The City of Atlanta announced that Mayor Kasim Reed headlined The Atlantic’s second annual ‘Future of Work’ Summit.  The half-day summit, which took place at the Biltmore Ballrooms, explored the roles that the government, educational institutions, and the private sector can play to better equip the American workforce with the right skills and training for the jobs of tomorrow.  

“I would like to thank The Atlantic for bringing thought leaders from across the country to Atlanta to explore how technological advancements, demographic shifts and the changing economic landscape are redefining work for future generations,” said Mayor Reed. “The City of Atlanta is committed to working to develop opportunities that fully prepare and help our residents excel in this ever-changing environment. As more corporations and high-tech companies put down roots in Atlanta and our state, it is imperative that we work to create policies and programs that will help ensure a prosperous future for anyone that desires to take advantage of them.”

As the opening keynote speaker, Mayor Reed participated in a fireside chat with The Atlantic’s Washington Editor at Large, Steve Clemons. During the discussion, Mayor Reed highlighted the City of Atlanta’s financial track record, what policymakers can do to support efforts to train future workers, and how future generations can close the skills gap.  

Other topics covered during the event included how education institutions can adapt to satisfy the demands of modern labor, the impact of the tech sector’s rise on the middle-class, why workplace diversity and inclusion helps drive productivity and innovation, the future of manufacturing, and the changing nature of American workplace culture.

Executive Director of the City of Atlanta's Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative Theia Washington Smith also participated in a discussion at the summit with MailChimp Chief Culture Officer Marti Wolf, where they explored the topics of inclusion and vibrancy.  Ms. Washington highlighted the importance of WEI, the only city-funded initiative of its kind in the nation, where a select group of women entrepreneurs have the opportunity to grow their businesses through access to educational resources, funding assistance and mentorship over a 15-month period. She also explained how the WEI initiative aims to align entrepreneurial opportunities for women in Atlanta with the City’s mission of elevating and strengthening its economic development efforts.

On September 15, the City of Atlanta celebrated the first graduating class of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative and their many accomplishments. Over the course of business incubator program, nine of the 15 entrepreneurs have hired additional employees; six entrepreneurs have collaborated with fellow WEI classmates to create additional business opportunities; one entrepreneur has grown her 2017 revenues beyond $1.1 million; and, to date, the revenue gain of the first class of WEI entrepreneurs’ businesses stands at more than $480,000.

Other featured speakers during the ‘The Future of Work’ Summit included Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson, Great Place to Work CEO Michael Bush, GE Appliances President and CEO Kevin Nolan, Opportunity@Work Co-Founder and Executive Vice President Karan Chopra, Skillful CEO Beth Cobert, Nexient CEO Mark Orttung and McKinsey Global Institute Partner Sree Ramaswamy.