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THE BOOK APR - DEC 2020

THE BOOK: APR - DEC 2020 2

The Book encapsulates the events and stories that define a specific community. Each issue of The Book depicts a moment in time: a visual retrospect of how we learned and grew both personally and professionally Compiled together, these stories form the historical record of the evolution of the community at the heart of Atlanta's tech scene.

Each of the past editions of The Book have showcased the breadth and depth of experiences in the scores of distinct activations and events for the periods they covered. They were each a testament to, even a celebration of, our commitment to the value of personal, face to face human interaction. The Book 2020 (Apr Dec) is different. This edition recounts the story of what happened the day face to face interactions were no longer feasible. It is a story of patience. It is a story of adaptation. And ultimately, it is a story of resilience, of both the human spirit and the need for community The need for camaraderie The recognition that shared moments are the most valuable to us all The Book was written week-in, week-out, with stories of our members and is about commitment to each other, to safety, and to respect But also to the need to share and to exchange, to grow ourselves by interacting with others From all of us in the Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club community, thanks to each and every one of you for being part of this journey. What a set of experiences we all shared with each other!

David Tyndall Founder and Owner, Collaborative Real Estate A VERY STRANGE TIME INDEED

THE FORWARD:

We witnessed our community members searching for answers and hope as they navigated the inevitable impacts this situation has on their lives and businesses. As a team, it led us to revisit and reaffirm of our reason for being: We exist to foster community, collaboration, and growth We recognize that for many of our community members, our shared space and our programmed events serve not only a social function, but also a business function In order to continue to serve those needs, while following CDC guidelines, we paused our in person events and engaged with our members online, through various virtual activations.

QUARANTINE DIARIES: A LOOK BACK AT THE PANDEMIC

Our community space has always been a place that people come to tackle the hard issues, solve problems, and work on breakthroughs. In a strange turn of events, we felt the unsettling impacts, first hand, of COVID 19 In a matter of weeks, we watched schools close, travel become restricted, and social distancing turn into the “ new normal.”

And as the world started to slowly open back up, so did we. Our agility and fluidity allowed us to once again pivot with the ever changing times to offer hybrid events, which gave our community members the option to either attend virtually or safely in person whichever they felt more comfortable with As communal beings, the need for human interaction is hardwired in our DNA So, as 2020 came to a close and restrictions were starting to be lifted, as appropriate, we resumed our completely in person activations, with the latest procedures and protocols in place to ensure everyone’s utmost safety. In an unprecedented time where isolation started to weigh heavy on people, and medical professionals are having growing concerns about the long term effects of social distancing, we are proud to have curated an environment where like minded individuals can come together safely to connect and collaborate with each other in a setting that only further drives growth and innovation Just as we showcase in our stories how the future of technology is closer than we think, so is the new norm of getting community members together in a way that is both productive and socially responsible. And we look forward to continuing this journey together

GOODBYE THE GARAGE

During a period of such monumental changes happening around us, we decided to take this time to reinvent, and ultimately, rebrand, ourselves. We are now Tech Square ATL Social Club, a members only community connecting individuals and companies seeking productive collaborations to a curated environment that fosters growth and innovation. This means, no more “The Garage” branding and no more confusion between our physical facility and the parking deck next door.

Like many, the pandemic and quarantine in particular brought about much change. As most seemingly did throughout 2020, we too took the time to reset, reflect, and really work on ourselves. We decided to take advantage of the slower pace and focus on some in house personal growth and improvements. The result was two fold: We rebranded ourselves and we worked on a handful of physical improvements to our shared workspace

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

STAYING CONNECTED 2020 shined a spotlight on the need to still remain connected, even while being physically distant. To ensure we didn’t lose sight of this, we ramped up all of our digital channels: YOU CAN FIND US IN THE CLUB(HOUSE) We also made some vast improvements to our 9,000 square foot facility, now called “The Clubhouse.” This spacious shared workspace is equipped with comfy chairs, hot desks, blazing fast WiFi, complimentary coffee, and more. In addition to some fresh paint and a more modular layout, we also took every precaution and implemented new protocols to ensure our members’ safe return Join our Slack channel to get in touch with other members Connect with us on on our social channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter, The Weekly Check out the latest edition of The Book Our website received quite the facelift, and is now packed full of info around our offerings, the Tech Square neighborhood, and of course, tons of content highlighting our community members and events View our collection of stories 8

We believe that a research building's greatest amenities are the tenants themselves, and that what happens inside a building is what matters most. Every day, we are creating spaces, communities, and programs to grow thriving innovation communities designed to inspire, connect, and support ongoing user success.

And while buildings do set the stage for collaboration and collision, connecting people requires intentional programming. Our devotion to community building through collaborative programming focuses on the creative use of common spaces both indoor and outdoor that each property has available and utilizes multi channel communications to connect entities, and more importantly, to connect people

WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE REAL ESTATE?

Collaborative Real Estate is a full service real estate firm specializing in innovation districts and university research parks With our expertise in development, asset/property management, and community activation, we help innovative ecosystems truly thrive.

In order to foster interactions, we deliver a spectrum of thoughtful and innovative collaboration services aimed at breaking down natural barriers to interaction. We operate on the belief that collaboration space is wasted without the principal ingredient: collaborators Collaboration does not come naturally, as humans often skew toward isolation, and participants need both constant reminders of why they located into a collaborative environment in the first place, as well as encouragement to be active members of the community. One of our most prestigious and successful examples of a collaborative innovation district is Tech Square ATL Social Club Over the course of five years, through ample amounts of research, assessments, refinements, and iterations, we meticulously crafted and curated an environment that allows communities that typically wouldn’t interact to feel connected and be part of a thriving ecosystem

For technologists, researchers, entrepreneurs, startups, students, and corporations who are seeking productive collaborations, Tech Square ATL Social Club is a members-only community, led by Collaborative Real Estate, that provides a curated environment designed to foster growth and innovation.

WHAT IS TECH SQUARE ATL SOCIAL CLUB?

TSQATL Social Club is centered around cultivating data-driven connections and offering continuous support by providing access to a shared workspace, community events, custom programming, mentorship opportunities, and so much more And as just one of the many entities that reside in Tech Square the heart of Atlanta’s tech scene it’s clear community and collaboration are key to supporting a thriving innovation district

Also part of our community is Technology Enterprise Park (TEP), a cluster of emerging and established technology concerns, entrepreneurs, and researchers focused on accelerating biomedical innovation, digital health, advanced manufacturing, and medical devices in a unique setting.

WHAT

Bordered by Georgia Tech's North Avenue Research Area and Northyard's creative loft office park, this innovation ecosystem represents a unique research and innovative platform in a dynamic urban setting Located adjacent to Midtown Atlanta, we use existing community spaces to bring together the TEP community of biomedical engineers, laboratory researchers, and manufacturing engineers in order to connect them into the broader Tech Square scene IS TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE PARK?

THE TECH SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD Located in Midtown Atlanta, Tech Square has the highest density of startups, corporate innovators, academic researchers, and students in the entire southeastern United States. Over 100 startups, five startup accelerators, 25 corporate innovation centers, seven venture funds, 10 research labs, 10 Top 10 engineering programs, one Top 10 MBA program, and over 2,100 Georgia Tech students call Tech Square home. 15

INNOVATION ANCHORS AND VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS AT TECH SQUARE 16

156 DOUGHNUTS EATEN 50 PERCENT DECREASE IN EV CHARGING DUE TO DROP IN COMMUTERS 6 ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGERS IN PARKING DECK 1,340 OZ OF BEER CONSUMED 97 HOT DOGS EATEN 576 OZ OF SODA CONSUMED 360 PIZZA SLICES EATEN 82 MILK CHOCOLATE SQUARES EATEN 7,937 OZ OF COFFEE CONSUMED TECH SQUARE ATL SOCIAL CLUB BY THE NUMBERS 17

3,216 MEMBER CHECK INS AT THE CLUBHOUSE 87 MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN ACTIVATIONS 49 MEMBERS ATTENDED ONE ACTIVATION 10 PERCENT INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP REDEMPTIONS 177 NEW MEMBERS 4 STUDENT ORGANIZATION PARTNERS 145 DIFFERENT COMPANIES MEMBERSHIP BY THE NUMBERS 38 MEMBERS ATTENDED TWO OR MORE ACTIVATIONS 5,137 DOOR UNLOCKS AT THE CLUBHOUSE 18

41% 2% 3% 3% 4% 6% 7% 8% 12% 14% WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS? Maker 3% Coder - 6% Administrator 4% Technologist 12% Academic 3% Entrepreneur 14% Investor + Civic Booster 2% Designer 7% Generalist 8% Student 41% 19

COMMUNITY INTERESTS 20

THE TESTIMONIALS 21

Day in and day out, we work hard to provide the best environment and experience for our community members. They are what makes this place so special, and what drives our mission to serve as the catalyst for productive collaborations and innovation. Their feedback is a true testament to the hard work and dedication we pour into this space each and every day. They are why we do what we do, and we wouldn’t be who we are without them. Here’s just some of what they have to say.

Andrew Maas Associate Vice President for Research, Technology Transfer “Collaborative Real Estate is a strong partner to support connections across academia, entrepreneurs, corporations, and the community.”

Rohan Sohani Aerospace Engineering Student, Georgia Tech “Tech Square ATL Social Club, to me, represents a pivotal part of the Tech Square community It serves as a magnet to attract forward thinking individuals to come collaborate and share ideas through a meaningful avenue!”

Lucia Lopez Martinez Test Engineer, VERO Biotech “The events at Technology Enterprise Park are a great mix between socializing and learning some new fun facts It is always a nice break from the routine when you get to talk to new people while enjoying some coffee or getting a free snack!”

Monroe Ramsey Founder, Virtual Air “Tech Square ATL Social Club is at the epicenter of a city, university, and startup culture that is exploding with growth in all directions So what better place to nerd out than with the amazing leaders and community at TSQATL? The culture around TSQATL is so hungry and tenacious that you can’t help but just take it all in and join the community ”

COMMUNITY MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS We are so proud of our dedicated community members and want to recognize all of their hard work and contributions To highlight their accomplishments and give them a platform to share their successes and stories, we’ve created a Community Member Spotlight series that does just that! TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY, FILL OUT THE FORM ON OUR WEBSITE! 23

Meet Darin Griffith, a Senior Analytical Scientist at Kemira, based in Technology Enterprise Park He is also Tech Square ATL Social Club’s resident puzzle master, who solved seven out of eight in the July series with the correct answers! When he’s not working on material chemistry solutions at Kemira, you can find him in his backyard oasis, enjoying the beautiful garden he built with his wife. Community Member Spotlight: Darin Griffith 25

A: I am an Analytical Scientist and I love getting to troubleshoot new and interesting problems. I am excited to come to work at Kemira because they have given me opportunities to grow in my career. They support my efforts to grow and learn, not just as an employee, but also in my career field They [really try hard to] take care of their employees and I really appreciate that

Q: What’s your favorite season of the year, and why? A: I like all of the seasons, so this is difficult to answer. But I think I like the spring/summer transition the best My wife and I really enjoy gardening At this time, we get to enjoy blooming flowers and plants the most. It’s the payback for all the hard work we put into our backyard the rest of the year I designed and built all of the decks and raised bed boxes myself, as well as the water features. My wife is a master gardener and has all of the gardening talent All the color and flower placement is by her design. It has always been a dream of ours to make an oasis in our backyard away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Now during the time of COVID, we have this beautiful ever changing garden to enjoy!

Q: What’s one thing that excites you about your job at Kemira?

Q: How do you like your coffee?

A: My coffee preference is cold brew, black

Meet Leo Prinzi, Product Director for Carbice Corporation When he’s not designing and developing their thermal interface products, Leo can be found working with a non profit organization called Food 4 Lives. Community Member Spotlight: Leo Prinzi 27

A: When I used to live in the Dominican Republic, my brother and I would climb up this mango tree we had in our backyard and eat fresh mangoes. That's what life was all about back then, just eating fresh fruits right off the tree, not much else to worry about Q: What's one thing you would tell people about Tech Square ATL Social Club? A: Check out their events! It's a great place to network and learn. It's also a nice change of pace from work life Q: What's your favorite restaurant/cafe in the Tech Square neighborhood? A: Tassili's Raw Reality Café is a must go to.

