Tag Archive for 'StartupLounge'

Busy Week in Atlanta

Published on February 4, 2008 in Events. 0 Comments

This week is shaping up to be pretty busy in Atlanta.  On Wednesday, StartupLounge is hosting its quarterly Capital Connections event.  In the past there have been about 200 or so folks there.

ATDC TAG Entrepreneurs SocietyOn Thursday, TAG and ATDC have an Entrepreneurs Society Meeting in the morning (local entrepreneur David Cummings will be presenting).

I just heard that David Ratajczak is arranging a YnR gathering in the evening.  YnR gatherings range in size but usually there seems to be around 30 or 40 entrepreneurs.  I suspect this YnR will be larger just because its been a while since the last one.

SoCon 08Finally, the week winds down with SoCon 08 on Friday evening and all day Saturday (registration for this event has closed).

Unfortunately, I’m going to miss all of the events except for SoCon on Saturday.  I’ve got a fun trip scheduled which I’ll probably document on my personal blog in the next week or so.  Everyone have fun this week and get out and meet some interesting people who you don’t already know!

Angel Lounge Recap

Published on February 2, 2008 in Angels and Events. 2 Comments

I’ve been wrapped up in things lately and haven’t given as much attention to this blog as I did during the first 30 days (of course, this is only day 41 of this blog).  So I was happy to see that Scott Burkett wrote a nice wrap up piece from the recent Angel Lounge event.  It was a great event (thanks Scott, Mike, and Charlie!) and it was interesting to see who was at the table.  Even more interesting was the fact that I was the youngest guy (I think) in the room.  It makes me smile when that happens since it happens less and less nowadays.

I do want to comment on one part of Scott’s post though.  In soapbox mode, Scott says (emphasis is mine)

There was a brief discussion about some past efforts to try and do the same thing we’re shooting for - and that those efforts were not terribly successful. I will simply say this. “We” are not “they”. Whatever happened before us is largely irrelevant to me. Granted, we want to examine the reasons as to why those efforts were not effective, and we have.  But as I tell the folks that I work with professionally, I will almost always choose to look through the windshield, and not in the rear-view mirror.

But then, after soapbox mode, Scott says (again, emphasis is mine)

We will bring Atlanta/Georgia back to where it needs to be. It will take time, but we will do it.

Dangit Scott, you got trapped into the mindset you were just railing against.  The things you and other folks (and myself) are doing aren’t to get back to where things need to be and they definitely aren’t about being “like” the Valley, or Boston, or wherever.  What we’re all doing (at least I think and hope) is to make things better in Atlanta.  There are so many reasons that entrepreneurs should want to stay and start companies in Atlanta.  Heck, I think there are reasons that entrepreneurs should want to move to Atlanta from wherever and start companies.

So let’s not worry about trying to get Atlanta back to what it should have been or could have been or was.  Let’s figure out how we build a vibrant community that reflects the way we all want things to be so that we can all build and finance great companies right here.

Event: Angel Lounge

Published on January 30, 2008 in Events. 0 Comments

I’m heading to StartupLounge’s Angel Lounge event today.  It’ll be interesting to see who shows up as well as how big of a crowd Scott and Michael are able to get together.  Judging by past Capital Connections events, I won’t be surprised if it’s quite a few people.  Also, just a reminder that Capital Connections is next week.  I, unfortunately, won’t make that event so if anyone wants to blog about the event here, let me know and we’ll hook something up.