IWF Georgia May Member Luncheon Program:
Atlanta Influences Everything
Atlanta has long been a catalyst for change—shaping movements, industries, and global conversations far beyond the city limits. Atlanta Influences Everything brings together three influential women representing some of the city’s most iconic institutions—Spelman College, CNN, and The Coca-Cola Company—for a dynamic conversation on leadership, legacy, and impact.
Moderated by Polo Changnon of the Atlanta History Center, this discussion will explore Atlanta’s rich history and its far-reaching influence across business, media, education, and culture. From its central role in the civil rights movement to its position as a global hub—anchored by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—Atlanta continues to shape ideas, people, and progress worldwide.
Goals of the event:
- Highlight the history of Atlanta and its role in shaping social and cultural movements
- Emphasize Atlanta’s influence on other cities and its global impact
- Recognize and elevate the women who have contributed to the city’s growth and leadership
- Present diverse perspectives on Atlanta’s history and global reach, spanning politics, the arts, business, and education
IWF Georgia Members Only Program. Please log in for complimentary registration.
Event Timeline & Details:
11:30 am Arrival / Networking
11:50 am Buffet / Seating
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Welcome Remarks / Program
Location:
Atlanta History Center, McElreath Hall
Sponsored by: Thank you to Atlanta History Center and Ann Curry for their support of this program!
About Our Speakers:
1) Palo Changnon, Chief Content Officer, Atlanta History Center (Moderator)
2) Ingrid Saunders Jones, who was the head of the Coca Cola Foundation during the Roberto Goizueta era.
3) Cynthia Spence - Spelman Educator but also serves on board of the Atlanta History Center.
4) Gail Evans, Former CNN
Speaker bios:
Pola Changnon is the Chief Content Officer of the Atlanta History Center, where she leads the strategic vision for archives and collections, exhibitions, education, digital storytelling, gardens, and marketing/PR. In this role, she fosters collaboration across departments to bring Atlanta’s rich history to life in dynamic and innovative ways, enhancing how visitors engage with the Center both onsite and online.
Before joining the Atlanta History Center, Changnon served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Turner Classic Movies (TCM), overseeing all aspects of the network's operations. Under her leadership, TCM expanded its reach and influence through groundbreaking initiatives such as the TCM Classic Film Festival and the FilmStruck streaming service. She also held key leadership roles at Cartoon Network, where she spearheaded creative development for on-air and digital platforms.
A native of Atlanta, Changnon brings a deep appreciation for storytelling and brand development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and a Master of Arts degree from Northwestern University. Through her leadership at the Atlanta History Center, she is dedicated to broadening the institution’s impact and ensuring Atlanta’s stories resonate with diverse audiences for generations to come.
Gail Evans: "Love the Game" - With those words Gail Evans concludes one of the most successful and influential books about women in the workplace. Ironically, many women did not even know the game existed before Evans taught them how to win in the workplace with her book "Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman."
The book was listed on the New York Times, Business Week, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. “Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman” has been translated into 21 languages and has been a bestseller around the world. When it comes to the success of women in the workplace, Evans is a leading source. She has appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America, CNN and has been featured in Business Week, People Magazine, The New York Times and USA Today.
Evans' status has been enhanced by her newest book, “She Wins, You Win.” She has spoken and given lectures to many of the world’s leading companies including AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, GE, Microsoft, JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, KPMG, Cisco, IBM, Thompson Reuters, Deloitte, Intel , Wal Mart and Textron to name a few.
Since her retirement from CNN Evans has been an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Management teaching “Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Global Organizational Behavior.”
Ms. Ingrid Saunders Jones is a respected global corporate leader, a champion of educational opportunity and an advocate for empowered and healthy communities. In 2013, after over 30 years of leadership, Ms. Jones retired from The Coca-Cola Company as Senior Vice President of Global Community Connections and Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation. During her years at the Company, Ms. Jones held roles ofincreasing responsibility and led a variety of important local, national and global community initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Jones worked with the Honorable Maynard H. Jackson, the Mayor of the City of Atlanta; served as a legislative analyst for the president of the Atlanta City Council; served as Executive Director of the Detroit Wayne County Child Care Coordinating Council; and taught in the public schools of Detroit and Atlanta.
In 2012, Ms. Jones was elected to serve as Chair of the National Council of Negro Women until her term ended in 2018. Currently she serves on the boards of YWCA of Greater Atlanta and Clark Atlanta University. Ms. Jones is also a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Links, Inc. and the Society of International Business Fellows.
A native of Detroit, Ms. Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in education from Eastern Michigan University. Her Alma Mater, Michigan State University, honored her with an honorary Doctorate of Humanities. She has also received honorary degrees from Spelman College, Knoxville College, the Atlanta College of Art and the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College and Founder and Director of the Spelman College Social Justice Programs. The Social Justice Program is a living and learning community program that attempts to match students’ intellectual interests with their social justice advocacy passions. She supervises social justice advocacy projects primarily focusing on advocacy for the rights of women and girls. As Director of the Social Justice Program, Dr. Spence serves as the Director of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, an initiative sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
In addition, Dr. Spence is the Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs. As Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, Dr. Spence creates, manages, and oversees a suite of future faculty development and faculty career enhancement programs for UNCF (United Negro College Fund) students and faculty.
Dr. Spence has served as Assistant Dean, Associate Dean and Academic Dean at Spelman College. Her interest in racial justice, anti-racists training, higher education access, and violence against women frame her research, writing, community service involvement and public speaking. She has served as consultant for the Ford Foundation Institutional Transformation Project, the University of Chicago Provost Initiative on Minority Affairs, the Agnes Scott College Center for Teaching and Learning, the Georgia Department of Corrections and currently, the University of the South’s racial justice initiatives.
