Meet Venture Atlanta

Jack Semrau is a seasoned engineer turned investor and today leads the Atlanta Venture Ecosystem at Cox Enterprises overseeing investments in several funds, accelerators, programs, and community partnerships in Atlanta. He also serves as an investor for Cox's venture fund, Socium Ventures, investing in growth stage businesses with his domains covering frontier technologies. He serves as a board member on several non-profit organizations in Atlanta and private companies Socium is invested in. He previously led venture strategy at Delta Air Lines and led defense focused projects in prior roles. He holds an MBA from Emory University and a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech.

Joey Womack’s goal is to positively impact 1 billion people by the year 2039. Part super-connector, part startup coach, he is the Founder/CEO of Goodie Nation, a national support nonprofit that is closing the relationship gap for tech-focused social entrepreneurs and diverse founders, and the Founder/CEO of Amplify 4 Good, a mission-driven agency that uses rapid problem-solving to help large companies, nonprofits, and government agencies create social impact. Since starting this journey in 2014, he’s on pace to reach this goal by working with the likes of CARE USA, Google, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, Google For Startups, United Negro College Fund, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Village Capital, and the White House HBCU Initiative. Joey is also the Co-Founder of the Atlanta Black Tech initiative where he serves as the Lead for the Startups and K-12 divisions.

Evident as a Hive Global Leader, Inaugural White House Demo Day Invitee, and Outstanding Atlanta Alumnus, he has received the Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) Diversity in Tech Game Changer Award for Community Engagement and Equity Champion Award by Startup Atlanta, named one of the Top 10 social entrepreneurs in Atlanta by Hypepotamus, featured in McDonald’s Black Your Story campaign, recognized by PepsiCo as a Champion For Change and Atlanta Magazine as part of the Atlanta 500, and listed by Huffington Post as one of the Top 20 Innovators in the Atlanta Tech Startup Scene. Currently, he serves on the boards for Startup Atlanta, Venture Atlanta, and the Georgia Social Impact Collaborative as well as advisory boards SXSW and SOCAP’s Spectrum Conference.

A “Rebel with a Cause” at the leading edge of change, Joey was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug in 2002 when he launched digitalguestlist.com as a graduate student at Florida A&M University. He grew the site to 80,000 users, and advertised thousands of events for Fortune 500 companies, agencies, and high-profile promoters during special events like NBA All-Star Weekend, Super Bowl Weekend, and Essence Music Festival. He also used forward-thinking digital marketing strategies to execute events in the Southeast for well known brands such as Crown Royal & Warner Bros.

Joey received his MBA from Florida A&M University in the Spring of 2003, where he was also initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc. He has been named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Alumni and received an Outstanding Alumni during FAMU’s Quasquicentennial (125th) Anniversary Celebration.

Allyson Eman has more than 30 years of marketing, communications, sales leadership, and business development experience. In 2007, Allyson took on the role of Executive Director for the newly created Venture Atlanta annual conference. Allyson has worked with key business leaders across the country and founding organizations Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta CEO Council, and Technology Association of Georgia to build Venture Atlanta.

In 2020, Eman was promoted to CEO. The conference is now in its to seventeenth year and has become the largest venture capital conference in the Southeast with over 1,500 attendees including venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and senior business executives. Venture Atlanta’s primary mission is to connect companies with capital and it has helped emerging technology companies raise over $7.7B to facilitate growth.

Prior to joining Venture Atlanta, Allyson was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for SouthStar Funding, a wholesale mortgage lender headquartered in Atlanta. During her nine-year tenure with the firm, she helped the company grow from eight employees to 800 with 30 nationwide offices. SouthStar Funding grew to be one of the most reputable, respected, and trusted wholesale mortgage lenders in the country under Allyson’s leadership. Prior to joining SouthStar, Allyson worked for SouthTrust Bank as a branch marketing manager overseeing the marketing platform for 100 branches across Georgia.

Allyson received a BS from the University of Florida and resides in Marietta with her husband and two children.

Lexie Newhouse is the Program Director at Venture Atlanta, focusing on event excellence, program and content support, marketing communications, and relationship management.