Q: What's a favorite project of yours and why? A: My favorite project right now is the product I am helping to develop called Carbice icebox. It's a material that the electronic industry has not seen anything like it and it outperforms everything that's being used today. I am very excited to get this product in the hands of our customers because it will help enable the next generation of electronics. Q: What's something about you that's not on your resume?

Community Member Spotlight: Krysta Silva

Meet Krysta Silva, a senior at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) She is an Advertising and Branding major, with a concentration in Art Direction. As part of our Community Member Spotlight series, we met up with Krysta to discuss the product idea that got her and her group members, Daranie Mor and Megan Ip, into the competition and secured first place

Q: What was it like coming up with a wellness product idea and designing it, being an advertising student? A: It was quite hard, to be honest Coming up with a product idea was terrifying and after we decided on a direction our professor attempted to change our product multiple times, but we were persistent

Q: What is your product and what does it do?

A: The Shark Tank of Wellness student competition was a project given to me and my group in our Brand Experience: Interactive Environment class At first it felt as if this project was out of our area of expertise, being advertising students (versus wellness experts), but it was a great challenge.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a Tech Square ATL Social Club member?

A: My favorite thing about Tech Square ATL Social Club is the environment and the people I have met while here. It is a great place to meet all kinds of people, from multiple industries Besides the physical space, The Clubhouse, the team hosts great events and are super friendly. To learn more about the Shark Tank of Wellness, click here And be sure to check out the video Krysta and her team made for Samii here.

Q: How did you and your group find out about this competition?

A: Samii is a set of utensils with a built in allergen sensor, that comes with a rechargeable case and phone app It is an easy and functional way to provide the millions of people that have food allergies a way to eat food safely without worrying about cross contamination

Community Member Spotlight: Monroe Ramsey

Meet Monroe Ramsey, Founder of Virtual Air. He is also a TSQATL Space Soirée winner for correctly guessing the exact number of Orbit gum packs we had in a glass jar In his spare time, he enjoys attending startup related events and tries his best to balance his time between in real life (IRL) and virtual reality (VR).

A: I am currently working alongside my team at Virtual Air to scale up our hardware/software products and business You can think of us as “The Surround Sound of Air,” and our goal is to solve the problem of experiences/entertainment that only activate audio/visual (AV) senses. We will remain focused on keeping our haptic air products human centric, seamless, and something you would be proud to incorporate into your current setup. We’re bringing sexy tech back, if you will

A: TSQATL Social Club is at the epicenter of a city, university, and startup culture that is exploding with growth in all directions. So what better place to nerd out than with the amazing leaders and community at TSQATL? The culture around TSQATL is so hungry and tenacious that you can’t help but just take it all in and join the community The atmosphere definitely embodies the city's notorious "too busy to hate" motto as well.

Q: What's your favorite food or beverage place in Midtown?

A: J R Crickets I once ate 24 wings there on my 8th birthday at their old location across from The Varsity. That was back when the wings were smaller and my dad would have to shield my eyes from whatever was going on in the old back alley parking lot (a stark contrast from the Tech Square/Midtown area we know today) Q: What's one thing you would tell people about Tech Square ATL Social Club?

Q: What’s one new/interesting project you're working on right now?

THE ACTIVATIONS

Activations are curated experiences thoughtfully designed to create unique conditions that strengthen the culture of our community. Our events foster more than a feeling of fellowship, they serve as a catalyst for pushing the envelope, expanding horizons, and nurturing growth

By joining a diverse group of like minded individuals who share similar (or perhaps, vastly unique) interests, passions, and ambitions, you get so much more than premier access to today’s elite movers and shakers You get to experience an enhanced sense of support. You get to form tighter bonds You get to develop deeper connections And those connections are sparked by TSQATL serving as a host for fostering conversations with a unique blend of quirky and thought provoking questions and themes Ultimately, these allow members of the social club to connect and share their personal experiences and insights. Our membership serves as a forum for people to come together in a small group, learn from each other, and gain a diverse perspective.

CURATED CONNECTIONS 33

Each activation is themed, based on community data, and the types range from randomly “popping up” to a scheduled, invite only gathering and everything in between with each offering a different experience and outcome to participants. No matter the size of the event or the amount of planning and promotional materials, each activation is strategically organized and executed in a way to collect further data and insight into our community members, and to also encourage collaboration and connections that otherwise wouldn’t be feasible

Activations are designed to gather data and test hypotheses about the community Interactions are intentionally observed and time is committed to developing and sharing insights gleaned from each activation. Not only does the data we collect help uncover expressed and latent needs of our community members, but it also helps depict what type of future engagements we implement And most importantly, from all of this, comes our stories – which are the catalyst for collaboration and precisely what we do DATA-DRIVEN EXPERIENCES

Coffee Talks, Cocktail Talks, Happy Hour, Beer:30, and Math + Mimosas are all what we’ve coined as “The Talks” a great way to catch up with other community members. Attendees are invited to swing by for a minute (or an hour!) to discuss an interesting topic or question over some tasty refreshments. THE TALKS 35

22 CONNECTIONS CREATED 13 S'MORES EATEN Coffee Talk: SOLAR-POWERED S'MORES 37

We decided National S’mores Day was the perfect time to investigate, so we propped up our DIY solar oven at TEP with graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows in tow Stacking marshmallow and chocolate on top of a graham cracker, we asked TEP sweet tooths on their lunch break (in 91 degree heat): "How long do you think it'll take for the chocolate to melt in the solar oven outside?”

You’ve heard the saying, “it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk ” But we wanted to know – does it get hot enough in Atlanta to make a s’more with a solar powered oven?

While most TEP community members thought that it would take 15 minutes for the chocolate to liquefy from the heat, we found that it actually took 56 minutes to get to this state. The temperature inside the oven stayed consistently over 100°F, with the lowest temperature at 101°F when the clouds blocked the sun.

COMMUNITY HYPOTHESES (IN MINUTES) Curious to find out how hot it would get in the solar oven, we equipped it with a digital thermometer. Though the temperature never reached our hypothesis of 150°F, the highest temperature recorded inside the solar oven was 135°F.

104 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 388 OZ OF

CONSUMED hAPPY HOUR: INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY 39

To celebrate International Beer Day, we pre gamed (a day early) by sampling a variety of beers from different countries to uncover which ones our community members preferred. First celebrated in August 2008, we wanted to continue the tradition that is now recognized in over 200 cities globally So we headed over to TEP where employees took a much deserved (and needed!) afternoon break from work to enjoy a sample of seven different beers from six different countries From a classic German wheat beer, to a gluten free Canadian beer, to a sour beer from a local Atlanta brewing company, TSQATL played bartender turned trivia host, dropping some random beer knowledge while pouring the following selections: BEER

After the sampling concluded, TEP community members then voted for their favorite beer/country. As one might guess due to TEP’s proximity to Tech Square, the heart of Atlanta’s tech scene, local Atlanta-based brewery, Monday Night, won the popular vote But Mexico’s Colima Cayaco was an extremely close second, with members praising its lightness and refreshingness which is particularly important during the hot summer days. And while not all attendees voted, the following showcases the spectrum of people’s preferences:

Regardless of everyone’s opinions, one thing was clear beer is the perfect way to bring the world (and community members) together to celebrate the beers of all nations and cultures on this one remarkable day. Prost!

With all the space exploration launches happening as of late, including the first launch of human astronauts since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, we wanted to do a little exploration of our own. We Obviously our budget was a bit limiting and we didn’t have the proper training facilities to conduct such an experiment on the same level as NASA, but we were able to put our special spin on it to create our very own rocket stomp challenge Talk: Rocket Stomp ChallengE

32 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 13 ROCKET STOMPERS Coffee

Mission Control, AKA our Tech Square ATL Social Club team members, accurately recorded the data and uncovered the following:

Astronauts, AKA our TEP contestants, were given the following mission, should they choose to accept: 35°

Choose a trajectory angle between 0 and 90 degrees Stomp on the air propulsion device to launch the rocket Adjust the angle and make a second and final attempt to get the rocket into the designated landing zone

For live footage of this exciting event, check out this quick video here

The most popular angle selected was 35 degrees, with four separate launches from it

Different launch angles chosen 70° The victorious launch angle

The most popular launch angle

Nine different angles were chosen for the rocket launch throughout the day

The only victorious rocket had an angle of 70 degrees

Due to the recommended health and safety precautions and protocols, people have formed new behaviors and habits during the pandemic. surfaces, we caught up with TEP community members to discuss, over coffee, their current experience at grocery stores and/or restaurants in order to get a better understanding of the current state of touchless technology Not only did we want to find out if people were going to grocery stores or restaurants, but also if they were more inclined to using touchless tech such as QR codes, Apple Pay, and Google Pay or opting for pickup or delivery options instead Coffee Talk: The Current State of Touchless Tech

93 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 192 OZ OF COFFEE CONSUMED

We found that most community members still made trips to the grocery store and paid with their card. Of those supermarket chains, the most popular stores mentioned were Publix, Wal Mart, and Kroger, with a few members ordering delivery through Amazon Fresh Nevertheless, despite those still making in person trips, a common answer throughout the morning was “ my spouse usually does the grocery shopping.”

for

In terms of dining out, most of the participants continued to exclusively make food at home, and were still hesitant to go to a restaurant If they did, they'd order ahead via the restaurant website pick up

Ab Ke VE Bi # of community members Grocery Store Restaurant Delivery/Pickup 44

With Elon Musk’s recent demo of Neuralink and the notion that mind control could be the next generation of touchless tech we wanted to discuss this topic further with fellow community members to get their input on it all

When will technology, like Neuralink, be widely available and adopted? What touchless technology will catch fire in 2021? free technology over complimentary beers?

Since we can’t read minds (yet!), Tech Square ATL Social Club hosted an afternoon happy hour in the courtyard of Tech Square right between Centergy One and Technology Square Research Building to ask the hard hitting questions: Touchless Tech

1. 2 28 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 276 OZ OF BEER CONSUMED Beer 30: The FUTURE of

seems to be split over the viability of Neuralink. While some (33.33%) believe the technology is 10 15 years away from broad adoption (2030-2035), others (66 66%) believe that the technology will never see broad application due to privacy concerns and reductionism in how researchers are approaching the human mind (a conceptual oversimplification of how the brain/mind works). One point of contention was that it took about 15 years for Tesla’s Model 3 to become widely available, so 2030 might be more of a feasible timeline for when Musk’s newest technology will become adopted and available. technologies will continue to enjoy the rapid trajectory COVID 19 afforded them, once the pandemic subsides, attendees made bold predictions about which touchless tech will explode in 2021 Predictions included: RFID, gesture recognition, facial recognition, augmented reality (AR) recognition, voice related technology, transactionless shopping, and credit card tabs via mobile. All in all, one thing was clear touchless technologies, like QR codes, are definitely having a moment. But whether it will be here to stay or expand exponentially remains to be seen (or mind read?).

Out of our curiosity for the many languages spoken in our community, we hosted a Coffee Talk to catch up with TEP early birds on a bright autumn morning.

77 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 13 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SPOKENCoffee Talk: THE Languages Spoken Among Us 47

The hallways at TEP are always abuzz with friendly greetings and conversation Woven in between the audible “hellos” and “how are yous,” you’ll sometimes hear cheerful conversations in different languages. In addition to English, we found that a majority of community members are fluent in Spanish, with Hindi being the second most popular spoken language We also found that of those who swung by to caffeinate that morning, there were two members who spoke more than three languages! When it comes to what languages members wanted to learn, French and Japanese were the most common answers.

LANGUAGES TEP COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO LEARN (BASED ON COFFEE TALK PARTICIPANT ANSWERS) 28.6% 14.3% 14 2% 14.3% 28 6% Spanish 40%44%4% % 4% 4% 8% 12% 40% 44%4% % 4% 4% 48 LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT TEP (IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH) French 28 6% Chinese/Mandarin 4% French 8% Marathi 4% Portuguese 4% Malayalam 4% Telugu 4% German 4% German 14 2% Spanish 14 3% Chinese/Mandarin 14 3% Japanese 28 6% Sanskrit 4% Laos 4% Farsi 4% Turkish 4% Hindi 12%

36 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 89 PERCENT OF ATTENDEES OWNED AN ETCH A SKETCH GROWING UP Coffee

Tech Square ATL Social Club members grabbed a morning coffee and doughnut on their way into the office, while also sharing their thoughts on why some simple technologies and inventions have stood the test of time many of which we take for granted each day. For instance: plumbing, radio, pencils, and paper Talk: The Staying Power of Etch-A-Sketch anD Other Simple Technologies

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 marked the 112th anniversary of the Ohio Art Company, which happens to be the creator of the Etch a Sketch. With that in mind, we hosted a safely distanced Coffee Talk in the Centergy One lobby, where we had community members stop by to appreciate the simple (tech) things in life, and test out their drawing skills.

