Lonnie Abdul Saboor is Director Small Business Development for Invest Atlanta. He has provided financial leadership to several commercial projects in the City of Atlanta since 1979, including the design and administration of a $2M revolving loan fund for Underground Atlanta’s Minority Tenant Program. He has arranged financing for more than 600 small businesses in the City, representing more than 500 million in public and private funds that resulted in the creation of more than 5,000 jobs.

Mr. Saboor has successfully assisted the City of Atlanta with negotiations with an inner-city shopping center for $17 M in renovations. He established and served as President of the first Certified Development Corporation in the City of Atlanta.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Saboor was a management consultant with the Georgia Department of Planning and Budget. He has also worked as Southern Regional Business Manager for the Nation of Islam which employed over 90 employees; Consultant and Program Coordinator for the City of Macon’s Minority Business Assistance Program; and District Representative over eight Stop & Go convenient stores in Metro Atlanta. He has worked as an Admissions Counselor for Ottawa University. Mr. Saboor is author of a book about common sense business tactics entitled “Getting Paid”.

Mr. Saboor graduated from Ottawa University with a BA Degree in Business Administration and Economics; he also has a M.B.A. in Finance and Management from Atlanta University. He is listed in “Who’s Who” in the South and Southeast; is a recipient of the Personalities of the South Award and the Leadership Award from Entrepreneur Magazine. In addition, he has received numerous awards from the Small Business Administration and community groups. Mr. Saboor is a graduate of the 1990 “Leadership Atlanta” program.

Another important part of economic development is being involved in the community. He is currently co-founder and President of the New Africa Business Association of Atlanta (formerly the Islamic Business Association of Atlanta) and former Chairman of the Southwest Atlanta Youth Business Organization (SWAYBO). Mr. Saboor was the Founder of the National Muslim Business Association, Treasurer of the Atlanta Business League and founder and board member of the Georgia Summit of African American Business Organizations, former president and current member of the City of Atlanta Toastmasters Club, member of Leadership Atlanta, served on the governing board of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam for over five years, a member of the AUCC CommUniversity Small Business Development Advisory Board, Advisory Board

member of Unity National Bank and is a member of the National Muslim Business Council’s Advisory Board. He is a consultant with the Bar Association Support to Improve Correctional Services (BASICS) an offender rehabilitation program sponsored by the State Bar of Georgia. He was inducted into the Atlanta Business League’s Men of Influence in 2011. He was selected by the Atlanta Business Journal as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Atlantans in 2019.