Previously, Lexie served as a Program Director for Boomtown Innovation, an innovation services consultancy that has executed 25 programs, co-invested in nearly 250 startups, and achieved a portfolio value of $1.9B+ since 2013. In this role, she supported the operational design and delivery of innovation and entrepreneurship programming for founders, corporates, and ecosystem partners.

Lexie also spent several years at Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s economic development authority, most recently as an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program Manager. There, she championed entrepreneurship-led economic development through innovation policy, workforce training initiatives, and the deployment of non-dilutive funding programs supporting startups and small businesses.

Earlier in her career, Lexie was part of the founding team of Georgia State University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute and the Main Street Entrepreneurship Seed Fund Program, providing event management, marketing, design, and social media support.

Actively involved in her community, Lexie serves on the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the Startup Atlanta Board of Directors, while also advocating as a Right to Start Ambassador. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Media Entrepreneurship from Georgia State University and professional certifications in Event Management from Georgia State University and Entrepreneurship Center Management from the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA).

Mike Dowdle is an entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years of experience in startup, venture-backed, and publicly traded companies. He is the founding partner of Circadian Ventures, an early-stage fund formed in 2020 with 13 investments across a variety of tech and tech enabled businesses.

Through his company, Circadian Group, Mike has managed a syndicate of investors making investments in 12 early-stage technology companies since 2016.

Previously, Mike co-founded CPO Commerce, a leading online retailer of tools, equipment, and home goods that was acquired in 2014 by United Stationers (now Staples). He additionally founded an interactive agency that was acquired in 1997 by iXL Enterprises where he was on the executive team taking the company public in 1999. Mike was the co-founder of iXL Ventures, a corporate venture group.

He earned his BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recently completed serving as Board Chairman at Catholic Charities Atlanta.

Elizabeth Stephens joined NMP as a Vice President in January 2020. She supports the firm’s investments in information technology and healthcare companies. Elizabeth currently serves as a board observer for Ekos and Whitebox.

Prior to joining NMP, Elizabeth served as a Consultant and Case Team Leader at Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, primarily working on business transformations within the technology and telecommunications industries. Elizabeth also previously worked as an Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Transfer Pricing group, primarily serving clients in the healthcare industry.

Elizabeth received a BS in Engineering and Economics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the Darden School of Management at the University of Virginia.

Rich is a Partner at Knoll Ventures, an Atlanta-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in pre-Series A technology businesses focused on B2B markets. He has been active in the southeastern technology ecosystem for more than 10 years and is currently involved with investments in Belongly, Brightwell, ConverseNow, Daupler, Fetch Trucks, Freede, Lendflow, Repvue, and VoApps, amongst others. In addition, Rich serves in leadership and mentorship positions with multiple local technology organizations.

Dr. Loretta Daniels, executive director of the Technology Association of Georgia's TAG Education Collaborative and CEO and Managing Partner at Kendall & Kendrick Consulting Group, is an expert in organizational leadership, artificial intelligence–enabled leadership, DEI, conflict management, communication, and executive leadership coaching. She specializes in helping organizations navigate cultural transformation, leadership effectiveness, and workforce readiness in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

As an executive leader in the corporate arena, Dr. Daniels has served in senior leadership roles including Chief Operations Officer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director of Sales Operations, and General Manager. Her executive experience spans strategic growth, organizational change, and talent development. She is also the author of corporate training manuals Leading by Example and Fast Track to Excellence, which focus on leadership accountability, performance, and organizational culture.

As the former Executive Director of Corporate Relations at Kennesaw State University (KSU), Dr. Daniels partnered with medium and large organizations to define and deliver leadership growth and workforce development certificate programs aligned with organizational vision, business objectives, and evolving workforce demands. In this role, she worked closely with industry leaders to integrate leadership development, digital transformation, and data-informed decision-making into executive education programs.
Dr. Daniels has partnered extensively with C-suite leaders and HR executives to assess leadership development goals, identify skills gaps, implement cultural and workplace initiatives, and advance gender pay equity and equitable hiring practices. Her advisory work increasingly focuses on how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership roles, decision-making processes, organizational structures, and workforce strategy. She has advised executive teams—including Presidents, Chief Diversity Officers, and senior leadership councils—on aligning DEI strategies with AI adoption, ethical leadership, and organizational resilience. She also served as Co-Chair of the University Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Presidential Commission on Gender & Work-Life Issues, contributing to institution-wide policy and cultural change.

