About
ACN exists to grow Alabama’s
innovation ecosystem.

Why ACN?
Helping entrepreneurs build world class startups, and connecting them to investors and value chain partners.
Our members are angel investors, family offices, entrepreneurs, executives, and corporate partners who are equally passionate about finding and supporting enthusiastic founders with innovative ideas.
Our Board of Directors and leadership team bring world-class experience in the innovation, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership of fast-growing companies. From leading multi-billion-dollar global companies to achieving multiple exits, the leadership at ACN have performed and exceled at every role critical to the entrepreneurial journey – from founding and growing, to exiting and investing. Beyond our leadership team, our network now spans members across the country who bring a broad, yet highly specialized basket of talent and insights needed to help founders excel.
Our team
Our Staff

Hunter Custard
Director of Membership

Benzamin Choi
Chief Executive Officer

Thomas Bugg
Sr. Venture Analyst
The journey
The ACN journey

- We constantly search the state for innovators and inventors and encourage them to submit their ideas to the ACN database.
- We encourage creators of the most developed and promising concepts to pitch our network through our virtual calls hosted monthly. These calls introduce entrepreneurs to investors and channel investor feedback into actionable insights that will improve the startup’s chances of success
- We actively look for networking and connection opportunities amongst our entire universe of startups, corporate partners, and investors
- We host regular meetups and networking sessions among our members to discuss and share the best ideas we’re seeing. Members love the ability to bounce their favorite investment candidates off other members!
- Once a quarter we host a “Showcase Event” and invite 4 or 5 of our favorite startups to present to our broader membership base
- We check in regularly with our “alumni” founders and actively seek ways to continue to accelerate their success
Our FOUNDERS
Board of Directors
20+ years of experience in entrepreneurial activities including multiple exits in medical and technology
Bill Goodrich
President & COO, O’Neal Industries
Ruffner Page
45+ years investment experience starting a bank, broker/dealer, and multiple funds
Charlie Perry
20+ years of entrepreneurial experience with multiple exits to publicly traded companies
Sanjay Singh
40+ years investment experience starting a bank, broker/dealer, and multiple funds
Bill Terry
Hayley Van Antwerp

Impact Partners
Our Impact Partners are organizations that seek to make a significant contribution to growing Alabama’s ecosystem.
Your partnership not only affords your employees opportunities to participate as ACN members, but it also is an excellent way to show the community your commitment to economic development and innovation. Click on the button below to learn more about Impact Partnership













Our Brain Trust
Advisory Board

David Bowsher
Balch & Bingham

Hafiz Chandiwala
Coca-Cola Bottling
Company United

James Childs
Maynard Cooper

Paavo Hanninen
Alabama SBDC

Key Hudson
Regions

Chris King
Bank Independent

Mark Manderson
Blue Cross & Blue Shield

April Mason
Burr & Foreman

Kathy Nugent
UAB

Andy Robison
Bradley Arant

John Smola
Alabama Power
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS
ACN supports Alabama’s most promising innovators through our member network of entrepreneurs, investors, advisors, service providers, and corporations.
What They’re Saying About Us
