Local Business Leaders to be Honored for Achievements and Contributions to Atlanta Business Community

Tyler Perry and Jeffrey Sprecher will join the prestigious group of individuals previously inducted into the

JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame

Tyler PerryActor, Filmmaker, Philanthropist and Owner of Tyler Perry Studios

Tyler Perry

Actor, Filmmaker, Philanthropist and Owner of Tyler Perry Studios

Jeffrey SprecherFounder, Chairman, and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange, and Chairman, New York Stock Exchange

Jeffrey Sprecher

Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange, and Chairman, New York Stock Exchange

ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia and Atlanta Business Chronicle are pleased to announce that Tyler Perry, Actor, Filmmaker, Philanthropist, and Owner of Tyler Perry Studios, and Jeffrey Sprecher, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Chairman, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will be inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 22, 2020. They will join the group of 95 influential Atlantans recognized for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s economic and civic vibrancy.

Celebrating its 31st year, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, a black-tie gala to benefit JA of Georgia, is held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the robust city it is today.

Following his humble beginning in New Orleans, Tyler Perry’s media, entertainment and philanthropic persona has become synonymous with the Atlanta community since the founding of Tyler Perry Studios in 2006. The mastermind behind over 20 feature films, two dozen stage plays, nine television shows and two New York Times bestselling books, Perry has built an empire that has attracted audiences and built communities, from his studio’s home base in Atlanta and throughout the world. Celebrated “among the pantheon of today’s greatest cinematic innovators,” his unique blend of spiritual hope and down-home humor continues to shape his inspiring life story, connecting with fans across the globe. Perry’s impact on the economic landscape and overall well-being of Atlanta has only begun and will be felt for generations to come.

Jeffrey Sprecher first arrived here in 1997 from California, where he was an entrepreneur in the power industry, and acquired the Atlanta-based Continental Power Exchange to build a new market operator. Sprecher and a small team launched Intercontinental Exchange in 2000, which has evolved from an energy market to an operator of more than a dozen exchanges and global market infrastructure, including the New York Stock Exchange, and has a market capitalization of over $50 billion today. In addition to notable acquisitions and growth within the Fortune 500 Company, Sprecher has been continually recognized for his outstanding leadership and impact from the Wall Street Journal and Fortune, and has been on Barron’s list of 30 World’s Best CEOs since 2014. Sprecher previously served as Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and currently serves on its Executive Committee, is a University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Trustee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Buckhead Coalition, The Commerce Club, Atlanta Committee for Progress and Engage Ventures.

The JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner and Laureate Induction Ceremony. The 2020 gala will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Proceeds from the event will benefit JA of Georgia and its efforts to empower the next generation to build a better future for themselves and their community. To learn more, click here.