Back in September 2023, we flew into the beautiful state of Georgia to attend Venture Atlanta for the first time and to sponsor the inaugural BusinessOutside Connection Hike. The city of Atlanta, and the founders and funders of the southeast startup ecosystem, welcomed our team with open arms. From the gracious introductions made to relationships forged, it was a busy and rewarding three days. We loved hearing from founders as they pitched and shared their excitement and aspirations for future growth and changing the world. 

One of our most memorable moments from the conference was the Connection Hike through Piedmont Park, led by Bart Foster. This was an impactful experience and a healthy reminder of the importance of stepping outside our comfort zones, the power of leaving behind outdated norms and forms of networking, and jumping into nature to create deeper and more authentic connections. We are grateful for the number of people who showed up and engaged in an authentic way - of course sporting their new AVL fanny pack!