New Venture Atlanta Board Represents Diversity and Reflects Dedication to Continuing the Momentum From 2020's Success

Top investment conference selects largest, most diverse lineup of board members

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Feb 08, 2021, 09:25 ET

ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Venture Atlanta, the largest and most prestigious venture conference in the Southeast, today announced this year's board of directors, a diverse and multifaceted group of entrepreneurs, business leaders and investment executives dedicated to moving the technology industry forward to solve current challenges.

The board will focus on continuing to build off of the momentum of 2020's record-breaking virtual conference, Venture Atlanta Live Online, a successful pivot from its traditional in-person event that was watched by over 1,200 people worldwide. The 2020 conference resulted in not only raising capital for participating companies, but also delivered meaningful engagement and discussions on core topics, including a memorable panel on diversity.

"I'm very excited to work with the talented board we've assembled," said Jim Douglass, Venture Atlanta 2021 chairman and partner at Fulcrum Equity Partners. "With our continued mission to match companies to capital, we have created a board with extensive connections across the U.S. that will help us to continue to expand the venture ecosystem."

Douglass added, "With the phenomenal success of our digital conference last year allowing us to expand our reach across the nation, we're very well positioned to take another major step toward becoming the leading venture conference in the nation. We are attracting capital providers across the nation that can support early stage through all levels of growth for our participating companies."

The new board of directors is comprised of men and women of different backgrounds, races, roles and industries that will serve to help guide Venture Atlanta 2021 to success. Hailing from vibrant tech scenes across the country, including San Francisco, Atlanta, the Carolinas, Florida and beyond, the board brings an array of different perspectives on building startups, raising capital and fueling long-term growth and successful exits.

"As managing partner at CTW Venture Partners and a founding member of the Atlanta CEO Council, I've been heavily involved in the Atlanta startup scene for many years," said Palaniswamy "Raj" Rajan, legacy Venture Atlanta board member. "Venture Atlanta has played such a large role in turning our city into a tech hotspot and putting Atlanta on the radar of our nation's top investment firms. And over the past few years, our reach has extended beyond the Southeast into other emerging tech hubs in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions. As I serve another year on the VA board, I'm looking forward to continuing to be a part of this growth and bringing Venture Atlanta's capital connections to our participating companies."

Meet the Newly Added Venture Atlanta Board Members & 2021 Chairman
Jim Douglass, Partner, Fulcrum Equity Partners, and Venture Atlanta 2021 Chairman
Jason Caplain, General Partner and Co-Founder, Bull City Venture Partners
Elizabeth Feidler, Vice President, Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP)
Mark Flickinger, Chief Operating Officer, BIP Capital
Barry Givens, Managing Director for Cox Social Impact Accelerator, powered by Techstars, and Managing Partner, Collab Capital
Frederik Groce, Principal, Storm Ventures and Co-Founder, BLCK VC
Scott Lopano, Principal, Tech Square Ventures
Suneera Madhani, Founder and CEO, Fattmerchant
Jon Rosenbaum, Principal, Insight Partners
Ryan Whittemore, Chief Investment Officer, Florida Funders
Joey Womack, Founder and CEO, Goodie Nation

Legacy Board Members
Allyson Eman, Venture Atlanta CEO
Kelly Gay, Venture Atlanta 2020 Chairwoman, CEO of OnBoard, and Vice Chair of Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
Alex Estevez, Venture Partner with Accel Partners and Venture Atlanta 2019 Chairman
Mike Becker, Managing Director, Vocap Partners
Richard Fraim, General Partner, Knoll Ventures
David Hartnett, Chief Economic Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber
Vanessa Larco, Partner, NEA
Phyllis Newhouse, CEO, Xtreme Solutions, Inc.
Rachel Spasser, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Accel-KKR Consulting Group
Larry Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

Missed Venture Atlanta 2020? Read the full recap here or sign up to watch all speaker sessions, company pitches and more on-demand.

About Venture Atlanta
Venture Atlanta, the Southeast's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 500 companies and raise over $4.7 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region's top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and visit our blog.

Contacts:
Allyson Eman, CEO
Venture Atlanta
770.298.4202
[email protected]

Sara Wakefield
Carabiner Communications
770.778.6194
[email protected]

SOURCE Venture Atlanta