-dominated field, it can be challenging sometimes to get our foot in the door and to be taken seriously.”

“Though we have 20+ years of experience developing and launching B2B SaaS products, it has been difficult to prove ourselves at times, largely due to the biases faced by women in business — and, even more specifically — women in technology. We trust in our abilities and our product, and let the success of our company speak to the value we bring.” 

 

Charlotte Molette Barge, ExStreamity: “Early on, most of our challenges were technology-centric issues. We were creating something we had never seen before and while we had a lot of industry knowledge, there were so many things we had to learn. But the most challenging issue turned out to be the pandemic and the closures it caused. When in-person marketing events ceased to exist, we were forced to learn new ways to acquire customers and keep our traction from completely stalling.”

 

Conversely, what has your experience taught you about your industry, and what do you have to look forward to?


Kate Atwood, LoCo+: “We have an incredible team that brings a unique perspective to the problem we are solving to an industry with large incumbents. The new streaming industry, formerly TV and film, is still very nascent. Here we have one of the largest, most enduring industries in the world in total flux. Systems and infrastructure of the past are not sustainable, ecosystems are failing and product is decentralized. Not in 100 years has there been this type of opportunity to innovate around this powerhouse industry.” 

“We see it as fertile ground for disruption. We believe LoCo+ is the most disruptive company to the film and TV industry since Netflix. Why? Because more than an app, we are the infrastructure. We are the roads, bridges, tunnels for content creators and filmmakers to drive their own career, to access premium distribution, without ceding control of their creative and their IP.”  

 

What’s next — any big plans in the works that you can share with us or that we can keep an eye out for?

 

Jennifer Sparks, Vacmobile: “Vacmobile is moving into Tech Alpharetta! After being in lockdown for a year without a physical office space, this is a very exciting development for us. In addition to being able to hold our leadership team meetings in person, we also look forward to being around the other tech startups in the building. It is clear to us that startups can help one another and there are important mindshare gains and other intangible benefits that Vacmobile will accrue by joining a tech incubator like Tech Alpharetta — especially under the excellent leadership of Karen Cashion!”

 

Sarah Rodehorst, Onwards HR: “We have two big plans in the works. First, we are patent-pending now since we are the first termination automation platform on the market and expect to be fully patented by the end of the year. Second, we currently target enterprise business, however, we have a few exciting new products that we will be launching this fall that will be applicable to businesses of all sizes. Stay tuned!”

 

Talk to us a little about your Launchpad2X experience. When did it come on your radar?

 

Charlotte Molette Barge, ExStreamity: “We discovered Launchpad2X a few months ago and we were excited about the things they were doing to showcase and empower female founders. I felt a sense of solidarity being among the women participating in the First Friday Pitches. It provided an opportunity to not only see their amazing ideas, but also the creative ways they found to promote their companies. This relationship is invaluable to us and we look forward to taking advantage of all of the resources Launchpad2X provides.”

 

Kate Atwood, LoCo+: “I’ve been following Launchpad2x for a while due to having friends who have gone through the program, reaped the rewards, and raved about the experience. Christy Brown, President of Launchpad2X, brought me into the fold last year as we were building. We were very early but she believed in us. When you know you have a partner on this journey, you keep them close. Launchpad2X — Christy, Bernie, and the team — show up for female entrepreneurs at all stages of the journey, in formal and informal ways. Their knowledge, expertise, and support are invaluable.” 

 

Are you looking forward to pitching at Venture Atlanta? What do you hope to get out of the experience?

 

Sarah Rodehorst, Onwards HR: “We are grateful that Onwards HR has the opportunity to pitch at Venture Atlanta this year. We actually applied last year and didn’t make the cut, but we worked hard growing our business and are ready to pitch! We look forward to sharing our product, making connections, and hopefully raising capital to grow our vision.”

 

Kate Atwood, LoCo+: “Venture Atlanta is one of the largest venture conferences in the nation. To secure a spot to pitch is an incredible honor. For LoCo+, it lands at a perfect time for our company’s stage and provides us with critical exposure and networking to connect to the right investment partners for our journey.”  

 

And finally, what advice or words of wisdom do you have for other budding entrepreneurs?

 

Charlotte Molette Barge, ExStreamity: Having a co-founder who is as knowledgeable, as committed, and most of all, as hard-working, was immensely valuable. We are each other’s support systems on those days when things seem harder and the hurdles seem more insurmountable. We provide a soft place to land for one another at the end of those days. If you can, find yourself such a co-founder and give it 1000% until you see the dream become a reality, and then you can crank it down to 200%. Even if you don’t succeed, it won’t be because you didn’t give it your all.”

 

Sarah Rodehorst, Onwards HR: “When first starting off, it’s tempting to hold tight to your ideas, but the real growth comes from conversations that help shape your concept into a viable business opportunity. Share your visions, share your product, and get the feedback you need to make your company great. One by one, if you take steps toward ‘better,’ you’ll end up exactly where you should be.” 

 

Jennifer Sparks, Vacmobile: “Don’t give up! Some days will seem very overwhelming. Whenever I need inspiration, I will re-read portions of Howard Schultz’s book, ’Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time.’ One of my favorite sections appears in Chapter 5.”

 

It’s a classic American tale, every entrepreneur’s dream: to start with a great idea, attract some investors, and build a business that is profitable and sustainable. Trouble is, you usually have to start as the underdog… Being an underdog has a flip side, though, for facing such adversity can be invigorating. In my case, part of me relished the fact that so many people said my plan couldn’t be done. No matter how many times people put me down, I believed strongly that I could pull it off.

 

About Venture Atlanta 2021

Venture Atlanta 2021 is taking place on October 20-21. Register today to hear pitches from these incredible female-led companies and other top emerging tech companies from across the southeast. Want to put your company on the VA 2021 stage? We are currently accepting applications from companies that are tech-enabled, from the Southeast (Texas to DC), and looking to raise in the next 12-18 months. Apply here before the August 6th deadline.

 

Powered by Metro Atlanta Chamber and Goodie Nation, workshops are intended to open doors for greater conversation on diversity and broaden pool of presenter applicants for one of the nation’s top investment conferences 

ATLANTA (May 20, 2021) — Venture Atlanta, the largest and most prestigious venture conference in the Southeast, today underscored its commitment to fostering relationships and connecting more companies to capital with the launch of a new workshop series intended to broaden the pool of presenter applicants for this year’s event. Themed “Momentum 2021,” the two-day Venture Atlanta conference will be held October 20-21, with workshops taking place in numerous cities in the Southeast prior to the close of receiving applications.

