Event Overview
Venture Atlanta 2023
Join us Wednesday, September 27 and Thursday, September 28 at The Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony Hall.

Overview
Entrepreneurs
Investors
PRESS
STUDENTS
Overview
ENTREPRENEURS
Investors
STUDENTS
Vendors


VENUE
The Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony Hall
1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia
This year’s event will be held in a beautiful space—a campus full of art and possibilities. Join us for more curated breakout sessions, speakers, and pitches on stage at Atlanta Symphony Hall, private lounges for top sponsors, and endless opportunities for networking.
HOTEL BLOCKS
Book Now for Group Rates
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

75 14th St NE,
Atlanta, GA 30309
Atlanta, GA 30309
$325
/night
* Please use code 230926VEN to book online. Guests may also call 404-253-3853 to book. Deadline is 9.5.2023.
Moxy Atlanta Midtown

48 13th St NE,
Atlanta, GA 30309
Atlanta, GA 30309
$229
/night
* Guests may also call 404-249-9446 to book. Deadline is 8.27.2023.
The Starling
Curio Collection by Hilton
Venture Atlanta 2023 Sponsors
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, this year’s event will be an unforgettable one.
Premier Sponsors








Venture Atlanta Alumni Hall Of Fame Sponsors








Headline Sponsors








Title Sponsor
Creating Momentum (D&I) Sponsors
Presenting Sponsors
FAQS
How do I register multiple people?
You may register more than one person at one time. Simply register one main contact and then as many guests as you’d like. This will allow you to input your billing and credit card information only once. All major credit cards are accepted at the time of registration. There is no option to pay by check online.
Can I cancel my registration?
Refunds or credits are not extended for this event. However, all registrations are fully transferable. To transfer, simply log back in the Event portal and change the name on the registration. If you have any trouble, contact us here. Let us know of any questions!
Can I register the day of the event?
If tickets are still available. Last year, we sold out weeks ahead of time. Get your tickets today to ensure availability!
Can I register for a one day pass or for one section of the event?
No, we do not sell partial tickets.
What type of payment do you accept for Venture Atlanta registration?
We accept all major credit cards (MasterCard, VISA and AMEX). Checks are not accepted.
Who do I contact if I have a question or problem during registration?
Contact Allyson Eman at 770-298-4202.
Marcus Allen
Panel: Hall of Fame: Leveraging the Power of Your Brand

