Avant South 2025 Schedule
Get ready for two dynamic days of insight, innovation, and impact. From high-powered keynotes to deep-dive masterclasses, every session is designed to move ideas—and industries—forward. Explore five immersive tracks covering next-gen governance, future-ready logistics, disruptive tech, and the boldest founders in the Southeast.
Beyond the sessions, don’t miss the action happening in our networking lounges and activation zones—think Waymo ride-alongs, Rivian truck demos, lawn games, DIY swag stations, and more. Come for the content, stay for the connections.
Heads up: We’re still finalizing a few sessions and speakers. Check back often as we lock in more can’t-miss moments.
Thursday, October 16
Registration & Check In
Location
- Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel
- 866 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30308
MASTERCLASS: Speak to Stand Out in the Age of AI
MasterClassLocation
- Rialto A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speaker
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Neha NegandhiCEO, Storytellers Table
In a world increasingly shaped by automation and AI, the most powerful differentiator is still your voice. Neha Negandhi, CEO of Storytellers Table, will teach students and early-career leaders how to craft authentic narratives, build confidence, and speak with influence—whether on a stage, in a boardroom, or at a job interview. Walk away with a polished 60-second pitch you can repeat to captivate any audience.
MASTERCLASS: Breaking Barriers: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
MasterClassLocation
- Chastain A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speaker
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Veronica WoodruffCEO, Travelsist
Opportunity often hides behind the toughest challenges. Whether it’s funding gaps, compliance rules, outdated systems, or a lack of access, the real question is how to move through them to build what’s next. Veronica Woodruff, founder of Travelsist, is doing just that. Travelsist is a pioneering travel-tech company that provides personalized services for families, seniors, and travelers with special needs—reimagining mobility, care, and hospitality in airports and beyond.
In this MasterClass, Veronica shares a barrier-breaking framework that applies to entrepreneurs, operators, and leaders alike: how to turn roadblocks into opportunities and scale bold ideas with impact.
MASTERCLASS: Build Your Roadmap: Preparing Students for the Future of Work
MasterClassLocation
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
Speaker
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Julian FitzgeraldCo-Founder and Executive Director, the Cxmmunity Foundation
How do you prepare for a career when jobs are being redefined by AI and automation? Julian Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of The Cxmmunity Foundation, helps students craft personalized learning pathways that equip them with the skills and confidence to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.
MASTERCLASS: Heat, Policy, and Possibility: Designing Cities for Resilience
MasterClassLocation
- Chastain B | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speakers
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J. Marshall ShepherdGeorgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, University of Georgia
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Allie KellyExecutive Director, The Ray
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Solomon CavinessCommissioner, Atlanta Department of Transportation
Heat is the silent disruptor of modern cities—affecting everything from public health to infrastructure and mobility. Through the lens of over 30 years of research, instruction, and engagement, we will explore how innovative roadway materials, urban design, and forward-thinking policies can mitigate the impacts of heat, enhance transportation safety, and build climate-resilient communities. The class will also explore ongoing partnerships with local non-profit organizations, industry, and municipalities, highlighting how to bridge science and policy, build trust with civic stakeholders, and create partnerships that move beyond research into real-world impact. Because every sector feels the pressure of turning bold ideas into practical solutions, this framework is relevant to anyone seeking to move innovation from concept to impact.
Lunch & Keynote: ATL on the Move: From Transportation Crossroads to Top 5 Tech Capital
KeynoteLocation
- High Ballroom | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speakers
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Donnie BeamerSenior Technology Advisor, City of Atlanta
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Anna RoachExecutive Director and CEO, Atlanta Regional Commision
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Tim LieuwenExecutive Vice President for Research, Georgia Tech
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David RubingerMarket President and Publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle
From transportation crossroads to global tech gateway, Atlanta is on the move. This panel brings together leaders from government, academia, and business to unpack why ATL is poised to break into the nation’s top five tech hubs—and what it will take to get there.
Activations and Sponsor Showcase
Location
- The Historic Academy of Medicine
- 875 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
Category
VIP Reception Check-in
VIP EventLocation
- Front Porch | Academy of Medicine
Category
Atlanta Innovation Cup (VIP Only)
VIP EventLocation
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
Category
Activations and Networking (VIP Only)
VIP EventLocation
- Library | Academy of Medicine
Category
Young Dro & Travis Porter Concert
Location
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
We’re closing out the first electric day of Avant South with unforgettable performances by Atlanta icons Young Dro and Travis Porter. They’re bringing the heat, the hits, and the hometown energy to celebrate innovation, movement, and Day One done right.
