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Atlanta Startup Podcast

Atlanta Startup Podcast

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Startup stories from the heart of the hustle--Atlanta.

Atlanta Startup Podcast

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Atlanta's Newest Venture Studio is Also a Non-Profit, Meet W3 Studio

W3 Studio is Atlanta's newest venture studio. Based out of the Atlanta Blockchain Center, W3 Studio is hyper-focused on supporting underrepresented founders who are building Web3 startups in Atlanta by equipping them with non-dilutive capital during the early iterations of company building. We're joined by Brian Zwerner, the Founder of W3 Studio, for a deep dive dialogue on the tangible resources provided by the studio, their non-obvious value adds proposition and the long-term vision of how W3 Studio will impact Atlanta for decades going forward.

Founders, Spouses, Better Lunches: Practical Startup Advice from WSJ Best-Selling Author Cap Treeger

In this ep, learn how you can join Valor this week Thursday in Athens, Georgia for Startup Runway's live session at the Delta Innovation Hub. Get free tickets online at Startup Runway.org. 10,000 grants are also being offered for preseed founders in May AND in June--so apply now through the Startup Runway Foundation online. Also, looking ahead to the end of this month, women leaders in the community are invited to join Valor at the Women's History Month celebration. Find out more online at Valor.com/Events. The Atlanta Startup Podcast welcomes Valor founding managing partner Lisa Calhoun, who interviews special guest Wall Street Journal bestselling author Cap Treeger Cap about his book "Finding the Way". The book provides a process for entrepreneurs based on anecdotal and experiential learning. It uses fiction to tell the story of building and selling a company in Atlanta while incorporating lessons learned from mentors and role models. Alongside many mentors and early team members, the protagonist's wife plays an important role in the story, highlighting the importance of communication with spouses who may not be entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurship is challenging and risky, anyone can become an entrepreneur regardless of age or background as long as they are cut out for it and ready for the challenge--learn more in this episode. You can get your own copy of Finding the Way on Amazon, Audible, and Barnes & Noble.

Mindful Investing: How Armond Davis of the Paragon Group Helps Founders Unlock Their Full Potential

In this engaging conversation, we delve into the world of Armond Davis, the Managing Partner at the Paragon Group, which has a keen focus on backing women and ethnically diverse founders. Armond's early career was spent working in asset management at Goldman Sachs and Truist, before making the transition into private equity. However, what sets Armond apart from other venture capitalists is his unique approach to adding value to his portfolio companies. Rather than simply providing funding or connections, Armond believes that helping founders with their mindfulness is a crucial aspect of his role. We delve into the practicalities of how he implements this approach and the benefits it brings to founders. Additionally, Armond shares his insights on the current macroeconomic environment, the state of early-stage fundraising, the importance of entry valuations for VCs, and sectors that he's most optimistic about over the next decade.

Growing Georgia's Tech Ecosystem with The State of Georgia + Startup Runway

Introducing Jamal Lewis, Economic Opportunity Manager at the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech. A strategic problem solver, driven by the desire to improve access to resources in underserved communities. He helps create spaces and opportunities for those who are often under-resourced. In today's episode with Mecca Tartt, Executive Director of Startup Runway Foundation, you will learn the importance of collaboration in changing the mindset of the community and spreading wealth outside of the city of Atlanta. Jamal also shared some of the partnerships formed in the Atlanta area and where he sees the biggest opportunity for growth in Georgia. This is a great episode, you must tune in!

Atlanta Startup Offbeat Leverages 1 Billion Followers. Here's How.

Atlanta Founder Shep Ogden discovered his passion for marketing and media in college where he started out helping small businesses augment their marketing. Today, he's founded and scaled Offbeat Media Group, a leading digital influence and media company that owns, builds, and brokers the largest native social media network of publishers and virtual influencers. Offbeat leverages its 1B+ follower network to innovate for its dozens of enterprise and media clients. In this episode, we have a conversation with Shep about the evolution of media delivery, how generative AI is driving a content revolution, ways enterprises will engage the new age of digital creators, and the social media platforms that he thinks will remain relevant in the long term. Catch up with Valor virtually on the 18th Startup Runway Showcase, one of the largest showcases for underrepresented founders at the pre-seed stage on February 23 via zoom. You can register to attend and meet VC at startuprunway.org.

Atlanta Founders Share Key Support System Insights

Get to know Sed Joseph of StageWing and Gbenga Arotiba of GoodAction as they tackle what it takes to build a startup and why your team and support systems are key. In this episode with Mecca Tartt, Executive Director of Startup Runway Foundation, they talk about the peaks and valleys along with the passion needed to push through even when you’ve experienced a crushing moment. The secret sauce for getting people to believe in your startup and gain support from mentors and VCs. Identifying your avatar and needing to pivot to reach a new customer. You will not want to miss this conversation. Get your notepad ready!

3 Georgia Founders Discuss What It Takes to Win!

*Georgia-based founders **Katherine Shayne of CIRT**, **Anthony Joiner of Blooksy**, and **Robert Grant of Revealaroo** have bottled the key to pivoting during challenging times. They have all birthed companies that provide a solution to a major problem. Blooksy has found its way to becoming one of the most sought-after platforms for universities and writers. CIRT is saving our ecosystem by providing a solution to waste management for major corporations. Tune in to learn more.*

What Does It Take To Pitch and Win! Meet The 18th Startup Runway Showcase Winners

Every day hundreds of new startups are launched, but it takes a market disruptor to pitch and win! How do you know that your startup has the "It Factor"? Meet Timothy Min with Supercopy, Vanessa Sachs with SWAKE, and Elissa Russell with READI, the 18th Startup Runway Showcase Winners judged by William Leonard, Investor at Valor Ventures, Jonathan King, Principal at Coinbase Ventures, Vanessa Villaverde of Vamos Ventures, Avoilan Bingham, General Manager at Drive Capital, Rachel Kazungu, Manager at Endeavor, Armond Davis, and Managing Partner of the Paragon Group. Tune in to this episode hosted by Mecca Tartt, Executive Director of Startup Runway, and learn how these three startups positioned themselves to win money from top-tier VCs. If you are wondering what it takes to WIN! Tune in now.

Simplifying Complex Supply Chains With PorterLogic

Atlanta Founder Jonathan Porter is building PorterLogic, a flexible low-code solution aiming to turbocharge complex operations for supply chain teams. Jonathan spent time early in his career leading operations at supply chain firms like Manhattan Associates before he transitioned to consulting for himself, where the idea for PorterLogic ultimately came about. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down how global supply chains have been decimated as a result of COVID, why Atlanta’s resources make it an ideal city to build a supply chain startup, how his consulting experiences shaped early perspectives as a software founder and actionable insights on overcoming the early mountain of customer discovery.

Meet Adwait Joshi, CEO of the Atlanta Fintech Using AI to Fight Complex Financial Crimes

DataSeers is an Atlanta-based fintech building at the intersection of financial crime mitigation and AI. Led by CEO Adwait Joshi, DataSeers has grown as an entirely bootstrapped startup and was named one of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies by Inc 5000 in 2022. We hear from Adwait the exact blueprint he’s followed to scale DataSeers without investor capital and the advantages that come along with bootstrapping. You’ll want to hear the story of how DataSeers acquired their first paying customers and Adwait’s do’s/don’ts of customer discovery as a bootstrapped fintech. This first Atlanta Startup Podcast episode of 2023 is a gem for the early-stage founder hyper-focused on growth, capital efficiency, and scaling their team.

Drive Capital Makes Atlanta Home. Meet Avoilan Bingham and Learn Why Atlanta Is the New VC Destination City.

With over $2B in assets under management, Drive Capital is a significant lead venture capital firm focused on backing startups between the coasts. On today’s episode, we’re joined by one of Drive’s newest General Managers, Avoilan Bingham, who is opening their new Atlanta office. Avoilan writes $500K checks for visionary pre-seed founders seeking to innovate in billion-dollar markets. Avoilan shares his insider perspectives on the budding Atlanta ecosystem, his advice for founders fundraising right now, and his passion for Generative AI. Connect with Avoilan and the Valor team in person this Thursday, December 15th for the 17th Showcase of the Startup Runway program, where Aviolan is a judge. You'll hear 10 underrepresented founders pitching to the VC Judges including Drive Capital, and Coinbase Ventures. Register for free for this in-person event at startuprunway.org

Coinbase Venture's Jonathan King On Atlanta's Crypto Ecosystem

Join Jonathan King, Principal at Coinbase Ventures, as he reveals essential perspectives on how Coinbase became one of crypto's busiest VCs. Coinbase Ventures seeks to invest in an early-stage company operating in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology sectors. In this episode, you'll learn what's ahead for the crypto world in the Atlanta area and what Coinbase Ventures is looking forward to in 2023. On face-to-face interaction for our listeners, connect with Valor next week at the Woodruff Arts Center on December 15th as we host VC DAY and Startup Runway Georgia. Register for free for this in-person event at startuprunway.org.