Marcus Allen is the most decorated football player in history and the only player to win every accolated at every level. Over 150 years of college football and 100 years of the NFL he is the only player to win a Highschool State Championship, College National Championship, Super Bowl, Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Heisman Trophy, Rookie of the Year, Team MVP, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, Comeback Player of the Year, College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the tenth player selected in the 1982 National Football League Draft, played 16 seasons between the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. During that time, he gained 12,243 yards rushing, 5,411 yards receiving, and scored 145 touchdowns.
Considered one of the game’s best goal line and short-yardage runners, Marcus began his pro career as the NFL Rookie of the Year and ended as the game’s all-time rushing touchdown leader.
At the time of his retirement following the 1997 season, he held the single-season record for most rushing and receiving yards combined (2,314), second in consecutive 100-yard games, and was third in career-combined yardage. During his 11 seasons with the Raiders, the former University of Southern California standout, was named to the Pro Bowl five times. He added a sixth appearance in 1994, as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was the Raiders leading rusher for seven consecutive years and the Chiefs four consecutive times. In 1987 he also led the Raiders in receptions with 51. Allen’s big-game performance in Super Bowl XVIII when the Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 earned the second-year player MVP honors. In that game he rushed for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns, one a Super Bowl record 74-yard gallop.
Allen’s finest season came in 1985, as he led the league with 1,759 rushing yards on 380 carries for a 4.6 yards per carry average and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 67 passes for 555 yards and scored an additional three touchdowns. For his performance he was rewarded with league MVP honors.
In 1995, Marcus made NFL history when he became the first player in league history to rush for over 10,000 yards and catch passes for 5,000 more. As further evidence of his versatility, Allen completed 12 of 27 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns during his career.
In 15 career playoff games, he carried the ball 267 times for 1,347 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per carry average. He also added 52 catches for 522 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Allen joined the CBS broadcasting team for the NFL Today Show in 1998 and later went on to cover College Football for Fox Sports. Marcus Allen is a keynote speaker, actor and writer. He helped write an autobiography with Carlton Stowers and is known for his role in producing the movie “Searching for Angela Shelton.” Allen serves on the board of directors for the Lott Impact Trophy and is also a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Considered one of the game’s best goal line and short-yardage runners, Marcus began his pro career as the NFL Rookie of the Year and ended as the game’s all-time rushing touchdown leader.
At the time of his retirement following the 1997 season, he held the single-season record for most rushing and receiving yards combined (2,314), second in consecutive 100-yard games, and was third in career-combined yardage. During his 11 seasons with the Raiders, the former University of Southern California standout, was named to the Pro Bowl five times. He added a sixth appearance in 1994, as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was the Raiders leading rusher for seven consecutive years and the Chiefs four consecutive times. In 1987 he also led the Raiders in receptions with 51. Allen’s big-game performance in Super Bowl XVIII when the Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 earned the second-year player MVP honors. In that game he rushed for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns, one a Super Bowl record 74-yard gallop.
Allen’s finest season came in 1985, as he led the league with 1,759 rushing yards on 380 carries for a 4.6 yards per carry average and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 67 passes for 555 yards and scored an additional three touchdowns. For his performance he was rewarded with league MVP honors.
In 1995, Marcus made NFL history when he became the first player in league history to rush for over 10,000 yards and catch passes for 5,000 more. As further evidence of his versatility, Allen completed 12 of 27 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns during his career.
In 15 career playoff games, he carried the ball 267 times for 1,347 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per carry average. He also added 52 catches for 522 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Allen joined the CBS broadcasting team for the NFL Today Show in 1998 and later went on to cover College Football for Fox Sports. Marcus Allen is a keynote speaker, actor and writer. He helped write an autobiography with Carlton Stowers and is known for his role in producing the movie “Searching for Angela Shelton.” Allen serves on the board of directors for the Lott Impact Trophy and is also a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Jerome Bettis
Panel: Hall of Fame: Leveraging the Power of Your Brand

Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in September 2013. The six-time Pro Bowl running back has regularly appeared on NFL Live and SportsCenter.
The National Football League's sixth all-time leading rusher, Bettis ran for 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns during his 13-year career while catching 200 passes for 1,449 yards and three touchdowns. He spent his first three seasons with the Rams (1993-95) before playing 10 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-2005).
Affectionately nicknamed “The Bus,” Bettis capped his legendary career by helping the Steelers win Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. While hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on the podium after the game, he announced his retirement from professional football in February 2006.
Bettis was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 and will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in August. Though Pittsburgh has not officially retired his No. 36, it is understood that no Steelers player will ever wear it again, joining the list of other unofficial retired numbers, including legends Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Hines Ward.
Highly respected throughout the league, Bettis was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1996 and he was acknowledged by the league with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2001. He entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Bettis was a three-year standout at the University of Notre Dame, where he finished his career with 1,912 rushing yards under legendary coach Lou Holtz. He remains active in numerous community events and initiatives, including his Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation. The Foundation runs numerous camps and programs in the Cities of Detroit and Pittsburgh like Innovation Huddle which is an after school coding program that educate Middle School students on how to develop and run a small business using technology, Asthma and Sports Camp, and mentoring and tutoring for at-risk kids.
The National Football League's sixth all-time leading rusher, Bettis ran for 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns during his 13-year career while catching 200 passes for 1,449 yards and three touchdowns. He spent his first three seasons with the Rams (1993-95) before playing 10 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-2005).
Affectionately nicknamed “The Bus,” Bettis capped his legendary career by helping the Steelers win Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. While hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on the podium after the game, he announced his retirement from professional football in February 2006.
Bettis was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 and will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in August. Though Pittsburgh has not officially retired his No. 36, it is understood that no Steelers player will ever wear it again, joining the list of other unofficial retired numbers, including legends Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Hines Ward.
Highly respected throughout the league, Bettis was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1996 and he was acknowledged by the league with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2001. He entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Bettis was a three-year standout at the University of Notre Dame, where he finished his career with 1,912 rushing yards under legendary coach Lou Holtz. He remains active in numerous community events and initiatives, including his Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation. The Foundation runs numerous camps and programs in the Cities of Detroit and Pittsburgh like Innovation Huddle which is an after school coding program that educate Middle School students on how to develop and run a small business using technology, Asthma and Sports Camp, and mentoring and tutoring for at-risk kids.
Peter Clarke
Panel: The Talent Wars: How to Attract, Grow and Retain the World’s Best Employees

