FreddyO was inside the Georgia World Congress Center for day one of Invest Fest 2026, the Earn Your Leisure conference founded by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. Steve Harvey was among the big names in the building as the three-day summit kicked off Friday, August 7.
Now in its sixth year, Invest Fest drew a record crowd of more than 30,000 people to downtown Atlanta. The weekend’s message was all about building wealth that lasts: owning businesses, investing and passing something down to the next generation.
Steve Harvey on longevity and reinvention
Harvey sat down with Nick Cannon and Terrence J for a conversation about staying power in entertainment, reinventing yourself and creating opportunities for the people coming up behind you.
A stacked lineup
Serena Williams made history as Invest Fest’s first female headliner, telling the crowd she now measures success through her life as a full-time mom. T.I. and Jermaine Dupri were honored at Friday night’s VIP Black Tie Gala, where Jagged Edge performed and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms spoke about leadership. Porsha Williams talked about building Go Naked Hair into a business beyond reality TV, and Anthony Anderson, Vic Mensa and 19Keys were also on the lineup.
The mayor shows up
The weekend followed a public back-and-forth between the Earn Your Leisure founders and the City of Atlanta over how much the city supports the event. Mayor Andre Dickens joined Bilal and Millings on the main stage on August 8, and the group talked about plans for Invest Fest 2027.
Click through the gallery below to see all the photos from day one.
Photos by FreddyO. Want FreddyO to cover your event? Book FreddyO.
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