FinTech Investor De’Havia Stewart joined Anthemis Group, the leading FinTech Investment global platform.

Meet De’Havia Stewart, an early-stage FinTech investor at Anthemis, where she is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing deals of pre-seed to Series A startups. Anthemis Group is an early-stage venture capital firm based in London, UK, with $1.5BN+ in AUM. De'Havia previously worked at Softbank, supported the SoftBank Opportunity Fund, and helped deploy $100M+ into black and brown founders. Learn the types of companies that Anthemis is investing in and some of the key metrics they look at when evaluating startups. Catch up with Valor in person. William Leonard will be in Miami on December 1st. He will be judging the Black Founders Demo Day. Startup Runway is at the Woodruff Arts Center on Dec 15th. You can register to attend and meet VCs, including *Avoilan Bingham, *General Manager of *Drive Capital*, *Jonathan King, *Principal of *Coinbase, *and *Vanessa Villaverde, *Healthcare and Femtech Investor of *Vamos Ventures*, at startuprunway.org.

Corporate Venture Leader Stephanie Diaz of Wellstar, Georgia's Largest Healthcare System

Meet Stefanie Diaz, Manager of Industry Discovery and Research at Catalyst by WellStar. WellStar is Georgia's largest healthcare system. Catalyst is a First-of-its-Kind Global Digital Health and Innovation Center right here in Atlanta looking to invest in and engage with early-stage startups. Learn how they invest in this must-listen episode for early-stage founders. This week, join Valor at the Who's Who in ATL event at Atlanta Tech Park on Wednesday, Nov. 16th from 6-8 pm. You can register online at https://hub.tie.org/e/nov2022mm. Startup Runway is just weeks away and If you're interested and want to enter for a $10,000 pre-seed startup grant, apply to startuprunway.org. Looking ahead, Valor's VC Day is taking requests to register for this exciting event, with $1B of capital pointed at Atlanta. Learn more at VC.day.

Meet the Founder Modernizing Disability Disclosure For Over 133 Million Americans

Atlanta founder Hannah Olson was forced quit her dream job due to Lyme Disease. But she didn't let this setback halt her entrepreneurial aspirations. Today as the CEO and Co-founder of Disclo, she's the visionary behind the compliance platform managing employee disclosures and helping organizations meet employee needs in a HIPAA and ADA-compliant manner. Research shows over 133 million Americans are struggling with a chronic condition and seeking additional support and accommodations in the workplace. In this episode, you'll hear more in-depth about Hannah's empowering journey of battling Lyme Disease, her insight on building Disclo as her second startup, how she envisions this space evolving, and her important fundraising advice for early-stage founders.

Meet Jessica & Nate and learn Plug and Play's accelerator programs that support early stage startups

The Plug and Play Tech Center is making waves in Georgia. As the largest innovation platform in the world, they're focused on the brightest startups building the future of supply chain, retail, eCommerce, fintech, digital health, and more. Director of Corporate Partnerships Jessica Vargas and Senior Director of Enterprise Technology Nate Hinman join William on the podcast for a rich conversation outlining the unique corporate access points Plug and Play offers its startups, their outlook for the newly launched Plug and Play Savannah Accelerator, a deeper dive on why they're hyper-focused on Georgia's burgeoning tech scene, and their expansion plan for Atlanta.

Meet VC Steve Hasty at Circadian Ventures

Get to know seed and Series A investor Steve Hasty of Circadian Ventures, an Atlanta investor. He talks about his introduction to venture capital in Atlanta and how helpful a chance connection with John Yates was in his journey. Plus, learn more about how to apply for grants that will be presented December 15 by the Startup Runway Foundation.

Meet Jennifer Richard of Bonfire Ventures Who's Looking to Lead Seed Rounds In Atlanta

EARLY RELEASE to help you prep for INNOVATION WEEK next week!Meet Jennifer Richard, an investor with Bonfire Ventures, focuses on SMB tech, vertical SaaS, and "anything led by a woman or a diverse founder." Interviewed by Valor investor Wiliam Leonard, Jennifer is working out of a $168M core fund to lead seed rounds and looking hard at the Atlanta ecosystem, where Bonfire has already led rounds. You'll learn more about check size, how to impress Jennifer, and how Bonfire supports its portfolio in this engaging conversation. William also shares a few of his favorite tips on how to pitch Valor as the conversation continues.In this episode, you'll also hear how to connect with William and Jennifer in person this week, which is Innovation Week in Atlanta, so listen soon and share with founders you care about!

How Yellow Card's $40M Series B Scales Its Pan-African Exchange Built in ATL, with CEO Chris Maurice

Atlanta's at it again--changing the world. Valor investor William Leonard catches up with Atlanta CEO and co-founder of Yellow Card Chris Maurice in this exciting ep. Yellow Card started by creating a better micro-payments infrastructure in Nigeria, a country that is on pace to be larger than the US by 2050. When they met Valor in 2020, we loved it--and so did Andreessen Horowitz, who led their seed round. Learn about the latest $40M Series B led by Polychain and how this exciting startup has grown into a pan-African exchange that's underwriting a bright future.

JP Morgan Atlanta Techstars MD Melissa Pegus On When Startups Are Accelerator-Ready

The first JP Morgan Atlanta Techstars just launched two weeks ago! Hear how this accelerator brings a uniquely Atlanta focus to helping startups scale. Managing Director Melissa Pegus shares how the accelerator is designed to provide equitable for all and particularly support for Black, Hispanic and Latino, Indigenous American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs. The accelerator is focused on exploring the future of Commerce Technology, Consumer Brands and Platforms, and the Creator Economy. "Together we will take steps towards dismantling institutional, structural, and systematic barriers that often limit opportunities," says Melissa. The first cohort includes Retavo and Buzzbassasdor, Bhala AI, LyRise, DiversiBoard, Privacy Packs, Friendly Shoes, Super Bloom Bakery, Aspen Apothecary, Neufluence, Remote Coach, and Tychon. You'll also learn about ways to connect directly with Valor this week, including Venture Atlanta on October 19 - 20 at Woodruff Arts Center and with valor being a par…

Meet Atlanta Founder Jeff Richards of the 2nd Fastest Growing Company In America, SnapNurse

Jeff Richards, CEO and founder of SnapNurse, leads the 2nd fastest growing company in America. He cut this podcast 2 days after that news was broken by Inc. You'll enjoy hearing his fresh take, including how he walked out of the door at Grady passionate about changing healthcare for the better. . Learn how he went about it and SnapNurse's exciting trajectory in this intimate conversation with Valor investor William Leonard.

Atlanta Venture Capital Outlook with VCs Lisa Calhoun, Gary Peat, Robin Bienfait and William Leonard

As the region gears up for Venture Atlanta, Valor investors Lisa Calhoun, Gary Peat, Robin Bienfait and William Leonard discuss the current state of venture capital locally, including the seed stage deal volume, the trend in seed capital valuations and more. They discuss local firms including Valor, Knoll, Collab, Tech Square Labs, Fearless Fund and more, mentioning specific outside investors the team has worked with including Canaan Partners and Sequoia.The team shares some of the big current opportunities in Atlanta--and also challenges unique the local environment. This episode is important for founders, investors and corporate innovators alike.You also learn how you can meet up with the Valor team this week, at the Atlanta Unlocked last stop, September 22, at Valor's offices in Atlanta Tech Park.

Meet Steelsky, The Largest Women's Healthcare VC Fund, and Founder Maria Velissaris

In this can't-miss conversation with co-host Mecca Tartt, get to know Maria Velissaris, the founder and managing partner of the largest women's healthcare fund ---Steelsky Ventures. Steelsky is based in Atlanta and invests at Series A. Maria shares how she got started as an investor, her passion and purpose, what she looks for when she writes a check, and how she got inspired to launch her $73 million fund. Power question from our host, Mecca: "how do you balance investing with your head and your heart?" You'll love Maria's answer!In this week's episode, you'll also hear to connect in person with the Valor team this week and next, including the Startup Runway Women's Event September 15, and Atlanta Unlocked at our offices at Atlanta Tech Park on Thursday, Sept 22. See you there!