Participants also took a stroll down memory lane by attempting to draw randomly selected items on an Etch A Sketch Turns out, a few of our members are pretty good artists as well And it’s clear why – 89 percent of attendees owned an Etch A Sketch growing up

The following were some of the most popular responses to the reasons behind the longevity: 50 Ubiquity Consumer acceptance Low cost/high reward

While conversing with our community members, we also learned that the COVID 19 pandemic actually provided a proving ground (and in some cases, accelerated progress) for MedTech startups, such as MedTransGO and Wave Heath Technologies.

Switching cost to alternative products is too high

Shrewd marketing

With Tuesday, November 10, 2020 being National Vanilla Cupcake Day, we wanted to sink our teeth into the science behind baking. So, with coffee and mini vanilla cupcakes in tow, we headed over to Technology Enterprise Park – where the majority of community members are professional chemists and scientists (and some even claiming professional bakers) to test their knowledge with some true or false questions Not surprisingly, there was a lot of interest in this topic, as TEP community members are well known sweet tooths, in addition to their career prowess. People from Kemira, Abbott, and Coffee Talk: Cakes and Chemistry

38 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 36 CUPCAKES EATEN

Additionally, 27 percent correctly answered three out of four, and another 27 percent correctly answered two out of four None of the attendees missed all four or only got one correct answer, which is reassuring, considering their professional backgrounds!

from fiction: And it’s no wonder that nearly half of those that participated (46%) got all four answers correct!

2. It doesn’t matter what order you mix dry ingredients.

3. There’s no such thing as mixing too much.

FALSE: It’s important to mix dry ingredients in the right order, as each dry element is competing for water If you put in the wrong ingredients first, the batter will tend to clump because then they don’t have enough water.

TRUE: It’s one of the first lessons in culinary school Any slight changes in a recipe (too much baking powder, over mixing a batter) can make the difference between a moist cupcake and a hockey puck. In fact, a lot of food science students go through pre med because it’s heavy in the basic sciences

4. Putting baked goods in the fridge keeps it fresher for longer.

FALSE: Lower temperatures will cause the cake to go stale quicker.

FALSE: When gluten aligns, the proteins align with strands If you keep mixing, it will be too runny, and it won’t hold. You’ve disrupted the networks that are formed.

1. Baking is a science as much as it is an art.

VERO Biotech all dropped by during lunch to dig into the following statements to uncover fact

Whether it’s an iced americano, a warm cappuccino, or a good old house brew, there’s a lot that goes into your favorite coffee before it gets poured into your mug.

33 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 24 DOUGHNUTS EATEN Coffee

To find out what our community members at Technology Enterprise Park knew about the intricacies of their morning brew, we caught up over doughnuts and espresso and put their coffee knowledge to the test. Much to our surprise, the TEP members who stopped by that day could do without a morning cup of joe, admitting their current preference of tea over coffee. Talk: From Beans to Brew

This could be why 50 percent of participants from Abbott and VERO Biotech only got one out of the following three coffee trivia answers correct! 54 The most frequently missed answer? Contrary to popular assumption that morning, the coffee plant does not produce beans it produces fruit Commonly known as the “coffee cherry,” the coffee plant produces a red, green, or purple fruit The pit of the fruit, which is the coffee seed, is then processed, dried, and roasted into what we know as coffee beans. FROM BEANS TO BREW: COFFEE TRIVIA PARTICIPANT SCORES ✓ Brazil 49.3 million 60 kilogram bags in 2019 ✖ Colombia 15 million 60 kilogram bags in 2019 ✖ Vietnam 27 2 million 60 kilogram bags in 2019 2. Does the coffee plant produce beans or fruit? ✓ Fruit ✖ Beans 3. For a latte, what is the espresso to milk ratio? ✓ 1:4 ✖ 1:3 ✖ 1:2 1. Which country produces the most coffee in the world?

It was no surprise that the majority of those who attended (57%) agreed one thing we all wanted to say goodbye to in 2020 was COVID 19. “Masks” was the second most popular response, with one individual touting “not putting myself first” as something they wanted to leave in 2020. to #selfcare! IRISH Talk: Past + Predictions

On a cold, dreary day in late December, we thought there was no better way to spread some warmth and holiday cheer than by hosting a Cocktail Talk: Past + Predictions at Technology Enterprise Park complete with a cozy fire (pit) and delicious drinks, of course Armed with hot chocolate, marshmallows, Irish Cream, and a couple of festive ales, we caught up with our community members around a flaming fire to discuss our future predictions for 2021 and what should stay behind from 2020.

76 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 59 OZ OF

CREAM CONSUMED Cocktail

Cheers

As for what’s to come in the new year, future predictions varied, with responses including: 56 Public health will be improved People will appreciate traveling and other cultures more More people will continue to work collaboratively for a common goal, like working on the vaccine quickly

A few members cited concerns about politics (and Atlanta traffic) getting worse before it gets better, and others mentioned their hopefulness for a return to normalcy All in all, people predicted that 2021 will be better than 2020

That’s why our focus here at Tech Square ATL Social Club being centered around providing productive collaborations in a curated environment designed to foster growth and innovation is so important We more than understand the power of human connection, we exude it every day Whether it’s through our shared workspace or our events, we help nurture and shape connections that otherwise may not have happened

And while we certainly don’t have a crystal ball to tell us exactly what’s going to happen next, we can ensure we’re doing everything we can to stay strong in these uncertain times and remember that staying connected with others is vital to our mental and physical health

Power Meals are an hour to gather over food and have thoughtful conversation with other community members POWER MEALS 57

Future of EdTech: Game-based Learning In our first virtual Power Meal, hosted by Jesse Lindsley, CEO and Founder of Thrust Interactive, we explored how to leverage game-based learning to improve education. With a lively group of parents, educators, gamers, and students, we unpacked the following questions: WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH GAME-BASED LEARNING? For some, it began early childhood: As we shared more stories, we discovered how the gaming world can lead to an unexpected growth of confidence: “I was a terrible speller growing up and almost failed third grade because of it My parents introduced me to Scrabble and I fell in love with the bluffing and the competition. Scrabble helped me spell and gave me that motivation that I wasn’t getting [from school] ”

Jesse Lindsley, Thrust Interactive OPPORTUNITIES ATTENDEES

8 VIRTUAL

36 CONNECTION

“I started playing saxophone in the fourth grade At that time, I had a ton of social anxiety As you can imagine, my stage fright was horrible. Luckily, I had instructors that helped me build my confidence When I started my company, Crescendo [an artificial intelligence (AI) powered interactive music training app], our goal was ‘How do we help people become more confident when learning music?’ Over time, we learned that people feel more comfortable learning through a device that does not judge you, but still gives you accurate feedback – like your phone.”

- Seth Radman, Crescendo

“My son has learning differences He’s also a gamer He loves Minecraft, and when he is playing games it’s not like he’s disconnected from humanity. There is a level of self-confidence that he is able to break through in the virtual world. He’s really in a space where he feels completely confident He feels fearless and boundless, and he’s able to challenge himself.”

- Le’Kiesha French, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute

“I think of seniors. As they are approaching their eighties and going into nursing homes, what are some games that can keep them comforted and occupy their mind?”

In response to this, Jesse validated that seniors are a demographic that is underestimated when it comes to gaming: WHAT COMPONENTS DO YOU CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING TECH TOOLS FOR EDUCATION?

In a world of thousands of gaming applications, it’s hard to decipher which one is worth using For the parents, there was a concern over what apps were teaching their kids: “There’s a great app called Homer that’s perfect for my two and five year-old I like that it gives me feedback and progress reports on what and how my child is doing. It made me realize that I need to be looking for the reports in other apps on what my children are learning.”

- Jesse Lindsley

“That’s going to be an area of focus for us going forward There’s a real opportunity to have an impact especially around health education.”

- Rebekah Snider, Collaborative Real Estate

- Jamie Darcy, Collaborative Real Estate

ABOUT THE HOST Jesse Lindsley is the Founder and CEO at Thrust Interactive At Thrust, Jesse and his team of game developers, behavioral designers, and research scientists have developed an entertainment first, “spinach” second approach to engaging, educating, and empowering kids (as well as their parents) to be healthy, wealthy, and wise Their main objective with the products they create is getting users to play and enjoy themselves, while never taking their eyes off the prize Ultimately, this creates sustainable, trackable progress, i e “habit forming fun ”

new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty But because of the extreme uncertainty that the pandemic brought upon on a global scale, it seemed like every type of organization was in the midst of some sort of rapid transformation startup or not.

With her expertise in business modeling and lean methodology, we invited Georgia Tech Economic Development Lab Entrepreneur Educator, Brandy Nagel, to host a virtual Power Meal Together, we gathered online during a lunch hour with a small group of entrepreneurs to discuss how they were leading their businesses in such a turbulent, but transformative time.

Whether by necessity or demand, almost every business across the globe needed to transform the way their organization operated since the COVID 19 pandemic began Has Led Tech Square Entrepreneurs Opportunity

15 CONNECTIONS CREATED 60 MINUTES OF CONVERSATION COVID-19: How Adversity

64 “(Lean Startup – Startup) +

Lean Recovery is a new practice area that Nagel and her team are developing to teach entrepreneurs across the globe This new way of thinking about economic development is like the lean startup methodology, but shape shifted: She iterated upon the groundbreaking framework popularized by Ries to help business owners quickly recover from a crisis induced slowdown, and adapt to an emerging new reality. Nagel realized the concept of this framework during her flight back home, after teaching a lean startup methodology program in Puerto Rico during the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017 “Even while I was teaching the class I was thinking, ‘This is not the material that this group needs,’” Nagel shared during our small online group discussion ech Square business ed the changes they were r, there was a common rsity can lead to dinated Care Inc , a HealthTech startup led by CEO, Tee Faircloth, is focused on creating solutions for the rural healthcare crisis. They do this by offering a clinical protocol and HIPAA compliant platform that streamlines the logistics of patient transfers.

Nationally, over a third of rural hospitals are at risk of closing, while urban hospitals are dealing with capacity issues. Even before the COVID 19 pandemic, Coordinated Care Inc worked with overcrowded urban hospitals to move patients to “empty” rural hospitals for their post acute care. But as the pandemic began to ramp up and the concern grew that our national health system would reach its tipping point, the necessity of their services led to their expansion. “They knew how to create a business What they actually need is to figure out how to re think a business under new circumstances ” Brandy Nagel Post Disaster Recovery Lean Recovery” - Brandy Nagel, Georgia Tech Economic Development Lab

“The demand for ways to save is very high right now. Focusing on that, we’re making sure that our roadmap supports this [new] world where people care [even more] about maximizing things they have, supporting local businesses, and creating commerce in a responsible way with all these restrictions.” Anik Khan, MaxRewards This urgency even led them to get involved in Washington D.C., requiring Faircloth to write his first ever senate bill “We managed to get it from my twisted brain to the U S Senate floor in three days, but unfortunately it didn’t pass on the first go,” he said coyly. But they’re feeling hopeful for the next iteration he’s working on “We have almost every candidate in the Democratic presidential nomination and several members of Republican leadership supporting this bill, so we're hoping to get this through.”

