This story has been updated.

Atlanta, GA — Here’s a look at business news in our community.

— Emory Law has announced enhancements to its juris master degree program curriculum by adding two new concentrations in date, privacy and technology law; as well as employment law and human resources. 

Here’s the full press release:

ATLANTA, March 28, 2022 — Emory Law has announced curricular enhancements for its juris master degree program—two new concentrations in data, privacy, and technology law; and employment law and human resources. The data, privacy, and technology law concentration covers topics such as privacy, ethics, and the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace; trademark, patent, and copyright law; and licensing and trade secrets.

The employment law and human resources concentration explores topics such as employment at will, employees versus independent contractors, privacy in the workplace, worker’s compensation, disability, and discrimination, among others. These new concentrations expand the program’s existing concentrations in business law and health care law.

The juris master degree follows a 30-credit hour program intended for professionals or individuals who want to improve their legal literacy and become more knowledgeable regarding the impact of law and regulation on their industry and field of expertise. Students gain legal knowledge and skills to assess organizational risk, make informed decisions, navigate complex regulatory environments, and contribute in more significant ways to their organizations. Students include C-suite executives, human resources directors, compliance officers, and health care administrators, among others.

“We are excited about these curricular enhancements to our juris master program curriculum,” says Professor Kay Levine, who directs the juris master program. “Our new offerings will be taught by industry experts, and the courses have been designed specifically to engage JM students in cutting edge conversations that are relevant to professionals in many industries.”

The JM program’s online, asynchronous classes are specifically designed for working professionals. Students can also choose on-campus course options. The fully online format is composed of 10 sequential asynchronous courses, with two synchronous online experiences, and can be completed in as little as 20 months. Students taking most of their courses on campus can complete the degree in two sequential semesters or take up to four years.

— Applications for the relaunched Resurgence Grant Fund are open until April 29. 

Small businesses in the city of Atlanta can apply for up to $40,000 to reimburse the costs of business interruptions due to COVID-19. The funds can be used for any COVID-19 related expenses like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and other health measures to protect employees and customers, according to an announcement.

Payroll is also an eligible item for reimbursement.

Invest Atlanta is administering the program on behalf of the city of Atlanta and offering technical assistance for businesses that need help with the application process.

The relaunched fund has expanded eligibility, including nonprofits with a 2022 Letter of Good Standing, and startups with a 2022 business license.

Priority will be given to businesses that have not received any previous COVID-19 funding.

To apply for the grant funding or learn more, click here.

— The Bold Exhibit, showcasing historical events related to women in the 20th century, is now open at The Point shopping center. 

Here is the full press release:

(Atlanta, GA) – In celebration of Women’s History Month, The Point is showcasing a new tenant to history fans young and old. The Bold Exhibit chronicles historical events related to women during the 20th century. The exhibit highlights women’s roles dating back to the 1900s, how gender roles shift during wartime and the evolution of femininity in America.

“We are thrilled to add The Bold Exhibit to our impressive line-up of restaurants and lifestyle offerings,” said Lindsay Major, Vice President of Ancillary Income for ShopCore Properties. “The exhibit is visual, interactive and modern, but the space makes it feel like each customer is jumping back into that period of time to explore the trailblazing women of the 20th century.”

The exhibit is located next to Orange Theory Fitness and across from Code Ninjas on Avenue Place. The Bold Exhibit is open every Saturday and Sunday at The Point.

“I am so excited to be bringing this unique experience to The Point,” said The Bold Exhibit’s creator, Carmella Mouzon. “The Bold Exhibit started as a pop-up shop in Atlanta and the community loved it so much, we decided it needed a storefront, so we came to The Point! Our theme encompasses the saying ‘Well behaved women rarely make history’ and we really hone in on that through the different exhibits.”

Due to the limited capacity, reservations are required to enjoy The Bold Exhibit. Tickets can be purchased online at www.boldexhibit.com. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket price will help support homeless women with children at local Atlanta area shelters. For more information about The Bold Exhibit, please visit www.boldexhibit.com.

The Point located in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta, Georgia, comprises 120,000 square feet of unique restaurants and lifestyle offerings for adults of all ages. Anchors like CVS and The General Muir complement an array of fitness, beauty and lifestyle businesses throughout the center. The Point is located on the Clifton Corridor, a stretch of Clifton Road that is home to preeminent local institutions, including the CDC and Emory University. For more information on The Point, please visit thepointatl.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @thepointatl.

— Origin Investments and Kaplan Residential have announced the acquisition of a 40-acre parcel in Atlanta for $31.5 million. The firms plan to construct a transformative, master-planned mixed-use development expanding the southern portion of the BeltLine.

Here’s the full press release:

ATLANTA (March 7, 2022) —– Origin Investments – a top-performing private real estate fund manager – and Kaplan Residential – a multi-strategy real estate development firm today announced the acquisition of a 40-acre parcel in Atlanta, Georgia, for $31.5 million, tapping Origin Investments’ $300 million Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund II. In a venture with Kaplan Residential operating as the developer, the firms plan to deliver a transformative, master-planned project presented in multiple phases. Upon completion, it will be the largest mixed-use destination on the expanding southern portion of the BeltLine.