Greater Diversity on Stage Begins with Greater Diversity in Applicant Pool

An ongoing goal for Venture Atlanta is to continue increasing diversity in attendees and presenters. Thirty-eight percent of last year’s on-stage presenters were comprised of women and founders of color, a number the organization hopes to increase as awareness continues to build about its event. 

The conference remains focused on ensuring the best and brightest companies in the Southeast spend time in the event’s spotlight and are connected to the capital needed. In the case of women and founders of color, such attention can help to close the funding gap. To this end, Black founders currently receive less than one percent of VC funding and women founders receive less than three percent.

“Our goal as always is to find the very best startups in the Southeast and put those companies on stage where they can get investor attention and receive investment capital,” said David Hartnett, chief economic development officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and a member of the Venture Atlanta Board of Directors and Diversity & Inclusivity Committee. “We strongly believe that greater diversity of participants will strengthen what we as the region’s largest investor conference has to offer, and that a key part of our mission is to broaden the field of opportunity for today’s innovators.”

Benefits of Presenting at Venture Atlanta 2021

Presenters at this year’s Venture Atlanta event will receive exposure to 350-plus investors from 200-plus funds nationwide. Two complimentary tickets to Venture Atlanta, including an invitation to the exclusive Venture Atlanta Investor Dinner, will also be provided. Additional benefits include marketing support and the ability to make connections with top entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem that can serve participants throughout their careers.  

To date, Venture Atlanta has helped to launch more than 500 companies and raise nearly $6 billion in funding. Venture Atlanta alumni companies and success stories include Car360, Clearleap, Cloud Sherpas, Florence, Kabbage, ParkMobile, Pindrop, SalesLoft, Terminus, and many others.

Free Workshops Prepare Potential Presenters for Spotlight

Powered by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Goodie Nation, the “Creating Momentum” free workshop series will be held virtually (with a possible in-person option depending on city ordinances) for the following cities: Atlanta, Ga.; Tampa/Orlando and Miami, Fla.; Houston, Austin and Dallas, Texas; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte/Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Birmingham, Ala.; and New Orleans, La.

In particular, the workshops will further Venture Atlanta’s commitment to connecting more companies to capital by broadening the pool of presenter applicants.

“Those attending can expect hands-on, informative workshops that can be beneficial in gaining the spotlight at Venture Atlanta,” said Joey Womack, founder and CEO of Goodie Nation and a member of the Venture Atlanta Board of Directors and Diversity & Inclusivity Committee. “In service to Venture Atlanta’s founding mission, we also believe these workshops will help to foster connections within our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for our diverse founders. We want to extend the dialog toward greater inclusivity and ensure that all deserving innovators have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.”

All workshop participants will receive one free ticket to attend this year’s Venture Atlanta virtually. 

The call for presenters for this year’s Venture Atlanta closes on August 6. To view the workshop schedule and register to participate, go here. 

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 500 companies and raise nearly $6 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). 

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit our blog.

Around this time last year, life as we knew it came to halt. 

Fear and uncertainty loomed large, casting shadows of doubt on the dreams of entrepreneurs; of investors and innovators; of our families, friends, and even ourselves. 

Yet, you persevered. 

You kept moving, dreaming, doing, and achieving. You pivoted, several times over, rising to the challenge. For a tangible, honest, raw look at what this meant, just look at some of our social posts from this time last year:

You rose above...and we rose with you, taking Venture Atlanta to the digital world for the first time in our 13-year history. The event was an overwhelming success, showcasing 103 pitch companies from 11 states across the Southeast and featuring several world-renowned keynote speakers, including Arianna Huffington, Dharmesh Shah, and Jean-Michel Lemieux, among others. 

And, despite every roadblock 2020 put in our path, we not only reached our previous goals — we exceeded them, breaking our all-time record for registrations and company applications. 

That’s when we truly realized the power of Momentum.

When trials bring innovation, when scarcity brings invention, when global changes bring global solutions, there is Momentum.

Momentum is the seed funding that spurs the next technological breakthrough. Momentum is the knowledge and expertise passed forward from one innovator to another. Momentum is the action-inspiring excitement that builds when brilliant minds collaborate. 

Here’s a stat for you: Our alumni companies (including several VA 2020 companies) have collectively raised $400M JUST THIS YEAR! To those who kept moving when the rest of the world stood still — we’re already seeing your tenacity pay off. 

This year, we’re continuing to build that Momentum with VA 2021. We’re thrilled to announce that our 14th annual conference will, once again, break the mold: The event will be held both in-person and virtually. We’ll be taking everything you love about our traditional in-person conferences and combining that with last year’s highly-applauded production quality and innovation for those who prefer to tune in digitally. 

Venture Atlanta Momentum: The 2021 Conference

Last year, we were incredibly inspired by the resilience of our alumni companies, our investors, and our community as they moved forward with forging connections and closing deals. This year, we’ll keep the Momentum going and charge full speed ahead with connecting companies to capital. 

Spearheading the conference will be our 2021 Board of Directors, an impressive group of distinctive members who are pouring their time and expertise into delivering an unforgettable experience for this year’s attendees. The Board, helmed by Chairman Jim Douglass of Fulcrum Equity Partners, welcomed new members:

We’re beyond excited to see you at this year’s conference and to continue building that forward Momentum. If you’re ready to keep it moving, too, mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 21, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to ensure you stay in the loop on conference announcements, sponsorship opportunities, our call for companies, registration dates, and more. 

If you missed out on Venture Atlanta 2020 Live Online, you can watch the record-breaking conference here.

An object in motion stays in motion — together, we’ll keep moving forward.

A Look Back at Venture Atlanta 2020

2020 was the year that the world got turned upside down. 

The pandemic forced us physically apart. Racial tensions and politics drove us emotionally apart. 

Venture Atlanta, which was founded on the mission of connecting companies to capital, was suddenly faced with one of our toughest challenges to-date: In a world so isolated and so divided, how do you create connection? 

With Venture Atlanta 2020, we reinvented our annual in-person gathering — the largest, most prestigious venture conference in the Southeast — with an entirely new, digital twist. The feat was daunting, but our team of forward-thinking strategists stepped up and delivered an above-and-beyond virtual experience, Venture Atlanta Live Online, which was watched by 1,200+ people all over the world. 

And instead of avoiding uncomfortable subjects, we addressed them head-on with a very honest discussion about diversity that turned out to be one of the most popular and talked about panel sessions in VA history. 

