AMA spent the evening with TiE Atlanta for a packed monthly meeting focused on the AI tech stack and the decisions founders, operators, and investors are weighing as the tooling landscape shifts week to week.

Build, buy, or wait?

The headline panel — moderated by Gopal Narasimhan (CDTO, Hope Credit Union) with panelists Rahul Saxena (Director, Georgia Tech CREATE-X) and Matt Sanchez (Founder, Hivemindd) — worked through the framework that matters most right now: when to build core AI capability in-house, when to buy from the ecosystem, and when to wait for the dust to settle. The conversation cut through the hype to the practical questions teams actually face — data ownership, integration cost, talent depth, and the speed at which a competitive moat erodes.

Experts on the AI frontier

Natalie Hogg, CEO of Method Q, shared the expert's view on putting AI to work inside services businesses — where the wins come from disciplined workflow design and measurable outcomes, not model selection. TiE Atlanta President Neeti Dewan set the tone for the evening with the chapter's mission of connecting, investing in, and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs across the Southeast.

Why Atlanta, why now

Atlanta continues to punch above its weight as an AI and mobility hub — anchored by Georgia Tech, a deep enterprise customer base, and a tight founder community that shows up for each other. AMA was there to listen, connect, and bring back the signal from the room to the OEMs, suppliers, and technology companies we advise.

If you're building in AI, mobility, or at the intersection of the two — in Atlanta or anywhere else — we'd be glad to compare notes.