Dept. of Defense's Tech Talent Scout Patrick Reynolds Finds Startups To Save America

Meet Patrick Reynolds, the man connecting tech startups to the Department of Defense. Based in Atlanta, Patrick scouts tech and talent as the university representative for Georgia through the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). We sit down with Patrick who shares the numerous ways NSIN supports startups, the misconceptions of working with the DoD, what he looks for when scouting talent, and the initiatives he's most looking forward to in 2023.

Influence Your Wallet--Meet Cynthia Ruff of #Hashtag PayMe

Atlanta influencer turned founder Cynthia Ruff is building Hashtag Pay Me, the software helping creators and influencers appropriately price content. Incubated in Georgia Tech’s startup accelerator Create-X, Cynthia is building her startup from over a decade of content creation experience. In this energetic episode, learn why she turned down early investor capital to bootstrap Hashtag Pay Me, the evolution of the creator economy, her thoughts on the current state of the growing creator economy, and what monetization opportunities lie ahead for creators.

How Paul D'Arrigo of Saltbox Starts a Grassroots Ecommerce Revolution

Paul D'Arrigo, co-founder at logistics and warehouse startup Saltbox, is a 2003 Georgia Tech grad. In this converstion, learn how he believes ecommerce is changing now, and how his background at UPS shape Saltbox's vision to create more billion-dollar ecommerce businesses. Saltbox is based in Atlanta and backed by several venture investors, including Metaprop, Kapor Capital and Prologis. Also in this ep, catch up with Valor's this week. Meet Robin Bienfait and William Leonard at Georgia Tech's CreateX. Catch up with William in Tulsa and Lisa in Kansas City, plus much more!

Why Akshita Iyer Turned Down $800K For Her Shark-Tank-Famous Startup Ome and Moved to Atlanta

Founder Akshita Iyer is rethinking the kitchen, and it's an exciting journey. This Duke University founder took her startup onto Shark Tank, turned down $800K in early stage investment, and made the tough decision to move to Atlanta. Find out how Akshita is thinking about building smart, interactive cooking appliances. You'll also learn where Valor is this week, including a few days in Tulsa, OK and here in Atlanta, the Dell for Startups pitch event at our headquarters at Atlanta Tech Park. Listen now and get involved with Atlanta's fast paced founder community.

How Nick Santora Sold Cybersecurity Platform Curricula for $22M to Huntress

Nick Santora just sold his cybersecurity training platform Curricula to Huntress for $22M. Get his impressions of the journey and lessons learned while bootstrapping. Nick dives into how he got here and how he evaluated acquisition offers. If you're building software in the South, this is a must-listen deep dive with host William Leonard.

Raising Money and Solving the Future of Events with Chris Cherian of Gatherly

Founder Chris Cherian of Gatherly credits his girlfriend, who set up a Zoom birthday party for him during the pandemic, with inspiring the product that became Gatherly. Since then, the Georgia Tech Create-X startup Gatherly has raised its seed round from Knoll Ventures. Join this episode to hear the inside story of an Atlanta startup that leaped out of the pandemic to solve a big problem.

Is ATDC, Atlanta's Most Famous Accelerator, a Fit For Your Startup?

ATDC is one of Georgia’s critical startup ecosystem drivers and one of the leading accelerators in the nation. Founded in 1980, ATDC has a global reputation for fostering technological entrepreneurship. Forbes named ATDC to its list of “Incubators Changing the World” in 2010 and 2013, alongside Y Combinator and the Palo Alto Research Center. Get to know Director John Avery. We dive into the various stages of membership at the ATDC and which level may be most appropriate for your startup. John shares some of the ways the ATDC has positively impacted the burgeoning Georgia ecosystem and some ways you can help support innovation in our state.

Is Venture Atlanta the Top Investor Conference for Startups? Find out from Allyson Eman.

By any criteria, Venture Atlanta, led by Allyson Eman, is a contender for the best place in the country to pitch your startup. Hear why, learn about their successes getting capital to startup outside of the Valley, and how you can get involved in this coming October's conference. This ep is full of insider tidbits that if you're investing OR raising capital, you don't want to miss. (Disclosure: Valor Ventures, which founded and underwrites this podcast, is a proud sponsor of Venture Atlanta.)

The Largest Education Investor in the U.S. Is In Atlanta: Meet University Growth Fund

Meet new Atlanta neighbor Rakesh Nankani, principal with University Growth Fund, one of the largest pure education investors in the country. University Growth Fund is a $54M second fund that trains students on how to manage deals. It is based in Salt Lake City and now has its sights set on Atlanta. Local principal Rakesh explains how he works with college students from public institutions who are doing hands on robust deal experience.

How much grit do founders need? Startup Runway's Mecca Tartt Interviews Pre-Seed Startup Founders

Startup Runway executive director Mecca Tartt and one of our podcast's cohosts, interviews four Atlanta pre-seed startup founders. You'll hear their tips on handling no, encouraging yourself before you see success, and pushing forward in the earliest days. Enjoy this discussion with eStreamly's Smitha Kommareddi, TotemID Biosciences' Monica Isgut, Ask Me Your MD's Patricia Marsh MD, and Helix Automotive's Keith Wilson.

Ayanna Kerrison on How PreCursor Writes 20-25 Checks a Year For Pre-Seed Founders

Investor Ayanna Kerrison of Precursor Ventures joins us to talk about all things pre-seed investing. Ayanna's perspective is extremely valuable as Precursor is widely known as one of the first and most active pre-seed funds in the world--they firm has over 300 portfolio companies and was founded in 2015. Tune in for an enlightening episode as Ayanna joins the podcast to break down the firm's perspective on pre-seed investing. You'll learn how they write 20-25 checks a year and add value at the earliest stage of a startups lifecycle, and why she's bullish on southern startup founders. We're proud that Ayanna is a Startup Runway judge.

Predicting Churn with Arcum CEO Sebastian Builes

For businesses both large and small, churn is a key KPI leaders try to wrap their heads around. Atlanta founder Sebastian Builes has built Arcum, which leverages AI to predict when your customers will churn up to 12 months in advance and more importantly, why they may churn. He joins the podcast to talk about growing up in Colombia influenced his entrepreneurial aspirations, how he’s formulated Arcum’s go-to-market strategy, and how he’s building community in Atlanta through this monthly founder meet-ups.

Meet Atlanta VC Allyson Plosko and How Spring Time Is Growing From Boulder Toward the Southeast

Meet venture capital investor Allyson Plosko of Spring Time Ventures, interviewed by Valor's William Leonard. The firm has roots in Boulder/Denver, and now Allyson is focusing on other geographies, especially the Southeast--drawn by the growth in this region. Allyson recently joined William as a judge for Startup Runway as part of her focus on finding more opportunities. In this episode, she shares what Spring Time is looking for in Atlanta and how she evaluates a great pitch.

Musheer Ahmed of Codoxo on Keys To Raising a Series B, the Future of Healthcare Fraud, and more

Musheer Ahmed of Codoxo shares the core metrics that helped his startup raise an oversubscribed Series B. Plus, hear more about the unique strategy this Atlanta healthcare leader is pursuing, using an AI-based approach to combat financial fraud within healthcare.

Meet the South's New Startup Banking Guru Jaisa Gooden of Silicon Valley Bank

"Now SVB is focused on markets that have been untapped in the VC ecosytem," says Jaisa. As an Atlanta native and Howard grad, Jaisa Gooden has always been aware of the growth and potential of our area. Now, Silicon Valley Bank created a new position to focus on more banking opportunities for the region centered on Atlanta. Interviewed by Valor's William Leonard, hear Jaisa's perspective on why Silicon Valley Bank is doubling down on Atlanta and early stage founders in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

CEO Ryan Wilson of The Gathering Spot on Fundraising, Exiting to Greenwood, and the Future

Successful Atlanta startup founder Ryan Wilson shares his takes on fundraising, firm building, and The Gathering Spot's recent exit to Greenwood. He's interviewed by Interviewed by Lisa Calhoun, founding managing partner at Valor Ventures, who invested the first professional venture capital in The Gathering Spot. This dynamic conversation has lots of take aways for founders and investors building on the venture frontier.

The Leap from Project to Product - Sal Stabler's Story From Enterprise Insider to Software Founder

So what is it like to be a enterprise software expert, and turn your day to day into a project? Sal goes into detail about his journey as a tech leader and how he's taken the leap from project to product.

Learn Why Melinda Gates Funds Ada Developers Academy in Atlanta with Lauren Sato

Founded in 2013, Ada Developers Academy is the top program for empowering women and gender expansive adults to become software developers for companies like Salesforce, Microsoft, and other household tech names. CEO Lauren Sato is expanding into Atlanta and discusses Ada's amazing placement statistics, why Atlanta is the perfect city for Ada's model, and how funding from Melinda French Gates will take the program to new heights in our city.

