It Takes a Village

A proud Duke graduate and accomplished entrepreneur, David is the reason Atlanta Tech Village exists. After an extraordinary bootstrapped exit at Pardot, David invested in Atlanta and the startup community by purchasing our 100,000 square foot building and creating the vision for the Village. Addicted to startups, David is CEO of Atlanta Ventures and an avid investor – having invested in over 25 startups. You also might have seen him in the news – it happens so often that ABC (Atlanta Business Chronicle) is now short for All ‘Bout Cummings.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: software entrepreneur — I’m a geek 🙂
Two truths, one lie: Taught myself to code from a book in 8th grade, after Pardot was sold I bought an island, and I named one of my first companies after my hometown street.

The “other” David leads our team, setting the culture while communicating and implementing the Village’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. As Co-founder and President, David has been intimately involved with the creation and growth of Atlanta Tech Village – from the closing table in December 2012 through concept, design, and construction to facilities and programming – transforming a run-down 1980s office building into Atlanta’s startup hub. David’s also the Founder of Clickscape|Village Realty, but his most important startups are his 3 kids who are seeing some real traction lately. Oh and chances are he’s taller than you.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A player-owner of the Atlanta Hawks
Two truths, one lie: I ran a marathon on a bet; One of my first forays into entrepreneurship was a line of super punny greeting cards; Someone once set my hair on fire at a house party.

Julie is Kansan, born and raised! She grew up in a farm town where the population of cows outnumbered the population of humans, and traffic flowed through two total stoplights. While she was a small-town girl, she decided not to be a small-town woman and moved to central Florida to attend college. After some higher education, Julie pursued her career in the nonprofit world for 10 years before exploring entrepreneurship as an abstract artist and digital marketer. Currently, she is combining her heart for people, community, administration, creativity, and all around badass-ery as the Director of Community and Operations but you can still find her painting, listening to Celine Dion, and sipping a glass of Jam Jar’s sweet red shiraz every now and again.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An Ethan Allen Design Consultant (I know…painfully specific)
Two Truths and a Lie: My childhood pet was a tarantula, I’m afraid of flying, I am a classically trained vocalist

Durantae is a charismatic number jumper from Ellenwood, GA and earned a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from Georgia State University. He works in partnership with our Finance Director to help manage the books and finances for the Village and several Atlanta Venture startups. Durantae is currently working on his CPA and is a karaoke superstar. When not slinging lyrics or numbers, he can be found playing ping pong, and laughing… usually at other people’s serves.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Travel Agent (because I thought they got to travel a lot )
Two truths, one lie: I dunked once when I was 16, I’m related to Ludacris, I was born in Dubai.

Irina grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She moved to Atlanta in 2004. Irina graduated with a major in Political Science and minor in philosophy. After graduating college, she opened a yoga studio in Alpharetta and couple of year later opened yoga & barre studio in Atlanta. She is a pro at handstands and paying attention to the details. Irina loves the beach, her cat Buddha, and The Office.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: a psychologist.
Two Truths and a Lie: I used to breakdance in middle school. I studied French in college. I know how to juggle.

Teundras is California born and Georgia raised. Her parents made up her name on a whim – it has no meaning, but every now and then she’ll have a made up story about the origins of her name that she’s willing to entertain you with. She is a Georgia Southern University graduate with a B. A. in Theatre, a very lucrative degree. After graduating, she pursued her career in Theatre Education and Acting. She can simultaneously sing ‘Hamilton’, Drake, ‘Book of Mormon’ and Beyoncé in one setting (off key but with feeling). As the Community Assistant, Teundras loves using her natural talent for service and creative problem solving to aid the success of the Village. In her free time you can catch her drinking coffee, hosting game nights, traveling and karaoking to Fergie’s biggest hits.

What I wanted to be when I grew up : Actress or Journalist

Two Truths and a Lie : I’ve been skydiving 3 times, I am left-handed, I can quote ‘Mean Girls’ the movie from start to finish.

Justin Vanorsby grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago, where he enjoyed a life colored by family traditions and sports pursuits. He moved to Atlanta to earn a degree in Kinesiology from Morehouse College, and decided to stay upon finding that he could avoid the harsh northern winters.

