Engage

We are beyond proud and honored to see our Managing Partner, Blake Patton, receive the prestigious Technology Executives Roundtable (TER) John Imlay Leadership Award! 🎉

Congrats to both Catalyst by Wellstar and VECKTA!! 🎉 Thrilled to announce this amazing partnership.

It’s Autumn in New York 🍂 and we are still buzzing about our AlumniRise event at the NYSE! New York State of Mind: We welcomed 70+ corporate partners, portfolio startup founders, and Engage team members for a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to tour the New York Stock Exchange which included a presentation from the lead archivist, a tour of the facilities, and the culminating event being on the floor of the Exchange to view the closing bell ringing! 🔔 New York City Serenade: This event is not only the culmination of the incredible work from our 6 AlumniRise founders, but also a testament to the incredible work of our corporate partners who continue to be our shining beacon for our program for the last 7 years as well as our amazing portfolio companies who continue to be a cornerstone of our value proposition. We were so excited to celebrate all of you with this once in a lifetime event. Start Spreading the News…I’m Leaving Today: As we reflect on this trip we could not have done it without the support of our amazing ICE corporate partners. As well as our amazing AlumniRise CEOs Brian Platz, Damola Ogundipe, Penny Queller, Gorkem Sevinc, Christopher Smith, Manik Suri and our amazing friends of the program who made the trip Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power Company,Goldman Sachs, The Home Depot, ICE, Invesco Ltd., RaceTrac, Tech Square Ventures, Unum, UPS, Wellstar Health System, Cloud Range, Coginiti, Glass, Instant, Macondo Vision, Inc, Misapplied Sciences, Inc., Moth+Flame, Onwards HR, Paccurate, Pitstop, Pryon, Quasar AI, Sounding Board, VECKTA, Verusen AI, Vyv, 2ULaundry

🌟 Exciting News from Our Portfolio! 🌟  We're thrilled to introduce Brian Platz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Fluree, PBC, a North Carolina-based Public Benefit Corporation that's redefining how enterprises handle data.  Brian joins us through our AlumniRise program as Fluree is back with Engage! Brian is no stranger to innovation—he's been at the forefront of tech since the early days of the internet, co-founding the A List Apart web development community and multiple successful SaaS startups. Before Fluree, he co-founded SilkRoad Technology, which expanded to over 2,000 customers and 500 employees across 12 global offices.  Fluree is a game-changer in the data landscape with a unique knowledge-based graph database, along with AI agents that automatically convert application data and documents into linked knowledge. Fluree empowers organizations to break down data silos, securely share information, and create powerful data ecosystems. Three fun facts about Brian: - Brian loves the open road – he even worked as a truck driver for a year! 🚚 - Brian knows how to grow, he’s taken products from scratch to $60M ARR and multiple other successes in his 25-year career. - Brian is a coder at heart, you’ll usually find him up at 5AM getting some coding in before the roosters crow. 👨💻 Whether you’re looking to securely connect GenAI to corporate knowledge, enhance data transparency, or gather new insights, Fluree is leading the way in data-driven transformation.  Join us in supporting Brian and the Fluree team on their journey to reshape the future of enterprise data! 🚀  #DataInnovation #Blockchain #Leadership #AI #DataSecurity #DataEcosystems #StartupSuccess #TechLeadership #AlumniRise #DataAnalytics

🚀 Spotlight on Innovation: Slip Robotics and Christopher Smith 🚀    We are thrilled to welcome Slip Robotics back to the Engage program through AlumniRise! Led by the visionary CEO and Founder, Christopher Smith. Slip Robotics has recently been honored with the Best New Innovation in the Supply Chain award from MHI, named an RBR50 Robotics Innovation winner, and is a member of the FreightTech 100. These accolades highlight the groundbreaking capabilities of the SlipBot ALR—the first and only solution capable of autonomously loading & unloading any truck in 5 minutes. Chris and his team have truly transformed dock operations, boosting throughput by 300% and slashing idle time and labor costs significantly. With major clients like John Deere, GE Appliances, and Nissan leveraging SlipBots, the impact is both profound and widespread.  Chris worked in inbound supply chain management at Cummins, moved on to lead factory simulation and analytics at Tesla, and then decided to start Slip to build the loading/unloading solution he wished he had. Join us in celebrating these remarkable achievements and looking forward to the continued success of Slip Robotics in revolutionizing logistics and supply chain operations!  #Innovation #Robotics #SupplyChain #Logistics #Tech #Automation #StartupSuccess #SlipRobotics #InvestInTech #AlumniRise

