#startup week

Startup Week came to Atlanta for a five-day celebration of our city’s entrepreneurial identity. From May 8 to May 12, hundreds of leading figures in the business community met for a series of events and activations showcasing the innovative products and services being created by our varied companies. The Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Innovation team supports Startup Week by helping to promote and leverage activity within the region.  See below for a recap of supported events throughout Startup Week:

  ATDC Investor Dinner (May 10) For a second year, MAC sponsored the Advanced Technology Development Center’s private investor dinner. The dinner kicked off the ATDC’s Annual Showcase highlighting the 130 companies that they virtually and physically incubate across Georgia. Attendees of the dinner included some of MAC’s Innovation Connect members as well as investors from Mosley Ventures, BIP Capital, Gray Ventures, and Fulcrum Equity Partners.

Innovation Connect VIP Breakfast (May 11) Thursday morning Innovation Connect members and guests convened at TechSquare Labs to hear panelists discuss topics related to innovation within startups and corporations. Innovation Connect was launched by the Metro Atlanta Chamber last year and aims to connect the most senior innovation executives in Atlanta’s largest companies with each other and the broader innovation community. Panelists included:

Drew Panayiotou, President and Managing Partner, Chick-fil-A’s Red Wagon Ventures

Rob Frohwein, Co-founder and CEO, Kabbage

Mark Buffington, Managing Director, BIP Capital

Jennifer Sherer, Vice President, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Metro Atlanta Chamber

“To be a global innovation center means to be able to say you’re from Atlanta and people respond with, wow there are some really great companies coming out of there!” Frohwein said.  

Limitless Conference (May 11) Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO Hala Moddelmog moderated Mayor Kasim Reed’s keynote at the Limitless Conference. Limitless is a day-long conference produced by the Atlanta chapters of EO and YPO bringing together 300 of the top entrepreneurs and business leaders in the city. The “fireside chat” portion of the conference with Mayor Reed featured discussion of his entire tenure as mayor, his thoughts on the state of American politics, and Atlanta’s role in the larger marketplace.

ATDC Showcase (May 11) Thursday afternoon, ATDC held their annual Startup Showcase. This is a premier Atlanta technology event where more than 800 investors, corporate partners, entrepreneurs and researchers converge to discover the most promising and emerging technologies, network with each other, and forge new relationships and partnerships. ATDC Signature is a rigorous, metrics-driven and milestones-based program for companies with transformative technology or life sciences products. 2017 Signature graduate companies included: First Performance Global, Partpic, Star Mobile, & UserIQ.

Atlanta Startup Awards (May 12) Friday wrapped up Atlanta Startup Week with the Atlanta Startup Awards, presented by Startup Atlanta. This was the first annual awards ceremony, jointly organized by members of the Atlanta Startup Community. The event recognized and celebrated the city’s most successful rising tech companies, startup pioneers, and disruptive innovators. Sponsors included: Hypepotamus, ATDC, WeWork, Cox Enterprises, Nine Labs, Atlanta Tech Angels, and Vivo 360. For a full recap of the winning companies please visit: https://hypepotamus.com/news/atlanta-startup-awards-winners/

For more information on Startup Week and MAC’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiatives, visit: https://www.metroatlantachamber.com/councils/innovation-entrepreneurship-advisory-committee

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Startup Week ended with the 2017 Startup Awards, honoring the city’s rising tech companies, startup pioneers and disruptive innovators.

Scenes from around Atlanta Startup Week

Innovation Connect VIP Breakfast featured discussion on what it means to be a global innovation center.

Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO, Metro Atlanta Chamber leads the Limitless Conference, featuring Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.