Innovation out of Failure

This conversation with Andrew Lynn of Chapman University turned out well. As Andrew said: This week's Innovation out of Failure class discussion centered on a conversation I had with Stephen Fleming. With Stephen touching on everything from startup successes and failures to risk taking at a university vs. in business to the role of market forces … [Read more...]

Michael Griffin on Commercial Space

If you've been hanging around the space business for a while, you've heard of Michael Griffin. You may love him, you may hate him, but you're probably not neutral about him. … [Read more...]

Announcing Boostphase

As I prepare to leave Georgia Tech, a lot of people have asked me if I'm going to indulge my long-standing obsession with the aerospace business. Not right now. I'm looking at a number of interesting career opportunities in several different sectors. … [Read more...]

Startup Summer

A few weeks ago, I watched Georgia Tech undergraduates present their work at Startup Summer Demo Day. Something that started as an experiment less than two years ago has turned into a monster! … [Read more...]

Renovate. Rebrand. Refine.

Six years ago this month, we made the biggest membership change in ATDC's history by opening the doors to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia. (You can read about it here.) We've tweaked the model since then (most notably by adding the "Select" program in 2013). And we've graduated dozens of companies and helped hundreds of … [Read more...]

Twenty Years in the Atlanta Tech Community

Twenty years ago today, I left a fast track position in corporate America and moved back to my hometown of Atlanta to help launch an early-stage venture capital firm. Ever since, my passion and my profession and my personal wealth have all been tied to the local technology community. It's been quite a ride. A few people have been on this ride … [Read more...]

Five Years of “Not the Valley”

If you’ve seen me during business hours in the last five years, it’s likely that I was wearing a button like this one on my shirt or jacket. And if you asked me about it, it’s likely that I gave you one… I’ve given away over 1000 at this point. … [Read more...]

ATDC Showcase 2014

Yesterday was ATDC's annual Startup Showcase... over 40 companies exhibiting, plus seven more in a "fast-pitch" event co-sponsored with VentureAtlanta. The companies ranged from an app to make animated selfies with your cellphone (Selfie360), to a recovery capsule to bring small payloads back from orbit (Terminal Velocity Aerospace). It was a … [Read more...]

Startups for Grownups

Last month, Sarah Lacy of Pando Daily posted an article titled "Memo to non-Valley, non-NYC ecosystems: No one you want cares about the cost of living." Read the whole thing. But here's her thesis: … [Read more...]

Pindrop Security Shoots for the Moon

A news article a couple of weeks ago announced an $11 million investment in one of our local startups, Pindrop Security. You can read it in the local Atlanta Business Chronicle or in USA Today. … [Read more...]