Peter Clarke joined Accel in 2013 and leads Accel’s talent efforts where he’s focused on building high-value relationships across our network of amazing people and helping our entrepreneurs build high-performance teams.
Prior to Accel, Peter was VP of Executive Talent at Greylock. He joined Greylock from True, a boutique retained executive search firm, where he was a founding partner.
Before shifting into the world of entrepreneurs and executive talent, he was a software architect for Boeing, and one of the last projects he worked on was the comprehensive services system that would support Boeing's newest airplane.
Peter is a native Californian who also spent a good chunk of his life on the East coast. He graduated from SUNY Brockport with a degree in Computer Science, and he holds a Master’s in Software Development from CMU.
Prior to Accel, Peter was VP of Executive Talent at Greylock. He joined Greylock from True, a boutique retained executive search firm, where he was a founding partner.
Before shifting into the world of entrepreneurs and executive talent, he was a software architect for Boeing, and one of the last projects he worked on was the comprehensive services system that would support Boeing's newest airplane.
Peter is a native Californian who also spent a good chunk of his life on the East coast. He graduated from SUNY Brockport with a degree in Computer Science, and he holds a Master’s in Software Development from CMU.
Tosh Ernest
Panel: The State of Black and Latinx VC's

Tosh Ernest is Head of Access to Innovation, SVB’s signature initiative to advance women, Black and Latinx individuals to positions of influence in the innovation economy. SVB’s Access to Innovation program works to address the innovation sector’s biggest diversity opportunities by unlocking greater access to capital, professional relationships and career opportunities for women, Black and Latinx individuals. In this role, Ernest leads the expansion of SVB’s Access to Innovation program in broadening opportunities across SVB’s core businesses: Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities.
Ernest joins SVB after more than 10 years with JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she founded the wealth division of Advancing Black Pathways, a global initiative focused on bridging the racial wealth gap. In this role, Ernest’s team drove JPMorgan’s multibillion dollar commitment to racial equity, serving as a strategic advisor to senior management and community leaders on issues of economic opportunity for underserved communities.
Prior to leading the Wealth division of Advancing Black Pathways, Ernest led large-scale change management and transformation initiatives for JPMorgan in asset and wealth management, and investment banking. Before JPMorgan, she held roles at consulting firms Navigant, Capco and Accenture, specializing in post- merger and acquisition systems integration. Ernest graduated from the University of Reading in England with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management.
Ernest joins SVB after more than 10 years with JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she founded the wealth division of Advancing Black Pathways, a global initiative focused on bridging the racial wealth gap. In this role, Ernest’s team drove JPMorgan’s multibillion dollar commitment to racial equity, serving as a strategic advisor to senior management and community leaders on issues of economic opportunity for underserved communities.
Prior to leading the Wealth division of Advancing Black Pathways, Ernest led large-scale change management and transformation initiatives for JPMorgan in asset and wealth management, and investment banking. Before JPMorgan, she held roles at consulting firms Navigant, Capco and Accenture, specializing in post- merger and acquisition systems integration. Ernest graduated from the University of Reading in England with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management.
Julius Erving
Panel: Hall of Fame: Leveraging the Power of Your Brand

