Blake Patton | The ‘Why” Behind His Work

There’s always talk about how technology is taking the human out of humanity. People can connect with other people easier than ever, but that often translates “knowing” more people but knowing less about them. Looking at the “why”s of entrepreneurs—all at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey—it’s inspiring to see how many people are focused on helping others and creating communities through both their professional ventures alongside mentoring and giving back.

Blake Patton from Tech Square Ventures

“I spent the first part of my career being an entrepreneur and then I spent time heading up ATDC (Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech) where I got to work with the best and brightest entrepreneurs in the state. I saw firsthand there’s a gap for an access to capital, so the ‘why’ is that this is a really fun and rewarding way to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams and at the same time fill a need. And it’s a great market opportunity, so it’s the best of both worlds. The ‘why’ is I love working with entrepreneurs and helping them build their companies.

It’s incredibly fulfilling to work with entrepreneurs and see so many different, exciting technologies. The number one motivation is that the Southeast is an under-served hub of innovation. For what I do, there’s lots of opportunity for us, it’s less competitive because there is this gap in the amount of capital available in the Southeast that doesn’t match the level of opportunity here. Georgia has about 1% of the national venture capital share and the Southeast has about 3%, which I think significantly under-represents the opportunity here. Tech Square Venture exists so our investors can profit from that opportunity. Why I have so much fun, is I get to work with the entrepreneurs and help them build their companies.”   Tech Square Venture has invested in UserIQ & Digital Vision Systems.   Continuing reading this piece (which features the ‘why’ of 9 other entrepreneurs as well) on pear-a-digms, a thought leadership blog focused on cultivating a culture of connected productivity entrepreneurs, students, business professionals, business owners, and everyone in between.

The Author: Kristine Santos. Entrepreneur. Anthropologist. Writer. Runs social media and blogging for Atlanta-based startup PEAR’d, a virtual collaboration ecosystem for entrepreneurs. A vegetarian who’s learning how to sew and wants to know all about your startup. Let’s talk on Twitter@PEARdUP

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