Tech Square ATL

🧠Last week, members of the Tech Square community gathered for a secret meeting of the minds. A new event series called Brains in the Bar convened to spark conversation about artificial intelligence. The question that both inspired the gathering and earned attendees their invitation: "Where would you choose a human over perfectly accurate AI?" 🔗techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne…

🚨 LOCATION UPDATE! Starting this week, TSQ Tuesdays will be held in the Centergy Lobby! Just head up the stairs across from the Clubhouse at 75 5th Street. Join us for drinks, snacks, games, and great conversation every Tuesday from 4 to 6 PM in the Centergy Lobby. Don't miss out! 🎉🥳

Do you live in a harmonious city? 🏙️ Seung Jae Lieu, a PhD student at Georgia Tech with the Center for Urban Resilience and Analytics (CURA) and the School of City and Regional Planning, is investigating why people still may not walk or bike to nearby amenities, even when they are close by. “It’s not true that just because you’re close to somewhere, you will walk there,” said Lieu. Lieu’s work explores how street completeness and the harmony of amenities shape our everyday travel choices, whether we walk 🚶, bike 🚲, or drive 🚗 Curious about how your neighborhood can be more harmonious? Explore the full story, and try Lieu’s interactive Street Completeness Map, to see how cities can move from the 15-minute city to the harmonious city 🔗 techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne…

📸 Looking for a fresh headshot? Join us next week during the Biltmore's weekly coffee connect on Tuesday morning for Tech Square headshot day! Stop by the Biltmore Innovation Center lobby anytime from 9:30 to 10:30 AM—no appointment necessary. See you there!

What happens when an artist turns the algorithm against itself? TSRB & @DmGatech researcher Hyunha Lim's practice does exactly that. Since 2021, she has been collecting daily screenshots of personalized Instagram ads and reconstructing them into handmade collages, printing algorithmic fragments onto fabric, then braiding, stitching, and assembling them by hand. Her latest project, Re-Materializing Stone Mountain: Stitching the Automated Surface, extends this into new territory. Supported by the AIAI Network's seed grant program, the work examines how generative AI represents place — and what gets lost in the process. When AI models generate images of Stone Mountain, they produce outputs that look coherent but strip away history, politics, and material context. Lim responds through intervention: printing AI-generated fragments onto silk satin and reconstructing them through cutting, stitching, and quilting. Each stitch is a decision. Each seam is a record of human agency reasserting itself. In a moment when generative tools are becoming deeply embedded in everyday life, her work raises an important question: how much do we give up when we outsource perception to automated systems? 🔗 techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne…

⚽ @AMAAtlanta is gearing up to celebrate the Global Games making their way to Atlanta! Join us on Wednesday, May 20th from 5-8:30 PM at the College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall), where marketers, business leaders, brands, agencies, and sports enthusiasts will converge for live demos, engaging panels, networking opportunities, and games. This event promises a night of excitement as we honor Atlanta’s status as a global hub for sports, innovation, and leadership. 🐝 This event is perfect for everyone in the Tech Square community! Students with a .edu email can enjoy a special discounted ticket price! Plus, for those purchasing full-price tickets, @MomoCon is generously offering one 4-day pass to MomoCon with each ticket bought. Don’t miss out—learn more and secure your ticket today! eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-…

🏠 In a conventional smart home, having intelligence often comes with a price. Cameras monitor movements, sensors need batteries, and smart devices are typically linked through disjointed systems that require ongoing upkeep. Yibo Fu, a @GeorgiaTech researcher at Tech Square (Uncommon Sense Lab, @gtcomputing, @ICatGT), is investigating a new approach where ordinary objects can discreetly indicate their usage via precisely crafted steel tags. Together with his team, Fu has introduced SoundOff, an innovative smart home system that employs acoustics and ultrasonic signals inaudible to humans but detectable by microphones. Read more 👉techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne…

Is your child glued to their gaming controller? Is this a concern — or an opportunity? 🎮 JOIN US FOR SELECT START — a FREE 90-minute hybrid event for families in Atlanta, presented by @subsumestudios and The Forge. Discover insights on gaming scholarships, esports education, over 10 career paths beyond being a "Pro Player," and essential first steps for middle and high school students. All questions are welcome. Everyone is invited! 📆Tuesday, May 12 🕰️11:00 AM - 1:00 PM 📍@atdc 🔗luma.com/ib511j6b