Julius Winfield Erving, internationally recognized as Dr. J, was the dominant basketball player of his era, and a true innovator who revolutionized the way the game was played. Widely heralded as one of the all- time greats, he is often considered to have been the catalyst for the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Erving’s strong leadership skills led his teams to championships in both leagues while his authentically thrilling high-flying style on the court captivated millions of fans from all over the world along the way. A gracious, dignified and disciplined man, Erving was an ideal ambassador of the sport. He was the epitome of class and humility, and no one was more respected both on and off the court. This is the essence of who is and what he still brings to any role he serves in.
Currently serving as Founder/Managing Member of Erving Global Opportunity LLC, Julius brings to the table close to 40 years of experience as a Hall of Fame player, executive and entrepreneur. Erving Global Opportunity (EGO) is engaged in managing the ownership, business development, commercial utilization, merchandising, television, film, social media and philanthropic involvement of the Julius “Dr. J“ Erving brand. Dating back to 1979, Mr. Erving’s business affiliations have generated close to 2.5 billion dollars in revenues and brand value for partners and other high profile clientele.
The overarching business model consists of leveraging the name, likeness and intellectual
property of Mr. Erving primarily through endorsements, personal appearances, strategic partnerships, equity participation and worldwide licensing programs.
Erving holds a degree in Business Management from The University of Massachusetts, as well as Honorary degrees from Temple University and Philadelphia University. He has served on various Boards of Directors including; Converse (6 years), Darden Group, (8 years) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (3 years), Meridian Bank (5 years), Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission (3 years), Saks Fifth Avenue (8 years), The Sports Authority (8 years), The University of Massachusetts (2 years), Widener University (1 year) and Williams Communications (4 years).
Erving played professionally for 16 years, having scored 30,026 points in his combined ABA and NBA career, and left as the third highest scorer in professional basketball at the time behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. Erving scored more than 22.0 points per game in his 11 NBA Seasons with Philadelphia and 28.7 points per game in his 5 ABA seasons with Virginia and New York. In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-time team. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. In 2017, GQ Magazine selected him as part of the 50 Greatest Living Athletes, a true testament to his staying power of remaining generationally relevant some 30 years after his playing career ended.
Currently serving as Founder/Managing Member of Erving Global Opportunity LLC, Julius brings to the table close to 40 years of experience as a Hall of Fame player, executive and entrepreneur. Erving Global Opportunity (EGO) is engaged in managing the ownership, business development, commercial utilization, merchandising, television, film, social media and philanthropic involvement of the Julius “Dr. J“ Erving brand. Dating back to 1979, Mr. Erving’s business affiliations have generated close to 2.5 billion dollars in revenues and brand value for partners and other high profile clientele.
The overarching business model consists of leveraging the name, likeness and intellectual
property of Mr. Erving primarily through endorsements, personal appearances, strategic partnerships, equity participation and worldwide licensing programs.
Erving holds a degree in Business Management from The University of Massachusetts, as well as Honorary degrees from Temple University and Philadelphia University. He has served on various Boards of Directors including; Converse (6 years), Darden Group, (8 years) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (3 years), Meridian Bank (5 years), Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission (3 years), Saks Fifth Avenue (8 years), The Sports Authority (8 years), The University of Massachusetts (2 years), Widener University (1 year) and Williams Communications (4 years).
Erving played professionally for 16 years, having scored 30,026 points in his combined ABA and NBA career, and left as the third highest scorer in professional basketball at the time behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. Erving scored more than 22.0 points per game in his 11 NBA Seasons with Philadelphia and 28.7 points per game in his 5 ABA seasons with Virginia and New York. In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-time team. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. In 2017, GQ Magazine selected him as part of the 50 Greatest Living Athletes, a true testament to his staying power of remaining generationally relevant some 30 years after his playing career ended.
Marty Flanagan, CFA®️, CPA
Panel: Creating Opportunities Through a New High Impact Fund For Minority-Owned Businesses