An adjunct instructor of Leadership at KSU since 2002, Dr. Daniels has delivered both in-class and online instruction designed to help students apply leadership fundamentals to real-world organizational challenges. Courses taught include Corporate Communication and Conflict Resolution, Human Communication, Public Speaking, Writing for Public Communication, and Foundations of Leadership. Her teaching and curriculum development increasingly emphasize AI-informed leadership, critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and the human skills required to lead alongside intelligent systems. She also designed the Coursera Specialty Certificate Leadership Out the Box, expanding access to modern leadership education.

Dr. Daniels holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organizational Leadership from Johnson University, a Master of Science (MS) in Conflict Management, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication from Bradley University, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Kennesaw State University. She is a Certified Diversity Professional and the author of For Women Only, Women Mean Business (J & W Publishers, 1992) and Unlock Your Success: A Comprehensive Guide for Starting a Successful Business (J & W Publishers, 2006).

Her most recent book, Organizational Leadership, published by SAGE Publications and released in Fall 2026, offers a contemporary framework for organizational leadership in a rapidly evolving global business environment. The work addresses the paradigm shift facing leaders today, including the integration of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and human-centered leadership practices necessary for sustainable organizational success.

Noa Davidson is an operator and advisor based in San Francisco, with 15 years of experience partnering with C-suite leaders across global enterprises and high-growth startups. She is a leader in corporate innovation, with deep experience building startups within large organizations, launching accelerator programs, and designing startup partnership strategies. Noa has held senior roles at Coca-Cola and Amazon and has served as an operating partner at a venture capital firm. Her work centers on building and leading cross-functional teams, taking initiatives from 0 to 1, and scaling programs globally. She is Founder and CEO of After the Sprint, where she works with founders, corporate leaders, and VCs on strategy, venture incubation and experimentation, business development, partnerships, and go-to-market. Noa joined the Venture Atlanta Board of Directors in 2025.

Laney is a Partner at TTV Capital and oversees marketing, communications, platform, and investor relations. Before joining TTV, Laney ran multiple, global marketing groups for IBM, specializing in bringing new products to market. Prior to IBM, Laney was the CMO of
Clearleap, joining the company as an early employee and the first marketing hire.

As CMO, she helped drive Clearleap’s growth and shape its culture, and she proved essential in its successful acquisition by IBM. Before making the jump to startups, Laney was an Account Executive at Ogilvy & Mather (and occasionally still claims to be an agency person). Laney’s expertise includes communications, brand positioning and
messaging, and market strategies for emerging and transforming businesses. She is particularly interested in businesses that are committed to using technology to create positive outcomes.

Laney graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University where she studied Art History and Human & Organizational Development. She is a member of the Emerging Leaders Board at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Scott Lopano is a Partner at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for sourcing new companies, deal execution, and supporting the portfolio’s growth. Since joining TSV in 2017, Scott has led the execution of 50+ new investments across both funds focused on early-stage enterprise (B2B) and marketplace technology companies.

Previously, Scott worked at UBS Investment Bank in New York where he advised clients on capital structure and funding strategy, raising more than $26B in debt and preferred stock capital for clients over his tenure.

Scott graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business with a concentration in Finance. He was a 4-year starter for the Penn Quaker Football Team during 3 Ivy League Championships. He currently holds the record for most punts and most punt yardage in the school’s history and maintains strong ties to Penn. Scott was a top 5 NFL prospect punter and was invited to Rookie Mini Camp with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Joe Mancini is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Front Porch Venture Partners, where he and his partners are on a mission to catalyze the next generation of breakout startup ecosystems in the Southeast. Front Porch deploys an innovative hybrid model that invests in venture fund specialists in technology and healthcare as well as directly into early-stage startups. The firm has backed over 30 funds and 40 companies in the region since 2020. 
 