Friday, October 17
Registration and Check-In
Location
- High Ballroom | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Designing for Trust: How Startups Scale Bold Ideas
Breakout SessionLocation
- Rialto A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Marc GorlinCEO and Founder, Roadie
Marc Gorlin is the founder and CEO of Roadie, a UPS company. Roadie is a logistics management and crowdsourced delivery platform that provides businesses with a faster, cheaper, and more scalable delivery solution. Before launching Roadie, Marc co-founded Kabbage Inc., VerticalOne Corporation, and Pretty Good Privacy. He received the 2021 EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Award, the 2022 John Imlay Leadership Award, and is a 2024 Georgia Technology Hall of Fame inductee.
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MJ ChunCo-Founder & VP of Product and Design, Serve Robotics
Bold ideas only become everyday impact when people believe in them. Marc Gorlin, founder of Roadie, grew a community-powered logistics platform from startup to UPS acquisition. MJ Chun has led product and design experiences that shaped how millions of people interact with technology. Together, they’ll unpack what it takes to scale big ideas into trusted systems, why design and trust drive adoption, and how founders can grow ventures that customers and communities rely on.
Enabling Commerce: The Future of Customer Experience
Breakout SessionLocation
- Chastain B | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speaker
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Justin HonamanHead, Worldwide Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods, Amazon Web Services
Justin Honaman leads the worldwide Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods industry strategy and business development team at Amazon Web Services (AWS). His team’s focus is on helping global customers understand, navigate, and leverage Amazon’s supply chain, advertising, e-commerce, physical store, artificial intelligence, digital core, and customer experience capabilities. Honaman has spent the majority of his career in Consumer Goods and Retail, working on both the customer side (Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific) and the technology/consulting side (Accenture, EY). In the industry and community, Honaman serves on the board for the Georgia Technology Authority, Consumer Goods Technology, Western Michigan Food Marketing, and Leadership Atlanta. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Behind every great customer experience sits a system of technology, data, policy, and infrastructure working in sync. In this session, Justin Honaman (AWS, Retail & Consumer Goods) explores how the systems behind commerce are being reimagined—from automation and digital trust to sustainability and global supply chains. He will share how innovations like AI, cloud platforms, and partnerships are not just transforming logistics but enabling entirely new ways of serving customers. Discover how bold ideas in technology and governance translate into everyday impact for people, communities, and industries.
Hydrogen in Motion: Powering the Future of Mobility
Breakout SessionLocation
- Chastain A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Hydrogen energy is emerging as one of the most promising solutions for sustainable transportation and smart cities, but scaling it requires collaboration across industries. In this panel, leaders from Delta, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Hyundai, and Airbus join moderator Jennifer Chirico to explore hydrogen’s role in aviation and automotive, its potential impact on the energy grid, and how it fits into the larger vision of resilient, sustainable cities. Together, they’ll discuss the breakthroughs, partnerships, and policies needed to unlock hydrogen at scale and power the future of how we move.
The Digital Runway: Tech That Transforms Air Travel
Breakout SessionPanelLocation
- Rialto B | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Wesley AlmeidaChief Technology Officer, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
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Eric PhillipsSVP and Chief Digital Officer, Delta Airlines
Eric Phillips is senior vice president (SVP) and chief digital officer at Delta Air Lines, leading teams that deliver personalized, seamless, and premium digital experiences. In his more than 25 years at Delta, he has held numerous positions across the business, including corporate strategy, business development, network planning, and financial planning. He previously oversaw all airport customer service activities for Delta as SVP of Airport Customer Service, Cargo Operations, Ground Support Equipment, and Global Clean; before that, he served as SVP, Pricing and Revenue Management. He holds a B.A. from Carroll College and an MBA from Notre Dame.
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Tijen CirigSr Director, Head of Global Airports, Vertiports & Transportation, Honeywell
Atlanta is the world’s aviation hub, and it’s shaping the next era of global travel. Eric Phillips of Delta, Wesley Almeida of Hartsfield-Jackson, and Billy Nolen of Archer Aviation (and former Acting FAA administrator) join moderator Tijen Cirig of Honeywell to explore how digital transformation, advanced air mobility, and regulatory collaboration are redefining air travel. From smarter passenger journeys to safer systems and sustainable innovations, this conversation reveals how Atlanta is setting the global standard for the way we’ll move tomorrow.