Marty Flanagan is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Invesco, a position he has held since August 2005. He is also a member of the Invesco Ltd. Board of Directors and serves as trustee and Vice Chair of the Invesco Funds.
Mr. Flanagan joined Invesco from Franklin Resources, Inc., where he was president and co-chief executive officer from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility at Franklin – co-president, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and senior vice president – from 1993 to 2003. Mr. Flanagan served as director, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. before its acquisition by Franklin in 1992. Before joining Templeton in 1983, he worked with Arthur Andersen & Co.
Mr. Flanagan serves as a trustee of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and as a member of the executive board at the SMU Cox School of Business. He is a member of the International Advisory Council of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. He serves as chair of Engage, an innovation platform bringing together Atlanta-based corporations to support startups. Mr. Flanagan sits on the executive council for the Metro Atlanta Chamber and served as the 2020 MAC chair. He serves as a board member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress and is a former ACP chair. He formerly served as chair, vice chair on the executive committee, and on the board of governors for the Investment Company Institute. Mr. Flanagan is a Chartered Financial Analyst®️ (CFA) charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He earned BA and BBA degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU).
Mr. Flanagan joined Invesco from Franklin Resources, Inc., where he was president and co-chief executive officer from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility at Franklin – co-president, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and senior vice president – from 1993 to 2003. Mr. Flanagan served as director, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. before its acquisition by Franklin in 1992. Before joining Templeton in 1983, he worked with Arthur Andersen & Co.
Mr. Flanagan serves as a trustee of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and as a member of the executive board at the SMU Cox School of Business. He is a member of the International Advisory Council of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. He serves as chair of Engage, an innovation platform bringing together Atlanta-based corporations to support startups. Mr. Flanagan sits on the executive council for the Metro Atlanta Chamber and served as the 2020 MAC chair. He serves as a board member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress and is a former ACP chair. He formerly served as chair, vice chair on the executive committee, and on the board of governors for the Investment Company Institute. Mr. Flanagan is a Chartered Financial Analyst®️ (CFA) charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He earned BA and BBA degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU).
Jeff Immelt joined NEA in 2018 as a Venture Partner working with innovative, growth companies in healthcare, industrial automation, clean tech and IoT. His primary focus is to help founders grow and win. He is the author of HOT SEAT, a memoir of leadership in times of crisis, and teaches a course on leading through disruption at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Jeff served as chairman and CEO of GE for 16 years where he revamped the company’s strategy, global footprint, workforce and culture. During his tenure, he led several innovative transformations that doubled industrial earnings, reshaped the portfolio, re-established market leadership, grew a strong share position in essential industries, and quadrupled emerging market revenue.
Jeff has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s. During his tenure as CEO, GE was named “America’s Most Admired Company” by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s Most Respected Companies” in polls by Barron’s and the Financial Times. He has received fifteen honorary degrees and numerous awards for business leadership and chaired the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness under the Obama administration.
Jeff earned a B.A. degree in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. He currently serves on the board for NEA portfolio companies: Collective Health, Radiology Partners, Tri Alpha Energy, and Transfix. In addition, he is on the public boards of Bloom Energy, Desktop Metal, Bright Health, Hennessy Capital V, and Twilio. He is also on the private board of Sila Nanotechnologies. Jeff is a member of The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He and his wife have one daughter.
Jeff served as chairman and CEO of GE for 16 years where he revamped the company’s strategy, global footprint, workforce and culture. During his tenure, he led several innovative transformations that doubled industrial earnings, reshaped the portfolio, re-established market leadership, grew a strong share position in essential industries, and quadrupled emerging market revenue.
Jeff has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s. During his tenure as CEO, GE was named “America’s Most Admired Company” by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s Most Respected Companies” in polls by Barron’s and the Financial Times. He has received fifteen honorary degrees and numerous awards for business leadership and chaired the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness under the Obama administration.
Jeff earned a B.A. degree in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. He currently serves on the board for NEA portfolio companies: Collective Health, Radiology Partners, Tri Alpha Energy, and Transfix. In addition, he is on the public boards of Bloom Energy, Desktop Metal, Bright Health, Hennessy Capital V, and Twilio. He is also on the private board of Sila Nanotechnologies. Jeff is a member of The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He and his wife have one daughter.
Jeff Immelt
Panel: Leading Through Difficult Financial Environments

Vanessa Larco
Panel: Leading Through Difficult Financial Environments

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. Vanessa has led investments in EvidentID, Cleo, Greenlight Card, Feather, and Lily AI. She is also a board observer at Robinhood and OmniSci.
Prior to joining NEA, she was the Director of Product Management at Box (NYSE: BOX) where she worked on building the next generation of productivity apps across web and mobile. Her passion for design and analytics stems from her experience in the gaming industry, which includes leading the Speech Recognition Experience team at Xbox Kinect v1, and building a top grossing gaming studio at Disney Social.
Vanessa holds a BS in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Prior to joining NEA, she was the Director of Product Management at Box (NYSE: BOX) where she worked on building the next generation of productivity apps across web and mobile. Her passion for design and analytics stems from her experience in the gaming industry, which includes leading the Speech Recognition Experience team at Xbox Kinect v1, and building a top grossing gaming studio at Disney Social.
Vanessa holds a BS in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Dennis Lockhart
Panel: A State of the Economy

