George R. Greenidge, Jr. has served in a number of capacities throughout his career in the fields of non-profit, government, philanthropy, and education. Most recently, he was President of the Boston Empowerment Zone, a federally funded HUD initiative aimed at economic investment in U.S. urban neighborhoods and the Founder and Executive Director of the National Black College Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit focused on providing alumni mentors to college and high school students. His work as a convener has also been recognized locally and nationally by a number of organizations including the Aspen Institute, National Urban League, and the Independent Sector.
His current research focuses on the economic development of urban cities and affordable housing and the impact of displacement/gentrification on its residents. He also studies post-secondary education and career success of minority students with a concentration on Black and Latino males. While a Ph.D. candidate at Georgia State University, George has worked as an Economic Fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and an Urban Fellow with GSU Law School’s Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth . In addition, he has worked with the Sociology Department’s inaugural Field School research projects as a team leader and interviewer surveying homeless youth ages 14 -24 about program services and community residents living near the Atlanta Beltline about health outcomes. He also served as a lead interviewer with Emory University’s Center for Community Partnerships’ Moving To Work (MTW) Study for Atlanta public housing residents who moved out of their neighborhood through a housing subsidy demonstration program. Currently, George is an Innovation Fellow with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s Student Innovation Fellowship Program (SIF). This program allows GSU graduate and undergraduate students to develop consulting expertise and share ideas on emerging technologies and instructional innovations. Through the use of innovative technology, SIF collaborates with community partners, government agencies, and for-profit companies and enhances learning and research at Georgia State University.
In his spare time, George enjoys swimming, biking, and running and has learned the sport of triathloning. He was one of the six participants chosen for the 2015 CNN’s Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge Team that trained and sponsored individuals for national competitions. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta served as their mentor for 9 months, and he also competed with them in the 2015 Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Here is George’s article from the CNN experience: “Swimming past African American fear and competency in water”.