We are so inspired by the businesses in our community because of how many of them are committed to helping to make the world better than it is today. Check out some great businesses below and how they are helping others.

Brandon Winfield | CEO & Co-Founder

I have sat on this question for a few days now. Not because I don’t know how our business helps the community, there’s just so much that we do to help that I’ve tried to find the words and sentence structure to adequately represent how we do. iAccess Life is an essential mobile application that allows users with disabilities and their friends/family, to rate, review and research places based on their accessibility. This concept came to me when I started travelling after my spinal cord injury. Accessibility isn’t something we generally consider until it affects us or our loved ones. I remember visiting new places and the heart sinking feeling I got when I found out the venue we were at, didn’t have accessible bathrooms. Read more>>

Megan Wargula | Author, Dog Nerd, & Animal Advocate

I decided to write the Riley Carson Book Series so I could help make a difference for animals. After volunteering in the animal rescue world, and learning about shelters, pet overpopulation, animal welfare issues, and more, I knew something had to be done. We cannot continue to make uninformed decisions as humans and make a difference in how animals are treated. So, in considering what I could do as one person in Atlanta, Georgia, I prayed about it. Two nights later as I laid my head on my pillow, I realized that if I could write fun, engaging mystery/adventure stories with an animal welfare twist, maybe I really could make a difference. Children are our future, that’s not just a song lyric. Read more>>

Jeannine Jannot | Author & Academic Coach

I founded The Balanced Student to help students develop skills and habits that would support their academic achievement and personal wellness. After years of coaching students I was able to share my insights into why so many students are struggling to reach their potential in my book, “The Disintegrating Student: Super Smart & Falling Apart”. My goal continues to be engaging students, parents, educators and other stakeholders in conversations that focus on how we can be more astute at recognizing the early signs of struggle and intervene before students fall apart. Read more>>

Tony Johns | Executive Director

The mission of Crossroads Community Ministries is to provide access to resources that empower people experiencing homelessness, and those at-risk of homelessness, to progress on the road toward economic and personal stability. We seek to provide holistic services to our neighbors by providing tools and resources that empower them to stabilize, gain employment, and secure and sustain affordable housing. Each program seeks to assist individuals in achieving economic stability to meet their basic needs and remove barriers to employment and affordable housing. In the past 6 months, we have assisted more than 70 households in moving out of homelessness into permanent housing, and we have helped to prevent homelessness for more than 20 households. Read more>>

Dr. Glenn Toby | CEO

A successful career should be driven by Career and Community should forever be connected. Each one should compliment the other. The balance of the two will determine where and who you are in life. If properly measured and managed, these areas of your life will grant you a rewarding life fueled by the passion and happiness of others you have helped to move to positions of purpose and prosperity. Read more>>

Sayeed Mehrjerdian | Tech Entrepreneur, Digital Creative, Soccer Fanatic & Plant Enthusiast

iAccess is a lifestyle application that allows users with mobility impairments to share their experience with accessibility at various venues and events. Users can rate, review and search for places like restaurants, hotels, sporting venues and retail stores based on the accessibility of the parking, entrance, seating and bathroom. Features that are on our product roadmap include an inclusive event feed, booking for accessible travel accommodations (hotels, flights, events) and a recommended products engine. Future versions of the application will allow users with other types of disabilities such as hearing impairments, vision impairments and even autism to rate public establishments based on facets and attributes that are personalized to their specific disability. Our goal is to help everyone access life, as stress free as possible by being your guide to accessible events and venues. Read more>>

Jan Levie | Founder & Creative Director

At Handy Entertainment, we say “Everybody is at the table,” and mean it. Diversity and inclusion are the foundation of what we do. Some of the ways we address inclusion and diversity are in hiring. A year ago in March we began partnering with the Bobby Dodd Institute to build meaningful positions for people with disabilities. There are many kinds of disabilities–some that are obvious, and some that fall under the radar. Under- and unemployment are extremely high in the disabled community. Something as simple as maintaining eye contact in an interview, or only having the stamina to work a certain number of hours a day makes finding meaningful employment particularly difficult for people with disabilities. Read more>>

Kristi Porter | Champion of Nonprofits and Social Impact Companies

Signify is built around the idea of social impact. I provide copywriting and marketing services to nonprofits and social enterprises. I want to support the kind of work that makes the world a better place, and this is how my skill set overlaps with a greater mission. Plus, I believe that when these kind of cause-focused organizations succeed, we all win. It’s been my pleasure to help them attract a larger audience, increase their sales or donations, and do more good. Read more>>

Alex Rilko | Co-owner

Collective Harvest helps Athens and the surrounding areas/world in many ways. First and foremost, we are here to provide the community with fresh, organic, locally grown and produced food. Our mission is to not only help consumers eat healthy, local food but to offer the growers and producers an outlet to sell their product in order to help them provide for their families. We work with 22 vegetable farms, 12 meat/dairy farms, 20 artisan food producers and 7 bakers. When the community purchases product from Collective Harvest they are putting money back into the local economy instead of it to going off to another city, state, or even country. We help put a face to your food by connecting the food you’re eating to the person who produced it. Read more>>

Allison Fillmore | Executive Director

The PGA TOUR is such a community focused organization. I am proud to say the PGA TOUR alone has donated over 3 billion dollars since it’s inception to charitable organizations in the communities in which we play. The TOUR Championship alone has donated over 34 million dollars since 1998 to the East Lake Foundation, First Tee of Metro Atlanta, the Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta. The East Lake Foundation was established to revitalize the East Lake neighborhood, generate new opportunities for the families living there, and create a vibrant community where all residents thrive. Read more>>