ATLANTA – Oct. 15, 2025 –
The Technology Executives Roundtable (TER), an organization of more than 120 Georgia technology leaders, will honor Allyson Eman, CEO of Venture Atlanta Conference, with the 2025 John Imlay Leadership Award. The ceremony will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at SCAD.
The John Imlay Leadership Award recognizes and celebrates those who have shown exceptional leadership on behalf of the Georgia high-tech community. It is named in honor of the late John Imlay, Jr., former chairman of Imlay Investments, who is credited with helping create two of Atlanta’s biggest tech industries — software and internet security.
Eman has been a driving force behind Venture Atlanta since 2007, when she joined as Executive Director and partnered with founding organizations, including Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta CEO Council, and the Technology Association of Georgia. Under her leadership, the conference has evolved from a modest, Georgia-only event into a powerhouse platform spanning the Southeast. In 2020, she was promoted to CEO, and Venture Atlanta is now one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious venture capital conferences.
To date, Venture Atlanta has helped launch 930 companies and raise $8 billion in funding, also spinning out $20 billion in successful exits. The conference’s alumni include Bark, CallRail, Car360, Clearleap, Flock Safety, Florence, HealthSnap, ParkMobile, Rigor, Roadie, Salesloft, Stax, Terminus, and many others.
“Like John Imlay, Allyson has spent her career building bridges that fuel growth, innovation, and community,” said John Wichmann, TER president. “Her leadership at Venture Atlanta has not only transformed the Southeast into a national hub for technology investment but also inspired the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.”
Before leading Venture Atlanta, Eman served as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, at SouthStar Funding, helping the company scale from 8 employees to a nationwide presence with 30 offices. She is also deeply committed to fostering inclusion and supporting female founders. Eman has served on the boards of several organizations, including Startup Atlanta, Hands on Atlanta, and the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance. She has also frequently moderated panels with ecosystem organizations, such as Atlanta Tech Village, ATDC, and Tech Alpharetta.
“Receiving this award is both an honor and a deeply personal milestone for me,” said Eman. “For 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of watching Atlanta’s tech ecosystem transform into one of the most dynamic innovation hubs in the country.”
“That’s why being recognized with an award named after John Imlay is especially humbling. John didn’t just invest in companies—he invested in people and in Atlanta’s future. His legacy continues through Venture Atlanta, where we remain committed to supporting and investing in tech founders who are driving the Southeast’s incredible growth.”
Past recipients of the John Imlay Leadership Award are:
For more information about the Technology Executives Roundtable (TER), visit www.ter-atlanta.com/
About Technology Executives Roundtable
Technology Executives Roundtable (TER) is an association for Georgia technology executives that provides CEOs, CFOs and general managers with the ability to maximize the value of companies through the exchange of top ideas, candid talk and a forum to share what is working, what is not and best practices to unlock business value. Monthly meetings feature speakers and panels of local and national experts covering topics such as strategic alliances, crisis management, non-conventional financing, M&A, intellectual property protection and other issues of interest to senior executives on company growth. For more information, vvisit www.ter-atlanta.com/