The most diverse esports league in the world is from Atlanta. Meet Ryan Johnson of Cxmmunity.

Ryan Johnson is co-founder of Cxmmunity, the most diverse Esports league in the world. Cxmmunity has support from Microsoft, Twitch, Verizon and others. An HBCU grad Ryan left corporate America in 2019, deciding to pursue entrepreneurship by combining his passions of video games and sports. You won't want to miss Ryan's insider views on major acquisitions in the gaming space and how the pandemic served as a tailwind for Cxmmunity's global expansion.

Meet Sallie Jian, Head of Investments for SAP

As one of the largest ERPs globally, SAP invests in early-stage technology startups that strategically expand the SAP ecosystem and create value for their diverse group of customers. Head of Investments Sallie Jian joins the Atlanta Startup Podcast to break down her team's investment strategy, the value add that SAP brings to startups, and her take on the state of corporate venture capital. She's recently relocated to Miami and has Atlanta founders top of mind. You'll learn a lot about their startup program, Foundry, and how to win big with SAP's global footprint as a founder.

Can nonprofits raise money faster? Meet Softgiving Founder Matt Pfaltzgraf

Founder Matt Pfaltzgraf packed up his car and drove to South Georgia to meet with his first investor. Now, his startup Softgiving creates high-impact online fundraising for brands & charities. Hear Matt's story of his leap of faith to creating an alternative fundraising solution that raises millions for influencers, brands, & charities.

Meet Henry Zhang of Cybersecurity Startup Senteon

While working in the cybersecurity industry for Cisco, Founder Henry Zhang became aware of critical gaps that large cybersecurity corporations overlooked when it came to the security posture and safety of local businesses. He and co-founder Nicole Wraback, a Georgia Tech computer science engineering grad who studied AI, decided to invent a solution that could work for real people. They enrolled in Georgia Tech's Create-X student accelerator and met Robin Bienfait, of Valor. He then went through Startup Runway, Valor's pre-seed investor introduction platform. Valor led Senteon's seed round, which also had participation from Lytical Ventures and Purdue.Senteon's cybersecurity platform allows stakeholders to audit endpoint behavior and identify system-level settings that can be implemented on in-production machines to provide "best-case" system hardening.While many competitors in the space are only touching part of the process and still requiring some manual output, Senteon's platform cre…

Why VC Mahati Sridhar of Revolution Loves Atlanta

In this interview with Valor investor William Leonard, meet investor Mahati Sridhar of Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. Mahati has deep ties to Atlanta and the South, and she's bullish about investing in this region. Learn why Revolution is focusing on the South and the kinds of investments Mahati is looking for--it just might be you!

Investor Antoine Woods with Vertical404

Hear how Antoine Woods sees investing in Atlanta in this thoughtful conversation with Valor investor William Leonard. You'll learn about his first fund, what they're looking for, and why they're bullish about the growth and opportunity for founders in Atlanta--especially founders of color.

How does Georgia Tech lead startup production? Meet Rahul Saxena of Create-X

Georgia Tech leads the world in the number of startups launched, behind only Standard and MIT. Part of the magic is Create-X, a unique university accelerator that teaches students to build real businesses. Meet the man behind Create-X since 2019, Rahul Saxena, a GT grad himself with a robotics and genetics engineering background who's also worked as a VC, got an MBA from Emory, and experienced a turn-around as an operator. You'll hear how Georgia Tech sees "evidence based entrepreneurship." What Saxena says is, "You can actually teach entrepreneurship. It's a process." Don't miss this engaging interview with Valor investor William Leonard and learn all the tips Rahul has for starting great tech firms and the process of becoming a founder.

Meet Atlanta Investor Shila Nieves Burney of Zane

Now with five investments in the growing portfolio, Shila Nieves Burney shares with Valor investor William Leonard the types of bold and diverse founders she's looking to fund across the U.S. Don't miss this conversation with host, Valor investor William Leonard. She goes into the advantages and disadvantages of being a solo GP and how she's building Zane with passion and focus.

Meet the Founder Making Your Software Famous, Godard Abel of G2

Did you know 2 of the top 4 software companies in the world are in Atlanta? That's what G2's 1.6 million software reviews say. Learn which companies these are, and get more inside stories from CEO and Founder Godard Abel of G2. He shares both founder challenges and successes on his path to building a unicorn company. If you are a founder, listen to this ep for tips on how his software ratings platform can bring you customers. Find out which metrics to use when you ask customers for reviews. You'll earn why Godard is expanding in Atlanta. Hint: it's not just that Atlanta has some of the best reviewed software in the world. There's more! Enjoy the episode with Atlanta Startup Podcast co-host Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures.

Meet Ashley Daramola of ArtzyBella Lifting Community With Art

"I was always an artist, but was not celebrated because it was not something you could make a career in growing up." Meet entrepreneur, former social worker, and artist Ashley Daramola, Valor's 2021 Art of Inclusion Honoree. She shares her fascinating story from social worker on Atlanta's toughest streets, to a startup founder working in her home community in Atlanta. The thread of using art to shine light in hurting souls makes this interview one of kind. Listen in.

How Do You Sell Better Now? Meet Top LinkedIn Sales Voice Morgan J Ingram

Morgan J Ingram got a job out of school as a BDR --and it was NOT what he wanted to do. Sales is hard. This Atlanta leader applied himself and learned the ins and outs, becoming a self-taught top sales performer and sales manager. Now, his podcast, YouTube and consulting business takes the guess work out of top sales performance. Get his insights in this fun conversation with co-host and Valor investor William Leonard.

Building a Better Student With Naomi Thomas of InfinityEDU

Students aren't well served with bolt-on 'adult' business tool like Zoom in the classroom. Naomi Thomas built her first computer at 6, and she's taking on the challenge of building a better, wholistic educational environment for all students at InfinityEDU. In this passionate, informed conversation with Atlanta Startup Podcast host and investor William Leonard, learn how the future of education is being re-imagined by pioneers like Naomi.

Web3 Resilience with Doug Neumann of Arpio and Valor's Robin Bienfait

Ever had your platform go down? Hacked? Ransome? Software engineer and founder Doug Neumann of Arpio knows how painful all of that can be from first hand experience. He engineered his own one-button disaster recovery solution, which is now being used by airlines, software firms large and small, and many more. Learn from this down to earth, passionate expert about how to build better software now, interviewed by infrastructure and cybersecurity technologist Robin Bienfait, former CIO at Samsung and Blackberry.

Love Hybrid Work? Jeff Uphues of DC Blox Brings "Atlanta Infrastructure" Anywhere

Where are things growing? The Southeast. Jeff Uphues of DC Blox helps governments, counties, universities and other key organizations get the security and speed they need online. He explains how the market has evolved and what he's doing to make sure no American is left behind. He's bringing "Atlanta infrastructure" to places like Huntsville, Greenville, Birmingham and more. He's bullish on the Southeast's growth and is betting on it with his business plan--listen in!

Creator Platform Guru Julie Newman of Artonomo

Interviewed by host Mecca Tartt, hear Inc. 5000 honoree and Global Licensing Top 20 entrepreneur Julie Newman of Artonomo, a recent Startup Runway Finalist. Julie struggled to find a content management platform for her brand Jewel Branding, and couldn't find it--so she built it. Hear her exciting story and learn how she went from professional services to software to support all creators.

2022 Atlanta Venture Capital Trends

Atlanta is the fastest-growing venture capital ecosystem in the country--and the most diverse. Could the VC climate get any hotter? Listen up as insiders Renee Montgomery, Robin Bienfait, Gary Peat, William Leonard and Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures help founders and investors get a compass on a new normal.

The Frontier of AI is Mental Health with Founder Yared Alemu of TQ Intelligence

Atlanta psychologist and entrepreneur Dr. Yared Alemu of TQIntelligence is passionate about improving access to quality mental health care for youth from low-income communities. This visionary founder shares his perspective on the gradual adoption of AI in mental health applications, improved outcomes for underserved youth, and the overall state of innovation within the mental health world. With direct support from the NSF and Google For Startups, the company's core product Clarity AI is moving the needle in the right direction. Tune into this dialogue with host William Leonard of Valor Ventures. Guaranteed to inspire and inform listeners from all walks of life!

Breaking Into Private Equity With No Investing Experience

Anne Bailey is an MBA student at Emory studying private equity in the popular class hosted by David Panton and Klaas Baks. She fell in love with the topic. In this unscripted and open-hearted episode, hear her ask co-host Lisa Calhoun, founder of leading seed-stage venture capital firm Valor Ventures, everything she wants to know about how to break into private equity in Atlanta. It's a fun, challenging conversation, and if you're curious about a career in private equity or venture capital, this conversation is for you!