Last year was a trial of our capability; a testament to our endurance; and a nod to our exceptional team. And our ability to innovate and adapt paid off. We broke our record for company applications and registrations; we received notes of praise and appreciation from our attendees; and, most importantly, we laid the groundwork for years to come.  We were forced to think bigger and reimagine all of the ways that we can deliver value and reach those outside of our own network. Now we are continuing that momentum into 2021.

“Thoroughly enjoyed it! One of the best conferences of 2020.”

“Incredible production quality and very engaging content.” 

“Some of the best panel sessions and keynotes in Venture Atlanta history.”

“I was tuned in the entire time!”

“What a great event for all involved.”

Venture Atlanta 2020 By the Numbers 

Missed Venture Atlanta 2020? Read the full recap here or sign up to watch all speaker sessions, company pitches, and more on-demand.  

Building a Board That Reflects Our Event

To kick off the 14th Venture Atlanta season, we are proud to introduce to you this year’s board of directors, an impressive group of distinctive and dedicated members seeking to once again deliver an incredible and memorable experience for our attendees. As a reflection of the triumphant effort of bringing together all walks of life to solve the challenges of 2020, this year, our board isn’t just diverse — it’s multifaceted in every respect. 

"I’m very excited to work with this talented board we have assembled. With our continued mission to match companies with capital, we have created a board with extensive connections to companies and capital providers across the US. This diverse board includes institutional capital providers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders from the west coast to the east coast that will help us continue to expand the venture echo system geography we can impact.

With the phenomenal success of our digital conference last year allowing us to expand our reach across the nation, we’re very well positioned to take another major step towards becoming the leading venture conference in the nation. We are attracting capital providers across the nation that can support early stage through all levels of growth for our participating companies.  Jim Douglass, Venture Atlanta 2021 Chairman & Partner at Fulcrum Equity Partners

We’ve entrusted a team of men and women of different backgrounds; different races; different roles; and different industries to help guide VA 2021 to success. We hail from various tech scenes across the country — from San Francisco to Atlanta to the Carolinas to Florida (the country’s latest hotspot) and beyond. We bring an array of different perspectives from industry leaders, seasoned venture capitalists, and more. Our investors represent firms looking to invest in everything from seed startups to growth stage companies — allowing us to appeal to a myriad of prospective pitch companies.

“As Managing Partner at CTW Venture Partners and a founding member of the Atlanta CEO Council, I’ve been heavily involved in the Atlanta startup scene for many years. Venture Atlanta has played such a large role in turning our city into a tech hotspot and putting Atlanta on the radar of our nation’s top investment firms. And over the past few years, our reach has extended beyond the Southeast, into other emerging tech hubs in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions. As I serve another year on the VA board, I’m looking forward to continuing to be a part of this growth and bringing Venture Atlanta’s capital connections to our participating companies.” - Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan, Venture Atlanta Board Member & Managing Partner at CTW Venture Partners

Our board reflects our event — in terms of caliber and diversity. We have truly built the most impressive, most comprehensive group to be an advocate for every single type of Venture Atlanta attendee and create an event that will provide value to all.

Meet the 2021 Venture Atlanta Board of Directors

Venture Atlanta 2021 Chairman

Jim Douglass

Fulcrum Equity Partners

Jim is a Partner of Fulcrum Equity Partners and brings more than 30 years of operations, strategic development and financial experience with high-growth public and private software and healthcare companies.  Read Full Bio >>

Newly-Added Board Members

Jason Caplain

Bull City Venture Partners

Jason is a General Partner and Co-Founder of Bull City Venture Partners. Prior to co-founding BCVP, Jason co-founded Southern Capitol Ventures. Previously, he was at Red Hat (NYSE:RHT) in their finance group through the successful IPO in 1999. Before joining Red Hat, Jason was at Harrison Hurley and Company, an investment banking and business-consulting firm headquartered in Providence, RI. Read Full Bio >>

Elizabeth Feidler

Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP)

Elizabeth Feidler joined NMP as a Vice President in January 2020. She supports the firm’s investments in information technology and healthcare companies. Elizabeth currently serves as a board observer for Ekos and Whitebox. Read Full Bio >>

Mark Flickinger

Panoramic Ventures

Mark is a General Partner and the Chief Operating Officer at Panoramic Ventures overseeing fundraising, investor relations, marketing/branding, talent acquisition, and portfolio acceleration. Before joining BIP Capital in 2015, Mark worked for 4th Strand, a product performance consulting firm that was acquired by Intertek in 2012. Read Full Bio >>

Barry Givens

Techstars, Collab Capital

Barry Givens is a techie, an entrepreneur, and a lover of all things helping to bring racial parity to the economics, education, and workforce of the tech industry. Based in Atlanta, he currently serves as Managing Director for the Cox Social Impact Accelerator powered by Techstars and also as Managing Partner of Collab Capital where he supports and funds promising Black founded startups. Read Full Bio >>

Frederik Groce

Storm Ventures, BLCK VC

Frederik is a Principal at Storm Ventures and a co-founder at BLCK VC, the nation's largest Black venture community. As an investor at Storm, Frederik is focused on early stage investing in AI enabled B2B SaaS, GovTech, Supply Chain, and InsurTech. He also leads the firm's efforts in investing outside of the Bay Area. Storm has invested in Atlanta based companies like Gather and SalesLoft. Read Full Bio >>

Scott Lopano

Tech Square Ventures

Scott Lopano is a Principal at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for sourcing new companies, deal execution, and supporting the portfolio's growth. Since joining TSV in 2017, Scott has led the execution of 50+ new investments across both funds focused on early-stage enterprise (B2B) and marketplace technology companies. Read Full Bio >>

Suneera Madhani

Fattmerchant

Suneera Madhani is a payments and technology innovator who has catapulted her business idea from startup to $8B —  disrupting the payments ecosystem as we know it. Before founding Fattmerchant in 2014, Madhani held a variety of successful positions, one being with a larger merchant  services provider. After seeing the need for transparency and a better payment experience for merchants, her entrepreneurial spirit took hold and she decided to solve the problem herself. She built a company from the ground up that provided a sophisticated and merchant-friendly platform, coupled with the best experience to customers through  transparency and award-winning customer service. Fattmerchant has revolutionized the payments landscape — challenging  the status quo with its transparent, subscription-based model and unifying the payments experience through the  development of an integrated payments platform. Read Full Bio >>

Jon Rosenbaum

Insight Partners

Jon (also known by friends and co-workers as “Rosie”) is a Principal at Insight Partners. He focuses on vertical and horizontal application software at the venture and growth stage, and is responsible for executing transactions and assisting in portfolio management post-close. He has also specialized in helping portfolio companies source and execute M&A. Read Full Bio >>

