How Beltline Workforce Development Programs Guided One Resident’s Growth

For the past nine years, Everest Owens has lived in different homes across the West End neighborhood, watching the area transform in ways both startling and inspiring. From the day she moved in, neighbors greeted her with warmth. 

“I’ve always seen the value in where I live,” she says. “And that value wasn’t just in the buildings or the streets—it was in the people. I've really got to develop that sense of belonging here growing up. I became an adult in Atlanta, and it's refined me in the best ways.” 

Over nearly a decade, she has seen the area evolve, but its essence remains.  

“Living in Southwest Atlanta taught me how to live in harmony with others, with my neighborhood… how I’m connected to the next home and how we can make each other’s lives more pleasant,” she said. “I think we really embrace that and are wanting to amplify that more than ever now, how we're all interconnected and things like the Beltline change us and bring us together.” 

Finding Opportunity Through Community Connection 

When Everest first arrived, she didn’t own a car. She and her husband walked and skateboarded everywhere, and that proximity helped her notice the unique spots tucked in her neighborhood. 

Captivated by a farm on Atwood, she decided to take a closer look and came across Arther Love, Program Manager at the Greening Youth Foundation. He encouraged her to apply to the Urban Forestry Pathways Program (UFOR), one of the Beltline’s workforce development efforts that provides hands-on training to young adults through partnerships with local organizations. 

It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that aligned perfectly with her desire to deepen her understanding of the environment and expand her garden design work. She found that the program was a dream come true for multiple reasons. 

“I used to see people working on the Beltline, and it just seemed so pleasant,” she said. “I really felt that one could connect with how their city is designed. Also, it's a lot harder than it may appear to maintain and design and nurture each species of plant that they're putting out there. I love that people are learning about what's different.” 

She also values that the program instills in people the importance of caring for their natural environment, and believes the Beltline plays a key role in supporting that mission. 

Building a Future Rooted in Relationships 

Attending the Beltline’s Career Fair this past August, Everest didn’t expect to run into La Bodega—a Beltline Business Ventures graduate and a business she and her husband first built a relationship with while skateboarding off the trail. 

For the resident, this inaugural event was “a true testament to the Beltline wanting the betterment for the people of the city of Atlanta.” 

“There were jobs of every caliber,” she said. “It was absolutely amazing.” 

On casual visits to La Bodega’s then-Met location, Everest got to know the owners, Ken and Jeannette Flores-Katz. After their move to Sylvan Road, the group crossed paths at a business accelerator cohort, where Ken and Jeannette observed the work Everest did.  

Reconnecting at the Career Fair felt like a continuation of how involved they were in their communities, and the entrepreneurs offered her a temporary role as a Farmer Coordinator. 

“It put me in a position to not engage with them as a customer, but as a business or someone looking for work, how to come to people or relationships I have at a different angle,” Everest said. “It granted me a whole new door of opportunities for business.” 

Cultivating What Comes Next 

Now, grounded by her experience with UFOR, a deep love for the West End, and a clear vision for her garden design business, Salubrious Designs Co, Everest is ready to expand. This spring, she’s returning to school while also supplying La Bodega with plants she’s grown herself. 

As the Beltline continues to grow, Everest hopes the project will amplify the vision and voices of every aspect of Atlanta. Learn more about our workforce development opportunities here.