California and New York are often thought to be the capitals of all things tech, but there is undeniably a burgeoning startup and tech scene in Atlanta. As women are often underrepresented in this industry, we spoke with three Decatur-based women in tech about the growing scene.
Veronica Woodruff is the founder of Travelsist, an app designed to help those who need it with on-demand personal assistance at the airport. The former flight attendant realized she had a passion for utilizing technology to tackle real-world problems, and although the project was unplanned at first, she and her team recently had an impressive 2,500 visitors to the Travelsist website in a single day, with bookings steadily rolling in.
Similarly, Tamara Lucas, the founder of My Panda also created an app to solve everyday issues. Her app allows people to complete their to-do lists with the help of trustworthy personal assistants nearby and is thriving due to the opportunities here.
“The startup ecosystem here in Atlanta is incredibly robust and supportive. I think we are particularly lucky because we have an extremely active community of women in the Atlanta tech startup world,” says Lucas.
This is the same sentiment that Aly Merrit, the Managing Director of Atlanta Tech Village shares with us. Atlanta Tech Village is the nation’s top tech hub for entrepreneurs, offering a diverse range of programs and support to fuel their success.
“We host a variety of workshops, events, and networking sessions, creating a vibrant ecosystem where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, and grow together. Our "It Takes a Village" pre-accelerator program is designed to provide underrepresented founders with the tools, mentorship, and resources needed to navigate the startup journey, and we place a strong emphasis on supporting women in tech through initiatives like our monthly Women + Tech series tailored to empower female founders,” shares Merrit.
All of these factors and resources combined have made Atlanta a wonderful city for women looking to work in, and further their tech careers.