Racing Toward Tomorrow: How Georgia Tech Students Build Solar Innovation
Breakout SessionLocation
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
Speakers
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Rhett MayorAssociate Professor, Georgia Tech
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Pranjal ChatterjeeElectric Divison Lead, Georgia Tech Solar Racing
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Advay PampattiwarPowertrain Engineer, GT Solar Racing
What happens when more than 200 students from across Georgia Tech unite around one bold idea: to power the future on sunlight alone? Meet the Georgia Tech Solar Racing team (GTSR), builders of the very first solar car in North America designed to seat four people. From napkin sketches to road-ready designs, hear their story of turning raw ideas into real impact.
Reinventing Auto Logistics: Scaling a Startup to Industry Force
Breakout SessionLocation
- Rialto A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Mike MalakhovFounder and CEO, Carpool Logistics
Mike Malakhov is the founder and CEO of Carpool Logistics, a technology-enabled platform transforming vehicle transport into a strategic advantage for dealers, auctions, original equipment manufacturers, and fleets. With nearly two decades in logistics, his expertise includes building scalable logistics solutions and integrating technology to enhance operational efficiency. Malakhov holds a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain and Finance from Georgia Southern University and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
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Julie PierreCommunity & Ecosystem Development, Collaborative Real Estate
What if shipping vehicles was as seamless and transparent as ordering a rideshare? Mike Malakhov, Founder & CEO of Carpool Logistics, is making that vision real with a technology-driven platform designed to make auto transport more efficient, sustainable, and customer-friendly. In this fireside chat, moderated by Julie Pierre of Collaborative Real Estate, Mike shares how he built his company in Atlanta, the opportunities he sees to modernize a legacy industry, and the bold bets required to scale in a complex ecosystem. Together, they’ll highlight the future of logistics, the partnerships that unlock growth, and how founders can turn transformative ideas into everyday impact
Ports, Planes, and Partnerships: Unlocking the Flow of Innovation
Breakout SessionLocation
- Chastain A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Jack SemrauAtlanta Venture Lead, Cox Enterprises
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Andy MarshallExecutive Director, Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub
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Erem LatifExecutive Director, Savannah Harbor Innovation Partnership
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John BallantyneVice President for Research and Innovation Partnerships, Geotab
Georgia’s world-class airports, railways, and seaports give innovators an edge—but it’s partnerships that truly unlock their potential. Facilitated by the Georgia Cleantech Hub, this panel brings together leaders like Geotab, civic partners, and nonprofits to show how bold collaborations can turn infrastructure into a launchpad for innovation. From zero-emissions delivery pilots to smart freight corridors, discover how Georgia is building the future of sustainable logistics and why students and entrepreneurs should be part of it.
Moving Atlanta: Building Connected, Inclusive Systems for the Future
Breakout SessionLocation
- Chastain A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speakers
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Ricky SmithGeneral Manager, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
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Clyde HiggsPresident and CEO, Atlanta Beltline
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Tyson MorrisChief Information Officer, MARTA
Atlanta’s movement story is being rewritten. From MARTA’s digital transformation to the BeltLine’s community-first design to Hartsfield-Jackson’s role as the world’s busiest airport, leaders are reimagining what it means for a city to move. Tyson Morris (MARTA), Clyde Higgs (Atlanta BeltLine), and Ricky Smith (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) share how they’re building systems that are not just smarter, but more connected, inclusive, and inspiring.
Building In Atlanta In 2025: Defining Who, What and How the Next Generation of Atlanta-Based Startups Are Being Made
Breakout SessionLocation
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
Speakers
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Grant WarnerExecutive Director, Center for Black Entrepreneurship at Spelman College & Morehouse College
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Harish ViswaFounding AI Engineer, PrizePicks
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Rahul SaxenaDirector, CREATE-X
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Recha ReidAssociate Director, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute, Georgia State University
Rails and Robotaxis: Bridging 200 Years of Systems and Innovation
Breakout SessionLocation
- Chastain B | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speakers
-
Anna StenportDean, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia
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Matt WalshHead of East Coast, Waymo
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John OrrChief Commercial Officer, Norfolk Southern
What happens when a 200-year-old rail company, a next-gen autonomous vehicle pioneer, and a leading public university come together? Join John Orr (Norfolk Southern), Matt Walsh (Waymo), and Dr. Anna Stenport (University of Georgia) as they explore how legacy systems, emerging technologies, and academic partnerships are reshaping the way people and goods move. From freight rail to robotaxis, this conversation dives into the policies, research, and collaborations that connect tradition and disruption—and shape the future of mobility for cities, industries, and communities alike.
