MuleSoft Was Recently Acquired by Salesforce in One of This Year’s Largest SaaS Exits; Mason Will Discuss Building and Selling Fast-Growth Companies

ATLANTA — September 25, 2018 — Venture Atlanta announced today that Ross Mason, founder of MuleSoft, provider of the leading platform for building application networks, will join an impressive lineup of previously announced speakers at this year’s premier technology investment conference set for October 16-17 in downtown Atlanta. In a fireside chat led by Kyle Porter, CEO of SalesLoft on the second day of the much-anticipated event, Mason will share lessons learned and what he considers to be the key factors for technology growth.

Other leaders scheduled to speak at this year’s Venture Atlanta include Frank Bisignano, CEO of First Data, and Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Former NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson and Dave Dewalt, CEO of FireEye, McAfee and Documentum will deliver the keynote addresses.

“As the embodiment of modern technology entrepreneurial success, Ross built MuleSoft to capitalize on the wave of digital disruption in the enterprise by enabling any system to interact with others like never before,” said Kyle Porter, CEO of SalesLoft and Venture Atlanta board member. “The lessons he’s learned as a founder going through the entire hyper-growth journey—from concept to iconic company to IPO to one of this year’s largest SaaS acquisitions —will be an incredible fit for this event."

Mason founded MuleSoft in 2006 based on the idea that connecting applications should be easy. The company provides one of the world's leading platforms for building application networks that connects any enterprise app, data and device across cloud and on-premises. MuleSoft was acquired by Salesforce in May 2018. Prior to MuleSoft, Mason served as CEO of SymphonySoft, an EU-based provider of services and support for large-scale integration projects. Earlier in his career, he was also the lead architect for Rabobank and worked with NatWest Bank, Credit Suisse and Swiss Re.

The fireside chat will kick off the second day of the two-day Venture Atlanta conference, taking place October 16-17 in the heart of downtown Atlanta. For eleven years, Venture Atlanta has been successfully connecting the Southeast’s best and brightest innovators with top-tier investors. Atlanta technology innovation hub Tech Square Labs is returning as the event’s premier sponsor. 

For more information or to register, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. Now in its 11th year as the region's largest investor showcase with over 900 attendees, Venture Atlanta connects the best and brightest entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.

MuleSoft is a registered trademark of MuleSoft, Inc., a Salesforce company. All other marks are those of respective owners.

Companies will share their solutions at the highly anticipated annual event credited with helping infuse the Southeast with over $2.6 billion in funding to date

ATLANTA – September 20, 2018 – Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier technology innovation and investor conference, announced today the 67 most promising technology companies that will be showcased during its annual event on October 16-17. Leaders from 33 venture and early stage companies will take the podium to pitch their businesses while 34 additional startups will share their visions as “companies to watch” during a dedicated networking event. Now in its 11th year, Venture Atlanta has earned a reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow’s cutting-edge technologies while helping to launch over 400 companies and secure over $2.6 billion in funding to date.

Taking place in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Venture Atlanta is expected to draw a sold-out crowd of over 900 technology entrepreneurs, premier investors and key executives from across the country with representation from over 150 funds. The conference features a stellar speaker lineup including former NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson and Dave DeWalt, former CEO of FireEye, McAfee and Documentum, as keynote speakers. TechSquare Labs will return as the event’s premier sponsor. Additionally, Techstars Atlanta will help kick off the conference on October 15 with its 2018 Demo Day, in partnership with Cox Enterprises.

“After pouring over hundreds of applications from promising companies, this year’s list of participating companies was the hardest yet to select.  From emerging technology startups to more established venture-stage companies, it is clear that tech innovation in our region is incredibly bright and strong,” said Ned Hill, managing director, technology banking at Square 1 Bank and also the Venture Atlanta 2018 company selection chair. “Also featuring iconic technology executive speakers and incomparable networking opportunities, this year’s conference promises to be a tremendous opportunity to forge new relationships in our tech community and to connect the people and capital needed to accelerate growth.”

Since its inception, Venture Atlanta has served as a launch pad for many of today’s successful technology companies, including Acculynk (acquired by First Data), Clearleap (acquired by IBM), Cloud Sherpas (acquired by Accenture), JouleX (acquired by Cisco), Kabbage, RazorInsights (acquired by Athena Health), Roadie, Rubicon, SalesLoft and Silverpop (acquired by IBM).