Finding Product-Market Fit In the Pandemic with Founder Ryan Jones of Florence Healthcare

Using Florence Healthcare, doctors and nurses save time in clinical trials. Founder and CEO Ryan Jones joins William to talk through key lessons learned as a healthcare founder, finding early product-market fit, and innovation in clinical trials in today's pandemic healthcare environment.

Cooleaf Founder Prem Bhatia's Customer Success Platform Surges To The Inc 5000

How do you improve the employee experience? With today's record unemployment, leaders are learning they better move fast. Atlanta Founder Prem Bhatia has been working the problem of better employee experiences for years. At Cooleaf, he is empowering mid to large enterprises to make data-driven decisions to continuously improve how their teams interact with the company culture. Cooleaf was just recognized on the Inc. 5000 as one of America's fastest-growing firms. Hear Prem's powerful founder story about Cooleaf's early pivot, critical lessons learned while building an HR startup, the importance of founder mentorship, and how employers are winning the talent strategy equation with Cooleaf. Can't miss material--tune in now.

Atlanta Makeup Mogul Anisa Kaicker, CEO Anisa International

CEO and Founder Anisa Telwar Kaicker and her 500 team members operate global beauty powerhouse Anisa International, the "Apple" of beauty. This visionary shares her perspective on the beauty industry, including her unique definition of what beauty is. Can't miss moments in this heartfelt conversation with host Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures include -- her leadership secrets, how she recharges as a founder, how she changes herself to free her company to scale, founder health, and so much more. Listen to the end to hear Anisa share a board position she's recruiting for now.Please share this conversation with a founder who's scaling and could learn more from Anisa right here in Atlanta.

Froth or not? Alana Mann of Cultivation Capital on Early Stage Investing in Atlanta

Enjoy a spirited conversation with Alana Mann about how she broke into VC, her blog series outlining conversations with early stage female founders, and her thoughts on navigating the frothy venture markets. Alana joins host William Leonard, investor at Valor, for Startup Runway this month and the two took the opportunity to dive into what's cooking now in early-stage investing.

Barbara Jones Reframes Retail Returns for the Holidays and Beyond with Lilli RNB

Retail tech veteran and Black female tech founder Barbara Jones is building Lilli RnB, returns-management software that helps retailers solve billion-dollar fraud problems. Barbara shares her story of productizing her consulting business, building resiliency while fundraising, and leveraging the SalesForce to scale Lilli. This is a must-listen for experts who dream of building their expertise into a lucrative software platform.

Learn How UGA Founder Jason Schubert Sold His Startup InBrain

UGA Alum and Inbrain.ai Founder Jason Schubert built and exited his survey platform startup to the world's largest first-party data platform for insights, Dynata. Join us for a conversation every founder should hear, as Jason talks through his thought process of the acquisition and offers his insights for founders considering acquisition offers.

Accelerator or Not? Meet Derrick Barker, Nectar founder + new Techstars grad

Meet Derrick Barker, CEO of Nectar, an Atlanta startup providing upfront cash for short-term rental operators and unlocking real estate cashflows for investors. Hear Derrick's story of exiting his first venture during undergrad, building a 4500+ unit real estate portfolio with his payout, and his strategic advice for early-stage founders thinking of participating in an accelerator. Derrick just graduated from Techstars in Atlanta.

Why Anthony Maley Wants to Unlock Your Car With Startup Vouch.IO

Honored among the Top 40 Tech Companies in Georgia, Vouch.io unlocks digital keys for carmakers. Tune in to hear Vouch.io Cofounder Anthony Maley share leading edge innovation in the automotive industry. Learn if blockchain really is the future of your car!

Meet CEO Garrett Langley of Atlanta's Latest Unicorn Flock Safety

As one of Atlanta's newest unicorns, Flock Safety equips neighborhoods and police departments in over 1200 cities with machine learning tools to mitigate crime. Founder and CEO of Flock Safety Garrett Langley openly shares how he navigates growth roadblocks and his mindset for building excellence. You don't want to miss his practical fundraising advice for founders in Atlanta.

Founder Jeff Gold of Nexus Fuels

After spending a decade to perfect their process, Atlanta-based Nexus Fuels created a profitable and environmentally sustainable way to recycle plastics. Led by industry veteran Jeff Gold, Nexus has truly hit a gold mine--diverting 2.7M lbs of plastic from landfills. Jeff joins William to share more about finding product-market fit during the early days of Nexus Fuels and his thoughts on the future of cleantech in the US.

Scientist CEO Candace Mitchell Harris of Myavana Transforms Hair Care with AI

Learn about the founder's journey to a multi-million dollar startup from Candace. She's a Georgia Tech grad, a computer scientist, and an entrepreneur transforming the hair care industry with engineering. Hear her journey to building a tech platform for hair. Myavana uses artificial intelligence to recommend the perfect products --and some of the largest brands in the world are on board.

Nick Santora on Custom Company Cybersecurity Training with Curricula

The increasingly frequent occurrence of cyberattacks and ransomware has led to a more pressing need for proactive cyber awareness. Nick Santora and the Curricula team are bringing customization to cybersecurity training by allowing companies to generate modules that address firm-specific security concerns. Meet Nick and understand why Curricula's brings fun and fluidity to cybersecurity training.

Modernizing Healthcare for Women of Color with Mohamed Kamara

Inovcares Founder and new Atlanta resident Mohamaed Kamara is modernizing healthcare for women of color. The tragic death of his sister in childbirth catalyzed him to take on changing the world. Hear Mohamed's insights around choosing the right business model, customer discovery tips, and why he feels Atlanta is the perfect city to build a healthcare startup.

What Are Seed VCs Investing In Now? Atlanta VCs like Softbank and Valor weigh in.

In this interview hosted by William Leonard of Valor Ventures with De'Havia Stewart of Softbank, Vernon Lee of Marathon, and Maria Velissaris of SteelSky Ventures, you'll hear what seed-stage VCs are looking for right now. If you're a founder, this is a can't-miss episode. Over half a billion of capital ready to invest right now is sharing their perspective on how to raise from them--listen now.

Real Fundraising Trends for Southeast Startups

Hear two of Valor Ventures' team, general partner Lisa Calhoun and investor William Leonard, dive into trend for startups in the Southeast. This fast-paced conversation will help you get your arms around the valuations, the terms and the trends founders can expect raising a round right now. Listen in as two investors detail their craft and the insights they get from dozens of weekly founder interviews.

Unpacking Founder Kristina Williams Backed By Beyonce To Power Diversity

Founder Kristina Williams joins the Atlanta Startup Podcast to share about her journey of building Unpacking, a data-driven, gamified platform powering the future of diversity training. She's been backed by Beyonce and others to change DEI for better. After recently moving her business to Atlanta from the West Coast, she breaks down why she chose Atlanta (where else!?!) and why Unpacking's gamified approach to diversity training will change culture in a positive direction.

Freeing Up First Checks For Founders - Meet Mecca Tartt Startup Runway Executive Director

First investor checks--that's the mission of the Startup Runway Foundation, backed by presenting sponsor Cox Enterprises and founding partners Truist, Georgia Power, Avanta Ventures, and Innovator's Legal. Meet the dynamic first executive director of the Startup Runway Foundation Mecca Tartt, interviewed by co-host Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures.

Flying Faster with Founder AJ Piplica of Hermeus Hypersonic Aircraft

Founded in 2018, Atlanta startup Hermeus is seeking to shrink the world by connecting global cities through its hypersonic aircraft. Hermeus founder and CEO AJ Piplica sits down with Valor Investor William Leonard to expound on his vision for creating a hyper-connected world as hypersonic travel creeps toward commercialization.

Meet Kristin Slink Founder Turned Fintech Catalyst at ATDC

After successfully building, scaling, and exiting her fintech startup LoanHero, Kristin Slink moved across the country and joined the Advanced Technology Development Center as Fintech Catalyst. Founded in 1980, ATDC has developed a global reputation for fostering technological entrepreneurship. Forbes named ATDC to its list of “Incubators Changing the World” in 2010 and 2013, alongside Y Combinator and the Palo Alto Research Center. Hear Kristin elaborate on the numerous ways the ATDC supports not only Metro Atlanta founders, but founders across the state of Georgia.

Founder Jon Gosier of FilmHedge Fuels Atlanta's Booming Film Scene

Atlanta's booming film scene isn't just "LA does ATL." Jon Gosier shines light on rising film stars thanks to his startup FilmHedge, which helps connect emerging producers and investors with new projects for financing. Hear about this latest innovation in the film scene in this interview with Valor investor and host William Leonard.

