The Editor’s View: May 2019 Issue

Recently, we moved the magazine — joining the host of companies whose headquarters are among others with private offices in a shared building. The tag “space to elevate” is fitting as we are now surrounded by creativity, productivity, innovation and collaboration. You can feel the energy as soon as you walk into the lobby and I’m continuously intrigued by how reimagining your workspace can transform your culture. Our move is metaphoric and was in sync with the theme of this issue in that I’m also nudged to keep on setting more and more goals to increase my capacity by the stories of the professionals in this issue.

The executives we’ve featured this month are not necessarily at the beginning of their careers, but they are also nowhere near the finish line in terms of their impact on Atlanta and their industries.

Amari Ruff’s foray into entrepreneurship was the decision to enter a legacy industry with a problem to solve.  There was a significant underserved market for small- and mid-sized trucking companies, and the individuals that made up a majority of that underserved market were designated minorities. So, he launched a company to bring those carriers into the marketplace in a way that they could compete. Chenee Joseph planted seeds into the work she’s doing today 20 years ago, as an intern with the very organization she now leads. Talk about working your way up. Octavia Gilmore is not allowing Millennial branding to dictate her path as a professional. Instead, she has harnessed the energy of her generation to offer a unique approach to making space for her company in an already crowded field, and it’s working.

After reading the series of “Influencer” stories as well as the achievements of this year’s Women of Excellence honorees, I don’t believe you’ll leave this issue without something to go on.