TiE Atlanta Celebrates Year’s
Successes at 2009 Gala
Bernie Marcus receives TiE
Atlanta’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award
ATLANTA (September 29, 2009)– TiE Atlanta marked its eleventh
anniversary on September 26 at a sold-out gala celebrating the
successes and honoring the accomplishments of Atlanta’s
entrepreneurial business community. Held at the Georgia
Aquarium, the evening event included networking, entertainment
and a keynote address delivered by Bernie Marcus, co-founder of
The Home Depot and one of Atlanta most highly regarded business
leaders.
Marcus was also the recipient of TiE Atlanta’s prestigious
Lifetime Achievement Award, given in recognition for his
numerous contributions as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.
His keynote address was on the topic of “Full-Circle
Entrepreneurship – Living your Dream and Giving Back,” which was
also the gala’s theme.
Born to Russian Jewish immigrants and growing up in the
tenements of New Jersey, Marcus went on to a successful business
career, culminating in the creation of The Home Depot, which
became a $50 billion retail chain in just over two decades. At
The Home Depot, Marcus was known not only for his business
acumen but also for creating a culture of customer satisfaction
and service. Also, to repay employees for their dedication,
associates at The Home Depot were rewarded with stock options.
Former secretaries and sales personnel who never reached the
management level are millionaires today because of purchase
plans and stock options they received when they started working
for the company – demonstrating its strong commitment to its
workforce. “The success of our company created 4,000
millionaires,” Marcus has said.
Marcus’s vision and driving energy have also set the pace for
The Marcus Foundation, which today is seeking solutions to some
of society’s most pressing challenges. At the TiE event, Marcus
challenged the audience of entrepreneurs to value their
professional success based on their ability to give back to the
community, instead of the size and number of deals on their
resumes.
The venue for the 2009 TiE Gala had special meaning, since
Marcus and his wife, Billi, gifted the $250 million Georgia
Aquarium to the community as a sign of their gratitude in 2003.
Other entrepreneurs were honored at the gala alongside Marcus. A
judging panel chose finalists from a record number of
nominations that were received this year from Atlanta’s
entrepreneurial community. Award recipients at the 2009 Tie Gala
included:
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Top Up-and-Coming Entrepreneur
Srinivas Kilambi, CEO of Sriya Innovations, Inc |
Most Significant Deal of the Year
Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi, Founder and CTO of Suniva
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Entrepreneur of the Year
Robin Raina, CEO of Ebix, Inc |
Anil Khatod, President of TiE Atlanta, served as the evening’s
host. Khatod recognized the contributions of the TiE Atlanta
Executive Team, as well as other individuals and organizations
that have shared their talents and resources with TiE over the
year. TiE members currently lead more than 100 companies in
Atlanta, have invented many products and services, raised
millions in venture funding and created numerous significant
exits. The Atlanta chapter currently has 52 highly successful
entrepreneurs as mentors and more than 400 members.
Suren Dutia, CEO TiE Global, flew in from California to be part
of the celebration. He congratulated President Anil Khatod and
President-Elect C.N. Madhusudan and the TiE Atlanta team on the
chapter’s eleventh anniversary. He noted that the chapter had a
strong track record of fostering entrepreneurship and
innovation, thanks to a thriving member base, a quality group of
charter members and top speakers at TiE events.
Dutia also took pride in the fact that TiE has become an
outstanding organization in the sixteen years since its
inception. Most of the action remains at the local level, where
each chapter focuses on fostering entrepreneurs and providing a
platform for networking, mentoring and education. TiE global
remains an umbrella organization supporting the 53 TiE chapters
in 12 countries.
The gala began with renditions of the American and Indian
national anthems by Dr. Aarti Pandya, a respected physician and
professional trained singer. The evening’s entertainment
included “Raga meets Rhythm” performed by the Kruti Dance
Academy, Entanglement - an acrobatic circus performance right in
the ballroom, and “Bulldawg Da Raaj” bhangra dance performed by
University of Georgia students. Houston based entrepreneur and
movie producer, CEO of Excalibur Pictures, Ashok Rao, was the
emcee for the evening.
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TiE (The IndUS Entrepreneurs) is a global, not-for-profit,
non-political, and non-religious organization dedicated to
fostering entrepreneurs across its international network
sponsored by top venture capital firms, and Fortune 500
corporations; spread across 53 chapters in 12 countries
comprising 2,500 experienced entrepreneurs and business
executives as charter members, 11,000 aspiring entrepreneurs and
professionals as members. TiE has grown to become the world’s
largest non-profit organization for entrepreneurs.
Now in its eleventh year, TiE Atlanta has made significant
contributions to the growth of entrepreneurship in the metro
area, with its members running more than 60 successful public
and private companies with a market capitalization of over $1
billion. The annual TiE Atlanta Gala is the culminating event
that celebrates the year’s successes and milestones.
www.atlanta.tie.org.
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