At the inaugural Atlanta Way Day, regional leaders gathered to confront a troubling reality: why does Atlanta rank last among the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas in upward economic mobility, and what can be done to reverse the trend? The event, hosted by nonprofit Atlanta Way 2.0, aimed to foster collective understanding and drive collaborative solutions to systemic challenges. Founded by SaportaReport’s Maria Saporta and led by a diverse coalition of local figures, the organization seeks to unite stakeholders across sectors to tackle entrenched barriers. n nBoard Chair Ann Kramer emphasized the importance of community-driven problem solving. “Together, as a unified force, we begin to address the most difficult issues we’ve collectively struggled to resolve,” she said. n nThe discussion was grounded in findings from Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, which in its 2024 report placed Atlanta at the bottom of the mobility index. Mike Carnathan, founder of Neighborhood Nexus and former research head at the Atlanta Regional Commission, acknowledged the grim ranking but viewed it as a catalyst for action. The Sept. 25 gathering at the Tara Theatre, he noted, reflected a growing urgency to chart a new course. n nCarnathan described economic advancement as a multi-phase process. It begins with securing essentials like housing, nutrition, and healthcare. Once stabilized, individuals can pursue quality education and build social networks. The next stage involves accessing stable employment with benefits, enabling residence in vibrant communities. The final phase—wealth accumulation—remains out of reach for many. n nAnna Roach, CEO of the Atlanta Regional Commission, admitted the result was expected. “The region has long had warnings that this outcome was likely,” she stated. In 2014, Atlanta ranked 49th, just ahead of Charlotte, North Carolina. By 2024, Charlotte had improved to 38th, while Atlanta fell to last, underscoring both the possibility of progress and the cost of inaction. n nRoach criticized the metro area’s tendency to prioritize discussion over implementation. “We’re accustomed to talking about these issues, but we’ve grown less effective at turning dialogue into tangible change,” she observed. n nSherri Chisholm, executive director of Charlotte’s Leading on Opportunity Foundation, shared lessons from her city’s turnaround. After receiving a similar low ranking, Charlotte mobilized community leaders to form a task force. They produced a comprehensive report with nearly 100 recommendations. Implementation involved supporting grassroots organizations with data, strategy, and policy guidance, while also assisting funders in aligning their efforts. n nRecognizing the need for real-time assessment, Charlotte launched the “Opportunity Compass” in 2020 to track progress on housing, transportation, and other key areas—avoiding reliance on decade-long national studies. n nFrank Fernandez, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, stressed the need for broader public awareness. “We must improve how we communicate the issue and build widespread consensus,” he said. While no quick fix exists, he pointed to promising developments in early childhood programs, affordable housing, and workforce training. n nMilton Little, president of United Way of Greater Atlanta, cautioned against relying solely on charitable funding. Having long studied inequality in the region, he argued that the root causes lie not in insufficient generosity, but in historical and structural decisions. “It was policies and systems that brought us here, and only policy and systemic reform can lead us out,” he asserted. n nPanelists agreed that sustained investment—across federal, state, and local levels—is essential. Roach highlighted the importance of transparency and public commitment: “There’s a proven model. It starts with openly acknowledging the problem and making a public pledge to fix it—something that hasn’t fully happened yet.” n nShe urged that the conversation extend beyond the event’s attendees to engage the entire region. Chisholm offered hope: “Change is possible. Our progress wasn’t miraculous—it came from persistent effort. I invite you all to join in writing a new chapter for the South.” n— news from SaportaReport n
