ATLANTA, Ga. — Allen Booker is not a scientist. As District 5 Commissioner in Coastal Georgia’s Glynn County, he built his career in housing, not water testing. But that changed when his community confronted pollution from four nearby Superfund sites.
Led by the Partnership for Innovation (PIN), Safe Water Together trained residents to measure water pollution and assess its impact on community health. The collaboration between Glynn County, the local school system, Georgia Southern University, and Georgia Tech gave residents tools to monitor water safety long after the project ended.
“The impact of this project has been empowering local residents that they can do something about the contamination that we all grew up here with,” said Booker.
In fact, the project won an international P3 Social Impact Award, and several universities and municipal governments have asked PIN’s project team how they can improve their own water quality.
“We go beyond metrics to take a people-centric approach, and that leads to real on-the-ground results,” said David Bridges, vice president of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), which houses PIN.
“Innovation is not just an EI2 or Georgia Tech value, but an American one.” As the nation celebrates 250 years of independence, Bridges said this kind of innovation, which is practical, community-centered, and scalable, is deeply American. EI2’s innovation approach through its programs translates research into outcomes that support entrepreneurs and business, strengthens communities, and expands opportunities across Georgia.
Entrepreneurship
Beverage entrepreneur Sarah Dubale turned to Georgia Tech’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (GT.FBA) to hone the brand and market strategy for her Culture Sweet Tea. After completing the program, she became a finalist in the 2026 entered the Flavor of Georgia competition.
Dubale noted her participation in GT.FBA resulted in “a deeper understanding of my market and competition, bringing clarity to what makes Culture Sweet Tea truly unique and sharpening my ability to communicate that story with confidence.”
EI2’s entrepreneurship work operates at both the individual and system level. Guido Verbeck, Ph.D., is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Augusta University and a medical device innovator. “Physicians and practitioners who are also academics are solving problems in real time, but they often lack the resources and support to get their ideas to production and commercialization,” he said.
To address the gap Georgia Tech and Augusta University launched a collaborative effort to boost the Augusta region’s medical device innovation ecosystem. With the help of EI2 and other Georgia Tech programs, Augusta is scaling its capabilities as a hub for health and life sciences innovation.
Community Engagement
In Albany, Georgia, local leaders are tackling a different kind of challenge: access to affordable housing.
“The challenge we see throughout the country is, how can people today realize the American dream that they own their own home?” said Bo Dorough, mayor of Albany, Georgia.
Working with EI2’s Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR), the city developed a data-driven plan that secured a $1.1 million federal grant to support the construction of up to 30 new housing units in a neighborhood characterized by vacant lots, abandoned houses, and substandard rental properties. Dorough expects the new development to reverse neighborhood decline.
EI2 is also bringing prosperity to another region of the state: Middle Georgia. The organization recently launched the Georgia Arts Innovation Network (GAIN) pilot project, a six-month program that educates arts-related nonprofits and businesses in and around Perry, Georgia, so they can build capacity, adopt new technologies, and strengthen their role in creating vibrant places to live, work, and visit.
“GAIN represents an important part of EI2’s comprehensive approach to economic development, providing one more way for us to create impact in Georgia by using our expertise to serve a new audience,” said Bridges.
Ecosystem Building
Medellín, Colombia-based entrepreneur David Calle turned to EI2 Global’s Soft Landing program when considering expanding Mesh Medical Shapes into the U.S. market.
The program helps international companies build footholds in Georgia while strengthening global innovation ecosystems tied to the state.
As Bridges explained, “This also benefits us, because these countries do significant amounts of trade with the state of Georgia. Through our Soft Landing program, we’ve had some foreign companies who have successfully expanded their businesses into the U.S.”
Calle helms one of those companies and deemed his own Soft Landing experience invaluable. “It has helped me understand how to prepare today in the right way, so I don’t lose opportunities in the future,” he said. When the time comes for Mesh Medical Shapes to establishes a physical presence in the U.S., Calle plans to do it in southern Georgia.
Firm-Based Engagement
Manufacturing firms in rural Northwest Georgia are benefiting from an EI2 partnership between CEDR and the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) to design a workforce model that connects underrepresented populations with manufacturing careers.
The program, Project Purpose, began as a workforce pathway for high school seniors and has since expanded to serve justice-involved individuals. Now, it’s also working with those in recovery from substance use.
Highland Rivers Behavioral Health is a partner in the latest collaboration. According to its grant and strategic partnership manager, Alexandria Sanford, “meaningful employment is an essential part of recovery for individuals struggling with substance-use disorders. This partnership creates a stronger regional ecosystem within our state.”
EI2 is also supporting Georgia’s growing warehousing sector through statewide safety training for small and mid-sized companies. Its Safety, Health, and Environmental Services (SHES) group and GaMEP are hosting free statewide safety training for small to medium-size companies that mange or perform warehousing activities.
“We are committed to translating Georgia Tech’s world-class research and expertise into real-life solutions that create jobs, save lives, and keep America safe,” Bridges said. “As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, I think our work here at EI2’s reflects a broader truth. Innovation is not just about discovery, it’s about delivery. Across Georgia, that means turning research into opportunity, and ideas into measurable impact for the people they’re meant to serve.”