From Zero to Flow: Building Scalable Supply Chains from Day One
Breakout SessionPanelLocation
- Chastain A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Alex RhodeenSupply Chain Catalyst, ATDC
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Christopher LeeVP of Commercial, Supply Chain; Yzer
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Lindsay deOliveiraFounder and CEO, Soothe Beginnings
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Otis CrumSupplier Diversity Director, Wellstar Health System
Supply chains today face mounting pressures—automation, sustainability, resilience, and even healthcare delivery. This panel brings together leaders from logistics, technology, and health systems who are rethinking everything from last-mile efficiency to crisis preparedness. Hear how early-stage founders and industry innovators are navigating supply chain challenges, onshoring production, and piloting clean tech solutions to build smarter, stronger, and more human-centered systems from day one.
Journey To A Top 5 Tech Hub: The State of the Atlanta Tech Ecosystem
Breakout SessionLocation
- Rialto A | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speakers
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Avoilan BinghamPresident, Atlanta Tech Week
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Donnie BeamerSenior Technology Advisor, City of Atlanta
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Nisha KavalumVice President, Atlanta Tech Week
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Raghupathy "Siva" SivakumarVice President for Commercialization, Georgia Tech
Automation at Scale: How Robotics and AI Are Rewiring Operations
Breakout SessionLocation
- Rialto B | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Speaker
-
Chris SmithCEO, Slip Robotics
Chris Smith is the CEO and co-founder of Slip Robotics, a fast-growing startup deploying robots that load and unload trucks in less than five minutes. Smith has over a decade of experience in robotics and industrial engineering, including factory simulation and material flow optimization at Tesla and Cummins. Smith also holds an MBA and a master’s in manufacturing systems from Brigham Young University.
Automation and robotics aren’t just lab experiments — they’re transforming industries today. Chris Smith shares how his work in robotics and automation is shaping the future of mobility, manufacturing, and workforce readiness. He’ll explore what leaders need to know now to integrate these technologies into everyday operations, and how Atlanta can position itself as a hub for applied robotics innovation.
Collaboration Over Competition: How Atlanta’s Tech Community Works Together to Shape the Future of Innovation
Breakout SessionLocation
- Theater | Academy of Medicine
Speakers
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Anastasia SimonManaging Partner, Techstars Atlanta
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Grant WainscottFounder and Managing Partner, ABF Consulting
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Justin SamuelsFounder and CEO, Render ATL
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Maddie HarperManager, Enterprise Accelerator Program, Engage
Lunch & Networking
Location
- High Ballroom | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
KEYNOTE: Atlanta at Hypersonic Speed
KeynoteLocation
- High Ballroom | Renaissance Atlanta Midtown
Category
Speaker
-
A.J. PiplicaCo-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Frontier innovation isn’t built in the obvious places—it’s built by teams willing to tackle the hardest problems where others hesitate. AJ Piplica, founder of Hermeus, shares the journey of growing an Atlanta-based aerospace company at the cutting edge of defense and hypersonic technology. He’ll offer lessons on taking bold risks, building complex tech from the ground up, and leveraging Atlanta’s talent and ecosystem to scale globally. Closing out Avant South, AJ highlights why Atlanta has the courage, creativity, and capacity to become a top-five tech hub.
EXPLORE OUR TRACKS
CHART YOUR OWN PATH
Each breakout session will fall into one of these five focused tracks. You’ll choose from panels, sessions, fireside chats, and more within these themes, allowing you to customize your conference experience around the topics that matter most to your work and interests.

Shaping the Systems | Public Impact
Explore how smart policy, strategic investment, and public-private partnerships are revolutionizing transportation and logistics.
Re-Imagining the Flow | Supply Chain & Logistics
Atlanta has long been the hub of movement. This track dives into the future of global commerce — how automation, sustainability, and resilience are reshaping the way people and products move across the world, and beyond.
Driving innovation | Digital Transformation
Technology is redefining what’s possible for organizations and their customers. This track highlights how leaders are unlocking new opportunities with AI, digital trust, and agile design — transforming experiences that move industries forward.
Building What’s Next | Founders & Business Growth
Welcome to the starting line of what's next. This track spotlights the Southeast’s boldest founders, builders, and backers — sharing stories, strategies, and insights on turning ideas into impact. From startup to scale, this is where the next wave begins.
Igniting the Future | Student Visionaries
This track is for you—the next generation of innovators and change-makers. Gain practical insights, mentorship, and real-world stories to discover how your voice, vision, and skills can shape the future of how we move.