Real Estate Founders Joe Ashkouti and Josh Lloyd of Yieldi

These founders met at a pre-sunrise run, and the conversation revolved around the intersection of real estate development and technology. The result, Yieldi, is making real estate investing as simple as shopping on Amazon. Hear the Atlanta duo discuss more about Yieldi and their thoughts on the state of current real estate markets.

Is Gigwork Safe? Dustin Walsey of Buckle Says It Can Be

Founder Dustin Walsey of Buckle thinks gig work could be a lot safer. His rideshare insurance agency is designed around the gig worker starting with drivers. Find out how that changes everything in this interview of the edge of internet economy with host William Leonard.

Jennifer Silverberg, What It Takes To Raise A Series B, SmartCommerce

SmartCommerce founder and CEO Jennifer Silverberg shares her do's and don'ts in startup fundraising in this candid episode with Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun. This is a can't-miss episode for founders packed with fundraising tips and strategies that work. You'll especially enjoy how she dives into the differences between raising in VC, New York, and the Valley as an Atlanta founder.

Founder Ajesh Kapoor Takes On Trucking with Semicab

Atlanta Founder and Georgia Tech grad Ajesh Kapoor shares his story of prior exits, crucial lessons learned as a founder, and how his latest startup. SemiCab is digitizing the antiquated world of freight movement. Learn all about it in this conversation with Valor Investor William Leonard.

Founder Ariel Lopez of Knac.io Humanizes Hiring

After relocating her startup to Atlanta from New York, Founder and CEO of Knac Ariel Lopez shares the driving forces behind her decision and breaks down Knac's approach to humanizing the hiring process.

Marlin And Lisa Mitchell of Pulse Analytix Help Police Protect All of Us

With police and community relations in the recent spotlight, Lisa Mitchell and Marlin Jackson detail their approach to improving transparency and accountability between government organizations and local communities through the Pulse Analytix software platform.

Why Pioneering VC Carlos Antequera Won't Take Equity

Kauffman Fellow and VC Carlos Antequera, Co-founder and Managing Director at Novel Growth Partners, details his team's approach to building a revenue-based financing venture fund. In this conversation with host William Leondard, he lays out why they don't take equity in their investments and how they look for opportunities with this "novel" approach in Atlanta.

Atlanta Founder Jennifer Sparks of VacMobile Is Getting Your Vaccines On Your Phone

Led by CEO and Founder Jennifer Sparks, Atlanta startup VacMobile is working to simplify the storage and transmission of vaccination records and health status records from your smartphone. Enjoy Jennifer discussing her pre-covid vision of more secure, transparent vaccination record storage and how she's using COVID-19 to accelerate VacMobile.

Learn How VC Dan Drechsel, Partner at Panoramic Ventures, Divides Founders Into Two Types

Learn how Dan Drechsel, Partner at Panoramic, looks for opportunities in the Southeast in this conversation with Valor Ventures investor William Leonard. You'll get a deep dive into how Panoramic sees investing opportunity and is applying a wider lens to grow its funnel of founders. Dan shares how he sees two basic types of founders and what he looks for in pitches that catch his interest.

Meet Tech Reporter Erin Schilling and Learn How to Get Her To Cover Your Atlanta Startup

Atlanta Business Chronicle journalist Erin Schilling landed in Atlanta after graduating from UGA. She's made a big difference in less than a year of reporting on the Atlanta startup scene. Learn how to pitch this dynamic young journalist and what she looks for in a great story in this conversation with Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun.

Leading Women in Venture Capital Investing in Atlanta: The Artemis Fund and Valor Ventures

Learn from three pioneering general partners in venture capital what it takes to scale an early-stage venture capital firm in the Southeast. Find out how to earn a seed-stage lead investor term sheet from each of them. Enjoy this conversation with general partners at The Artemis Fund, a Houston-based seed-stage lead investor eager to invest more in Atlanta, hosted by Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun.

Automating Production with Ken Ahrens of Speedscale

Ken founded Speedscale in 2020 with the ultimate ambition of developing a more efficient solution to prevent production incidents with automation. Hear Ken's journey of starting Speedscale, his advice on developing a GTM strategy, and his take on industry/geographical trends that serve as tailwinds for Speedscale in this conversation with Valor Investor, William Leonard.

Meet VC Maggie Kenefake of Royal Street Ventures

Maggie Kenefake, venture partner with Kansas City venture capital firm Royal Street, looks for seed-stage opportunities in Atlanta too. She is excited about experienced founders in the Southeast with a bias toward diverse founders. Learn what it takes to earn her term sheet in this interview with host and Valor Ventures investor William Leonard.

Graham Gintz Founder of Knightley Talks Datarooms

Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta native Graham Gitz shares how his first-time fundraising struggles created a vision for Knightley, a data room challenger to data rooms like Digify, Dropbox, and Docsend.

$1B In Fintech Startup Investments in the Southeast with Gary Peat, Lisa Calhoun and William Leonard

Hear 20-year veteran venture capitalist Gary Peat, venture capital firm founder Lisa Calhoun, and rising investor William Peat discuss investing in Fintech in the Southeast. They're all investors at Valor Ventures, one of the most active fintech seed investors in the region.

Why VC Tim McLoughin of CoFounders Capital Writes First Dozens of First Checks

CoFounders Capital is the most active early-stage venture capital investor in North Carolina, according to Crunchbase. Hear this deep dive discussion with general partner Tim McLoughlin and Valor investor William Leonard. Learn what Tim loves to invest in and his tips for raising capital for founders.

Tim Hall co-Founder of CPG Product Research Company Simporter

Interviewed by Valor investor William Leonard, Atlanta founder Tim Hall is helping reshape how large CPG brands leverage AI to automate new product research. Simporter's software automates new product research, including White Space Exploration, pre-launch forecasting, marketing simulations, and product monitoring.

VC Anarghya Vardhana of Maveron Backs Customer-First Visionaries

General Partner at Maveron Anarghya Vardhana is long on inclusion and the demographic shifts reshaping culture. Listen to this passionate conversation with Valor General Partner Lisa Calhoun on how she broke into VC as an immigrant from South India and how she now leads investments for one of the top venture capital firms in the country. Anarghya invests in Seed and Series A and works actively across the Southeast, including leading Maveron's investment in Atlanta's Black-female-founded Capway.

VC Founder Victoria Fram Of Village Capital

Victoria Fram is co-founder of Village Capital, a visionary VC investing in seed stage. It started right here in Atlanta and the firm backs founders in the South regularly. Victoria didn't start out as a venture capitalist. She backpacked the world trying to ease poverty. Hear how that influences and informs her investments in this provocative conversation with Valor general partner and founder Lisa Calhoun

Startup Runway Finalist Founder Lucy Lu of AI Legal Helps Businesses Lower Legal Fees

Hear dynamic Atlanta lawyer-turned-software-founder Lucy Lu describe how she built AI Legal during the pandemic into a scaling platform that helps other businesses manage legal costs. Interviewed by Valor General Partner Lisa Calhoun, this Startup Runway Finalist graduated from the Harvard of China and brings incredible insight and zest to her work to change the costly legal environment by automating tedious processes.

How Valor Investor William Leonard Broke Into Venture Capital From Middle Georgia

Interviewed by Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun, learn how William Leonard--raised in Marietta, educated in Macon at Mercer--plotted a path to break into venture capital. He's worked with not one, but three, venture capital firms and shares his mindset and insights into why he chose to get into venture--and how he made it happen.

Mike Becker And Emery Waddell Of Vocap Partners On Hiring Your Best Sales Leader Ever

Seasoned Atlanta venture capitalists Mike Becker and Emery Waddell of Vocap Partners join host Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures to discuss why the Southeast is suddenly such a hot topic in the global startup community. Learn what this experienced operator-VC looks for when they lead seed investments. Get Mike Becker's incredible playbook for hiring your best sales leader ever.

Yotam Oren CEO at Mona Labs on the Future of AI Production

Yotam's Atlanta AI startup provides monitored production for AI. "We help scientists and engineers figure out if their AI is working well," he says. Learn more about how Mona's team in Atlanta and Tel Aviv is creating outperformance for software teams using AI.

VC Kyle Schlotman of Connetic Ventures

Kyle Schlotman Managing Partner of early stage venture capital firm Connetic has been investing in fast-growth startups for half a decade. The firm uses a unique screening approach. Instead of meeting with founders, they ask a few questions through a form. Learn more about how this innovative early-stage investor is sourcing deals in this conversation hosted by Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun

Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, Founder of Goodfynd and the Food Truck Revolution

Are you hungry? Sofiat can relate. She started the fastest growing food truck platform in the country. It helps food truck owners and operators serve customers faster. Learn more about her journey as a fintech founder and why she's in love with the diversity and deliciousness of the food truck industry. Interviewed by Valor general partner Lisa Calhoun.

