A leading expert who has helped numerous Fortune 500 companies optimize their business processes, Radhika Subramanian knows a thing or two about entrepreneurial success. Now serving as CEO of Emcien – a 2008 graduate of ATDC – Subramanian will share her tips and insight at Entrepreneur’s Night this evening. Running from 6 to 7:30 pm tonight, the event provides young startups with the chance to hobnob with other industry players and hear success stories from a distinguished ATDC entrepreneur.
“I’ll discuss the entrepreneur’s journey, as well as lean startups and pivots,” said Subramanian. “A pivot is a way to change the business based on how the market/customers are responding. This is critical to convert a startup to a successful business.”
Founded in 2002, Emcien provides pattern-based analytics applications designed to solve specific business problems. Emcien’s innovation originated when Dr. Roy Marsten, a leading computational optimization expert, solved a tough problem for a leading auto manufacturer while serving as a professor at Georgia Tech in the 1990s. Subramanian said ATDC resources helped aid the company’s eventual success, providing them with crucial connections and mentors.
With nearly 20 years of entrepreneurial experience under her belt, Subramanian has a little more advice for young entrepreneurs.
“A startup is a very difficult task and is not for the light-hearted,” she said. “Pick your team wisely so that you can say, “Mission accomplished!”
Entrepreneur’s Night takes place the third Thursday of every month in ATDC Community Room 235. The networking event is free for ATDC members. Register now to attend.
It’s been a good year for ATDC. From the staff additions of our new Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) and Community Catalysts to the creation of Flashpoint, there have been some great developments throughout 2011. And the New Year is likely to bring even more growth.
As you might have heard, we will be launching a new membership level starting Jan. 3. “ATDC Select” will include startups that have been screened and selected based on readiness for acceleration and fit with our services and staffing. These companies have identified scalable business models and are ready to take advantage of our more focused, individual support, which includes custom access to EIRs, mentors, graduate companies and sponsors, as well as potential investors and strategic partners. At the same time, we will continue to welcome and support all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia through quality “coaching, connecting and community” programs designed to help them build and launch successful companies.
From Startup Circles in a range of geographic locations to Lunch-N-Learn workshops and a monthly Cowork@ATDC collaborative working session, there will be plenty of opportunities to network with other entrepreneurs and learn from seasoned veterans next year. Want to meet with ATDC staff to discuss your startup? Team members will have office hours available by appointment starting the first week of January. New and prospective members are invited to attend an information session on Jan. 10 to learn more about membership benefits and qualifications.
Of course, we are most proud of the achievements of our member companies and graduates. We salute the hard work of all ATDC entrepreneurs and look forward to providing members with strategic entrepreneurial advice and key business connections in the New Year. ATDC offices will be closed from Dec. 26 through Jan. 2. Happy holidays and see you in 2012!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! To celebrate the holiday season and coming New Year, ATDC, StartupChicks, StartupDrinks and Startup Riot cordially invite you to a festive party bound to fill you with good cheer.
Held on Dec. 14 at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center, the free event is expected to draw hundreds of area entrepreneurs – providing plenty of networking opportunities for young startups.
“Startup success is largely dictated by one thing: luck,” said event co-host Sanjay Parekh, founder of Startup Riot, a day-long conference and career fair event held in multiple cities. “There are a lot of things that can nudge luck in the right direction to negate any bad luck. Working hard and being smart are clearly two of the ways, but getting help is another great way of influencing your luck. By getting out to these types of events, you end up meeting different people that will give you advice and make introductions that will help you succeed.”
Although ATDC hosts a holiday party for members every year, this is the first time they have partnered with other organizations to organize an event for the larger startup community. There will be a cash bar, holiday music and hors d’oeuvres.
Don’t miss out on the chance to eat, drink and be merry while mingling with other startups. Register now for the entrepreneurial party of the season.
For the third consecutive year, top executives, investors, entrepreneurs and academics will converge in Atlanta next week to discuss the rapidly changing media landscape and the trends driving that change.
The gathering is due to FutureMedia Fest 2011, a three-day conference packed with panel discussions, workshops, keynote speeches and research demos all focused on “exploring the media’s disruptive power on people and business.” Organized by the Georgia Tech Institute for People and Technology, the event runs from Nov. 15-17 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. This year, a number of ATDC employees and member companies will participate in the discussion.
“It’s wonderful to see that FutureMedia has acknowledged the role of startups and the power they yield in the media space,” said Nina Sawczuk, Director of Startup Services and General Manager of ATDC. “This event is a great networking opportunity for many of our members and provides a global glimpse of some of the trends impacting the media environment.”
Throughout the Fest, startup companies and researchers will present demonstrations of the latest technologies from Georgia Tech students and outside businesses. Among the speakers will be representatives from ESPN, Turner Broadcasting System, Twitter, Mashable, The Coca-Cola Company and Cox Media Group. Panel topics will range from sports entertainment and civic engagement to emergency response, entrepreneurship, advertising, gaming, television, computational journalism and the Georgia film industry.
Sawczuk will join several other industry leaders in a discussion about Entrepreneurship in a Noisy World, while ATDC Entrepreneur-in-Residence Hezi Moore leads a “Birds of a Feather” discussion on content integrity. In addition, current and graduate ATDC member companies including Scoutmob, OpenStudy, PlayON! Sports, Preparis, IdeaString, BLiNQ Media, CodeGuard, CubeVibe, Cooleaf, Digital Assent, Jigsaw Meeting, LiquidTest, Merlin Mobility, Mogley, Proximus Mobility, Regator.com, Social Fortress, Soket, TripLingo, Whisper Communications, Xsporture and Zooz Mobile will all be featured in various aspects of the event.