The following 33 companies have been chosen to present onstage at Venture Atlanta 2018:

Startup Showcase

In addition to the companies presenting onstage, Venture Atlanta will also include an expanded Startup Showcase featuring 34 companies that represent the most exciting emerging technologies in the Southeast. These innovators will be highlighted during the conference’s main networking event to provide “sneak peeks” into their plans and products. The companies include:

“Our inaugural year of the Venture Atlanta Startup Showcase in 2017 was a huge hit—so much so that in 2018, we’re doubling the size and increasing the networking opportunities to showcase even more of our region’s most innovative companies,” said Jason Ferguson, Atlanta district manager of Insperity, the sponsor of Venture Atlanta Startup Showcase. “We’re excited to support these carefully chosen 34 startups as they share their plans and vision as well as build the connections they need to fuel their future growth.”

Venture Atlanta 2018 is anticipated to be another sold-out event. To register, view the conference schedule or access more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org/conference.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, Georgia's technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the South's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 400 companies and raise over $2.6 billion in funding to date, Venture Atlanta connects local entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel 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 three leading Georgia business organizations: 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.

Discussion will focus on Atlanta’s position as national leader in global FinTech, opportunities for economic growth and innovation in Georgia

ATLANTA — August 27, 2018 — Venture Atlanta announced today that two of the city’s most esteemed business leaders, Frank Bisignano, CEO of First Data, and Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, will speak during this year’s Venture Atlanta conference to be held October 16-17 in downtown Atlanta. Bisignano and Moddelmog will share the stage during a much-anticipated fireside chat to discuss economic growth and innovation opportunities related to Atlanta’s thriving FinTech industry.

According to the Technology Association of Georgia’s 2018 FinTech Report, the FinTech community is a key driver of the state’s economy with the top 20 Georgia-based FinTechs generating an estimated $72 billion in annual revenue. To this end, over 57.7 billion U.S. purchase transactions, roughly two-thirds of the nation’s total volume, are processed by Georgia-based acquirers. Recognized nationally as a leading entrepreneurial and technology conference, Venture Atlanta has served as a launch pad for numerous Georgia-based FinTech startups and continues to support the surge in FinTech as more entrepreneurs look to leverage innovative technologies amid the sector’s growth.

“With Georgia-based FinTech solutions continuing to power the global economy, we’re thrilled to bring these two amazing leaders together on the Venture Atlanta stage,” said David Hartnett, chief economic development officer for the Metro Atlanta Chamber and one of the founding partners of Venture Atlanta. “Frank and Hala will take part in an engaging discussion on how Atlanta has become the sector’s cornerstone as well as what it will take to cement its status as the global capital of FinTech.”

About Frank Bisignano

Frank Bisignano joined First Data as CEO in 2013 and became chairman of its board in 2014. Under Bisignano, First Data enables commerce through technology and solutions for merchants and financial institutions around the world including more than 6 million merchant locations, over 4,000 card issuers and millions of consumers. Bisignano is credited with transforming the 46-year-old company into a 21st Century technology innovator, industry collaborator and commerce enabler. In June 2014, First Data announced a historic $3.5 billion private placement of equity which was followed in 2015 by the largest U.S. initial public offering (IPO) of that year at $2.6 billion.

Prior to First Data, Bisignano was the co-chief operating officer for J.P. Morgan Chase as well as CEO of its mortgage banking unit. His career also includes roles at Citigroup and First Fidelity Bank. Bisignano is a member of the board of directors of Humana, Inc. He serves on the boards of the Partnership for New York City, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, the Mount Sinai Health System, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the Metro Atlanta Chamber and The Commerce Club of Atlanta.

About Hala Moddelmog

A business and civic leader with more than 20 years in executive leadership roles, Hala Moddelmog is the first female president and CEO of the nearly 160-year-old Metro Atlanta Chamber where she works on behalf of Fortune 500 companies and small and medium-sized enterprises in the country’s ninth largest metro region. She also serves as a board member of several blue-chip nonprofit organizations and as a corporate director for two NYSE companies, FLEETCOR Technologies and Lamb Weston. Among her achievements prior to joining the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Moddelmog was president of Arby’s Restaurant Group, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the first woman to lead an international restaurant company as president of Church’s Chicken.

