Pulse Webinar, The Power of Place: Placemaking as an Economic Driver
Access the Recording Below
Pulse Webinar, The Power of Place: Placemaking as an Economic Driver
In today’s competitive landscape, thriving communities are those that go beyond attracting businesses—they create places where people want to live, work, and stay.
Join Brian Abernathy, Principal at Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, and Jerald Mitchell, President & CEO of Beaten Path LLC, for a thought-provoking discussion on placemaking as a key driver of economic growth.
This session will explore how community identity, public spaces, and intentional development strategies can transform your region’s economic trajectory—attracting investment, talent, and opportunity.
What You’ll Learn:
✅ Why “place” matters – how the physical, cultural, and social character of a community impacts economic development. ✅ Placemaking strategies that work – real-world examples of projects that have boosted local economies. ✅ How to measure ROI – tying placemaking initiatives to job creation, tax base growth, and community vitality. ✅ Actionable steps – what community leaders, chambers, and EDOs can do today to put placemaking at the center of their strategies.
Host: Brian Abernathy, General Manager, Convergent Nonprofit Solutions
Brian has developed a broad range of nonprofit experience through his career. He has led launches of local chapters for international organizations, directed the operational aspects of brand-new nonprofits, and developed cross-sector partnerships to identify innovative solutions for community development.
Prior to joining Convergent, Brian served as campaign director with a regional firm that managed capital fundraising campaigns for nonprofits. There he focused on building, scaling, and executing complex projects while developing systems to drive operational efficiencies.
Every nonprofit organization has an important mission but not many can quantify and communicate the value proposition of the impact they desire to achieve. Brian has helped organizations across various sectors develop case statements and impact strategies to effectively communicate their outcomes to key stakeholders and investors. At Convergent, Brian works closely with our project directors on strategic direction, day-to-day operations, expense control, and ultimately fundraising success for our clients
Guest: Jerald Mitchell, President & CEO, Beaten Path, LLC
Jerald Mitchell is the Founder and CEO of Beaten Path, LLC., a consulting company focused on supporting clients in government, economic development, chambers of commerce and developers as they approach redevelopment and revitalization initiatives through analysis and placemaking strategy.
He most recently served as the President and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce which also operated the Development Authority of Columbus. In this role, his focus was driven by growing the local economy through targeted external marketing, advancing various policy initiatives, supporting redevelopment, and land development and area activation.
Jerald has worked in the Economic Development field for over 18 years in various roles, serving as the Vice President of Economic Development at the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., Director of Innovation at the Savannah Economic Development Authority, and Regional Project Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. In these roles he’s gained valuable experience in business attraction, retention, entrepreneurism, redevelopment, infrastructure, and placemaking.
Access the Recording Here:
Share
Testimonials
Andrew Keenan
“The fact that Convergent could make the ask was huge. Working with our director and joining solicitations made me a better fundraiser – that was the right formula for us. Moving forward I feel much more confident in making asks and telling our story, and that is going to make us more sustainable in the long run.”
Andrew Keenan, Executive Director Callanwolde Fine Arts Center | Atlanta, GA
Lisa Zaken
“In the span of six short months, our Board went from being nervous about the initial campaign investment to being ecstatic with the attainment of our goal, and our subsequent stretch goal! Convergent can do it like no other. Their system is rigorous and extremely effective. We have nothing but great things to say about this organization!”
Lisa Zaken, President & CEO Leadership Gwinnett | Duluth, GA
Dion Davis
“The strategy and support offered by Convergent helped our Board expand its vision for the Foundation, which in turn helped to refocus and redefine our organization's impact in our community. The methodology behind their capital campaign process not only helps to raise more money in the immediate, but it also builds best practices for long-term investor relations and lays groundwork for the success of future funding initiatives.”
Dion Davis, Former Executive Director Jekyll Island Foundation | Jekyll Island, GA
Robin Mauck
“Working with Convergent has been a pleasure all the way around. Their approach is customized to your organization and their expertise is unmatched in the field. The Convergent team immersed themselves in our process, culture, and goals to provide exceptional value during our campaign. They truly walk alongside you every step of the way!”
Robin Mauck, Executive Director Obria Medical Clinics Gwinnett | Lawrenceville, GA
Aimee Hall
“I loved working with Convergent. I never could have done what Convergent did. If you want to run a successful campaign, you need to bring in that expertise. Thanks to their help, our capital campaign really took us to the next level within our community.”
Aimee Hall, Executive Director Safe Homes Domestic Violence Center | Augusta, GA
Phillip Aldridge
“I wanted to thank everyone from the Convergent team who assisted in our campaign. Of the varying ways the campaign’s success may be measured, I count it a blessing that we achieved what we did. Not just the funds committed but the contacts made, the level of exposure reached, and ultimately, what the funds and exposure mean in terms of how many more we now serve as a result. My thanks is in recognition and appreciation for Convergent serving as our fundraising counsel and for the patience and professionalism demonstrated throughout the campaign. You were a godsend for Valley Healthcare!”
Phillip Aldridge, Board Chair Valley Healthcare System | Colombus, GA
Jeff Taylor
“Early in our campaign feasibility study it became apparent that we lacked the Asking Rights necessary to conduct a capital campaign. As a result, Convergent’s knowledgeable consultants prepared an extensive plan of action that is a road map for growing our awareness and philanthropy. A successful capital campaign will be possible in the near future. Their entrepreneurial approach will definitely get you where you want to go.”
Jeff Taylor, CEO MedCura Health, formerly Oakhurst Medical Center | Stone Mountain, GA
Rainbow Village, a leading nonprofit in metro Atlanta providing transitional housing and family support services, has entered its next phase of growth. The “Building Homes, Building Hope” Capital Campaign, set initially at $15 million, has expanded to $20 million to meet rising community needs and...
Economic development campaigns often spotlight large employers and high-net-worth contributors. Their six or seven-figure pledges drive attention, but they represent only a fraction of the business landscape.Small businesses, which make up 99.9 percent of U.S. businesses and employ the majority of workers, are often overlooked...
Feasibility studies provide the intelligence to make sound fundraising decisions. A feasibility study is a comprehensive analysis of the practicality and potential success of a proposed campaign, assessing costs, benefits, risks, and the likelihood of achieving fundraising targets.Nonprofits often start on a major campaign with...
By Joe April — Exploring how funding helps rural community colleges strengthen the workforce, support students, and drive local growth.Without strategic investment, rural communities risk losing their most effective workforce pipeline.Workforce development doesn’t happen in theory. It occurs in rural welding labs, diesel tech bays,...
Federal dollars once formed the largest share of many nonprofit budgets. That foundation is shifting. Convergent Nonprofit Solutions has seen a surge of inquiries from nonprofit groups across the country asking the same urgent question: how do we replace federal funding and grants that no...
