Westside Future Fund (WFF) is preparing to welcome residents to two transformative developments that continue the organization’s mission of restoring Atlanta’s historic Westside into a community Dr. King would be proud to call home. 646 Echo Street and 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard are the next steps in WFF’s ongoing work to expand access to deeply affordable, high-quality […]
Category: Thought Leadership
Posted inHigher Education
Emory’s graduate student housing expansion slated to open in summer 2027
Emory’s on-campus graduate student housing, known as “The Ridge,” broke ground in September 2022 and opened to residents in July 2024. Now, Phase II of the Graduate and Professional Student Housing Initiative is officially underway and slated to open in summer 2027. “Phase II of The Ridge will build on the success of Phase I, which provides […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
Letter from Leadership: A Stronger Future Through the Westside TAD
Last month, I joined city leaders and community partners as we stood alongside Mayor Andre Dickens as he launched the City of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI) — a bold effort to ensure Atlanta’s prosperity reaches every corner of our city. For me, it was a full-circle moment. When I moved into Vine City years […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
Housing First: Meeting the Crisis in the Field
Every day, Hope Atlanta’s teams are on the frontlines of Atlanta’s homelessness crisis. From MARTA stations to encampments under highway bridges, our outreach workers meet people where they are—often at the most difficult moments of their lives. When crisis hits and prevention isn’t possible, the first and most critical step is housing. By providing a […]
Posted inHistoric Westside
Relive the Movement: Ride for the Westside 2025
The streets of Atlanta’s Westside came alive during the 2025 Ride for the Westside on September 27, but the heart of the event wasn’t just the ride itself—it was the stories, memories, and voices of the people who call this community home. “This is just an amazing day for our communities,” Jon Ingram, Chief Development […]
Posted inCorporate Community Impact
Legacy is Alive
By Laura Moody, Founding Partner – Purpose Possible, CVC Atlanta Communications Co-Chair On a chilly fall morning, intrepid members of CVC Atlanta braved the mist to attend “RIP (Rest in Philanthropy): A Tour of Historic Changemakers of Oakland Cemetery. This special tour, guided by Oakland employees Erica Glasener, Garden Volunteer Manager, and Abra Lee, Director […]
Posted inPeople, Places & Parks
Just Launched: Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan
By 2035, Georgia’s landscapes may look vastly different, both in the wild and in the way we care for them. Guiding the state through the next decade of ecological stewardship is the newly released 2025–2035 Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), a forward-looking strategy designed to conserve the state’s natural resources for both wildlife and […]
Posted inPhilanthropy
Atlanta Habitat unveils documentary, Rooted, at ‘Inside the House’ event
Atlanta Habitat welcomed community leaders, partners, and advocates to Atlanta Tech Village’s Sylvan Building on October 22 for Inside the House: Setting the Table, a conversation inspired by the premiere of Rooted, Atlanta Habitat’s first-ever documentary. Rooted tells the stories of three inspiring homeowners — Rayburn, Jasmine, and Jameka — whose paths to homeownership reflect the deeper meaning […]
Posted inFinancial Inclusion
Rebuilding the World with AI
By John Hope Bryant A Future Built by the Curious For years, we’ve been hearing that “artificial intelligence is coming!” For most of us, artificial intelligence, or AI, is a hallmark of science fiction, and even before its popularity in the news cycle for the last five years or so, we’ve already been relying on […]
Posted inPoverty & Equity
As Calls for Help Surge to 15,000 a Month, Hope Atlanta Urges Community Action Ahead of SNAP Disruptions
In Atlanta, the need has never been greater. What once was 3,000 calls for help each month has grown to more than 15,000 — each one representing a neighbor in crisis, a family on the brink, or a veteran seeking stability. Our community has always rallied around this mission, and because of your compassion, Hope […]
Posted inHigher Education
Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad named Emory University’s next provost
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 […]
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 […]
