VIA INVEST ATLANTA
| 33
Mayor Andre Dickens has set a goal for Atlanta to become a Top 5 Tech Hub in the U.S. – establishing the city as an influential player in the world of innovative tech. The City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta are paving the way to make this goal a reality, creating an ecosystem that fosters vibrant collaboration, bold investment and sustainable growth across key industries.
As vice president of Technology & Entrepreneurship for Invest Atlanta, Jennifer Bonnett is part of a team leading the city’s efforts to become a Top 5 Tech Hub. She also oversees the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, which was created in 2016 as the first city-funded incubator for women entrepreneurs, featuring collaborative cohorts, community outreach, educational workshops and mentorship. Becoming a top five tech town requires a collective effort between public and private entities that are actively engaged in the process. “It’s going to take a village,” says Jennifer. “We’ve identified the projects and initiatives that will move the needle closer to the goal, but we are also asking companies, investors and academic institutions to step up and empower entrepreneurs in meaningful ways.” From increasing access to capital, to training and retaining talent and creating strong partnerships, here are the top five ways Atlanta is advancing a culture of collaboration to become the nation’s go-to city for tech entrepreneurs.
Key to attracting entrepreneurs and tech companies to Atlanta is having a ready workforce with competitive skills. With sizable investments in upskilling and reskilling programs, Atlanta is building a pipeline of qualified workers proficient in high- demand, technical skills across growing industries. 1 DEVELOPING A WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE
There are 57 public and private colleges and universities in the Atlanta region with more than 250,000 students enrolled each year. To keep talented graduates from heading to the West Coast or other big cities for tech jobs, Atlanta is highlighting all the possibilities that exist within the city by fostering dynamic collaborations among educational institutions and the tech community. 2 ENGAGING UNIVERSITY GRADS
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator