Christopher W. Klaus is an American technology entrepreneur and founder and CTO of Internet Security Systems (ISS), which he started in the early 1990s and sold to IBM in 2006 for $1.3B. Klaus formed ISS as a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, eventually dropping out to focus on the growing company. In 2004 he stepped down from his role of Chief Technology Officer of ISS to pursue other interests, although he remained a significant shareholder and retained his role as the company's Chief Security Advisor. Around 2007 Klaus became one of Georgia Tech's most visible contributors, giving a $15M naming gift to build the College of Computing's new home, the Klaus Advanced Computing Building. In July 2014, Klaus cofounded NeuroLaunch with NMF Director Jordan Amadio. As a result, Dr. Amadio is closely involved with the development of brain-computer interface technology as a director of neurosurgery at Elon Musk’s Neuralink. In October 2015, he financed and co-founded another accelerator, CyberLaunch, which focuses on cybersecurity and machine learning startups. During 2016 he was the CEO of Kaneva, a game company which he founded in 2004, and also the main financier for multiple business accelerators in the Atlanta area; including being a part of the Atlanta Technology Angels.

In 2014, Klaus, with the early support of Georgia Institute of Technology leadership and the Marcus Foundation, formed CREATE-X, an educational program aimed at instilling entrepreneurial confidence in students and empowering them to launch successful startups. The overall entrepreneurial confidence initiative is a pathway, consisting of undergraduate and graduate curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities that, in total, give all interested students, regardless of major or year of study, the skills to value and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that are real, not theoretical; in short, CREATE-X enables students to be “entrepreneurially confident.” Held annually at Atlanta’s 5,000 seat Fabulous Fox Theatre, CREATE-X has established Georgia Tech as the number one startup campus in the nation with the most funded student startup enterprises including numerous unicorns.

Chris Klaus transformed Atlanta into a global tech hub over three decades, cementing its status as one of the world's premier technology centers. As a pioneer in cybersecurity through Internet Security Systems, Klaus has been instrumental in an industry crucial for maintaining peace through secure global commerce. His vision extends beyond business, directly fostering breakthroughs in neuroscience, cybersecurity, and machine learning. Klaus's founding of Create- X at Georgia Tech has had a profound local impact, generating thousands of jobs for students, attracting millions in investment to Georgia, and establishing the institution as the nation's leading startup campus. His unparalleled stewardship of the state's brightest minds has not only driven innovation but also positioned Atlanta at the forefront of technological advancement, creating a lasting legacy of regional growth and talent development.

Joe Gebbia is an entrepreneur and designer. As Co-founder of Airbnb, Gebbia has transformed the hospitality industry, reaching over four million Hosts who have welcomed more than one billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. As the original designer and Host, Gebbia helped shape Airbnb’s unmatched product, interface, and brand to become a part of everyday life and common vernacular. Fourteen years since the inception in Gebbia’s San Francisco living room, Hosts have earned over $150B, creating economic impact throughout communities worldwide. Gebbia’s entrepreneurial instinct also led to the formation of their community-powered non-profit, Airbnb.org. With the mission to open homes in times of crisis, their emergency response efforts have housed over 300,000 people, such as in Maui following their wildfires. Most recently, Gebbia departed his full-time operating role and has since transitioned to a strategic advisory position while serving on the Board of Directors of Airbnb.

His latest venture, Samara, comparably cemented in economic empowerment, housing resources, and design, produces fully customized, factory-made homes designed to create rental income, house family, support work from home, or bundled together, to form new types of housing communities. The inaugural product, Backyard, is a transformational, flexible dwelling that unlocks the potential of the consumer’s yard and complements the home. The units, rooted in elevated design, are configured online, delivered, and installed in a fraction of the time of traditional construction.

A lifelong basketball fan, Gebbia is a member of the San Antonio Spurs investor group. Gebbia backs the newly-formed Eames Institute for Infinite Curiosity, The Ocean Clean Up, Malala Fund, and Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, among others. Growing up, Gebbia began his life as an artist and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where he earned dual degrees in Graphic Design and Industrial Design.

