In 2019, Food Well Alliance and Westside Future Fund partnered to purchase and revitalize 970 Jefferson St. NW, the historic site of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Bill Bolling and John Ahmann played pivotal roles in making this acquisition a reality, turning a shared vision into a success. The two organizations collaborate on managing the […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inHistoric Westside
March Summit Recap: Empowering Communities — The Revitalization of Phillis Wheatley YWCA with YWCA of Greater Atlanta
At the March 21 Transform Westside Summit, the spirit of Women’s History Month was front and center as we gathered to honor the powerful legacy of women on Atlanta’s Historic Westside—and look ahead to the future being built through collective action, community voice and collaboration. Westside Future Fund (WFF) President & CEO John Ahmann and co-host Ebony Ford, a […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
Honoring the Women of the Westside: Pillars of Progress, Legacy, and Leadership
Atlanta’s historic Westside has been home to generations of remarkable women whose courage, vision, and love for their neighborhoods have helped shape the city as we know it. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re taking a moment to recognize the incredible women whose stories have shaped Vine City, English Avenue, and the communities beyond. […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
Finding Home on the Westside: The Story of Rodrick Collier
For Rodrick Collier, becoming a homeowner through Westside Future Fund’s Home on the Westside program is more than a milestone—it’s a transformative experience rooted in legacy, location, and love for community. A firefighter by profession and community advocate at heart, Rodrick has deep ties to Atlanta’s Westside. In fact, he once served this very neighborhood through his […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Celebrating Women: ‘A Seat at the Table’ with Rosalyn Merrick and Terri Lee
The journey to the CEO seat for women in leadership is often shaped by unique perspectives rooted in faith, childhood experiences and big ideas. In this candid conversation, Atlanta Habitat CEO Rosalyn Merrick and Atlanta Housing CEO Terri Lee reflect on what motivates them as leaders who are dedicated to ensuring affordable housing options in […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
YWCA Greater Atlanta: Leading Change for Women and Families in Atlanta
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, there is no better time to reflect on the incredible work under way at YWCA Greater Atlanta under the leadership of President and CEO Danita V. Knight. With a mission focused on eliminating racism and empowering women, girls, and their families, YWCA Greater Atlanta is transforming lives and paving the […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
How to Celebrate Native Plant Month
April is National Native Plant Month as annually proclaimed by Congress through Senate and House resolutions to recognize the benefits of native plants to the environment and economy of the United States. Every year, sponsors must reintroduce the resolutions. While having this recognition is excellent, why not make it permanent? Here in Georgia, that just […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Make Your Organization a Best Place for Working Parents® Georgia
GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is pleased to partner with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on a new initiative that promotes family-friendly practices in workplaces and honors the Georgia employers who embrace them. The Best Place for Working Parents® Georgia is a designation achieved through an easy online self-assessment. Employers who make […]
Posted inHigher Education
Emory recognized as top producer of student Fulbright winners
For the ninth consecutive year, Emory University is one of the top producers of recipients of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the government’s flagship international exchange initiative. Emory University has again earned the distinction as one of the country’s top producers of students selected for the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Awards. A total of 177 Emory students […]
Posted inSmall Business
How the Community Business Development Program is Strengthening Georgia’s Small Businesses
The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), which has been serving Georgia’s business community for five decades, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2025. What originated as a supplier diversity initiative to give Atlanta’s minority business community a legitimate seat at the table in corporate supply chains, has evolved into so much more over the […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Celebrating Women: Althea Broughton, First Woman to Serve as General Counsel for Atlanta Habitat Board of Directors
Learn more about Althea’s impact on affordable housing in Atlanta as we celebrate Women’s History Month. What inspired you to practice law? I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since elementary school, but not in the Perry Mason way. My childhood sheroes were lawyers like Barbara Jordan, Patricia Roberts Harris and Constance Baker Motley. Inspired by […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Maternal and Child Health: A Critical Public Health Priority
By Stacey Koehnke, MedShare CEO & Executive Director Maternal and child health is a cornerstone of public health, reflecting the overall health and well-being of a community. Unfortunately, current maternal and child health outcomes around the world, while improving, still reveal significant challenges and disparities that require urgent attention and action. MedShare has a long […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Community reaction to Park Pride Grant makes a great headline: “This is real now.”
By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager Home, community, resilience, a place to dream – these are just a few words that neighbors use to describe Four Corners Park. Four Corners Park is a nearly five-acre park nestled in Atlanta’s Peoplestown neighborhood. The park is home to the Rick McDevitt Youth Center, […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
The Business Case for Solving Homelessness in Atlanta
Homelessness isn’t just a humanitarian issue; it’s an economic one. When people lose housing, businesses lose employees, healthcare costs rise, and public services are strained. The cost of inaction is high, but investing in housing strengthens Atlanta’s economy. At Hope Atlanta, we see this firsthand every day. It’s the father working two jobs who still […]
Posted inHigher Education
Four Emory students selected for internship with legendary producer Jermaine Dupri and So So Def
Four Emory University undergraduate students have been selected for a remarkable internship opportunity with Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri and his iconic record label, So So Def. Initially planning to select only two interns, Dupri expanded the opportunity after recognizing the outstanding talent among the applicants, ultimately choosing Ella Ferguson, Luccas Perez, David Qiu and Emmett Roth […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
The Uphill Battle: Nonprofits Fighting to Keep Our Neighbors Housed
Nonprofits working to end homelessness face an uphill battle every day. Even in the best of times, the road to stable housing is filled with obstacles—rising housing costs, limited funding, and growing demand for services. Now, with the looming threat of a government shutdown, the challenge is even greater. For thousands of Atlantans who rely […]
Posted inSmall Business
The GMSDC Celebrates Women’s History Month: Honoring Women Who Shape the Past and Future
The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) is celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2025…50 years of facilitating business partnerships and stimulating the economy of the Great State of Georgia. What began in 1975 as the Atlanta Regional Minority Purchasing Council – the brainchild of a bold handful of Georgia corporations who saw economic equity as […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
970 Partner Spotlight: Atlanta Beltline Partnership – Connecting Communities and Expanding Opportunity
In 2019, Food Well Alliance and Westside Future Fund partnered to purchase and revitalize 970 Jefferson St. NW, the historic site of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Bill Bolling and John Ahmann played pivotal roles in making this acquisition a reality, turning a shared vision into a success. The two organizations collaborate on managing the […]
Posted inSmall Business
We Know What to Do—Now Let’s Do It
I recently addressed a room full of business owners and corporate decision-makers at a Welcome to Georgia reception to kick off the national supplier diversity conference in Atlanta. My challenge to the group was a simple question with broad implications for the future. When I first asked, “What Will You Do?”, it was a call […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
160 Years Later: The Promise of the Freedman’s Bank Lives On
160 years ago, America made a promise. On March 3, 1865, in the final days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and Congress established the Freedman’s Savings Bank—a radical idea at the time. The vision was simple but powerful: economic freedom must accompany personal freedom. For the first time in American history, formerly enslaved men […]