The Mom Project: Redefining Economic Opportunity for Moms At Engage, we are proud to support The Mom Project as it enters a new phase of growth and innovation under the leadership of its newly appointed CEO, Penny Queller. The Mom Project started with a bold mission: to build economic opportunities for mothers and enable them to achieve professional success on their own terms. Since its founding in 2016, the company has grown into a thriving community of over  1.7 million moms, dads and allies and 3,000+ companies, providing flexible and fulfilling career opportunities. With Penny at the helm, The Mom Project is poised to expand its impact even further, empowering moms everywhere. Penny Queller brings a wealth of experience, having served as the Chief Customer Officer at Impellam Group, a multi-billion dollar HR company, where she led global talent acquisition and workforce solutions. Her passion for transforming the workplace and her deep understanding of The Mom Project’s mission make her the perfect leader to guide the company through its next chapter. Some fun facts about Penny: - Penny has already been deeply involved with The Mom Project, serving as a CEO advisor and member of the Customer Advisory Board before taking on the role of CEO.💪 - As Chairman of the Board at Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration, Penny is committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders! 🌱 - With an impressive background in workforce solutions, Penny has also led strategy and digital transformation as Executive Vice President at Randstad North America. 🤝 We’re proud to be investors and huge supporters of the mission at The Mom Project as they drive forward with their mission to provide every mom the opportunity to thrive professionally while achieving personal goals. #InvestingInImpact #WomenEmpowerment #CareerGrowth #TheMomProject #MomsWhoWork #FlexibleWork #AlumniRise #FutureofWork

Qualytics: Elevating Data Quality for Better Enterprise Decisions At Engage, we’re always on the lookout for groundbreaking solutions that solve critical business challenges, and that's why we’re thrilled to re-ENGAGE with Gorkem Sevinc and Qualytics. Gorkem Sevinc is no stranger to solving problems using leading-edge technology. As a serial entrepreneur who has previously co-founded successful startups like Facet and Scene Health, he knows what it takes to turn a great idea into a thriving company. Now, Gorkem is tackling one of the most fundamental problems in business today: bad data – and with the rapid adoption of AI, data quality is at the forefront with the need for a robust foundation for future derivative uses of data. At Qualytics, Gorkem and his team are on a mission to instill trust and confidence in enterprise data ecosystems. In today’s world, data is the new oil — and like crude oil, data in its raw form is often messy, inconsistent, and unreliable. Qualytics is pioneering “augmented data quality,” a comprehensive approach that goes beyond basic data rules and anomaly detection. The company leverages advanced ML methods to generate proactive rules for real-time anomaly detection and intelligent remediation, helping companies of all sizes prevent costly mistakes before they happen. By delivering this level of intelligence, Qualytics enables organizations to make data-driven decisions with confidence, while reducing the manual work needed on data governance by over 90%. Gorkem’s inspiration for Qualytics came from his own experience dealing with data integrity throughout his career. He understands firsthand the cost of poor data quality and the immense value of having accurate, actionable data. The Qualytics team has created an end-to-end platform that empowers businesses to achieve better outcomes by ensuring the data they rely on is always of high quality. Here are some fun facts about Gorkem: - Built the Johns Hopkins Medicine Technology Innovation Center from the ground up! 🏥 - Gorkem is from Cyprus and is one of the youngest recipients of a Fulbright Scholarship at only 15 years old. 🇨🇾 - Enjoys building complex LEGO sets and playing guitar in his free time! 🎸 Join us in supporting Gorkem and Qualytics as they lead the way in redefining data quality management. #DataQuality #Qualytics #AI #Innovation #Engage #AlumniRise #StartupSuccess #TechLeadership #InvestinTech #DataAnalytics 

Congratulations to our portfolio companies for making it on this year's Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America! AchieveIt Bee Downtown FreightWaves Stord Verusen AI

Plural: A Game-Changer for Civic Engagement At Engage, we believe in backing bold visions that create meaningful impact. That's why we’re excited to support Damola Ogundipe and his team at Plural, a company redefining how we engage with democracy through technology. Plural started with a radical goal: to enhance democratic processes by making public policy accessible and understandable to everyone. What began as a platform for tracking legislation has evolved into a powerful tool that incorporates AI-driven insights, advanced data analytics, and collaborative features to empower users to navigate the complexities of policy and legislation. From identifying similar legislation across jurisdictions to enabling smarter decision-making, Plural is already helping enterprises stay ahead of the curve in understanding the risk and compliance impacts of legislation. As a Nigerian immigrant who came to the U.S. at the age of six, Damola’s passion for civic engagement and global governance shaped his vision for Plural. His background as a healthcare consultant focused on public policy and the flashpoint of the 2014 events in Ferguson, MO, galvanized his mission to democratize access to legislative information and improve civic participation in the U.S. He started with a simple question: "How can we make legislative information more accessible?" The answer became Plural. Today, the company is tackling the 'legislative labyrinth' head-on, providing advocacy organizations with the tools to navigate complex processes and make impactful change. Damola sees the power dynamics of legislation — from the intricate rules that can stymie bills to the critical work of advocates — and he’s built a company designed to illuminate, simplify, and empower. Some fun facts about Damola: - He was a running back on the Minnesota Golden Gophers while in college! 🏈 - He owned and ran a music studio in LA and has platinum plaques for songs that were produced in his studio. 🎶 - During college, he ran a successful sneaker retail company on eBay! 👟 Join us as we support Plural's mission to transform civic engagement for the better. #CivicEngagement #PublicPolicy #FutureofWork  #Innovation #Engage #AlumniRise #StartupSuccess #TechLeadership #InvestinTech

🎉 Congratulations to this year’s Venture Atlanta Conference Hall of Fame rock stars – David Hartnett, Braxton Jarratt, AND OUR VERY OWN Bill Nussey! The Atlanta startup ecosystem is thriving, and we are fortunate these amazing entrepreneurs and leaders call Atlanta home! #VA2024