Harold Maurice Hardnett is a native of Southwest Atlanta, Georgia, and is widely respected as a community advocate, entrepreneur, and mentor who has dedicated his career to empowering his hometown. He is often regarded as one of Southwest Atlanta’s strongest champions, investing his time and resources to uplift local neighborhoods. Hardnett is the founder of both Hardnett Enterprises and the Harold M. Hardnett Foundation, through which he has mentored youth, advocated for safer communities, and championed local businesses. His work spans public safety initiatives, economic development, and educational empowerment, all aimed at improving the quality of life in Southwest Atlanta. He also comes from a long line of educators in his family (5 Generations), and his parents were very active in the 1960's Civil Rights movement, which later inspired him to help others.

 

Born and raised in the Southwest community of Atlanta, Hardnett grew up in a close-knit family and attended local public schools in the Atlanta Public Schools system. In fact, he and his siblings achieved an extraordinary 12-year perfect attendance record during grade school, reflecting a strong commitment to education from an early age. Hardnett went on to Frederick Douglass High School, where he graduated in 1989. During his high school years, he was a well-rounded student – he played on the football team and was active in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club, demonstrating early leadership and teamwork skills.

 

Hardnett continued his education at the historic Morris Brown College, part of the Atlanta University Center. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a Minor in Public Policy. In college, he further honed his leadership skills through involvement in student governance and campus life, serving in the Student Government Association and becoming a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. These experiences allowed him to cultivate a passion for service and leadership. Notably, while still a student at Morris Brown, Hardnett took his first step into entrepreneurship by founding Hardnett Enterprises, Inc. – an endeavor that would later blossom into a cornerstone of his professional career.

 

Hardnett Enterprises operates across diverse sectors, providing affordable housing for low-income residents, managing vending machine services across the Atlanta metro area, and delivering commercial cleaning solutions to businesses. These business ventures were not only profitable but also rooted in community needs – for example, the company manages rental properties for underprivileged families and makes a point to hire military veterans as employees. Hardnett has always prioritized customer service and community impact in his business, a philosophy that has driven the company’s success.

 

Through his business, Hardnett has distinguished himself as a leading small-business owner and real estate investor with a large, extensive and diverse portfolio over $1 Million.  His commercial cleaning division, in particular, has received awards for its volume of business and excellence in customer service. He earned membership in Atlanta’s prestigious Gold and Diamond Club of Excellence for the commercial cleaning industry, highlighting his achievement in that field. Hardnett’s overall business acumen and leadership have garnered wider recognition as well – he has been featured in Who’s Who in Black Atlanta and was honored as one of the *“40 Under 40”* outstanding small business owners. These accolades underscore Hardnett’s reputation for excellence in entrepreneurship and his influence as a young business leader. Despite these honors, he remains focused on using his enterprises to create opportunities and give back to the community.

 

Hardnett has always matched his business success with an equally strong commitment to civic leadership and community service. He even served as an official community liaison for the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 4, working directly with law enforcement and neighbors to address public safety concerns at the grassroots level. Hardnett’s passion for community development is evident in the broad range of initiatives and organizations he engages with in Southwest Atlanta.

 

Below are some of the key ways he has demonstrated leadership and involvement in his community:

Community Initiatives: Hardnett has established and led several community-focused initiatives. He is the founder of the Harold M. Hardnett Foundation, which provides college scholarships and mentorship to students from Southwest Atlanta, and also holds the Annual Senior Ball for the community.  He also founded the Southwest Atlanta Youth Alliance, the Southwest Atlanta Senior Citizen Task Force to support and advocate for elderly residents in the community, and he co-founded Atlanta Southwest, Inc., the nonprofit organization behind the annual “Taste of Southwest Atlanta” festival – a popular event celebrating local culture and businesses.

 

Civic and Business Leadership: He has served in leadership roles in numerous local civic organizations and business associations. Hardnett has been an active member (and often an officer) of Neighborhood Planning Unit R (NPU-R), the Campbellton Road Business and Merchants Association, the Southwest Atlanta Business Alliance, and the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board. In addition, he represented the Atlanta Business League on the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, helping to ensure accountability and trust between the community and law enforcement. Through these roles, Hardnett has worked on city planning, economic development, and policy oversight issues that affect his neighborhood. Harold is currently co-writing the Greenbriar CID (Community Improvement District), that will re-brand and revitalize the district near and around Greenbriar Mall.

 

Volunteer Service: Beyond his formal positions, Hardnett volunteers with a wide array of charitable and service organizations. He has given his time to national and local nonprofits including the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Hands On Atlanta, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hosea Feed the Hungry, and the Boy Scouts of America. Whether it’s feeding the hungry, building homes, or supporting youth programs, Hardnett is consistently willing to roll up his sleeves for causes that improve the lives of Atlanta’s residents.

 

Youth Mentorship: A core focus of Hardnett’s community work is mentoring the next generation. He works with programs that guide and support young people, such as the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the United Way’s African-American Partnership Initiative. By volunteering as a mentor, he aims to inspire youth through positive examples and active engagement. Hardnett often says that “young people cannot be what they do not see,” reflecting his belief in the power of visible role models and leaders in the community. Through his foundation and these mentorship organizations, he has helped countless Atlanta youth envision and pursue brighter futures.

 

Hardnett’s dedication to community is deeply rooted in his personal values and life story. He still resides in Southwest Atlanta, maintaining a strong daily connection to the neighborhood he serves. Hardnett is married to his wife, Misty Yvonne, and they have one son, Jaylon Maurice. Together, the family remains active in their faith community at Cascade United Methodist Church. Hardnett volunteers as an adult leader with the church’s Boy Scout Troop 579 and serves on the Men’s Usher Board, among other activities. These personal commitments reflect the same spirit of service that defines his public work.

 

Hardnett often attributes his own success to the supportive community that helped raise him, and he lives by the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.” He is **very thankful** for the “village” that guided him to become the man he is today and views his community involvement as a way to repay that debt of gratitude. This philosophy drives him to mentor others and invest in programs that lift up those around him. Over the years, Hardnett has been honored with various awards for his leadership and service, but he measures his success less by accolades and more by the positive changes he can enact in the lives of others. With a career devoted to leadership, uplifting youth, and community advocacy, Harold Hardnett continues to embody the values of dedication, compassion, and empowerment that have defined his journey.