Prior to Front Porch, Joe was an operator and consultant in the tech, media, and telecom industries where he specialized in scaling commercial teams globally. After a few years in sports talk radio (fun fact!), he joined the management consulting firm PRTM (acquired by PwC), Google’s Access and Energy team (now part of Alphabet’s “Other Bets”) and Digital Turbine, a publicly-traded mobile software company where he worked to scale revenue from $70M to $700M and integrate four global acquisitions.
 
Joe earned his BA from the University of Virginia and his MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where he received the Spaulding Award for Leadership. He grew up in Virginia and now lives in North Carolina with his wife, Jackie and their two kids. 

Morgan Phillips is a Director of Strategy & Investments at Cox Enterprises. She leads Cox's venture partnerships, which includes two Techstars accelerators along with several other local partnerships (e.g., Engage, Startup Runway and Endeavor). She also leads investments in local funds and early stage investments.
 
Prior to Cox, Morgan worked at Carters Inc. in their Strategy and M&A group, leading inorganic growth and strategic planning. She was also previously a strategy consultant at EY, focusing on consumer brands.
 
Morgan graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Finance. She was born and raised in Atlanta and currently lives in Alpharetta with her husband and one-year-old son.

Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan is currently the Managing Partner of CTW Venture Partners, an early stage venture capital fund which invests in and assists seed and early-stage entrepreneurs in all industries in Atlanta and the South Eastern United States who are engaged in disruptive innovations and technologies. CTW focuses solely on companies which are started by expert technical founders with strong domain expertise. CTW partners with technical entrepreneurs and companies in markets with large opportunities and no identifiable competitors. CTW typically supplies the first capital, often at the concept phase. CTW works as active partners with our entrepreneurs, helping with all aspects of strategy, market definition and execution.

He is also Chairman & CEO of Softwear Automation, Inc, an Atlanta, Ga. based company with the sole focus of developing innovative robots (sewbots®) for the apparel manufacturing and sewn products industries by harnessing its experience and expertise in machine vision, robotics, and computing. The Sewbots® automate the transfer and sewing of fabric, eliminating the need for trained seamstresses. SoftWear technology allows for redesign of the apparel manufacturing supply chain and enables sewing to be performed locally resulting in a disruptive transformation of the industry.

He is also the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Virima Technologies, Inc, a leading Data Center & IT Operations software developer. He brings more than 19 years’ experience in the technology industry and combines a deep understanding of current technologies with the ability to articulate the application of these technologies in various business contexts and models.

He is also an investor and past Chairman (2009 to 2017) of Carbon Clean Solutions Ltd (A World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2015 Company). The company’s patented solvents extract CO2 and other unwanted gases from flue gas streams, replacing conventional amines CCS’s technology dramatically reduces the cost of capturing CO2, making it economic for industrial and power plants to re-use waste CO2 to produce economically viable products.

Mr. Rajan is an active investor and has invested in over 38 companies since 1998. He serves/ed on the Board of Directors of some of his portfolio companies and as well on the advisory boards of several early stage technology firms in the USA and India.

A leader in the business community is also involved in several professional and community related organization. Mr. Rajan was instrumental in establishing the Atlanta CEO Council, a non-profit networking group of more than 1000 CEOs, CxOs, and investors in the Southeast. Mr. Rajan serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta CEO council from 1999 to present. In 2002, Mr. Rajan launched the Atlanta CEO Council Venture Forum that is now known as Venture Atlanta Conference which has helped Atlanta entrepreneurs raise over $2 Billion in venture capital with exits of over $14 Billon since its inception.

Mr. Rajan also co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) from 1998 to 2015, a global mentoring organization for entrepreneurs. Mr. Rajan also served as TiE Atlanta President in 2012-2013. Mr. Rajan served on the Board of Councilors for The Carter Center (President Jimmy Carter’s non-profit initiative), a leadership advisory group that serves to promote understanding of and support for The Carter Center and its activities among private-sector opinion leaders in Georgia.

Mr. Rajan was also honored as Georgia Trend’s “40 Under 40” Rising Stars in 2000.

Kim Seals is an investor in early-stage technology, health care, energy, fintech, and consumer products companies. Since 2013, The JumpFund has invested in more than 30 woman-led, Southeast based companies across our two venture capital funds.

