9 most powerful people in Atlanta in 2022, including “Coach K” and Fani Willis

Atlanta’s energy gamers have been shaping our metropolis in 2022.

Methodology: We chosen these energy gamers utilizing our personal experience, polling readers, and thru interviews with influential individuals.

• The unscientific checklist is produced fully by the Axios Native editorial group and isn’t influenced by promoting in any method.
• Those that made the facility checklist weren’t notified of their choice till publication.

ATL Scoop

Instagram information account

ATL Scoop — an Instagram-centric information account that aggregates reader submitted movies of crime, craziness and no matter burning automotive is on the facet of I-285 that day — is shaping a story of Atlanta for a era hooked to their telephones.

The large image: The anonymously operated account has attracted practically 700,000 followers and contains prime politicos together with the Atlanta police chief amongst its viewers.

Sure, however: We all know somebody’s curating the feed. However we do not know who or how they make their editorial selections (Axios’ DM requests for remark went nowhere and its state enterprise filings and trademark software hyperlink again to registration firms and attorneys).

Fani Willis

Fulton County district lawyer

Inside her first few days on the job because the district lawyer in Fulton County Fani Willis needed to resolve whether or not to pursue an unprecedented investigation into potential prison wrongdoing by former president Donald Trump and his allies within the 2020 election.

Driving the information: Whereas the investigation was sparked by a now-infamous name Trump made to Georgia election officers asking them to “discover” him the votes to win, it has broadened right into a multi-year, wide-ranging probe.

What’s subsequent: After wrapping up witness testimony this 12 months, Willis will make a giant determination: whether or not to indict the previous president.

Kevin “Coach Ok” Lee

Chief working officer of High quality Management Music

Migos. Lil Yachty. Lil Child. The hip-hop stars all have one factor in frequent: High quality Management Music co-founder and impresario Coach Ok.

Catch up fast: Coach Ok, whose actual title is Kevin Lee, launched QCM with Pierre “Pee” Thomas in 2013, constructing it right into a music business powerhouse together with his eager capability to identify under-the-radar rap expertise like Quavo, Takeoff and Offset.

• The low-key former school basketball participant, who moved to the hip-hop capital to make his title, can also be branching out: In 2019, he and Thomas co-founded High quality Management Sports activities to handle athletes like Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints.

Trey Kilpatrick

Chief of workers, Gov. Brian Kemp

The governor’s chief of workers is somebody most Georgians cannot acknowledge.

Why it issues: However Trey Kilpatrick’s function is maybe essentially the most highly effective unelected one on the state Capitol. And in 2023 specifically, when the state home and state senate may have new management, the governor and his workplace would be the holdover group with essentially the most expertise on the Capitol.

What we’re watching: As Kemp’s quintessential right-hand man, he’ll play a giant function in Georgia’s future policy-making, too.

Fay Twersky

President and director of the Arthur M. Clean Household Basis

When Fay Twersky of the Arthur M. Clean Household Basis calls, Atlanta nonprofits decide up the cellphone.

• Residence Depot co-founder Clean — the billionaire many instances over who’s pledged to provide away most of his wealth — and his grown kids name the photographs on presents. However Twersky, who joined in 2021, guides the technique and is the conduit to Atlanta’s large nonprofit neighborhood.

Of observe: Twersky’s resume contains positions at philanthropic heavyweights just like the William and Flora Hewlett Basis, the Invoice and Melinda Gates Basis and Yad Hanadiv, the biggest unbiased basis in Israel.

Odie Donald, Lisa Gordon and Courtney English

Mayor Andre Dickens’ govt group

Each day, the mayor of Atlanta might be confronted with political battles, ribbon-cuttings, deal-making and doubtless one catastrophe. They want a mind belief to maintain Metropolis Corridor on offense and protection.

• For Mayor Andre Dickens, that is a three-member group made up of chief of workers Odie Donald, chief working officer Lisa Gordon and senior adviser Courtney English.

Particulars: Along with retaining town working, the trio advises Dickens on coverage and politics starting from public security and reasonably priced housing to Buckhead cityhood.

• And though one would possibly take the lead on explicit points, in keeping with Axios’ sources, Dickens expects all of them to weigh in.

Oronike Odeleye

Inventive director, Nationwide Black Arts Competition

It is solely been a month since Oronike Odeleye was named creative director for the Nationwide Black Arts Competition, however she already has plans to take the group to the following degree.

Odeleye, an Atlanta resident, informed ArtsATL that she needs to vary the nonprofit’s funding so it would not must depend on the “altering whim” of donors.

Earlier than becoming a member of NBAF, Odeleye was the competition director for ONE MusicFest, which hosts a two-day music competition in Atlanta.

Of observe: She’s additionally the co-founder of Mute R. Kelly, a marketing campaign to attract consciousness to the previous R&B music star’s predatory conduct.

Jim Irwin

CEO of New Metropolis Properties

One among Atlanta’s most well-known redevelopment tasks, Ponce Metropolis Market, occurred below the watchful eye of Jim Irwin, who as senior vice chairman of Jamestown Properties was instrumental in remodeling the previous Sears, Roebuck & Co warehouse within the Previous Fourth Ward.

Now as CEO of actual property growth agency New Metropolis Properties, Irwin oversaw the development of 725 Ponce, a 370,000-square-foot workplace constructing overlooking the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Path.

Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood

Government director of the Asian American Advocacy Fund

Georgia’s Asian American and Pacific Islander voters are numerous and may be tough to achieve.

• However Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood, govt director of the Asian American Advocacy Fund, knew find out how to get them ballots and to the polls throughout Georgia’s current U.S. Senate election.

Why it issues: Each vote counts, and each events put a precedence on mobilizing AAPI voters.

By the numbers: Asian Individuals are the quickest rising racial or ethnic group within the nation, and metro Atlanta’s AAPI inhabitants has greater than doubled from 131,000 in 2000 to 301,000 in 2019, in keeping with the Atlanta Regional Fee.

Go deeper: See all 200 of Axios Native’s Energy Gamers in 2022