Day 1 Agenda
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
East Lake Golf Club
9:00 AM | Breakfast
Breakfast and Networking
9:20 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks: Why Are We Here?
Zenith Houston, Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer of Purpose Built Communities, welcomes guests and provides an introduction to the organization.
Carol R. Naughton, CEO of Purpose Built Communities, welcomes participants and introduces Atlanta Network Member leaders.
9:35 AM | The Blueprint that Started the Movement: East Lake
Ilham Askia, President & CEO of East Lake Foundation, shares an overview of East Lake and its neighborhood transformation journey.
9:45 AM | Empower Your Neighborhood: Grove Park
Gavin McGuire, Executive Director of Grove Park Foundation, shares an overview of the organization and its neighborhood transformation work in Grove Park.
9:55 AM | Building Thriving Neighborhoods: Focused Community Strategies
Marvin Nesbitt Jr., President of Focused Community Strategies, introduces the organization and its neighborhood transformation work in Southeast Atlanta.
10:05 AM | The Neighborhood Effect: Fireside Chat
Carol R. Naughton, CEO of Purpose Built Communities, is joined by Dr. David R. Williams, Professor of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for an opening fireside conversation.
10:50 AM | Beyond the Blueprint: Residents in Their Own Words
Ilham Askia, President & CEO of East Lake Foundation, introduces a conversation centered on residents’ experiences and perspectives on neighborhood transformation.
11:30 AM | Lunch Served
Served onsite at East Lake Golf Club
12:15 PM | East Lake Transformation Tour
A guided neighborhood tour highlighting East Lake’s transformation and its interconnected approach to creating pathways to prosperity.
1:15 PM | Drew Charter School Tour
Drew Charter School student ambassadors lead participants through the Junior and Senior Academy and share their perspectives on the school and community.
2:15 PM | Debrief & Wrap-Up
Carol R. Naughton, CEO, or Zenith Houston, Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer of Purpose Built Communities, leads a closing discussion reflecting on the day’s experiences and takeaways.
3:00 PM | Day One Concludes
Return transportation departs from East Lake Golf Club for the Loews Atlanta Hotel.







