Economic Development

A Free Webinar on How to Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur.

A strong economy creates jobs, attracts investment, and provides opportunities for residents to build wealth. We support initiatives that strengthen existing businesses while attracting new investment to South DeKalb.

Key Focus Areas:

Small business development and entrepreneurship
Commercial corridor revitalization
Redevelopment of vacant and underutilized properties
Blight reduction and beautification efforts
Business attraction and retention
Workforce development and job creation
Access to capital and financial resources
Mixed-use and transit-oriented development

Join the Movement

Action Items:

Highlight and promote local businesses
Host small business workshops and networking events
Advocate for redevelopment of key commercial corridors
Connect entrepreneurs to funding opportunities
Support community-driven economic development projects

White Paper, Research & Blogs

What’s Happening to the South: Why Redistricting Matters for Community Development

What do voting rights and redistricting have to do with community development? The answer is: everything. Voting determines how capital flows, which communities receive funding, what projects move forward, and who has a voice in shaping their community.

Link to full Article.

Community Development from the Grass Up: Re-centering Community Voice, Data, and Practice

Over the past 20 years I have been engaged in grass roots organizing. At 19, I worked to bring together the Eastside and Westside of Atlanta because I saw gentrification coming that...

Invest in South DeKalb: A Community Platform Built on Truth and Transparency

South DeKalb has a story. It is a story of resilience, culture, and community pride. But it is also a story of neglect, of promises made and broken, of infrastructure left to deteriorate while other parts of the county flourish. Invest in South DeKalb exists to make sure that story gets told fully, honestly, and loudly.