By Charles Redding, CEO & President By now everyone has watched in horror while wildfires devastated the city of Lahaina, Hawaii. By all accounts, the wildfires are the deadliest in U.S. history. At least 114 people have been confirmed dead, and officials estimate that more than 1,000 could still be unaccounted for. This is a […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inMoney Matters
When It Comes to Financial Planning, AI Is No Match for Professional Guidance
Middle-income Americans are largely uninterested in using AI for financial tasks. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes prevalent in any number of industries and applications, middle-income Americans are making it clear that when it comes to financial guidance they want to talk to a professional — not a machine. Only 29% of respondents in Primerica’s Financial Security […]
Posted inWorkforce Development
Black Business Month Wrap Up
As National Black Business Month comes to a close, Goodwill of North Georgia recognizes the success stories of participants of the GoodBIZ program. The GoodBIZ Program equips participants with the necessary tools to establish and enhance their small business ventures. Wesley Chenoweth, a graduate of the GoodBIZ program, successfully improved his company Grizzly Delivery, LLC, […]
Posted inHigher Education
Emory selected by new federal agency as first recipient of funding to drive groundbreaking health research
President Joe Biden has announced that a new federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has selected Emory University as the inaugural recipient of funding to support transformative breakthroughs in health research. The three-year, $24.8 million cooperative agreement from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) will drive the development of a cutting-edge […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Creating a sustainable pathway to entrepreneurship: The Simple Vue Academy’s vision for empowering students in metro Atlanta
By Nandi Edouard, founder and CEO, The Simple Vue Academy There is an urgent case to be made that we must intervene in young people’s lives and provide them with innovative educational experiences that prepare them for real-world challenges they may face after high school. As a native of Cobb County, I’ve seen families in […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Seeing the forest through the trees: Urban forests as repositories of Biodiversity, but only if we manage them as such
By Andrew White, Director of Park Visioning – Park Pride It has been well established that the tree canopy in Atlanta needs to be protected, and there is a lot of public dialogue and discourse in protecting our City in the Forest. That being said, my recent travels to other parts of the state make […]
Posted inMoney Matters
No [Economic] Index Measures Middle-Income Americans’ Purchasing Power, so Primerica Created One.
The monthly Primerica Household Budget Index™ (HBI™) shines a light on how the economy impacts families’ bottom lines. The key to developing any financial budget is knowing not only how much money you have coming in but how much you plan to spend in any given month. For middle-income families, however, the volatility in the […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Communities in Schools of Atlanta preps hundreds of Clayton County high school students for success
Through their College & Career Readiness Program, CIS of Atlanta provides necessary supports to high-need juniors and seniors as they prepare for graduation. Although Clayton County’s population accounts for just 6% of Greater Atlanta’s population, they account for 10% of opportunity youth — people between the ages of 16 and 19 who are neither in […]
Posted inViews From Peachtree
Montreal: A Public Realm Built for Joy
By Jim Durrett, President of Buckhead Coalition and Executive Director of Buckhead Community Improvement District, and Michael Halicki, Executive Director of Park Pride Festivals. Public art. Walkable and bikeable streets. Night-time LED illumination. A highly valued public realm. People are out and about like you wouldn’t believe! As one of my fellow LINK participants remarked, […]
Posted inWorkforce Development
Goodwill Celebrates Black Business Month
August is National Black Business Month, a time to recognize and support Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs across the county. The annual celebration was created in 2004. According to Lending Tree, Atlanta has the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses at 7.4% across the 50 metros in the U.S. A critical point in the report highlighted that […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
A Healthy Child is a “School-Ready” Child
August is back to school month for us Georgians. It’s also National Immunization Awareness Month. Most pediatricians would tell you that this is an optimal pairing; that parents should plan for their kids’ vaccinations as intentionally as they stock up on shiny new sneakers and fresh crayon boxes. “In order for children to be ready […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta announces pilot program to lift student debt
By Community Foundation staff When students across Georgia start class next week, they’ll accumulate more than knowledge; many of them will also accumulate debt. Americans collectively owe an estimated $1.75 trillion in student debt. Georgians owe an average of $40,268 per person in student loans—higher than the national average. Collectively, Georgians collectively owe $66 billion […]
Posted inWorkforce Development
National Thrifting Day
Goodwill of North Georgia is celebrating National Thrifting Day with an in-store DJ, giveaway and donation drive at its Piedmont store on Thursday, Aug. 17. National Thrift Shop Day aims to support local thrift shops, raising awareness for charitable organizations. Thrift shops aim to help and serve the most vulnerable in communities and give back […]
Posted inViews From Peachtree
Doggy Con Returns to Downtown Atlanta August 26
For over thirty years, Dragon Con has drawn thousands of visitors to Downtown Atlanta on Labor Day weekend. Atlantans looking to kick off the festivities a little early can head to Doggy Con, a “pup-culture” celebration featuring dog-centric vendors, pet portraits, and a costume contest with drool-worthy prizes. Doggy Con takes place Saturday, August 26th […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Atlanta Business Chronicle Lists Operation HOPE on 2023 Fastest Growing Companies in Atlanta List
Operation HOPE, the nation’s leading nonprofit in financial literacy and economic inclusion, announced today that they have again been listed on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Fastest Growing Companies Pacesetters list. Moving up to #42 on the list, Operation HOPE is the only nonprofit listed among 100 private companies in Atlanta in sectors ranging from business and healthcare […]
Posted inHigher Education
Emory students get their hands dirty in the name of climate research
From Georgia to Maine and points in between, Emory University environmental scientist Debjani Sihi got her hands dirty this summer in an effort to see how soil might help battle climate change. As a biogeochemist, Sihi is leading multiple projects to learn how soil can trap or emit carbon and other greenhouse gases in locations […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Creating safe places to practice and play for youth athletes through CPR education
The American Heart Association urges youth sports coaches, parents, and student athletes to know how to help in an emergency—on and off the field According to the National Museum of Archives, the power of sports has many applications. Sports unite people, teach values, and inspire hope and pride.1 Nonetheless, sports also have a way of amplifying voices […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
July Summit Recap: Fireside Chat with WFF’s Board Chair-Elect T. Dallas Smith
Community members and business leaders convened at The Gathering Spot July 21 for the Transform Westside Summit. The program began with a moving devotion from Reverend Winston Taylor, legacy Westside resident local preacher, and founder of The Beloved Community Inc. Taylor also owns the historic St. Mark AME Church, which he plans to make a community […]
Posted inWorkforce Development
Goodwill of North Georgia & First Step Staffing Open House
On August 3, Goodwill of North Georgia and First Step Staffing (FSS) announced their new joint venture at the Old National Career Center. The venture, First Step Staffing powered by Goodwill, will offer job training and life services to underrepresented individuals in the workforce. The primary focus will be on prioritizing equity and inclusion while […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Atlanta teens wow with innovative ideas at STEMUp celebration
Funded by the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s STEMUp program, three students from schools in the Greater Atlanta area built prototypes of unique STEM-related applications to better their communities. In March, middle and high school students competed in a “Shark Tank”-style STEMUp contest, explaining their ideas to a panel of judges from Cox Enterprises with […]