The project will create a neighborhood village that celebrates community and connectivity, weaving in adaptive re-use components to provide charm, preservation, and originality on the site. Located within Chosewood Park at 500 Sawtell Avenue Southeast, it will be home to more than 2,000 multifamily residences, ample activated park space and up to 150,000 square feet of diversified commercial space, in its fully realized form.

Kaplan Residential and Origin investments have tapped renowned experiential retail consultants at Revel, including founder George Banks, to spearhead the concept origination of the commercial and adaptive re-use component. The principals of Revel have been involved in several notable retail projects in Atlanta, from the Southeast’s first food hall, Krog Street Market and The Interlock.

Target concepts include a variety of local restaurants with outdoor seating, coffee shops, wellness center, dedicated areas for revolving food trucks, pet amenities, collaborative co-working centers, new-age office areas and innovative entertainment space. The first phase will also feature approximately 700 build-to-rent townhomes and multifamily units.

Banks’s team at Revel, Kaplan Residential, and Origin Investments will collaborate to create an unrivaled elevated resident-only club experience, dubbed ‘Club Sawtell,’ equipped with exclusive state-of-the-art fitness, wellness, coworking, and lifestyle amenities, a first-of-its-kind concept for the Southeast region, derived from leading members-only clubs with bespoke benefits throughout the country. Groundbreaking on the initial stage is slated for Q4 2022.

“With our partners at Origin Investments, we are bringing an unrivaled mixed-use community to an opportunity zone, thus driving significant economic growth and professional migration,” said Morris Kaplan, Founder and President of Kaplan Residential. “More than 30 years ago, we had the foresight to invest in Downtown Atlanta with Townhouse Atlanta, our first build-to-rent community, and today we are still delivering projects that exceed the needs of this market and others we serve.”

The project will provide a catalytic destination a half-mile from the BeltLine, supporting continued growth along the corridor and unparalleled connectivity for the already thriving east and west portions. The Chosewood Park Community will be synonymous to similar projects and areas alongside the Beltline, such as Inman Park, Atlanta dairies, and Echo West.

“Throughout our history, we’ve been very involved and had a great deal of success with multifamily investment opportunities in Atlanta,” said David Welk, Managing Director of Acquisitions, Origin Investments. “As we expand our relationship with Kaplan Residential, and take on our biggest investment yet in Atlanta, we expect to meet or exceed our established track record.”

Over a 10-year period, Origin has been involved in five different multifamily projects, including the development of Olmsted Chamblee, totaling more than 1,500 units. Those investments produced an average realized Internal Rate of Return of 33.32% and an average realized multiple of 2.67x.

To assist Banks and his team, the developers have enlisted HGOR, a planning and landscape architecture firm, and The Beck Group, who will lead the architecture and construction of the adaptive re-use Club Sawtell. Rounding out the team will be Lancaster Associates, handling civil engineering and Dentons Law Firm.

“We are so excited to be working on this project. We have a lot of experience working within the existing fabric of Intown Atlanta neighborhoods, but the commercial center of the project will be a first in Atlanta,” said Banks. “It will be a community asset designed not just for the new residents, but for the entire Chosewood Park neighborhood.”

The deal was facilitated by Pierce Owings and Matt Hawkins from Cushman & Wakefield, who represented the seller.

The asset is less than 25 minutes away from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Buckhead, Midtown, Zoo Atlanta, and world-class educational institutions like Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, providing access to more than 500,000 jobs. According to research by Cushman & Wakefield, Atlanta is the No. 1 metro-area for economic growth potential, with more than 1.3 million residents, and the No. 3 United States city for startups.

In late 2021, Kaplan Residential and Origin Investments announced their first collaboration in the Southeast, a $76 million, 322-unit multifamily asset in the Charlotte Metro Area, with an anticipated delivery in late 2023/early 2024.

— Atlanta educator Troy Kemp, director of strategic initiatives and partnerships at the Ron Clark Academy, was featured in a new podcast, After 1954, about the impact of Brown v. Board of Education. 

Brown v. Board of Education held the promise of creating an integrated school system with equal education for all, but there was an unspoken consequence of this historic decision: Tens of thousands of Black teachers in the South were fired, leaving a gap that reverberated through generations of students to come, a press release said.

Hosted by educator and nonprofit leader Aimée Eubanks Davis, After 1954 spans the decades to provide an important look at the impact a Black educator can have on a Black student’s life, and how we all can help support and strengthen the roots that help our children achieve, according to an announcement.

The five-part series premiered on March 9 with new episodes published weekly.

