Speakers
| Speaker | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Strickler, Prof Entrepreneurship Studies | Sep 15, 2026 11:45 AM |
The Human Advantage in the Age of AI
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, September 10 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here Elizabeth Strickler is a professor of media entrepreneurship and innovation at Georgia State University and an internationally recognized speaker on artificial intelligence, creativity, and emerging media. She has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and creative organizations on the impact of AI and has presented at conferences around the world. Elizabeth is passionate about helping people understand new technologies in practical, accessible ways while emphasizing the enduring importance of human imagination, ethics, and storytelling. |
| D. Cooper, J. King, H. Rowles, P. Talley | Sep 22, 2026 11:45 AM |
Protecting Atlanta's Foster Children
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, September 17 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here Domonique Cooper is the Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta CASA, where she leads efforts to recruit, train, and support Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers serving children impacted by abuse and neglect. She also serves as President Elect of the Kiwanis Club of Duluth Norcross and Chair of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Region 3 Advisory Council.In May 2018, Jen King was selected to succeed Georgia CASA’s longest serving Executive Director (18 years) as the fifth director in the organization’s 30-year history. Jen King previously served as the Program Operations Director, coordinating training and support services for local CASA affiliates, including 200 staff, 500 board members and 2,700 volunteers. Her leadership at Georgia CASA over the past 25+ years has helped to propel the statewide CASA organization into a dynamic, well-respected network. With degrees in nonprofit administration and child development, Jen has dedicated her career to making connections with and on behalf of children and families, alongside advocates and nonprofit leaders, and the larger community. For more than two decades, she has worked in the Atlanta nonprofit community, with youth and family serving organizations and groups, as well as policy committees involved in strengthening communities. Currently, Jen serves the advisory board of Motherhood Beyond Bars and as board treasurer of a national professional support organization.
Heather Rowles has served as Executive Director of the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC) since 2004, leading its transformation from a single-staff organization serving 60 youth to a statewide nonprofit with more than 80 employees supporting over 1,500 children, youth, and families through 11 innovative child welfare programs. Under her leadership, MAAC has earned state and national recognition for improving outcomes for youth in foster care, including increased graduation rates, a 42% permanency rate, and multiple Top Workplace and leadership awards. Pamella Talley is the Senior Vice President of Foster Care and Prevention Services at Bloom. In 2015, she, along with Bloom's President and CEO, Becky Davenport, launched Bloom's Foster Care Program. Bloom is currently the largest Child Placing Agency (CPA) in DFCS Region IV, operating over 50 foster homes and serving more than 150 children annually.
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| KCA 5th Tuesday | Sep 29, 2026 5:30 PM |
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| KCA New Officer Installation | Oct 06, 2026 11:45 AM |
KCA New Officer Installation
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, Oct. 1 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here. Join KCA as we welcome the 2026-27 Club Leadership and learn more about plans for the coming year! |
| Nick Zeller, Sr. Program Assoc., The Carter Center | Oct 13, 2026 11:45 AM |
The World According to the Chinese Public
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, Oct. 8 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here. Nick Zeller is a senior program associate and lead researcher for The Carter Center's China Focus initiative. In additional to leading China Pulse, a twice annual survey of Chinese public opinion conducted with Emory University, he is editor of the English-language U.S.-China Perception Monitor blog and newsletter. Prior to joining The Carter Center, Nick was a Visiting Assistant Professor of World History in Kennesaw State University’s Department of History and Philosophy, Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian History in the University of South Carolina’s Department of History, and an NSEP Boren Fellow at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He received his Ph.D. in modern Chinese history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
| John Trainor, President of Four Technologies | Oct 20, 2026 11:45 AM |
How To Run Your Entire Business With AI
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, Oct. 15 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here. John Trainor is President of Four Technologies, a rapidly-growing AI-first FinTech company. His previous roles include CTO of Wahoo Fitness and CIO of Aaron's. John holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech, was awarded as Georgia CIO of the Year (Global) in 2014, and has been a leader in a number of technology industry organizations in Atlanta. An avid endurance athlete, he enjoys running marathons with his wife Heather. But, his favorite thing to do is spending time with his 2 grandchildren. |
| Cliff Graubert, Founder of Old New York Bookshop | Oct 27, 2026 11:45 AM |
My Years with the Prince (Pat Conroy)
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON. Registration closes THURSDAY, Oct. 22 at Noon. To View on Zoom: Click Here. Cliff Graubart is the founder of the Old New York Bookshop in Atlanta, which he started in 1971. The shop became famous for its legendary invitation-only book parties and its most famous customer and Cliff’s best friend, Pat Conroy.
Born and raised in New York City, he attended the University of Toledo and is a graduate of Georgia State University. He has boxed in the Golden Gloves, sold furs in Manhattan in his father’s store, and once parachuted out of a perfectly good airplane in celebration of his fortieth birthday—all material for his book of short stories, The Curious Vision of Sammy Levitt and he is now working on a memoir about life with his best friend. Graubart lives in Atlanta with his wife, cookbook author Cynthia Graubart. |
| Debra Lam, Exec. Dir., Partnership for Innovation | Nov 03, 2026 11:45 AM |
TBD
 Debra Lam is the Founding Executive Director of the Partnership for Innovation (PIN) at Georgia Tech, a regional public–private partnership advancing innovation, talent, and economic opportunity. Under her leadership, PIN has delivered more than 300 projects across 300 communities and has launched the PIN Fund, an evergreen investment vehicle making early-stage investments in high-potential, research-derived startups advancing community infrastructure, economic opportunity, and locally driven innovation. Formerly Pittsburgh’s first Chief of Innovation & Performance and a global consultant with Arup, she has worked across the U.S., UK, and Asia. Debra is a nationally recognized author and speaker on innovation and public–private partnerships and co-editor of a leading volume on community-centered smart cities. She holds degrees from Georgetown University and UC Berkeley and serves on several civic boards, including the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. |