Moddelmog serves on nonprofit boards for Georgia Public Broadcasting, the Woodruff Arts Center and Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. She is also a co-chair for 2017-2019 for the Alliance Theatre.

Bisignano and Moddelmog’s fireside chat will close the first day of the Venture Atlanta 2018 conference on Tuesday, October 16.

Venture Atlanta showcases the most promising technology companies located in Georgia and its expanded footprint of Texas to Washington, D.C., that are at both early and later stages and seeking to raise capital in the next 12 to 18 months. For more information or to register, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference and technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies connect with the country's top-tier investors, partners and customers. Recognized as the region's largest investor showcase with over 900 attendees and now in its 11th year, Venture Atlanta delivers an opportunity for the best and brightest entrepreneurs to get their businesses and products in front of leading local, regional and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital and make the connections they need to grow their businesses. In operation for over a decade, the annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.

ATLANTA — July 12, 2018 — Venture Atlanta announced today that Zach Nelson, former CEO of NetSuite and one of the most successful software CEOs in Silicon Valley history, will be a featured keynote at this year’s Venture Atlanta conference. Now in its 11th year, Venture Atlanta is widely considered one of the top technology entrepreneurial and investment events in the Southeast.

Currently an active and successful investor in the technology, media, entertainment and hospitality sectors, Nelson’s expertise runs the gamut from startups to IPOs to venture investment. During his tenure at NetSuite, the company grew from a start-up with annual sales of $1 million to revenue of $1 billion in 2017 with a global customer base of some 24,000 mid-size and enterprise companies and 5,000 employees. NetSuite was ultimately acquired by Oracle for $9.3 billion, making it the largest SAAS acquisition in history and the third largest software company acquisition by enterprise value in the industry.

“With Zach’s long tenure of successful leadership at NetSuite, he is sure to offer valuable insights and inspiration at this year’s event,” said Mike Becker, 2018 chairman of Venture Atlanta and managing director of Vocap Investment Partners. “Considering his passion for entrepreneurship, we’re especially pleased to welcome Zach to this year’s Venture Atlanta conference and look forward to what will be a uniquely engaging keynote address.”

In April 2018, Venture Atlanta also announced Dave DeWalt as the conference’s opening keynote speaker. DeWalt is managing director of AllegisCyber and former CEO of FireEye and McAfee. DeWalt and Nelson join an impressive roster of top-level Venture Atlanta speakers over the last several years, including:

Nelson’s keynote address will close the Venture Atlanta conference on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

Now accepting applications for companies to take the stage and present, the 111h annual Venture Atlanta has relocated to a larger venue to accommodate more attendees and has also expanded its company showcase as it continues to successfully connect the Southeast’s best and brightest innovators with top-tier investors. This year’s conference will take place October 16-17 in the heart of downtown Atlanta at the Southern Exchange at 200 Peachtree. Atlanta technology innovation hub Tech Square Labs is returning as the event’s premier sponsor.

Venture Atlanta showcases the most promising technology companies located in Georgia and its expanded footprint of Texas to Washington, D.C., that are at both early and later stages and seeking to raise capital in the next 12 to 18 months. For more information or to register, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org/register/.

 

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference and technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies connect with the country's top-tier investors, partners and customers. Recognized as the region's largest investor showcase with over 900 attendees and now in its 11th year, Venture Atlanta delivers an opportunity for the best and brightest entrepreneurs to get their businesses and products in front of leading local, regional and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital and make the connections they need to grow their businesses. In operation for over a decade, the annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.

Venture Atlanta is proud to announce that brrrº is the first company to be selected to present on the Venture Atlanta 2018 stage. A textile technology startup in Atlanta, brrrº  was founded by Mary-Cathryn Kolb, who secured the company's spot on the Venture Atlanta stage as a part of the prize for winning today’s launchpad2X pitch competition.

Launchpad2X was created by Bernie Dixon to empower the female entrepreneurship community. Bernie has been on a mission to close the gender gap when it comes to venture capital funding, and in partnership with Venture Atlanta, she launched today’s pitch competition for women-owned businesses. We’re proud to award Mary-Cathryn and the rest of the brrrº team this opportunity to step into the spotlight at Venture Atlanta.