Top Tech Trends of 2021

What are the real grassroots technology trends driving startups this year? Hear from software founders including Deb Casurella, CEO of MyAgData; Jeannie Tarkenton of Funding U; Nelson Thomas from Ecotext and Andrew McConnell of Rented.

Evodie Epane Founder of Vegan Tiger and Startup Runway Finalist

Medical expert Evodie Epane is an Atlanta founder whose company Vegan Tiger is bringing a healthy new delicious snack to market. Learn about her journey into vegan foods.

The Impact on the Biden-Harris Administration on Venture Capital

The Biden Harris administration is going to have a huge impact on the venture capital industry. Get insights of national and local interest from leaders Congressman Kwanza Hall, who won the US House of Representatives seat formerly held by Hon. John Lewis; Jina Sanone, executive director of political action group Her Term; and Tiffany McKenzie, partner with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. This conversation is hosted by Valor general partners Lisa Calhoun and Gary Peat.

Joel Nkounkou and Nelson Thomas, Ecotext Co-Founders

Hustling co-founders Joel Nkounkou and Nelson Thomas just raised their first venture round for their digital textbook platform. Enjoy their insights into what the students of today need from their learning platforms.

Carolyn Pitt Founder of FilmConnx

Hear Atlanta founder Carolyn Pitt who's building the top job platform for the film and media industry. She shares why customers like Marvel focus on hiring in the Southeast, and what her startup is doing about it.

Safir Monroe, Founder of UnDelay and Startup Runway Finalist

Founder Safir Monroe knows airlines, and COVID-19 is the perfect storm for the industry. Get his insider's perspective on building the software the industry needs to recover and thrive.

Michael Ross, President of MHR International, Angel Investor

Meet one of the most prolific and seasoned angel investors in Atlanta, Mike Ross, president and founder of MHR International. In this can't-miss conversation, you'll hear his deep insights on the break-out Black Tech scene headquartered in Atlanta and get his thoughts on the future.

Founder Erin Croom of Small Bites Adventure Club

Small Bites Adventure Club creates turn-key tools to help children discover, love and eat fruits and vegetables. Learn how Atlanta founder Erin Croom is tackling the frontier of food for the youngest, pickiest eaters.

Founder LaVonda Brown of EyeGage, Startup Runway Finalist

Dive in deep with LaVonda Brown as she shares how EyeGage is changing drug screening technologies for the better. Every day, 29 people die because of driving under the influence. This simple app you can use on your own phone can change the game for good.

Calendly Founder Tope Awotona On How He Works

Calendly founder Tope Awotona shares openly about how he works, why he built Calendly, and how he sees success in a conversation with Valor General Partner Lisa Calhoun, recorded for Startup Runway as a part of its event series for under-represented founders.

Founder Candice Blacknall of GABA and Startup Runway Finalist

How do medical students pass national exams? These medical students designed a brand new platform to help medical students navigate the system. Find out about the business they're building and how they create smarter doctors, faster.

Tia Robinson Founder of Vertical Activewear and Startup Runway Finalist

Founder and designer Tia Robinson created an hot activewear line in Atlanta, Georgia that keys into the needs of active performance, pole, and party. Find out why she invented this unique line and how she's building the business.

Julius Bryant, Founder of and Startup Runway Finalist

Lafayette Julius and Rodney Morris of Valor Ventures interview Julius Bryant, a Startup Runway Finalist and founder of Jax Rideshare. Julius rents cars to carless people, empowering them to make money in the gig economy. Learn about his fast-growth Atlanta platform.

Ashley Richardson Founder of MyTotem and Startup Runway Finalist

Meet Ashley Richardson, whose software for social media and graphics is growing fast from its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Ashley talks about her journey as a founder. She shares why her platform for startups is growing so fast and what's next for MyTotem. MyTotem is a Zane Ventures Fund founder and a Startup Runway Finalist.

Lauren Kane Finds Capital for Female Founders

Lauren Kane spent years with Golden Seeds. She shares how she learned how to work with female founders through the Golden Seeds platform. "It's inherently hard for women to fundraise." Learn about how she's driven to support women entrepreneurs find capital through her own consulting business today and her experiences on the journey.

Atlanta VC Ross Kimbel of Silicon Road

Learn how Ross Kimbel at Silicon Road invests in b2c leaders changing the world of commerce. This venture capital firm is based in Atlanta and focuses on companies changing how brands go to market. Ross shares openly how to get in touch, what they look for in founders, and why they love leading seed rounds in strong Atlanta startups.

Founder Louise Wasilewski, CEO of Acivilate

Rocket scientist and physicist Louise Wasilewski is changing the world through her growing Atlanta enterprise SaaS startup Acivilate, adopted by many leading organizations. Imagine having your father taken away from the family for a crime. Imagine further, the family's economic as well as emotional suffering even after his return, because of the full impact of how hard it is to be employed after incarceration. This are just parts of Louise's amazing story. Hear her tips on fundraising and more.

CEO Robin Gregg of RoadSync

Robin Gregg left a huge corporate job to take the helm at Atlanta logistics software startup RoadSync. She shares how she navigated from startup mentor to CEO, her tips on venture capital fundraising, building a strong team, and so much more.

Founder Jasmine Crowe, CEO Of Goodr

Jasmine Crowe, CEO at Goodr, is engineering a way to feed the hungry with her startup Goodr. Get inspired by this no-nonsense, venture-backed Atlanta founder who brings smiles to the faces of our neighbors in need every day--at scale. She shares what it was like to negotiate her first enterprise customer, the Atlanta Airport, and her first investor with honesty and passion. This is one you don't want to miss.

Jasmine Crowe, Founder of Goodr

Jasmine Crowe is a hero, and you're going to love hearing her story using tech, accounting expertise and hustle to overcome hunger. Her vision is just beginning at Goodr, one of the hottest startups out of Atlanta. Hear her share her wisdom on fundraising, hearing no, and saving the world. Because she most definitely is doing that. Listen now.

Experts Share How To Build Your Startup's Board

Boards can accelerate or sink your startup. Hear seasoned operators Connie Mixon, Theia Smith, and Tim Cook discuss the right way to build a dynamic startup board that will help you win. Each of these Atlanta experts has dynamic national experience across multiple startup boards.

Ryan Wilson, Founder of The Gathering Spot on "Black Leadership Matters"

In this special edition drawn from his keynote at Startup Runway, hear from Ryan Wilson, a founder of color, on why Black Leadership Matters. Reality meets encouragement in his message--hear his powerful perspective as the founder of a fast-growing movement for inclusive, progressive communities across the country.

Kabbage-Head and Founder of PeopleCo Amy Zimmerman

Amy Zimmerman has helped multiple fintech startups scale and exit in her role as Chief People Officer or "talent wrangler in chief." Learn her secrets on scaling talent fresh from her recent success as one of the First 5 team members at Kabbage. This is also a VIDEO interview on our web site if you'd like to see Amy in person.

Kylan Kester of Startup Atlanta Reveals the 2020 Atlanta Ecosystem Guide

Startup Atlanta just released the definitive guide to the Atlanta startup ecosystem. Hear Kylan Kester share what's new, what's hot, and what you need to pay attention to the country's fastest-growing startup and venture capital hub.

Chike Nwoke, Founder of Klippit and Startup Runway Finalist

Turn your selfies in savings with Klippit, a startup competitively selected from hundreds of applications as a Startup Runway Finalist. Hear founder Chike Nwoke share his inspiration for the platform and how to get insider access.

Why TIE Atlanta Commits $100K Now To Under-represented Founders With Startup Runway

This episode dives deep into the dynamics of the Atlanta ecosystem with leaders JP James and Amyn Sadruddin. Learn why TIE Atlanta is investing six figures in startups led by founders of color and women this year and how to apply to their mentorship program. For angels in the community, you'll get a deep dive on how the active TIE Angels group puts capital to work and hear some challenging thinking around why they find more risk more rewarding. It's a dynamic conversation and if your want to know the Atlanta tech and investing scene, a can't-miss episode. Listen now.

Sarah Rodehorst, Co-Founder and CEO, ePerkz

What if being terminated were less, well, terrible? That's what motivated Sarah J. Rodehorst, co-founder and CEO of ePerkz, a Startup Runway finalist. With ePerkz, people find dignity, better opportunity, and more clarity. Hear Sarah share how she was drawn this to high stress opportunity and what she knows about making termination less terrifying for managers and employees alike.