With travel bans mandated across the globe as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus, the team at MaxRewards, a TechStars backed financial technology startup, had to make a substantial change in their roadmap Co Founded by Anik Khan, MaxRewards was created to empower consumers to make smarter financial decisions Their awardwinning app helps users manage their credit card accounts and maximize their credit card rewards and savings. “A big part of our focus is helping people earn points and miles so they can travel. The travel industry has been completely disrupted, so the urgency of wanting to use those points to go somewhere has changed,” Khan explained They’ve had to shift their focus from maximizing their users’ travel reward earning potential to promoting local commerce"We’ve pivoted [because of] the urgent necessity, but we haven’t pivoted our core product. We’ve actually expanded on it.” Tee Faircloth, Coordinated Care Inc.

rch Faculty and t the Georgia ment Lab. She nd e world to create communities where startups can grow and thrive. Lean startup is the methodology and she's been doing it since 2012 Brandy has worked with entrepreneurship educators from some of the best schools in the U.S., India, South Korea, Chile, and more Happening later in the year, the team is al launching their Local Deals feature in Atla and New York City The feature launch wil allow users to earn extra cashback when pay for a purchase using a card connecte the MaxRewards mobile app. Because the user pays for their purchase in full and ge extra cashback after the fact, the user ear rewards on the pre discount total. To jumpstart the launch, they’ll be funding de for up to 50 restaurants With the help of users referring their favorite restaurants i Atlanta and New York City, the team expe to onboard hundreds of restaurants There is a universal consensus that the world we are living in has fundamentally changed, and the right mix of creativity, agility, and strategic implementation will determine how businesses will proceed beyond this period of great uncertainty

Regardless of whether you track your health and fitness progress with your phone, smartwatch, or wristband, do you ever wonder about other ways these technology companies use your data? To explore this topic with Tech Square resident researchers and technologists, we invited Norh Asmare, PhD student at the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, to host a Power Meal about the evolution of personal tech and data management. OOP, a fitness technology company that des a wristband, app, and a community in performance management system “My research focuses on making small biomedical devices, not necessarily health data But personally, I am terested in health data and the uantified self,’ which is attaching umbers to you as an individual and to ur performance ” Norh Asmare, Georgia Tech School of ectrical and Computer Engineering CREATED 3 THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS

10 CONNECTIONS

The State of Fitness Tech and Personal Data Management

p pp in April to make it easier for users to monitor and interpret their respiratory rates. “They have a whole data team focused on monitoring and analyzing your sleep,” shared Asmare, who formerly worked at WHOOP as a Signal Processing Engineer. Though the app has been tracking user respiratory rates throughout sleep for years, they fast tracked this release in response to the pandemic because they knew that an increased respiratory rate can be indicative of viral infection symptoms

Though software companies have emphasized that information security is at the top of their agenda, privacy concerns with data anonymization have long plagued consumers.

With COVID 19 contact tracing solutions still a slow-moving development for most public health organizations across the globe, renowned tech giants and private fitness technology companies like WHOOP have taken the initiative to develop software to help solve the problem. For example, Google and Apple's coronavirus exposure notification application programming interface (API) released in May “It took them a very long time to even release the first version of what they thought was viable,” explained Asmare, “For the main reason being that anonymizing the person from their data [was the challenge.]” So far, only three U.S. states agreed to use it, but none have actually adopted it The goal of this collaborative effort between these rival tech companies was to empower public health agencies to build the API into their own apps, so they can roll it out to users

“What I think about contact tracing is not just a privacy issue It’s also a calibration issue,” Gustav Nilsson expressed, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering “What if it ends up that 25 percent of the population gets notifications that you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive? The privacy issues are a concern as well, but I think I would turn off my phone from time to time if it was installed in the operating system.”

In regards to allowing tech companies to share personal health data, data monetization was another point of concern. “What if they are selling my information for research and using it inappropriately, can that somehow negatively impact me?” expressed Jonathan Cornelius, Property Manager at Collaborative Real Estate “Will my insurance rates change because [the company] has this huge history of my heart rate being elevated, making it known that I’m predisposed for health issues?”

With all things considered, there was a general consensus that personal data sharing and monetization is just part of living in these times. “Maybe it is better to focus on how I can protect it,” Nilsson concluded “I think all of it comes down to identifying data and perhaps how confident you are that companies are de identifying your data before selling it That is one of the more important things,” Gupta shared. “Do you think it would be more comfortable if there was a method of de identification of the data at a personal level before sending it to these tech companies, or do you trust the tech companies to do it for you?”

app is telling you that you are symptomatic based on data that is inaccurate, I imagine that could open up all sorts of legal issues.”

Pranav Gupta, Georgia Tech Graduate Research Assistant, shared this concern “When companies are using this data, they are probably looking at the worst case scenario and notifying as many people as they can about visiting a physician ”

rations leaders from Atlanta – and beyond ok an afternoon break at Tech Square ATL ial Club’s virtual Power Meal to discuss the cess and failures in logistics stemming m COVID 19 disruptions. ted by Ian Edelson (Amazon), other icipants included Laron Burns (Siemens), anie Davis (Siemens), and Maxwell Bonnie tbox) we watched the world demand an increase in et paper, hand sanitizers, and face masks, on Burns, Consulting Commodity Manager, busy calculating out how to continue the ply chain at Siemens. She found herself otiating directly with governments instead of mpanies to maintain global supply lines uy a lot of electronic components for our pply contract manufacturers. Many electronics in the Asian market and many of those places re completely shut down So we had to figure ways to try and convince governments, metimes it was state governments, that certain mpanies should stay open because they are nsidered essential ” aron Burns, Siemens 10 CONNECTIONS CREATED 2,715 OF BANDWIDTH USEDHow COVID-19 More Than Toilet Paper

MEGABYTES

Disrupted

ST ed Amazon in 2019 s Manager after M.B.A. at Georgia hnology's Scheller ness A self stics nerd, he loves w things work and mplex processes. , Ian enjoys perusing d has recently been n cards on an antique e restored 72 As CEO of Saltbox, a startup that provides warehouse and office space to members, Maxwell Bonnie saw firsthand how smaller companies were impacted. Many needed to pivot and invest in new technologies that allowed them to fulfill back orders Ian Eldeson, Operations Manager at Amazon, gave some insight on why ports are the biggest pain point for people in regards to getting their supply. He directed Power Meal attendees to look more into the Baltic Dry Index, a shipping and trade index that measures the changes in the cost of transporting various raw materials.

Geranium (SiGe) devices and circuits in partnership with NASA, we knew he d be the perfect person to lead such a discussion. And in order to make a deep impact, we invited some of Tech Square ATL Social Club’s biggest enthusiasts and experts from all our different communities (Centergy One, Tech Square Research Building, Georgia Tech) to safely gather over lunch at Technology Enterprise Park to

discuss the topics at hand There’s so much emphasis on space exploration as of late from both public and private entities doing big things to hit TV shows being binged watched to SpaceX launching a four person crew into orbit mid November The Meaning of Space Exploration 21 CONNECTIONS CREATED 2 COMMUNITIES BROUGHT TOGETHER 73

THE INNATE HUMAN INTEREST IN SPACE Can anyone truly put a finger on why, for as long as we can remember, people have been so curious about knowing what’s in outer space? As Gary O’Neill (Senior Aerospace and Defense Specialist-COI Aerospace, Georgia Department of Economic Development) remarks, “We’ve been studying space since Babylon; it’s part of our DNA ” But is it just the unknown in general that captivates us, the whole vastness of it all, the data and findings from it, or something else all together? Dominick Constanza (Property Manager, Collaborative Real Estate) believes it’s because “we’re all natural explorers ” And others would agree Whether it’s galvanizing the human spirit, or just deepening our understanding, going to and exploring outer space is truly fascinating But is it worth the price tag that accompanies it?

QUITE THE PRETTY PENNY NASA's budget for 2020 alone is $22 629 billion, which is not only mind blowing (to some), but also a 5.3 percent increase from the previous fiscal year Return on investment (ROI) is especially tricky in this department, with some attendees citing it’s an investment in knowledge and technology, while others viewed it from an entirely different perspective what’s the cost of not knowing?

we use satellites in space ct natural disasters, and t into place a plan of action, rning the general public But t cost if we didn’t have these The cost would be not only to the planet, but race, as well. here’s ROI support for the m during the Apollo ROI was around $7 for nt. And in today’s climate, ated ROI of $40 for every $1 ce development This jobs, advanced , and the overall economic ther pushing the frontier NT IN SPACE EXPLORATION n still remains if our tax ollectively helping to fund ogram, who all gets to be uch exploration? Historically, de (Graduate Research eorgia Tech Aerospace ign Lab) recalls, “The first eren’t even scientists they pilots in the Air Force and here’s some that believe s make the better pilots. But exploration just be left to s, or can the general public and to what capacity?

about the general public?

The general consensus at the table was that everyone should be able to be involved But again, there are ranges. As Mike Bonner (CEO, 1710 Music LLC) points out, “Do people involved want to see Mars, or see data from Mars? The difference is, what are you really exploring?”

And this distinction is crucial. Leo Prinzi (Product Director, Carbice Corporation) adds to this notion, stating that he likes “the idea that we as people don’t have to go to Mars, but it’s good to know what the data is [behind it, in order] to keep space exploration [continuing] ”

Our gracious host, George, couldn’t agree more: “Involvement in space exploration is similar to involvement in sports teams there’s varying levels of ‘fans,’ but everyone is part of that community one way or another. We’re all in this together.”

As the conversations continued over catered lunch from Atwoods Pizza Cafe in Midtown, one thing was evident space exploration isn’t going anywhere (for now), so everyone should find their own level of participation voluntarily Whether the investment in the space program resonates with you in the form of time or money, or something completely different, the program and funding will carry on.

EXPLORING SPACE IS HERE TO STAY

his ience ng his er Dr earch iation p in ous tute ove 016 ch EE ation 78

Fireside Chats are panel-like discussions around a specific topic with three to five experts and a moderator in a public forum FIRESIDE CHATS 79

240 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 4 TESLAS INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE

To celebrate such an occasion, Tech Square ATL Social Club joined in on the hype to host our first hybrid (both in person and virtual) event since the pandemic. We partnered with none other than the Tesla Owners Club of Atlanta to ensure the Fireside Chat was a success and safe

Local Innovators Safely Come Together to Discuss the Future of Electric Vehicles

Around 50 attendees donned masks and had their temperature taken before entering the 9,000 square foot Clubhouse, which had the side garage doors open to not only provide steady air flow, but also to allow room for all four Tesla models (S, 3, X, and Y) to park in front of the stage for display Tuesday, September 22 was more than just the first official day of fall. It was also Tesla’s Battery Day, where details on current and future battery technologies were shared.

was battery powered that isn’t currently?”

Responses ranged from city buses to construction vehicles to electric hair tools, with the top three most popular answers being: However, the real winning response (in our books, at least) was: “A robot to walk the dog daily at an affordable price ” Are you taking note, Musk? You need to give the people what they want! Okay, let’s step away from future fantasies and get back to the festivities As in person guests dined and networked, the countdown for the livestream of the Fireside Chat began, ultimately notifying those that wished to attend virtually that Second Year Materials Science Major, Georgia Tech Solar and MPPT Subteam Lead on Georgia Tech's Solar Racing Team Co-Founder/CEO, NuGen Systems Building battery based solutions for replacing lead acid batteries and gas generators President, Tesla Owners Club Atlanta Helping others learn and understand the benefits of electric vehicles Tech Square Investor and Operator, TEQ Charging (started through CREATE X) Gabe Graves Venus Desai Terry Travis Mark Wasiele 82

My house Shoes Lights 1. 2 3

- Gabe Graves, Second-Year Materials Science Major, Georgia Tech 83

- Venus Desai, Co-Founder/CEO, NuGen Systems

Mark Wasiele, Tech Square Investor/Operator, TEQ Charging

“The problem for people adopting electric vehicles isn't range anxiety with the miles they can travel, it's the infrastructure in place when you do run out. How quickly and how available the charging is when the vehicle is parked is the industry's biggest problem today ”

“When comparing the cost to install solar panels versus the cost to run your home from the current grid, using the power company is currently still cheaper over a 25 year period [approximately]. We'll need cheaper and higher efficiency solar cells to close this gap, in addition to lowering battery costs for energy storage ”

For approximately 45 minutes, our in house livestream moderator asked the panelists a variety of questions around Tesla, Battery Day expectations, the future of battery technology, electric vehicle infrastructure, and more:

“I think battery tech and storage is part of the problem, but I think the infrastructure is one of the biggest issues. As price/kilowatt continues to drop, we need a more robust charging infrastructure, to the point that it's ubiquitous to gas stations ”

Terry Travis, President, Tesla Owners Club Atlanta

“As we get into the hyper growth part of the electric vehicle and battery charging curve, the power companies are going to have to understand the behaviors of these customers and adjust their business model to meet their needs ”

Tesla is going to manufacture its own batteries, instead of purchasing them from Panasonic These new batteries will be called “4680 cells ” They are predicted to be six times more powerful and increase the range of their cars by 16 percent A new version of the Tesla Model S, named “Plaid,” will have a range of 520 miles and go from 0 60 mph in less than two seconds This would make it the fastest production car in the world. Once the Fireside Chat concluded, we shared the much-anticipated Tesla Battery Day livestream on all of The Clubhouse projectors and screens, where Elon Musk announced a range of exciting information, such as: 84

Tesla has a goal of building a $25,000 electric car for consumers. Following the livestream, attendees stuck around to discuss what was announced from the livestream, chat further about what they learned from the Fireside Chat, and most importantly, explore each of the four Tesla vehicles parked inside The Clubhouse From a heat projecting fireplace on the dashboard to a self driving (summon mode) vehicle demonstration, showcasing the magnitude of what the current vehicles could do only amplified the excitement of what is to come for Tesla But it didn’t end there The connections that were made that evening expanded far beyond the four walls of The Clubhouse.

