JA of Georgia to Induct Arnold and Tatum into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame

ATLANTA, GA - Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia is proud to announce the 2026 JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame Laureates, Claire Lewis “Yum” Arnold, Founder and CEO of Leapfrog, and Beverly Tatum, President Emerita of Spelman College.

The 36th annual JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will take place on February 21, 2026, at Flourish in Buckhead. In addition to the induction ceremony of Atlanta business titans, the evening will include a cocktail hour, a dessert reception, and a tribute to the ground-breaking programs JA of Georgia is bringing to the Greater Atlanta area.

Claire Lewis Arnold is the co-founder and CEO of Leapfrog, a technology services company she launched in 1998 after a distinguished career in business development and strategic growth. Before Leapfrog, she built one of Georgia’s largest privately held companies through a leveraged buyout and spent 15 years leading it as CEO, following nearly a decade in leadership roles with Coca-Cola USA. Beyond her corporate success, Claire has served on the boards of Spelman College, The Woodruff Arts Center, The Carter Center, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and numerous nonprofit and civic organizations. Her leadership and service have been recognized with honors such as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEO in Technology, the YWCA Academy of Women induction, and multiple lifetime achievement awards. A graduate of Mary Baldwin College, she lives in Atlanta with her husband of 52 years and enjoys time in the North Carolina mountains with their three children and three granddaughters.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College, is an award-winning psychologist and nationally recognized expert on race relations and higher education leadership. She led Spelman from 2002 to 2015, a tenure marked by innovation and growth that earned her the 2013 Carnegie Academic Leadership Award. The author of several influential books, including the best-seller “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and her recent “Peril and Promise,” she continues to shape conversations on race and education. Dr. Tatum currently chairs the Tull Charitable Foundation and serves on the boards of Sesame Workshop and Educational Testing Service, with past service including Morehouse College and Georgia Power. Her contributions have been recognized with election to the American Philosophical Society and the American Psychological Association’s Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology.

“JA of Georgia is honored to welcome two extraordinary business leaders into our Laureate Society,” said John Hancock, President & CEO of JA of Georgia. “Yum Arnold and Beverly Tatum exemplify the leadership, vision, and integrity that inspire our students and alumni to dream bigger and achieve more.”

Arnold and Tatum will join the ranks of Atlanta’s most distinguished business leaders - past and present.

To learn more about the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, or if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please email Danielle Wilkes at dwilkes@georgia.ja.org.

From Designing Apps to Throwing Graduation Caps

Seniors from Northview High School are counting down the days to their high school graduation. For some, starting a new chapter seems daunting, but not for these three 3DE graduates. Ayaan Nabi, Baasin Nabi, and Abhinav Surapaneni have been ready for the real world since their Junior year.

During a student's third year of 3DE, they are challenged to create their own business from scratch. Some decide to share their heritage through food, while others help warm your home with candles and other goods. However, these three young men wanted to raise the bar. After a few focus groups with teachers, the trio decided to develop an app to help students find an extra-curricular activity. With Northview's plethora of offerings, decision fatigue and finding the right club can be difficult for a new student.

With the mission to aid their fellow Titans, Ayaan, Baasin, and Abhinav began to plan their app. The primary challenge they encountered was determining how to develop it. In the initial stages, the trio sketched out the interface designs. During their presentations to community members, they had the fortune of meeting Chris Kampf, CEO of Venuiti and an active volunteer for JA of Georgia. Chris was impressed by the app's purpose but noted the boys lacked the resources to bring it to fruition. Kampf offered his services. Thanks to his generosity, the app was on track to be available for download.

Kampf worked very closely with the students and as the school year began to draw to a close, Kampf saw an opportunity. Baasin Nabi was offered a summer internship with Chris Kampf's company. With a fresh app on their phones and their last year of 3DE and high school ahead of them, Ayaan, Baasin, and Abhinav had already begun to build their resumes. During a senior's 3DE year, they are paired with a company to complete a consultancy. Ayaan spent the year with New Horizon, where they tackled the food industry. While Baasim and Surapaneni both worked with Deloitte, they handled different solutions. Baasim tackled solutions for producers of medical and drug equipment, Abhinav worked on developing business growth with aid from smaller tech companies.

As graduation approaches, Ayaan Nabi will be delving into Biopsychology at Georgia State University, while Baasim Nabi sets his sights on a medical career, embarking on a pre-med biological engineering journey at the University of Georgia. Abhinav Surapaneni, on the other hand, aims to immerse himself in the realm of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Finally, their reflections extend to the impactful guidance provided by mentors and volunteers, with Chris Kampf standing out as a beacon of support and mentorship. Ayaan acknowledges the transformation from introversion to confidence, attributing it to the mentorship received, while Baasim and Abhinav express heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support and expertise that propelled their projects forward, shaping their journey within 3DE and beyond.