In-Person Event

AI Is the New Co-Founder: What Separates Breakout Startups in 2026

Hear Mercedes Bankston (Loyal VC) on how AI is redefining winning startups in 2026

Date

May 12, 2026

Time

05:30 pm - 07:30 pm

Address

Scofflaw Brewery @ The Works , 214 Chattahoochee Row, Atlanta, Georgia

Timezone

What separates the founders who break through from those who don't? In 2026, the answer increasingly comes down to one thing: how well you harness AI. Join us for an intimate evening conversation with Mercedes Bankston, a venture partner at one of the world's most active VC firms, Loyal VC, and a director at Silicon Valley Founder Institute. Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, with over 8,900 alumni companies, more than $2 billion in funding raised, and chapters in 200+ cities across 100 countries. Mercedes has spent over 15 years obsessing over one question: what truly makes a founder succeed? She sold her first company at 22, has invested in thousands of startups, and has a plethora of advice for you.

In this candid, no-fluff session, we will explore:

- How AI is compressing the timeline from idea to funded startup — and what that means for *you* right now

- The playbook Mercedes uses to build AI-native companies at global scale

- Why the next wave of billion-dollar startups will be built by founders who treat AI as a co-founder, not just a tool

- How the venture ecosystem is being rewired — and how to position yourself to raise in this new era

- The traits and frameworks that separate founders who survive from those who thrive

**This isn't a panel. This isn't a pitch fest.** It's a rare, off-the-record conversation with one of the most connected ecosystem builders in the world — designed for entrepreneurs who are serious about building something that matters.

Seats arelimited. Come thrsty — for beer, and for the insights that could change the trajectory of your startup.

For more information about the investors, accelerators, incubators, and tech events available in Atlanta, see our list of Startup Resources.