Visit Tesla Owners Club of Atlanta's website for more information on our partner’s organization. Startup entrepreneurs were connected with investors. Students were introduced to consultants EV enthusiasts met fellow techies In a time where isolation is starting to weigh heavy on people and medical professionals are having growing concerns about the long term effects of social distancing, we are proud to have curated an environment where like minded individuals could come together safely to connect and collaborate with each other in a setting that only further drives growth and innovation. Just like the future of battery technology is closer than we think, so is the new norm of getting community members together in a way that is both productive and socially responsible.

For the second time since the pandemic, Tech Square ATL Social Club hosted another hybrid (both in person and virtual), safely distanced, out of this world event. Panel Space Soirée

39 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 4 PANELISTSAerospace Experts Lead

On Wednesday, September 30, astronauts and aliens alike gathered at Mission Control (The Clubhouse) for the TSQATL Space Soirée a themed evening full of complimentary refreshments, guest speakers, networking opportunities, games, prizes, and more With the garage doors open once again for steady air flow, attendees suited up (wore masks) and had their vitals checked (temperature taken) before launching into the evening’s festivities

Discussion at

Of course, no one should enter orbit on an empty stomach, so guests were provided with dehydrated space food (just kidding, it was hot and fresh pizza!) but not before answering the question of “If you could visit any planet/moon in our solar system, which would it be and why?”

While in person attendees networked and noshed, the official countdown for blast off started, which also notified those that wished to attend virtually that the discussion was about to start

eaten

"Saturn

The range of responses were as expansive as our galaxy: 54 Milky Way chocolates 234 Ring" candies eaten 96 Pizza slices eaten “Jupiter, because it looks gorgeous and I wonder if I would feel even smaller than I do “Europa there might be signs of life there ” “Pluto It really is a planet ” on Earth.”

Even with no oxygen in space, you could still feel the excitement in the air as our four premier panelists boarded the launchpad, or as we call it, the stage: Phil Clifton Phil is an Aerospace Engineering Masters student at Georgia Tech, who is passionate about the commercial space industry. During his undergraduate years, Phil served as President of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at Georgia Tech, as well as in several roles at the Space Frontier Foundation. He has interned at a variety of space industry companies, including SpaceWorks Enterprises and Analytical Graphics.

Blake Tiede Blake is an Aerospace Engineering Masters student at Georgia Tech, who also completed his undergraduate there as well With a background in Spacecraft Communications and Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC), Blake has been funded for his research on electrical propulsion for small aircrafts from NASA. Additionally, his senior design and grad research is centered around missions to Titan, one of Saturn’s many moons.

Rohan Sohani Rohan is a third year Aerospace Engineering student at Georgia Tech. Born and raised in Johns Creek, Georgia, Rohan has been interested in planes and spacecraft since a young age. During high school, he received his Private Pilot license and is currently working on his Instrument License! Along with his NASA internship, Rohan just completed an internship at Tesla as an Interior Engineering Intern. Outside of academia, he enjoys playing golf and has even recently picked up cooking during quarantine.

Gary O'Neill Gary is a Senior Research Engineer with the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering. He is currently serving as the Senior Aerospace and Defense Specialist of the Center of Innovation for Aerospace (COIA), a unit of the Georgia Department of Economic Development As part of his focus on technology for COIA, he is the coordinator for the state’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Working Group. He has a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Masters of Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School He joined Georgia Tech as a research faculty member after a 25 year career in the U S Navy as an Operational Helicopter Pilot and Acquisition Logistics and Maintenance Expert with two tours in the Naval Air Systems Command. 89

“The interesting thing with private space companies is that they’re driving prices down for multiple aspects of the aerospace industry Smaller companies are now able to make satellites very small in size and cheap, making the capabilities crazy Now you have something so small, you can just tack it onto another mission There’s now more accessibility for companies to send things to space ”

Phil Clifton, Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Tech Space Systems Design Lab

- Blake Tiede, Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Lab

Rohan Sohani, Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Student, Former NASA Software Development Intern

“When comparing the cost to install solar panels versus the cost to run your home from the current grid, using the power company is currently still cheaper over a 25 year period [approximately] We'll need cheaper and higher efficiency solar cells to close this gap, in addition to lowering battery costs for energy storage.”

Gary O'Neill, Senior Aerospace and Defense Specialist COI Aerospace, Georgia Department of Economic Development

For over an hour, our in house livestream moderator asked the panelists a variety of questions around how they got interested in their respective fields, upcoming space missions they’re excited about, the future of the space program, and more: 90 “When we went to the moon before, we left a trace there, but did not establish a permanent presence If we want to be able to venture further into the solar system, it’s imperative that we have the ability to use the moon as a launch platform to send missions from Think of it as a hub for space transportation ”

“As NASA and other companies explore who they want on the crew of their missions, it’s really important to take a look at the man/woman dynamic Naturally, certain bodies may be better at certain tasks I think that having a mix of male and female crews is the way to go When you’re out in space or on the moon, you have limited resources. Having multiple diverse perspectives is paramount to make sure you can get past problems.”

Engaging and interacting with others who have similar interests, like aerospace, for example, is especially important right now. With the pandemic causing some people to feel as isolated as being on a different planet, we are proud we could once again successfully curate an environment where like minded individuals could come together safely to connect and collaborate with each other in a setting that only further drives growth and innovation.

Eventually the panel discussion concluded, but the entertainment did not! Guests continued to explore their surroundings by participating in a space themed guessing game, putting together a solar system puzzle, and testing different launch angles for our rocket stomp challenge.

To learn those answers and to watch the full livestream check out youtube com/c/TechSquareATL

“What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about the aerospace industry, whether that’s in commercial flight, space travel, or any other facet of the discipline?”

Networking continued throughout the evening, which was a common theme amongst the panelists, who consistently urged and encouraged those interested in aerospace of any kind to get involved whether it be through private, local chapters at a university, or via public groups and social clubs, like TSQATL.

“What do you see as the biggest challenge in the aerospace industry right now in 2020?”

“What is your biggest piece of advice for an undergraduate student who is looking to set themselves up for success within the aerospace industry?”

Pop-Ups are more casual, unannounced experiences around a specific topic that raises interesting questions or promotes a unique activity POP-UPS 93

22 CONNECTIONS CREATED 5 POPULAR METHODS OF COMMUNICATION Staying

During mid May, with the strain of the pandemic in full effect, TEP’s tenants of engineers and laboratory researchers were bolstered to the forefront for making innovation happen. Caffeinated and Connected

up to research how these busy employees are staying connected to society with so much going on. Interestingly enough, of the people that we caught up with, the majority were sticking with traditional phone calls and text messaging, versus video calls, as a way of connecting However, and not surprisingly, social media was also mentioned as a way to remain engaged and entertained.

Zoom 15 4% Social Media 15.4% 15.4% 23.1% 15.4% 30 7% 15.4% HOW TEP COMMUNITY MEMBERS STAY CONNECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC Text 23 1% Phone Call - 15 4% FaceTime 30.7% 96

45 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 18 DOUGHNUTS EATEN Doughnuts and Dexterity 97

In honor of this holey holiday (which was started over 50 years ago during World War I by the Salvation Army), we popped up with boxes of these delightful, deep fried treats from our local favorite, Sublime Doughnuts, in the courtyard. a cloud in sight, the clear blue skies and sunshine made for a bright National Doughnut Day at TEP

Without

handed 1 bidextrous 1 98 Out of the 20 biotechnology engineers and laboratory researchers who stopped by to pic up a treat, we learned that the majority were right handed with on outlier: a community member with ambidexterity! Like this small sample size we caught up with at TEP, it seems th most humans across the world are right handed. EP: ED? Right handed 17 17 1 1

On National Yellow Pig Day, we went searching to find out if the number 17 was indeed the “most random” number Is 17 the “Most Random” Number? There is a theory that people would more often than not pick the number "17" when asked to pick a random number between one and 20. To our surprise and wonder, this was debunked by our TEP community 29 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 13 CUPS OF COFFEE CONSUMED 99

100 18 and 19 Most popular numbers 7/13 Picked even numbers 6/13 Picked odd numbers From our small sample size of 13 participants (which is another prime number!) who stopped by for a socially distanced Yellow Pig Day treat, here were our findings: The most popular numbers picked were a tie between numbers 18 and 19 Six out of 13 picked odd numbers Seven out of 13 picked even numbers

In addition to providing our typical coffee and doughnuts spread, we also had two bowls of Dove’s individually wrapped milk and dark chocolates for patrons to choose from when conversing over which kind they desired more In honor of National Milk Chocolate Day, we were curious to find out if TEP community members prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate 84 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 28 MILK CHOCOLATE SQUARES EATEN Do Sweet Tooths Prefer Milk or Dark Chocolate? 101

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Kemira folks were primarily team milk chocolate, with only one out of the five total votes being for dark chocolate

VERO Biotech employees seem to be the biggest chocolate enthusiasts at TEP, with a total of 13 votes, eight of which were for milk chocolate

Two additional visitor votes added to milk chocolate’s totals, though it was still strongly favored, regardless And the proof was in the (chocolate) pudding Milk chocolate was clearly deserving of its own national holiday, as 64 percent of those polled preferred it over dark chocolate. However, there were definitely some sweet takeaways: Geo VER TEP COMMUNITY CHOCOLATE PREFERENCE

Abbott team members were completely divided, with four choosing milk chocolate and four choosing dark chocolate

Grill and Chills are larger, typically seasonal, productions that are centered around bringing people together via complimentary food, drinks, games, and more GRILL AND CHILLS 103

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Complete with Fox Dogs catering, Cracker Jacks, and a little friendly speed pitching competition, tenants enjoyed some fresh air and fun while chowing down on tasty ballpark treats Being the nerds (and proud of it!) that we are, the Tech Square ATL Social Club team had to add a little technological flair to the whole production. With baseball finally back in full swing, we turned the courtyard of TEP into Technology Enterprise [Baseball] Park for the day! 445 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 21 BASEBALL PITCHERS Franks and Fast-Pitching 105

For those that stepped up to the plate (and the challenge!), their pitch speeds were captured by the softball, recording ranges from 27 mph to 65 mph over the two hour event. To ensure accuracy, TSQATL also set up a GoPro Hero 8 camera at 240 fps to capture the speed of the throws by measuring the distance traveled over time A pole with markers every six inches aided in the calculations

For the competition, participants were handed a softball with sensors inside that calculated the speed of the throw at a 40 foot pitch distance.

Over 20 of the nearly 100 total attendees attempted to be crowned as TEP’s fastest pitchers, but only a few reigned supreme, with Corey Culver clocking in at 68 mph and Praj Kadoor following closely behind at 58 mph. Winners not only received bragging rights, but also a gift card. 68 mph for the top pitch speed 37 Bags of potato chips eaten 97 Hot dogs eaten

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Mind of a Maker is a demonstration, workshop, or creative activity with community members. MIND OF A MAKER 107

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creative designs. However, many people have no clue where to begin. Understanding the basic fundamentals behind landscape design and the “why” behind the layout can lead to your dream oasis We invited Jonathan Williams, Landscape Design Instructor at Emory University, for an interactive virtual session that covered basic design principles and design knowledge for identifying enhancements in our landscapes Design Principles of Landscaping People are spending ample time in their homes, now more than ever, which can lead to some serious do it yourself (DIY) projects 39 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 4 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN DISCUSSED 109

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN In landscaping, there are four elements to consider when designing your vision:

1. ORDER This creates the base or framework for the landscape. For example: symmetrical vs asymmetrical

5. Select final materials (plants and hardscapes) “When thinking about your landscape, it is critical to design with intention.”

3. Determine and develop the overall style of the design 4 Define the ideal characteristics of the materials within your design/composition.

