Startup Atlanta Blog

 
 

March 9, 2015 - Introducing the New Startup Atlanta

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One week ago we introduced a new brand and a new vision for Startup Atlanta.

The new Startup Atlanta is laser focused on serving growth-oriented entrepreneurs. We want to foster and connect a community that at it’s core represents us at our best.

The dreams & dreamers looking to make a dent in the universe. Diverse people from diverse backgrounds who share a common desire to create something where once there was nothing.

Our new model isn’t reliant on $50,000 donations from big sponsors. Instead it’s reliant on the time, talent and treasure of those who want to see our ecosystem thrive. It’s a grassroots model that we feel will lead to a stronger and more vibrant organization.

 

So what are we actually doing?

First, we’re hosting a series of incredible public events. You can expect an event every two months.

Some of the events we have planned are going to be incredible. You can get a taste of them below.

The Rise of the Design-focused Entrepreneur: How you can use design to differentiate.

Entrepreneurial Placemaking: The role of space in innovation & culture.

Getting Press: How to make news as a startup.

How Startups & Corporations Can Partner to Innovate: Breaking through the red tape.

These events will be a core piece of our programming. Tell us if you love them or hate them. If you have ideas, we’d love to hear them. We want your input and your feedback. We’re building this organization for you.

We’ll also be hosting more intimate small scale events designed to strengthen the relationship between startups, government and corporate leaders. Creating stronger ties and interactions to strengthen the overall innovation network.

We want this organization to transcend borders and silos. Too often in Atlanta we think of geography as dividing us. OTP vs ITP. Buckhead vs Midtown. Atlanta Tech Village vs everywhere else. But the truth is, we rise and fall as a single region.

We’re also working on policy issues that will help spur innovation. Just last week we worked with Invest Atlanta to pass a resolution through city council that will lower the costs to starting a company. Providing ATL startups an exemption on fees for their first three years, or until they reach $1M in revenue.

This summer we’re launching a business plan competition for underserved kids in the boulevard corridor of Atlanta as part of Kwanza Hall’s Year of Boulevard initiative. Creating possibility and opportunity for kids who need it most. Kids that are too often left out of our ecosystem.

And this fall, we’ll be hosting the first ever Made In ATL awards celebrating the best in startups, music, technology & creativity. There’s too many great things created in this city for us not to recognize them.

We have some pretty ambitious plans. But, we can’t make them happen without your help.

We need 500 members & companies paying $100/year. That’s less than $10 a month. Your money won’t go to fancy offices. We don’t have any. It won’t go to me. I’m working for free. Your money will instead be an investment in the ecosystem. If you want to support us, you can become a member here.

But more important than money is your time, your attention & your talent. Don’t be shy. Let us know what you think and if you want to volunteer, we’ll welcome you with open arms.

Welcome to the new Startup Atlanta. I hope you’ll join us on this journey.

 

April 1, 2015 - Success is the easiest way to change the narrative.

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Recently Creative Loafing wrote a short article on the new approach we’re taking with Startup Atlanta.

There’s some skepticism in the piece from both the author and the community. So a few people have asked for my response.

The truth is I’m no stranger to skepticism. In 1995, when I quit my first job at the age of 14 and told my coworkers at Winn Dixie that I was going to start building websites for local businesses they thought I was crazy. I didn’t listen.

I went door to door trying to sell the potential of the Internet to downtown businesses in the small town of Statesville, NC. Within a year, a web site I’d built for a local furniture store was driving just under $1M per year in revenue.

When I moved down to Atlanta eleven years ago at age 23 and opened the doors of Nebo Agency people were skeptical that we could make it. Myself nor Brian had agency experience. We didn’t have a robust list of big brand clients out of the gate. The skepticism was warranted. It didn’t bother me then, and it doesn’t bother me now.

I’ve always been of the opinion that the easiest way to overcome people’s doubts is to do something better than they expected. Succeeding at something is the only surefire way to change the narrative.

Together, we can make an impact in the Startup Ecosystem. We can create shared experiences that connect the community, we can celebrate and promote the great things happening in this city, we can have an impact on policy and we can help inspire a great group of kids in the boulevard corridor that startups are a viable career path.

Once we do those things, the narrative will take care of itself.

 

February 18, 2016 - #StartupCrawlATL Recap: Winter 2016 Edition

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Last year, we hosted our first ever Startup Crawl event with a huge turnout at Atlanta Tech Village, Industrious, and Flatiron City.

We heard such great feedback from this inaugural event that we had to bring back a second installment… and it did not disappoint!

Our first stop brought the #StartupCrawlATL gang to the newly opened TechSquare Labs with a showcase featuring 10 of their hottest startups:

Courtesy of Jake Dudley

Then the crew hopped on MARTA to head to the new Switchyards Downtown Club where beautiful startups for consumers are born such as:

The famous MWSA sign being put to good use!

Buildings were toured, startups were showcased, and new friendships and bonds were formed — with the help of delicious dogs from Doggy Dogg ATL, ice cold beer, wine and American Spirit Whiskey!

Check out the rest of the highlights from Twitter here.

You showed up in numbers last Thursday to see what’s happening in the startup community here in our city and we couldn’t be more thankful.

We hope you enjoyed drinking your way through two of Atlanta’s innovative startup hubs as much as we did, and it was great to have you join us to support our local startup scene as well as the overall ecosystem that is being built in our own backyard.

Did you enjoy the event? Let us know!

Thanks again,

Startup Atlanta, Content Committee Lead

PS: Stay tuned for our new “Founder Interviews” series launching next week highlighting Atlanta’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs.