“We thought it would be the most amazing place to have a Chamber of Commerce.”
That’s what Katherine Lafourcade, Executive Director of the French-American Chamber of Commerce Atlanta, said about the decision of the organization to locate its offices at Curiosity Lab five years ago. It was an important choice for the FACC Atlanta-Southeast chapter, which was founded in 1985 with the mission of fostering closer collaboration with the business community in the U.S. Southeast. According to her, it has indeed been amazing – one of the best decisions the FACC has ever made.
She added that interacting with the FACC might surprise some people who traditionally perceive chambers of commerce as old-fashioned advocates for local businesses. That’s a valuable service, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story of a chamber of commerce, especially an international one, in 2026.
“It’s not some boring club,” said Lafourcade, who has been in her role for four and half years. “What we do is dynamic and ever-evolving, and the community is much younger than people might imagine.”
She noted that a wide range of businesses and technologies combine with an appealing mix of people to make Curiosity Lab a unique environment. “There’s always something new, something changing,” she said. “There’s never a dull day here.”
The FACC’s primary mission is to help French businesses establish, grow and thrive in the U.S. generally, and the Southeast specifically. As a native of the United Kingdom with considerable experience living and working in France and French-speaking Switzerland, Lafourcade knows the importance of this firsthand and is quick to run through the FACC’s capabilities.
The organization, which boasts just over 200 members, assists both established French firms and startups with everything, effectively. That means connecting companies with various specialists, including experts in finance, marketing, and recruiting. After four decades, the FACC’s network is formidable.
The overarching goal is to ensure that firms succeed. The non-profit is one of 17 chapters of French American Chambers of Commerce in the U.S., representing over 2400 companies nationally. It is in turn a member of CCI France International, an international network of 124 French Chambers of Commerce in 95 countries, made up of more than 37,000 members globally.
Focusing on the Atlanta Metro area but covering Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, Lafourcade touted its many positives.
“If a company is considering other cities, which is potentially the case, Atlanta is a no-brainer,” she said. “We have everything here – a great community, terrific schools, wonderful access, good logistics. The list goes on and on. I get excited when I have the chance to talk to a new company because it’s very easy for me to explain why Atlanta is the place they should choose to do business.”
Lafourcade doesn’t see the FACC slowing down in any way. Her expectation is that the organization will continue to grow, leveraging its relationship with Curiosity Lab to continue helping French companies in the region while growing the community and enabling all stakeholders to thrive.
Having a footprint at Curiosity Lab has been a game-changer, she said. Not only is the physical office itself the perfect location to receive representatives from interested companies, but its other facilities can amplify the presence of entrepreneurial companies and established firms alike by providing event space, a board room, and other meeting areas.
“That’s a big advantage for a company that doesn’t have space of its own or that needs additional space,” she said.
Curiosity Lab has also made it possible for the FACC to stage its own events and to seamlessly execute them. Lafourcade pointed to regular blood drives that the FACC conducts in partnership with the American Red Cross, a particularly meaningful undertaking for her personally due to her own family’s experience with multiple transfusions for her son.
Apart from having the experience to execute at a professional level, Lafourcade noted that the Curiosity Lab also creates a high-energy environment for events.
“You can make connections quickly and find someone to take you under their wing,” she said.
As for joining the Curiosity Lab through any of the available pathways, such as partnership or deployment, Lafourcade said that the decision should not be a complicated one.
“The people here have a real can-do attitude. You should absolutely do it.”