Kim began her investing career as a member of Golden Seeds, an investment firm and angel investor network, with over 300 members, dedicated to sourcing and funding high-potential women-led businesses. Over the last 17 years, Golden Seeds has invested more than $160M in 220+ companies. Kim co-founded the Atlanta chapter of Golden Seeds.

In addition to her work as an investor, Kim has more than 25 years of global experience in human resource consulting, corporate and leadership roles. Her expertise includes leading M&A transactions, service delivery transformation, talent, compensation, benefits and recruiting program design, as well as technology development, selection, and implementations. Kim is a Managing Partner at Sapient Insights Group, a research and advisory HR firm, and previously held leadership and consulting roles at Mercer and PwC.

Kim received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University.

Alex Gonzalez is the Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where he collaborates with corporations, entrepreneurs, and creators to grow and promote the nation’s eighth-largest metro region.

He is the author of Disruptor: How to Challenge the Status Quo and Unlock Innovation and brings over 25 years of leadership experience across Fortune 500/1000 companies, startups, and civic organizations. Alex is recognized for his expertise in innovation, marketing, strategy, change leadership, and corporate transformation. He is also a member of the Fast Company Impact Council, an invite-only collective of top business innovators.

His previous roles include Chief Innovation Officer, President of North America Commercial Information Solutions, and SVP of Strategic Marketing at Equifax, where he led the company’s growth and innovation strategy. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at GE Insurance Solutions and began in customer-focused positions at Chubb Insurance.

Alex is the founder of Highwire Group, an advisory firm that helps executives lead innovation and transformation. He is also a frequent writer and speaker on innovation at the intersection of business, technology, and culture, and serves as creator and host of The Disruptor Studio, a digital series featuring inspiring innovators.

A committed civic leader, Alex serves on nonprofit boards including Junior Achievement of Georgia, Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Soccer, Ripples of Hope, and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also advises the AMA–Atlanta and the Georgia State University Marketing Roundtable.

Alex holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of South Florida and is Six Sigma certified.

John Gu joined BIP Ventures as a Partner in 2025. He is an experienced investor and an engaged partner to the entrepreneurs he backs. In his role as a member of the BIP Ventures investment team, John supports the capital and performance requirements of enterprise software and tech-enabled services companies. He joined BIP Ventures from Norwest Ventures, where he was a Principal on the software growth equity team. Prior to Norwest, John was a Principal at Spring Mountain Capital, a multi-strategy investment firm where he partnered with companies at the Series A and B stages. He started his investing career at HealthCor Partners, a healthcare-focused investment firm.
 
John holds multiple degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, including an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and a B.S. in Economics. In his free time, he enjoys travel, training jiu jitsu, and cooking.

Emery is passionate about finding, funding and scaling software companies delivering solutions that meaningfully improve business outcomes. He focuses on enterprise software with a concentration on products serving physical industries such as manufacturing,
supply chain, infrastructure, proptech and field services.

He has served in numerous board and board observer roles including XOi, YourSix, Boostr, KetteQ, Vydia, Soundstripe, and AIO among others.

Emery remains an enthusiastic contributor to the broader tech community and currently serves on the board of Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s leading annual tech conferences, which hosts nearly two thousand attendees each year. He is dedicated to fostering
growth in the Atlanta and Southeast ecosystem by facilitating connections between capital, emerging companies, talent, and large corporations.

Emery has held various fractional roles with rapidly scaling software businesses including head of strategic initiatives, among others. His operational work has centered on collaborating across business functions to illuminate data-driven insights, codify growth
strategies, develop detailed financial plans, successfully raise funds, and achieve optimal exits. He also loves to write about his experiences, authoring numerous startup blog series including the Vocap Org Health Guidebook.

Prior to joining Vocap, Emery spent several years with VRA Partners, an investment banking firm focused on providing mergers and acquisitions advisory to entrepreneurial middle-market companies. While at VRA, Emery helped numerous clients in the technology
sector raise capital, acquire new businesses, and achieve successful exits.

Emery graduated with concentrations in Finance and International Business from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He currently resides in Atlanta with his wife and two young sons and enjoys getting outdoors and finding the latest
fitness gadget.