Episode three, “What Happens to Men and Boys in School,” which aired March 23. features Kemp and a young Black man he successfully mentored, Jason Brooks, an educator and tech founder. There is mounting evidence that says when students have teachers who like them, they are more likely to graduate high school. Brooks and his mentor, Kemp, know this firsthand. In this episode, they talk about how gender plays a role in Black mentorship and education.

— Conte’s Bike Shop is coming soon to the Toco Hills Shopping Center.

The store will feature a large selection of bicycles and accessories from brands like All City, Cannondale, Orbea and more. The store will be located at 2023 N Druid Hills Road NE.

Conte’s offers a variety of services including bike service and repair, bike adjustments, bike trade-ins, home delivery and bike shipping, and bike rental.

— Drift Cocktails is re-energizing the beverage scene in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina with health-conscious canned cocktails.

Here is the full press release:

February 16, 2021 (Charleston, SC) – Founded with a trifecta of authentic taste, quality ingredients and a heavy dose of adventure, Drift Cocktails is a new one-of-a-kind product on the canned cocktail circuit.

Drift was founded on the basis that a healthy lifestyle should not get in the way of a great cocktail. While the industry has seen a rapid rise in the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail trend over the years, Drift set out to pioneer the evolution of a completely overlooked portion of the market – the niche demand for a canned cocktail mixed with higher alcohol, lower calories that doesn’t skimp on flavor.

Notably recognized for its health-conscious ingredients and high-quality standards playfully remixed with a “sip back & relax” mentality, Drift is proudly a disruptor in the market. The entire product line is 85 calories, gluten-free and has no artificial additives — just organic spirits, real fruit (not juice) and carbonated mineral water. It’s collection of flavors are the lowest calorie and highest ABV (7%) canned cocktail options available to date.

Packing a punch with natural ingredients including corn sourced from North Carolina farms; sugarcane and blackstrap imported from the Virgin Islands and Jamaica; tequila from Mexico; and fruit sourced from a local North Carolina purveyor with a ratified standard of quality for organic produce, Drift provides the long-awaited convenience of calorie-conscious canned cocktails without the negative bloating and after-effects of other industry products. Artfully blended, the brand’s four flavors include:

– Blood Orange: organic smooth vodka perfectly mixes with the citrus burst of high oxidant blood oranges, creating a unique, subtly sweet, refreshing and unmatched flavor.

– Passion Fruit Rum: Virgin Islands white rum, natural passion fruit & guava. Passion fruit offers endless health benefits and creates a gorgeous burst of flavor that pairs perfectly with artisan rum.

– Tequila Lime: blue agave tequila blanco with natural lime is the perfect combination in this gorgeous pairing.

– Meyer Lemon: A cocktail of organic vodka with natural meyer lemon. With it’s smaller size and dark yellow pulp, meyer lemons pack a ton of flavor in each squeeze making this a zesty cocktail option.

Founder, expert distiller and Charlestonian Doug Mulford had been mulling over the idea of a convenient well made quality cocktail for the past 20 years. However, it was while hiking the Appalachian Trail that this idea quickly transformed into a passion project. Fueled by Mulford’s love for the beverage world, expression of flavor, and lively sense of adventure, Drift was born.

“Drift is so much more than refreshing cocktails,” says Mulford. “I couldn’t be more proud of our dedication to creating a brand that celebrates the ingredients that go into them. I’ve been rooted in the beverage world for a long time and have always been fascinated by how ingredients react with one another; that mindset combined with our emphasis on health, quality and process is what really sets Drift apart.”

Many similar products contain fruit juice causing the sugar content to spike. Drift runs the zest and pulp from real whole fruit through the distillation process with their spirits, which in turn allows the beautiful flavors to shine while simultaneously keeping calories low.

This past summer, Drift’s Blood Orange landed on shelves in South Carolina to great acclaim. Beverage media authority Seltzer Nation provided just one of the flavor’s many accolades by dubbing it as “the cure for passionate thirst,” noting its “alluring, crisp taste taking consumers on a fulfilling flavor adventure.” Following the debut of Drift’s Blood Orange, Mulford joined forces with Three Stacks Distillery in Kinston, N.C., to produce an even higher quality product, which resulted in three smashing new flavors.

In tandem with the brand’s commitment to choice ingredients, Drift harbors an equally fierce dedication to the environment by upholding the highest sustainability standards. With plans to be 100 percent recyclable, the brand currently utilizes eco-friendly packaging and is making moves to reduce plastic waste with the goal to be fully carbon neutral in the future.

Drift is currently available in select stores, supermarkets and independent retailers throughout South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The brand plans to continue to expand its footprint into new markets and regions through 2022, with the goal to be nationwide by 2024.

Whether enjoying a concert, tailgating, boating, camping, surfing, relaxing at home, or kicking back on a beach, Drift is serving positive vibes that add to any experience while proving that RTD cocktails have forever evolved from malt-liquor-based, artificially flavored, mass-produced products into something provocative. Go ahead…“sip back & relax.”

For more information, visit www.driftcocktails.com and follow along on Instagram at @driftcocktails.

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