After the event, we sat down with Mary-Cathryn to hear about her experience as a female entrepreneur, starting and growing brrrº, and being a part of the launchpad2X and Venture Atlanta community.

What was the inspiration for brrrº, and what was the “aha” moment where you felt this could be a successful business concept?

I’ve always been passionate about fashion, and my previous work experience was in the fashion industry. But I’ve also always had a creative and inventive mind and an interest in technology. When I saw that there was an opportunity to have a career that married the two, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

In terms of the “aha” moment, this goes back to my first few roles. I was either a founder or an early hire at each of my previous jobs. When you’re one of the first members of a company, you automatically assume a client-facing role, and when speaking with these customers, I learned a lot about what they need and expect from their clothing.

This led me to the cooling concept. It at first appeared to be a very saturated market — a lot of companies claim to do cooling but their fabrics really just whisk away moisture. There wasn’t anything out there that offered a “true” cooling technology. When I saw the demand for it, I decided I was going to be the one to satisfy the need by introducing a technology that authentically disrupted the market.

Presenting company

How were you introduced to launchpad2X and Venture Atlanta?

When I first came to Atlanta, I was introduced to Bernie through a mutual friend. Launchpad2X is an incredible organization to be a part of, and basically, everything good that has happened to my company somehow ties back to them. In fact, it was through launchpad2X that I met Allyson - Executive Director of Venture Atlanta. She encouraged me to apply for the showcase at last year’s conference and it was such a great experience. I received the funding that I needed, and now I’m able to pitch on stage at this year’s event. It’s just amazing.

Historically, we’ve received very few company applications from female leaders for Venture Atlanta. What would you say to encourage other female entrepreneurs to put themselves out there?

Do it. Even if you don’t feel 100% ready, you just have to go for it. There’s so much help available. Plus, the entrepreneurial community is especially good about paying it forward, with people who have gone through every phase of the journey always willing to lend a hand to those who are just beginning thiers.

LaunchPad2X from Kellie Taylor on Vimeo.

Register today for Venture Atlanta 2018 to see brrrº and other top emerging tech companies of the southeast. Interested in getting your company on Venture Atlanta stage or presenting in the Showcase? Apply here.

Southeast’s Rising Tech Stars Connect with Hundreds of Top National Investors, Partners and Customers to Raise Capital and Fuel Business Growth

ATLANTA – May 10, 2018 – Venture Atlanta, the premier investor showcase in the Southeast, today announced it has opened its 2018 call for companies. The announcement is an invitation to the region’s top innovative tech companies to once again vie for the chance to take the stage in October, engage with key players in funding and the tech ecosystem and join the ranks of highly successful Venture Atlanta alumni. Venture Atlanta has been connecting companies to capital, customers and partners for over a decade with presenting companies having collectively raised over $2.5 billion and garnered over $14 billion in exits.

“This year we are focused on showcasing even more innovative companies throughout the Southeast, creating unique opportunities for them to jump into the spotlight, network and be discovered by top-tier investors,” said Paul Iaffaldano, managing director of BIP Capital and a Venture Atlanta board member. “Venture Atlanta has truly become a foundation of the tech ecosystem in a region that is experiencing a whole new wave of innovation and growth. Last year alone we witnessed dozens of companies funded as a result of the exposure and connections made at the conference.”
The two-day conference will take place October 16-17 at a new, larger venue, the Southern Exchange at 200 Peachtree in Atlanta, to accommodate a historically sold-out crowd. This year’s event features two opportunities for tech companies to step into the spotlight:

Venture Atlanta Presenting Company: This includes the opportunity to present on the main stage to over 900 attendees, including over 200 investors and hundreds of business leaders representing the entire technology ecosystem. Presenting companies also receive valuable coaching and training, opportunities to set up one-on-one meetings with local and national venture funds, marketing counsel and exposure and access to exclusive events.

Venture Atlanta Showcase Company: Part of a new, annual showcase event, Venture Atlanta will select over 30 earlier stage start-ups to be featured as Showcase Companies during the events’ cocktail party on October 16. These companies will receive a dedicated tabletop in the main networking hall and valuable face time with attendees in a relaxed, casual setting as well as marketing exposure.

