Invest Atlanta won two Excellence in Economic Development Awards at the 2019 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference held this week in Indianapolis. IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards program recognizes the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, and honors organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Invest Atlanta received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for its Students2Startups program and a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award in the Annual Report category.
“It means so much to have our industry leadership recognized in this way,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “In its second year, Students2Startups has opened the door to career opportunities for more than 34 students while further strengthening Atlanta’s robust tech talent pipeline. I hope that other cities around the world can look at what we’ve done here and replicate the success we’ve had subsidizing these high-quality entrepreneurial internships.”
IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 400 submissions from 12 countries.
“The recipients of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day,” said 2019 IEDC Board Chair, Tracye McDaniel. “We’re honored to recognize more than 100 communities for their excellent work, which forges new opportunities for our profession. We look forward to even greater participation from economic developers across the globe in the 2020 awards program.”
Students2Startups – 2019 IEDC Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award: Innovation Programs and Initiatives
Students2Startups is an initiative launched by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Invest Atlanta and WorkSource Atlanta to help the City of Atlanta continue to build its tech talent pipeline and equip students interested in entrepreneurship for success. The program subsidizes high-potential students, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in the technology industry, for entrepreneurial-focused internships at Atlanta-based startup companies. The program also helps to retain more of Atlanta's top talent in the city. More than 60 students and startups participated in the first two years of the program.
Invest Atlanta’s 2018 Annual Report, “For a Thriving Atlanta” – 2019 IEDC Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award: Annual Report
In its 2018 annual report, Invest Atlanta sought to convey the greater purpose of the agency, the essence of the Invest Atlanta brand, and core value propositions through stories of the residents, businesses and communities it serves. The report used an intuitive visual narrative for each audience, presented personal vignettes, and leveraged iconography and other graphic techniques so readers could easily locate specific content.