Ryan Whittemore

Florida Funders

Ryan Whittemore is the Chief Investment Officer for Florida Funders, a hybrid Venture Capital Fund and 1400 member accredited investor syndicate focused on early stage seed to Series A stage tech. Ryan’s  team reviews 1,000+ deals per year across 3 managed funds which has resulted in 36 portfolio companies  in the primary fund. Ryan leverages a diverse background including venture, private equity, legal,  corporate operations, capital market portfolio management and research analysis to identify the best tech  investment opportunities for Florida Funders. Read Full Bio >>

Joey Womack

Goodie Nation

Joey Womack’s goal is to positively impact 1 billion people by the year 2039. Part super-connector, part startup coach, he is the Founder/CEO of Goodie Nation, a national support nonprofit that is closing the relationship gap for tech-focused social entrepreneurs and diverse founders, and the Founder/CEO of Amplify 4 Good, a mission-driven agency that uses rapid problem-solving to help large companies, nonprofits, and government agencies create social impact. Since starting this journey in 2014, he’s on pace to reach this goal by working with the likes of CARE USA, Google, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, Google For Startups, United Negro College Fund, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Village Capital, and the White House HBCU Initiative. Joey is also the Co-Founder of the Atlanta Black Tech initiative where he serves as the Lead for the Startups and K-12 divisions. Read Full Bio >>

Legacy Board Members

Allyson Eman

Venture Atlanta CEO

Allyson Eman has more than 29 years of marketing, communications, sales leadership and business development skills. In 2007, Allyson took on the role of Executive Director for the newly created Venture Atlanta annual conference. Allyson has worked with key business leaders from Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta CEO Council and Technology Association of Georgia to build the premier venture capital conference in the South. Read Full Bio >>

Kelly Gay

OnBoard

Venture Atlanta 2020 Chairwoman

Kelly Gay is the chairwoman and CEO of OnBoard, vice chair of the Technology Association of Georgia, and past chair of Venture Atlanta.  She also serves on the boards of 1105 Media, the Atlanta CEO Council, ATDC, and Acivilate. Read Full Bio >>

Alex Estevez

Accel

Venture Atlanta 2019 Chairman

Mr. Estevez is a Venture Partner with Accel Partners, a global leader in venture capital with past investments in top companies such as Atlassian, Dropbox, Facebook, Jet.com, Lynda.com, Qualtrics, Slack, Squarespace, and Spotify. As Venture Partner, Mr. Estevez helps existing portfolio companies based outside of Silicon Valley with their growth opportunities and scale challenges. Read Full Bio >>

Mike Becker

Vocap Partners

Venture Atlanta 2018 Chairman

Mike loves the entrepreneurial process and has over 20 years of investing, technology and operations experience, much of it working with growth stage companies. Prior to joining Vocap, Mike served as the COO of Triton Digital’s Applications & Services Division. Read Full Bio >>

Richard Fraim

Knoll Ventures

Rich is a General Partner of Knoll Ventures, an Atlanta, GA based early-stage venture capital fund that invests in technology businesses focused on B2B markets. Knoll primarily invests in pre-Series A companies that have demonstrated customer traction and identified actionable near-term growth initiatives. Read Full Bio >>

David Hartnett

Metro Atlanta Chamber

As chief economic development officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, David leads the team focused on the retention, recruitment, and expansion of existing and start-up companies within key clusters, e.g., Mobility, IoT, Cybersecurity, FinTech, Digital Media, Supply Chain, Bioscience, and Health IT. Read Full Bio >>

Vanessa Larco

New Enterprise Associates (NEA)

Vanessa Larco joined NEA as a Partner in 2016 and focuses on enterprise and consumer investing. Prior to joining NEA, she was the Director of Product Management for web and mobile apps at Box (NYSE: BOX) where she worked on building the next generation of productivity apps. Read Full Bio >>

Phyllis Newhouse

Xtreme Solutions Inc.

Phyllis W. Newhouse is the Chief Executive Officer of Xtreme Solutions, Inc., an end-to-end IT services and solutions provider, with offerings that range from IT business consulting to state-of-the-art cyber security consulting and forensic analysis. Phyllis co-founded Xtreme Solutions in 2002 upon retiring from the United States Army as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.  Read Full Bio >>

Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan

Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan is currently the Managing Partner of CTW Venture Partners, an early stage venture capital fund which invests in and assists seed and early-stage entrepreneurs in all industries in Atlanta and the South Eastern United States who are engaged in disruptive innovations and technologies. Read Full Bio >>

Rachel Spasser

Accel-KKR Consulting Group

Rachel Spasser is a Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer for the Accel-KKR Consulting Group. In this role, Rachel provides leadership across commercial functions including strategy, sales, marketing and business development for Accel-KKR’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining Accel-KKR’s Consulting Group, Rachel was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for SAP Ariba. At Ariba, she led the design and execution of the company’s marketing strategy and programs. Read Full Bio >>

Larry Williams

Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

Larry K. Williams, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Williams, A recognized leader in economic development, brings more than 20 years of experience in global branding, international trade and finance, public and industrial policy, and administration and management to one of the largest state technology trade associations in North America. Read Full Bio >>

In a year where change was unavoidable, we made change our motivator. 

In January we set out to plan our 13th Venture Atlanta conference. By March, everything had changed. As with all events this year, we considered our options — to cancel, postpone, or go virtual. Our mission has always been to connect companies with capital, and we knew that our companies needed us this year more than ever before, so we decided in April to move forward full-steam ahead with a virtual event. 

We weren’t quite sure what to expect, and we knew it would be more challenging than any event we’d done in the past, but it turned out to be the right decision.

Being fully digital meant we could reach more audiences than ever before. In fact, we had people tuned in from all over the world — including Canada, Japan, Curacao, and the Netherlands, to name a few. And although we couldn’t all be together in-person, we were determined to create an immersive, interactive, and engaging experience. According to the feedback from our attendees, this made the difference. 

“Thoroughly enjoyed it! One of the best conferences of 2020.”

“Best virtual event I’ve experienced.”

“Miss seeing everyone in person, but this is the best virtual event I’ve been to in months. You can see the attention to detail and forethought that was put into it.”

“This was way above my expectations and surpasses anything I’ve seen in the past 8 months. “

“Incredible production quality and very engaging content.” 

“Some of the best panel sessions and keynotes in Venture Atlanta history.”

