Feedback Friday Fosters Growth and Furthers Confidence for Founders
June prompted the official onset of summer – and a brand new event series, co-hosted by Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). Feedback Friday, hosted every other week in The Clubhouse, aimed to bring together a diverse group of aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned mentors to perfect pitches and forge new connections.
Inviting community members to tap into ATDC's startup ecosystem of entrepreneurs, coaches, and investors, participants were able to get real-time feedback on their pitch deck or merely engage with others to learn best practices of successful pitching.
Hosted by Nakia Melecio, Founder and Deep Tech Coach at ATDC and Carnellia Ajasin, Entrepreneur in Residence at ATDC, and visionary behind Mind Katalyst, the sunny afternoon commenced with Nakia's expertise on mastering the art of pitching. Attendees were treated to invaluable advice on engaging audiences and crafting compelling narratives. From refining pitch decks with striking visuals to selecting pertinent statistics, the technical aspects were meticulously explored. But the heart of the matter was Nakia's emphasis on storytelling and the importance of elucidating the problems that entrepreneurs sought to solve through their ventures.
Then came the moment everyone had been eagerly awaiting – the pitches. One by one, brave startup founders took the stage to showcase their creations. And after each pitch, the entrepreneurs received personalized feedback from the coaches, guiding them toward more impactful deliveries.
Below are a few standout presenters:
Anike Mlemchukwu – Lapapoe Special Needs
Anike spoke about her venture, an online platform connecting families to clinically trained caregivers, educators, and therapists. But was most interesting was the growth participants witnessed – everyone could tell her pitch underwent a huge transformation since attending both Feedback Friday events. These informative and insightful sessions helped Anike hone her storytelling prowess and captivate the audience while streamlining her presentation to deliver more information without crowding each slide.
Jonathan Hessing – Keyspace Studio
Jonathan, encouraged by local startup group 404 DAO, unleashed his pitch for his company, a groundbreaking no-code Web3 marketing platform. His confident delivery and revolutionary concept garnered rave reviews and the consensus was that incorporating more visuals would amplify his already compelling narrative.
Blake practiced his pitch for a scalable SaaS provider of cloud-based advanced intelligence solutions. His focus on improving storytelling and highlighting the problems his innovation aimed to solve struck a chord with the audience and entrepreneurial coaches alike.
What was most impressive was the diverse audience this event attracted. Among the attendees were representatives from The University Financing Foundation (TUFF), Accenture, and enthusiastic community members, like Eric Blackwell, who sought deeper involvement with Atlanta's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Following the event, founders and coaches mingled and worked on their pitch decks together, thus reaffirming Feedback Friday is a catalyst for growth, learning, and forging lasting connections in the pulsating heart of Tech Square.
For those who seek inspiration, guidance, and camaraderie in the world of entrepreneurship, this event series is clearly a must-attend, as it not only nurtured networking opportunities, but also inspired confidence in public speaking and pitch crafting. Startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs alike left with new connections and a sense of belonging in the dynamic startup realm.