Gebbia has spoken globally about both entrepreneurship and design, and received numerous distinctions such as the Inc 30 under 30, and speaking at TED, Wired, and Fast Company. He loves to find opportunities to give back on the local and global level and has joined the Giving Pledge to commit more than half of his wealth to philanthropy. He contributes his time via other board seats at Airbnb and Tesla.

Joe Gebbia helped initiate Airbnb.org, a community-powered non-profit that utilizes Airbnb’s technology, services, and resources to provide emergency housing. To date the service has housed over 300,000 people in over 70 countries, including recently during the floods in southern Brazil. As one of the youngest members of the Giving Pledge, a commitment by wealthy individuals initiated by Bill and Melinda Gates with Warren Buffet to donate over half their wealth to philanthropy, Gebbia has pledged $25 million to the Malala Fund. This donation, the largest individual financial commitment to the organization to date, supports the Malala Fund's work in advocating for resources and policy changes to ensure every girl can access quality secondary education. In early 2023, Gebbia made another historic $25 million donation to The Ocean Cleanup, supporting their efforts to remove plastic waste from oceans and rivers. This donation, the largest in the organization's history, will enhance their innovative technologies and scale operations to tackle millions of pounds of plastic waste, contributing to the fight against the ongoing climate crisis. In another historic gift, he donated over $25 million to the Eames Institute for Infinite Curiosity. He started the Institute as a cultural contribution to preserve and carry forward the design lessons and legacy of Charles and Ray Eames.

James F. Jacoby, an American entrepreneur, conservationist, and founder, chairman, CEO of Atlanta-based commercial real estate developer the Jacoby Group. Born in Miami, Jacoby enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school with the Naval Intelligence’s Naval Security Group division. Jacoby began his career in commercial real estate with Wal-Mart to anchor developments as part of their nationwide rollout in the 1970s. These projects led to the creation of the Jacoby Group.

Using expertise gained in developing shopping centers, Jacoby expanded his focus creating entire communities at the cutting edge of environmental sustainability. In 1999, Jacoby Development purchased the Atlantic Steel Mill in Atlanta. In partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, Jacoby spent tens of millions to clean up the site, the largest brownfield cleanup in America at the time. The mixed-use development that took its place, Atlantic Station, opened in October of 2003 and was the first LEED-certified campus in the U.S. Atlantic Station is the home of the Millennium Gate, made possible in no small part due to the continued support of Jacoby and the Jacoby Group’s emphasis on strengthening the cultural fabric of their communities. Jacoby also notably led the redevelopment of the decommissioned Ford assembly plant adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, rechristening the site Aerotropolis, Porsche’s North American Headquarters.

Jacoby, an accomplished conservationist, outdoorsman, SCUBA diver, frequents the Galapagos, Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti, and the Caribbean. He led the restoration of Marineland Oceanarium in St. Augustine, refocusing the facility on education and animal/human interaction. He is on the board of the Georgia Aquarium – now a partner owner of Marineland – the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and the Hawaii Health Foundation. He is a champion of the University of Florida’s Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience. He is also responsible for Marine Film Studio focused on highlighting ocean-based environmental issues.

Jacoby has purchased the former Gilman Paper Mill in St. Mary’s, Georgia, formerly among the state’s largest polluters. The renamed Cumberland Inlet aims to be a center for filming and Ecotourism, capitalizing on immaculate scenery, revitalizing this site in a harmonious relationship between nature and infrastructure. Adjacent to Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, it will be a “new city” seamlessly engaging with 18th century St. Mary’s.

Jim Jacoby continues to work on beautiful, ecologically focused, mixed-use development. He set the model for developing urban brownfield sites, encouraging environmental restoration and sustainable patterns of land use. Through his ventures in this hemisphere, he proves the viability of ecologically sensitive development and ecotourism. His work is responsible for improving not only his hometown of Atlanta but also the world.