Ross Kimbel helped build and run Coca-Cola Founders, pairing entrepreneurs with Coca-Cola's global reach, and has carried that same open innovation focus through roles at Kids II, Be Curious Partners, WeWork Labs, and now Silicon Road, often taking four to six months to invest so he can watch how founders set and meet expectations, and he's upfront that venture capital isn't the right fit for every company. He also has a clear take on being founder-friendly, saying it means acting in a founder's best interest even when that requires tough love, and he consistently makes the case that Atlanta itself, with its retailers, payment infrastructure, logistics, and university talent, should be a natural hub for commerce-focused startups.