Atlanta, GA
How the Dutch Connection Helped Atlanta Woo a Global Software Company – Global Atlanta
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Hypepotamus. It is published on Global Atlanta as part of our content partnership with the Southeast’s top source for innovation news. Sign up for Hypepotamus newsletters here.
To learn more about the Dutch connection to Atlanta and the role of the Netherlands Consulate General in Atlanta, join Global Atlanta Nov. 4 for the next edition of our Consular Conversations luncheon series, this time hosted by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
When Dutch software engineering and IT consultancy Xebia sought to establish a U.S. headquarters, they had their pick of prime locations.
With 28 offices around the globe, cities like New York, Seattle or San Francisco could have been the obvious choices from a tech talent pool perspective. However, as Xebia’s COO, Sandeep Makwana, shared with Hypepotamus, Atlanta emerged as the standout option for several compelling reasons.
Yes, it was attractive to be close to the world’s busiest airport and one of the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies. It was helpful that Atlanta had a strong university system to help recruit top artificial intelligence and generative AI talent. And it was helpful that one of Xebia’s biggest clients was already located in Atlanta. But above other competing cities, Atlanta had something unique: A strong tie with the company’s home country.
The Netherlands and Atlanta share strong connections, and the country is the 8th largest export market for the State of Georgia. The city even played host to the Dutch Royal Family this summer as a sign of growing economic and cultural ties between the two places.
So the Dutch company has set up shop in Buckhead and is in expansion mode.
Xebia Building Community In Atlanta
The company’s leadership executives are spread out across the world (with Makwana sitting in Austin, Texas), but a growing number of them are located in Atlanta. That is strategic as the company looks to grow its Atlanta office, which is currently around 70 people.
“Our raw material is people,” Makwana added. “From a leadership and administrative perspective, you’ll see more and more [people] in Atlanta.”

Beyond local hiring (open positions listed here), Xebia has been working hard to integrate into Atlanta’s technology community. And to them, that means brining a bit of the Netherlands to the streets of Atlanta.
Since biking is a way of life in the Netherlands, Xebia launched its Bikes and Trikes initiative this fall. The company’s goal is to build more than 100 bicycles and tricycles for Atlanta-area school children by the end of 2024. The goal is to “foster community engagement, empower underserved families, and create opportunities for elementary-aged students,” according to a company statement.
“Our Bikes & Trikes initiative reflects Xebia’s belief in the power of community,” added Makwana. “We understand that as we continue to innovate in technology, we must also innovate in how we contribute to society. Building these bikes for children in need shows that we care deeply about the future of Atlanta. We are proud to work alongside our partners and customers to bring joy and opportunity to these families.”
“Our raw material is people.”
SANDEEP MAKWANA
From the archive:
Atlanta, GA
Man shot at Atlanta convenience store overnight, police say
ATLANTA – Atlanta police are investigating an overnight shooting that left a man injured.
What we know:
According to authorities, the man was shot at a convenience store before driving with at least two other people in the car to a fire station on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway to seek help.
Officers said the victim was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. His condition has not been released.
What’s next:
Police have not identified a suspect, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Atlanta, GA
19-year-old arrested in Atlanta convenience store murder
Police investigate a deadly shooting at 8 Cleveland Avenue SW in Atlanta on March 19, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
ATLANTA – A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the shooting death of a man outside a Glenrose Heights neighborhood convenience store last month in southwest Atlanta.
What we know:
Najai Swain was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault (two counts), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, he was booked into the Fulton County Jail after being arrested Thursday at a business near the intersection of Jonesboro Road and Forest Parkway.
Police investigate a deadly shooting at 8 Cleveland Avenue SW in Atlanta on March 19, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
The backstory:
The shooting happened around 7:20 p.m. on March 19 near the corner of Cleveland Avenue SE and Macon Drive SW, in front of the 24/7 Food Mart.
Atlanta Police say responding officers found a man down on the sidewalk with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police investigate a deadly shooting at 8 Cleveland Avenue SW in Atlanta on March 19, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
What we don’t know:
Police have not released a motive for the shooting or indicated if Swain and the victim were known to one another.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the name of the deceased man, pending notification of next of kin.
Police investigate a deadly shooting at 8 Cleveland Avenue SW in Atlanta on March 19, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Authorities have not confirmed if the firearm used in the incident was recovered.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Police Department and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.
Atlanta, GA
Cobb Antique Mall gives shoppers ‘egg-stra’ incentive to visit this weekend
Treasure hunting at Cobb Antique Mall
Good Day Atlanta’s Paul Milliken visits Cobb Antique Mall in Cobb County, which has multiple booths with a variety of offerings for treasure hunters.
MARIETTA, Ga. – We love going treasure hunting here at Good Day Atlanta — and if you do, too, we have an “egg-cellent” suggestion for Easter weekend!
Cobb Antique Mall is one of metro Atlanta’s most popular spots for treasure-hunting, featuring 46,000 square feet of vintage goods including clothes, jewelry, furniture, art, collectibles, and more.
The mall reopened last April following a makeover project, and owner Tracey Weber says vendors have seen record-setting sales in the year since. Weber and her sisters purchased Cobb Antique Mall back in 2010, growing the business to more than a hundred vendors and moving it to Marietta’s Piedmont Village in 2018. In the past year, Weber says strong interest in vintage fashion has led to a new vintage clothing section; she also says the retro gaming and sports collectibles markets are especially robust right now, and well-represented inside Cobb Antique Mall.
Regular Good Day Atlanta viewers will remember our visit last April (watch here), during which time we helped the owners and vendors celebrate the grand reopening by hiding prize-filled eggs in several booths. Well, the egg hunt was such a big hit with shoppers that it’s happening again this Easter weekend…and yes, a certain feature reporter was once again drafted to come lend a helping hand in planting those eggs around the store! This morning on Good Day, we helped hide five of the ten eggs (filled with gift cards valued at $25 to $100) for shoppers to hunt for on Saturday! Saturday, by the way, is the mall’s “Spring Eggs-Stravaganza,” and will also feature a sidewalk sale and donut truck onsite.
Cobb Antique Mall is located at 2800 Canton Road in Marietta, in the Piedmont Village Shopping Center. Regular hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and Noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information on the mall, click here. And for a sneak peek at where at least one of those eggs is hidden, click the video player in this article!
The Source: This is a FOX 5 Atlanta original report.
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