Dennis Lockhart is the former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In that capacity he served on the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee. His tenure spanned the financial crisis, the Great Recession, and several years of recovery. He retired in 2017. He is currently a distinguished professor-of-the-practice in the Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. He also sits on several for-profit and non-profit boards. His earlier career comprised international and domestic banking, private equity investment, and teaching at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins.
Mandy Bynum
Mc Laughlin
Panel: The State of Black and Latinx VC's

Mandy is the Chief Executive Officer of BLCK VC, a 501(c)(3)n organization that equips Black investors with access, education, and community to accelerate their careers in venture capital. Mandy is also an entrepreneur, advisor, Board member, investor, and author. Before joining BLCK VC, Mandy Bynum served as CEO of Camp Equity, a nonprofit organization bringing together students of all backgrounds to learn and talk about social justice. She also consulted various tech companies implementing global Equity and Inclusion strategies. Before transitioning to CEO, Mandy spent over 12 years building sales teams for companies like Yelp, SurveyMonkey, and New Relic and experienced two large IPOs in the process.
Colin Meadows
Panel: Creating Opportunities Through a New High Impact Fund For Minority-Owned Businesses

Colin Meadows is a Managing Partner and co-founder of o15 Capital Partners, a minority-owned alternatives investment firm with a mission to provide growth capital to companies led by and serving underrepresented entrepreneurs and communities. Prior to o15, Colin was a Senior Managing Director with Invesco where he led several global businesses and functions including Head of Invesco Private Markets, Head of Invesco Global Institutional, Head of Invesco Digital Ventures, and Chief Administrative Officer. Colin also served as a director on the boards of Invesco Mortgage Capital (NYSE: IVR), Invesco’s publicly traded agency REIT, and Invesco Van Kampen closed-end funds.
Colin earned a BA degree in Economics and English Literature from Andrews University, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
Colin resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Zora and youngest son Hamilton. When he’s not spending time with his family or helping grow o15 Capital Partners, you’ll find him cheering on his favorite football teams the Las Vegas Raiders and University of Miami Hurricanes.
Colin earned a BA degree in Economics and English Literature from Andrews University, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
Colin resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Zora and youngest son Hamilton. When he’s not spending time with his family or helping grow o15 Capital Partners, you’ll find him cheering on his favorite football teams the Las Vegas Raiders and University of Miami Hurricanes.
Phyllis Newhouse
Panel: Hall of Fame: Leveraging the Power of Your Brand

Phyllis Newhouse is a serial entrepreneur and investor, retired military senior officer and mentor. She is CEO and Founder of ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp, Founder and CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc. (XSI), CEO of Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. and Founder of ShoulderUp, a 501c3.
In 2021, she founded ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by industry veterans seeking to merge with businesses in the technology and cybersecurity space.
In 2020, she also co-founded Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. Athena closed a $250 million IPO in March 2021, making it the only SPAC listed on the NYSE with an African American female CEO. The company announced in July 2021 it was taking concentrated solar power company, Heliogen, public in a $2 billion merger.
Newhouse is also the Founder of ShoulderUp, a nonprofit she founded alongside Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis. Dedicated to connecting and supporting women on their entrepreneurial journeys.
As a pioneer in cybersecurity and business, she is the first woman to win an Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in the technology category. She was admitted into the 2013 class of EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women, and in 2019 was inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of fame.Additionally, XSI received inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list in 2013 and 2014, and has been recognized as one of Women’s Presidents’ Organization’s (WPO) 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned Companies in the U.S. consecutively for the past seven years.
Passionate about women-led businesses, Newhouse teaches aspiring entrepreneurs to recognize and capitalize on their leadership skills and empowers others to operate in greatness. She has been featured in Today, Entrepreneur, Inc., CNBC, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar News, Bloomberg and more. She received her degree from John F. Kennedy University and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit phyllisnewhouse.com.
In 2021, she founded ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by industry veterans seeking to merge with businesses in the technology and cybersecurity space.
In 2020, she also co-founded Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. Athena closed a $250 million IPO in March 2021, making it the only SPAC listed on the NYSE with an African American female CEO. The company announced in July 2021 it was taking concentrated solar power company, Heliogen, public in a $2 billion merger.
Newhouse is also the Founder of ShoulderUp, a nonprofit she founded alongside Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis. Dedicated to connecting and supporting women on their entrepreneurial journeys.
As a pioneer in cybersecurity and business, she is the first woman to win an Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in the technology category. She was admitted into the 2013 class of EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women, and in 2019 was inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of fame.Additionally, XSI received inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list in 2013 and 2014, and has been recognized as one of Women’s Presidents’ Organization’s (WPO) 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned Companies in the U.S. consecutively for the past seven years.
Passionate about women-led businesses, Newhouse teaches aspiring entrepreneurs to recognize and capitalize on their leadership skills and empowers others to operate in greatness. She has been featured in Today, Entrepreneur, Inc., CNBC, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar News, Bloomberg and more. She received her degree from John F. Kennedy University and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit phyllisnewhouse.com.
Nicole North
Panel: The Talent Wars: How to Attract, Grow and Retain the World’s Best Employees

