DIG SOUTH provides the contacts, content and capital opportunities companies need to succeed in the South.
Our Story
In 2011, Stanfield Gray attended the AdAge Digital Conference in NYC. Connecting with tech executives and experts from Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston and other major tech hubs, he left inspired but frustrated that the same opportunities to work at the highest levels in digital technology and other creative industries were scarce in the South.
Why should the region’s top talent continue to leave the region? If someone chooses to go, fine. Could be a smart move. But what if the best and brightest today could stay, launch, grow and scale a global tech company HQ’d in the South? Michael Dell, Ted Turner, Ben Chestnut and Tim Sweeney have already proven the concept. Driven to build a stronger digital economy for the region and, more specifically, his two young kids, Gray and his wife, Sunny, founded DIG SOUTH, the first Tech Summit dedicated specifically to elevating the American South’s digital economy and building opportunities for the next generation of exceptional founders and tech talent.
Officially, DIG SOUTH was born on July 4, 2012. Bootstrapping, the DIG Team rallied the community behind the idea and launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise a small seed fund to launch DIG SOUTH. Held April 12–14, 2013, at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC, the first DIG SOUTH Tech Summit drew 454 paid attendees with more than a thousand guests passing through the DIG Trade Show, nightly Shindigs, Space Walk and other free events. The Summit grew considerably each year, experimenting with NFT galleries, Bitcoin ATM machines, pitch events, hackathons, demo days and other programs.
To date, DIG SOUTH has welcomed more than 12,000 attendees and 1000 speakers from the world’s leading brands, including Oracle, Salesforce, IBM, Instagram, Facebook, Jet, Casper, BuzzFeed, Twitter, Re/Code, WSJ, The New York Times, Forbes, Adobe and many more plus the South’s hottest companies, including Red Hat, Roadie, Kabbage, Blackbaud, Terminus, Benefitfocus, CNN, Coca-Cola, BoomTown, Atlanta Hawks and many more. Visit DIG SOUTH Tech Summit for details.
Founders
Dig the FAQs
DIG SOUTH is the South’s Tech Hub. We focus on emerging technology, business growth, digital marketing and culture, publishing the best of what’s happening across the region. DIG SOUTH produces DIG SOUTH Tech Summit, DIG NATION Executive Events, South Pod, and supports the DIG NATION Member Community.
DIG SOUTH Tech Summit is the South’s Tech Summit. Created by DIG SOUTH Media, DIG SOUTH Tech Summit curates 50+ executive-level speakers from leading global brands, fast-growth startups and the media – plus top investors. DIG SOUTH Tech Summit welcomes annually thousands of attendees to Charleston, the world’s top destination and a culinary mecca.
The next DIG SOUTH Tech Summit will be held April 26-27, 2023 at College of Charleston TD Arena and other stunning locations across the Charleston Peninsula.
Over the last eight years, DIG SOUTH has welcomed more than 10,000 attendees and 1000 speakers from the world’s leading brands, including Oracle, Hubspot, Bonobos, Instagram, Facebook, Jet, Casper, BuzzFeed, IBM, Twitter, Re/Code, WSJ, The New York Times, Forbes, Adobe and many more plus the South’s hottest companies, including Roadie, Terminus, Blackbaud, Red Hat, Benefitfocus, CNN, Coca-Cola, BoomTown, Atlatl and many more. Visit DIG SOUTH Tech Summit for details.
DIG NATION is the South’s Tech Tribe powered by DIG SOUTH. DIG NATION provides the contacts, content and capital opportunities members need to succeed in the South. Visit dignation.co for benefits and details. Join today and receive a free badge to DIG SOUTH Tech Summit!
Contact Sunny Gray at (843) 478-1167; or, stanfield@digsouth.com.
Send questions and suggestions to info@digsouth.com and we’ll connect you to the best DIG Team member.
Not by a long shot. DIG SOUTH is global and NOT exclusive to the South. We believe that the best way to promote innovation across the region is to invite global brands and experts to connect, collaborate and do business with leading brands and startups based in the South. It’s a global economy and we engage in the global conversation on innovation.
DIG SOUTH is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, tech membership company based in the South and focused on innovation across industries, mediums, platforms and disciplines. We believe that innovators based in the South should have a homegrown, regional community focused on telling their stories and amplifying innovation in emerging technology, business growth, digital marketing, culture and more.
Innovation is how we improve our lives through new ideas, methods and devices paired with an optimistic outlook. We call it the “Innovation Mindset.” Got a problem or challenge? Let’s solve it together. Today. Now. You get the picture.
