What is Startup Riot?

Startup Riot is entrepreneur and innovator Sanjay Parekh's latest attempt at jump-starting the startup culture and tech community in the Atlanta area. In essence it's a networking event focused around startup pitches to an audience comprised of recent grads looking for jobs, people involved in technology with other companies and investors as well as other startups.

By now you can probably come up with a fancy xkcd-like diagram in your head about how this should all meld together. Startups pitch everyone, people involved in technology with other companies can serve as early adopter customers to relevant startups, job seekers can find interesting local startups to work for and investors can buy us lunch meet intriguing startups looking for funding (theoretically).

The details are just coming out of the woodwork but there is now a date: Monday, May 19th, 2008 from 9am - 5pm at the Twelve Hotel in Atlantic Station. Better yet, there is actually a keynote speaker! Even better, I've actually heard of him before - Drew Curtis, the founder of Fark.

Registration just opened so if you're local, please consider attending. I should be able to finagle a way out of my 2 or 3 summer courses that day and help pitch Skribit. I haven't been this amped about an Atlanta tech event since Startup Weekend.

Does your city have any events like this?