A Village Graduation- Celebrating Bitpay

I first met Stephen Pair and Tony Gallippi in January of 2013. Two cofounders of a startup named Bitpay, they were relocating from Orlando to Atlanta to build their company and came for a tour of the Village. At that time, the Village was about one month old, pre-renovation, and very much stuck in the 1980's. But Stephen and Tony caught our vision, believed in the city of Atlanta, and joined our small community almost immediately. In many ways, Atlanta Tech Village and Bitpay have grown up together.Tony and Stephen were a wonderful addition to our community from the very beginning. They were passionate about their work and the way it would change the world. Stephen painstakingly walked me through what Bitcoin was and even helped me set up my first wallet. Fifteen months later, what started as two founders in a small office has quickly grown into an impressive and inspiring startup with international growth, over 40 employees, and millions in funding.This past Friday we held our first Village graduation party for Bitpay. Champagne toasts and bitcoin cupcakes were enjoyed as we gave them a Village farewell. Our space is meant for startups from 1-30 people, and Bitpay is exactly the kind of success we hope to help foster. Stephen and Tony have built an incredible team of talented, focused people who work hard, and know how to have a great time. They will be missed and we are thankful to have been a small part of their startup journey. We wish them much future success!