By 2024, diet and nutrition apps had reached a global market value of $2.1 billion, with an anticipated value of $4.5 billion by 2030. Most of these apps now include AI-powered photo recognition as a standard feature. But can they accurately understand what people eat under real-world conditions? And can they provide the detailed nutritional […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Wealth Whispers: Why ‘Quiet’ May Be the Most Valuable Asset You Can Own
I recorded a recent episode of Money and Wealth from Maui, in the middle of the night, with the Pacific Ocean in the background, and what struck me was the quiet. Not empty, not lonely. Simply quiet. It reminded me of an observation I made that went viral. Go into many wealthy neighborhoods, and they’re remarkably quiet. […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
What I did this summer: Park Pride Summer Interns lean into the Power of Parks!
By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager At Park Pride, we strive to inspire the next generation to get involved with parks and pursue careers in the greenspace sector. That’s why we were thrilled to welcome four summer interns to our Park Visioning and Community Building teams, including Prashanti Pathak (Visioning), Shreya […]
Posted inSustainable Communities
Building Community Through Banking: Invest for Better Launches in Atlanta
While conversations about community development often focus on affordable housing, education, or public policy, one of the most powerful — and often overlooked — tools is where we choose to bank. That was the focus of a recent gathering at Remerge Atlanta, where more than 30 women celebrated the Atlanta launch of Invest for Better […]
Posted inSmall Business
Federal Policy Shifts and the Georgia Business Owner: What You Should Be Watching
Washington may feel far removed from running a business in Georgia, but federal policy decisions are increasingly showing up in taxes, contracting opportunities, workforce decisions and the cost of doing business. For business owners, the issue isn’t following every political debate. It’s knowing which changes could affect the company. The federal tax law enacted in […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
Intentional Investments: Truist’s Commitment to Affordable Housing in Atlanta
Atlanta is one of Truist’s most important markets and home to thousands of its employees. Over the last few years, Atlanta residents and visitors have witnessed the growing presence of Truist in the city. From downtown Atlanta’s Truist Plaza to the home of our beloved Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, the name has quickly become […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Meet Juanita: Atlanta Just Built an AI Coach for Everybody’s Mother
Last fall, in this column, I wrote that artificial intelligence isn’t coming. It’s here, and likely here to stay. I said then that the moment we’re in demands that people replace their fears of AI, founded and unfounded alike, with focus. This month, from our headquarters here in Atlanta, Operation HOPE turned that focus into […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
From acquisition to opening day: What it takes to turn private land into public park
By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager What does it take to create a public park? The City of Atlanta has bolstered its parks inventory in recent years with acquisitions like Red’s Farm Preserve, Tatum Lakes and the Lucinda Bunnen property. The benefits of these properties are immense — providing access to […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Checking the Spread: Working Together to Stop the Ebola Outbreak
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to fight an Ebola outbreak that was first spotted in May, posing a significant health threat across five eastern provinces in Africa’s second largest country as well as throughout the region. Though DRC has seen Ebola outbreaks before—this is the 17th confirmed outbreak in […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
What Does It Take to Prepare a Young Person for the Real World?
By Libby Saylor Wright, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta What does it mean to prepare a young person for the real world? It is a question I have been thinking about since joining Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA). The answer is bigger than academic achievement, keeping a […]
Posted inHigher Education
Georgia State Mathematician Completes Degree in One Year
By André Walker Ivanna Poliashenko (B.S. ’26) remembers the exact night her plan came together. She pulled up the mathematics degree requirements at Georgia State University and realized her high school Advanced Placement scores already covered a sizable chunk of her core classes. By early morning, she plotted a path to finish a four-year math degree in 14 months. “I got excited and spent half the night […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
Work In Progress: How Atlanta was Rising Before the World Cup
For the first half of this year, the FIFA World Cup was the most anticipated global event of the year. In Atlanta, the spotlight was especially bright. Our past shortcoming became the point of comparison, and many watched to see how we’d care for our own neighbors before welcoming visitors from across the globe. Fortunately, […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
The Quiet Education Crisis – Lack of Public Will
By Dr. Ken Zeff, Executive Director, Learn4Life Though schools in metro Atlanta educate hundreds of thousands of students, employ tens of thousands of adults, and invest billions annually, it is becoming apparent we are becoming a region that does recognize education as a priority. The percentage of Atlantans who said education is the biggest problem […]
Posted inSmall Business
Small Business Opportunity Week Returns to Connect Georgia Businesses with Growth Opportunities
Georgia’s small businesses will take center stage September 21-25 as the state recognizes Small Business Opportunity Week, a week of programming designed to connect entrepreneurs and growing companies with corporate leaders, decision-makers and new business opportunities. Governor Brian Kemp has officially proclaimed September 21-25, 2026, as Small Business Opportunity Week in Georgia, with local counties […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Your Ticket to Our Annual Luncheon is an Investment in Georgia’s Youngest Children
By Kristin Bernhard, GEEARS CEO GEEARS’ beloved Annual Luncheon happens a bit earlier than usual this year, on September 17th. It probably won’t feel like fall yet, and we’ll be about six weeks shy of the November election. And yet, I know we’ll all be feeling the excitement, and urgency, of the change on the […]
Posted inHigher Education
Record Fundraising Accelerates Georgia Tech’s Investments in Students and Innovation
For the second consecutive year, Georgia Tech set a new fundraising record. The Institute raised more than $415 million in fiscal year 2026, exceeding the previous annual record by more than $100 million and pushing Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech past the $2 billion mark with 18 months remaining. The record-breaking effort will enable the continued expansion of need-based scholarship programs; the transformation of campus […]
Posted inSmall Business
Real Estate, Infrastructure and the Georgia Business Boom: Who’s Benefiting?
Georgia’s economic growth continues to create opportunity across the state. Industrial facilities are rising along major transportation corridors, corporate campuses are expanding, and communities are investing in development-ready sites, roads, ports and other infrastructure. The Georgia Department of Economic Development reported that during fiscal year 2025, the state supported 423 new locations and expansions representing […]
Posted inCommitment to Community
Three Ways Middle Market Companies Can Build a Competitive Advantage in the Second Half of 2026
While some companies were challenged by uncertain geopolitical and economic forces in the first half of 2026, informed executives remained agile, making key decisions in real time. Strong leaders are focused on three priorities that will help inform their strategic vision in the second half of the year. Deploy AI now and prepare for what […]
Posted inHigher Education
James Nagy appointed dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences for 2026-27 academic year
James Nagy, the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics at Emory, has been appointed as dean of the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, effective Aug. 10, 2026, for a one-year term. Nagy, a longtime Emory College faculty member and leader, will provide continuity and momentum through the coming academic […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Digital Skills Open Doors. Adaptability Keeps Them Open.
By Sooraya Williams, YWCA Greater Atlanta We often talk about preparing people for the future of work as if the challenge is teaching the latest technology. I believe it’s something different. The real challenge is preparing people to keep learning long after today’s technology has changed. Every few years, we’re reminded that the world of […]
