Raising the bar in
Birmingham

Mid-sized cities struggle to attract and retain high potential young talent who don't have previous connections to the region. Venture for America was built to provide enterprising college graduates an alternative early career journey, identifying high-growth jobs in emerging cities like Birmingham. Overton led an effort to put Birmingham on VFA’s map. Our city became one of the most successful sites across the country, and fellows continue to have impact in Birmingham to this day.

Early language development is the foundation of a child’s future, but Birmingham’s youngest children were falling behind and we lacked coordinated early literacy solutions to help them. Overton partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to bring the proven LENA model here and launch Small Magic. Today, it’s the largest municipal implementation of early literacy edtech in the country, helping thousands of children build the foundation to learn, grow, and succeed.

Building a company is hard — and Birmingham founders shouldn’t be limited to the mentors they can find locally. Overton saw that Endeavor Global could unlock a global network of operators, advisors, and investors for Birmingham's builders and led the effort to bring them here. Now, founders have as many people in their corner as possible as they scale.

Effective workforce development efforts are necessary in cities like Birmingham, but often intended aims miss their mark. Overton looked beyond the city and found Strive, a Harlem-based national model designed to adapt to the needs of each city it operates in. After doing their diligence, Strive committed to Birmingham. They now serve hundreds of young people, connecting them to meaningful work.

In 2023, Overton created the Overton Fellowship to empower Birmingham's entrepreneurs to be bolder. The fellowship is for any Birmingham leader at an inflection point who wants to be pushed to the next level. We help unleash them through coaching, world-class speakers, a curated cohort, and accountability.

Birmingham’s food scene is a strength, but there’s room to push it further. Overton backed Mobley and Partners as they set out to raise the bar for both food and hospitality. Their first project, El Royale Cafe, reflects that approach — thoughtful, well-executed, and built to stand out. It’s an early example of how fresh ideas for hospitality can shape the city.

Too few real estate projects reflect our city's full potential. Overton partnered with Matthews Development to develop thoughtful, experience-driven real estate across the region. Together, they focus on projects that raise the standard for design and use — creating places that improve our quality of life.

Birmingham's students were falling behind at two key inflection points — in middle school, and over summers — and they were never catching back up. Alongside Miho Kubagawa, Overton identified Breakthrough Collaborative, a proven national program, and convinced them to come to Birmingham. Today, Breakthrough's programs put students on the path to college and a better future.

Our state has an abundance of creative talent, but too many creatives stall or move away as their careers progress. AlabamaCreates, founded by Overton Fellow Tyden Rickard, is working to change that. Through real-world, project-based learning across film, design, and digital production, it helps creatives build careers here — keeping that talent in the state so it compounds over time and strengthens the work coming out of Alabama.

As technical skills became increasingly essential for young people, Birmingham schools lacked the capacity to teach computer science at a high level. Overton partnered with Microsoft to recruit TEALS, an innovative model that pairs industry professionals with classroom teachers. Students gained early exposure to real computer science taught by people doing the work, opening doors that were previously closed.

AI is reshaping how work gets done, but how to usher in that change across a metro region remains an open question. BirminghamAI, founded by two Overton Fellows, is working to help the city engage with that change early. Overton backed their effort to bring people together, build understanding, and explore how this technology can be used most effectively in Birmingham.

Birmingham has a deep love of sports and strong participation in youth soccer, but no professional team to rally around. The Birmingham Legion was created to fill that gap, bringing a new kind of shared experience to the city. The Legion reflects a broader view of how places, pride, and community can contribute to Birmingham's growth.