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Operation HOPE and U.S. Comptroller of the Currency hold bus tour & roundtable discussion on revitalizing neighborhoods, CRA Reform in Atlanta

By John Hope Bryant This past Friday, Operation HOPE partnered with the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting and his team for a Bankers Bus Tour through several neighborhoods in Atlanta. The main focus was on the proposed updating and revision of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The act encourages banks to lend money to help revitalize neighborhoods through investments, lending, […]

Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader

Bringing the Arts to our Nation’s Heroes

By Courtney Blount, The Home Depot Foundation Deep-rooted culture. It is one of the many similarities between The Home Depot and its beloved hometown, Atlanta. That’s why when it came time for the home improvement retailer to connect with its hometown in another meaningful way, they merged two of its Foundation’s passions (serving veterans and […]

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Growing Old With Your Money

By Anita Ward, President Operation HOPE My parents, like many other Americans, relied primarily on Social Security for their retirement income.   They were raised when the country was still reeling from the Great Depression and money was not a topic for a family discussion.  They were unprepared and unaware, and they were not alone.   […]

Posted inArts & Culture Seen, Thought Leader

Opera for young audiences: Inspiring the next generation of arts lovers

By: Jessica Kiger, Audience Development & Education Manager, The Atlanta OperaThere’s nothing quite like the roar of thousands of cheering teenagers, but they weren’t at a Friday night football game – instead, it was a Friday afternoon at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, where 1,600 students attended the final dress rehearsal of The Atlanta Opera’s […]

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Magical Lessons Learned in Music

by Kaitlin Gress, Manager of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and Interim Director of Education at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra “Ahh, music! A magic beyond all we do here!” Albus Dumbledore (and J.K. Rowling) understood the fundamental importance of it. In my short time as a music educator, I have witnessed many magical aspects of […]

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Art Does Make You Smart

A new study validates arts education programming By Alvin Townley Supporters of the Woodruff Arts Center invest generously to provide arts education programming to nearly 200,000 students and children each year. Yellow school buses constantly encircle the Center’s midtown campus as they bring students from 150 of the 159 counties in Georgia to experience the […]

Posted inFinancial Inclusion, Thought Leader, Uncategorized

HUMPTY DUMPTY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

By Anita Ward, President Operation HOPE, Inc. A new era for small business emerged a few years ago and most aspiring entrepreneurs missed it.  Still reeling from a decade during which the U.S. experienced a dramatic 36% drop in new start-ups, many prognosticators and small business owners alike were caught unaware and unprepared.   The […]

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HOPE Global Forum: Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator

Power-packed with propelling inspiration and meaningful collaborative work, 150 participants will access coaching, industry influencers, tools and resources, a business pitch, and networking. The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator targets the best and brightest innovators, change agents and creators from across the country. Collectively, these women will transform their communities and, by extension, the larger economy through […]

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The Slogans of Management

Photo above: Members of the Synchronicity Staff. From left to right – Rachel May Producing Artistic Director, Emma Calabrese Development Director, Maddie Mahood Marketing Manager, Celise Kalke Managing Director and Ashley Earles-Bennet Social Content Director. Celise Kalke, Managing Director, Synchronicity Theatre www.synchrotheatre.com This summer I made a career pivot from work within the literary world […]

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Featured Speakers for the 2019 HOPE Global Forum

HOPE Global Forums | 2019 Annual Meeting May 29 – 31 | Hyatt Regency | Atlanta, GA The 2019 HOPE Global Forum is quickly approaching. This year’s theme is A Pathway to Prosperity: Building an Inclusive Economy. Featuring a diverse group of industry leaders, HGF offers a unique environment to discuss future trends in economic policy, share […]

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Atlanta’s young “digitized” culture matters

By Loli Lucaciu, Marketing Manager at The Woodruff Arts Center “You matter – your thoughts and feelings matter!” Iyanla Vanzant, an American inspirational speaker, lawyer and teacher, was shouting at me on my way to work this morning. While I’m no Iyanla Vanzant speaking on Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations, I second her fired-up statement, especially as […]