While Nicole joined Lightspeed in early 2019 to help lead the firm’s executive talent function, she’s been working closely with the Lightspeed team and portfolio for many years—from helping build transformational teams at enterprise companies like AppDynamics and Aerohive to consumer companies such as Rothy’s and Haus Beauty, to name a few.
Before Lightspeed, Nicole spent nearly a decade at executive search firm, SPMB, where she founded the firm’s dedicated consumer practice. It was an exciting opportunity given SPMB’s legacy of building the best enterprise organizations in the world, and a natural challenge for Nicole as she spent the first half of her career working for Korn Ferry International’s Consumer Digital practice. Lyft, Rent The Runway, Coinbase, Capital One, Instacart, Walker & Co., Yelp, Nerdwallet, and Oculus are just a few of the companies she’s successfully served throughout the years.
Nicole was a Regent’s Award Scholarship recipient at Seattle University where she received her bachelor’s degree in International Business and studied abroad at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Born in Brazil and a citizen of the United States, Brazil, and Portugal, Nicole has a deep appreciation and love for different cultures and spends most of her free time riding bikes or building train tracks and "LEGO everything" with her husband and two young children in Marin.
Before Lightspeed, Nicole spent nearly a decade at executive search firm, SPMB, where she founded the firm’s dedicated consumer practice. It was an exciting opportunity given SPMB’s legacy of building the best enterprise organizations in the world, and a natural challenge for Nicole as she spent the first half of her career working for Korn Ferry International’s Consumer Digital practice. Lyft, Rent The Runway, Coinbase, Capital One, Instacart, Walker & Co., Yelp, Nerdwallet, and Oculus are just a few of the companies she’s successfully served throughout the years.
Nicole was a Regent’s Award Scholarship recipient at Seattle University where she received her bachelor’s degree in International Business and studied abroad at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Born in Brazil and a citizen of the United States, Brazil, and Portugal, Nicole has a deep appreciation and love for different cultures and spends most of her free time riding bikes or building train tracks and "LEGO everything" with her husband and two young children in Marin.
Bill Nussey
Panel: The Next Trillion-Dollar Tech Disruption That Might Just Save the Planet: Climate Tech

Bill Nussey is a partner with the Engage and Tech Square Venture firms. He has spent most of his career as a tech CEO, helping lead several startups to successful exits including one IPO. He also worked at Greylock as a venture capitalist. After selling his marketing tech company Silverpop to IBM, he was promoted to VP Corp Strategy to help lead IBM’s global strategy for their CEO and SVPs.
Bill’s passion for climate technologies started with a TED talk which grew into the 1 podcast on renewable energy and most recently, a new book called Freeing Energy, which was the 1 new release in energy on Amazon. Bill has a degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bill’s passion for climate technologies started with a TED talk which grew into the 1 podcast on renewable energy and most recently, a new book called Freeing Energy, which was the 1 new release in energy on Amazon. Bill has a degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Sophie Purdom
Panel: The Next Trillion-Dollar Tech Disruption That Might Just Save the Planet: Climate Tech

Sophie Purdom invests in and supports early-stage climate technology founders and their companies. She is the Founder and General Partner of Planeteer Capital. She also writes Climate Tech VC, a newsletter with 30,000+ subscribers on climate and innovation. Prior, Sophie practiced sustainable business; first from the perspective of state and global policy, then at a major endowment, followed by a few years decking at Bain & Co., published a book on Sustainable Investing along the way, and founded an agricultural technology venture which has raised +$65m.
Rami Reyes
Panel: The State of Black and Latinx VC's