And not only were we able to create connections and deliver a worthwhile experience to our attendees, but we also crossed some incredible milestones while doing it. Despite the challenges and uncertainties of 2020, we are thrilled to share that we saw record-high registrations and company applications. 

Venture Atlanta 2020 by the Numbers:

And we can’t thank our speakers, panelists, and presenters enough for the quality of the content they delivered. We know the inspiration and motivation will move mountains in the coming years. And this year, more than ever, we’re proud to have been a catalyst. 

Here are some of our favorite moments from Venture Atlanta 2020 Speakers:  

“You can learn a lot from my failures. When you succeed, your failures are buried, and that’s unfortunate because people just starting can lose that connection with inevitable failures. My mother always told me that failure wasn’t the opposite of success, it was a stepping stone to success.”  - Arianna Huffington, Founder of The Huffington Post and Founder & CEO of Thrive Global, on what aspiring leaders need to know. 

“I don’t want a whole bunch of ‘me.’ I need someone to challenge me. I need diversity.” Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene, Founder & CEO of PopCom, on what she looks for in a great team.  

“Here’s the thing about ‘no’: It’s one of the first words you learn as a kid, and it’s one of the hardest things to say as an adult. But ‘no’ is about focus and prioritizing, and I think it’s important to learn how to say no.” Jean-Michel Lemieux, CTO of Shopify, on his favorite word.  

“The most powerful thing is relationships. 90% of our circle looks like us and if I don’t look like you, I don’t get to benefit from your relationships. So many of our black founders, our female founders, go from incubator to accelerator to incubator to accelerator just trying to gain traction. We need to be creating these safe spaces to fail and fly, where it’s of the community, by the community, for the community. There’s a power in being seen, and there’s a special energy in this city to do it.”  - Jay Bailey, President & CEO of the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE), on the incredible opportunities available in Atlanta. 

“Our founding vision was that we’re going to solve the actual customer problem: It’s too hard to do all these things. The reason people buy Hubspot is because it's easy. And we’re standing behind that.” Dharmesh Shah, Founder & CTO of HubSpot, on how prioritizing the customer has made HubSpot one of the biggest names in marketing. 

"There has been a backdrop of illiquidity in the markets. There used to be 250 companies that would go public, and there was a long list of banks ready to do that. Now that list is consolidated, which means 70 go public in a year. A lot of companies are looking for M&A and are leaping over the fence to go after the stock market. When I joined Accel, I could count on one hand the companies who had $100M recurring revenue. I look at our private portfolio today, and 30-40 of those companies are at that scale, and a lot of them will be private for some time. It's fascinating." - Andrew Braccia, Partner at Accel, on how the market has changed in the last ten to 15 years.

“When Facebook came in one day, out of the blue, saying ‘hey, we’re Facebook, we’d like to buy the product,’ we realized we were establishing a SaaS, under-the-wire sort of motion that could work. So we focused on that and built out the high velocity, high volume engine to understand how we could be a reference space for customers like Facebook. We wanted to know how to build a referral loop back into the business from existing customers. And just to give you a reference of scale, we got to a million ARR only on that.”  - Dug Song on the critical inflection points of the “three-year” overnight success of Duo Security.   

Missed out on Venture Atlanta Live Online content? You can sign up here to get access to our on-demand platform which houses all speaking sessions, pitches, and more ($99 for 1 month of access, $595 for one year of access).

Venture Atlanta 2020 Presenting Companies Lineup

This was our most competitive year yet for company applications. For the first time ever, we selected over 100 companies (and that was still only 25% of the total number of companies that applied). Additionally, for the first time in our history, we had more out-of-state companies apply than in-state showing how far we’ve spread through the Southeast. 

VENTURE STAGE

Aperity Inc.

Bricz

CallRail

Clearsense LLC

Flock Safety

Gravy

Home Captain, Inc.

Instant Financial

Lucd

Lux Vending, LLC dba Bitcoin Depot

Machfu

Nexus

Presence

PunchList

Reveal Mobile

SigmaSense

Soundstripe

Spruce

Spur

Verusen

Waratek

EARLY-STAGE

6AM City

Allstacks 

Azimuth GRC

Betsperts

Caribu

Cloverleaf

Fieldxperience

Flatfile

HireGround

Immertec (Immersive Tech, Inc)

Knack

MedTrans Go, Inc.

Medxoom

Mitivate

Mixtroz

Nix Software, Inc.

Novo Labs, Inc.

OBI PARTNERS INC.

Physician 360

Rabbu

Sadiant Health

Secberus, Inc.

Soteria Battery Innovation Group

STYLUST

Urban SDK

Voxie

Yellow Card

SHOWCASE COMPANIES

Artis Technologies

Atheraxon Inc

AutoDo-It

Base

Blue Frontier, LLC

BrandXR

CareSix

Buzzbassador

CaryFy, Inc

CAST.AI

Chattr

Cirrus Secure

Clubba

Cooklist

Email Industries

Fantasy Life App

FastVisa

FortifyData

Global Safety Management

Greenzie

Immediate

Intermx

Inventory Source, Inc

Kayhan Space

Klearly

Knac Corp

LVNGbook

MapHabit, Inc.

MeBeBot

Ongev Inc.

Optimal Technology Corporation

Please Assist Me

Professional Credentials Exchange LLC

ProText

QuantHub

Simplenight Inc.

Skintelligent Corporation

Sneez, LLC

SoleVenture, Inc.

Spiffy

SpotSource by Agency Spotter Inc.

SWIPEBY

SymTrain

Talli, Inc.

TSOLife inc

Ubuntoo

Vacmobile Corporation

Vedia.ai

Virtual Arts Inc.

VIVA Finance

Voiceworx.ai

W9manager

WasteWizer Technologies

WEAV3D Inc.

Wellnecity, LLC

Wripple

Don’t forget: All Venture Atlanta 2020 presenting and showcase company pitches are available on-demand for a full year, and networking is open year-round. If you registered for VA Live Online, you can access all pitches and networking through the link you used to watch the event. If you never registered, you can still do so here ($99 for 1 month of access, $595 for one year of access).

Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors 

We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our amazing partners and sponsors along the way — and we appreciate how everyone rolled with the punches and brought even more to this year's event than ever before. A special thank you goes out to our premier sponsor Invesco and our headline sponsors Cherry Bekaert, Nelson Mullins, and Truist. 

