Bankoff Heads Effort to Develop Midtown as Regional Tech Hub

“Midtown is now the innovation center of Atlanta,” said Joe Bankoff, the new chairman of Atlanta’s Midtown Alliance.

Bankoff’s perspective on the midtown “innovation zone” draws upon his experience in the arts, business, law, technology, and his role now in higher education as chair of the Ivan Allen College Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.

“We are building strong connections among technology research, education, and entrepreneurial enterprise. Anchor businesses and infrastructure are in place. Our efforts will be to further develop those synergies with a goal of fully realizing Midtown as a hub for a work-live-play technology community.”

Bankoff joined the Midtown Alliance in 2006 while serving as president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center. Over the past two years he has chaired Midtown Alliance’s Innovation Council.  He is now one of three Georgia Tech members on the Midtown Alliance’s executive committee serving with Steve Swant, executive vice president for Georgia Tech administration and finance, and Catherine Ross, the Harry West Professor in the School of City and Regional Planning.

The Midtown Alliance has been working with Georgia Tech on several innovation projects under contracts with Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPAT) led by Beth Mynatt and Georgia Tech Chief Technology Officer, Ron Hutchins.

“Georgia Tech is now a magnet attracting talent and both new and established technology firms to Midtown. Working with Georgia Tech and its planned new Georgia Tech High Performance Computing Center, we have the opportunity to make Midtown Atlanta a national tech innovation powerhouse.”