He was introduced to the world of coffee after becoming close friends with the baristas at a local coffee shop. He’s been hooked ever since. If he’s not behind the bar crafting the weirdest drink you’ll love, he’s probably still somewhere in the shop with headphones on. You might also be able to find him biking or rollerskating on the Beltline and he’ll probably have headphones on. You might also soon find him in front of a camera or on a stage. They probably won’t let him bring his headphones there though. Once you do find him, you should ask him to create a drink or a playlist for you.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A professional baseball player or an English professor
Two Truths and a Lie: I am a third generational JB Skater, my grandfather was a welterweight contender, I am afraid of birds

A daughter of immigrants, Nisha started her life in Denver, Colorado. She inherited the “Midwestern charm” after a few years in Michigan, then lived in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles before finding home in Atlanta in 2015. Nisha studied social work and political science, but in March of 2020, she made the – some would say outrageous – decision to switch from the nonprofit world into the events industry (and hasn’t looked back since). Guided by the philosophy of Priya Parker, Nisha’s passion is to foster creative, intentional and inclusive gatherings.

Most recently, Nisha worked on the events team at Atlanta Business Chronicle and continues to work as a Wedding Coordinator in her spare time. She’s a lover of curating the perfect playlist, she’s never met a dog she doesn’t like, and is always on the hunt for her next thrifted clothing, furniture, or decor purchase.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A cat. (But now I’m allergic to them, so that’s never going to work out.)
Two truths and a lie: I played competitive ping pong in college. I am obsessed with karaoke. I have driven from Atlanta to the Grand Canyon and back four times.

Brandon was born on Warner Robbins Air Force Base, but moved to California when he was 3 months old. Brandon’s time is California played a huge part in shaping his personality and interests. He grew up playing soccer, baseball, basketball and tennis before settling down with his first true love of Motocross. As a teenager, he travelled the country racing dirt bikes and representing American Honda. Brandon may love Falcons Football more than anyone else you meet. He loves to travel, eat tacos, be outdoors and occasionally socialize with new people when he pokes his head out of introvert shell. Good music and hilarious standup comedy are the way to Brandon’s heart. He is also the Founder of iAccess Life, a mobile app that would allow people with disabilities to rate and review the accessibility of venues such as restaurants, lounges, clubs, and bars.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A professional motocross racer.
Two Truths and a Lie: I grew up in California. I have a “Kennedy’s” cell phone number. I can play the piano.

Latesha was the first-born American out of her 5 siblings from Jamaica and is the true definition of a Florida Girl (Southwest Florida to be exact). A Jane of many trades, Latesha has a unique background within many fields. She has experience in Restaurant & Hospitality, Social Work & Case Management, and she’s even a Lifeguard (just to name a FEW). Latesha moved to Atlanta in 2020 to expand on her passion for music-entertainment. She’s a brand ambassador for Suntian Naziyon and owns the website Ladymprez.com (Lady Mprez is also her stage name) which is a website that encompasses Suntian culture, but also features some of the hottest underground & independent music artists internationally. Even though she’s currently a Security Officer, she also works behind the scenes doing music promotions and management. Basically, she gets to enjoy concerts, create music projects, and attend events as part of her lifestyle. When she’s not working (which seems like a rarity), Latesha enjoys traveling and is a big foodie.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Radio (Personality) Host

Two Truths and a Lie: I used to swim in waters with gators, I love to dance, My cousin was the first woman Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Raised in Tampa, Manu first came to Atlanta to study Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. After being introduced to Engage VC, he realized that the quickly flourishing Atlanta tech ecosystem was the place to be. After interning with Engage for three semesters while completing his degree, he took the opportunity to intern with Atlanta Tech Village for the summer of 2023. He plans to return to GT in the fall to complete his master’s in mechanical engineering.

Manu has big dreams of opening a Makerspace and is interested in learning about all the startups at Atlanta Tech Village. He is always open to learning a new skill and loves to connect with people with similar goals. When he is not at work, you can find him rage-queuing on Valorant, hurting himself at the gym, or complaining about his miniature Schnauzer’s bad breath.