Meet the 5 Atlanta Startup Insiders Helping Founders Perfect Their Pitch
ATLANTA, October 15 (Hypepotamus) — My phone’s notes app is filled with snippets of conversations, half-baked story ideas, and sporadic lines I’m hearing from founders, investors, and tech executives across the Southeast. Some of those notes turn into full articles. Others get put into our popular “Word On The Street” section of our newsletter.
One that has been on my notes app since February 2026? “ATV vibes are good.”
“Vibes” are hard to write about. But it is a sentiment I’ve heard a lot recently when it comes to people working at, or going to events at, Atlanta Tech Village (ATV). More curated events designed to help people connect. More welcome events for new members. And more people hanging out in the community area.
For founders, those interactions can serve a practical purpose: finding someone who will challenge an idea, help clarify a problem, or make an introduction. One of ATV’s longest-running programs offers a window into how the community is trying to make more of those connections happen.
Pitch Practice, one of ATV’s long-standing programs, is getting a revamp. ATV just announced that the recurring event is moving to a rotating team of facilitators, bringing different areas of expertise into the room.
The event, which is free and open to founders, takes place every Friday and ATV’s Buckhead location and every third Tuesday of the month at its Sylvan (South Downtown) location.
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Moving to a rotating team of facilitators means that founders will “get feedback from a wider range of perspectives, including marketing, storytelling, community building, customer discovery, and human-centered design,” according to the ATV team.
That matters beyond preparing for an investor presentation. Founders also need to explain what they are building to potential customers, employees, and partners. Pitch Practice gives them a place to test whether that message lands.
Maija Ehlinger
Meet The Team
The announced facilitators are known names across the Atlanta tech ecosystem. The facilitators for Pitch Practice will include:
Nisha Kavalam: Vice President of Atlanta Tech Week and Community Manager at Atlanta-based Florence Healthcare. She previously served as Head of Brand and Events at Atlanta Tech Village.
Hypepotamus asked Kavalam: How does it feel to return to ATV in this new position?
Answer: “I've been so happy to stay connected to Atlanta's tech ecosystem and the community at ATV. It feels great to continue to be a part of experiences where we're asking the community to show up and support each other. Pitch Practice isn't an event where you'll get a lecture. Instead, you'll find a group of people committed to seeing each other win: showing vulnerability in the try, giving real time feedback and encouragement and building connections that make an impact.”
Jacey Cadet: Long-time VP of Marketing & Community at ATV and now Studio Entrepreneur with Atlanta Ventures’ studio
We asked Cadet: What is your "quick pitch" for founders to come to Pitch Practice for the first time?
Her answer? “The goal for everyone at Pitch Practice is simple: be able to clearly and succinctly say what you’re doing in a short amount of time. We don’t always get 10, 20, or even 5 minutes. Sometimes it’s a conversation in the hall, a quick connect over lunch, or a few minutes before someone walks away. If you can’t boil down the exact reason why you’re doing this, you lose the chance at the next conversation.”
Melissa Heffner: Associate Director for Georgia Tech’s VentureLab
We asked Heffner: What is one piece of advice you wish all first-time founders would hear when it comes to putting together their pitch?
Her answer? “Tell a simple, human story that anyone can connect with, even if they aren't familiar with your industry. Then, test it on as many fresh ears as possible until the core message is crystal clear. If you can’t explain the problem to a complete stranger in under two minutes, you don’t need more details. You need a clearer narrative! Keep refining the story until why it matters is obvious to everyone, not just those in your field.”
Lauren Patrick: Head of Marketing at Infinite Giving and long-time advisor at ATV
Hypepotamus asked Patrick to describe the atmosphere at ATV right now.
“The energy at the Atlanta Tech Village is the best it's been in a decade,” she told us. “Our community is better than ever, especially with the addition of new events and more programs through the ATV Foundation. Having been a Villager since 2015, an Advisor since 2018, and Head of Marketing at Infinite Giving since 2024, helping run Pitch Practice is a natural next step in living out our core value of Paying it Forward.”
Adair Kimbrough: Event Operations Lead at ATV
We asked Kimbrough what she hopes a founder new to ATV experiences the first time they walk into pitch practice.
Answer? “When founders new to ATV come to Pitch Practice, I hope they feel cheered on. There’s something nerve-racking about exposing to the public something you’ve worked on in private. It’s like walking outside on a cool day with no jacket: the crisp air hits you and takes your breath away a bit. I hope founders find comfort in these moments, almost like a jacket, and feel cheered on and supported as they practice their pitch, receive feedback, and meet others in the same ecosystem who are on the same journey. I hope they find a strong community that supports them along the way. You never know what can happen when you say yes, and I hope these new founders are surprised by the welcome they receive here.”
Evolving Tech Spaces
For startup-focused spaces, the question is what makes founders want to walk through the door..and ultimately keeps them coming back.
What we’ve noticed by spending time at some of these spaces across Atlanta is that ping-pong tables and free coffee only go so far. The more compelling reason to show up is access to people — and tangible educational moments — to move a business forward.
That gives founders something more concrete to follow than just “good vibes.”
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