AND NOW... Meet Your Venture Atlanta 2021 Chairman: Jim Douglass 

We are so excited to announce Venture Atlanta’s next chairman, Jim Douglass of Fulcrum Equity Partners. A member of the Venture Atlanta board since 2019, Jim brings 25+ years of experience in operations management, strategic development, and high-growth financial services to the conference, and we’re excited to see where his leadership takes us in the coming year. 

“There aren’t many conferences where you get really strong, centralized content in this capital spectrum,” said Douglass, when he joined the Venture Atlanta board in 2019. “But the early funds, the middle players, and the $500 billion funds are all here to see what’s going on in Atlanta. That’s a great place to be.”   

Stay Connected

And that’s a wrap on Venture Atlanta 2020! Remember that, with the All-Access pass, you still have access to content, pitches, and networking, so you can catch up on anything you missed and continue to make valuable connections. Simply visit the link you used to watch the conference. And if you did not register but wish you did, it’s not too late. You can still catch up on all things Venture Atlanta Live Online — including networking. It’s only $99 for 30 days of access to all of our keynote sessions, breakout sessions, and company pitches! For a full year of access, it’s $595. Sign up now, or contact us if you have any questions. 

Finally, we can’t wait to see what 2021 brings. Stay tuned for what to look forward to next year by subscribing to our newsletter or following along on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Year 14, here we come.

This is a guest post from BIP Capital.

This year’s Venture Atlanta Live Online is now in the books, and I can say that it reflected the strength of our region’s venture ecosystem in terms of the excitement and activity from both entrepreneurs and investors alike, even in the midst of our current pandemic. While the face-to-face interaction was missed, Venture Atlanta still had much to offer, including high-quality production and engaging digital experiences that were conducive to learning about the Southeast’s hottest innovations.

What is perhaps most noteworthy, however, is the event’s growing inclusiveness even as COVID-19 restrictions kept us physically apart. There was a much stronger presence this year of female and minority entrepreneurs and presenters, as well as greater diversity in the types of businesses being showcased and the number of companies from areas outside of Atlanta. I’m very proud of the diversity our board has worked hard to achieve and the actively more inclusive direction Venture Atlanta is taking. I believe it is the start of greater things.

Beyond this new inclusiveness, the rising momentum and return to raising capital that took place at Venture Atlanta this past week reflects our ecosystem’s continuing maturation and resiliency. As part of my role as chair of the event’s selection committee, I began the process of talking to incubators and innovation labs across our region last spring, when the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on businesses were just being realized. It’s inspiring to see the innovating companies that successfully redesigned themselves to flourish within our new normal—many of whom shared the stage at this year’s Venture Atlanta.

Overall, Venture Atlanta 2020 reflected several of the key findings from BIP Capital’s recent The State of StartupsSM in the Southeast report, which delivers a comprehensive overview of the venture capital and startup ecosystem in this region of the country, including Georgia. Unsurprisingly, much of this year’s report focuses on how the global COVID-19 pandemic affected investment activity in the Southeast.

Based on the report’s findings, we believe our region’s market maturation is persistent and has positioned it well to emerge from the pandemic crisis. The success of this year’s Venture Atlanta was certainly indicative of that.

Here’s to continued steady momentum as we work through our current situation together and as a more diverse group of businesspeople, investors, and entrepreneurs.

We invite you to read The State of StartupsSM in the Southeast report in its entirety here. We hope this report will further educate investors on the emerging trends to watch as well as highlight the region’s growth and future opportunities. 

About the Author: Paul Iaffaldano is chief investment officer at BIP Capital, one of the most active and successful venture investors in the Southeast, serving entrepreneurs, investors and operators to grow the emerging company ecosystem.

Paul Iaffaldano

Top investment conference selects largest, most diverse lineup of companies to fuel tech capital and growth within groundbreaking, immersive virtual format

ATLANTA (September 24, 2020) — In the midst of a pandemic, Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s best venture capital conferences, continues to usher in new startup capital and highlight the Southeast’s most promising tech businesses. The annual conference today announced the 103 companies that will present and be showcased at this year’s fully virtual event, Venture Atlanta Live Online, to be held October 21-22. The number of selected companies is the largest ever. To view the list of companies, go here.

The all-digital concept has proven to be popular for Venture Atlanta, with over 400 companies vying for a spot this year to pitch to and be seen by investors, breaking previous conference records. The virtual format has also broadened the event’s reach, with 50 percent of chosen companies being located outside of Georgia, nearly twice as many as last year. Now in its 13th year, Venture Atlanta hosts over 250 funds that have led to $4.5 billion in funding raised and $14.7 billion in exits. The conference boasts a roster of highly successful alumni, including most recently Kabbage, which is being acquired by American Express for a possible $850 million.

“Even in light of COVID-19, we didn’t cancel but pivoted in order to best serve the needs of our region’s vibrant tech community,” said Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman. “Venture Atlanta Live Online is nothing at all like a Zoom videoconference or webinar—we’re offering a truly exciting, completely virtual experience that mirrors and even improves upon the benefits of live conferences. As our list of spotlight companies shows, we’ve drawn top talent from some of the hottest pockets of tech innovation in our region.”

Eman added that due to the virtual format, investors from around the country will be able to discover more than a hundred of the best tech companies in the Southeast, making it possible to do a “year’s worth of work in just two days, with no travel.”

“We were very impressed with the quality of the companies that applied this year, and we are happy to see Venture Atlanta’s geographic reach continue to expand,” said Paul Rothstein, a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and co-chair of the Venture Atlanta Recruiting and Selection Committee. “Venture Atlanta has a strong track record of helping to connect companies with capital, and we are excited for the many new opportunities that this year’s virtual format will create for the tech community.”

Venture Atlanta Comes Alive on Your Computer

Venture Atlanta Live Online will offer an unparalleled experience that streams two days of immersive events and interactive networking opportunities. Attendees will be able to connect with others at the conference, set up one-on-one meetings, stroll the virtual show floor, watch pitches in real time, and use features like live chat and audience polling. This year’s newly added All-Access pass provides attendees with on-demand access to Venture Atlanta Live Online content for a full year, behind-the-scenes access to keynote speakers, and additional content such as new pitch decks, round tables, and investor profiles throughout the year.   

“Connecting the Southeast’s vibrant tech businesses with capital promotes growth in the region as well as opportunities for the people who live here,” said JC Boyanton, senior vice president of Technology Middle Market Banking at SunTrust now Truist and chair of the Venture Atlanta Recruiting and Selection Committee. “We are proud to support Venture Atlanta Live Online in its efforts to showcase the most promising technology companies to investors.”

