Venture Atlanta Conference

Our most anticipated announcement of the year is finally ????????! ?? Chosen from a record-breaking 630 applications, we've selected 88 incredible companies to participate at #VA2024! Click here to view the full lineup: https://lnkd.in/e3CkAdMU #VentureAtlanta #investors #investing #VentureAtlantaConference #startups #startup #startupbusiness #founders #entrepreneur #VentureCapitalist #venturecapital #entrepreneurs #tech

Thank you so much to everyone at the Venture Atlanta Conference and the Venture Atlanta Team for an amazing experience and conference. This $500,000 Investment will help us serve more Tax Professionals and their clients across the U.S. ! ?? Special Thanks to the Amazing founders who made the top 10, the judges for believing in us, and the entire crowd who voted on Day 1 or said a word of encouragement. The real work starts now and we will use this momentum to go to a whole different level. Excited for all of the new partners, relationships, and future team mates that will join us on this journey. Next Stop, Tax Season! ?? #VentureAtlanta #SmartWiz #taxpreparer #taxseason #taxes #founder #venturecapital #WinningSeason

I've been saying it since my first attendance representing Origin Ventures in 2017, but Venture Atlanta Conference is (IMHO) the absolute best regional VC conference out there. Everyone from the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and beyond is in attendance, and the quality of the people and networking is just top notch. Allyson Eman and the whole board (including Jackie DiMonte, Elizabeth Stephens, Scott Lopano, Emery Waddell, Vanessa Larco, F. Peter Franconi, Richard Fraim and many others) go out of their way to make the content, the startups being showcased, the venues, the food, the schedule, the app... all just work together seamlessly. And they've somehow improved it each and every year. Can't wait until next year! You know it's a good event when you completely forget to take pictures (except right when you walk in and of the floor plan ??♂?).?I'll hopefully remember to take more photos...

?? It is weeks like these that reinvigorate me and remind me why I love what I do. 1?? I started the week off at the Venture Atlanta Conference and it reminded me that... A) Being a Founder does NOT have to be lonely. This community is so welcoming and supportive. B) This world is FULL of brilliant innovators and I love surrounding myself with them. (Pro Tip: If you are the smartest person in the room...then you have a problem. ) C) What TRAX is accomplishing shocks and awes everyone I speak with! It makes me prouder and prouder every day. 2?? Then I was off to the IFMA conference in San Antonio to meet our incredible sales team and watch them shine. The amount of interest was overwhelming (in a great way!) and reminded me that dang...we are really on to something big. San Antonio was beautiful as always and our team crushed it as usual. ?? Grateful for busy weeks like these. Grateful for our growing team. And Grateful for the tech community cheering us on. Patrick Trevino, MBA Melissa Kelley Maria Ortiz TRAX Analytics Venture Atlanta Conference

??Top 10 Takeaways VentureAtlanta 202?? We had the privilege of attending the Venture Atlanta Conference, where top minds in #Startups and #Venturecapital shared insights shaping the future of the Silicon Valley of the South. Here are our top 10 takeaways from an incredible few days of learning & sharing: 1?? Always Be Raising: Don’t over-raise, but don't stop raising. You'll need the runway to make it (we know from experience), so watch your burn rate closely! Yes, you'll be DOA a few times, too, and only the strong survive. 2?? Distribution is Key: Building a brand and accessing data often trump distribution channels. Strategic partnerships can become potential buyers—parallel revenue streams rock. #oneteam 3?? Marketing ≠ Magic Wand: No amount of paid ads will fix a product-market fit issue. Focus on organic growth through customer love and word-of-mouth referrals before scaling paid efforts. We've been there and made the mistake already. 4?? Narrow Your Focus: Are you trying to market products to too many audiences? Doing so is a recipe for wasted resources. Focus matters. 5?? Know Your Metrics: Don’t get caught up in first-touch or last-touch nonsense. Marketing success is multi-touch, and understanding the entire customer journey is critical. 6?? Product-Led Growth: Let customers touch your product (aka fingers on the keyboard). PLG speeds up implementation, reduces risk, and builds trust. The endowment effect is natural; product experience speaks louder than any sales pitch. 7?? Invest in Customer Success: Implementation and customer success are your secret weapons. Keeping customers happy fuels long-term growth, and NDR (Net Dollar Retention) is your growth superpower. Think in terms of LAER. 8?? Customer Feedback is Gold: Create channels for customer feedback and obsess over their voice. But don't develop features that distract from the actual product development strategy. 9?? Innovate Continuously: Adopt the mantra of "Better, better, never best." There's always room for improvement, and minor fixes can make a massive difference over time. Don't chase competitors—do your differentiated thing. ?? Mindset Matters: The most successful founders embrace the grind, are transparent #Oneteam, and know that fortitude, resilience, and the ability to adapt separate good companies from great ones. By the way, great founders should speak in terms of "WE" and not in terms of "I." #Oneteam We are excited to return these lessons to the Skillibrium team as we innovate and grow. The future is bright! ?? #VentureAtlanta #Startups #VentureCapital #ProductLedGrowth #CustomerSuccess Kerri Barton Deirdre Sommerkamp Marva Bailer Jennifer Miller Prakash Vyas CEng MIET FBCS Rob Swymer Joe Martin Tom Schodorf welovehumans

