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A Message From Debra Lam
Earlier this month, Kayla Burns, Associate Director of Operations, and I traveled to Tifton for the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance Annual Meeting, the organization’s first convening in south Georgia. More than 75 funders made the trip to listen to rural leaders and consider a key question: what would it look like to invest in rural communities with the seriousness, patience, and respect required?
One answer was on display through the Farms Fund, a PIN partnership with The Conservation Fund. Georgia has lost 20% of its farmland to development in less than a generation. The Farms Fund steps in before a farm is lost: it purchases at-risk land, helps farmers invest in the infrastructure and technical support they need, places a permanent conservation easement on the property, and sells it back to the farmer at an affordable price. The sale proceeds are then reinvested to protect the next farm.
That is catalytic capital doing real work: keeping land in production, giving farmers a viable path to ownership, and preserving an economic foundation that rural communities depend on. The Fund has already secured 1,946 acres across 25 farms and supported 46 farmers.
Tifton was a strong reminder that rural communities continue to innovate. PIN is proud to help bring together the capital, partnerships, and practical tools that allow that work to grow.
— Debra Lam, Founding Executive Director, Partnership for Innovation
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From Innovation to Impact: Lamarr.AI Scales Across Georgia
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What happens when Georgia-developed technology gets the opportunity to prove itself in the real world?
With support from PIN, Lamarr.AI has assessed or scanned 16 public and educational buildings across Savannah and Augusta, using AI, drone imaging and advanced energy modeling to uncover opportunities to improve building performance. In Savannah, recommended improvements could generate up to 11.45% in whole-building energy savings.
The impact extends beyond infrastructure. The PIN-supported work helped Lamarr.AI validate larger-scale deployments, create hands-on learning opportunities for students, raise $400,000 in new capital and hire a full-time Product Engineer.
One investment. Multiple layers of impact. READ MORE
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By the Numbers
Featured Project: Lamarr.ai
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Safer Roads, Smarter Communities: Expanding Innovation Across Georgia
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A PIN-supported innovation that began with a simple question, how can communities identify dangerous roads faster?, is continuing to grow.
With support from PIN's Community Investments Program, Dr. James Tsai and Safe Road Solutions are using data-driven technology to make Georgia’s roads safer while building the next generation of STEM talent. The team has conducted safety assessments across nine critical roadway corridors in Bartow, Paulding, and Gwinnett counties, using smartphone sensor data and automated analytics to help communities proactively identify risks and prioritize infrastructure improvements.
The work has also expanded into STEM education, including hands-on programming that introduced approximately 40 Adairsville High School students to transportation safety, AI, LiDAR, and computer vision. Building on this impact, PIN is supporting SAVES (Smart Analytics and Vision Zero Evaluation for Savannah), a new initiative to develop a roadway safety digital twin for the City of Savannah and demonstrate how advanced technology can support safer, smarter, and more resilient communities.
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Meet PIN's New Alumni Ambassadors
We're excited to welcome Shaniyah Jackson, Soni Paul and Sonya Parmer as PIN's newest Alumni Ambassadors. Selected for their continued engagement, professional achievements and commitment to the PIN community, they'll help strengthen alumni connections, share their experiences and represent the network at key events and initiatives throughout the coming year.
Want to learn more about PIN's Alumni Community? Reach out to Katie Kissel, PIN's Alumni Lead, to learn more at katie.kissel@innovate.gatech.edu.
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APPLY NOW: Host Organization Applications Are Open
Emerging Innovators connects organizations with higher-education talent to tackle meaningful, real-world challenges through paid internships and fellowships. You bring the challenge. PIN helps connect you with emerging talent ready to learn, contribute and move the work forward.
Partner Organization Applications are open from Sept. 4 – Nov. 1, 2026.
Learn More: PIN Summer Internship | PIN Fellowship
APPLY NOW to become a PIN Partner organization.
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Georgia AIM Coalition Gathers in Thomasville to Celebrate Progress and Strengthen Partnerships
On August 24-25, 2026, partners from across the Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) Coalition convened in Thomasville, Georgia, to reflect on Georgia AIM program updates and coalition activities, plan for Georgia AIM Week, networking opportunities, a celebration dinner sponsored by the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, and tours highlighting regional assets and partnerships. Clarence Anthony Jr., Community Investments Manager, and Katie Kissel, Alumni Lead, joined coalition partners to strengthen relationships and celebrate the initiative’s impact on innovation, workforce development, and economic growth across Georgia. The gathering underscored the value of cross-sector collaboration in preparing communities, businesses, and talent for the future of advanced manufacturing.
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Technical College System of Georgia Foundation's Pathways to Graduation
Representatives from Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), including Katie Kissel, Alumni Lead, and Cody Cocchi, Programs Manager, attended the inaugural TCSG Foundation Pathways to Graduation Gala at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. It was an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating student success and removing financial barriers for learners across the state. Through our Emerging Innovators pillar, PIN is deeply committed to expanding workforce development through hands-on experiential learning and professional growth for students throughout Georgia and the Southeast. PIN looks forward to continuing to build our collaborative partnership with the Technical College System of Georgia to enhance future educational pathways and career opportunities for all students.
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Exploring the Future of Giving at Philanthropy Essentials
PIN hosted Philanthropy Southeast’s Philanthropy Essentials, a two-day workshop focused on the evolving philanthropic landscape and strategies for maximizing community impact. Katie Kissel, Alumni Lead, attended on behalf of PIN, exploring topics including regional trends, strategic grantmaking, nonprofit due diligence, and building strong grantee relationships. The workshop also provided opportunities to connect with philanthropy professionals from across the region, bringing new insights and approaches back to PIN as we continue strengthening our Community Investments work and partnerships.
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Turning Dreamforce Insights into Smarter Systems at PIN
Kayla Burns, Associate Director of Operations, attended Dreamforce 2026 in San Francisco, where she explored the latest advancements in Salesforce, AI, automation, data strategy, and connected systems. The conference provided new ideas for how organizations are using technology to improve efficiency, strengthen data quality, enhance reporting, and support better decision-making. Kayla is bringing these insights back to PIN as we continue strengthening our Salesforce strategy, exploring responsible uses of AI and automation, and creating more streamlined and connected processes across the organization. These learnings will help inform how PIN continues to build smarter systems that support our team, partners, and growing impact.
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