Georgia recently ranked number one for “Best States for Black Entrepreneurs.” Now, the city of Atlanta is quickly following behind as the new cultural hub for Black tech entrepreneurs.
Although it’s much smaller compared to Northern California’s Silicon Valley, Atlanta is seeing a boost of Black tech entrepreneurs traveling down South to establish new start-up companies. The West Coast is known for being the epicenter for the vastly-growing tech industry. However, Black tech entrepreneurs are shifting gears to make Atlanta their new home.
“Atlanta is truly a hot spot for diverse entrepreneurs to build scalable tech startups, especially if the brand is focused on African American consumers,” Kunbi Tinuoye, the founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, said — according to BET.
Fast Company reports that the Atlanta metro area has the second-fastest-growing economy in the country, mainly due to the tech industry. The sudden boom in the city’s tech industry is largely attributed to the tech programs at colleges like Morehouse and Spelman. On top of being a more racially diverse city where these entrepreneurs feel more welcome, Atlanta’s cost of living also makes it a much more attractive place for entrepreneurs to travel to in pursuit of their goals.
According to The Moguldom Nation: “Dr. Paul Judge, also known as Atlanta’s ‘Godfather of Tech,’ says there are more than 20 Fortune 500 companies, 20 Grammy award-winning musicians and over 200,000 college students in Atlanta.” These large numbers are disrupting the industry and providing a wide range of opportunities for African Americans in tech in the Atlanta area.
Those who have chosen to head down South have said tech in Silicon Valley does nothing to address the racial bias that exists there. They found comfort in a place that could embrace them and introduce them to a network of other entrepreneurs in the same field.
Many graduating from college are opting against the traditional route of going straight to a huge corporation, while others are translating those skills learned at corporate companies to help them become independent businessmen and women who are creating new technology, tech programs, and the next big app.
There have been many reports of Atlanta becoming the new Mecca for Black tech. Forbes predicted Atlanta would become one of five American cities “to become tomorrow’s tech meccas” back in 2017, and it’s proving to be true today.