Connecting a large number of diverse and innovative companies to capital and connections is more important than ever. “For more than a decade, Venture Atlanta has been a valuable resource, bringing billions of dollars’ worth of capital and thousands of jobs to our region. I’m excited that we can continue this tradition with a digital format that will spotlight the tech innovation this event is known for,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Now more than ever, we need platforms like Venture Atlanta to help us build the access to capital and networks to drive inclusive innovation to ensure that metro Atlanta’s entrepreneurial landscape is diverse on every level and fertile for ingenuity.”

The Countdown Is On for Venture Atlanta Live Online

Venture Atlanta Live Online will feature keynotes from Arianna Huffington, author and founder of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global; Dug Song, co-founder and general manager of Duo Security, and Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot. To see the full list of announced speakers, visit the website.   

Invesco is this year’s premier sponsor, with Cherry Bekaert, Nelson Mullins, and Truist as additional headline sponsors. For a complete list of sponsors, go here.

Venture Atlanta Live Online will conclude with TechSquare Labs’ Atlanta Startup Battle, in which the top five companies will pitch on stage against one another to win a $100,000 investment. Don’t miss this event which will happen right after Venture Atlanta concludes on October 22. Venture Atlanta ticket holders can view the pitch-off live.

Registration Now Open

To register for Venture Atlanta Live Online and to learn more about reduced group attendance rates, go here.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. This year’s event is going all digital through Venture Atlanta Live Online.

As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 400 companies and raise over $4.5 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and visit our blog.

Venture Atlanta is a proud, long-time partner to Launchpad2X, a founder-to-CEO training organization for women. Founded by Bernie Dixon as a way to empower the female entrepreneurship community, Launchpad2X aims to close the gender gap when it comes to venture capital funding.

Advocating for female entrepreneurs is something we’re incredibly passionate about, and we strive to support the women who want to take their ideas and vision to the next level. Venture Atlanta’s partnership with Launchpad2X includes providing year-round support, attending and promoting the organization’s events throughout the year, and issuing scholarship money for a female founder to participate in the full Launchpad2X 3-Day Core Program.  

Additionally, every year Launchpad2X hosts a pitch competition for local female entrepreneurs, and the winner secures an automatic spot to pitch at Venture Atlanta. This year was especially competitive and featured an incredible level of talent that included rising entrepreneurs and top companies to watch:

 

WINNER: 

Ashlee Ammons & Kerry Schrader of Mixtroz:
An innovative software that increases peer-to-peer engagement and collects useful data in real-time, both live and virtually. 

RUNNER UP:

Lauren Longo of Talli:
Simple apps for tracking health — providing better info for your doctor and peace of mind for you. 

RUNNER UP: 

Elizabeth Clubb of CareSix:
CareSix is a FinTech solution that empowers older adults to manage their expenses, connect their Circle of Care, and protect against fraud.

PARTICIPANTS:

Delphine Carter of Boulo Solutions:
A platform designed to connect professional women with goal-driven companies who want to hire talent on a short-term or part-time basis. 

Sheffie Robinson of WPClover:
A website design and hosting platform for businesses of all sizes.

Leslie Becker of :30BP:
A blood pressure health app that bridges the gap between patient and provider.

Veronica Woodruff of Travelsist:
A service that hand-selects travel products and delivers them to vacationing families upon their arrivals.

Kristi Frank of Clutch Creations:
A functional fashion brand centered around their patented product, "The Clutch Strap," a stylish leather strap that attaches to your phone and allows for easy carry.

 

In fact, this year’s roster of companies was so impressive that Venture Atlanta decided to not only award the winner a spot to present live on the Venture AtlantaLive Online studio stage but also gave the two runners-up a spot in the VA Showcase. 

After the Launchpad2X event, we sat down with winners Ashlee Ammons and her business partner (who also happens to be her mom) Kerry Schrader to learn more about why they started Mixtroz, what they’re looking forward to at Venture Atlanta, and what it means to be Black female entrepreneurs in the current market and cultural state.

Where were you when Mixtroz went from just an idea to something you knew was going to be a successful business?

Ashlee: We both saw the problem one weekend [after attending a conference and a social event], and that’s what did it. If just one of us had seen the need, it wouldn’t have worked. But we both came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way to help the right people collide when they’re somewhere. We started researching, and we couldn't find a product doing it the way we wanted it to be done. And really within 24 hours, we were like, this could be something. And the name Mixtroz was born — the words ‘mixer’ and ‘introduction’ smushed together.

What was it like getting started and pursuing clients in the beginning?

Ashlee: It was tough, to be completely honest. Our customers came from hustle and grit — nothing was given over here. It has been an arduous process, and you think that your business network will help to push your business forward and it doesn’t necessarily work that way. Friends and colleagues want to congratulate you, not understanding that a contract would be more fruitful. You’re always thinking about the business, and it can feel like [when you’re pitching] you're always teetering on the cusp of annoying people. But you have to do it — as a founder, your job is to push your business to its fullest potential, no matter the outcome.

But now when I pitch Mixtroz to people, it is rare for somebody to not say “yes, I get it” or to see the value in what we’re doing. I'm at the point with demos where, at about 15 minutes in, I can stop talking and the customer is just pontificating and dreaming up ways that they can use the platform. 

So those early customers, they are literally just a result of hustle; a result of the fact that Kerry and I wouldn't stop. 

Let’s talk a little bit about your virtual event, ‘Mixtroz Imperfect Conversations.’

Kerry: We held a nationwide conversation centered around bringing people together for uncomfortable yet necessary conversations. We put everyone into groups using the Mixtroz Virtual platform to get people talking. 

The funny thing is, we don't really do this. This is not our thing [hosting events]. But with our platform founders being people of color, we needed to. We called it “Mixtroz Imperfect Conversations: A Time for Collision, Community & Connection.” People got in these groups and just went crazy in a good way — engaging  for over an hour and half when we planned on only 30 minutes. Some of the groups have even contacted us to say, “We're actually going to meet in person in future.” 

So much of what Mixtroz is about is centered around those types of conversations. What kind of conversations do you want to be having with those around you?

Kerry: At the end of the day, I'm always focused on three things: growing our team — which as of today, Ashlee and I are our only FTEs — client acquisition, and raising funding. The more strategic team members we have, the faster we reach and close clients in our funnel, and the more attractive we look for fundraising. All these actions feed one another. 

At the same time, I have always been an excellent steward of the capital raised. I'm not getting into a situation where we are ever running so low on capital that we have to consider giving away our company because we were desperate for investment. This focus, which has a lot to do with my background as an HR executive, is why we have been able to stay ahead of the curve, even with COVID.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while pursuing investment?

