Ross Baird is an entrepreneur and investor who is best known for finding, developing, and backing entrepreneurs and ideas overlooked and undervalued by mainstream markets. He co-founded Village Capital in 2009, and has invested in over 100 entrepreneurs in the last decade, and supported over 1,000 founders in 50 countries through affiliated programs. He is also the author of the bestselling book, The Innovation Blind Spot: Why we Back the Wrong Ideas, and What to Do About it. An Atlanta native, he also serves as a Venture Partner with Access Ventures, leading a nationwide collaborative to promote inclusive economic growth in Opportunity Zones; and also is an Innovator-in-Residence with the Kauffman Foundation.