Exactly seven years ago to the day we closed on Ivy Place at 3423 Piedmont Rd and called it the Atlanta Tech Village. At the time, it seemed like a crazy idea. Why take a perfectly good building at one of the busiest street corners in Atlanta, one that’s full of credit-worthy tenants with long-term leases, and parse it up into tiny offices for unprofitable startups with no leases? Simple: we believe in the power of entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs to increase the chance of everyone’s success.
Today, the Tech Village has exceeded all expectations. Over 300 companies and 1,000 people call the Tech Village home. Tech Village graduates like SalesLoft, Calendly, Terminus, and others are collectively valued at billions of dollars. The It Takes a Village pre-accelerator program has graduated four cohorts of under-represented founders. Village startups have raised nearly $1 billion in capital.
Ultimately, the Tech Village’s success comes down to the people. David and Karen set the tone internally. Jewell sets the tone when you walk in the door. And, of course, the entrepreneurs make it the vibrant, thriving community it is.
Happy birthday Atlanta Tech Village. Here’s to your first seven years, and many more to come.
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David Cummings, Khareem Sudlow
