Badia Ahad will serve as Emory University’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, beginning a two-year term on Nov. 1. Ahad is currently dean of Emory’s Oxford College, a position she has held since 2023. “Dean Ahad has been an extraordinary member of our community,” says Interim Emory University President Leah Ward […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inPoverty & Equity
From Crisis to Stability: Hope Atlanta’s Field Report on Preventing and Ending Homelessness
Calls to Hope Atlanta’s office have skyrocketed, climbing from 3,000 to more than 15,000 each month. Behind every one of those calls is a story: a mother sleeping in her car with her children, a senior struggling to afford rent, or a young person facing an eviction notice. At Hope Atlanta, we believe homelessness is […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
October Summit Recap: Connected on the Westside — Building Pathways to Parks, Jobs, and Opportunity Without Displacement
The October 17 Transform Westside Summit explored the theme “Connected on the Westside: Building Pathways to Parks, Jobs, and Opportunity Without Displacement,” bringing together leaders and partners shaping equitable growth across Atlanta’s historic Westside. Hosted by John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund, the Summit featured leading voices Clyde Higgs, President & CEO of the Atlanta Beltline, […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
“How Are You Future Proofing?”
By John Hope Bryant The world is changing faster than ever, but that’s not something to fear.It’s something to prepare for and, ultimately, to leverage. That’s what this year’s HOPE Global Forums Annual Meeting, taking place December 1–3 in Atlanta, is all about. Our theme for 2025 is Future Proofing: preparing individuals, families, and communities […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Dr. F. Marc LaForce: A Life of Discovery, Innovation and Generosity
The career of F. Marc LaForce, MD began in 1965 with an assignment to the United States Public Health Service at the Communicable Disease Center—now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—in Atlanta, GA. Dr. LaForce’s public health career has spanned multiple continents and changed countless lives. In his senior year of high school, […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
When You Invest in Student Parents, You’re Also Paving the Way for their Young Children
By Erica Stephens and Jessica Woltjen I’m in college. It’s a simple statement that evokes images of football Saturdays and all-nighters for finals, pennants and parties, fun and freedom. But nearly one in five (3.1 million) undergraduate students in the United States are also parents, and for them, post-secondary education looks different. In GEEARS’ latest […]
Posted inHigher Education
Georgia State Expanding Its Summerhill Sports Complex
As Georgia State works to transform its downtown footprint with its ambitious “College Town Downtown” projects — an array of efforts to create and recreate vibrant, people-centric spaces for faculty, staff, students and neighbors that define and animate the Georgia State experience — it’s simultaneously transforming an area south of Interstate 20 into a three-sport […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
Turning off the Tap
If a tap breaks, we don’t stand by as water floods the floor—we turn it off at the source. Yet when it comes to homelessness, our systems often do the opposite: we focus almost entirely on emergency response after the flood has already occurred. Shelters, emergency rooms, and law enforcement are essential, but they are […]
Posted inHigher Education
Avant South Fuels Atlanta’s Growing Tech Ecosystem
While honoring Atlanta’s legacy as a crossroads of the South, this year, Avant South will explore innovation and growth through the lens of transportation. In its third year as a conference exploring Atlanta’s potential as a top tech and entrepreneurship hub, Avant South joins forces with Atlanta Tech Week to present a two-day showcase of […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
New Literacy Microcredential Launches in Partnership with KSU, Learn4Life, and Atlanta Speech School
Kennesaw State University (KSU), the Atlanta Speech School, and Learn4Life are proud to announce the launch of the Impactful Read Alouds in Early Literacy Microcredential, a first-of-its-kind professional learning opportunity designed to strengthen early literacy in Georgia communities. This new microcredential empowers families, civic leaders, volunteers, and community members with practical tools to foster a […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Passing the baton to the next class of Atlanta city leaders: What will be your greenspace legacy?
By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager It’s that time again — election season in the city. This November, the Atlanta City Council President and all City Council seats are reopening (in addition to other positions, including Mayor, School Board, Municipal Court Judges, and Public Service Commission). This year, three city leaders […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Building Financial Resilience: Atlanta Beltline and Bank of America Partner for Economic Empowerment
Atlanta faces some of the highest income inequality in the nation, with median household incomes showing stark disparities across communities. This October, as we observe National Financial Planning Month, the Atlanta Beltline is celebrating by expanding our commitment to community empowerment beyond trails, parks and housing. In partnership with Bank of America, we’re launching workshops […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Owning the Future — Capital + Code
By John Hope Bryant The headlines have been heavy. Tragedies, killings, and rising tension weigh on our nation’s spirit. It would be easy to lose faith in the Dream. But as my friend Michael Milken said for years, intelligence is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not. When people get coaching, dignity, and access to capital, ladders […]
Posted inSmall Business
GMSDC Celebrates 50 Years at Spirit of Alliance Awards, Launches GrowForward Campaign
The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) marked a major milestone Friday evening, celebrating its 50th anniversary during the annual Spirit of Alliance Awards at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The event honored companies and individuals who are advancing supplier inclusion and helping shape Georgia’s economy. “For fifty years, GMSDC has turned supplier inclusion into results […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Why Conservationists Should Care about Housing
When we think of land and water conservation, housing might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But it should be. Because how—and where—we house people is one of the most important environmental decisions we make. In cities and towns across the country, the lack of affordable housing near job centers and public […]
Posted inHigher Education
Emory will be tuition-free for students whose families earn $200,000 or less
Students whose families earn $200,000 or less will attend Emory University tuition-free starting in fall 2026. This transformative scholarship, Emory Advantage Plus, represents a significant expansion of the university’s financial aid program and continues Emory’s longstanding commitment to support talented students by making a preeminent education more attainable. All new and returning domestic undergraduate students who […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Service Before Self
On 400 acres of scenic farmland in Fayetteville, Georgia, there is an inspiring organization dedicated to serving youth and veterans called Camp Southern Ground. Founded by GRAMMY award-winning artist Zac Brown, Camp Southern Ground offers residential summer camp experience for kids aged 7 to 17, and workforce and wellness transition programs to help veterans transition to […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Bird-Safe Buildings: Small Changes, Big Impact
By Adam Betuel, Birds Georgia Twice each year, billions of birds take on the incredible journey of migration. Migrating primarily at night, the birds use our setting sun and stars as their guide, making occasional stops along the way to rest and refuel. The journey is long and difficult, and, in recent years, a threat […]
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
The Power of Partnership: Bridging the Gap in Healthcare Access Through Public/Private Collaboration
In today’s volatile healthcare environment, access to quality care is at even greater risk—especially for the most vulnerable among us. Charitable healthcare providers across the U.S. are under intense pressure: facing funding cuts, uncertainty around Medicaid distributions, and surging demand from patients in crisis. As these providers fight to do more with less, organizations like […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Legacy in Full Color: YWCA Greater Atlanta’s New Mural Honors the Past, Inspires the Future
On September 4, YWCA Greater Atlanta hosted a powerful evening of reflection and celebration at its North Highland Avenue headquarters, unveiling Legacy in Full Color—a new mural honoring more than a century of women who have shaped both the association’s history and Atlanta’s civic life. Created by Atlanta muralist Lacey Longino, the artwork is a […]