What if your research was merely the starting point? This week, @wilbe_science is visiting The Hatchery Center for Innovation to host a mixer for scientists and engineers eager to broaden their horizons. As a platform and venture fund, Wilbe has supported over 1,400 researchers from prestigious institutions like MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and Max Planck in becoming successful founders. They've invested in 25 companies with a total valuation exceeding $1.3B. Whether you're just brainstorming ideas or ready to take the plunge, this event is not to be missed! 📆Thursday, May 14 🕰️6-8 PM 📍The Hatchery Secure your spot before they're all taken 👉 luma.com/zizqyla1

Want to use your coding skills for social good? 👨‍💻 Civic Tech Atlanta's Civic Action Night is next week in the Clubhouse! 🥳 Coders of all skill levels are invited to contribute to Civic Tech Atlanta's ongoing civic-minded projects. Bring your laptop or nothing but your ideas on how to make Atlanta more equitable through tech. 📆 Monday, May 11 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 📍 TSQ ATL Clubhouse Register for the event and learn more here: 👉️ buff.ly/6jg2Yri

Get ready for an exciting first! Startup Launch is coming to the Biltmore Innovation Center! Join us to explore CREATE-X's (@gtcreatex) latest cohort of innovative startups. Are you interested in collaborating with companies in healthcare, fintech, cybersecurity, AI, and more? Don’t miss the showcase on May 21 from 5-7 PM! 🔗eventbrite.com/e/spring-start…

🏃‍♀️ Tech Square's next Founder + Funder jog is next week on Friday May 15th! Join us at the Biltmore Innovation Center for an early morning jog with other Atlanta founders, operators, and investors. Jog starts at 7AM. Coffee and networking to follow! Register: buff.ly/I1EcAUk

📱 Your smartphone is already capable of so much, and now it could help in diagnosing kidney disease. Kefan Song (@CoulterBME, @ICatGT) from the Uncommon Sense Lab at @GeorgiaTech, along with his team, has developed SpectraPhone — a smartphone case that transforms your iPhone into a clinical-grade urine analyzer. No need for a technician; it utilizes light, a diffraction grating, and an algorithm to provide quantitative results within seconds. Chronic kidney disease impacts 1 in 10 adults globally, yet many cases go undetected until it's too late. SpectraPhone is designed for patients who live far from clinics and can't afford to wait for lab appointments to know if their condition is worsening. The lab is coming to the patient. 🔬 Read more 👉techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne…

TSQ Tuesday is happening today from 4-6 PM in the Clubhouse! Come on down for snacks, drinks, networking, and fun!

Joseph Lee's observation at @GeorgiaTech inspired him to rethink how people enter sales. 🏫✨ He found that communication skills are the key to successful sales careers — so he built AGORA to turn everyday conversations into a training ground for developing them, creating a supportive environment for anyone looking to break into the sales industry. 👉 Read Joseph's founding story: techsquareatl.com/tech-square-ne… @agoraaitech is a @gtcreatex Startup Launch company — catch them live at the Startup Launch Spring Showcase on May 21 at the Biltmore Innovation Center! 🎉

Ever wonder what light and shade sounds like? 🎵 Or what would it be like to dance with artificial intelligence? Celebrating a semester of creativity, exploration, and interdisciplinary research, graduate students and professors from Georgia Tech’s Digital Media Program shared their latest creative innovations at the annual Digital Media Demo Day 💻 🔗 Read the full story about how researchers in Georgia Tech's Digital Media Program in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts are exploring new experiences in light, movement, and sound.

✉️ You're invited to take a break from work and engage in some friendly competition at this month's Tech Square Game Day at the Biltmore Innovation Center! 🎮️🎲 On Thursday, we'll have a catered lunch, casual games, and a lively atmosphere for founders, builders, operators, and students to connect! 🤝🌟 ⏰️ Thursday, May 7 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 📍 Biltmore Innovation Center Sign up for the May Tech Square Game Day here: 👉️ buff.ly/oOwsARu

Our friends at @atdc and @Kiksasa_Kiki are putting on an event you do not want to miss! Happening on Monday, May 4, The Startup Solve will be a full day of collaboration where attendees set the agenda, discuss what they feel is important, and work together to build solutions. This is an event for startup founders, teams, enthusiasts, investors, and anyone else interested in the startup ecosystem in Tech Square or Atlanta! Register for this free event today! More Info + Registration: luma.com/o4nri0tl?tk=T0…