A tech startup that originated in Coastal Georgia, GAGE, is poised to expand its reach to both Atlanta and Dallas. GAGE is a web platform engineered to allow service workers to easily showcase their credentials and skills to potential employers. The company has already initiated a pilot program in Dallas and will soon be expanding to Atlanta, a prominent tech hub that represents a natural progression for the company.
Justin Henshaw, a serial entrepreneur based in Brunswick, founded GAGE to serve the needs of workers at several of his own restaurants. “It started as a spreadsheet, an algorithm with a scoring component,” said Henshaw, a Marine veteran who now serves as GAGE’s CEO. “The employees liked it and said they wished they could take it with them. … So, I built a platform they’re able to take with them from job to job and replace the resume. That’s never been done before.”
The tech industry took notice of GAGE, and the company was selected as one of 12 early startups to participate in Techstars Accelerators, a three-month program designed to help entrepreneurs secure seed capital and identify markets for their products. “GAGE is a truly transformative concept with massive potential,” Keith Camhi, Techstars’ managing director, told The Brunswick News. “Unlike many disruptive platforms that require significant funding and large user bases before they can monetize, GAGE has developed a uniquely clever go-to-market strategy. … It’s a game-changer.”
GAGE’s expansion beyond Coastal Georgia began with a pilot program in multiple Smoothie King locations in Dallas. Atlanta is the next major step in the company’s strategic plan. “Techstars has an incredible presence in Atlanta,” Henshaw stated.
Following the completion of the Techstars program, GAGE is preparing to launch an improved version of the platform in the spring, a second-generation product tailored for hourly and shift workers, a segment often underserved by existing platforms that primarily cater to white-collar executives. “This was built for restaurants, but we’re in banking now and health care … multiple industries that employ entry-level work staff,” Henshaw explained. “If this goes the way we hope, it really could be an impactful resource for the most underserved component of our workforce.”