Venture Atlanta has an impressive roster of alumni companies that have launched on its stage, including Acculynk (acquired by First Data), BitPay, Car360 (acquired by Carvana), ClearLeap (acquired by IBM), CloudSherpas (acquired by Accenture), Joulex (acquired by Cisco), Kabbage, Parkmobile, Razor Insights (acquired by Athena Health), Roadie, Rubicon, SalesLoft, Terminus, Silverpop (acquired by IBM) and many others.

How to Apply
Early-stage and high-growth technology companies located in Georgia or the expanded footprint of Texas to Washington, D.C., that are seeking to raise capital in the next 12 to 18 months are encouraged to apply. There are no fees to apply and chosen presenters will attend the conference free of charge. To be considered, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org/companies/ to learn more and apply. All submissions must be received by Friday, August 3, 2018.

About Venture Atlanta
Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. Now in its 11th year as the region's largest investor showcase with over 900 attendees, Venture Atlanta connects the best and brightest entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org, join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter or visit our blog.

Last week news broke of Carvana’s acquisition of local Atlanta company Car360. We sat down with Car360 Co-founder, Rebecca Francois, and Car360 President and CEO, John Hanger, to learn more about their road to success. This story is truly one for the history books.

Bruno and Rebecca Francois are spouses and business partners who first began working together at Bruno’s brother’s company. Rebecca says that they were especially thankful for this experience because they learned how their work styles and skills complemented each other. Bruno, the tech guy with the creative mind, was always dreaming up new ideas. Rebecca, on the other hand, had the wit, grit, and natural sales abilities to discover new opportunities for the business.

Over the years, Bruno had many “eureka moments” and promising ideas. Hoping to ride the coattails of the selfie’s rising popularity, Bruno created an app that - with its 360-degree photo taking abilities - would enhance the selfie-taking experience. This consumer app became known as Cycloramic.

The first major breakthrough for Bruno and Rebecca came when they landed on a spot on Shark Tank, and Mark Cuban decided to invest in the company. The money and the exposure helped propel the company forward, and Cycloramic became a top-selling app in the app store for quite some time. However, the couple quickly learned how difficult it is to maintain app popularity and, most importantly, revenue. They saw an opportunity to leverage the technology in a new way, and Car360 was born.

Bruno was ready to present the technology in its new light, and the Venture Atlanta stage was the perfect place to do it. Presenters at Venture Atlanta have the opportunity to go through pitch practice and have their presentations critiqued by innovation leaders and investors. It’s worth mentioning that one of the judges who helped critique Bruno’s presentation went on to become an investor in the company. That’s not all that Venture Atlanta 2016 had in store for Car360, though.

Introducing John Hanger. A Venture Atlanta regular, John had been involved in starting and growing five software companies and had even presented at Venture Atlanta previously. In 2016, however, he was attending as an angel investor after just departing the company that acquired his previous company, Contact At Once!. He listened to Bruno’s presentation and, having spent the last decade selling software solutions to the automotive retail industry, saw potential. Learning more from Bruno, he came to realize that Car360 had great technology but was in trouble - they needed cash and leadership. John decided to invest in a bridge round, with Mark Cuban agreeing to match his investment. Three months later, with John on board as CEO, the company was able to raise a $3.55m A-round. Again, Car360 was catapulted forward.

While Bruno raised capital, Rebecca looked for new sales opportunities. She was familiar with Carvana and had been vehemently trying to prospect them. As determined salespeople do, she tried a number of different email combinations for Carvana CEO, Ernie Garcia. To her surprise, she ended up connecting with Ernie’s father - also named Ernie Garcia. He read the email and thought Car360 would be a great match for Carvana, so he put a bug in his son’s ear. This helped put Car360’s on Ernie’s radar, but weeks passed, and nothing came to fruition.

This brings us to Venture Atlanta 2017. As luck would have it, both Mark and Ernie were keynote speakers at the conference. Finally, Rebecca had a chance to meet with Ernie face to face. She convinced him to listen to her sales pitch and connected him with Bruno. After a 5 minute demo, Ernie fell in love the product - so much so that he didn’t just want to buy from Car360 but rather he wanted to acquire Car360. The rest is history.

Words of Wisdom from the Car360 Team

If you had to share an interesting takeaway from this experience, what would it be?

John: “You can’t build a company with the intention to sell it. Focus on building a strong, stand-alone company. If a suitor comes along who can take your company to the next level - it’s because of the hard work that you put in the first place.”

