On Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, the Atlanta Beltline invites everyone to celebrate Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express, at the Atlanta Beltline Marketplace locations and support an ecosystem of programs designed to advance economic mobility through community collaboration.
Small Business Saturday, the national movement encouraging people to “shop small,” takes on special meaning along the Beltline corridor. The Marketplace program exemplifies the Beltline’s commitment to creating accessible pathways for local entrepreneurs, particularly where systemic barriers have long limited business ownership opportunities.
Marketplace provides affordable retail and food spaces directly on the trail, allowing local small businesses to establish brick-and-mortar presence without prohibitive overhead costs. These aren’t corporate franchises; they’re dreams realized by Atlanta entrepreneurs who needed accessible commercial space and targeted support.
But the Marketplace is just one piece of the Beltline’s comprehensive approach to business acceleration. At the heart of this work is the Beltline Business Solutions Office, launched in 2023 as a one-stop shop connecting local businesses to tailored services: expansion readiness training, qualified tenant sourcing, market intelligence and capital access. The office prioritizes minority-owned enterprises in the Beltline’s Neighborhood Stabilization Subareas, ensuring that communities facing historical injustices can access the tools of business success.
The flagship Beltline Business Ventures program provides entrepreneurs with a comprehensive curriculum covering everything from business model development to commercial leasing strategies. Participants receive one-on-one advising from seasoned business owners, monthly peer-learning opportunities and connections to funding resources, all designed to help small businesses scale sustainably along the 22-mile corridor.
Beyond business development, the Beltline is investing in the visual identity of commercial districts through the Business Façade pARTnership Grant. Since 2019, the program has paired local artists with business owners to complete capital improvements worth up to $50,000 per site. These collaborations stimulate business growth through physical improvements, provide paid work for Atlanta artists and transform storefronts into landmarks that attract customers and anchor communities.
These programs don’t exist in isolation. They’re part of a broader economic development framework that recognizes business ownership as a cornerstone of wealth-building and community resilience.
The Beltline approach to economic mobility centers on sustained, long-term support for local entrepreneurs, ensuring generational impact. Discover Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29 to see a snapshot of that approach and experience the businesses and communities shaped by it.
This Atlanta Way 2.0 column spotlights partners and changemakers who are advancing efforts like economic mobility across Metro Atlanta. Each feature lifts up the people, ideas, and collaborations driving community empowerment and equitable opportunity. For information on partnering with Atlanta Way 2.0 please visit our website and sign up to be an AW2.0 Activator.