2. UNITY This is the relationship of all the elements in your design. There are four basic components of unity For example: Purposefully incorporating a dominant feature in your design that’s unique in size, color, and texture, like birdbaths, a pond, or WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT LANDSCAPE? We asked our attendees, “What makes a great landscape stand out to you?” The top three characteristics included: lots of color, relaxing, and low maintenance According to Williams, a great landscape is “Simple Sustainable Purposeful Beautiful ” Before you begin to rip up your driveway or purchase a ton of expensive plants, you need to understand the key to a successful project is designing with intention! Here is a guide for observing your space: 1 Understand the site! 2 Consider how the space(s) will be used and its function.

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3. RHYTHM Rhythm is used to create a visual sequence, just as music does with a beat By correctly using rhythm in your design, you can direct the eye through a landscape For example: Using repetition is a simple way to unify any landscape by repeating similar elements throughout the design variations of color, texture, and shapes can help keep your landscape from becoming monotonous.

ABOUT THE HOST Jonathan Williams has over 18 years of experience in the industry as a Landscaping Artist and Project Manager, with a keen understanding of design and creating sustainable landscapes. As an artist, he takes a creative approach to each project using the elements and principles of design to develop stunning landscapes. His experience in landscaping design project management informs his firm understanding of the real world challenges in landscape installation He approaches every design with thoughtfulness and with purpose, always considering how the spaces he creates will be used and cared for His designs gracefully blend structure and nature, with the goal of bringing unity and order to the landscape Jonathan has worked on projects featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle, as well as high end residential, commercial office, and retail landscape design He obtained his Landscape Design Certification from Emory University.

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Experience a's Global The Hangar, expertise in d Human create the air f the future king, Carrie spoiling her cat, eautiful, healthy home while she prepped and cooked a healthy, homemade meal and discussed how to master the art of portioning, the simplicity of making healthy food choices on a budget, and basic principles of artful plating techniques. The end result? A quick and delicious Thai Cashew Quinoa Stir Fry and some light hearted chatter around what food items viewers have been purchasing in bulk, the biggest pantry item they miss having, favorite dishes being cooked regularly, and more. 114

Peer-to-Peers are ways for members to stay in the loop by sharing what they’ve been working on and listening to what others in the community are doing

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Making More Than Music On a sunny Thursday afternoon in early April, we caught up with a handful of musical In w an an fa m Tame Impala 28 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 5,430 MEGABYTES OF BANDWIDTH USED 117

ReChord, a music notation app that writes and records music as it is played. New Music Money (beta and website launching soon), an artist revenue management app that helps independent artists track their music royalties and other artist earnings using blockchain technology. A couple of our members are making more than just music Check out who they are and the technology they’re building: Sunit Kulkarni, Mandala Soundworks Michael Bonner, 1710 Music LLC 118

2020 Vision In February 2020, we gathered the community for a strategic goal setting workshop focused on setting intentions and protecting personal energy. With so many changes quickly taking place, many of us have experien initial goals For this edition of our Tech Square Peer-to-Peer check-in Theresa Ward (The Fiery Feather) and a few members back to see ho goals and discuss ways we can help each other reset. 10 CONNECTIONS CREATED 4 CONSTRUCTIVE QUESTIONS SHARED 119

- Theresa Ward, The Fiery Feather

The resounding takeaway among the advice shared was to be okay with adjusting or letting go of certain goals

"When you have to let go of a goal, you have to have a little funeral for it I really just had to take a minute to grieve and surrender that goal, and accept that reaching that goal wasn't going to happen at the moment Instead of having an internal battle of ‘Maybe things will get back to normal next week, or the week after that ' I just thought, 'It wasn’t in the cards, but that doesn’t change my personal purpose. Is there a goal that I can replace that one with or should I just stay focused on two out of the three?’"

Instead of being hard on yourself or remaining stuck, you also can use this time to pivot or focus on other goals: “I also had a lot of goals around traveling, specifically for soccer teams One of the other goals I set for this year is to learn Spanish, since the people where a lot of the places I wanted to travel to are mainly Spanish speakers. Since the pandemic hit, I've been more consistent with practicing on DuoLingo " - Lura McCoy, Gather In addition to setting goals, protecting your energy is equally as important It can sometimes be difficult to remain focused and not be distracted by the recent explosion of virtual events or 24 hour news cycles set before us For many of us seeking advice on how to remain rational and grounded through this process, Theresa offered her four constructive questions she asks that helps her in decision making: 1. What is the unknown/fear? 2. What is true/real? 3 What are all my options? 4 What is my action/choice?

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Brains in a Bar is an invite only gathering where individuals come together over cocktails to discuss a brainy topic. Plot twist: Attendees must first correctly solve a few puzzles before the secret speakeasy location is disclosed.

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For the Virus Tracking edition of Brains in a Bar, we invited four Tech Square ATL Social Club members to discuss security and efficiency issues in the process of sharing medical data 6 CONNECTIONS CREATED 64 OZ OF BEER CONSUMEDVirus Tracking: Data Sharing Challenges in Healthcare 123

Over a few drinks at a secret location that evening, we discussed the importance of being able to track reported data sources, and whether blockchain as a solution could speed up this process and make it more secure. Across the board, there was an agreement that companies providing medical virus related data to the world can and should provide more application programming interfaces that are easy to access.

omehow were stripped of sensitive information, it de easy to get and fully he more transparent, the ihood for a competitive a ” ma, Mogean the communication and data could also be an ntage when it comes to its . in, while being very f data transfer and can be relatively slow to saction authorized and s slow speed could be a he medical industry when he use of blockchain unfortunately, relatively ed of it would be a factor when creating a virus m ” i, Alexander Babbage 124 er quality APIs from the It would make it easier for le to present the Engineer API

Recesses are interactive community gatherings centered around wellness, health, and fitness. RECESSES 125

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Meditation is an ancient practice that many have tried to cultivate in order to mitigate the symptoms of stress and anxiety To explore the topic of meditation and its effects on the brain, we invited yoga and meditation teacher Georgia Deane, Founder and Executive Director of Live Free Yoga, to host our first ever virtual Recess. Be honest: How many browser tabs do you have open right now? In addition to the multiple calendar alerts and inbox notifications demanding replies, feeling stressed or restless can be hard to avoid with so many things happening at once. 15 CONNECTIONS CREATED 2 ROUNDS OF MEDITATION PRACTICE The Brain on Meditation 127

- Kylie Alea, Fixd “I don’t have a consistent pract all. People say that it’s best to the morning, but I find that my racing with what I need to get d instead ” Lorin Willen, Collaborative Real Estate We also discussed how movement can be an alternative to a seated meditation practice: “I used to walk my two large dogs in the morning while it was dark [, before the sun came up] I really enjoyed that quiet time because there weren’t people or traffic around. That’s when I realized that it was a meditative time for me.”

- Vickie Palmer, AURP “I think it’s important to remember that our meditation practice doesn't need to be this extended 30 minute or one hour long session each day,” Deane explained. “Meditation practice can be as short as a minute long, where you're focused on taking 10 deep breaths. Making those [short practices] a habit can bring about profound shifts,” she recommended 128

During an hour long break from our workday, we gathered online with members of our community to learn about the impact of meditation on brain functions, and got to apply different methods we learned from Deane during a guided meditation practice There was a general consensus that it’s difficult to cultivate a consistent practice: “My meditation practice has been pretty sporadic. I can be pretty distracted and can fall asleep a moment while practicing I mov between those two places of tr to fall asleep or struggling to fo something.”

Georgia Deane is a Yoga and Meditation Instructor with over 800 hours of training and years of personal practice Relying on both Eastern and Western wisdom, she references neuroscientific studies to inform her teaching of this ancient practice She is focused on making meditation accessible and practical so that more people can feel confident to try it and stick with it. She is a Georgia Tech Alumni who holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs, and is currently working on her Master’s degree in Counseling at Albany State University

ABOUT THE HOST

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Showcases are interactive community gatherings highlighting a member's interesting work SHOWCASES 131

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Harnessing the Power of AR/VR

- Steve Chen, Keysight Technologies AR/VR is being used more in classroom environments because of what has been found in multiple studies Since you have a captive audience, the method of how VR gets translated by your brain results in a 40 to 65 percent better recollection and recognition of the presented data CREATED 3,620 MEGABYTES OF BANDWIDTH USED

10 CONNECTIONS

During the Harnessing the Power of AR/VR Showcase, our host, Dana Xavier Dojnik, and fellow Tech Square ATL Social Club members discussed the future of AR and VR Attendees discussed how there is a need for a practical application for AR/VR to expand and really push forth these technologies.

“I think all this excitement with entertainment and gaming is great as far as the consumer interest As said earlier, there is a need for a larger investment to accelerate the progress. I think that will only come when there is an industrial or commercial application, when a substantial game changer comes to exist.”

John Patrick Floyd, Accenture There are multiple opportunities and applications to expand AR/VR, whether it’s through mobile apps that allow you to visualize a couch in your home, or the use of AR glasses to help build things

Dana Xavier Dojnik is a multi award winning AR and VR Strategist with over 20 years of digital media experience She speaks and lectures globally on emerging technology for industrial, educational, marketing, and enterprise applications ABOUT THE HOST 134 “I saw how this is being used for seventh and eighth graders to learn about Biology. They would learn how to dissect a frog using AR/VR technology, which is fascinating to me ”

- Brandy Nagel, Georgia Tech Economic Development Lab AR/VR is also being used in training environments: “I have heard about AR/VR a lot in the training space For instance, how Delta uses it to train flight attendants on plane layouts. It’s also used for customer experience, which is something we do at our hub ”

Experiments are activations that do not fall into any of the existing categories and are intended to test hypotheses about emerging needs and community personas EXPERIMENTS 135

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come together for a little mental health break and fun in the form of a scavenger hunt. As the global pandemic was in full force at the end of April 2020, so were the effects of isolation.

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Participants were given a series of clues that were located in various places at TEP – on lobby screens, in stairwells, and physical signage around the building: Over the course of a week, several entries were submitted online But only one can be crowned the winner and that was none other than TEP’s security detail, Rebekah Hippolyte She was the proud recipient of a $25 gift card to Domino’s and of course, bragging rights. The big clue revealed to us? TEP tenants are extreme puzzle lovers and seriously competitive. Find your first clue on the TEP lobby screen Add the code together and submit your answer Your answer is located somewhere at the front of the building. Take a pic of the sign that has your code and company name on it Congrats! You’ve reached the last part of the puzzle: In the stairwell that you may use periodically, you’ll find the piece to the last riddle Good luck! 1. 2. 3.

So, we got camera ready and headed over to TEP to take complimentary headshots of our community members for all their digital needs While our in house photographer made sure to capture everyone’s best angles, we asked attendees when they last updated their profile pic

The majority of responses were two years ago, with three years ago being the next most popular answer. So is everyone out there just getting catfished? Is it even a big deal if you don’t update it that often? Or ever? 2

The Importance Of and Science Behind Profile Pictures

As with everything we do, we wanted to better understand the research and science behind selecting the “best” profile picture.

11 NEW HEADSHOT PHOTOS TAKEN

YEARS ON AVERAGE BETWEEN PROFILE PICTURE UPDATES

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0 1 2 3 4 2YearsAgo 3YearsAgo 1YearAgo Withinlast6months TEP HEADSHOT DAY: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU UPDATED YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE PICTURE? There’s been a plethora of research done around this topic, like the different elements that have the largest impact on an audience, the psychology and science behind influencing via your profile pic, and even this finding from Psychological Science that “underscores the vital importance of a profile picture and the effect it has on making an impression ” Fortunately for you, an overview of all the best practices (backed by science) has been outlined here 140

To close out spOoOoky season, Tech Square ATL Social Club invited the bravest of members to join in on an immersive, virtual reality experience with a haunting twist.

