Georgia is currently ranked as the number one state to do business by Area Development, with Georgia earning the number 1 position for the 13th consecutive year. I have called Georgia home for 26 years. One word summarizes my week, and that is gratitude. I wanted to reflect on what makes Georgia truly special and the ecosystem and community here to thrive. I moved through business and tech events this week from Avant South, the AI Summit and Tech Talks Business at Georgia Tech to the Startup Atlanta Awards dinner, Venture Atlanta, UGA's Futures, Networks, and Creative Technologies Night, the Silhouette WorkHub Startups and Investors Morning Meetup, The Lola’s Networking Breakfast, and Cherry Bekaert’s Networking Night. This list is a snapshot, but it displays our incredibly supportive community.
There is risk in starting a business, and when you have an ecosystem designed to support people, ideas, and innovation, it changes the trajectory of a business. The ecosystem of support in Georgia extends from universities to startup accelerators and state and federal resources.
I wanted to share a snapshot of the ecosystem available to help businesses start and scale across the state:
- University Incubators: Georgia Tech actively builds founders and startups with its world-class CREATE-X program where Teclaz began its journey. The University of Georgia’s ENTR Entrepreneurship Program infuses academics and experiential learning across all majors. At Kennesaw State University, the Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center drives student ventures. Emory provides an innovation hub for students to grow early ideas through The Hatchery. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED), at Clark Atlanta University, serves as a hub for incubation. At Georgia State University, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute (ENI) helps leaders test and scale concepts through the Main Street Foundry accelerator. In Macon, the Mercer University Innovation Center supports early-stage founders with startup funds, interns, and mentor access.
- Entrepreneur Hubs: Biltmore Innovation Center brings growing technology companies, founders, investors, research-driven businesses and the organizations that help them succeed into the center of Tech Square. Atlanta Tech Village operates as a hub for founders to grow and scale their companies, providing hands-on mentorship, curated investor access, and a community built for entrepreneurs. The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) equips overlooked and underestimated entrepreneurs with resources and community to grow. The Silhouette WorkHub is built to take startups and new businesses to the next level. Our partnership with Silicon Road Ventures puts top tier networking events, industry-leading speakers, and premium investors right outside your office door. The Georgia VECTR (Veterans Education and Career Transfer Center) is open to the public for education, employment, entrepreneurship and community support services and hosts the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), offering resources to veterans, service members, and military spouses who are interested in starting or growing a business.
- State and Federal Resources: Georgia leverages the Small Business Administration (SBA) Resources network. The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) operates 7 centers across the state, ensuring founders in coastal or rural areas have access to coaching, investors, and tech resources. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) operates 17 offices across Georgia, providing tools, training, and resources to help businesses grow. Entrepreneurs can also leverage SCORE Business Mentors, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors.
A supportive ecosystem does not eliminate the challenges of running a business, but it does make it easier than going at it all alone.