Black History Month has long served as a time to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and leadership that shaped our nation. In Georgia, that history is inseparable from economic progress. While marches and legislation reshaped the social and political landscape, another transformation was unfolding quietly but powerfully: Black entrepreneurs were building institutions, creating jobs, and […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Honoring The Legacy of Health Hero Dr. Bill Foege, Who Championed Health for All
The world lost a visionary champion of health with the passing of William (Bill) Foege, MD, MPH, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health pioneer whose groundbreaking work was instrumental in eradicating smallpox. Over a career of more than 60 years, Dr. Foege dedicated himself to public health, […]
Posted inHigher Education
Georgia State University insights could shape next generation of GLP-1 treatments
Soaring in popularity, GLP-1 medications — from weekly injections to newly available pills — are rapidly reshaping how Americans think about weight loss. In fact, a recent poll finds 1 in 8 adults are now taking medications like Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss or chronic conditions, and use is expected to keep rising. As researchers continue to […]
Posted inSmall Business
Black History Month and the Small Business Growth Imperative in Georgia
Black History Month is often framed through culture, leadership, and social progress. In the business community, it also provides a practical opportunity to examine economic participation, small business growth, and market access. For Georgia’s economy, the conversation is not only about recognition. It is about expansion of opportunity through enterprise. Small businesses remain one of […]
Posted inHigher Education
Atlanta Roots Guide Georgia Tech Provost in Pursuit of Global Innovation
Growing up less than 5 miles from Georgia Tech’s campus, Raheem Beyah didn’t know how the Institute would shape his career, nor did he imagine that he would one day — as provost — shape Georgia Tech’s role as a leader in the Atlanta community and around the world. An Atlanta Public School (APS) system graduate, Beyah credits his teachers and the principals at Frederick Douglass High School for placing him on the path that […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Parks, Resilience, and the Power of Coming Together — All at Park Pride’s Parks & Greenspace Conference
By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager Picture this: Over 500 park experts, leaders, and advocates coming together for a day of learning, sharing best practices, and making connections to strengthen our parks and the neighborhoods they serve — all with the backdrop of a sea of vibrant tulips in full bloom. […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
A Day in One Advocate’s Life at GEEARS’ Strolling Thunder
To prepare for one of our biggest events of the year—Strolling Thunder at the Georgia State Capitol—we at GEEARS put a lot of energy into defining what this day is all about. But Strolling Thunder is also a very stimulating adventure for young children and their parents. As GEEARS’ Executive Director, Mindy Binderman, recently noted, […]
Posted inSmall Business
Advancing Economic Inclusion Through Measurement and Market Participation
As Georgia’s business community observes Black History Month, reflection turns to progress, legacy, and leadership. For business and civic leaders, reflection should also include measurable outcomes in economic participation and opportunity. That requires clarity about the difference between internal workforce access and opportunity practices and marketplace strategies such as supplier development and small business inclusion […]
Posted inHigher Education
$10 million Lilly Endowment Grant to transform lay ministerial education
Emory University has received a grant of $10 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help transform the education of lay ministers. Based at Emory’s Candler School of Theology, the grant will further develop the school’s La Mesa Academy for Theological Studies and build a strong, sustainable network of institutions dedicated to the theological education of lay ministers. […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
A Century Later, Georgia’s Birds Still Need Us
By Adam Betuel, Executive Director, Birds Georgia On a warm July evening in 1926, more than 400 Purple Martins roosted in shade trees along Capitol Avenue – making a pit stop in Atlanta during their annual fall migration. But the birds’ presence wasn’t welcome by all. Neighbors complained of noise and unsanitary conditions. Police officers […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
What Corporate Leadership Looks Like When It’s Done Right
Strong communities do not happen by accident. They are built through shared responsibility, practical problem-solving, and leaders who step forward when challenges grow more complex. In Atlanta, one of the clearest examples of this kind of leadership can be found in the partnership between QuikTrip and Hope Atlanta. Recognizing that community stability, safety, and well-being […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Child Care Is Infrastructure: Why Atlanta’s Economic Future Depends on Early Learning
By Danita V. Knight, President & CEO, YWCA Greater Atlanta When we talk about infrastructure in Atlanta, we usually think about roads, transit, and utilities — the systems that keep our economy moving. Rarely do we talk about childcare. But the reality is this: childcare is foundational economic infrastructure — and without it, Atlanta’s workforce, […]
Posted inHigher Education
Art and Tech Take Flight at Atlanta’s Airport
Georgia Tech has launched a bold exhibition at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: Transport | Transform |Transcend: Innovations in Materials and Movements. On view in Terminal T North through November 2026, the exhibition showcases the groundbreaking work of researchers merging science, technology, and design to reimagine traditional notions of movement, materiality, and meaning. Curated by Birney Robert, curator and strategist […]
Posted inHigher Education
Emory earns national recognition for community engagement and partnerships
Emory University has received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the American Council on Education and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Emory is one of 237 U.S. colleges and universities so honored this year, according to the foundation. Emory also received Community Engagement Classification in 2015 and in 2006, when it was among the […]
Posted inSmall Business
Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy Through Economic Empowerment
By Stacey Key, CEO & President, Georgia Business Council As we commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that his vision extended far beyond civil rights. It encompassed economic justice, equity, and opportunity for all. Honoring that vision means continuing the work of removing barriers that prevent full […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Dream Forward: Honoring Dr. King by Advancing the American Dream
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream was never only moral. It was also deeply economic. Dr. King understood that dignity requires access: access to education, to capital, to opportunity, and to the tools needed to build a secure future. Freedom without economic footing is fragile. Justice without inclusion is incomplete. Last week, that spirit came […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Turning Lessons into Action In Rwanda
When Rwanda’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in September 2024, alarm spread quickly, both within the country and across the globe. Clinically similar to Ebola, MVD has, in past outbreaks, claimed the lives of up to 88 percent of those infected. Though the virus was first identified […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
John Hope Bryant Anchors King Day Week with National Leadership Dialogues and Keynote Appearances
As communities across the nation prepare to honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, will lead a series of high-impact engagements this week, convening leaders across generations, institutions, and sectors around the unfinished work of economic dignity and democratic participation. […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
GEEARS Brings a Packed, Holistic Policy Agenda to this Legislative Session
Georgia’s 2026 Legislative Session begins today. It’s a 40-day marathon for advocacy organizations like GEEARS—a chance to double down on our “asks” as bills that impact Georgia’s youngest children make their way through committees, debates, Crossover Day, and hopefully, to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. We’ll approach this session, as we do […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Designing for resilience is no longer optional, and parks play a crucial role
By Teri Nye, Park Pride’s Director of Park Visioning For Gena Wirth, designing for resilience isn’t a nice-to-have or a cherry on top — it’s a necessity. Gena is Design Principal & Partner at SCAPE Studio, a landscape architecture and urban design studio based in New York that focuses on new ways to knit nature […]
