Atlanta doesn’t need to reinvent community; it needs to activate it. The next phase of growth for the city’s startup ecosystem won’t come from more events, programming, or even capital. It will come from more people helping each other. And when people know who to connect, what a strong introduction looks like, and perceived risks are reduced, participation increases.

TSRB researcher and Georgia Tech PhD candidate Mohsin Yousufi, originally trained as an architect, is now working at the intersection of civic tech and epistemic justice. His research asks why lived experience is often dismissed in public systems and what it takes to make it count.

“You are not alone, and your experience is valued.” These are core messages that Dr. Ethan Trinh has for Asian LGBTQ+ immigrant and refugee communities in Atlanta. Dr. Ethan Trinh’s digital humanities project, Stories of In-Betweenness: An AI-Assisted Memory Map of Atlanta’s Asian LGBTQ+ Immigrant and Refugee Communities, has been awarded an Atlanta Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence (AIAI) Network 2025-2026 seed grant.

A weekly meetup, prompted by curiosity about the possibilities of building with artificial intelligence (AI), is brewing at the Atlanta Technology Development Center (ATDC). On Monday mornings, builders, founders, and researchers gather first for a cup of coffee, then to share what they’ve been building with AI, get feedback, and brainstorm ideas.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly stepping into the world of medicine. Large language models can summarize clinical notes, answer health questions, and assist physicians in diagnosing disease. In places where doctors are scarce and healthcare infrastructure is limited; these tools promise to expand access to care. But there is a problem hiding inside the data…

Deleon Technologies, a CREATE-X alumni company, is bringing daily metabolomics tracking of ten amino acids into homes by miniaturizing lab testing equipment and leveraging data-driven insights to provide athletes with personalized workout and recovery tips.

Askari Defense is building decentralized systems to counter autonomous threats, starting with drones. Now out of stealth, they are operating out of the Biltmore Innovation Center. The team is focused on tools designed for individual operators in the field.

When Martin So saw how outdated intelligence workflows still were, he set out to change them. Panoptica Technologies is using AI to modernize how analysts in the military process and act on data.

Engaging speakers, thoughtful questions, and dynamic discussion. Tech Talks Business, hosted by Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Dean Anuj Mehrotra, is like your favorite podcast, covering ideas and topics relevant to business, society, and leadership. But unlike a podcast, Tech Talks Business is held in person, so you can ask your questions and discuss ideas with other attendees after listening to the conversation.

Last semester, faculty, students, and researchers gathered in the Hodges Room at Centergy One for the latest IPaT GVU Lunch Lecture. Dr. Carl DiSalvo, professor in the School of Interactive Computing, took the floor to pose a simple but unsettling question: What if the real power of design is not what we produce, but how we stand with people along the way?

Inspire Placemaking Collective is shaping places that shape communities.

From the Biltmore Innovation Center, the firm planted its Atlanta office in Tech Square in April 2025, a full-circle move after drawing inspiration from the district years earlier.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) affects around 20 million people in the United States. The only way to definitively treat PAD is through surgery. However, monitoring one’s health after surgery is expensive, requiring patients to return to hospitals, and there is still a 12.5-20% incidence of secondary blockage post-surgery. CREATE-X startup, VasSense, has a solution. The startup’s wearable device allows for at-home monitoring for second incidences, making post-surgical care accessible.  

Atlanta has always been a relationship city. Long before “community” became a startup buzzword, introductions powered Atlanta’s business ecosystem, building shared trust and informal networks that opened doors across industries. From real estate and logistics to fintech and SaaS, deals here rarely begin with cold outreach. They begin with, “You should meet…”

Researcher, game designer, and creative technologist Audrey Chung embraces uncertainty as they explore new ways of telling stories through game design, where narratives unfold through player choice rather than fixed scripts.

On a summer Atlanta afternoon, the temperature can shift block by block. A street lined with trees feels bearable. Two intersections over, asphalt radiates heat and the air hangs heavy. Those differences are not incidental, nor are they harmless. For PhD candidate Ashley Boone, data provides a pathway to change that reality by mapping, interpreting, and mobilizing environmental patterns in the city.