Rebecca: “Bruno and I started working together for my brother-in-law. When we left to start what would become Car360, we were leaving a comfortable job and a secure position at a family business in exchange for the unknown. The journey has been both really difficult and really exciting. I can definitely say, however, that the highs have outweighed the lows.”

What does Venture Atlanta mean to you and the rest of the tech community?

John: “Attending Venture Atlanta is a no-brainer. It’s a chance to get your company in front of hundreds of investors. But beyond that - it’s a chance to get your company in front of people in the tech community who can help you. It’s a great place to make connections that you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to make. This is true if you’re an entrepreneur or if you’re an investor. It’s also a great learning opportunity for those going through the process of raising money for the first time. You get to experience delivering your pitch, receiving feedback, polishing it, and then getting that final validation.”

Rebecca: “Venture Atlanta has a strong presence in the tech community. It’s the topic of many conversations at the Atlanta Tech Village. Everyone wants to go to Venture Atlanta, and everyone knows how much it can propel your company. We were very lucky to have been selected to present.”

Top Silicon Valley CEO of FireEye, McAfee and Documentum to Share Insights on Building Top Tech Companies

ATLANTA — April 12, 2018 — With online registration now open for the Southeast’s premier venture conference, Venture Atlanta announced today that Dave DeWalt will deliver the opening keynote at this year’s conference.

DeWalt is a Silicon Valley-based cyber security icon having lead innovative software companies such as FireEye and McAfee, resulting in billions in new revenue and thousands of new jobs. DeWalt is currently managing director of AllegisCyber as well as a director of various corporate boards including Delta Airlines, ForgeRock, ForeScout and PhantomCyber. In addition, DeWalt regularly advises government and corporate leaders on matters related to cyber security, technology and strategy.

“Dave is one of our country’s most accomplished leaders in software and cyber security,” said Alex Estevez, chair of the speaker committee for the Venture Atlanta board and venture partner with Accel Partners. “As such, we are pleased to have him kick off this 2018 conference and we look forward to Dave’s guidance for the future success of entrepreneurs and investors in the Southeast.”

DeWalt joins an impressive roster of top-level Venture Atlanta speakers over the last two years, including the following:

Mark Cuban - owner, Dallas Mavericks, chairman and CEO of AXS TV and one of the “sharks” on ABC’s hit show, Shark Tank
Scott Dorsey - CEO, ExactTarget (sold to Salesforce.com for $2.5B)
Brad Feld - founder, Foundry Group
Ernie Garcia - CEO, Carvana (startup to IPO to $3B+ market cap)
John Marshall - CEO, AirWatch (sold to VMWare for $1.5B)
Tom Noonan - CEO, ISS (sold to IBM for $1.3B)
Jay Simons - president, Atlassian (startup to IPO to $12B+ market cap)
Jeff Sprecher - chairman, NYSE / CEO, Intercontinental
Ted Schlein - general partner, Kleiner Perkins
Rich Wong - general partner, Accel

DeWalt’s keynote address will open the Venture Atlanta conference on Tuesday morning, October 16, 2018. The 111h annual Venture Atlanta has relocated to a larger venue to accommodate more attendees and has also expanded its company showcase as it continues to successfully connect the Southeast’s best and brightest innovators with top-tier investors. This year’s conference will take place October 16-17 in the heart of downtown Atlanta at the Southern Exchange at 200 Peachtree. Atlanta technology innovation hub Tech Square Labs is returning as the event’s premier sponsor.

Venture Atlanta showcases the most promising technology companies located in Georgia and its expanded footprint of Texas to Washington, D.C., that are at both early and later stages and seeking to raise capital in the next 12 to 18 months. For more information or to register, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. Now in its 11th year as the region's largest investor showcase with over 900 attendees, Venture Atlanta connects the best and brightest entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.

Think about your job, your leisure activities, your commute, your workouts, your dating life, and your home. What brands, products, tech innovations etc. are a part of your usual routines? Now consider how many of these didn’t exist a decade ago.

 

To most, this list is entertaining.

To entrepreneurs, this list is inspiring.

 

It puts into perspective how much our world can change in a decade. It shows how a new way of thinking can disrupt even the most impenetrable industries. It’s proof that consumer preferences can transform right before our eyes. Venture Atlanta brings together innovative minds from all over the southeast and gives them a chance to turn their ideas into revolutionary businesses.

