Notes from Atlanta Tech Week
Highlights from a few locations after a full week of tech and startup energy in metro Atlanta.
The U.S. Digital Service team returned to RenderATL for a second consecutive year and hosted an evening networking event together with the U.S. Digital Corps during last week’s Atlanta Tech Week.
USDS is a group of technologists working across the Federal Government to transform critical, public-facing digital services by applying modern technology best practices. The team partners with Government agencies on strategic projects such as improving Veteran-facing services through VA.gov and building a digital system to allow immigrants to apply and track their benefit applications online. Open source software can play a key role in USDS projects, with government agencies often being high adopters of OSS.
USDS objectives:
- Transform critical, public-facing services
- Expand the use of common platforms, services and tools
- Rethink how the Government buys digital services
- Bring top technical talent into civic service
“We need fresh new ideas and best practices from the private sector,” said Jesus Vidaurri, Director of Talent Acquisition for U.S. Digital Service.
USDS hires professionals in engineering, product, design, procurement, data science, operations and communications for four-year “tours.” Vidaurri said this approach allows USDS to make faster hires instead of the typically lengthy federal hiring process. To apply: usds.gov/apply.
RenderATL’s Explosive Growth Continues
The main event of Atlanta Tech Week, of course, was RenderATL. With more than 5,000 attendees, the conference saw more than 90 percent of its impressive roster of corporate supporters return from last year’s event. Founded in 2021 as a React event, RenderATL has reached founder Justin Samuels’ vision as the largest multicultural software engineering conference.
Here’s 11Alive’s extended interview with Samuels about the event:
Interview with the founder of RenderATL
OTP Tech
In a panel discussion at Atlanta Tech Park in Peachtree Corners, leaders from several entrepreneur communities put a spotlight on tech startup activities outside the perimeter.
Wearing a “Build in the Burbs” T-shirt, a representative from HatchBridge spoke of goals to expand Atlanta’s tech scene up I-75 “all the way to Chattanooga” and citing the rapid growth of Kennesaw State University (now more than 47k students) as a contributing factor.
Over to the northeast, representatives from Tech Alpharetta and Curiosity Labs noted the area from Peachtree Corners up to Cumming and through Alpharetta boasts the highest concentration of IT professionals in Georgia.
Film Tax Credit Helps Atlanta Land eSports Event
In a session on the future of eSports and gaming in Georgia, the panel pointed to the upcoming League of Legends semifinal event in October, which sold out State Farm Arena within minutes of tickets going on sale. Because it is also streamed live, the panel noted Georgia’s film tax credit program played a key role in securing the event.
Also in October, Games Week Georgia and DreamHack Atlanta, one of North America’s largest gaming festivals, returns to the Georgia World Congress Center.
Upcoming Events
June 25, 2024: Remix: The Evolution of React in Modern Frameworks, Tech Square ATL
June 26, 2024: Atlanta Tech + Startups Social, Rowdy Tiger Whiskey Bar & Kitchen, Midtown
June 27, 2024: Building Communities for Business Impact Workshop, Tech Alpharetta
July 11, 2024: Python Atlanta Meetup, Manuels Tavern, Poncey-Highland
July 12, 2024: Bytes & Bites, The Collective Food Hall, Midtown
August 6, 2024: Atlanta Tech Meetup, Atlanta Tech Park, Peachtree Corners
October 4-6, 2024: 48in48 Global Event, Hybrid / Cox Atlanta
October 22-23, 2024: SOSS Fusion 24, The Hotel at Avalon, Alpharetta