Last year’s FutureMedia Fest drew more than 750 attendees and was viewed online by thousands of people from nearly 80 different countries. Organizers say this year’s event is expected to be even bigger.
“There is really something for everyone in the digital, social or multimedia industry, whether student age or CEO level,” said Erin Dowdy, a spokesperson for FutureMedia. “The quality of the speakers giving the keynotes and the people on the panels is outstanding. One of the best things about it is the price point. For only $150, you can get inside the minds of these incredible innovative thinkers and businesspeople.”
Venture Atlanta, where Georgia’s top technology companies meet top-tier investors, is seeking companies to present at its 2010 conference taking place on October 12 – 13 at the Georgia Aquarium. More than 20 Georgia companies will be selected to speak. There will also be a trade show-style showcase to highlight 25 additional earlier stage companies. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to more than 100 investors.
Notable companies that used Venture Atlanta as part of their fundraising process in past years include CloudSherpas, ControlScan, PlayOn Sports, Purewire, RentWiki, SoloHealth, Vertical Acuity, and WorthPoint. The video has testimonials from the leaders of a few of these companies.
There is no charge to apply to present or to present your company. Entrepreneurs interested in presenting at Venture Atlanta need to submit a two page executive summary by August 20th.
Together with Georgia Bio, ATDC will be hosting a workshop, tomorrow 5/11, to discuss the “nuts-and-bolts” of the Therapeutic Discovery Project Credit. Lined up to join our panel session are Russ Medford of Salutria Pharmaceuticals, Russ Plum of Inhibitex, Katherine Breaks of KPMG, Bill Kitchens of Arnall, Golden and Gregory, Robert Craig an Executive Consultant, and Jeff Trent of Paradigm Partners.
These panel members will bring a wealth of experience on the topic. Several panelists have had direct working experience with the similar 48 sec C Advanced Energy Credit and will be able to provide specifics on how the program may unfold. Russ Medford, CEO of Salutria Pharmaceuticals, was integral in working with BIO to lobby directly for the legislation, and Russ Plum, CEO of Inhibitex, has been interviewing consultants to assist Inhibitex is applying for the Project Credit.
This two hour working session will consist mostly of Question and Answer. So join us tomorrow on the 3rd floor of 75 5th Street, NW, and be ready to ask our panelists your specific questions.
ATDC members – register now to attend the ATDC Member Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 16th at the Georgia Tech Hotel (Club Room) from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Join the ATDC member community for a festive evening of celebration. Network with other ATDC members, enjoy an assortment of hors d’oeuvres, and participate in our free raffle (sponsored by StartupLounge). A cash bar will be available. A big thanks to our platinum party sponsor (and ATDC member), OfficeArrow!
Remember, this party is for ATDC members only! If you aren’t a member, join us now!
Four seasoned SBIR/STTR recipients will relay their experiences in obtaining SBIR/STTR funding. On October 21st, the ATDC Brown Bag Panel Discussion will allow you to glean from their knowledge.
Hearing about the SBIR or STTR award process is one thing, but hearing from someone who actually went through the process (and was successful), is even more beneficial. SBIR/STTR Awards can provide your company with up to $850K to conduct research. Why not learn how others have done it and reap valuable knowledge from their experiences? Come hear them relay how they did it, problems they had, and things they wish they had known. Don’t forget to bring your questions too!
Panelists:
Karol Hatzilias is the President, ShapeStart Measurement Systems, Inc. Phase 1 and 2 SBIR grant from the Navy.
Nikil Jayant is a Chaired Professor in the School of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Georgia Tech, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and Co-Founder of VQLink. Phase 1 and 2 SBIR grants from NSF.
Ron Garmon is CEO of VueLogic. VuLogic has received Phase 1 and 2 NSF SBIR funding.
Thanh Doanis Vice President of Operations at Vivonetics. SBIR and STTR awards from NIH.
Please note:This is a FREE event (for ATDC Members only), therefore it is a TRUE Brown Bag – meaning, bring your own lunch. If you forget to pack one before you walk out of the house, there are plenty ofgreat restaurants in Tech Squareto patron just before you enter this program.
On Thursday October 15 at the swank Hotel Palomar in Midtown Atlanta.
Join academics, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to explore what’s next in digital, social, and multimedia at the FutureMedia. Get involved in the early stages of this exciting, converging industry – one that is breaking boundaries and transforming today’s norms.
Discuss emerging trends with market leaders.
Explore what’s possible with hands-on university and start-up demos.
Deliberate on what the future of media will look like.
Consider the role open innovation will play.
Engage and build relationships with experts from across the future media ecosystem.
An exciting new series of educational events is launching across the country in October and November. Kirtsy has joined forces with Microsoft Office Live to offer five Hands On Small Business (#HOSB) sessions to cites throughout the US and Canada, including here in Atlanta.
These sessions promise to be very “Hands On” and interactive. They are designed to offer practical advice, direct instruction, and application tips to help small businesses and entrepreneurs effectively use online and social media solutions. The events will be held at ATDC in midtown with Tessa Horehled as the facilitator. The sessions are free and open to the public. You can sign up for one of the Atlanta sessions here.
ATDC is looking forward to hosting the Hands On sessions.
