When Kandis Knight was working in the music industry, she took notice of the young people around her. When interns were given access to education, technology, and support, they had great ideas and insights about the industry.
“I realized that the kids, they have a great idea, a great concept, of how to make things work, especially in marketing,” Knight told Rough Draft.
It was this realization that led Knight to form Ignite ATL, a nonprofit empowering Atlanta youth through technology and creativity. The organization harnesses the power of youth to give them the tools they need to thrive in the industries they’re passionate about.
Older youth have their choice of programs that teach skills ranging from marketing, filmmaking, game design, music production, podcasting, and more. People ages 16 to 25 can join the seasonal Executive Intern Academy to learn professional skills in marketing, management, publishing, event planning, and audio and visual arts by producing and marketing four different podcasts covering music, news, and community service.
From February to August this year, the organization will be running three other specialty programs: the Atlanta Soundlab Academy for music production, the Atlanta STEM and Stream Labs for video game design, and the Atlanta Youth Film Project for filmmaking.
Related story: Ignite ATL appoints Darrell Booker as strategic partner to expand youth programs
To help support this programming, Ignite ATL has a residency program for creatives to receive discounted studio time, networking opportunities, and marketing development to teach Ignite ATL youth about utilizing technology in the resident’s field.
For high schoolers in Atlanta Public Schools ages 14 to 18, Ignite ATL also offers a free weekly mentorship program. The students gather every Thursday 4 to 9 p.m. to share a meal and talk about their weeks. Kids in the program who need more support can schedule a one-on-one meeting with a mentor.
While the offerings at Ignite ATL are vast, the idea is simple: listen to the kids and give them what they need.
“Let’s just empower the kids and see what happens,” Knight said. “Let me just figure out how to give them the tools and the resources and the software that they want and see what happens.” Moving into the future, Ignite ATL will be launching the first annual Blandtown Youth Art Exhibit and introducing a culinary program. Paid programs range from $150 to $250, but scholarships are available. To learn more and register for an Ignite ATL program, visit igniteatlanta.org.
Related story: Meet our 20 Under 20 honorees for 2026
