Annual Luncheon feat. Elana Meyers Taylor
Event Date : Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is excited to invite you to our annual luncheon, a beloved event for Georgia’s early childhood community.
On Thursday, September 17th, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, at Zoo Atlanta, business and community leaders, elected officials, early childhood advocates, educators, philanthropic partners, and more will gather to celebrate our shared mission.
Why Your Support Matters
GEEARS is working for a Georgia in which our youngest children can learn and develop in good health from the day that they’re born. The benefits of high-quality child care, strong family supports, food security, and a stable home can reverberate through a child’s future. These essentials keep parents and caregivers in the workforce. They strengthen our communities and economic growth. They bolster student success and pave the way for the next generation in their own careers.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
- Our keynote speaker is Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who went viral in Milan when she turned her historic gold medal win into a teaching moment for her young sons, both of whom have disabilities.
- We’ll honor the year’s most impactful changemakers with meaningful awards.
- As an historic site for early childhood discovery, Zoo Atlanta is the perfect place for the GEEARS community to reaffirm our commitment to young children and families.
- Our annual luncheon is always fun and engaging, giving us an opportunity to gather with our amazing community to celebrate our mission for Georgia’s youngest kids, their families, and educators. Click here to see a recap of last year’s event.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
When you sponsor GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon, your organization helps position early childhood as a defining priority for Georgia’s future. You’ll broadcast your commitment to your employees, clients, community, and fellow leaders. You’ll also support GEEARS, whose highly skilled staff have spent the past 15 years effecting palpable progress for Georgia families.
When you sponsor GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon, you’re helping to build a better present for children and a better future for Georgia.
Click here to learn more about how to become a sponsor.
click here to purchase tickets
Questions? Please contact Lisa Dwyer.
Our Speaker: Elana Meyers Taylor
Elana Meyers Taylor’s Olympic journey is a story of resilience, reinvention, historic achievement, and a relentless pursuit of gold, nearly two decades in the making.
The daughter of a professional football player, Elana Meyers was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Douglasville, Georgia. A naturally gifted athlete, she was only nine when she declared her goal: she would become an Olympian.
After what she jokingly calls “the worst tryout ever in the history of tryouts” for the U.S. Olympic Softball Team, it appeared that her Olympic dream might be over. But her parents suggested she give bobsledding a try, advice that would change the course of her life.
In the summer of 2007, Elana traveled to Lake Placid, NY, home of the U.S. National Bobsled Team. She never left. She soon became a regular on World Cup podiums and won the bronze medal in Vancouver. In 2014 in Sochi, Russia, she captured a silver medal, her first Olympic podium as a driver.
Later that year, she married fellow bobsled athlete Nic Taylor, becoming Elana Meyers Taylor, then made history by becoming the first woman to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team, competing with the men as a four-man bobsled pilot.
In the ensuing years, Elana clinched medal after medal, but the gold eluded her by the narrowest of margins.
On February 8, 2020, Elana and Nic welcomed their first child, Nico. Nico was born with Down syndrome and Deaf and spent the first week of his life fighting to survive. The following winter, Nico began traveling the world with his parents as Elana returned to competition, chasing one more shot at gold, this time as a mother.
In 2022, she captured a silver medal in the inaugural women’s monobob event and a bronze in the two-woman competition. With those performances, she made history yet again, becoming the most decorated Black athlete in the history of the Olympic Winter Games.
Later in 2022, Elana gave birth to her second son, Noah, who is also Deaf. With her growing family traveling the world alongside her, she continued training for one more Olympic run.
At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Elana delivered, winning by a mere 0.04 seconds, capturing the long-awaited gold medal. Seconds after winning, she signed to her two young boys, who were trackside with their father, “Mommy Won!”
Elana Meyers Taylor is now a five-time Olympian, six-time Olympic medalist, and widely considered the greatest bobsled pilot in Olympic history.