{"692379":{"#nid":"692379","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Coding to Cabernet: An Alumnus\u2019 Journey From Corporate Tech to Startup Life","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAged oak bourbon barrels weren\u2019t something \u003Cstrong\u003EChristian\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EDoetsch\u003C\/strong\u003E imagined he\u2019d work with every day when he graduated from Georgia Tech in 2013 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science (CS).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut after more than a decade in the corporate world, Doetsch\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit led him to VinoBarrel, where he serves as vice president of technology. The startup, launched in 2022, combines software, hardware, and data to help restaurants, bars, hotels, and other venues build customer relationships through wine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company builds technology-enabled wine dispensers housed in upcycled bourbon barrels. Customers can use a key fob or an integrated tablet to access their profiles, redeem offers, and pour wine. The system enables operators to track customer activity and manage loyalty programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Doetsch, the unusual blend of tech and wine was part of the appeal when he first learned about VinoBarrel from its founder, fellow GT alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003ESeth\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003ELytle\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(IE 2003).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI saw the product at Tech Alpharetta (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/technorthatlanta.org\/\u0022\u003ETech North Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E), and I told Seth, \u2018This is awesome. It looks like you\u2019re collecting a lot of valuable data, but you don\u2019t have a platform for people to view it,\u2019\u201d said Doetsch, who grew up in Alpharetta, GA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe was impressed by Lytle\u2019s vision for the company and decided to invest. In addition to funding, he consulted for the company part-time. Earlier this year, however, Doetsch left Capital One for a full-time role at VinoBarrel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI realized I could just build this myself,\u201d he said. \u201cCorporate life is not for me. I was ready to leave Capital One and move on to a smaller business startup where I could have a bigger impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Career Built on Curiosity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoetsch\u2019s path to VinoBarrel began as a Georgia Tech CS major who interned with a software company. The internship led to a job offer after graduation. Doetsch worked for the company for 10 years as a software developer, senior developer, team lead, and ultimately a manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experience gave him more than technical skills. Working closely with the company\u2019s founder exposed Doetsch to the business side of software: how a company is built, how it grows, and what happens when an owner decides to sell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat gave me a ton of entrepreneurial insights,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoetsch left the company to start his own. He co-founded Lemony Learning, a financial literacy education company, in 2022. The platform provides resources to help K-12 teachers teach students about personal finance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe sold the company in 2024 but retains an equity stake and serves as an advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting Computing to Work in an Unexpected Industry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt VinoBarrel, Doetsch oversees the technology that powers the business. He develops the software platform that customers use to configure barrels, create loyalty clubs and coupons, and analyze sales and customer data. He is also modernizing some of the company\u2019s internal systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe barrels are manufactured locally from upcycled bourbon barrels. Inside, they contain refrigeration, kegs, plumbing, electronics, and software.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s so much left to build,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVinoBarrel is focused on expanding its customer base. In addition to new locations opening soon in Midtown Atlanta near the Georgia Tech campus, the company regularly demos at restaurants and venues across metro Atlanta, including events at Truist Park.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe company is really taking off,\u201d said Lytle. \u201cWe have several early adopters, the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center is evaluating our product, and we have a follow-up meeting with a global airport concessions operator.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur immediate goals are to gain support from high net-worth investors \u2013 ideally with restaurant or hospitality experience, continue advancing our technology, and grow our client base.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding Opportunity in Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the demands of working at a startup, Doetsch finds time to stay connected to Georgia Tech and the College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe recently mentored a student team in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/design-build-launch-new-cs-capstone-turns-students-entrepreneurs\u0022\u003Ean entrepreneurship-focused CS design capstone\u003C\/a\u003E, during which the team developed a tool to help manage and forecast AWS cloud costs. He says he enjoys working with students because it\u2019s an opportunity to share lessons he\u2019s learned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt just feels like the right thing to do. I was given a lot. I was helped by a lot of people. So, it seems like the ethically right thing to do, to come back and give back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/alumni-hub\u0022\u003ERELATED: GT Computing Alumni Hub\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also sees staying connected with fellow alumni as a practical part of building a career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting fellow computer science alumni, you might find a good partner, and you might also find a customer or an investor,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students interested in entrepreneurship, Doetsch offers a perspective shaped by his experience with startups and established companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a Georgia Tech student, you have access to immense resources and support from Tech overall and also specifically from the College of Computing,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHowever, it\u0027s up to you to be proactive in using the resources available to you. Be intentional about what you choose to pursue, because you can have anything, but you can\u0027t have everything.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter more than a decade in the corporate world, a chance presentation with a fellow Georgia Tech alumnus led \u003Cstrong\u003EChristian\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EDoetsch\u003C\/strong\u003E (CS 2013) to invest and ultimately work full-time for VinoBarrel, a startup that combines software, hardware, and data to help restaurants, bars, hotels, and other venues build customer relationships through wine.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A presentation from a fellow GT alumnus led Christian Doetsch to take a more entrepreneurial path in his career."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-09-08 14:33:36","changed_gmt":"2026-09-08 17:46:35","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681088":{"id":"681088","type":"image","title":"Alumni Christian Doetsch (left) and Seth Lytle brought their VinoBarrel demo to campus during the Tech Square Tech Hop in August.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAlumni \u003Cstrong\u003EChristian\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EDoetsch\u003C\/strong\u003E (left) and \u003Cstrong\u003ESeth\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003ELytle\u003C\/strong\u003E brought their VinoBarrel demo to campus during the Tech Square Tech Hop in August.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788888488","gmt_created":"2026-09-08 17:28:08","changed":"1788888488","gmt_changed":"2026-09-08 17:28:08","alt":"Alumni Christian Doetsch (left) and Seth Lytle brought their VinoBarrel demo to campus during the Tech Square Tech Hop in August.","file":{"fid":"265442","name":"VinoBarrel-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/08\/VinoBarrel-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/08\/VinoBarrel-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":274101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/08\/VinoBarrel-3.jpg?itok=7C_2uANT"}},"681086":{"id":"681086","type":"image","title":"A student enters her selection with VinoBarrel, which serves juice and flavored tea during all-ages product demos.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA student enters her selection with VinoBarrel, which serves juice and flavored tea during all-ages product demos.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788878817","gmt_created":"2026-09-08 14:46:57","changed":"1788878817","gmt_changed":"2026-09-08 14:46:57","alt":"A student enters her selection with VinoBarrel, which serves juice and flavored tea during all-ages product demos.","file":{"fid":"265438","name":"PXL_20260814_150326145.MP-EDIT-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/08\/PXL_20260814_150326145.MP-EDIT-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/08\/PXL_20260814_150326145.MP-EDIT-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":58201,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/08\/PXL_20260814_150326145.MP-EDIT-3.jpg?itok=wK3IUZxJ"}}},"media_ids":["681088","681086"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"596","name":"Alumni Association"},{"id":"5325","name":"Georgia Tech Alumni Association"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESr. Communications Mgr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}