DeKalb County young professionals group Elevate is ‘flourishing,’ exec says

DeKALB – A local group affiliated with the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation and Opportunity Unbound wants to raise the bar for area young professionals.

Elevate debuted to the public in 2023 and has since hosted numerous events for young professionals throughout DeKalb County.

Executive Director Melissa Amedeo highlighted Elevate and its mentorship program at the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp.’s annual year-end event this month.

Among the functions of the group she noted was its mentor match program. In 2024, Amedeo said Elevate matched 30 young professionals with business leaders throughout DeKalb County.

“[I’m] really excited about that program,” Amedeo said during the Dec. 13 event. “Mentoring is near and dear to my heart, so looking at how we continue to leverage that will be extremely important to me.”

DeKalb County administrative analyst Liam Sullivan attended Elevate functions in 2024. Sullivan championed the group by saying Elevate events “allow you to get to know community leaders and your peers in a relaxed environment.”

“As a young professional who is a relatively new resident of DeKalb County, being a member of Elevate has opened a lot of doors for me and has helped me grow roots in the community by building professional and personal connections,” Sullivan said.

Savannah Walsh, a co-chair of Elevate, said the young professionals group flourished in 2024.

Over the course of the year, Elevate hosted a variety of events with help from Opportunity Unbound. Those functions have included kayaking trips, professional development seminars and networking socials.

“All of these events really help our mission and goal, which is to help create a workforce and make DeKalb County a great place for young professionals to live, work and play,” Walsh said.

Sullivan, who over the past few years has become a familiar face to many at DeKalb County government meetings and events, encouraged people to be on the lookout for future events.

“I highly recommend that young professionals who are new to the DeKalb County community and those who are looking to expand their network join us at future Elevate events,” Sullivan said.