Brian Hobbs Founder of Pruuvn, a Startup Runway Finalist

Background tracking system Pruuvn blew away the competition winning the investor's grant at the most recent Startup Runway. Hear from Brian Hobbs about his journey as a founder and why he's intent on building the best background tracking platform in the world, right here in Atlanta.

Founder Kristin Stafford of Vital4 , Fintech AI for the Work From Anywhere World

Money laundering. Fraud. Politically exposed persons. Welcome to the world of Kristin Stafford, CEO of Vital4, an Atlanta software firm relied on by some of the largest banks and employers in the world to monitor risk, including employee backgrounds, negative media and more. Hear how she thinks about the work from anywhere economy in this interview with her investor Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures.

Atlanta Founder Tammy Farley of The Rainmaker Group

Co-Founder Tammy Farley of The Rainmaker Group build and sold a successful software business in hospitality revenue management by taking a road less traveled. Learn about her unique insights into building a world-class software business in Atlanta.

David Cummings on Helping Unemployed Georgians Start Companies

Atlanta legendary SaaS founder and investor David Cummings just launched a free digital mentorship program to help unemployed and underemployed Georgians start companies. He's inviting you to be part of it. Hear firsthand how he's making it easier for those hardest hit by COVID-19 and the pandemic--and pass this episode along to the frustrated founders among your friends!

These VCs Say Southeastern Startups Claim Centerstage

Valor Ventures Cariana Morales and Erik Stapel dive into surprising discoveries about the state of startups in the Southeast--many of which run counter to the news you'll hear in traditional West Coast startup news channels.

Founder Sheffie Robinson of WP Clover

Atlanta software engineer, military spouse and founder Sheffie Robinson created WP Clover to make regular websites work like Superwoman. Hear her discuss how she's built her firm into a scaling b2b software resource powering dozens of fast growing firms that thrive on her platform. Sheffie is a part of our Startup Runway Finalist series. Finalists are competitively selected by the Startup Runway Foundation from hundreds of startups as highly investable.

VC Eller Malchok of Jumpstart Capital

Eller Mallchok runs one of the most successful early-stage healthcare funds and accelerators that serves the Atlanta region, Jumpstart in Nashville. Learn about what she looks for in break-out healthcare startups.

Founder George Azih of LeaseQuery

Get the straight scoop from Atlanta founder George Azih on how he's built LeaseQuery into an enterprise SaaS legend, and keeps scaling the firm to new heights after a first investment of $42 million led by Goldman Sachs.

Sandy Welfare, Atlanta Leading Innovator

Sandy Welfare has worked in C-suite technical roles across the world. Today, leading at a Fortune 100 firm, she shares how she sees leadership and inclusion with wisdom, experience, and grit. You'll get tremendous take-aways on some of the toughest issues confronting business leaders like hiring and firing, managing for inclusion and more.

First Check-Writing Investors Share All

In this engaging banter between seven venture capital investors, you'll learn:1) what these specific, active investors are looking for2) do's and don'ts of raising venture capital2) guidance for founders, especially founders of color and women, on how to succeed and thrive with authenticity.Speakers include: Allan Jean-Baptiste of KKR, who invests out of the $3B technology fund; Eller Mallchok who runs a premium healthcare accelerator in Nashville, Jumpstart Foundry, with an associated fund; Marlon C. Nichols, who runs MaC Venture Capital in Los Angeles; Richard Fraim, who invests out of Knoll Ventures early-stage fund in Atlanta; Tanya Sam, general partner at Atlanta's Ambition Fund, which invests exclusively in founders of color; Brittany Henry, who invests out Impact America's Fund in San Francisco; and moderator and general partner of Valor Ventures, Lisa Calhoun, who invests out of Valor's Inclusion Platform fund.

Tech Innovator Sandy Welfare Shares Her Secrets to Success

Sandy Welfare has worked in many countries and numerous leadership roles as a tech leader who is also a black woman. Hear her secrets of leadership including when to hire, how to let people go, and working toward inclusive culture. You'll be inspired on her thoughts on how to be it when you can't see it--and more!

Alex Gonzalez of Disrupter Studio

Hear Alex Gonzalez, a seasoned corporate executive and head of innovation from the Metro Atlanta Chamber, talk about how COVID-19 is creating a new innovation ecosystem, and what you should do next.

Kathryn Petralia and Rob Frohwein of Kabbage and Drum

Co-founders Rob Frohwein and Kathryn Petralia dish on their new startup, Drum.io which is just in the app store this week. Plus the impact of COVID-19, and what it was like processing PPP loans through Kabbage. This super-honest interview with two of the top fintech founders working today will leave you inspired, refreshed and informed about the frontiers in fintech and what it takes to build a unicorn.

Sheena Allen, CEO and Founder of Capway

Sheena Allen, CEO and Founder of Capway, shares how she's changing banking forever by finding new ways to serve people who don't trust banks yet-- including rural Americans, blue-collar citizens, and people of color.

Angela Fusaro, MD, CEO At Physician360, Leading COVID-19 Test Provider

Hear CEO and founder Angela Fusaro, MD of Physician360 discuss how "you can go from purchase of a prescription kit to doctor's diagnosis in less than 30 minutes." Physician350 addresses covid-19 testing, coronavirus testing, UTIs, strep, flu and other disruptive conditions for everyone day people in their homes.

Kim Shriver of Cox Enterprises Strategy and Corporate Development

Hear Kim share how local entrepreneurial corporate leader Cox Enterprises is bringing the city of Atlanta to the next level of entrepreneurship. "We recognize inclusion is incredibly important in that ecosystem if it's going to be first-class. . . . Our team fell in love with the concept and how we could work with entrepreneurs who are typically underrepresented to help them connect with early-stage capital and mentors and put them at an advantage that they might not have otherwise."

15 - Atlanta Growth VC Alan Taetle of Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP)

Alan's unique voice and experience investing in Atlanta, as well as other geographies, will open your eyes to what it takes to attract a top-ranked investor for your Series A or B growth round. Listen in.

14 - Atlanta Deep Tech VC John Sears of Anzu Partners

John Sears, based in Atlanta, invests out of the $190 million deep tech fund at Anzu Partners. Hear how he invests, what he's looking for, and why he's bullish on Atlanta founders.

13 - Social Impact VC Nyra Jordan of American Family Institute

Nyra Jordan invests nationally for the American Family Institute and sponsors Startup Runway. Learn what she's looking for in Atlanta.

12 - Aaron Hurst and Alaysia Brown of Endeavor Atlanta

Investors Aaron Hurst and Alaysia Brown of Endeavor Atlanta bring a fresh--and global--perspective to backing great Atlanta businesses.

Ep. 11 - Founder Anju Matthews of Oncolens on Fighting Cancer

Atlanta healthcare startup Oncolens, a Technology Association of Georgia Top 40 company, is streamlining complex cancer treatment protocols. Founder Anju Matthews shares her story.

Ep. 10 - How Coronavirus Is Changing Venture Capital

Three investors--a venture capital firm, a large family office, and a pension fund--share how coronavirus is shaping venture capital.

9 - Ryan Wilson, Founder, The Gathering Spots

Hear how Ryan Wilson, co-founder at The Gathering Spots, built a dream into a multi-million dollar business doing what he loves: building community.

8 - Young VCs Discuss Investing In Atlanta Startups

Three young VCs share fresh perspectives on investing in Atlanta.

7 - Chrissa McFarlane, Founder Patientory

Get to know Atlanta healthcare blockchain rockstar Chrissa McFarlane, founder of Patientory, and why she builds in the ATL while her biggest customers are in the EU,

6 - Allyson Eman of Venture Atlanta

When Allyson led the launch of Venture Atlanta 13 years ago, she didn't realize then she'd build the largest venture capital conference in the South. Learn how Venture Atlanta startups have raised $14 billion and counting.

5 - Jennifer Silverberg - Founder of Smart Commerce

Learn how Jennifer Silverberg sold her last company to Google and is taking on a bigger opportunity today with SmartCommerce.

4 - Matthew Sniff, Founder of MapMyCustomers

Learn how this founder started out in San Francisco and moved to the Southeast to successfully raise capital.

3 - VC Esteban Reyes of Las Olas VC

Learn why this Florida venture capitalist loves leading seed rounds in Atlanta.

2 - VC Zak Schwarzman of Metaprop

What's a New York real estate tech investor doing in Atlanta? Find out why Zak leaves the Big A for The ATL.

1 - Doll Avant, Founder of Aquagenuity

What's in your water? Learn how Aquagenuity is launching the nation's first platform for water quality.

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