Inside the dispute that put Invest Fest and Atlanta at odds, the conversations are now focused on working together and community investment.
By A.R. Shaw
Just last week, the founders of Earn Your Leisure and the city of Atlanta appeared to have beef.
Over the past six years, Atlanta has hosted Earn Your Leisure’s flagship event, Invest Fest. The three-day conference focuses on financial literacy and previously featured fireside chats with prominent names such as Tyler Perry, Robert Smith, Magic Johnson, and Steve Harvey.
But weeks before the kickoff of the 2026 Invest Fest, EYL co-founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings caused a stir following a controversial interview on the Charlamagne the God-led “The Breakfast Club,” where the two shared grievances with the City of Atlanta government.
“Atlanta’s done nothing for us,” Bilal said, referring to the Atlanta city government’s contributions to Invest Fest. “It’s an unfortunate situation. When you work with a city, there’s a budget. They can help put up billboards, be a liaison with the center, they can help with police force, they can help with budget, rooms with hotels.”
Bilal continued, “I think a lot of times when you’re a Black entrepreneur, a lot of things are just expected. They’re like, ‘Oh, you got it, like, you good.’ It’s like if somebody else will come, like a Forbes or somebody like that, they would roll out the red carpet.”
The comment sparked dialogue on social media, specifically among Atlanta natives who questioned EYL’s approach.
Ryan Wilson, owner of The Gathering Spot, provided context on why Invest Fest being held at the Georgia World Congress Center limits the City of Atlanta government in some ways.
“The venue where Invest Fest is held, the Georgia World Congress Center, is controlled by the state, not the city [of Atlanta],” Wilson shared on a social media post. “Every person that is on the board of the Georgia World Congress Center has been appointed by the governor [Brian Kemp], a republican. The only thing that the city receives are sales taxes for the event, but the venue itself is controlled by the state.”
Wilson also encouraged event organizers to develop better relationships with convention boards, the community, and corporate leaders throughout the year.
Atlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens took a more direct approach when addressing EYL’s initial statement on “The Break Fast Club.”
“Somebody said something on the radio in New York about Atlanta,” Dickens said during a speech at Hank Stewart’s 25th Annual White Linen Affair. “Somebody was talking about support. You know, people talk a lot. The city of Atlanta, we will always look out for ours. This is 25 years. If you support this city, we support you back! So put that on your podcast!”
Bilal and Millings heard the backlash from the mayor and social media users who objected to their interview on “The Breakfast Club.”
I spoke with Millings during the 2026 Invest Fest and shared thoughts on the fallout from the “The Breakfast Club” interview and how the ordeal led to further talks with the mayor’s office.
“I think what you heard was people speaking their truth,” Millings said. “There was some things that were taken out of context, some things that were misunderstood. But I think what we’ve seen since that interview is progressive conversation And so, we spoke to the city officials. We’ve had conversations with corporations in the city of Atlanta about how to make something great. Atlanta is a great place. It’s the reason why Invest Fest works here and has been here for six years, and hopefully that continues.”
On day two of Invest Fest, Millings and Bilal surprised attendees and introduced Mayor Andre Dickens to the main stage. Dickens spoke to the audience and revealed that both sides discussed their issues with each other and came to an agreement.
“We had our necessary conversations this week,” Dickens told the Invest Fest audience. “Atlanta is a special place, it’s a unique place…And as we go forward, me and these brothers, we’re going to talk about 2027 Invest Fest and how we’re going to talk about the developments of investing in the city of Atlanta on the south side.”
Millings provided insight on meeting with Mayor Dickens and how both sides came to a resolution.
“I think what it came down to is a misunderstanding of communication,” Millings said. “But also from our standpoint, we wanted it to feel like Invest Fest was something important. We obviously know that Atlanta is a city that has a lot of events happening. A lot of cultural events happen, and they all feel important. And we just kind of wanted this to feel important because of the economic impact that it has. You have over 30,000 people here, a lot of them are traveling from other places. So, we just wanted it to feel important. We can’t do this without the people of Atlanta who actually work here… It’s not possible without them. I don’t want them to feel excluded because it is important. It’s an important moment, for not just Atlanta, but for the culture.”
How Invest Fest gives back to the Atlanta community became a central discussion topic on social media as some were unclear of how residents in Atlanta benefited from the event. Tickets for a three-day pass at Invest Fest start at $300 and VIP tickets scale above $2,500. During our interview, Millings took a moment to discuss their community efforts in Atlanta.
“What we initiated this year is, ‘how do we give back to our youth,’” Millings said. “So we had 350 students here, over 200 from Atlanta metro schools. They had a full day of curriculum. They had a full day of panels. And breakout sessions. They also had a pitch competition where a student won $15,000 toward their business. So that’s what we’re talking about, giving back to the next generation. But we’re also leaving the curriculum here because financial literacy wasn’t talked about much in schools. So, we’re leaving that impact that can be taught in schools, but can be carried on throughout the school year and in the summer.”
This year’s Invest Fest featured keynote speeches by Serena Williams, Nick Cannon, Steve Harvey, Vic Mensa, and more. It also featured panel discussions on the future of AI, marketing strategies, finance, entrepreneurship, and scaling clothing brands.
Lessons were learned following EYL’s controversial interview with “The Breakfast Club.” But the intense exchanges sparked dialogue that could lead to better community impact and collaboration with the city of Atlanta for years to come.
“Atlanta is a great place. It’s the reason why Invest Fest works here and has been here for six years,” Millings said. “It’s a phenomenal city and a phenomenal event. So the idea is how do we make these two phenomenal things work together and build together and create a more impactful message to the community, but also to the culture. What do we look like when we work together, build together, create together, and build the future for the Next Generation?”
The post What Happened Between Invest Fest and Atlanta? Inside the Controversy and Reconciliation appeared first on BlackPressUSA.
