Venture Atlanta is an organization that prides itself on connecting innovative entrepreneurs with the capital and resources they need to grow and scale their businesses. We couldn't be more excited for this year's conference, as we are confident it will be the best one yet.
Our enthusiasm stems not only from the exceptional line-up of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who will be in attendance but also from the remarkable group we have assembled to serve on our 2023 Board of Directors. This esteemed team of individuals represents the pinnacle of excellence and diversity, bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion to the table.
The Venture Atlanta 2023 Board of Directors has been carefully selected to ensure a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise. Each member is dedicated to supporting the growth and success of innovative entrepreneurs, fostering a vibrant and inclusive startup ecosystem, and ensuring that Venture Atlanta continues to be a premier event for connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need. With their combined experience and commitment to innovation, the Board of Directors is poised to make this year's conference an unforgettable experience for all who attend.
We are thrilled to introduce you to the Venture Atlanta 2023 Board of Directors, featuring some familiar faces as well as some new ones!
Meet the 2023 Venture Atlanta Board of Directors
Venture Atlanta 2023 Chairman
Mark Flickinger - Panoramic Ventures
Mark is a General Partner and the COO at Panoramic Ventures, where he oversees 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. Mark has served on the Venture Atlanta Board of Directors since 2021. Read his full bio here >>>
Newly-Added Board Members
Dr. Loretta Daniels - Technology Association of Georgia, Kendall & Kendrick Consulting Group
Dr. Loretta Daniels, director of the Technology Association of Georgia’s Bridge Builders program and CEO and Managing Partner at Kendall & Kendrick Consulting Group, is an expert in organizational leadership, DEI, conflict management, and communication. As an executive leader in the corporate arena, she has served in executive leadership roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director of Sales Operations, and General Manager. Read her full bio here >>>
AJ Fang - Assurant Ventures
AJ Fang is currently a Partner of Assurant Ventures where he leads investments in Proptech, Auto Tech, and Insurtech. Prior to joining Assurant, AJ was a Senior Vice President at Silicon Valley Bank where he worked with national venture capital firms and focused on providing strategic advisory and venture financings to technology startups. Read his full bio here >>>
Peter Franconi - Fulcrum Equity Partners
Peter is a Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fulcrum Equity Partners, an Atlanta-based growth equity fund that invests in B2B software and healthcare services companies. Having worked at both large and small startups, he understands the challenges entrepreneurs face especially in fast-growing companies. Read his full bio here >>>
M. Cole Jones - RIISE Ventures, VSP Global
M. Cole is a serial entrepreneur, small business champion, and venture catalyst based in Atlanta, GA. He co-founded Covello, an innovation firm that helps enterprises, brands, and high-growth companies ideate and build products, before going on to found RIISE Ventures, a firm focused on reimagining innovation in sports, gaming, and entertainment. He's recognized as a thought leader in corporate innovation and his experience extends beyond his work with ventures, with a track record as a seasoned ecosystem builder with organizations such as VSP Global. Read his full bio here >>>
Anastasia Simon - Techstars Atlanta
Anastasia Simon is the current Investment Principal at Techstars Atlanta & Techstars Impact powered by Cox. She brings a decade of experience in the startup ecosystem, ranging from marketing and business development to venture capital and community building. Anastasia is an experienced operator who has developed programming for the first fully virtual incubator for early-stage proptech companies, managed strategic partnerships with large-scale organizations, and served as a mentor during Facebook’s North American Community Accelerator. Read her full bio here >>>
Venture Atlanta Legacy Board Members
Allyson Eman - Venture Atlanta CEO
Allyson Eman has more than 30 years of marketing, communications, sales leadership, and business development experience. 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 across the country and founding organizations Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta CEO Council, and Technology Association of Georgia to build Venture Atlanta. Read her full bio here >>>
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. Read his full bio here >>>
Jackie DiMonte - Chicago Ventures
Jackie is currently a partner at Chicago Ventures. Prior to joining Chicago Ventures, she was a principal at Hyde Park Venture Partners, working with portfolio companies such as RoadSync, Podchaser, Fixer, FactoryFix, and PartySlate. Read her full bio here >>>
Alex Estevez - Accel Partners
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. Read his full bio here >>>
Richard Fraim - Knoll Ventures
Rich is a Partner at Knoll Ventures, an Atlanta-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in pre-Series A technology businesses focused on B2B markets. He has been active in the southeastern technology ecosystem for more than 10 years. Read his full bio here >>>
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. Read his full bio here >>>
Vanessa Larco - New Enterprise Associates
Vanessa Larco joined NEA as a Partner in 2016 and focuses on Enterprise SaaS and Consumer Services investing. She is passionate about technology, services, and products that enable people to be more productive and efficient at work and at home. Read her full bio here >>>
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. Read his full bio here >>>
Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan - CTW Venture Partners
Raj is currently the Managing Partner of CTW Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in and assists seed and early-stage entrepreneurs in all industries in Atlanta and the Southeast who are engaged in disruptive innovations and technologies. Read his full bio here >>>
Kim Seals - The JumpFund
Kim Seals is a General Partner at The JumpFund and is an investor in early-stage technology, health care, energy, fintech, and consumer products companies. Since 2013, The JumpFund has invested in more than 30 woman-led, Southeast-based companies across our two venture capital funds. Read her full bio here >>>
Elizabeth Stephens - Noro-Moseley Partners
Elizabeth Stephens 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 her full bio here >>>
Emery Waddell - Vocap Partners
Emery is passionate about finding, funding, and furthering high-potential software businesses delivering products that improve lives, in big ways and small. As Principal at Vocap Partners, a Series A venture capital firm focused on B2B software, his primary areas of focus include the future of work and media. Read his full bio here >>>
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. Read his full bio here >>>
Joey Womack - Goodie Nation
Part super-connector, part startup coach, Joey Womack 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. Read his full bio here >>>
We are beyond thrilled to have such a top-tier group of individuals leading the charge for Venture Atlanta 2023. With their guidance and dedication, we believe that this year's conference will surpass all expectations and set new standards for excellence in the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital.