Peter is a Principal at Fulcrum Equity Partners, an Atlanta-based growth equity fund that invests in B2B software and healthcare services companies. He joined the team in 2017 and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating new investments and acquisition opportunities. Having worked at both large and small startups, he understands the challenges entrepreneurs face especially in fast-growing companies. He is always willing to meet with entrepreneurs and support them by offering his time, energy and connections. You can find him mentoring founders, supporting conference boards, and reviewing pitches in entrepreneurial hubs across the US.

Prior to joining Fulcrum, Peter was a member of the senior leadership team at General Assembly, a global education institution which was acquired by The Adecco Group in 2018. He launched the Atlanta campus in 2014 and as the General Manager oversaw the P&L and all aspects of the organization’s growth.

Before General Assembly, Peter worked for other fast-growing startups. He was the Director of Account Management & Client Services at BrightWhistle which was acquired by Influence Health and is now a part of HealthGrades. Additionally, he was a member of the original founding team at Tasting Table, a media startup in New York City, leading their efforts in sales and business development. He began his career in revenue cycle management for hospitals and health systems as an Associate at Triage Consulting Group, now CloudMed.

Peter graduated with a degree in Economics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  

M. Cole is a serial entrepreneur, small business champion and venture catalyst based in Atlanta, GA. He's recognized as a thought leader in corporate innovation, startup culture, and the collaborative economy, and has built a career around bringing innovative ideas to life.

M. Cole co-founded Covello, an innovation firm that helps enterprises, brands, and high-growth companies ideate and build products. Through Covello, he built technology platforms for companies like AT&T, which were valued at over $30 million, and provided services for other conglomerates, such as Intel, Harman International, American Cancer Society, and Chick-fil-A, as well as high-growth startups like Snap Inc. (Snapchat).


After serving as an early Venture Partner at NextGen Ventures, where he was instrumental in contributing to the firm's success, M. Cole went on to found RIISE Ventures. This firm is focused on reimagining innovation in sports, gaming, and entertainment, and has allowed M. Cole to advise partners, clients, and brands on how to stimulate ideas, attract and retain talent, and invest capital into companies and communities they believe in.

M. Cole's experience extends beyond his work with these ventures. He's also a seasoned ecosystem builder, with a track record of identifying forward-thinking trends, insights, and companies across the global innovation ecosystem. He has established and integrated strategic partnerships for regional and global innovation hubs, accelerators, and incubators, including Comcast/NBCUniversal's The FARM, Delta Air Lines' The Hangar and most recently with VSP Global Innovation Center to help reimagine how healthcare and vision care is delivered to the world.

As Co-founder and Managing Partner of BLH Venture Partners,
Ashish functions as an investor and adviser to young companies. His
operating experience includes leadership roles with high-growth
companies within Information Security, SaaS, and E-commerce.
Ashish was also Founder and CEO of KontrolFreek – an innovative
lifestyle brand in the video game accessories market until its
acquisition in late 2020. Ashish’s first entrepreneurial role was as co-
founder of Virtex Networks (Acquired by Leapfrog Services), then as
an early team member of AirDefense (Acquired by NYSE: MOT).
Mistry also spent two tours as an EIR at Georgia Tech’s Advanced
Technology Development Center (ATDC), working with start-ups
across Georgia.

Ashish is also active in community organizations including current
and prior board positions with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,
Venture Atlanta (Co-founder) and the Atlanta CEO Council, as well as
serving on committees with the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Mistry is
also active in YPO. He is a graduate of Emory University and resides
with his wife and children in Atlanta.

Jaimie Clark, ME is the Head of Innovation and Co-founder of Catalyst by Wellstar and the Director of Innovation and Venture Strategy for Wellstar Health System. She developed and integrated a novel innovation operating model in a 7B health system. Jaimie has built a team of unique experts that launched a 100M venture fund as well as two companies. She is also active in the Atlanta venture community, serves on several investment committees as well as the board of directors for a healthtech company, Vflok. Jaimie was honored in 2024 as one of Modern Healthcare’s 40 Under 40.  She has previously served in progressive innovation roles at Novant Health in digital health. Jaimie holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University and Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration from University of Alabama at Birmingham.