{"217761":{"#nid":"217761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Michael Hersh Named to Lead ATDC Startup Accelerator at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.atdc.org\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E (ATDC) at Georgia Tech has named veteran entrepreneur and business executive Michael Hersh as the new leader of the internationally-known technology startup company accelerator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his 30-year career in the software and financial services industries, Hersh has become known for his entrepreneurial approach to managing large project teams and to driving the growth of innovative startups. In 1999, he helped launch ZC Sterling, a financial services company, where he built one of its business units into a $200 million entity with 350 employees. ZC Sterling was subsequently purchased by QBE, a top 20 insurance company based in Sydney, Australia. Earlier in his career, Hersh worked with GE Capital and Accenture, developing several sales-force automation and expert system software applications. Most recently, Hersh has focused on helping innovative startups as an angel investor and mentor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Hersh takes the reins as ATDC\u2019s new general manager, he will direct its array of services designed to help technology entrepreneurs start and build companies that are the backbone of the Georgia\u2019s high tech economy. Recently named to \u003Cem\u003EForbes\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019 2013 list of top \u201cbusiness incubators changing the world,\u201d ATDC currently has 34 ATDC Select companies in its incubator program and 250 member companies statewide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI look forward to helping build more bridges between Georgia Tech, other Georgia universities, the business and investment community, and economic development entities within the state to fully leverage the amazing talent and assets we have in Georgia,\u201d Hersh said. \u201cMy job will be to provide these savvy entrepreneurs the resources they need to turn their ingenuity into thriving companies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlake Patton, interim general manager of ATDC for the past seven months, chaired the search committee that sifted through nearly 100 applicants for the position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were pleased that so many leaders in the community wanted to be part of ATDC\u2019s growth,\u201d Patton said. \u201cIt was tough narrowing down the candidates, but we got feedback throughout the process from current ATDC members, CEOs of graduate companies, and local investors. We think Mike Hersh will be a great resource for our company founders who are building innovative tech enterprises aimed at solving big problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStephen Fleming, the Georgia Tech vice president who oversees ATDC, noted that the search for a new general manager was conducted in parallel with a major realignment of ATDC that was announced in March this year. \u201cWe are adding staff, adding new facilities, and adding programming to support the local innovation ecosystem. We are also going to be building new linkages with the Atlanta business community,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cMike Hersh is the experienced business leader we need for the next phase of ATDC\u2019s growth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHersh holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and a master\u2019s degree in information systems from the University of Colorado. He will begin his new position at ATDC the first week in August 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Advanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EATDC is a startup accelerator that helps Georgia technology entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies. Founded in 1980, ATDC has helped create millions of dollars in Georgia tax revenues by graduating more than 140 companies, which together have raised nearly $2 billion in outside financing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC is part of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E) at Georgia Tech, which helps Georgia enterprises improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. ATDC currently has three facilities -- two at Georgia Tech\u2019s main campus in Atlanta and one at Georgia Tech\u2019s facilities in Savannah. It also conducts programming for entrepreneurs online and at other locations in metro Atlanta and beyond.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech has named veteran entrepreneur and business executive Michael Hersh as the new leader of the internationally-known technology startup company accelerator.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Veteran entrepreneur and business executive Michael Hersh has been named general manager of the ATDC."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-06-17 07:31:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:23","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"217751":{"id":"217751","type":"image","title":"Michael Hersh","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Michael Hersh","file":{"fid":"197165","name":"mike-hersh3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mike-hersh3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mike-hersh3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":653985,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mike-hersh3_0.jpg?itok=8K6kg1hV"}}},"media_ids":["217751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9193","name":"accelerator"},{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"4239","name":"incubator"},{"id":"68001","name":"Michael Hersh"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}