Over the course of two days, nine people showed up at The Clubhouse to face their fears by (virtually) transporting themselves 80 stories high via the new Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

Combining the virtual world of Richie's Plank Experience with real world wooden planks, attendees tricked their brains into feeling as if they were actually in a situation that would be pretty terrifying for those with acrophobia, the extreme or irrational fear of heights. A portable fan was also added towards the end of the plank to provide a physical sensation of “wind” as they approached the edge VR and Tech to Reduce Fear Response

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36 CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES 5 PHOBIAS DISCUSSED Using

A few attendees even cited they were fearful of nothing, which could be pretty scary in itself. As the late Sean Connery (who happened to pass away on Halloween) once said, “If you fear nothing, you love nothing If you love nothing, what joy can there be in life?” Also in attendance was Mitsuko Ito, a Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Admin Professional, to help us dive a bit deeper into fears, and solutions to negate them.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), is an alternative therapy started in the 1990s for anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions. Ito stated that EFT Tapping is one way she helps to manage stress, or fears It’s a newer mind body tool which research is revealing quickly affects the amygdala (fear response), while also having the effects of vagus nerve stimulation, which supports the parasympathetic (calming) response.

Prior to walking the plank, community members discussed phobias, an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something, in general and what their specific ones were:

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Heights Spiders Close spaces Water Traffic (we hear ya, ATLiens)

In light of entrepreneurs day on November 17, 2020, we gathered at Tech Square ATL Social Club’s Clubhouse to have a round table discussion with fellow entrepreneurs to exchange tips for self promotion. Five startup minded community members came together to discuss and share tips on how to use marketing and social media to help grow themselves and their ideas/companies. During the two hour round table, topics discussed included getting over self consciousness of promoting yourself, resumes versus portfolios for pitching your ideas, new marketing trends, and diminishing returns on your marketing technology/electronics (how much should you invest in this current video-call world) 10 CONNECTIONS CREATED 13 COOKIES EATEN Round Table: Marketing for Entrepreneurs 143

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One last piece of advice from Veronica: “Taking the wrong investment can ruin your company Always work with people you trust in your gut.”

Attendees included:

Eric Thompson, Founder of Walimu.gg, and currently a manager at Spelman’s Innovation Lab

And our takeaways? Well, we had quite a few For starters: “LinkedIn is gold,” Veronica mentioned “You create momentum for the company by posting from your perspective ”

Veronica Woodruff, Founder of Travelsist, who recently joined the Microsoft startup and is working on sustainability for them.

Additionally, we discussed current technology in order to have good quality Zoom calls and investor pitches. One of the recommendations included this adjustable tripod that can be used with a camera or your phone and this collapsible phone holder.

Others also agreed that the best way to get over self consciousness is by finding out how you want to portray yourself online and if that is inline with your company/idea.

Krysta Silva, newly found entrepreneur, who recently won the 2020 Shark Tank of Wellness student competition

Dianna King, Founder of Dianna’s Foods, which makes vegan condiments and is looking for biodegradable packets for distribution.

Like many people across the world, some of us at Tech Square ATL Social Club turned to video games to ease the loneliness and creative blocks caused by the times.

Video games can also serve as a platform for socialization, in addition to transporting us to different worlds and letting us embark on missions more imaginative than our daily tasks.

Feeling stir-crazy, Zoom-fatigued, and uninspired? You’re not alone As those short December days marked the tenth month of the COVID 19 pandemic, coping with stress hadn’t gotten any easier.

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24 CONNECTIONS CREATED 4 VIDEO GAME CONSOLES Making Connections Offline: Tech

Virtual escapism aside, nothing can take the place of human interaction. As communal beings, the need for human interaction is hardwired in our DNA Square Video Game

146 60% Has Video Game Console 40% No Video Game Console TECH SQUARE VIDEO GAME NIGHT: Do you have a video game console at home? 60% 40%

To our surprise, we learned that a handful of participants do not have a video game console at home This made the rounds of Mario Kart Wii and the attempts at Mortal Kombat X’s fatality combinations all the more fun. The daring ones among us even signed up to be transported 80 stories high via the new Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

Most of us got to take a nostalgic favorite to the next level with Mario Kart Live By controlling a real life Mario Kart, via Nintendo Switch, around The Clubhouse as its race course, it was fun to see everyone acclimate themselves into the future of video games with augmented reality. The best part of Video Game Night? Witnessing the joy from human connection, and seeing people push themselves out of their comfort zone by (safely) introducing themselves to someone new From attendee generated input, we learned that each attendee met at least two new people throughout the evening

So, with the garage doors open for steady airflow in our 9,000 square foot community workspace, we invited TSQATL Social Club members and guests to take a comfortable, socially distanced seat at The Clubhouse for our first ever Video Game Night. Masked attendees got to relax with some refreshments and joined in on some friendly competition, while connecting over favorite video games

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Whether it’s aspiring young industry leaders, seasoned entrepreneurs, or dedicated civic boosters, with Tech Square ATL Social Club as the conduit, our student and professional partners organize speaker events, workshops, and hackathons that challenge the community’s thinking and develop impactful, real world solutions. Partnering with these entrepreneurial groups to co create programs allows us to create new connections between high value talent, startups, and corporations within the neighborhood.

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On Friday, April 17, six startups pitched their ideas to three local judges, virtually, for the first Virtual Pitch Competition, produced by Startup Exchange (SX).

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So, we partnered up with the Georgia Tech student organization to help livestream the pitches

Spring 2020 Virtual Pitch Competition

The competition was streamed to both Tech Square ATL Social Club's YouTube page, and Startup Exchange’s Facebook page, allowing for the startups to also take questions from the viewing audience that were submitted in real time, via YouTube chat.

To minimize the occurrence of technical difficulties, each startup’s pitch was captured ahead of time, and the video was played during the livestream for the judges to see for the first time. The judge’s feedback, and Q&A with the startup founders, however, were live

Deciding a winner was a difficult one, but Slate came through with the first place prize. Founder, Kiandra Peart, is making us rethink the way we recycle paper, by using the prize money to prototype the first Reverse Printer. The device promises to take any piece of paper with ink or writing, and remove the printed ink, producing a clean sheet ready to be printed on again immediately.

WINNERS: JUDGES: Watch the full livestream replay here

1ST PLACE: SLATE 2ND PLACE: GYMSPLAT PEOPLE’S CHOICE: FASTPATH SETH RADMAN BLANCA GARCIA RAHUL SAXENA

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The Startup Exchange community is comprised of students of all years, all majors, all different backgrounds. This student run organization promotes entrepreneurship education at Georgia Tech by organizing speaker events, workshops, and panels for students. Startup Exchange connects students with startups through their network of fellow students, founders, and mentors. Their mission is to foster a group of people who support and help each other reach new heights

ABOUT STARTUP EXCHANGE

Virtual Demo Day wcase featured on their website. During the spring semester of 2020, Georgia Tech civic organization, Bits of Good (BoG), worked closely with nine non profits building out applications to satisfy the administrative and user needs for each organization. 151

ght up with James Wang as he reflected on year as Bits of Good’s Executive Director: “In the past semester, our organization has grown immensely. From 60 to 150 members in the past year, with 50 new members from this past semester alone The number of non profits we’ve worked with has also increased and every team has grown to have more support than semesters past. One of our biggest milestones this year is that Bits of Good is now a part of the Vertically Integrated Program (VIP) at Georgia Tech, so students are getting credit for their hard work! Lastly, the virtual display of all our projects this semester is an incredible feat from our team I don’t know of many, if any, organizations who’ve had the transparency as ours for such projects. Our executive team is so proud of the way it’s all turned out ” James Wang, Bits of Good One Bits of Good team partnered with the Philadelphia Alliance for Child Trauma Services (PACTS) and the Evidence based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) to build MapScout, an interactive resource map that allows people to easily access behavioral and mental health services, as well as providing client admins with an easier system to post information. MapScout other semester projects

You can learn more about

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and

ABOUT BITS OF GOOD Bits of Good is home to engineers and artists. They believe in empowering the non-profits and democratizing technology for social good. Their organization develops real world applications and promotes learning and mentorship at all levels, both from team members of diverse skill sets and from the close knit, passionate club community.

FALL FORWARD:

At the tail end of the highly anticipated move in days, there were parked cars with blinking headlights, plastic wrapped dorm accessories, and the last fleet of suitcases hastily rolling into elevators on hold. This was especially true for those of us at Tech Square ATL Social Club, where students spent the majority of last week using The Clubhouse as their check in site to move into Square on Fifth (SQ5). In the backdrop of the back-to-school bustle were stark reminders of the pandemic: mask stations, hand sanitizers, and testing sites around the neighborhood. “Since I am living at SQ5, they completely revamped how the move in process would be,” shared Rohan Sohani, a Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering student who is back on campus after spending his spring semester as an intern at NASA. “They stretched out move in over a couple of days and had time slots for specific apartments throughout the day ”

The buzz in the air at Tech Square was almost tangible mid August, with university students settling in for the upcoming semester. Tech Students Move Into the Upcoming Semester

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“I already experienced issues with professors not being able to use online video conferencing effectively It’s a learning curve for sure,” he shared “But luckily, professors have been pretty responsive and open to communication.”

s brought on by health and safety precautions.

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In a time where the U S and other countries are reigniting their interest in outer space exploration, Sohani’s enthusiasm for his chosen career path has only grown, despite the odds.

ABOUT SQUARE ON FIFTH

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“I am looking forward to really taking a deep dive into my major, and getting into the nitty gritty of what it means to be an aerospace engineer,” Sohani shared “Through [aerospace engineering], I hope to be a part of projects that help the U.S. establish its presence as a multi-planetary nation,” he beamed “I also am really excited to see my friends again! Due to my spring internship, I haven’t seen some of them since 2019 " When it comes time to focus, the added adjustments that come with the throes of a pandemic can make it even more challenging to get back into the swing of things. But just like it was seemingly impossible to launch humans into space, we did it by persevering past the obstacles together.

Located on Spring Street, with a front door on Fifth and just steps from Georgia Tech’s campus, Square on Fifth is a 25 story student living community the only one located in Tech Square. In addition to its unequaled location and top notch amenities, SQ5’s partnership with TSQATL Social Club means its tenants are also given exclusive opportunities to connect with Tech Square startups, corporate innovators, and community leaders.

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Startup Exchange reached out the beginning of the fall semester to join forces in hosting a hybrid Fireside Chat with a local serial entrepreneur. Chat with Marc Gorlin

Fireside

It can be a difficult road turning an idea into a profitable business It’s even more difficult to get others to commit to your product with their hearts and minds along the way Marc Gorlin, CoFounder of Kabbage (recently acquired by AmEx) and Roadie, shared takeaways from his personal experience in launching successful companies during a live Q&A session, with attendees being both virtual and at The Clubhouse

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"It started out of journalism school when I was looking for an idea On the bus in NYC, I read this story on USA Today about this cryptographer in Boulder, CO that the government had chased around [So I] gave Phil a call that's where the journalism background came in and I proceeded to have a three hour conversation with [him] " HOW A DELAYED DELIVERY BOX OF BATHROOM TILES INSPIRED THE IDEA FOR ROADIE. “There’s bound to be someone leaving Birmingham right now heading to Montgomery. If I just knew who they were, surely they’ll put a box of tile in their truck, [and I can] give them $20 [since] they’re coming this way anyway. That’s when it hit me there’s this unbelievable transportation heatmap that exists around all of us. Every face you see on this Zoom screen hops in a car and goes places everyday The combination of all of us [in the U.S.] is 250 million vehicles and 4 billion cubic feet of excess capacity. It’s almost like a natural resource, or a public utility. What would happen if you plugged into it?”

“I did this right out of journalism school when I was 23. [Journalism school was helpful in that] a lot of being an entrepreneur is being able to use the spoken and written word to explain something to other people. You have an idea you're always selling to somebody to your employees, your investors, people you want to sell your product to.“

GORLIN CO FOUNDED HIS FIRST COMPANY, PRETTY GOOD PRIVACY (PGP) WITH PHIL ZIMMERMANN. IT STARTED WITH A JOURNALISTIC PURSUIT.

HOW STUDYING JOURNALISM AT UGA HAS HELPED WITH SERIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

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LOOK FOR PEOPLE WITH VARYING SKILL SETS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF YOUR COMPANY. “It sounds so simple, but it tends to clarify a lot of decisions if you know why you’re doing it. [Knowing why] takes out the hubris, the politics, and all the drama ”

LEAN ON YOUR NETWORK OF SMART PEOPLE TO FACT-CHECK YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS.

“Everything goes wrong, and everything is a problem when you’re first starting it up So you need people who are ‘figure it outers’ who don’t let [obstacles] bother them. They just figure out how to keep getting around [these obstacles], because [being in a startup is like] a series of lily pads to jump to. It’s not a straight path, and folks that can deal with that are much more equipped to get through these early stages.”

