First Meeting: August 11Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta’s community for buying and building businesses.

Monthly meetups for operators, searchers, and the ETA-curious. Second Tuesday. No pitch decks. Just real conversations.

Free to join. We'll only email you about upcoming meetups.

WhenSecond Tuesdayevery month
WhereSandy Springs, GAMutation Brewing
CostFreealways
Upcoming

Next Meetup

August11Tuesday

Inaugural Meetup

6:00 PM — Doors open. Formal content at 7. Wraps by 9.
Open to all — beginners welcome. Free to attend.
Second Tuesday of every month

Networking, a buyer spotlight, an expert speaker, and more networking. Grab a drink and meet the people building Atlanta's ETA community.

Then on the calendar
Sep8
Monthly MeetupTuesday, September 8
Oct13
Monthly MeetupTuesday, October 13
What to Expect

Practical education meets real community.

Every meetup follows the same format: arrive, network, hear from a featured speaker, ask questions, and keep the conversation going.

Learn

Hear from operators who've done it — SBA lenders, M&A attorneys, and founders who bought their first business.

Connect

Meet people at every stage — from first-time searchers to experienced acquirers and the professionals who support them.

Build

Turn conversations into action. Find accountability partners, deal flow, and a network that compounds over time.

Who It's For

Built for people who do the work.

This is for you if…

  • You're curious about buying a business
  • You're actively searching for an acquisition
  • You've already acquired and want to connect with peers
  • You're an M&A professional who serves this market
  • You're a lender, attorney, or broker in the ETA ecosystem

This might not be your thing if…

  • You want to pitch your services to a captive audience
  • You're looking for a get-rich-quick community
  • You prefer theory over practice
How It Works

Three steps. Zero friction.

01

Sign up

Drop your email and we'll notify you when the next meetup is confirmed.

02

Show up

Second Tuesday, every month. Mutation Brewing, Sandy Springs. Walk in, grab a drink, and introduce yourself.

03

Stay connected

Build relationships that turn into deal flow, partnerships, and accountability.

House Rules

How we show up.

We take the community part seriously. These norms keep the room valuable for everyone.

No hard sells.

This is a community, not a sales floor.

Respect what's shared.

Conversations here stay here.

Help more than you ask.

Generosity is the currency.

Beginners welcome.

Everyone started somewhere.

About

Why Atlanta needs this.

Aerial view of downtown Atlanta skyline

There are 20+ ETA meetup groups across the country — in Denver, Charlotte, Austin, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and beyond. Atlanta, the largest metro in the Southeast, doesn't have one yet.

ETATL exists to change that. We're building a space where people interested in buying, operating, and growing small businesses can learn from each other, connect with the professionals who make deals happen, and find the kind of community that turns ambition into action.

No pitch decks. No gatekeeping. Just a room full of people who believe that owning and operating a business is one of the best paths to building lasting wealth and impact.

Daniel Giles

Daniel Giles

Organizer

Founder of VerSquare — the trust infrastructure for Small Business M&A. Yale MBA. Former searcher. Atlanta local. Starting this group because it didn't exist. And it should.

FAQ

Common questions.

What does ETA stand for?
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition — the practice of buying an existing business rather than starting one from scratch. It's a growing movement backed by MBA programs at Stanford, Harvard, Booth, and many others.
Do I need experience to attend?
Not at all. Our meetups welcome everyone from the purely curious to experienced operators. The whole point is to learn together. If you're interested in business ownership, you belong here.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Meetups are free to attend. We plan to cover food and drinks through sponsors. You just need to show up.
What's the format?
Doors open at 6 PM for networking. Formal content starts at 7 — a Buyer Spotlight (someone who's actually bought a business sharing their experience), followed by an Expert Speaker going deep on one topic. Q&A and open networking continue until 9 PM.
Where do you meet?
Mutation Brewing in Sandy Springs (5825 Roswell Rd NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328). We meet in the Speakeasy room — a semi-private space that's great for networking and a speaker. Just off 285, with parking available on-site.
How often do you meet?
Monthly, on the second Tuesday. Doors open at 6 PM, formal content runs 7–8, and networking continues until 9.
Is this affiliated with a specific company?
No. ETATL is a community-first group, not a front for any business or service provider. Sponsors help cover costs but don't run the programming. Our speakers are chosen for their value to members, not their sponsorship dollars.
How can I get involved beyond attending?
We're looking for speakers, sponsors, and people who want to help build this community. Reach out through the notification signup and mention how you'd like to help — we'll be in touch.
Join Us

Join us August 11th.

Mutation Brewing, Sandy Springs. Doors at 6 PM. Sign up and we'll send you a reminder before each meetup. No spam — just announcements.