Jen Bonnett, general manager of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), has been named a 2017 Women of the Year Award winner by Women In Technology (WIT).
WIT empowers and educates women and girls about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM). The WIT Awards honor women and their accomplishments as leaders in business, innovation, and for making significant contributions to their communities.
ATDC, the state of Georgia’s technology incubator, is one of the longest running university-affiliated organizations of its kind in the United States. Bonnett, who joined ATDC in 2011, won in the nonprofit organization category.
“I’m honored and thrilled by this win, but this award is really a recognition of the hard, transformative work all of us have done at ATDC these last 18 months,” Bonnett said. “This as just as much a win for the amazing and talented team we have at ATDC as it is for me.”
The awards were given out at a special event held at the Georgia Aquarium on Nov. 16, and Bonnett was one of five women honored for their contributions. The annual gathering brings together women leaders of Georgia companies and organizations who are at the forefront of STEAM-related industries.
“Jen is a tireless champion and important voice for startups, entrepreneurs, and Georgia’s technology ecosystem,” said Chris Downing, vice president and director of Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2). As the economic development arm of Georgia Tech, EI2 has 12 programs, including ATDC, dedicated to that effort.
“Since joining ATDC she has worked to elevate it and enhance it — guiding a team of equally committed and dedicated folks — to make ATDC the world-class incubator that it is today,” Downing said.
Bonnett first joined ATDC as a community catalyst in October 2011, a role she held for three years before being named assistant director of education and curriculum in October 2014. She was named acting general manager in October 2015 and named general manager in July 2016.
As general manager, Bonnett leads ATDC’s programming on campus and throughout the state. She played a key role in developing ATDC’s Entrepreneurs Education Series, a curriculum designed to move “concept stage” entrepreneurs from idea through to angel funding. She is also the architect of the “ATDC @” program which delivers coaching and curriculum to entrepreneurs across the state, including Savannah, Athens, Augusta, and Peachtree Corners.
She is a technology entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in information technology and software development, with a specialty in web and mobile. She also is a co-founder of StartupChicks, an organization that seeks to empower women entrepreneurs through a network of education and coaching, community building, and investment. As an entrepreneur and startup founder, Bonnett and her co-founders raised more than $47 million in funding three companies.
In addition to the nonprofit award, WIT also named winners in these categories:
- Large/enterprise business (companies with more than 2,500 employees): Connie Taylor, Manhattan Associates.
- Medium/mid-size business (companies with 251 to 2,500 employees and educational institutions): Maryam Alavi, dean of Tech’s Scheller College of Business.
- Small/emerging business (companies with fewer than 250 employees): Denise Hines, Georgia Health Information Network & eHealth Services Group.
- 2017 Girl of the Year: Elaine Wen
ABOUT ATDC:
The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), a program of the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the state of Georgia’s technology startup incubator. Founded in 1980 by the Georgia General Assembly, which funds it each year, ATDC’s mission is to work with entrepreneurs in Georgia to help them learn, launch, scale, and succeed in the creation of viable, disruptive technology companies. Since its founding, ATDC has grown to become one of the longest running and most successful university-affiliated incubators in the United States, with its graduate startup companies raising $3 billion in investment financing and generating more than $12 billion in revenue in the state of Georgia. To learn more, visit atdc.org.
ABOUT WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY:
Women in Technology (WIT) empowers and educates women and girls about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) by educating middle and high school girls, and young women in college, and by sharing the stories of successful professional women in STEAM. Our team of more than 250 volunteers delivers professional development and networking opportunities to our more than 2,500 professionals, and programs to more than 1,000 students. From the classroom to the boardroom, WIT is committed to bringing the best STEAM content and programming to women and girls in Georgia. For more information, visit mywit.org.