 

To Venture Atlanta, this list is why we do what we do.

 

  1. 4G – 2009
  2. 5G - 2019
  3. Amazon Alexa – 2014
  4. Apple AirPods - 2016
  5. Apple Watch – 2015
  6. Birchbox – 2010
  7. Bird - 2013
  8. Blue Apron – 2012
  9. Consumer drones - 2013
  10. Cryptocurrency – 2009
  11. FaceTime - 2010
  12. FanDuel – 2009
  13. Google Drive – 2012
  14. Google Hangouts – 2013
  15. GoFundMe - 2010
  16. Instagram – 2010
  17. iPad – 2010
  18. Kickstarter – 2009
  19. Medium – 2012
  20. Minecraft - 2009
  21. Nest Thermostat (now Google Nest) - 2010
  22. Oculus – 2012
  23. Pinterest – 2010
  24. Postmates – 2011
  25. Ring - 2012
  26. Robinhood - 2013
  27. Siri – 2011
  28. Slack – 2009
  29. Snapchat – 2011
  30. Soylent – 2013
  31. Square – 2009
  32. Stripe - 2009
  33. Tinder – 2012
  34. Uber – 2009
  35. Venmo – 2009
  36. WeWork – 2010
  37. WhatsApp – 2009

 

What others would you add to this list? Comment below, or tweet us at @VentureAtlanta with more ideas!

When you’re starting a new business, aligning your people with your business goals is a critical piece of making your company successful.

Here are seven people strategies to help your startup prosper.

1. Create an authentic culture

As soon as you can, establish your company culture. Every successful business is built on a positive and consistent company culture. It’s the foundation that your business stands on so it can’t be left to chance.

Your culture is born from your company’s values and beliefs. What's important to you? How do you want your employees to feel when they walk in the door?

For example, are you an innovator? A customer-first organization? Or, is safety a first priority?

2. Establish a meaningful mission

Go ahead and write down what your company culture expectations are by establishing your mission, vision and values. This will give you and your employees something to look to when making business decisions and prioritizing projects. It will help keep everyone on the same page.

You must commit to upholding these guiding values and principles as a leader. Your employees look to you and your leadership team to demonstrate your mission, vision and values each day.

3. Uncover and develop your next generation of leaders

From executives to supervisors, compelling companies have compelling leaders.

Are you also developing your employees to be leaders? Do you have confidence in your people and their ability to lead, should that opportunity arise? Or, say you have employees with leadership potential – how are you best using their talents?

Carefully consider how you could be developing your managers and your employees. Development can include anything from training to mentoring to hands-on experience.

4. Fuel your growth with the right team

To fill your company with employees who will align with your mission and thrive in your work environment, culture-based recruiting will give you an edge. You want a productive workforce and a team with a vested interest in the success of your business.

To get an idea of whether a candidate is the right fit, behavioral-based interviewing is a must. Ask candidates how they handle different scenarios.

For example:

Don’t just try to get a job filled. Look for people who demonstrate that they can align with your company’s mission, vision and values.

5. Set a positive tone from day one

As a startup, you may have to sell prospective employees on the viability of your business as much as they need to sell themselves to you. At the end of the day, it takes more than good pay and benefits to win candidates over.

Your recruiting, hiring and onboarding efforts will set the tone for the employment relationship. Examine your job descriptions. Be specific about skills, education and other requirements for the position, so candidates understand the jobs they’re being hired to perform.

Your goal is building trust, loyalty and a long and happy employment relationship.

6. Boost productivity with regular performance reviews

Want to motivate and grow employees while boosting your bottom line? Measuring, tracking and rewarding employee performance can do just that.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Make sure to tie goals to rewards and recognition. While employees do value raises and bonuses, also consider alternative motivators, like performance-based promotions, increased or preferred job duties, training opportunities and increased leadership.

7. Gain traction with training

Can you offer more training to help employees boost their skill levels?

Training provides your employees with required skills, develops a diverse workforce and promotes the importance of employment compliance. A good development plan will provide a competitive advantage, reduce absenteeism and turnover, and increase productivity and revenue.

Your training can include anything from job shadowing to mentorship to participating in formal training, workshops or conferences. Build development plans specific to each employee.

Want more HR advice?

To learn more about Insperity® and how we can help you reach your vision, visit insperity.com.