Changemakers Series Welcomes Atlanta Tech Village President

The College of Charleston, in partnership with Gray Matters Consulting, will present Aly Merritt, president of Atlanta Tech Village, as a special guest for Changemakers, a series designed to connect innovators in technology, media, the creative arts and business to students, faculty and alumni, and to establish the campus as a hub for founders and entrepreneurs to network with early- to mid-career executives.

Changemakers will be held at the Beatty Center (5 Liberty St.) on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 1:40–2:55 p.m. Dig South founder and CEO Stanfield Gray will moderate the fireside chat.

“I’m excited to share perspectives on what it takes to build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems and communities that truly support founders,” says Merritt. “During my tenure at Atlanta Tech Village, I’ve seen how the right environment can accelerate startup success, and Changemakers plays a vital role in bridging innovation, business and education to prepare the next generation of leaders.”

At Atlanta Tech Village, which is the fourth-largest tech hub in the United States, Merritt supports startups, entrepreneurs and innovators in building scalable companies. Before stepping into her leadership role at the Village, Merritt spent her career in customer success, communications and operations, including senior roles at SaaS companies such as SalesLoft, where she helped grow the business from early stage through rapid scaling. She is passionate about mentorship, ecosystem building and creating inclusive spaces for founders, with a strong focus on empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs. Merritt is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from startup culture and customer success to building thriving tech communities.

“Our College of Charleston students benefit greatly from hearing about the career paths and leadership stories from extraordinary leaders of diverse backgrounds, including founders, owners and executives at all levels,” says Lancie Affonso ’96 (M.S. ’08), Honors College faculty fellow, director of the Honors Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community (E-LLC) and senior instructor of computer science, management and marketing. “Students are inspired each year by these compelling stories to envision their own career journeys and embrace innovation in their fields. Aly’s experience leading one of the nation’s most impactful startup hubs – where their leadership has driven entrepreneurial growth and fostered a collaborative community – will bring incredible perspective to the Changemakers series.”

About Changemakers

Changemakers is a series designed to connect innovative, early- to mid-career executives with students, faculty, alumni and the community by inviting them to speak on campus, meet with student groups, establish internships and remote mentoring sessions, and more. The series is a launchpad for initiatives that position the College of Charleston campus as a hotbed of entrepreneurship and industry collaboration to help students become the next generation of successful founders and innovators.

About Gray Matters Consulting

Gray Matters is a Charleston-based consulting firm led by Dig South and Charleston Tech Week founder and CEO Stanfield Gray. Gray Matters collaborates with universities, businesses and other organizations on digital innovation projects focused on artificial intelligence; curates executive speaker series; and advises on innovation ecosystem development.