Ashlee: Some of the pushback that we'll hear more often than not is that we’re entering a crowded space. To me, if Lyft and Uber and so many other ride sharing companies can exist together in a space, it seems like the market can hold for a product like Mixtroz. We have a huge TAM and we are just scratching the surface in events, enterprise, and education.

We’ve also been asked things like, “how big do you think Mixtroz can be?”, and I think women — specifically women of color — have been conditioned to answer those questions very conservatively. In the past, if you answered in a way that was [too grandiose], then investors will think you’re crazy. They think that’s unrealistic, and they’ll close the book on you. But then on the other hand, if you don't say something just completely out there, then you’re not thinking big enough. 

So it is honestly a “damned if you do, damned if you don't” situation. The thing about Mixtroz, though, is that we’re building a great company that provides utility, and we are focused on getting to profitability. Data doesn’t lie and that's what we will use to drive this business forward. I'm going to work this business as hard as I can and I'm going to give it all the hustle I've got — win, lose, or draw. I will walk away from this experience knowing that we’ve changed perspectives over the course of this journey for what entrepreneurship can and should look like from a color perspective, an age perspective, and a gender perspective. 

Can you talk about the importance of diversity and creating space for Black women and other POC in the industry?

Kerry: At the end of the day, we hope that we have made this journey more accessible and a little easier for people of color and different genders to come after us.

Ashlee: We're aware of the culture of the world right now, and coupled with user behavior, who we are as founders, what we've built, and what we've been able to do presents a great opportunity for us. We're certainly at an inflection point, and the lucky thing for us is that people are seeing it. 

When did Launchpad2X come on your radar?

Kerry: Last September. After a new connection and LP2X alum, Roz Lemieux, recommended that I apply [to the upcoming cohort], I did, and the rest is history. It was a great experience. I was able to learn directly from Bernie, meet some great founders, and was able to increase my confidence in my role. 

Ashlee: It's been great pitching at LaunchpadX2. I've pitched so many times at this point, but back in 2017, I remember I had a bit of a meltdown. I gave a pitch and I expected to win — and I didn't. And I had a complete mental nervous breakdown because this was just after moving from New York to Nashville — it was hard to have so many changes happening at once and not feel like I was moving Mixtroz forward. But now, it has really come full circle; it takes time.

Why do you know that you're going to be successful?

Kerry: Because we have a kick-ass product! We have kick-ass developers, people on our team that are there because they, too, believe in the product. 

Ashlee: I look at the delight from the customer — and not just from the primary customer, the one that pays, but also the secondary customer, the person who uses. We built this product to help people find their people, and over and over, customers reinforce that the utility we built Mixtroz for is exactly what it does — and that's valuable.  

We believe that when people go somewhere, be it live or virtual, everyone deserves a level playing field to connect. And so when the customer states that back to me without being prompted, I'm like, “yeah!”, it makes a whole lot of sense. We're not just trying to build a software just for the sake of building a software — we built a software because we saw a need.

 

About Venture Atlanta Live Online:

Venture Atlanta Live Online is taking place October 21-22, 2020. Register today to see Mixtroz and other top emerging tech companies from the southeast. Interested in getting screen time for your own startup? We are currently accepting applications to pitch live on our studio stage or in our showcase. Apply by August 28th.

Leading investment conference to go virtual with two days of immersive experiences and key opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs

ATLANTA (July 15, 2020) — Now more than ever, innovating businesses need access to resources in order to grow. This is why Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s best venture capital conferences, will this year transform into Venture Atlanta Live Online in light of COVID-19. The 13th annual event will take place virtually on October 21-22. The call for presenting companies and attendee registration are now open.

Venture Atlanta Live Online will feature keynotes from Arianna Huffington, Founder of The Huffington Post and Founder & CEO of Thrive Global; Dharmesh Shah, Co-Founder & CTO of HubSpot; and Dug Song, Co-Founder & General Manager of Duo Security (which was acquired by Cisco in 2018 for $2.35B).

The conference boasts over 1,000 annual attendees with over 250 funds that have led to $4.4 billion in funding raised and $14 billion in successful exits.  

Venture Atlanta Live Online Will Deliver an Unparalleled Conference Experience

Allyson Eman, Venture Atlanta CEO, wants attendees to know that Venture Atlanta Live Online is not your typical video conference or webinar. Instead, they’ll enjoy an unparalleled experience that streams two days of immersive events and interactive networking opportunities. Attendees will be able to connect with others at the conference, set up one-on-one meetings, stroll the virtual show floor, watch pitches in real-time and use features like live chat, digital notetaking and audience polling.

“We’re excited about the new online format,” said Eman. “For us, postponing wasn’t an option since good companies still need capital and connections, now more than ever. Our virtual platform brings all the benefits of Venture Atlanta to your computer or mobile screen. The format may be different, but its impact will meet or beat our previous conferences.”

With this year’s newly added All-Access pass, attendees will have on-demand access to Venture Atlanta Live Online content for a full year so they can catch up or re-watch conference segments whenever they want. Passholders will also have behind-the-scenes access to keynote speakers and updated content such as new pitch decks, round tables and investor profiles throughout the year.

“The investors we’ve talked to are still looking for companies. But in a time of online-only meetings, the best way to get in front of them is through a warm ‘virtual’ introduction. Our aim is to continue to make a meaningful difference for innovating companies, even during our current times,” said Eman.

Call for Presenting and Showcase Companies Now Open

Last year, a record-breaking 300+ applications were submitted to present and be showcased at the conference, a number predicted to increase given this year’s digital format. Gaining a presentation slot is a golden opportunity for promising companies looking to catch the eye of investors and potential partners, make important connections and secure funding—don’t miss out.

Companies from very early stage to growth stage across the Southeast, from Texas to D.C., are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit is August 28. There is no application cost and selected presenters attend the virtual event without charge.  

Visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org/companies/ to apply. Presenting and showcase companies will be announced September 24.

Attendee Registration Now Open; Select Sponsorship Opportunities Remain

Registration for Venture Atlanta Live Online is now open for attendees. The conference has reduced tiered pricing for students, tech companies, investors and service, including great options for group tickets. 

To register, view the conference schedule and learn more about this year’s value pricing, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org.

Limited sponsorship opportunities for Venture Atlanta Live Online also remain, including never-before-offered packages. For information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org/sponsors.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. This year’s event is going all digital through Venture Atlanta Live Online.

As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 350 companies and raise over $4.4 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and visit our blog.