WHENEVER THERE’S QUESTIONS YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO, START BY ASKING WHY AND DETERMINE WHAT’S BEST FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.

”You call smart people, [like] industry experts you know. [Call up the] smartest people possible to fact check this new thing to see if it’s even possible, [and to] see if it’s as good as folks say it is Every time you have an idea, it’s very likely that other people have it too. I can’t tell you about the amount of emails I’ve gotten from people about how they came up with Roadie before I came up with it.”

HAVE HONEST, UPFRONT CONVERSATIONS WHEN THINGS AREN’T WORKING SOONER THAN LATER.

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“Oftentimes, people get into analysis paralysis looking into the absolute best way to do [something]. If you get 60 to 70 percent of the information starting out, make a decision. It’s often faster, more effective, and costs you less money to make the wrong one go forward Just back up and do it over if you’re wrong If you’re right, then you’ve gotten way ahead.” YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITH IMPERFECT INFORMATION.

“Figure out what your medium is, who your audience is, and what [type of reaction] you want out of it Most people that pitch to investors [experience] death by PowerPoint. You don’t want to overdo it with words [and data]. You want to make them feel something, so people want to meet with you ”

“Once you get a company going, the woodpeckers inside the boat can often do more harm than the storm outside I don’t worry about competition that much. I keep an eye on it, but there's not much I can do to affect [what the competitors are doing] But if you have rotten or toxic employees in the organization, they often do more damage inside the ship than any storm outside [and] that is just the worst Being able to not suffer fools and make sure that [you] deal with [what’s not working] quickly will save you stress, heartache, and maybe even your company.”

MAKE YOUR PITCHES MEMORABLE WITH STRONG STORYTELLING.

“The goal of Roadie is to be the next UPS or FedEx using crowdsourced delivery drivers, to [help you] get anything you want, wherever you need it. There’s a huge need that’s been exacerbated by COVID. There’s a bunch of us who can’t get out easily; it’s not as safe for us [to leave the house.]”

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR MARC GORLIN:

MAKE TANGIBLE REPRESENTATIONS OF GOALS FOR YOUR TEAM AND YOUR CUSTOMERS.

“At Kabbage, I had five to six bottles of Veuve Clicquot, and had a label put on with the Kabbage logo at the time It said, ‘To be opened by Marc when Kabbage reaches a $50 million valuation,’ and I handed it to everybody We held on to the bottle And we raised [a Series] A, [but] didn't get there. Another year later, we wound up raising a [Series] B, and we got there. We pulled the whole company together, popped them open, and we poured it for everybody in the company and we all had a toast to reaching that goal. When we got done with that toast, we pulled a black cloth off of a table, and we had new bottles with the logo for everyone who was in the company at that point in time for them to have for the next goal. It’s not just a bottle it’s got their name on it They have them on their desk at their office and it makes them think about it everyday They look at it It does it for them and their employees, it does it for the people you want to sell to.”

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Marc Gorlin has been a successful entrepreneur in Atlanta for almost 20 years Marc founded Roadie in early 2014 as the first “ on the way” delivery network. Before starting Roadie, Marc Co Founded, and was Chairman of, Kabbage Inc , which provides working capital to small and medium sized businesses. Marc is an active speaker on serial entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture funding. His favorite small business is El Torero, a Mexican restaurant in Chamblee, Georgia that he has been frequenting since he had to sneak out of high school to enjoy lunch there. He says it has the best salsa on the planet.

ABOUT THE HOST

This finale is a culmination of the six month Demo Day Program sponsored by IISP The goal of this signature Georgia Tech program is to introduce students to business mentors in the early research process, to boost their ideas from research labs to high impact commercialization.

Cybersecurity Student

Choice Award On

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As IISP’s live streaming partner, Tech Square ATL Social Club helped bring this annual event online The Demo Day Finale was streamed to Tech Square ATL Social Club’s YouTube channel, allowing for people across the country who tuned in to ask questions and vote for the People’s Thursday, September 24, Georgia Tech Cybersecurity PhD students presented their cutting edge solutions to a panel of judges at this year’s Institute for Information Security & Privacy (IISP) Cybersecurity Student Demo Day Finale. Demo Day Finale

alization Track Award of $5,000 nan, “Decentralized Cloudless Platform nalytics” OFFICIAL 2020 WINNERS The Create-X Launch Invitation Award of $4,000 Erkam Uzun, “Privacy Preserving Surveillance” The People’s Choice Award of $1,000 Erkam Uzun, “Privacy Preserving Surveillance” The Research Track Award of $3,500 Moses Ike, “Forecasting Malware Capabilities From Cyber Attack Memory Images” 164 Georgia Tech Institute for Information Security & Privacy National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I Corps) program Create X Startup Launch PRIZE POOL SUPPORT Watch the full livestream replay here and check out our YouTube channel for additional livestreams you might find interesting! Blake Patton Tech Square Ventures Jerry Perullo Intercontinental Exchange John Schanz TDF Ventures Rahul Saxena Create X

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The Institute for Information Security & Privacy at Georgia Tech serves as a coordinating body for cybersecurity research By leveraging intellectual capital from across Georgia Tech and its external partners, IISP addresses vital solutions for national defense, economic continuity, and individual freedom. In partnership with the IISP, government and industry partners can help move Georgia Tech's cybersecurity research into deployable solutions that close the innovation gap with immediate application in the world.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION SECURITY & PRIVACY

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On Tuesday, October 20, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) celebrated its 40th anniversary and eight companies that graduated from their incubator program

Aptly titled “Double Vision,” the outdoor drive in experience doubled as a celebration of milestones achieved by both the incubator and its portfolio companies within the last 40 years Highlighted next are the eight graduating companies that have achieved several milestones, including an annual revenue surpassing $1 million, a scalable business model, and the ability to finance their continuing growth

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Rimidi: Its cloud based software solution enables personalized management of chronic cardio metabolic conditions across populations. RoadSync: This payments platform simplifies fee collection, increases speed and security, and optimizes business operations for the logistics industry Springboard: Optimizes the employee benefit open enrollment experience through proprietary self service enrollment technology, highly-rated benefit coaches, and live chat channels

THE ATDC CLASS OF 2020: 168 Cypress.io: Fast, easy, and reliable testing for anything that runs in a browser Emrgy: Harnesses the power of flowing water to generate energy without dams or construction Quest Renewables: Creates high value, solar racking solutions that enable customers to eliminate waste, increase value, and enter new markets

Steady: Web and mobile application that lets users access a platform listing part time, hourly, and on demand work opportunities. Trust Stamp: Provides biometric identity verifications and anti fraud technology to financial technology (FinTech) companies.

The Advanced Technology Development Center is Georgia’s technology business incubator, assisting entrepreneurs throughout the state. Via a unique blend of coaching, curriculum, community, and connections – not just to Georgia Tech and its resources, but also to capital and customers, ATDC helps Georgia startups at various stages navigate the choppy waters of taking an idea from concept to product prototype to launch and ultimately to scale.

ABOUT THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER

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At The Springs Cinema & Taphouse parking lot, in person attendees enjoyed live music by the house band, AT/DC, popcorn, and socially distanced cocktails After the premiere of ATDC’s 40th Anniversary movie honoring the graduates and milestones over the decades, a screening of the GhostBusters (1984) film concluded the night under the stars all from the comfort and safety of their cars

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On Thursday, November 12, TEDxGeorgiaTech (TEDxGT) presented Embark, their 2020 Student Speaker Salon featuring four hand selected Georgia Tech students

Embark:

TEDxGT is a student run organization led by a group of innovative, enthusiastic, technologically minded individuals striving to help the Georgia Tech community embrace “ideas worth spreading.” As TEDxGT’s venue and technology partner, Tech Square ATL Social Club helped bring this event online so it could be livestreamed and allow for people across the country to tune in from the comfort of their homes 2020 Speaker Salon

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“I might be underqualified on paper, but, what I'm going to talk about does not require a degree to understand. All it requires is one severely obsessed student to explain it to you And lucky for all of you, that’s me ” Kiandra Peart, Georgia Tech

“The Certainty of Uncertainty: How Knowledge is Power” by Dennis Goldenberg “Merriam Webster defines uncertainty as a ‘lack of sureness about someone or something.’ Here would be my definition [of uncertainty]: the foundation of human motivation ” - Dennis Goldenberg, Georgia Tech

TEDXGT EMBARK STUDENT SALON SPEAKERS

“4th Dimension for Dummies” by Kiandra Peart 172 When the TEDxGT executive team chose this year’s theme, they wanted to choose one that would encompass the challenges many of us have faced over the past few months since the COVID 19 pandemic started. Ultimately, they decided on the word embark The team felt that this word not only captured the uncertainty and danger of the pandemic, but also the sense of adventure and wonder of exploring new possibilities that it has brought upon our collective experience. “To me, embark means [that even though] we may not be ready for the task or adventure [at hand], we’re going to get it done, ” shared Rajan Jayasankar, TEDxGT. In his opening acknowledgements, he gave recognition to the team and the featured speakers (one who presented his TEDxGT talk remotely from the state of Virginia), who banded together safely and from a distance to organize this livestream event in the midst of all the challenges they faced.

- David Espinal, Georgia Tech “How a Global Pandemic Helped Me Start My YouTube Channel” by Sajjaad Khader “I wanted to break myself out of this monotonous cycle and explore something I hadn't really made time for before: my creativity I had a few reservations about it. But I decided to let these thoughts subside.”

ABOUT TEDXGEORGIATECH

EDxGeorgiaTech is an independently rganized TEDx event in Atlanta, Georgia. Run ntirely by student volunteers, their goal is to howcase ideas from their own community hat inspire change on Georgia Tech’s campus nd beyond. In the spirit of ideas worth preading, TEDx is a program of local, self rganized events that bring people together to hare a TED like experience. At a TEDx event, ED Talks video and live speakers combine to park deep discussion and connection “Making Purpose” by David Espinal “If you trust that there is meaning, good find it. But if you don't [think there is meaning] MAKE it MAKE purpose Either way, there can be an answer.”

- Sajjaad Khader, Georgia Tech 173

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Founded in 2017 by Rhea Chatterjee, this Georgia Tech (GT) student run organization’s mission is to build helpful technologies that advance social impact initiatives. As BoG’s venue partner, Tech Square ATL Social Club supported BoG with space for team meetings and project launch parties, before shifting everything to remote collaboration due to the pandemic Organized into project teams of diverse skill sets, student developers, designers, and project managers within each team work together to build software, websites, and mobile apps as solutions for the non profit organizations.

Fall Demo Day

On Tuesday, November 17, Bits of Good went live on YouTube to showcase the technology solutions they built for the non profit organizations they partnered with this year.

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General Solution Mapscout Boys and Girls Club (BGC) Safety

Liv2BGirl Hope Sustains Life The Ray “The main challenge for us this semester was working online,” shared Fernando Raffo Pedraza, Director of Operations of BoG “It is especially hard because we work in teams [in order to present finished] projects by the end of the semester. A lot of difficulties came up with people having to be onboarded online, as well as fostering a community in an organization of 200 students [remotely].”

COMPLETED PROJECTS AS OF FALL 2020:

Below is a list of the non-profit organizations they partnered with this semester, organized by progress.

Non profit Portal GT Scheduler PROJECTS TO BE CONTINUED DURING SPRING 2021: Despite the challenges from operating remotely, BoG has grown to about 200 members (up 50 since April of 2020) This semester was also the first time they had a design bootcamp as part of the individual team onboarding process “This [design bootcamp] was something that had been in the works for quite some time,” beamed Raffo, who explained that they’ve only had developer bootcamps for newcomers in the past.

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Next semester, BoG is planning to increase their focus on the overall experience for the organization, which includes diversity and process improvements for project onboarding and hand off Among the projects to be continued next semester are General Solution and Non profit Portal, which are internal BoG projects that do not serve a specific non profit organization. Unlike typical BoG projects, the idea for General Solution came from the team’s observation that multiple non profit partners had the fundamental need to manage volunteers and track donations Additionally, Non profit Portal was built to help streamline the onboarding and hand off process between BoG and non profit clients BoG hopes to use both General Solution and Non profit Portal as individual foundations for different non profit organization needs, eliminating the task of building similar solutions for multiple organizations from scratch “Now that we know what we can do, I think it is very important for us to do it better and better every day,” Raffo concluded “I think this has been a great semester, and I’m sure that with everyone involved we will be able to do much more in the coming ones!”

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