2022 Atlanta Innovation Week Recap Atlanta Innovation Week highlighted and celebrated Atlanta’s innovation, technology, and entrepreneur ecosystem with various events organized by various companies and organizations throughout the metro Atlanta region for the second consecutive ...
2022 Atlanta Innovation Week Recap
Atlanta Innovation Week highlighted and celebrated Atlanta’s innovation, technology, and entrepreneur ecosystem with various events organized by various companies and organizations throughout the metro Atlanta region for the second consecutive year. Created by the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) in partnership with the Atlanta innovation community, Atlanta Innovation Week amplifies Atlanta’s cultural influence and globally recognized innovation ecosystem.
MAC hosted a reception to kick off this year’s Atlanta Innovation Week with members of the MAC board, attendees from the startup ecosystem and the creative community at King & Spalding. The event featured remarks from Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and MAC President and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick.
“Lt. Governor Duncan and Mayor Dickens’ collaborative approach and passion for metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia helps to make the case why our innovation ecosystem is continuing to grow,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
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Across 17 days, members of metro Atlanta’s innovation ecosystem attended signature events such as (the?) Atlanta Startup Awards where Atlanta leaders Ambassador Andrew Young and Intuit Mailchimp Co-Founder Ben Chestnut received Lifetime Achievement Awards, Techstars Atlanta Demo Day which showcased the ingenuity of groundbreaking companies, Venture Atlanta which celebrated 15 years of connecting founders and funders, the first State of the Industry Summit at Trilith Studios and Engage Ventures Executive Reception at Cox Enterprises where Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced the city’s first technology advisor.
“Atlanta Innovation Week is the celebration of our region’s continued influence and uniting of innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators from across the region and the world,” said Alex Gonzalez, chief innovation, and marketing officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “This week is about the people and companies that have worked together to create an unparalleled innovation ecosystem and investment in metro Atlanta.”
Additional notable moments during Atlanta Innovation Week included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the launch of the UPS Logistics Launchpad – a collaboration of UPS, the UPS Store and Ware2Go – at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) to create a mini-logistics hub enabling shipping, warehousing and fulfillment for people growing their businesses; a behind-the-scenes discussion on how Engage worked to build a solution market for corporate innovation; and the launch of the region’s innovation district map.
By the numbers, Atlanta’s innovation ecosystem spans a broad 29-county region with numerous innovation districts that benefitted from $4 billion in venture capital funding in 2021. It includes 50+ colleges and universities, 33 corporate innovation centers, 150+ public companies, 159 digital media companies, and a wealth of diverse, forward-thinking talent—including the second-highest Black population in the country with a bachelor’s degree. It also includes global brands such as Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A and The Home Depot, global tech companies such as Microsoft, Google and Intuit Mailchimp, and fast-growing home-grown companies such as Calendly, We Are Rosie and Salesloft.
To learn more about metro Atlanta’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, visit https://www.metroatlantachamber.com/innovation-entrepreneurship
