Atlanta's people to watch in 2009

Atlanta's people to watch in 2009

TV personality

Name: Nicole Lapin
Age: 24
Neighborhood: “ITP” (Inside the Perimeter)

What pays the bills? While my official title is anchor for CNN.com Live, I also regularly report on CNN’s television networks, including CNN, HLN and CNN International.

Describe your job: I anchor three to four hours of live, commercial-free news on CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only multi-stream live video news service. Additionally, given my personal interest in youth issues, each week I report on a different person under the age of 30 doing something extraordinary for a multiplatform series called "Young People Who Rock." The interviews afford me the opportunity to blog, write stories for CNN.com and conduct live in-person interviews with these amazing young people.

Your passion project: Being an ambassador for service organizations focused on youth: St. Jude, Do Something and Operation Smile.

Where would you get “flashed” by Metromix? While there are rarely any flashbulbs, I love spending a few extra moments at Octane.

What is your favorite restaurant and why? Beleza. Fresh, tasty, creative. Lots of vegan options. The chocolate tart is pure ambrosia.
 
What’s next for you in 2009? I think, “What’s not next?” is a better question.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’ve always made it a point to concentrate on the job I have, rather than focusing on what’s around the corner. I am extremely honored to be part of the network renowned for innovating and shaking-up the news-consumption habits of today.

Who inspires you? The people who let me tell their stories: The Sudanese women, the single parents that work too hard, the youngest AIDS patients. Those people who let me introduce them to the world and the viewers who want to be introduced to those whom they’ll never meet on their own-that’s my inspiration.

What five songs would make up your life’s playlist?
Elton John, "Tiny Dancer"
Billy Joel, "And So It Goes"
Fleetwood Mac, "Landslide"
Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car"
Ne-Yo, "Miss Independent"

What is an Atlanta event in 2009 that you will not miss? Jane Fonda’s G-CAPP Gala