Adrienne Gates (she/her)

Founder and Executive Director, P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta, Inc.

Adrienne Gates founded P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta in 2020 in response to what she was seeing in her own city. A native Atlantan and small business owner, she watched development accelerate throughout the West End while many longtime residents continued to face barriers to stability, healthcare, and economic opportunity. She began with what she knew best financial literacy and tax preparation but quickly realized that the needs of the community extended far beyond finances alone.
Today, P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta operates a full-service Resource Center in Atlanta’s West End, serving 250 to 300 households each week. Last year alone, the organization served more than 16,305 individuals, distributed over 430,000 pounds of food, and benefited from more than 4,517 volunteer hours contributed by community members.

Under Adrienne’s leadership, P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta has developed three coordinated pathways of care: stabilization services such as food, clothing, housing, and basic-needs assistance; health and wellness services that include HIV and STI testing, PrEP navigation, and connections to care; and economic empowerment programs encompassing financial literacy, career coaching, benefits navigation, and youth mentoring.

What began as a grassroots effort has grown into a trusted community organization managing more than $1 million in annual grant funding, including federal and local support, while remaining firmly rooted in direct service and neighborhood-based care.

Adrienne leads with the belief that lasting change comes from consistency, not charity. She built P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta to meet people where they are, provide practical pathways forward, and remain present long after a community’s needs are no longer making headlines.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Adrienne co-founded EZ Money Tax Solutions, which has served families in Atlanta’s West End for more than eight years. She also serves on the advisory boards of Self-Help Credit Union and First Horizon Bank’s Community Reinvestment Act program.