Sage Forward Breakfast
About SAGE Forward
The SAGE Forward Breakfast Series is a quarterly event designed to foster dialogue, collaboration, and innovation among local leaders, stakeholders, business owners, and residents in the Sweet Auburn and Historic MLK District. The event will provide a platform for attendees to discuss pressing issues facing our community, share best practices, and explore potential solutions. Sample topics include: dignified solutions to homelessness, public safety, the state of commercial real estate, and equitable revitalization.
Join us at an upcoming SAGE Forward breakfast and be part of the conversation shaping Sweet Auburn future.
Past Breakfasts
September 2025:
A community engagement session focused on public safety in the Sweet Auburn corridor. In response to ongoing public safety concerns, this gathering invites residents, business owners, schools, churches, and local organizations to come together to speak up and help shape solutions.
February 2025:
Updates on the development of an actionable plan to advance self-sufficiency in Sweet Auburn, with insights shared by service providers and policymakers actively working within the community. Speakers discussed current challenges, gaps in service, and opportunities for stronger coordination among organizations supporting residents experiencing housing instability. Attendees were also invited to share their perspectives and lived experiences, offering direct input on how to more effectively address the needs of unhoused individuals in Sweet Auburn through compassionate, coordinated, and sustainable solutions.
December 2024:
Richard Slaton and T. Dallas Smith shared insights on overcoming challenges in commercial and real estate development, drawing from their personal and professional experiences navigating complex projects, financing hurdles, and community-centered development. Their conversation highlighted the realities of building in historically disinvested neighborhoods. the importance of perseverance and strategic partnerships, and the need to balance economic feasibility with long-term community impact.