— News Original —nLocal leaders tackle economic mobility at firstnAt the first-ever Atlanta Way Day, some of the region’s top leaders faced a big question: How did Atlanta become the lowest-ranked in upward economic mobility, and how can the region change it? n nLocal nonprofit Atlanta Way 2.0 hosted the event as part of its push to “bring people together to understand issues.” SaportaReport’s founder, Maria Saporta, founded the organization, which is headed by a roster of local leaders from every part of the city’s landscape. n n“Then together, as the collective, we begin to make solutions for those hardest and toughest things that we as a community can identify that we haven’t quite figured out,” Board Chair Ann Kramer said. n nIn its 2024 study, Harvard University’s Raj Chetty and his research group Opportunity Insights ranked Atlanta dead last out of the top 50 metro areas when it comes to upward economic mobility. n nNeighborhood Nexus founder Mike Carnathan didn’t sugarcoat the ranking. But he said the abysmal number is why people packed into the Tara Theatre for a day of discussion on Sept. 25 — to find the way forward. n nBut what is economic mobility, and how could Atlanta get better at it? n nCarnathan, the former head of research for the Atlanta Regional Commission, said it’s a “generational journey.” It begins with basic needs, like housing, food and health. Once those are met, it’s on to the “next leg” of quality education and social capital. From there, someone can get a job with benefits that could let them live in a thriving place with amenities. n n“The final leg of that journey is wealth building,” Carnathan said. n nAtlanta’s dead last ranking was no shock for the panel at Atlanta Way Day 2.0, moderated by Carnathan and Maria Saporta. Atlanta Regional Commission CEO and Executive Director Anna Roach said she was “unsurprised.” n n“I feel like the city, the county and the region have had plenty of notice that this would be the ultimate result,” Roach said. n nIn the 2014 study, Atlanta ranked 49th out of 50 — one spot ahead of Charlotte, NC. It slipped into last place in 2024, while Charlotte climbed to 38th place. Charlotte’s move up the ranks showed there was a chance for improvement as long as the region takes action. n n“Metro Atlanta is very, very used to having conversations about addressing these kinds of things, and we’ve become less effective at actually doing something about it,” Roach said. n nSherri Chisholm, the Executive Director of Charlotte’s Leading On Opportunity Foundation, has firsthand experience in trying to solve the problem. When the North Carolina city got its last-place ranking, people mobilized. n n“What were we going to do such that this is no longer the case?” Chisholm asked. n nShe brought together people from the community to create a task force and write a report with nearly 100 recommendations. To implement them, the group provides data, strategy, and policy help to nonprofits doing on-the-ground work. Then she provides the same help to funders. n nBut Chisholm said the city soon realized it needed to measure itself, rather than waiting another 10 years for the next national study. So in 2020 Leading on Opportunity created the “Opportunity Compass” to measure ongoing progress with policies on transportation, housing and more. n nBut where does that leave Atlanta? Frank Fernandez, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, said: “We have to do a better job of making the case and building the shared understanding at a broad level.” n n“I don’t have a magic wand to say we get out of [the ranking], but that is, I think, the big next thing that we’re all trying to figure out together,” Fernandez said. n nHe pointed to progress in early childhood development, affordable housing and workforce development work in and around Atlanta. Fernandez said the city needs to invest in those basic needs. n nBut United Way of Greater Atlanta President Milton Little warned against the impulse to throw charitable dollars at the problem. The longtime Atlantan said he’s “quite familiar with income and wealth inequality” in the city, and it’s not a problem created by a lack of philanthropy — it’s from decisions made by the community. n n“It was policies and systems that got us here, and it’s gotta be policies and systems that get us out of it,” Little said. n nThe panelists agreed: Atlanta’s nonprofits and leaders need to push for ongoing investment on a federal, state and local level. Then, maybe the people of the region can move up to the “next steps” of upward economic mobility. n n“There’s a model for this,” Roach said. “What I’m learning is that it starts with an open admission that there is a problem, and then an open and public commitment to solve it that has not happened.” n nRoach stressed the conversation needed to leave the small crowd at the Tara Theatre on Sept. 25, though. It needs to span the entire city, and it needs to translate into action. But Charlotte’s local leader said there is a path forward. n n“Change is possible,” Chisholm said. “Our movement was by no means a miracle, but it was done by hard work that we will continue to commit to, and I ask that you all continue to join us as we create a new story for the South.”