Rami Reyes is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at NextEquity Partners, a mid-stage venture firm founded by executives from Apple and Elevation Partners. Rami co-leads all investments at the firm, where he’s invested in leading companies, like SentinelOne, Masterclass, Ring, Bridg, and Arctic Wolf.
Previously, Rami was a principal at Elevation Partners, a Silicon Valley venture capital and private equity firm, where he worked on investments in leading companies, like Facebook, Marketshare, Sonos, and Airbnb.
Rami graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the Dean's Award for Excellence, the school's top graduation award.
In his spare time, Rami is very involved in giving back and co-founded LatinxVC, a non profit focused on getting more Latinos into venture, and the Leadership Council for the SEO Scholars San Francisco Scholars Program, which helps talented lower income San Francisco high school students get into and through college.
Previously, Rami was a principal at Elevation Partners, a Silicon Valley venture capital and private equity firm, where he worked on investments in leading companies, like Facebook, Marketshare, Sonos, and Airbnb.
Rami graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the Dean's Award for Excellence, the school's top graduation award.
In his spare time, Rami is very involved in giving back and co-founded LatinxVC, a non profit focused on getting more Latinos into venture, and the Leadership Council for the SEO Scholars San Francisco Scholars Program, which helps talented lower income San Francisco high school students get into and through college.
Katie Roof
Panel: A State of the Economy

Katie Roof is a reporter at Bloomberg News where she writes about tech and venture deals and appears on TV. Previously, she covered venture capital for the Wall Street Journal. Before that, she was at TechCrunch.
Jonathan Shieber
Panel: The Next Trillion-Dollar Tech Disruption That Might Just Save the Planet: Climate Tech

Jon Shieber is the chief editor and a venture partner at FootPrint Coalition Robert Downey Jr.'s initiative focused on accelerating solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and planetary restoration. For the last 15 years, he's covered climate tech investment for Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Shanghai.
Gabby Sirner-Cohen
Panel: The Talent Wars: How to Attract, Grow and Retain the World’s Best Employees

Gabby’s an HR leader passionate about creating great work environments, scaling culture and finding, growing, and keeping talented people. Many of Gabby’s philosophies were shaped by her time at Google, where she focused on building a culture of openness, autonomy, and transparency. She's used that experience to help organizations big and small build thriving cultures. Currently, Gabby is the Chief People Office for FullStory, where she has led its growth from 50 to 600+ employees.
Gabby has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. She lives in Atlanta with her husband Morris and sons Lev (7) and Aiden (4). A native NYer, she's on the quest for the best bagel in the ATL.
Gabby has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. She lives in Atlanta with her husband Morris and sons Lev (7) and Aiden (4). A native NYer, she's on the quest for the best bagel in the ATL.
Melissa Taunton
Panel: The Talent Wars: How to Attract, Grow and Retain the World’s Best Employees

Melissa works closely with founders and CEOs to build, develop, and retain best-in-class executive teams and boards. She designed the CEO leadership program, Invictus, to foster a community of NEA leaders who support one another and propagate best practices across the portfolio. Melissa brings broad operating experience from the technology and healthcare sectors, along with a passion for building relationships, to cultivate leaders who will build life-changing companies with global reach.
Melissa began her career in technology at Qualcomm (supply chain management), Hewlett Packard (global contract manufacturing strategy) and Netopia (strategic technology alliances). She then transitioned to healthcare as President of Drip Drop, Inc., building an oral-rehydration product and realizing her passion for improving human health through creative technology solutions. She joined Khosla Ventures as an Operating Partner before joining NEA as a Partner in 2015.
Melissa grew up in South Africa before coming to the United States to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of San Diego, where she earned her MBA. South Africa provided her with her guiding philosophy, Ubuntu, which recognizes that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye and that we rise by lifting others.
Melissa began her career in technology at Qualcomm (supply chain management), Hewlett Packard (global contract manufacturing strategy) and Netopia (strategic technology alliances). She then transitioned to healthcare as President of Drip Drop, Inc., building an oral-rehydration product and realizing her passion for improving human health through creative technology solutions. She joined Khosla Ventures as an Operating Partner before joining NEA as a Partner in 2015.
Melissa grew up in South Africa before coming to the United States to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of San Diego, where she earned her MBA. South Africa provided her with her guiding philosophy, Ubuntu, which recognizes that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye and that we rise by lifting others.