gener8tor Launches Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator Under New Leadership of Keena Pierre

ATLANTA, GA – gener8tor and Pinnacle Financial Partners have launched the Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator, a new 12-week venture-backed program investing $100,000 into each of five metro Atlanta fintech startups. The inaugural cohort will receive capital, mentorship, and access to a national network of investors and advisors.

The accelerator is led by newly appointed Managing Director Keena Pierre, a startup ecosystem builder and operator passionate about democratizing access to capital and opportunity.

“I’m beyond excited to kick off this inaugural program with five dynamic Atlanta based fintech companies,” said Keena Pierre, Managing Director of Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator. “Atlanta is Fintech! With over 70% of US payment transactions going through Atlanta, we are ‘Transaction Alley.’ We’re building more than an accelerator; we’re building a pipeline for fintech innovation in Atlanta and beyond. The South has something to say, and this cohort proves it!”

The selected startups span fintech and adjacent sectors, and are all based in the Atlanta metro area:

• Billseye –A mobile billing app that lets service professionals instantly charge for client calls by adding a “blue button” to the phone screen.
• Blended – A financial platform that helps divorced and single-parent families automate, track, and settle shared expenses with less conflict and more clarity.
• Guala – A social point-of-sale and merchant wallet that helps micro-sellers accept payments, build customer profiles, and grow their businesses from hustle to scale.
• LUXE AI – An AI-powered personal concierge that helps high-end consumers unlock personalized travel, dining, and lifestyle rewards from their credit cards.
• Pagarva Inc. – A mobile point-of-sale platform helping immigrant-led micro-businesses accept any payment, access instant payouts, and manage taxes all in one multilingual app.

The program is made possible through a partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners and Tarkenton and operates out of the PEER Center. The PEER Center is a community-focused space in Atlanta designed to improve economic equity and expand access to opportunity. The PEER Center offers financial education, coaching, personal financial planning, affordable homeownership support, and small business development resources for underserved individuals and families.

Over the next 12 weeks, founders will receive individualized coaching, mentorship-driven programming, and over $1M in deals and perks, culminating in a public Showcase event this winter.

“Pinnacle is proud to support this program as a way to fuel homegrown innovation and uplift the communities we serve,” said Susan Godbee, Financial Advisor at Pinnacle Financial Partners. “We’re investing in the people and ideas that are shaping the future of financial services.”

“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of America,” said Fran Tarkenton, founder and CEO of Tarkenton. “Supporting them has been the mission of my life, and this is a great opportunity to champion some of the most innovative people and companies right here in our backyard of Atlanta.”

The Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator received more than 80 applications from the Atlanta metro area for the program’s first cohort. The five selected companies were chosen based on their growth potential and investor readiness.

At the end of the Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator program, the cohort will present at a public showcase event in January, where they will pitch to investors, community leaders, and ecosystem partners. Event details to follow.

Founders, mentors, or partners interested in connecting with the program can visit gener8tor.com/investment-accelerators/pinnacle-atlanta-innovation or reach out to keena.pierre@gener8tor.com.

Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator Fall 2025 Cohort

Alcide Honore
CEO and Co-Founder
alcide@billseye.com
(678) 596-7013

Billseye transforms the way service professionals bill for their time by embedding a third “blue button” on the phone screen that instantly activates billing for client calls. Instead of manually tracking time, users tap blue to bill, green for personal, and Billseye handles the rest.

The platform powers fast, frictionless payments through a companion app that gives clients visibility and control. Professionals eliminate billing disputes, accelerate revenue collection, and monetize mobile expertise with zero administrative overhead. With over 30,000 organic downloads, 5,000 active users, two issued patents, and backing from Google, Billseye redefines how service-based businesses earn on the go.

Arnab Khan
CEO and Co-Founder
arnab@blended.app
(678) 320-8145

Blended simplifies co-parenting finances by automating how divorced and single-parent families manage shared finances. Parents itemize costs per their divorce agreement, send invoices, track reimbursements in real time, and resolve disputes with on-demand mediation all in one intuitive app.

The platform reduces legal bills, stress, and miscommunication, while building a community of support. With a scalable subscription model and access to a $20B+ market, Blended aims to set the new standard for modern family finance.

Nyah Chapman
CEO and Founder
ceonyah@luxelistmedia.com
(404) 693-6621

LUXE AI transforms how affluent consumers engage with their credit card rewards by delivering hyper-personalized recommendations across travel, dining, and experiences — showing not just where to go, but the smartest way to unlock value. Users link their credit cards and loyalty programs, and LUXE AI’s conversational concierge turns fragmented benefits into seamless lifestyle upgrades.

Built by luxury media veteran Nyah Chapman, the platform blends AI-powered personalization with deep rewards intelligence to turn everyday decisions into curated lifestyle upgrades. With 100,000+ newsletter subscribers, a growing waitlist, and $29K in pre-sold subscriptions, LuxeAI is redefining lifestyle intelligence for the next generation of affluent consumers.

Austin Evans
CEO and Founder
Austin@gualaapp.com
(678) 663-6351

Guala helps micro-sellers turn conversations into commerce with a social point-of-sale platform built for the informal economy. Sellers accept payments through a single QR code, instantly generate receipts, and use AI to convert transactions into repeatable customer insights.

The platform monetizes via a recurring subscription model, payment fees, and optional add-ons like instant payouts and capital access. Backed by strong early demand and a defensible merchant–buyer data graph, Guala is building the financial OS for 100M+ overlooked micro-sellers across the U.S. and beyond.

Caetano Nobre
CEO and Founder
cn@pagarva.com
(678) 490-1348

Pagarva builds the operating system every micro-business can run on. Its mobile-first platform enables merchants to accept cards, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, PIX, and more from a single app with no hardware or extra setup, in person or remotely, delivering instant bank payouts in a fully multilingual interface. By consolidating all transactions into one hub powered by an AI-native assistant, Pagarva delivers real-time visibility owners have never had. Initially targeting the $600B generated by 6.6M immigrant-owned businesses in America, the company grew processed volume 5x during its pilot program with zero churn. With 95% of U.S. businesses falling into this category, Pagarva is set to become the unified financial infrastructure for this massive underserved market

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About gener8tor

gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.

About Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator

The Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator invests $100,000 into each of five high-growth startups per cohort in fintech and adjacent sectors. The 12-week program is based in the PEER Center in Atlanta, and includes 1:1 coaching, mentorship-driven programming, $1M+ in deals and perks, and 100+ connections to the gener8tor network of mentors and investors.

About Pinnacle Financial Partners

Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2025 deposit data from the FDIC. Pinnacle is No. 9 on FORTUNE magazine’s 2025 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S., its ninth consecutive appearance and was recognized by American Banker as one of America’s Best Banks to Work For 12 years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets in 2024.

The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $54.8 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025.  As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in several primarily urban markets across the Southeast.

Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.

About Tarkenton

Tarkenton is a full-service B2B technology strategy and solutions firm helping small and mid-market businesses grow and thrive in a digital-first world. Founded by NFL Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton, the company brings decades of experience in business innovation, delivering practical, results-driven technology through brands like pipIQ and a portfolio of other Tarkenton Companies.

About Keena Pierre
Keena Pierre is the Managing Director of the Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator. She brings deep experience in early-stage venture, startup operations, and program design. A champion of inclusive innovation, Keena has spent her career helping founders access capital, mentorship, and scalable growth. A nurse turned investor, she brings care and intentionality to finding and nurturing the best and brightest startups in overlooked markets.