What an honor it was to speak at this year's Venture Atlanta Conference. I had the privilege of meeting some amazing people and hearing about the incredible innovation happening all around us. A special shout-out to my executive session speakers Carilu Dietrich, Tom Buiocchi, and Ryan Barretto — I loved getting to know each of you and learning from you. Huge thanks to C. Alex Estevez for creating such a great environment to share and learn, and lastly, Allyson Eman for running the most amazing event. I don’t think I have ever seen an event this large run so smoothly! Thank you for allowing me to share my stories on the key to never leaving your deal to chance. Looking forward to connecting with my new friends and continuing the conversations in the coming year!

We were thrilled to host the panel "Innovating Healthcare: Bridging Clinical Expertise with Entrepreneurial Vision" with Wellstar Health System leaders, exploring the complexities of bringing clinical expertise and entrepreneurial thinking together in the healthcare space. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us from near and far! Our panel at Venture Atlanta delved into the culture of innovation in healthcare, focusing on how to create space for risk-taking in a traditionally risk-averse industry. The discussion also highlighted the importance of clinical expertise in shaping venture investments,?ensuring that those closest to patients are informing the solutions startups develop. We explored the intersection of healthcare and technology, health equity, and how leaders like those at Catalyst by Wellstar are advancing care through entrepreneurial collaboration. A huge thank you to?Beth Kost-Woodrow?Daniel Fortes, MD, MBA, FACS Snehal Doshi?for providing your expertise and the gift of your time! And to our own Patric Rayburn for moderating! ? We’re also excited to spotlight one of our panelists, Nicole Cook, founder of Alvee AI, a startup focused on advancing health equity. This partnership will help Catalyst take an important step toward addressing healthcare gaps in underserved communities. It's an honor to be a part of Venture Atlanta Conference, surrounded by incredible leaders and endless inspiration. Together, we’re shaping the future of innovation and redefining startup culture in this amazing city. #VentureAtlanta #HealthcareInnovation #CatalystByWellstar #InnovatingHealthcare #Entrepreneurship SoundingBoard Engage #va2024

The Inclusivv Female Founders in Innovation Dinner was the perfect way to end the Venture Atlanta Conference ?? Jenn Graham thank you for creating this space for women entrepreneurs, investors, and community builders. It was truly a magical evening ? In the 16 years since I’ve worked in the Atlanta tech scene, I have *never* been to an event like this with all of these Wonder Women in the same room ?? Aly Merritt, Jennifer Bonnett, Kashi Sehgal, Karen C. Houghton, Lisa S. Jones, Jennifer Singh, Anike Mlemchukwu, Jacqui C., Jane (Karwoski) McCracken, Karen Cashion, Dana Xavier Dojnik, Eileen Lee, Kristin Slink, Kim Seals, Maija Ehlinger, Tenisha Griggs, Sheila Maithel, Jacey Cadet, Kathryn O'Day, Lauren Goodell (so nice to finally meet you briefly IRL!), Tamara Vrooman Lucas, Cynthia Curry, Loren Mount-O'Brien, Alice Crisci, Ife Badejo, Monica Delores Hooks, MBA, EDP (I know I’ve missed a tag here but this was an epic gathering) Saving the best for last: Allyson Eman, none of this would have been possible without you ?? But the best moment of the night was meeting entrepreneur Judy Price of Yachtly, and discovering we had a mutual friend in the USVI with Capt. “Teddy J” Theodore Jennings ???she shared it was Ted’s podcast that inspired her and her husband to take the leap of faith, move to the islands, and then launch their startup ?? And that’s what makes this ATL tech scene special: it’s not 6 degrees of separation, it’s only 1-2. ATL may not have as much capital as SF, NY, CHI, MIA, ATX — but we have a big differentiator with our Southern hospitality. Our community is so warm and welcoming ?? I’m on this mission to help give everyone a seat at the table. The best question you can ask any founder, especially a female, is “how can I help?” ?? Let’s build a better world together, y’all. ?? #VA2024

Venture Atlanta Conference 2024 was one for the books! I didn’t get very many pictures because there were so many amazing conversations and pitches to be had! Allyson Eman and her team completely knocked it out of the park this year! Not just with the caliber of companies on stage but the Investors and leaders in the room with the goal of elevating and supporting the Atlanta Tech Ecosystem!

Always enjoy seeing Venture Atlanta's progress. Proud that TAG had a major role in kicking it off and that Allyson Eman has provided the excellent leadership to the organization, along with many great Board members who served over the years. We wanted VA to be the best Venture Conference in the SE. Goal accomplished and more. Allyson Eman